LITMIR.BIZ

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hurried back to her car with Jasper hot on her heels just as the skies opened up.

      After drying off, she went straight to her studio and removed the film from the camera. This was the part of the process that she enjoyed the most, watching the images come to life.

      As she took the last photograph from the solution and hung it up to dry, she was once again fascinated by the transformation that happened in measured increments, an image coming to life right before her eyes.

      All at once the profile of a man, with his head slightly bowed, his fist pressed against his forehead and seated alone in the coffee shop, emerged, and something inside of her shifted. She barely remembered taking the shot, but obviously she had. Her heart pounded as she looked closer. But it was more than his face through the plate-glass window that unsettled her. It was the aura of aloneness that wafted over him like the storm clouds. Everything within her wanted to fix him and make whatever it was that weighed down his spirit go away. How ridiculous, she thought. It was only a picture.

      Yet, days later, she found that at the most inopportune moments, his image floated in front of her or that jumpy feeling in the center of her stomach wreaked havoc. At night she thought of him, and during the days she found herself hoping to catch another glance of him. But as the days turned to weeks and spring into early summer, Kai cataloged the image away.

Chapter 1

      “You’ll be fine, Mrs. Anderson.” Kai snapped off her rubber gloves and pulled her stethoscope from her ears. “It’s your allergies.”

      “Are you sure it’s not the flu? I feel like it’s the flu.” She sniffed hard and blinked against watery eyes.

      Kai’s amber-toned eyes crinkled with humor. “No, Mrs. Anderson, it’s not the flu.” She handed her a tissue. “With all the rain we’ve been having and with the blooming flowers and grass, I’m surprised you haven’t been bothered before. I’ll give you a new prescription for your allergy medicine.”

      Mrs. Anderson almost looked disappointed. Kai tucked away her smile. “You can get dressed and then come to my office for the prescription.”

      “Are you sure?” she asked again.

      Kai stopped at the door and glanced over her shoulder. “Positive.”

      Mrs. Anderson huffed and Kai closed the door softly behind her. When she stepped out into the small waiting area that was really only equipped to handle six people including her, she was stunned to see all the seats occupied. Mr. and Mrs. Hanson and their three children were huddled together as if they’d recently been washed ashore.

      “Oh my goodness.” Kai looked from one to the other and instantly saw the flush in their faces and the wan look around their eyes. “I’ll be with you all in one moment.” She started off toward her office but stopped when she remembered Mrs. Anderson, who already believed she had the flu. If the Hanson family had anything contagious she needed to get them out of the front room as soon as possible. Her triage skills from her years in the emergency room kicked into gear.

      The office was small. She had three exam rooms, a tiny office and the waiting area. She quickly ushered Mr. Hanson into a room with the oldest son who was on the verge of turning six. Mrs. Hanson was placed in the adjacent room with the twin three-year-old girls. Today was a day she could use an assistant.

      After getting them settled, she went to her office to write the allergy prescription for Mrs. Anderson and was just finishing when Mrs. Anderson knocked on the partially opened door.

      “Come in.” She tore the prescription from the pad and handed it across the desk. “Get this filled as soon as possible and I guarantee you will feel much better.”

      Mrs. Anderson took the rectangular piece of paper and placed it in her purse. “Thank you so much, Dr. Randall. I appreciate it.”

      “Of course. Never hesitate to come in if you’re not feeling well. It could have been something more serious, but fortunately it wasn’t.” She smiled.

      “Thank goodness for that.” She turned to leave. A wail from one of the twins pierced through the walls and halted her step. “Oh, my. That’s some cry. Must be something terribly wrong.”

      Kai got up from behind her desk and ushered Mrs. Anderson out. “Kids cry. That’s what they do,” she said with a placating smile. “You be careful going home.” She gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Mrs. Anderson was a sweetheart but everyone knew she had the biggest mouth in the town of Azurest. If she even thought for a moment that an entire family was ill she would create panic in the streets of Sag Harbor before lunchtime.

      Kai secured and locked the door and put her closed sign in the window then quickly went into the room with the wailing baby, who had in turn, gotten her twin involved in the symphony. Kai went to the sink and thoroughly washed her hands, put a disposable smock over her clothing and snapped on rubber gloves.

      “Christine, I’m going to check out the twins first.” She picked up one of the girls from her mother’s arms and sat her on the exam table. “I can never tell them apart.”

      “That’s Cara. This is Carmen,” she said, indicating the baby in her arms.

      Kai talked softly and soothingly to Cara while she made a game of placing the child thermometer in her ear. “How long has everyone been sick?”

      “This is the second day. The only one who hasn’t been sick is my husband, Mike. But I know taking care of a house full of sick people is going to catch up with him at some point.”

      “She has a slight fever.” She tossed the disposable tip of the thermometer in the trash. “Any vomiting?”

      “Yes.”

      “Hmm,” Kai murmured deep in her throat while she checked Cara’s ears, nose and throat. She listened to her chest and then did it all over again with her sister, Carmen. She pushed out a breath. “They both have low-grade fevers. And with the vomiting, I’m concerned about dehydration. When I’m done with my exam of Monty, I’m going to give my colleague over at General a call. He’s a pediatrician. I’ll see what he suggests. Okay?” She offered an encouraging smile. “I’m sure it’s only a virus and it will run its course, but until it does, I want to make sure we’re doing all that we can.”

      “Thank you, Doctor.”

      “Sure. I’m going to examine Monty and then I’ll come back and check you out.” She took off her smock and gloves and ditched them in the trash then went into the next exam room.

      An hour later she sent the Hanson family to the local pharmacy and also advised that they get to bed early.

      Kai went about cleaning and sterilizing the rooms and was ready to call it a day when the office phone rang. One of these days she might actually hire a receptionist, she mused as she hurried to the front desk.

      “Dr. Randall. How may I help you?”

      “What’s up, doc?”

      His corny greeting always made her laugh. “Dr. Drew.”

      “I’m calling to check up on my virtual patients.”

      She leaned her hip against the desk. “They should be on their way home by now and following your advice.”

      “Good. I so love doing business with you, Dr. Randall.”

      She could hear the laughter in his voice. That was a unique quality of Andrew Clarke. He was always upbeat and could make anyone around him feel the same way. It was probably why he was such an incredible pediatrician.

      “I aim to please.”

      “The real reason for my call is that there is an author reading at the Grenning Gallery tonight. I know how much you love thrillers and mysteries and it’s the mystery writer—Harlan Coben—that will be the guest.”

      Her eyes widened.

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