“I respect your professional ethics as well.”
“Thank you. Now that we’ve established our mutual admiration for each other’s fairness and integrity, might we push formalities aside and hold a conversation?”
“Of course, Kay,” she said gently. “I remember Jill vividly. It is hard not to remember an unusual patient, especially one who is murdered.”
“How was she special?”
“Special?”
She smiled sadly. “A very bright, endearing young woman. So much in her favor. I used to look forward to her appointments. Had she not been my patient, I would have liked to know her as a friend.”
“How long had she been seeing you?”
“Three to four times a month for more than a year.”
“Why you, Anna?”
I asked. “Why not someone in Williamsburg, someone closer to where she lived?”
“I have quite a number of patients from out of town. Some come from as far away as Philadelphia.”
“Because they don’t want anyone to know they are seeing a psychiatrist.”
She nodded. “Unfortunately, many people are terrified by the prospect of others knowing. You would be surprised at the number of people who have been in this office and left by way of the back door.”
I had never told a soul I was seeing a psychiatrist, and had Anna not refused to charge me, I would have paid for the sessions in cash. The last thing I needed was for someone in Employee Benefits to get hold of my insurance claims and spread gossip throughout the Department of Health and Human Services.
“Obviously, then, Jill did not want anyone to know she was seeing a psychiatrist,” I said. “And this might also explain why she had her prescriptions for Librax filled in Richmond.”
“Before you called, I did not know she filled the prescriptions in Richmond. But I’m not surprised.”
She reached for her wine.
The chili was spicy enough to bring tears to my eyes. But it was outstanding, Anna’s best effort, and I told her so. Then I explained to her what she probably already suspected.
“It’s possible Jill and her friend, Elizabeth Mott, were murdered by the same individual killing these couples,” I said. “Or at least, there are some parallels between their homicides and the others that cause me concern.”
“I’m not interested in what you know about the cases you are involved in now; unless you feel it necessary to tell me. So I’ll let you ask me questions and I’ll do my best to recall what I can about Jill’s life.”
“Why was she so worried about anyone knowing she was seeing a psychiatrist? What was she hiding?”
I asked.
“Jill was from a prominent family in Kentucky, and their approval and acceptance were very important to her. She went to the right schools, did well, and was going to be a successful lawyer. Her family was very proud of her. They did not know.”
“Know what? That she was seeing a psychiatrist?”
“They did not know that,” Anna said. “More importantly, they did not know she was involved in a homosexual relationship.”
“Elizabeth?”
I knew the answer before I asked. The possibility had crossed my mind.
“Yes. Jill and Elizabeth became friends during Jill’s first year in law school. Then they became lovers. The relationship was very intense, very difficult, rife with conflict. It was a first for both of them, or at least this was how it was presented to me by Jill. You must remember that I never met Elizabeth, never heard her side. Jill came to see me, initially, because she wanted to change. She did not want to be homosexual, was hoping therapy might redeem her heterosexuality.”
“Did you see any hope for that?”
I asked.
“I don’t know what would have happened eventually,” Anna said. “All I can tell you is that based on what Jill said to me, her bond with Elizabeth was quite strong. I got the impression that Elizabeth was more at peace with the relationship than Jill, who intellectually could not accept it but emotionally could not let it go.”
“She must have been in agony.”
“The last few times I saw Jill it had become more acute. She had just finished law school. Her future was before her. It was time to make decisions. She began suffering psychosomatic problems. Spastic colitis. I prescribed Librax.”