Page 19 of Diagnosis Attraction

“I have a general idea of what’s in it, but I’d have to look up a recipe if I wanted to make some.”

“Most people would, I think.” He looked at Elizabeth. “Where are you from?”

The answer to the question lurked below the surface of her mind. “Nice try,” she murmured.

“I thought I’d give it a shot.”

They were all silent for several moments while they ate.

“Well, this chili is delicious,” Mrs. Kramer said as she spooned up more of the beans and beef mixture.

“Thank you,” Elizabeth answered.

Again, they ate without speaking, and Mrs. Kramer broke the silence once more as they finished the meal. “How did you get so far north?” she asked Matt.

“I went to medical school at Hopkins. After …” He stopped and glanced at Elizabeth. “After Africa, I decided Baltimore was as good a place as any to practice medicine.”

“You intend to settle down here?” Mrs. Kramer asked.

He involuntarily glanced at Elizabeth again, thinking that everything they said had a double meaning or a sub-context that only the two of them could really follow.

“I … don’t know.” He cleared his throat, changing the subject abruptly as he looked at Elizabeth. “Do you want to try hypnosis?”

“What?”

“With many people, it can help recover memories.”

“You mean now?”

“After we finish eating.”

“You know how to do it?”

“I had a class,” he said. “We could try it.”

Elizabeth gave that some consideration. “Okay. What do you want me to do?”

“Just sit in a comfortable chair and relax.”

“I can clean up,” Polly said.

“You shouldn’t have to,” Elizabeth protested. “You already have a houseguest.”

“You cooked us a delicious meal. I’ll do the cleaning. That’s only fair.”

Matt and Elizabeth got up, carefully avoiding touching each other. They went into the living room where she glanced around, then settled into an overstuffed chair, looking apprehensive.

“What should I do?”

“Like I said, get comfortable and relax.”

“That’s difficult.”

For a whole lot of reasons, some of them having to do with her situation and some of them having to do with him, he knew.

He sat down on the sofa, trying to follow the advice he’d given her and not having perfect success.

“Lean back; get comfortable. Look up at the line where the wall meets the ceiling.”

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