The Mother. BEVERLY BARTON

Not ever.

      Chapter 9

      Audrey balanced her briefcase in one hand and a mocha latte in the other as she approached her office. At the locked door, she maneuvered the latte out of her right hand into her left, then removed the key ring dangling from her clenched teeth and inserted the door key into the lock. Most mornings, she arrived before her receptionist, Donna Mackey, who usually arrived by eight-thirty, once she had dropped her twin grandsons at preschool. Her son-in-law, an army corporal, was stationed in the Middle East and her daughter worked the morning shift as a Burger King assistant manager. One of the reasons Audrey had hired Donna was because her grandmotherly appearance and personality immediately put patients at ease.

      After making her way through the small waiting room and into her private office, Audrey dumped her briefcase in her swivel chair and set the latte on her desk. Just as she opened the window blinds to let in the morning sunlight, the phone rang. Before Donna arrived to take calls, the answering machine picked up and recorded messages, so Audrey continued moving through her office and back into the waiting room opening blinds and getting things in order for a busy Monday work schedule.

      After the recorded message ended, a male voice said, “Dr. Sherrod, this is J.D. Cass.”

      Audrey stopped and listened.

      “I … uh … I was wondering if I could set up an appointment to talk to you.”

      Audrey walked over to the telephone on her desk and laid her hand atop the receiver.

      “It’s about Zoe,” J.D. said. “She seems to have taken a shine to you, and since she did … well, I thought maybe you could help her.” He paused for a moment, and then added, “Help us.”

      Just let the answering machine take the call. Donna can contact Special Agent Cass later and arrange for an appointment. J.D. and his daughter are simply potential clients. Nothing more.

      Her hand tightened on the receiver and before she could stop herself, Audrey disregarded what her common sense had told her.