CHAPTER ELEVEN
She wasn’t sure if he really meant it or not, but she did know that if it was bothering him, he would have no problem telling her. So for now, she allowed herself to focus on the case.
She was on her way to speak with Dr. Chen… alone. She and DeMarco had decided a one-on-one approach might be best. In the meantime, DeMarco was two floors above, making calls to other patients who had worked with Chen, comparing notes and learning all she could about her methods and mannerisms.
The interview room was small and sterile, with a metal table bolted to the floor and three uncomfortable chairs arranged around it.
When Kate entered, she wasted no time getting to the point; she sat across from Dr. Chen.
The woman looked exhausted and defeated despite having had a few hours to process her situation.
Her hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail, and it looked like she’d been able to apply lip balm of some kind at some point.
Next to her sat her lawyer, a sharp-eyed woman in her fifties named Patricia Morrison, who had arrived within an hour of Chen's arrest, just as her husband had promised.
"Dr. Chen," Kate began, setting a small digital recorder on the table between them, "thank you for agreeing to speak with me this morning. I want to make it clear that you're under no obligation to answer my questions, and your attorney has advised you of your rights."
Morrison leaned forward slightly. "My client is here voluntarily because she wants to clear up what is obviously a terrible misunderstanding. She has nothing to hide."
Kate nodded and turned her attention to Dr. Chen. "I'd like to start by asking about your relationship with Thomas Rodriguez and Carol Bennett. Can you tell me about your treatment of both patients?"
Dr. Chen looked to her lawyer, who gave a small nod of encouragement.
"Both Mr. Rodriguez and Mrs. Bennett came to me for help with anxiety related to major life changes.
Mr. Rodriguez was dealing with the stress of his daughter and grandchildren moving in with him after she left an abusive marriage.
Mrs. Bennett was struggling with her recent divorce and the adjustment to living alone after her son moved back home temporarily. "
"And what was your professional assessment of their situations?" Kate asked.
"They were both experiencing significant anxiety symptoms related to what psychologists call 'empty nest syndrome in reverse,'" Dr. Chen explained.
"Instead of adjusting to children leaving home, they were dealing with adult children returning under difficult circumstances.
It's actually more common than people realize, and it can be quite stressful for the parents involved. "
Morrison interjected, "Dr. Chen wants to be completely transparent about her treatment notes and session records. She's prepared to provide detailed information about both patients."
Dr. Chen reached for a manila folder that her lawyer had brought.
"I've reviewed my notes from all sessions with both patients.
Mr. Rodriguez was particularly anxious about providing adequate space and financial support for his daughter and her children.
He felt responsible for their wellbeing, but was worried about his own health and his ability to handle the additional stress. "
Kate studied the notes as Dr. Chen handed them across the table. The handwriting was neat and professional, with detailed observations about each patient's emotional state and progress.
"What about Carol Bennett?" Kate asked.
"Mrs. Bennett was dealing with guilt about her son's situation.
He'd moved back home after losing his job, and she was torn between wanting to help him and feeling like she might be enabling his dependency.
" Dr. Chen's voice remained steady and professional.
"Both patients were prescribed Lorazepam to help manage their acute anxiety symptoms. It’s a very common prescription. "
"During our previous interview at your office," Kate said carefully, "you expressed some strong opinions about parents who allow their adult children to move back home. You seemed quite critical of that choice."
Morrison placed a protective hand on her client's arm. "Dr. Chen's professional opinions are based on years of training and experience. Having clinical perspectives on family dynamics doesn't make someone a murderer."
"I understand that," Kate said. "But I need to understand the depth of those feelings. Dr. Chen, did your personal beliefs about these family situations ever affect your treatment of these patients?"
Dr. Chen was quiet for a moment, considering her answer.
"I'll be honest with you, Agent Wise. I do believe that parents who enable adult children's dependency often do more harm than good, even when their intentions are loving.
But my job as a therapist is not to impose my personal beliefs on my patients.
My job is to help them work through their own feelings and find healthy ways to cope with their situations. "
"So your criticism of their choices was purely professional?" Kate pressed.
"Absolutely. It wasn't personal enough to warrant..." Dr. Chen's voice trailed off, and she looked genuinely disturbed by the implication. "Agent Wise, I became a psychiatrist because I want to help people. The idea that I would harm my own patients is absolutely horrifying to me."
Kate observed Dr. Chen's body language and facial expressions as she spoke. The woman appeared genuinely confused and distressed about being arrested for murder. There was no hint of deception in her voice, no tells that Kate had learned to recognize over years of interviewing suspects.
"Can you walk me through the specific medications you prescribed to each patient?" Kate asked.
Dr. Chen consulted her notes. "Both patients received prescriptions for Lorazepam, one milligram tablets. Mr. Rodriguez was prescribed thirty tablets with instructions to take one as needed for anxiety, not to exceed two per day. Mrs. Bennett received the same prescription about two weeks earlier."
"Did you ever increase their dosages or prescribe additional medications?" Kate asked.
"No," Dr. Chen said firmly. "Both patients were responding well to the initial prescription. There was no medical reason to increase their dosages. In my experience, it is usually not all that necessary to increase anyone’s dosage… unless they are in severe need."
Morrison leaned forward. "Agent Wise, my client has provided you with complete documentation of her treatment of both patients. Her prescribing practices were entirely within normal medical guidelines. You have no evidence that she did anything improper. And you’re damned lucky that she is not pressing charges. "
“That’s true, I have made that decision,” Chen said. “I’m hoping you and the rest of the bureau can simply learn a lesson from this. I’m not interested in pulling legal drama back to my practice.”
Kate nodded slowly, but something was still bothering her about the case.
The evidence against Dr. Chen was circumstantial at best, and her demeanor during the interview was not consistent with someone who had committed murder.
She seemed genuinely bewildered by the accusations and was already acting as if she had been dismissed.
"Dr. Chen," Kate said, "is there anything else you can tell me about either patient that might help us understand what happened to them? Any family members they mentioned, any other stressors in their lives, anything that seemed unusual during your sessions?"
Dr. Chen thought for a moment. "Mr. Rodriguez only ever mentioned being concerned about his daughter because of the abuse she was suffering at the hands of her husband. But that’s all.”
"Did either patient mention feeling threatened or worried about their safety?" Kate asked.
"Not directly," Dr. Chen said. "Their anxieties were focused on family dynamics and financial concerns, not personal safety issues."
Kate felt the line of questioning coming to an end already, and she also felt that Dr. Cassandra Chen would likely be released quite soon.
Kate spent another twenty minutes reviewing Dr. Chen's treatment notes and asking follow-up questions about her patients' mental states and medication compliance.
The more she talked with the psychiatrist, the more convinced she became that they were missing something important about these deaths.
As the interview wound down, Kate found herself thinking about the physical evidence from both crime scenes.
The medication bottles found at each victim's home contained Lorazepam prescribed by Dr. Chen, but they hadn't tested the individual pills to confirm that they actually contained what the labels claimed.
"Dr. Chen," Kate said suddenly, "when you prescribed the Lorazepam to both patients, did you give them any specific instructions about storage or handling of the medication?"
"No. It’s… well, it’s pretty standard. They’re basic medicines and require no special handling or storge. Why do you ask?"
“Just curious.” This was true, but it was also leading to another potential avenue of investigation. “I wonder… did either patient mention having trouble with their medication? Any side effects that seemed unusual or more severe than expected?"
Dr. Chen shook her head. "No, nothing like that. Both patients reported that the medication was helping with their anxiety symptoms, in fact. Mr. Rodriguez had commented on it just two days ago, actually."
Morrison looked at her watch. "Agent Wise, my client has been more than cooperative. Unless you have additional evidence that directly implicates her in these deaths, I think this interview should conclude."
Kate nodded, but her mind was already moving in a new direction. "Just one more question. Dr. Chen, do you handle your own prescription fulfillment, or do you send prescriptions to specific pharmacies?"
"I send electronic prescriptions directly to whatever pharmacy the patient prefers," Dr. Chen said. "It's all done through a secure online system."
“Thank you,” Kate said, getting to her feet.
And even as she prepared to leave, she realized what her next step needed to be.
The investigation had focused on Dr. Chen as the source of the potentially lethal medication, but they hadn't verified that the pills found at each crime scene actually contained what they were supposed to contain.
"Thank you for your time, Dr. Chen," Kate said, standing up from the table. "I may have additional questions as our investigation continues."
"Agent Wise," Dr. Chen said urgently, "I hope you'll keep an open mind about this case. I truly believe you're looking in the wrong direction."
Kate thought so, too. In fact, seconds after leaving the room, Kate immediately called the forensics lab.
If her suspicions were correct, testing the individual pills found in the medication bottles at both crime scenes might reveal something that could change the entire direction of their investigation.
It wouldn't necessarily clear Dr. Chen of suspicion, but it could be a step in the right direction of what Kate believed should be an ongoing investigation.
And based on her instincts about this case, she had a feeling it was going to prove much stranger than she or DeMarco had initially expected.
And for the time being, while she waited, she figured she should have another look at the most recent crime scene.
With a grieving daughter, the ME, and the coroner's assistant, it had been a little crowded.
She figured she may as well head over to have another look to see if she missed anything.
This was turning out to be one of those cases where even the smallest of things could get overlooked, resulting in more unanswered questions… and more deaths.