She mercifully stayed away from the questions that had haunted him for the past week. What are you going to do for money? How will you pay the mortgage? Maggie’s tuition?

“Are you okay?”

Evan sat back, exhaled loudly. “It’s funny, when I got the call that the court denied Danny’s appeal, I was listening to a Linkin Park song—one released shortly before the singer died. Over the years, his songs had become less angry, more melancholy.” Evan swallowed over the lump in his throat. He could feel Dr. Silverstein scrutinizing him. “The song said something about no one caring if a single star burned out in a sky of a million stars.”

Silverstein narrowed her eyes. “The singer of this band,” she said, “how did he die?”

“Suicide,” Evan said. The word hung in the air.

“Evan,” Silverstein finally said, her voice serious, “are you—”

“Of course not.”

Dr. Silverstein leaned in closer. “The medications you’re on,” she said, her tone softer, “in some people they can cause intrusive thoughts.”

“Don’t forget the fatigue, sexual problems, and insomnia—all really helpful for someone who’s already depressed.”

Dr. Silverstein bunched up her face. “I appreciate the humor, but I’m being serious. The medications can cause suicidal thoughts. The meds can trick a patient into thinking there’s only one solution.”

Or maybe they cause the patient to finally see the truth.

“You’ve got nothing to worry about, Dr. Silverstein,” Evan said. “I’m fine.”

By her expression, Evan could tell she didn’t believe him.

Like he said, she was a good therapist.

Excerpt from

A Violent Nature

Season 1/Episode 1

“A Body at the Creek”

OVER BLACK - 9-1-1 RECORDING

OPERATOR

9-1-1 operator, what’s your emergency?

CALLER

(breathing heavily)

I’m at Stone Creek, walking my dog. And there’s a body—I, I, I think it’s a girl.

A dog barks in the background. It sounds terrified.

CALLER

You need to get someone here right away.

OPERATOR

Slow down, sir. You say there’s a body of a girl? Is she breathing?

CALLER

No, her head, there’s so much blood … dear god …

INSERT – LOCAL NEWS FOOTAGE

ANCHOR

There’s been a big break tonight in the murder of Charlotte Rose. The Adair teenager was last seen at a house party and found bludgeoned to death at Stone Creek. Our sources say there’s been an arrest tonight, the victim’s boyfriend, Daniel Pine.…

INT. STUDIO
SUPERIMPOSED:

“Louise Lester, Institute for Wrongful Convictions”

LESTER

At first, I was skeptical, I mean, the Institute gets thousands of requests for help from prisoners claiming to be innocent. And this one came from the inmate’s twelve-year-old sister. But then we examined the trial record.

Lester shakes her head in disgust.