The Psychopath Maker

Chapter Thirty-One

Two weeks after Kevin's funeral things went back to normal. Classes resumed. Study groups commenced. Volunteer hours were logged once more. Even rules were being enforced. Faith pushed things to the limit and got caught by the last one. She milked the sympathy as a heartbroken friend for all it was worth; getting an extension on a chemistry quiz, earning an exemption on a week of community service and forgoing stable cleaning duties. Unfortunately, for her Mr. Franz wasn't the coddling type and when she barged in his room eleven minutes late for the second time, he sent her to the Headmaster, who assigned her the duty of helping the new school therapist move in.

Faith wasn't lazy. She didn't mind doing work. She just wished it wasn't in John Fulton's office. It was a place with a sordid past, which she tried desperately to forget.

Faith stood close to the door with her hands folded behind her back. This new doctor was pretty, with long black hair, a cherubic face and an A-line dress.

Dr. Weiss swiped the cup of pens off the desk and dumped the writing utensils into the brown box by the desk. "You can start taking those books off those shelves." She pointed her unpolished finger to the in-wall bookshelf across the room. "And put them in a box.

Faith glanced at the bookshelf then back at Dr. Weiss, who has engrossed the task of emptying Fulton's desk. " Sure." She kicked a box over to the bookshelf. "Isn't this a job for...John." Faith pulled a chuck of psychology books off a middle shelf and dropped them in the box.

Dr. Weiss stopped digging into the desk's bottom drawer. "Apparently, Dr. Fulton left his wife and ran off with another woman."

Faith's hands hovered over the leaning row of books, "Left his wife." A crooked smile crossed her face. "Really." She rested her hand on her shoulder. "For a...woman." She laughed.

"What's funny, Ms. Payson?" Dr. Weiss asked.

Faith killed her laugh and went back to pulling books off the shelf. "I didn't know women were his type."

"Are you saying he was into...."

"I get where you're going.... but no." Faith dropped another arm full of books into the box. "He liked females but just...not women."

Dr. Weiss circled the desk, "What are you accusing?"

"Nothing." Faith huffed as she grabbed a stack of books off the bottom shelf. "I don't accuse people of doing things." She dropped the books into the box but the book on the top popped open.

"Then what are you saying." Dr. Weiss baited. "You can tell me anything. I'm held by law to keep private whatever is said between us."

Faith couldn't pull her attention away from the book's hollowed interior. "You may keep whatever I tell you privately, but..." Faith looked over at the doctor. Dr. Weiss' sincere disposition didn't faze Faith. "But you will look at me differently. I won't be a bitchy rich girl...I'll be a victim or...told I asked for it."

"Whatever happened between you and Dr. Fulton, I would never think that you asked for it."

"Well, I guess you're a better woman than my mother." Faith's throat burned with the pain that her body had been storing for almost a year. She took a deep breath pushing back tears she refused to shed. "Look, I'm glad you're here and not him but don't try to shrink me." She grimly smiled. "Okay."

"Okay." Dr. Weiss countered. She turned her back to Faith traveling around the desk. Faith quickly dug the photograph and key out the book. She stuffed the key in her pocket and the photograph under her polo shirt.

Once Dr. Weiss was behind the desk again going about her task of making room for her things, Faith turned her back to the woman and pulled the photograph from under her shirt.

Faith's eyes narrowed as they wafted over Dr. Fulton's crow-feet framed face, they skipped over Dr. Weiss' gleeful smile and her blood boiled as her pupils settled on the familiar mocha face; Lucas' Face.

"How long have you known, Dr. Fulton?" Faith asked stuffing the photograph back under her shirt.

"I don't know him." Dr. Weiss slammed the drawer close with a sigh. "We never meet, unfortunately."

"Never?" Faith asked holding onto the shelf as her stomach began to churn.

Dr. Weiss huffed as she dropped a plastic container onto the desk, "Never."

"Liar." Faith spoke under her breath.

So, Dr. Weiss is lying about her relationship with Dr. Fulton. What else could she be hiding? And they are chummy with Lucas. Say what!