Methy Barrett...

I don't think I was expecting anyone; it's almost evening. It's getting dark out there.

"Hello, Dr Methy"

I heard a cheerful voice at the door; I forgot to close it when Amy left.

So the honking was done by Brooke's car

"Hi, I wasn't expecting you... Please come in."

I tried to stand to show respect.

"Please, sit down... Don't be so formal..."

She waved it off and made her comfortable on the couch in front of me.

I was still holding Amy's file on my lap; I had no courage to close it after what she said.

I should inform Dr Brooke; after all, she knows her family. She referred me to her parents. Some powerful husband and wife whom I have never seen. What kind of parents don't see who is consulting their daughter? I should have known that something was fishy, or they simply don't care about their daughter.

"What's wrong, Dr Methy?"

Dr Brooke is a respected psychologist. I worked under her for a long time until I got fed up with city life and decided to move away from the city to a small but beautiful house.

Life is peaceful here, and the neighbourhood is quiet.

My house isn't too far from the city, hardly half an hour if you don't get stuck in traffic. She was impressed by the place and suggested that I should consult my patients here. It's therapy itself.

Brooke has been so supportive throughout my career. She is the MD of the biggest mental care hospital in the city, and no one would guess that from her attitude. She is so down to earth.

She looked around my living room.

"Your house is so beautiful, I envy you..."

She is a confident lady in her mid-fifties. Her grey hair is set in a bob cut, but the only wrinkles visible are from smiling around her lips. She is always smiling.

I smiled.

"Thank you."

"I see that Jasmine vine is covering the front wall... Gosh, I love that fragrance."

She took a dramatic breath. When I moved here, I noticed that the town is weirdly obsessed with Jasmine; you will see at least one Jasmine vine in every house.

"She is blooming; the fragrance is so alluring. I can't agree more."

I felt the little girl in me jumping with joy. I love Jasmine fragrance, not perfume but real flowers. They smell divine.

"Were you seeing someone before I came here?"

She asked, looking at the file in my hands.

"Yeah, Amy"

I replied, and her smile dropped.

"Ohh! Amy?"

She covered quickly and nodded.

"Dr Brooke, I need to tell you something."

I don't know if she would believe me. I have heard that Amy's family is powerful; it's obvious that they won't entertain anything which will hurt their reputation. But as a professional doctor, I have to inform my boss about it.

"Amy said that her mother pushed her into the pool."

Dr Brooke nodded like she wasn't shocked.

"I have heard that before... That's one of the reasons I am here."

One of the reasons? Means there is something else too!

"Amy has been diagnosed with Psychosis... She has drifted away from reality. Therapy is not going to work for her anymore; we need to shift her to an asylum."

She wasn't happy about it. We both know that it's not going to be easy for a small girl.

Psychosis is very interesting, where a person can't differentiate between reality and illusion. Everything is reality for them, and it slowly consumes everything.

"So her Mom is not the one who pushed her?"

I asked, confused.

She sighed, rubbing her hands on her khaki pants.

"No! Her mother is no more."

My eyebrows rose.

"It looks complicated... I trust you with her; she hardly broke when she was with me... I think you are right; she needs medical care."

She nodded in agreement.

"Well, that's not why I was here for... I have a case for you."

She sounded sceptical.

This isn't the first time she has brought a case to me. Dr Brooke has unnatural confidence in me, which sometimes scares me. She thinks I can break through anyone and read their mind, which is not completely true. I have my own struggles, but till now I have enjoyed all the cases she has given me.

Maybe because I handle it from my home!

"And that is?"

If she is personally here to explain it to me, then it's important. She has a hell of a lot of things to do rather than driving half an hour from the city to talk to me, which she can easily do on a phone call.

She didn't inform me before coming here, which means it's urgent.

"Elijah Hawthorne!"

She replied.

"He is my friend's son, and he is in trouble."

"I have heard that name before; I don't remember where."

It's oddly familiar.

"They are elites in the city. Rich and powerful family. I have known Elijah for a long time."

She sighed like something was bothering her.

"What's wrong with him?"

I frowned. What is wrong with her? Why is she so bothered? I have always seen her calm.

"Elijah is accused of killing his wife."

She finally took it out.

I was listening. I am not surprised; the news reporters come with this kind of news every day.

"Authorities have not found any proof against him, so he is not guilty in the eyes of the government. There was no reason for him to kill his wife."

"But you said he is rich and powerful. It won't be hard for him to turn things in his favour. We both know how things work here."

Politics is dirty in the city.

"You are right, and this is why he is in trouble. Everyone thinks that he manipulated the case, but I know it's not true. He loved his wife; he can't kill her."

She sounded too confident.

If Dr Brooke is confident about him, then he is probably innocent, but she is also human. Any human can be deceived.

"So what do you want me to do here?"

"I want you to consult him. Make him open up about that day. Something, anything!... I want you to be honest about his response... If you think that he is guilty, report it. If you think he is innocent, I'll believe you... His mother needs a clearance from an expert, and I don't see anyone else doing it... You are perfect for this job."

"Dr Brooke, I can't consult an accused murderer. That to someone so powerful as Elijah Hawthorne; I have heard things about that family. They are more than just business; you know it. This job is risky."

I shook my head.

"Methy, please... I take responsibility for your safety."

She assured.

"Why don't you consult him?"

"I can't; everyone knows that I am friends with his mother. The board of directors won't approve my report. You are clean."

So she isn't here as a doctor; she is an advocate for her friend's son.

"I respect you, but I am not convinced."

It's too risky. What if he has really killed his wife? He will kill me before I submit the report.

"Methy, I know you have a huge loan on your head, which you took out for this house. This case can solve the issue. You don't have to struggle for the rest of your life. Think about it."

She is right; after paying EMI, there is hardly anything left for me. I was so excited when i brought this house, but I had no idea that it would suck all the money from my accounts. Renovation cost me a fortune, but I love this house. I want to keep it even though I struggle to buy groceries at the end of the month.

I can't ignore the fact that I am in need of money, and she knows it. And it's logical.

I sighed.

"Fine, I'll meet him... But if I feel that I can't handle him, then I'll stop."

Her lips turned into a full grin.

"Done!"

She got up.

"He will be here tomorrow... I know you will convince him to do the therapy."

Convince him? Does it mean he is against it?

"Should I be careful of something?"

I asked.

She had already reached the main door.

"He can be manipulative!"

She replied like a weather update and walked away.

Great!

A mysterious man who is accused of killing his wife is my next client!