Fire Within - By Ally Shields Page 0,22
her a very professional assessment. Despite Jules’s reticence, this was supposed to be the shrink’s field of expertise. He should have seen the personality beneath. Well, no matter, she thought. What he’d said seemed to be skewed anyway and probably told more about Shale than Jules.
“What did you end up advising Lorraine to do about the bonding? Were you opposed?”
“Not exactly. I try to remain neutral, Ms. Calin.” He gave her an ingratiating smile. “May I call you Arianna?”
“Ari. Most people call me Ari.” In fact, only one person consistently called her Arianna. Shale wasn’t going to be the second.
“Then, Ari it is. But in answer to your question, I was hesitant to encourage the bonding. Human-vampire relationships are the most difficult we see. So many unavoidable obstacles. Lack of children, aging of one partner, different day/night schedules. Not to mention the physical danger.” He hesitated. “In this case, my biggest concern was Lorraine. Too gentle, too fragile for that lifestyle.” He started to shake his head, then shrugged. “They thought differently and seemed to be a devoted pair.”
Ari jotted a few notes. Even though the negatives in the relationship were significant, Lorraine and Jules had gone through the ceremony anyway. Had someone made them pay for that decision? She noticed Shale craning his head to see what she was writing. “Just notes,” she said, moving the pad. “You said Lorraine’s family was opposed. Did she realize that included her mother?”
“Oh, yes. Mrs. West had told her she was throwing her life away. Jules tried to win her over, but it never worked. She didn’t want that life for Lorraine. I assume you know how strongly Eddie felt.”
“I do. But tell me, in your professional opinion, is he capable of murder?”
“Don’t the facts speak for themselves?”
Ari looked up from her notes. “That’s not exactly what I asked you. For the moment, disregard his confession.”
Shale’s face registered annoyance. “Aren’t we all capable of murder? Under the right, or wrong, circumstances?”
Ari closed the notebook. “You sound pessimistic for a shrink. I expected you to see the best in people.”
His squared his shoulders. “Oh, but I do see everyone’s potential for good. At the same time, I try to be realistic. It’s not helpful for our clients to ignore the facts. If they do, well, we have tragedies like Jules and Lorraine.” He waved one hand toward his open doorway and the rooms beyond. “We work hard, provide whatever we can to give these difficult relationships a fair chance. It doesn’t always work, but we keep trying.”
“I’d like to hear more about the services you offer. Clients frequently approach me for references. Perhaps I can add your agency to the list.”
“Excellent. But I have another commitment. Let me find one of my associates to show you around.”
Shale flashed the smile he kept tucked away to be used on demand. It was becoming creepy. She assumed his good humor had returned because he was getting rid of her. He stepped outside his office door and waved to a young woman across the room. Ari watched his associate negotiate a path, skirting through the furniture with a confident, no-nonsense stride. Shale introduced them and explained Ari’s interest.
“It would be a pleasure,” Sarah Young said without hesitation. “We’re proud of our program.” Her hazel eyes radiated confident intelligence. Sarah was friendly but rather quiet at first, until Shale left and she became caught up in talking about the job. Her face lit with excitement, and her chestnut curls bounced with every emphatic nod of her head.
Sarah spent nearly an hour reciting the individual and group counseling options available and introduced Ari to two more counselors. Richard Batty, mid-50s, slender and wiry, was all business; Jerome Fitzhugh, a 30-something black man, displayed a wide grin and that loose-limbed walk of a former athlete. The fifth and final member of the counseling staff, Frieda Stanley, ran the evening support groups and wouldn’t be in for another hour.
By the end of the tour, Ari was impressed. “Your operation has a lot to offer our community.”
Sarah beamed. “One-stop shopping. We hope to meet all our clients’ needs, whatever comes along. Individual and family counseling. Problem solving. Violence and grief counseling. No one else offers this much specialty. It’s important to make each relationship experience a positive one, whether the relationship succeeds or fails.”
“What happens when a vampire bond goes bad?”
A slight grimace flashed across Sarah’s face. “We try not to get to that point. When vampires are involved, the counseling