Page 28 of Compelling Urges

“Well, it’s a start. People aren’t all that hard to find when you have the right name, and it sounds like a small town. Thank you. Oh, I have one more question for you,” he added. “How did Blair find you and your program? She had to have known about it before she arrived in California.”

“Yes, she was a referral from a friend of mine in London. We went to med school together. His name is Stanley Burroughs, and he’s also an oncologist. He moved there when his wife wanted to go back to England.”

“I see. Okay, well, maybe Stanley can shed a little more light on Blair for me. It hardly matters at this point, but I am curious.”

“Bodhi, I’m sorry, but something just dawned on me. You said it was uncharacteristic behavior for you to drink to such excess that you forgot certain… activities. Is it possible that Blair also drugged you the night you supposedly had sex with her? Maybe you don’t remember it because you were under the influence of more than alcohol.”

Bodhi squinted his eyes and thought back to that night so long ago. And then the light went on. “How long does it take a date rape drug to take effect on someone? I left my beer with Blair and hit the loo before we headed out. It was a short walk back to my place, and I remember pretty much collapsing once we got there. Everything else is a blur. I chalked it up to drinking, no food, and very little sleep.”

“If you swallowed some Rohypnol, it would take anywhere from fifteen to thirty minutes to make you drowsy. It sounds to me as if that’s a distinct possibility.”

“Sonofabitch! That woman was bad news from the get-go. I can’t believe her.”

“Why do you think she would do that?”

Bodhi turned to look out the window and tried to gather his thoughts. “She seemed to want someone to take care of her pretty desperately, and she got the idea that I was wealthy. I guess she thought she could trap me into marrying her and used every crazy trick in her arsenal to get there.” He shook his head and looked down. “I’m really sorry she felt she had to commit suicide. My heart goes out to anyone who’s that troubled. I’m just equally sorry, however, that I was roped into her drama. She’s messed up my life as well as those of my close friends. And now someone needs to find that mother of hers and let her know. I guess that someone ought to be me.”

“You’re a good man, Bodhi. I hope you don’t mind my saying that I think you’ll make some nice woman very happy someday.”

Bodhi scoffed lightly and answered, “Yeah, well… my track record so far has been pretty bad.” He tried to look businesslike and asked, “So… Lauren Henry in Chuckwalla, you say? Sounds… um… colorful.”

Smiling, Marjie said, “I wish I had more to go on for you, but that’s all the information I have. Like you say, though, it can’t be too big of a town.”

Bodhi turned to leave, and Marjie stood to follow him to the door. She shook his hand and as he opened the door, she said, “It was a pleasure meeting you, Bodhi. Good luck with everything. I hope you get some answers and find what you’re looking for. I’m sorry for everything that’s happened.”

“Sure. Thanks. It was nice meeting you too.” He gave the doctor one of his killer smiles and strode out. He didn’t notice the assistant eyeballing him as he went for his phone and hastily called Cooper. As he walked by her desk, he said into the phone, “Hey, Coop. I need some big waves to clear my head after the day I’ve had, so I’m thinking La Jolla. I’ll head over early and see you at Windansea whenever you can get there. I hope that’s okay with you. Bye.” It was obvious he was leaving a message for someone as he clicked off before waiting for a response.

The assistant smiled to herself as she realized this wasn’t some terminally ill man.Windansea Beach isn’t too far from where I live in Pacific Beach. Maybe the sunset there will be spectacular tonight. It’s worth checking out. He looks like a man who might need some comfort.

Chapter 22

Once Bodhi changed and made it over to La Jolla, found a place to park, and trekked down to Windansea with his board, he was tired of thinking. His thoughts were too loud. He yanked on his wetsuit and paddled for all he was worth out to the spot where the surfers all waited for the next swells. It wasn’t too congested with tourists for a change, so that was a bonus. He found a spot to wait that wasn’t crowding anyone. Years of experience at this beach told him his choice was a good one. He knew which way these waves tended to break.

He felt his mind cooling and relaxing as he took the soothing ocean air into his lungs. The contrast of the hot sun and cold water felt like home.How did I ever think I could give this up for good?he wondered for the hundredth time to himself.What was I thinking?

Bodhi rode a couple of waves in and then went back out immediately, only to discover that the crowd was growing. People were leaving their drab jobs in fluorescent-lit cubicles and heading out to the sunshine and surf while it was still light. But from the looks of things, there were quite a few would-be surfers who should have chosen a calmer beach. Windansea was known for tall waves that broke quickly and with dramatic power. “Kooks” routinely wiped out badly when they didn’t know what they were doing, and he knew he’d have to look out for them.

Bodhi let a couple of wave sets go by and watched the shoreline for Cooper. He wasn’t sure what time it was, but judging by the angle of the sun, it had to be past closing time at the law office by now. Thinking about Cooper and Ivy made him smile finally. He had such an amazing sexual rapport with them—and it was so unexpected. He had to amend that thought. It was unexpected that he’d find it with themtogether. He knew he and Ivy had had a great sex life before he screwed up everyone’s life by leaving. Just thinking about what the three of them had gotten up to together was making him horny.Maybe tonight we can try some more new things.

With that happy thought, Bodhi turned and saw the evidence of a great wave building up behind him. He paddled into position. Just as he stood up on his board, some gigantic lunatic came from out of nowhere and cut him off. Bodhi tried to back off, but he was too far committed with the wave. The jerk in front of him panicked and wiped out right in Bodhi’s way, and immediately Bodhi saw that the kook had forgotten to do up his ankle leash for the board. The guy went one way, and the board another, flying up in the air and crashing into Bodhi’s leg, sweeping him from his board. A slash of pain cut through his shin, and Bodhi was swallowed up by the breaking wave. Fortunately for him, he and his own board remained tethered.

What felt like a few tons of water pounded down on him, keeping him submerged for way longer than was comfortable. His board yanked on him as he tried to control himself. Water churned around him, and his lungs began to burn. He hated the feeling of helplessness, and the pain in his shin was awful.

Finally, Bodhi’s head broke the surface of the water as he gasped for air and then bellowed, “Fuck!” Looking around in a panic, he tried to locate the nitwit who’d caused the problem, thinking that it was highly possible the asshole had drowned after that stupid stunt. However, he caught sight of the guy about thirty feet away swimming and then running through the shallow water toward his board as it washed ashore. The bonehead grabbed it and kept running, never once looking back to apologize or assess the damage he’d done to a fellow surfer.

Bodhi limped his way back to the beach and was immediately assaulted by a woman who grabbed his arm as if to help him walk. The pain burning through his leg was so intense, he barely registered her. All he thought was,I hope this is just salt water in the wound and nothing more serious. It stings like a motherfucker.

Finally, he realized that the woman was speaking to him as if she knew him. That was weird. “Bodhi? Are you okay?” she asked in a rapid-fire voice. “I saw what happened out there. I was watching you. That was pretty rude of that guy. Come and sit down over here. I have a big blanket where you can get comfortable.” She led him to a gaudy, flowery thing that was as wide as a bed where he flopped down and lay on his back. He needed to catch his breath.

Bodhi squinted curiously at the woman, thinking she looked a little like Blair. She had long blonde hair and, except for her fake boobs, was just about as curvaceous as a ten-year-old boy with one of those straight up-and-down, skinny bodies. She apparently thought wearing the tiniest bikini ever invented was a good idea, though to Bodhi it just looked sleazy. With the sun behind her, he couldn’t get a good look at her face. “Sorry, do I know you?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah. I’m Dr. Finch’s assistant. I met you today at the clinic. Can I get you something for your leg? It’s bleeding.”

Oh yeah. The eager assistant, Bodhi sighed to himself. “Thanks, but I’ll be okay.”

Not taking the hint, she dropped to the blanket next to him, announcing perkily, “I’m Tabitha.”

What is it with these skinny blonde chicks? “Hi.” Bodhi closed his eyes again trying to ignore both her and the pain in his leg.

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