Page 167 of Hunting Pretty

I didn’t have the time to watch them all now. And I couldn’t take them all away with me.

But I had to see what was on the disks. Perhaps, the most recent one…

I grabbed the last disk, dated… the day Liath had disappeared.

Chills rushed down my back.

Then I noticed a small note added in thin pen on the label.

Insurance.

Insurance? What was Dr. Vale’s insurance? And what did it have to do with Liath?

I inserted the disk into the computer and sat in the leather rolling chair in front of the old TV set.

I could smell the lingering new leather smell and a hint of smoke.

I turned on the computer and opened the disk.

My stomach turned when the screen flashed to a video of Ava’s missing friend…

Liath slammed her fist down onto the armchair. “I’m telling you, someone is hurting me. My missing time and bruises prove it. I just need to rememberwho.”

She was seated before Dr. Vale in his office, daylight streaming in through the open window.

From the position of the camera angle, I guessed it was in his bookshelf, likely hidden in a fake book or in one of his various antique objects.

Dr. Vale had his back to me, but I didn’t need to see his face to hear the patronizing tone to his voice. “Liath, you’re a college student. Don’t tell me you don’t go out to a few too many parties, have a few too many drinks—”

“This isn’t that!” Liath ran a shaky hand through her thick auburn hair.

“Are you saying youdon’tgo to parties?”

Liath let out an exasperated noise. “That has nothing to do with it.”

Dr. Vale uncrossed his leg from his other knee, then recrossed them. He reached for his tea and took a long sip. “Are you still taking your medication?”

“I don’t like the meds.” Liath crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the ceiling. “They make me feel weird.”

Dr. Vale placed his teacup back onto its saucer on the side table and scooted forward.

“Liath,” he spoke slowly, like he was speaking to a child, “the meds stop your paranoia from building out of control like this. It stops your imagination from going wild.”

“I’mnotimagining this.” Liath slung her bag strap over her shoulder and made to stand. “Dr. Vale, if you won’t perform deep memory revival therapy on meright now, I’ll find someone who will.”

She turned to the door.

“Liath, wait.”

Liath paused, then turned back to Dr. Vale, her face expectant.

Dr. Vale let out an audible sigh. “I will take you through a DMRT session,once.”

Liath half collapsed in her armchair. “Thank you.”

Dr. Vale pulled his glasses off his face and cleaned them with a handkerchief. “But, Liath, I caution you to reconsider. There are things that you cannot unsee. Cannot unknow.”

Dr. Vale’s warning hung thick and terse in the air.

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