Kelly Doyle: Session 1
Dr. Jeneane Clement sat behind a large oak desk when Kelly, a lengthy haired brunette in her late twenties walked into the office and shut the door behind her. “Have a seat,” Dr. Clement said as she extended a hand toward one of the two brown leather chairs in front of her. Kelly sat down and set her purse on the floor.
Dr. Clement was an attractive African American woman in her late 40’s wearing thin framed glasses and her hair pulled back into a bun. She was a relationship counselor and psychiatrist with much experience under her belt and degrees on her office wall. Usually she worked with married couples but on occasion helped non-married ones who valued their relationship enough to seek counseling. Kelly Doyle and Alex Stone was one such couple. They’ve been seeing Dr. Clement together for the past two weeks but Alex’s new work schedule conflicted with upcoming sessions. Dr. Clement suggested they continue to see her separately in order to keep things moving as they were just beginning to make ground. It would be a tragedy to stop so soon.“So tell me Kelly,” Dr. Clement asked. “How are things going of late with you and Alex?”“It’s becoming more and more difficult. Alex seems to be getting worse doctor. He’s becoming more distant with me, acting differently. He’s been so guarded and cold.”“How has he been distant? Describe his behavior please.”“We don’t communicate at all like we used to. We used to talk about everything but now he quiet, very reserved. He doesn’t talk about how his day went like he did before. After work he used to sit down on the couch, relax, and go into detail about his work day. Now he silently sits watching T.V. When I try to talk to him, he just gives me yes or no answers and no eye contact.”“What about dates? Do you two ever go out? To dinner, movies, things like that?”“No, not any more. Whenever I suggest going out he changes the subject, says he’s busy. When he’s not working he spends his time somewhere else. He claims he’s at the bowling alley or the pool hall with Dan, one of his friends. I drive by, you know, to see if his car is there.”“And is his car there?”“Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t.”“So you spy on him Kelly?”“No, Dr. Clement, it’s not spying really. I just…I just want to know what’s going on. You understand. ”“Do you ever follow Alex without him knowing it?”
Kelly paused briefly. “Um…yes I do. I don’t do it all the time though. It’s just his behavior; it’s so suspicious. I don’t trust him anymore. It seems he’s been keeping secrets.”“Secrets? Are you positive of this?”“I think so. I just need more information to be sure.”Alex Stone: Session 1. Four days later.
“So Alex, tell me about your relationship with Kelly,” Dr. Clement asked. “How are things going with you two?”“Things have been strange Dr. Clement.”“Strange?”“Kelly’s been acting so controlling. She’s been so infatuated with me, obsessed maybe. She demands to know everything I’m doing at all times. When I’m not home she calls me every hour demanding to know where I am, who I’m with. Sometimes I even think she follows me around. I don’t know; it’s just a feeling.”“I see. She wasn’t like this from the beginning was she?”“Not at all; she was normal at first.”“Tell me again about how the two of you met.”Alex got comfortable in the leather chair. “It was seven months ago. I was downtown at a café, having lunch outdoors on the patio. The weather was warm. I looked up from my table and saw her sitting at the table directly in front of me having tea. I could have sworn she wasn’t there a second before but there she was. She smiled. We just started talking and hit it off from there.”“When did Kelly start to change? Become obsessed as you say?”“She was great in the beginning, so fun and lively. We did everything together. But about a month or more ago things became…weird.”“Is this why you’ve not been communicative with Kelly?”“Yes, I suppose it is.”“You say things are weird. How?”“Dr. Clement… can I tell you something? Something that may seem bizarre?”“Feel free to tell me anything Alex.”“Alright. Things are weird… like the sun doesn’t feel the same anymore. And I don’t mean metaphorically, I mean it literally. Also a part of me is lost, something’s missing.”“What do you mean missing?”“It’s difficult to explain.”“Tell me about the sun. How does it feel different?”“It seems hotter. Light in general is hotter.” Alex paused in an effort to speak. “Doctor, I want to show you something. I want to see if you can explain this.”Alex got up from the chair and stepped to the desk in front of Dr. Clement. A small lamp sat on the desk attached to a crème colored shade, the light on. Alex put his hand underneath the lamp. “Look, what do you see? Dr. Clement inspected Alex’s hand. “Something wrong with your skin?” Dr. Clement asked.“No, what do you not see rather?”“What do I not see?”“Look at the desk underneath my hand.”Dr. Clement examined the desk just under Alex’s hand. “I don’t understand.”“Look at this.” Alex removed his hand from underneath the lamp shade and grabbed the Liberty Bell shaped paperweight from the desk. It was about five inches high and weighed a good pound. He held it underneath the lamp. “Now look again,” Alex said, “on the desk”.Dr. Clement saw the plainly visible shadow of the paperweight underneath the lamp on the desk. It cast an oblong dark shape on the brown oak. But that was the only shadow present. The shadow of Alex’s hand and forearm was absent. Dr. Clement stood up and examined the lamp. She put her hand underneath the lamp shade and her shadow appeared. She then walked to the center of her office and inspected the light fixture on the ceiling and looked to the floor. Maybe there was something wrong with the lighting in her office. Dr. Clement’s shadow appeared on the floor but Alex’s body cast no shadow at all.Kelly Doyle: Session 2. Four days later.
“Kelly, please tell me again about how you and Alex met,” Dr. Clement asked from behind the oak desk, pen in hand.“Okay. I remember I was having tea at Alderman’s café in the outdoor patio. Alex was having lunch at the table in front of me. When he finished we started talking and got along great. We ended up meeting a few days later for a dinner.”“How was the relationship at the beginning?”“Wonderful, we did everything together: movies, the park, everything. We even got an apartment together three months afterward. About five months ago Alex started to change; he started hanging around Dan more often. Dan’s real shady, he even looks it. He’s got those shifty eyes. Alex says he’s with Dan all the time but he’s not.”“Why do you believe that?”“Sometimes Alex comes home smelling like smoke and perfume. I know smells like that come from bowling alleys and pool halls, but the perfume really bothers me.”“Did you ever confront Alex about the perfume smells?”“Yes, he said it just comes from the bar, women wear perfume in bars, it just gets in his clothes like the smoke.”“Do you believe him?”“No.”“Why not?”“Because I know exactly where the scent comes from.”“Where?”“I’ve seen him with this woman. In fact he’s been in her company quite often, she’s a little older than him but she’s pretty.”“Who is she?”“She’s the owner of some dusty old antique shop on 32nd Street. You know; relics and old books, things like that. It’s called Marcia’s Vintages.”“Are you sure the perfume comes from her?”“I’m positive. It smells like lilac. I’ve followed Alex the other day to Marcia’s store.”“And what did you see?”“Alex went inside the shop. He stayed for maybe an hour and left. After that he came home smelling like perfume.”“How do you know that Marcia is older than Alex? Did you see her?”“Yes. I went inside the store the next day, pretended I was a customer. She asked if she could help me. I told her I was just looking around and asked if she was the owner of the place. She said yes. When I got close to her I smelled the same lilac perfume that Alex comes home with on his clothes.”
