Page 157 of Hunting Pretty

They were prescribed to Liath Byrne by… Dr. Vale.

My skin began to prickle.

I didn’t realize Liath had been seeing the same therapist as me. I mean, it made sense seeing as he was also the college therapist.

Aisling had said something about Liath wanting to do deep memory revival therapy in her sessions.

What if… Liath had remembered something in her therapy session.

Clues that would lead to whoever abused her.

Or perhaps she even remembered who that person was.

But surely if Dr. Vale knew something about Liath’s disappearance, he would have told someone. The police.

But maybe… just maybe Dr. Vale didn’t know the significance of it.

Or.

Perhaps Dr. Vale wasn’t so innocent.

Maybe whoever had gotten to the police chief to make him deem Liath’s disappearance as a “runaway” had gotten to Dr. Vale, too.

Spurred on by my change of mind, I snatched my purse and ran for the door.

Before I left, I was going to find out what Dr. Vale knew.

AVA

Ichewed my lip as I sent my texts to Scáth, waiting in the dimly lit corridor of one of the campus buildings.

After hours it was silent, the staff having all gone home. Except for one.

Me: I knocked on your door. You weren’t home.

I would have preferred that he come with me, that he could have at least waited in the car. It would have made me feel less alone.

But I had no choice. If I wanted to follow this lead, I had to do itnow.

Because tomorrow, we’d be gone.

Me: I’m just going to stop at my therapist’s office. He knows something.

His reply was instant.

Scáth: I’m coming.Don’tgo in there without me.

The heavy oak door opened in front of me with a creak, the sound echoing down the corridor behind me.

Dr. Vale’s lined face appeared and a gentle smile tilted his thin lips. “Ava, do come in.”

He stepped aside and held open the door to his campus office.

Scáth would be pissed, but I didn’t want to wait.

Besides what would I say to Dr. Vale? That my boyfriend slash overprotective rottweiler didn’t want me doing anything by myself?

Even as my phone buzzed with a call this time, I slipped it into my bag as I stepped inside.

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