by Candy Caine
“Poor Dr. Lusk has a headache. Too bad!”
“Enough games. Tell me what you want me to know, and get this over with.”
“My first name is Susan, but my last name is really O’Neill. Have I jostled that memory of yours?”
Lucas realized who she was just as she revealed, “I’m Heather O’Neill’s sister. You remember Heather, don’t you? She was once your fiancée until you threw her out like the trash.”
“You’re Heather’s kid sister?”
“All grown up,” she said sarcastically.
“You blame me for her death?” Lucas asked as all the pieces began to fit into place.
“She killed herself because of you.”
“Obviously, your sister never told you the truth—”
“The truth is she’s dead and she’d be alive today if it wasn’t because of you. Now you’re going to pay. End of story. Now put your gloves on.”
“I can’t. I won’t—”
“You’re useless,” she said, angrily, as she threw the blood-stained gloves at him.
“You don’t have to do this, Susan. This is going to end badly—”
“Yeah, for you, sweetie. Smile, it’s show time. I think the police are here,” she said, spraying his eyes with pepper spray.
“Shit! What did you do that for? You’ve already cracked my skull.” A searing pain shot through his head, reminding him.
Two uniformed policemen rushed into the office, guns drawn. Nearly instantly Susan was all over them, sobbing. “He tried to rape me!”
“Calm down, ma’am, you’re safe now,” the taller of the two policemen said. “An ambulance is on its way.”
The other policeman looked at Lucas, his eyes now red and weepy, and said, sarcastically, “From the looks of it, I think he needs the bus more. I guess he doesn’t know when a lady says no, it means stop and not go.” He laughed at his own humor.
“This is all wrong, officer. I didn’t touch the woman,” Lucas said.
“That’s not what these say,” the taller policeman said as he bagged Lucas’s gloves for evidence.
“You’ll have your say in court,” the same policeman said.
“The crime unit’s on its way,” the other policeman said.
Even from the grave Heather was still causing Lucas grief. This was all a freaking nightmare, and he had no idea how it would end. Susan appeared to be bent on making his life a living hell. He was going to need a good lawyer. God help him, but he needed Raven.
Chapter Eighteen
Cuffed to a rail on the hospital bed, Lucas spent the rest of that night and the following day in the hospital. He had a severe concussion and the doctor kept him under observation, refusing to allow anyone to question him until he was positive his patient was out of the woods. A nurse had immediately washed out Lucas’s eyes, which were still aflame and stinging from the pepper spray, but it was the painkillers that gave him some relief from his awful headache. It actually felt as if his head had been placed in a vise.
Renee, Lucas’s receptionist, went to the office the morning following his arrest and found yellow crime scene tape blocking the entrance. The police allowed her to contact those patients who had appointments for the next several days, but she was not allowed to remove anything from the office.
She couldn’t believe the mess. Nor could she believe for one minute that Lucas was guilty of assault and attempted rape. She drove to the hospital, but was not permitted to see Lucas. The nurse promised to let him know that she’d stopped by. Renee wondered when psychology had become a dangerous practice.
* * *
Sylvia Horning’s cell phone chirped. She had just started her shift with Dottie at The Inn. Looking at the screen, she said, “I’ve got to take this.”
“Sure, go ahead,” Dottie replied, as a man rolling a small suitcase stepped to the counter.
Dottie had nearly finished registering the man when Sylvia returned, her face ashen. After giving the man directions to his room and handing him his keys, she turned to Sylvia and asked, “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Laura?”
“That call came from Dr. Lusk’s office, canceling Laura’s appointment for today. He’s in the hospital and out of the office indefinitely. Laura’s been good since she’s been under his care. What am I going to do? I’m so afraid she’ll have a relapse.”
“Hospital? I just spoke to him,” Dottie said alarmed. “Did they say what was wrong?”
Just then, Lucas’s face appeared on the flat-screen TV that continually broadcast the local news. Dottie grabbed the remote and turned the volume up so they could hear.
“…According to the police, a local psychologist, Lucas Lusk, was arrested last night after allegedly attacking a patient in his office. He was hospitalized after the woman warded him off with a baseball bat and will be arraigned as soon as he is well enough to leave the hospital.”
“That’s absurd,” Dottie said. “That man wouldn’t do something as terrible as that.”
“I think it’s bullshit, too. He’s been absolutely wonderful with Laura.”
“That patient’s probably delusional. For all we know, she could have attacked him,” Dottie added.
“With the crazy way things are today, I could believe that. He’s going to need a good lawyer.”
“And I know a damn good one,” Dottie said as she grabbed her cell phone with the intention of calling Raven.
Fearing that Raven might not take her call, Dottie called Valerie Straub and explained the situation.
“Listen, I understand, you felt you had no choice. To tell you the truth, I’m glad you called.”
“Why?” Dottie asked.
“Because it explains Raven’s lack of focus lately. I had a feeling she was distracted by personal problems. I’ll personally put this call through to Raven. Hopefully, things will work out for Dr. Lusk.”
“Thank you, Valerie. I appreciate it.”
When Raven realized that the important call turned out to be from Dottie, she was about to hang up.
“Raven—please don’t hang up!”
“What do you want, Aunt Dottie?”
“It’s Lucas.”
“I don’t want to hear anything about Lucas.”
“He’s recovering in the hospital from a concussion and is in a great deal of legal trouble.”
“Legal trouble? What does that mean?”
“He was arrested. Haven’t you heard? It’s all over the news.”
“No. What was he arrested for?”
“Assault and attempted rape of one of his patients.”
The image of Lucas saving a little boy’s life in the luncheonette flashed in front of her eyes. His thoughtfulness and gentle touch when they made love made the charges too surreal to believe.
“That’s preposterous. The charges have to be bogus. Lucas would never harm another human being. It isn’t in his DNA.”
“So you’re going to help him?” Dottie asked.
“I don’t think so.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s none of my concern.”
“How could you say that, Raven?”
“Easy. I’m angry with him and still angry with you, as well.”
“Look, can’t you put those feelings aside for now? He needs a good lawyer. He needs you.”
“I don’t think I’m the best lawyer for the job, Aunt Dottie.”
“Well I do,” Valerie Straub said. She was leaning against the open door of Raven’s office.
Raven hadn’t heard her boss enter and looked up at the sound of her voice. “I have to call you back, Aunt Dottie,” she murmured and hung up the phone.
“Normally I don’t get involved in my associate’s lives. However, our relationship is slightly different. That still doesn’t give me the right to butt in, but I’m truly concerned.” Valerie sat down in the chair opposite Raven and placed the newspaper she was holding on Raven’s desk.
Raven looked down at the paper and quickly scanne
d the article. She looked up at Valerie knowing exactly where this conversation was heading and was far from comfortable with it. “How much of the conversation with my aunt did you hear?”
“Enough.”
“Obviously my aunt called you.”
“Yes, and I found her argument compelling. Look, I know you’re angry with Lucas and your aunt, but it sounds as if he’s being railroaded for some reason by an unbalanced individual. He needs a good lawyer to get him out of this jam.”
“You mean me, don’t you?”
“Yes, but I won’t force you to. I can assign another associate to this case, but they might not do the job as well as you,” Valerie said.
Raven sighed. She felt as if she was between a rock and a hard place. No one should be punished for something he didn’t do. She couldn’t allow this to happen to Lucas, especially after all the times she’d gotten guilty men off.
“I’ll take his case,” Raven said in a voice barely above a whisper.
Valerie smiled and nodded. Without another word, she rose from the chair and left. Raven felt as if she’d been doubled-teamed by her aunt and Valerie, who practically shamed her into taking the case. Dottie had too much of a say in her life. Raven should have moved out of the house and gotten her own place years ago. She made a mental note to self to make this a priority.
* * *
Driving to the county lockup, she realized this was the first time she was seeing Lucas since she uncovered his deceit. The fact that he and her aunt had conspired behind her back still rankled. She felt betrayed again, her judgment in men put into question. It was no different from how she felt when she discovered Gordon White’s deceit—except the hurt now was devastating. Because of this, she intended to keep her interaction with Lucas strictly on a client/lawyer basis.
Lucas was already in the room waiting for her. He was surprised to see her and looked dreadful. The back of his head was heavily bandaged and there were dark shadows under his eyes. His hands were cuffed and she didn’t feel they were necessary. She turned to the guard and asked for his handcuffs to be removed.
“That’s not wise, ma’am. He’s in here for assault and rape,” the guard said.
“Alleged assault and rape,” she corrected him. “Please remove the cuffs, officer.”
“Yes ma’am. I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
She nodded and the guard left.
“I’m sorry, Raven,” Lucas said.
“If it doesn’t pertain to your defense, save your breath. I’m not interested,” she said as she removed a legal pad and pen from her briefcase. “I need to know everything that transpired on the night you were arrested in order to prepare you for your arraignment tomorrow morning.”
Lucas told Raven everything. How he thought he knew Susan Smith and how she turned out to be the sister of his former fiancée, Heather O’Neill.
“Susan told me she wanted revenge for her sister’s suicide and intended to get it by ruining me.” He watched as she took notes and stopped every so often to ask a question to clarify what he’d said.
“And you never recognized this Susan Smith as Heather’s sister?”
Lucas shook his head. “Heather’s parents had been divorced and Susan lived out of state.”
“I guess that’s it for now,” Raven said, gathering her things.
“I’d like to clarify things between us—”
She spun on him. “You couldn’t step out of your role as a psychologist, could you? When my aunt called on you for help, you saw it as a chance to ‘cure’ me. Well, I’ve got great news, Doc. I’m cured. Cured of you.” She turned away and called the guard. Turning back, she swept her things off the table into her briefcase. “I’ll see you tomorrow in court.”
The guard opened the door and Raven walked out. Speechless, Lucas followed her out with his eyes.
* * *
Raven drove back to Manhattan. She thought about the defense she’d construct for Lucas, especially now that she knew Susan’s motive was revenge. Raven would have the firm’s investigator check the veracity of what Lucas had said about Heather and find out everything there was to know about Susan, who was blaming Lucas for her own sister’s failings and indiscretions. Susan found it easier to use him as a scapegoat than accept the imperfections of her sister. Raven wondered how long she had planned this.
According to Lucas, when Susan revealed herself she had a bruised face. Raven assumed the beating had been done by someone close to her, a husband or boyfriend. There was a good chance that Susan was in an abusive relationship. That might account for all the sessions she’d missed. Her face might have been too bruised, and she didn’t want to show her cards just yet. She had to develop a solid doctor-patient relationship before her plan would work. She’d done that and stolen the gloves. The stage was set, and she set off her significant other somehow and had gotten the beating. She bled on the gloves and created irrefutable physical evidence. Now Raven had to find a way to get the jury to buy her alternative theory. The investigator would help with the details of Susan’s life.
She thought about the damage the crazy woman had inflicted on Lucas. The bandage covered the back of his head, which meant that he’d been hit from behind. This was important. How did the alleged struggle between him and Susan go down? He said he’d just stepped into his office when he was hit by the bat. That would mean she had been there waiting for him. She’d sprayed him after he was incapacitated and not before. Apparently it was more of an ambush than a struggle.
Another thought entered her mind. If Lucas had attacked Susan, wouldn’t there be defensive scratches on his face or elsewhere from her? Lucas also mentioned that she had tried to put the gloves on him. Wouldn’t her fingerprints be all over them? Her whole version stunk. Surely once the prosecutor started to piece together the case, he would see the holes in Susan’s testimony.
Had Susan called Lucas from his office on her cell phone? Or had she been dumb enough to use the office phone? Raven needed to check that. If she could impeach the woman’s version of the events, she’d be able to get Lucas off. Poor Lucas. All he’d wanted to do was help her.
A tiny voice inside Raven spoke. Isn’t that what he tried to do with you on the behest of your aunt?
Raven shut that thought down. This was a totally different situation.
Just being with Lucas again probably scrambled her emotions. She mustn’t let it get to her. She’d get the charges dropped or win the case, do whatever it took to free Lucas. Then she’d walk away and not look back.
Chapter Nineteen
Lucas entered a plea of “not guilty.” The judge, a middle-aged woman, scheduled a preliminary hearing for one week later, pretrial motions for four weeks later, a pretrial conference for six weeks later, and trial for seven weeks later. Bail was set at $500,000.
The police never had much of a chance to question him because of his concussion. Detectives accompanied him from the hospital back to the county lockup, but he refused to answer any questions without his lawyer present. He feared saying something that could make his situation worse—as if that were even possible.
The Assistant District Attorney handling the case wanted to ask Lucas several questions, so Raven accompanied them to an interrogation room. Raven knew the female ADA. Career-oriented with her eye on eventually becoming the DA for Nassau County, Cherise Wilson wanted to litigate solid, winnable cases. That ambition could, in Raven’s estimation, work in Lucas’s favor. If Raven could show her how questionable the attack truly was, then Lucas might be home free.
As Lucas answered the questions Raven allowed, she realized how credible a witness he was. She didn’t have to worry he’d say something to throw the case in jeopardy if the case ever went to trial and she put him on the stand. However, she mustn’t let it even come to that if she wanted to save his practice.
When the ADA left, Raven remained behind to speak to Lucas, but discussed only the case. The way she was behaving, Lucas feared he’d already lost he
r forever. Acknowledging this, he knew it was best to focus his attention on his legal troubles.
* * *
Renee had raised the bail money and Lucas was released. She drove him home.
“You look awful. What did that crazy woman do to you?”
Lucas sighed. “I feel like I’m in the middle of a nightmare and can’t wake up.”
“What did Raven say—can she prove the charges are bogus?”
“She told me to sit tight. Her firm’s investigator will dig up everything there is to know about Susan,” he said massaging his temples.
“Your head still bothering you?” Renee asked sympathetically.
“The doctor said it would take several days or even weeks. She must have hit a home run.”
Renee laughed. Then quickly apologized. “Don’t worry about the office. That’s under control. I hired a cleaning crew for tomorrow. I will start rescheduling your patients when you feel better.”
“I wonder if any of them will make new appointments.”
She glanced at him. “Don’t be so negative. You’re a great psychologist. And when you’re acquitted, everything will be fine again.”
“When people read newspapers or tune into the news, they tend to see and hear words like rapist and assault, not the alleged preceding them,” Lucas said.
“That may be true, but it’s her word against yours, and she’s the person with mental problems. Why else would she be your patient?”
Lucas gave a small smile. He knew she was trying to make him feel better. Renee was sweet that way. “I hope you’re right.”
“Is there anything else you need me to do?” Renee asked as she pulled into his driveway.
“Not really. I thank you for everything you’ve done so far. I couldn’t ask for a better office manager.”
“I like my job, and I work for a great guy. There—I’ve said it. End of discussion. If you think of anything, you need let me know. I’m just a phone call away.”
Lucas squeezed her hand and got out of the car. Renee watched him enter his townhouse before she pulled away.