Page 6 of The Perfect Appearance

Because of the potential threats from both Haddonfield and Pierce, either of whom might be monitoring their movements, they had to take extra precautions.

Jessie had briefly considered asking the psychiatrist to make a house call for their first official couples’ therapy session, but Janice Lemmon had other patients to see before and after them, so it didn’t seem fair. Plus, despite being incredibly spry for a woman in her late sixties, Lemmon still walked with a cane, a result of suffering a seriously herniated disc six months ago. Jessie decided that making her come to them would have just felt wrong.

But because of the security measures that Grover Nix had put in place, surreptitiously navigating the route to Dr. Lemmon’s downtown building and discreetly getting into the office was an undertaking. After leaving the house, both Jessie and Ryan crouched in the backseat while Grover drove a circuitous route through mid-city, before finally getting on the freeway and slicing his way through traffic.

Grateful to be able to stretch out even a little, Jessie poked her head up and watched as he exited at a complicated, winding off ramp leading to a one-way street. He then doubled back and pulled into a parking garage to check for any cars following them. He left the garage through the side exit, which opened onto an empty alley. Jessie and Ryan checked for any vehicles pulling in as Grover waited.

After sixty seconds without seeing anyone, Grover pulled out onto the busy street off the alley and rounded the next block slowly before finally heading to Dr. Lemmon’s building. But rather than parking in her underground garage, he entered one that was two buildings over, which Jessie knew from prior confidential visits to the psychiatrist, was connected to her building via an underground tunnel.

Once parked, the three of them left the garage and passed through the tunnel, moving quickly and quietly. After entering Lemmon’s building, rather than go through lobby to the elevators, they took the stairs to the second floor and quickly moved into the mailroom, which was adjacent to the service elevator. They took that to the fifth floor, one below Lemmon’s, before exiting again and using the stairs for the final stretch.

Lemmon's employee entrance was right near the stairs, and Lemmon's assistant, Amy, who had been alerted to their imminent arrival, opened the door after one short knock from Ryan. The young woman, who had short black hair, pale skin, thick glasses, and a nervous smile, looked a little overwhelmed by the cloak-and-dagger routine.

“She’s waiting for you in her office,” she whispered unnecessarily. “There’s also a spot in the waiting room for you, Mr. Nix, if you like.”

“Thanks,” the bodyguard said, looking past her. “Do you mind if I do a quick walk-through first?”

“Of course not,” Amy replied. “What should I do?”

“You can just go back to your desk and behave as you normally would,” he told her. “Is there anyone else in the waiting room?”

“No,” she assured him. “The last patient just left, and Dr. Lemmon has lunch after you all, so no one will be coming in until later.”

Grover smiled at her in appreciation before turning his attention to Jessie and Ryan.

“Can I request that you two wait here until I give the all clear?” he asked.

Jessie and Ryan nodded silently. Even though he didn’t say it, Jessie could feel her husband’s frustration. He clearly thought thatheshould be doing the search and clearing the office. But to his credit, he said nothing.

It took less than a minute for Grover to return and offer a nod. They were good to go. Jessie and Ryan started toward Lemmon’s office when the bodyguard called after them.

“I didn’t go into the doc’s office,” he told them, “but you should give it a once-over before you settle in.”

“We will,” Ryan said in a tone that suggested he was more than happy to play some kind of protective role.

He knocked on the door. Jessie stood patiently behind him, though on the inside, she didn’t feel as relaxed as she looked. This was to be their first formal couples’ counseling session, and she could feel her nerves jangling slightly. After the bumps in the road the road they’d experienced in recent months, she really needed for this to go well.

“Come on in,” came the familiar, unstressed voice of Janice Lemmon.

They entered the room. Jessie let Ryan prioritize scoping the place out while she focused her attention on Lemmon. The psychiatrist grabbed her cane and pushed herself into a standing position. Other than that enhancement, she mostly looked as she always did.

She still had her aggressively unstylish perm, comprised of tight little blonde ringlets that bounced like Slinkys when they touched her shoulders. Though she was tiny, barely over five feet tall, she looked wiry-strong for someone her age, likely due to the thrice-a-week Pilates sessions she maintained despite her back issues. Even behind her thick glasses, her eyes retained the owl-like sharpness that was a mainstay since the days when, before she entered private practice, she wasa celebrated LAPD and FBI profiler in her own right.

The woman walked over to Jessie, holding the cane but not really seeming to fully need it for support, and gave her a peck on the cheek. She then did the same to Ryan.

“Please have a seat,” she requested, nodding at the small couch across from the plush chair that she plopped down in.

Jessie did so, but Ryan remained standing, pretending to admire the art on the wall behind her desk.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" he asked, pointing at one painting in particular.

“Of course not,” Lemmon said, amused. “Peruse all you like in between searching the office to make sure there’s not a killer hiding somewhere, holding me here under duress, and making me stay silent about it.”

Ryan offered a sheepish smile but searched anyway.

“I should have known not to try to slip something past you.”

“Yes, you should have," she noted, "something I hope you'll keep in mind once we formally begin our session."

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