Page 69 of Ghost

“I hadn’t thought of that. Dr. Carrion seems like such a nice guy too.”

“Mindy, I’m not saying he did it. But it is something the police can look into.”

I hated manipulating Mindy this way. But she was a conspiracy theorist. Not that I ever blindly believed anything I was told, especially by a patient or their parents. But Mindy went beyond acceptable doubt.

For someone who questioned everything the government said and did, to the point of spending her evenings tunneling down rabbit holes, she was easily convinced by someone she trusted.

And I knew she trusted me.

“The detective wants to talk to you. Since you were the last person to be at the office.”

“Of course. Are they there now?”

“Yes, hang on.” Mindy called out to the detective, and when I heard his name, I groaned. There was a shuffle as Mindy handed her phone to Detective Henderson.

“Dr. Jefferson.”

Sure, this time he got it right because there were people listening.

“Can you tell me the last day you were at your office?”

I quickly thought back and smiled. With the camera footage gone, I had an alibi, and this asshole was it.

“Yes, February 5th. The day you came to see me at my office.”

I couldn’t see his face, but I grinned as I thought about his smug expression when he asked when I was there last. And I imagined it falling from his face when he realized he was my defense.

“And how long were you there?”

“I had stopped in to pick up a few last-minute personal items and left a few minutes after you did.”

“And you didn’t go back?” he asked.

“No, sir.”

“I will need you to come to the station and fill out a report—”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” I said, cutting off the arrogant bastard. “I am no longer in the state. I am sure you are aware I sold my practice. I moved out of state shortly after.”

“Convenient,” he murmured.

“I assure you; it is not.”

“And why did you sell your practice after, what was it you said,having spent the better part of a decade training?”

This smug son of a bitch really ground my gears.

“Personal reasons,” I answered.

“Hmm. Well, it seems we have no way of proving whether you still owned the business when it was broken into. Since without the camera footage we don’t know exactly what day it happened. There will have to be a full investigation as to who will receive the insurance payout.”

“Actually, I had signed off on the practice and everything it included once the offer was approved. So, Dr. Carrion will be the beneficiary. If what Mindy said was true, it sounds like he will need the money to replace everything.”

“That’s very efficient of you, Dr. Jefferson.”

“Is that all, Detective?”

“It is for now. But I will need a phone number to reach you should I have any further questions.”

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