Page 60 of Inevitable Secrets

“My dad?” Taylor asked. She could feel her face tense up in all sorts of emotions, which she was way past being able to mask. “Why?”

Now Dr. Mellon seemed to struggle with his response. “What do you know about Cedric, Taylor?”

“I know he was the craziest person I have ever encountered in my life,” Taylor replied flatly.

Dr. Mellon ghosted another sad smile and nodded, “It seems his years with you were not his best.”

Derrick could see Taylor getting fired up at the man’s words. “Were you seeing him then? After Grant contacted you, did you and Cedric reconnect?” Derrick asked.

Mellon nodded. “He and I began sessions after Grant reached out. And things were going well. He came regularly for a long time, for years and then he just stopped. He contacted me again about six months before his death. We spoke on the phone, then he would send emails, but we never met in person.”

“Do you have copies of those emails?” Henry asked, speaking up for the first time.

Mellon looked thoughtful. “Perhaps,” he mused. “Cedric, and his whole family really, were very private. I take patients’ privacy very seriously and I safeguard their conversations with me through several layers of security. I will have to look.”

Henry gave a nod, “That would be helpful.”

“Okay, so let’s back up for just a second,” Taylor said, holding up a hand. “What was he like when my dad asked you to see him again? His demeanor?” she asked in irritation. She got the feeling that the good doctor was holding on to information about Cedric and was not in a hurry to give it away. And it was really starting to annoy the shit out of her.

Dr. Mellon hesitated before he spoke again, “Have you looked at Cedric’s journals?”

“Journals?” Taylor asked in annoyance.

Mellon shook his head. “No? I suspect they might help you understand more about him.”

“What are you talking about?” Taylor bit out.

“Cedric found during his time at the rehab facility that he felt better journaling—more drawing than writing but they did evolve to a graphic novel of sorts. He was extremely talented with drawing. I think that is why it worked so well for him to get his feelings out. He put everything in them.”

“How would his doodles from rehab help me?”

Mellon shook his head. “No, he kept up with it. When I started to see him again he said he still did it. And then when we spoke again he said he had probably filled dozens of books over the years.”

“Why can’t you just tell me what I’m asking you?”

Dr. Mellon sobered. “Because your family has secrets, Taylor, and they are not mine to tell.”

* * *

Taylor wasbeyond frustrated when they left the office and Derrick could feel it radiating off of her as they drove back to the Fletcher mansion.

After Dr. Mellon had dropped the clouded Preston family secret bomb, Taylor looked like she was ready to burst. So he had taken over.

“So we will find the journals, and then we are coming back,” Derrick had informed Dr. Mellon.

“I look forward to it,” he had said, looking almost relieved.

Taylor had reached in her Birkin bag and slapped one of her business cards down on the desk. “If you can think of anything in the meantime that you are willing to tell me, contact me,” she instructed the man.

Mellon had calmly picked up the card and nodded. “I will,” he had assured her. Mellon reached into his own wallet and grabbed his card. “In case you need me,” he said as he handed the card to Taylor. Taylor had looked like fire was going to spew out of her eyes as she accepted his card, but she bit her tongue.

But now Taylor simmered as the landscape passed by them.

“Why couldn’t he just spit it out?” she finally said to the window.

Derrick smirked. He had been waiting for her to finally say something. “Sounds like there are things that he wants you to find out for yourself,” Derrick said.

“Yeah I get that,” Taylor spat at him and then heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry, I just want to figure all this shit out and keep our family safe. I hated being trapped before and now I am scared to go out! I’m still trapped!”

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