The Puppet Master Chapter 4

Detective Peppers toughest case

Chapter 4

Wednesday June 11th

The soft hum of the air conditioning filled the small therapy office, a quiet contrast to the storm of thoughts in Penny’s mind. She sat on the leather couch, dressed a little nicer than usual, dark jeans and a fitted blouse that made her feel both put-together and slightly exposed. An underlying tingle of nervous anticipation coursed through her. The room was soothingly decorated, with warm colors and soft lighting that wrapped around her like a comforting embrace.

Penny glanced toward Lisa Dunleavy, the new Ogunquit PD therapist. Their first session had been surprisingly comfortable, and Penny found herself relieved that Lisa wasn’t the typical stiff, impersonal type she’d been dreading.

Lisa had an easy presence about her, warm, professional, but not distant. The kind of person who made you feel heard without pressing too hard. It had only been a few days since their first session, but already, Penny felt a pull toward her, a sense of ease she wasn’t sure she’d expected.

“So,” Lisa said, crossing one leg over the other as she settled into her chair. “How has your week been since we last talked?”

Penny exhaled, rubbing the back of her neck. “A lot. Between the case I’m working on with the FBI and—” She hesitated for a split second. “And everything else, I feel like I haven’t had time to catch my breath.”

Lisa nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense. Your job doesn’t really allow for downtime, does it?”

Penny gave a dry chuckle. “Not really. If I’m not working, I’m looking over my shoulder, wondering if some psycho from my past is still watching.”

Lisa leaned forward slightly, resting her forearms on her notepad. “I imagine that kind of hyper-vigilance is exhausting.”

Penny met her gaze. “You have no idea.”

Lisa smiled gently. “I might have some idea. Trauma does that to people, Penny. It rewires the brain, makes you see threats where there might not be any or, in your case, where there might be.”

Penny swallowed, her fingers gripping the fabric of her jeans. “That’s the problem, isn’t it? I don’t know if the threat is still there. We found the surveillance devices in my house, but does that mean we got them all?

Every time I think it’s over, something else happens. I can’t turn it off. I can’t just pretend I feel safe when I don’t.”

Lisa let a moment of silence settle between them before she spoke. “And how has Jackie been through all of this?”

Penny’s eyes flickered with something unreadable. “Jackie’s… been great.” The words came out slower than she intended. “She’s supportive. She listens.”

Lisa tilted her head. “That’s good. Support is important.”

Penny hesitated. “Yeah.”

Lisa caught the pause immediately. “But?”

Penny exhaled, the weight of her thoughts pressing down on her. “She went to a conference last week in New York. It was for work, something she couldn’t miss, but the timing sucked. I was home alone when the police did their sweep of the house. I was the one who had to hear them say that whoever planted those devices knew everything about us.” She shook her head, the memory still fresh in her mind. “Jackie should’ve been there.”

Lisa’s expression remained neutral, but her eyes softened with understanding. “That must have felt isolating.”

Penny nodded. “It did. But I know it wasn’t her fault.”

Lisa tapped her pen lightly against her notepad. “Do you think it’s possible to hold two truths at once?”

Penny frowned. “What do you mean?”

Lisa smiled slightly. “That Jackie loves you and supports you but also that she made a decision that left you feeling alone in one of the most terrifying moments of your life?”

Penny opened her mouth to protest, but the words didn’t come.

Lisa leaned back. “I’m not saying Jackie did anything malicious. But sometimes, even the people who love us make choices that hurt us. It doesn’t mean they don’t care, but it does mean we’re allowed to feel that hurt.”

Penny let that sink in. Was she allowed to feel that way? Jackie hadn’t meant to leave her alone, but that didn’t change the fact that she had. And maybe Lisa was right, maybe she had been pushing those feelings down because acknowledging them felt like some kind of betrayal.

Lisa let the silence linger before speaking again, her voice gentle. “Have you talked to Jackie about how that felt for you?”

Penny shrugged, her thoughts racing. “Not really. I didn’t want to start a fight over something she couldn’t change.”

Lisa nodded knowingly. “Avoiding conflict is a natural response. But sometimes, avoiding it just buries things instead of resolving them.”

Penny looked down, studying the lines on her palms. “I don’t want to doubt her.”

Lisa’s expression remained calm. “Doubt isn’t always about mistrust. Sometimes, it’s about needing clarity. And clarity only comes when we let ourselves ask the hard questions.”

Penny met Lisa’s gaze, a small flicker of unease settling in her stomach.
Lisa smiled gently, sensing she’d given Penny enough to think about. “We don’t have to go deeper today. But I do want you to sit with those thoughts. Not to overanalyze them, just to acknowledge them. Your feelings are valid, Penny. Even when they conflict with each other.”

Penny swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”

Lisa glanced at the clock. “Before we wrap up, how’s the FBI case going? You mentioned last time that it was heating up.”

Penny seized the chance to switch topics. “We finally have a lead. Mike and I are staking out some suspected drop locations. The ring runs from Kittery to Portland, but we haven’t figured out the exact pipeline yet.”

Lisa’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. “That must be frustrating.”

Penny scoffed. “That’s putting it mildly.”

Lisa chuckled. “Well, I have no doubt you’ll crack the case.” She paused. “And in the meantime… remember to give yourself some grace. You’ve been carrying a lot, Penny. It’s okay to let someone help carry it with you.”

Penny exhaled, a small, tired smile touching her lips. “I’ll try.”

Lisa stood, offering her a reassuring look. “Same time Friday?”

Penny hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. I think that would be good.”

Lisa smiled. “I’ll be here.”

As Penny walked out of the office, her mind churned. Lisa had given her plenty to think about, maybe too much. The idea of holding two conflicting truths felt heavy. But one thought lingered more than the rest:
What if she wasn’t as sure about Jackie as she thought she was?

- - -

Penny stepped into the warm sunlight outside, the gentle breeze brushing against her skin as she made her way to her car. The world felt different today, but an undercurrent of unease still followed her. As she settled into the driver’s seat, she couldn’t shake the memories of the surveillance sweep that had turned her life upside down.

The images flooded her mind unbidden, technicians in her home, their serious expressions as they revealed the hidden cameras and listening devices. It was as if they were peeling back layers of her life, exposing vulnerabilities she had fought so hard to protect.

She recalled the moment they found the first camera, the sharp intake of breath that had echoed in the silence of her living room. The technician’s words echoed in her mind: “They knew everything about you.”
Every late-night conversation with Jackie, every laugh shared, every secret whispered, now tainted by the knowledge that someone had been watching, lurking in the shadows of their lives.

Penny squeezed the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white. The walls of her home, once a sanctuary, now felt like a prison. Every creak of the floorboards, every flicker of light sent a jolt of anxiety through her. The sense of being watched had seeped into her bones, making her hyper-aware of her surroundings.

“Get it together, Penny,” she muttered to herself, shaking her head as if she could physically dislodge the memories.

But the truth was, Julia, or Tiffany, or whatever name she was using, had seen everything. That knowledge gnawed at her insides like a persistent itch she couldn’t scratch.

As she drove toward home, the weight of it all pressed down on her. What if Julia was still watching? What if she had more secrets hidden in the corners of their lives, waiting to be uncovered?

The thought sent a shiver down her spine, and Penny forced herself to focus on the road ahead. She needed to regain control, to reclaim her life from the shadows that threatened to engulf her.

But as she pulled into her driveway and stepped out of the car, the familiar feeling of unease settled back in. The house loomed before her, a reminder of everything she had lost.

With a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and walked toward the front door, determined to face whatever lay inside.