All the Shiny Things: A Kate Reid Novel (Kate Reid Series Book 1) Read Free Page B

4:30?”
    Katie examined her calendar. “Yes, that would be fine. Thank you, Dr. Reyes, I’ll see you then.” Just as she hung up the phone, she noticed Jennifer approaching. Only a few years younger than Katie, Jennifer was a touch naïve, but kind and hardworking. Katie acted as her mentor on occasion and they often worked together on fundraising events when she was between cases.
    “You’re working with Dr. Reyes again? I didn’t know they assigned you another case.” Jennifer’s eager approach to the job would likely wane as she got on in years, but for now, she had a relentless enthusiasm.
    “Oh, that. No, it’s not a case.” Katie hesitated. “I was just asking her about something I had researched online.”
    “Oh, I thought you were meeting with her.”
    Katie felt she had painted herself into a corner. She knew Jennifer wasn’t the gossiping type, but discussing this with her wasn’t an option. “I am; next week. I thought that since we deal with so many cases of abuse, I wondered how certain therapy treatments were viewed, so I’m going to her office to discuss them.”
    Her colleague’s expression suggested an acceptance of Katie’s account and she didn’t inquire further. “Great. You wanna grab some lunch later? It’s a beautiful day.”
    “Sure, how about 11:30?”
    “Sounds good. See you later.”
     
    » » »
     
    The streets were full of tourists and workers jockeying for position. Employees who had neither the time nor patience to sit in overcrowded eateries during their too-short lunch breaks, instead opted for food trucks parked in and around downtown. Meanwhile the visitors sat down in open-air cafes, sipping wine and enjoying the scenery in springtime San Diego.
    “Isn’t Spencer supposed to get his results soon?” Jennifer asked as they headed out of the lobby, joining the masses.
    “They’re due to be out next Monday. He’s been so busy working research for the firm, I think he’s almost forgotten about it. It’s been months since he’s taken the exam.”
    “I guess he’ll probably work long hours too, once he’s hired on as a practicing lawyer, right?”
    “I suppose so, but I’m so proud of him. And besides, I knew what I was signing up for. He’s got a long road ahead of him. I’m just hoping that I can talk Richard into using his firm once in a while, once he’s offered a job, of course.”
    “Is there any reason to think they wouldn’t present him with an offer? He’s been interning there for what, like two years?”
    Katie pressed the crosswalk button. “Yep. I can’t see why they wouldn’t, especially if I can convince Richard that the firm might be willing to take on some pro-bono cases once in a while. It would certainly prove Spencer’s effectiveness if he could bring in new clients right away.”
    “Do they usually do pro-bono?” Jennifer asked.
    “If Spencer has anything to do with it, they will. He’ll want to do some good and help when he can, same as me.” Katie stopped in front of the Greek restaurant. “Feel like Greek today?”
     
    » » »
     
    Almost the entire week had passed without suffering through another nightmare, but in the early hours of this morning, Kate awoke in a most violent manner. Spencer wasn’t lying next to her this time to offer comfort and so she decided to walk down the hall in search of him.
    The glow from the television bounced off his face like a strobe light as he sat in a near catatonic state on the couch. Dawn had broken and a dull light filtered around the edge of the window curtains.
    “How long have you been up?” she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
    “Since about three.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Couldn’t sleep.”
    Katie sat down beside him. “You passed; don’t worry. I know you did.” She wasn’t about to disclose her reason for being awake at this hour, not today.
    “I wish I had the same confidence in me as you do.”
    “I’ll go make some coffee.” She squeezed his