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sequined silk tunic and ballet flats, I got into the Cayenne and headed for Rodeo Drive. My cell phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID. PRIVATE CALLER. I ignored the call. If it’s an emergency, the office will handle it, I thought.
    I pulled into valet parking and took a private elevator into Jimmy Choo, my favorite shoe store of all time. As soon as I stepped into the lavish boutique, I breathed in the luscious smell of leather. It was intoxicating. Clara, the sales associate who always waited on me, greeted me cheerfully. “Hope. So good to see you. Wait till you see what we got in yesterday!”
    My passion is shoes. I had a special closet built in my house just for my collection of hundreds of shoes.
    “Blue, strappy, three-inch heels with python inlay,” Clara said as she held up a gorgeous pair.
    I tried them on and loved the way they felt on my feet. “What other colors do they come in?”
    “Sunset – which is a pale orange, and Harlequin – which is beautiful yellow-green color. I’ll get them for you.”
    My cell phone rang again. This time I picked it up when I saw who the caller was. Venus.
    “Are you busy with patients?” Venus asked, before I could even say hello.
    “No. My surgery was cancelled, so I took the morning off. I’m indulging in retail therapy.”
    “Uh, huh. Didn’t things go well with Dr. Whitford?”
    “Long story.”
    “Why don’t you come by for dinner tonight? Mr. Vanderbilt is having dinner with clients. Mabel could cook up some steaks and macaroni and cheese before she leaves today.”
    Mabel was Venus’s chef from southern Georgia and made the best comfort food ever. I salivated at the thought of her delicious steaks and creamy mac and cheese.
    I didn’t have to think twice. “Sure.”
    Clara came back from the stock room with an armful of beautiful, beige shoe boxes. My heart skipped a beat. “Look I gotta go. See ya tonight.”
    “Sure. Around seven.”
    I bought the strappy sandals in all three colors plus two handbags from the new fall collection. I was paying for the purchases when my cell phone rang again.
    PRIVATE CALLER.
    I ignored it again. Telemarketers, probably. They always got my number, no matter how many times I changed it. If it was an emergency, the office would call me.
    I walked out of Jimmy Choo feeling good and headed over to La Perla. I needed some new bras.
    My phone rang again. PRIVATE CALLER. I ignored it again. It kept ringing, over and over.
    Dammit. I answered the call.
    “Dr. Hope Love.”
    “Dr. Love. Thank God. It’s Janessa Myers. I’ve been trying to call you all morning.”
    “Hello, Janessa.” I tried to keep the frustration out of my voice as I wondered how she got my number. The office was strictly forbidden from giving out my cell phone number. They only called me for emergencies.
    Janessa Myers was an up-and-coming actress who had gotten her start in Lifetime movies and was now a regular on Days of Our Lives . She was also a high maintenance patient and a hypochondriac, who called my office every time she sneezed or had a cough. I kept referring her to a family physician for her common ailments, but she wanted to see only me.
    “I need you to come over right away.” She sounded out of breath.
    “Janessa, you can make an appointment with my office.” I struggled to keep my tone neutral. “I’ll be in later this afternoon and will have the office squeeze you in.”
    “No, you don’t understand. I need you to come over now. Please, it’s an emergency.”
    So much for retail therapy. Janessa’s house was on the way to the office and it would be easier to deal with her there. So I relented.
    “Okay. Give me twenty minutes.” I was glad I’d taken the psychiatry rotation during residency. The training came in handy when dealing with the drama. Janessa had probably stubbed her toe or something.
    I drove up to the gated residence and announced myself on the speaker box. The wide gates swung open and I crept up the