InSight

though she detected the voice variations of her patients, she didn’t see the emotional reactions or the visible pain when one of them broke through a psychological barrier.
    Luke had an entirely different effect on her. What she felt wasn’t professional at all. How could she have let it happen? In spite of her determination to free him from her mind, she fell asleep thinking of Luke McCallister, remembering his kind attention when she spilled her water, his warm hand enclosing hers. In her mind’s eye, he looked like the Marlboro man…with hearing aids.
    * * * * *
    T he next morning, Luke’s thoughts of Abby distracted him from tracking an amber alert. What about her attracted him? He’d been with more beautiful women. His ex-wife was more beautiful in the classical definition. And Abby was blind—certainly not a feature one sought in a woman. But seeing her sightless eyes follow the sound of his voice, watching her lips speak words that resonated not with sound but with meaning, he understood why the article he’d read praised her so highly. She listened without judging, then told it straight. No bullshit. No patronizing.
    He remembered how a simple act like pouring ketchup from a bottle created such a problem, and the stark reality of her life struck him. Things he’d never thought of before. He closed his eyes and surrounded himself in darkness. He struggled with the total silence that had invaded his life, but no way could he live life without sight, dependent so much on others.
    He pictured her. With a lean, athletic body, she stood a few inches shorter than his six-one height, hair the color of dark chocolate and beautiful thick-lashed eyes to match, even though they never quite made direct contact. In fact, one eye wandered once or twice, then righted itself as if she’d focused. A trace of burnt orange glossed full lips, and her smile revealed straight white teeth. No, she wasn’t beautiful, but something about her looks set her apart. He questioned whether what he felt bordered on an emotional crutch and decided it didn’t. Abby was an interesting, attractive woman.
    Luke usually felt the vibration of an approaching person, but when Pete’s hand touched his shoulder, he almost jumped out of his chair.
    “Jeez, Pete, you startled me.” He focused on Pete’s lips, his tongue and his teeth, watched his body language and expressions. Anything to help him understand.
    “Maybe I should get one of those little laser lights to flicker in front of you so you’ll know I’m coming.”
    “That’s not a bad idea.”
    Pete took a seat next to Luke and spoke directly to him. “A car went by Dr. Gallant’s house half a dozen times during the night. Nothing.”
    “Thanks. She’s an easy target. I would have stayed with her, but she thinks there’s a conflict of interest. She’s even referring me to another therapist.”
    “From what I saw, I think that’s a good idea. Be careful, friend. The brass are looking for any reason to retire you. They think you’re a liability, a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
    Lip-reading could be very informative. Luke had read what some of the guys were saying from across the room. They reined in their conversation when they saw him watching, which only verified what he’d halfway deciphered. They thought cops needed all their senses and didn’t think he should be on the job, computer or not. His attitude over the last year hadn’t helped his case either.
    “Screw them. How can I be a liability sitting behind a damn computer, tracking fingerprints and license plates?”
    “I’m giving you a heads up,” Pete said. “If you’re interested in her, wait until after the evaluation. Keep it professional. That’s my advice, not that you’ve asked and not that you’ll take it.”
    “I don’t have much choice.”
    Pete put his hand on Luke’s shoulder. “I’ve known you a long time, Luke. You’re a good guy and my best friend, but you’re lousy with women. In fact, you’re usually a first class dick.”
    “Funny, I was just telling myself the same thing.” He thought back over his history with women. Definitely not one of his strengths. He’d relegated them to a certain place in his life—a partner for a social evening or the occasional one-night stand to satisfy whatever needs he had at the time. His marriage was a textbook case of irreconcilable differences because he kept his wife at an emotional arm’s length, no matter how much she tried to