Chapter 16: "I want to tell you about some family skeletons."

"Sutton."

"Dr. Sutton, this is Lisa Cummings."

"Oh, hello, Ms Cummings. I was wondering how long it would take for you to get back to me. Actually, you made me lose a quarter ... I bet myself a quarter you wouldn't find me before tomorrow at the earliest."

"Let's just say I had a certain incentive. How much bail money did I cost you?"

Dr. Sutton chuckled. "Actually, nothing. One nice thing about the American justice system is that bail money doesn't really change hands ... I wrote a promissory note agreeing to pay $2000 should you fail to appear before the plea hearing. Now, you're not planning to leave town in the next little while, are you?"

"Me? Absolutely NOT!"

"You see ... I have absolute confidence in not paying a red cent. Now, what can I do for you?"

"You can relieve my curiosity ... would it have anything to do with the fact that the receptionist referred to you as Dr Crenshaw?"

"You ARE quick at the uptake, aren't you? I'm impressed. Are you doing anything for lunch today?"

"No, not really. Why?"

"We could have lunch ... What I have to tell you is better done face-to-face."

"Will I need witnesses?"

Dr Sutton laughed out loud... "Oh, I like that ... Good one! You can always bring one, or ten, for that matter but I won't pay for their meals, just yours."

Lisa was hesitant. "I don't know..."

"Look, Ms Cummings, you have no reason to trust me, but I AM on your side. You were right ... It has to do with that idiot of a brother of mine. I want to tell you about some family skeletons. Come on, it'll be fun ... I've got some real juicy gossip for you and, best of all, it's all true."

"Well ... I'm not too keen on going out; I got mobbed yesterday."

"Are you all right?"

The way that Dr Sutton asked how she was convinced Lisa that she was on the up-and-up and she finally accepted. Dr Sutton agreed to pick her up a little after twelve.

As soon as she hung up, she called Harold and gave him a run-down of her conversation with Sutton.

"Okay, you said she's picking you up at twelve... ? Good! Don't move, I'll be there in half an hour. See you then."

After hanging up with Harold, she went through her clothes, looking to see what she could wear. Her jeans were finally dry, so she slipped on a pair of panties (to Hell with the panty crease on her butt, she wasn't trying to make a fashion statement), her jeans and one of her new tees. She felt that the way the top outlined her breasts through the cloth looked rather fetching; she may just skip wearing a bra altogether from now on. She slid her feet in her new sandals and fastened the straps and looked at herself in the full length mirror in Meredith's room.