Return to the Red Cliff Motel

By Cathlene Smith

Dr. Jessica Doran returns to Helipher to attend her sister’s wedding. Staying at the Red Cliff Motel, Jessica encounters a disturbed teenager who will take her on a chaotic ride down the blackness of insanity. Can the doctor save the teen from self-induced calamity? Will evil from the past envelope Jessica and change her life forever?

Psychiatrist Jessica Doran returns to the small town she fled years ago to attend her sister’s wedding. Staying at the Red Cliff Motel Jessica encounters Dorene. The troubled girl is invited to the rehearsal dinner. Demons are released when the past catches up to Jessica. Can she protect Dorene from spiraling into madness? Can she save herself?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cathlene Smith
• Release date: Nov 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781619376489

Cathlene Smith

I have written two novels and one anthology. "Slivers of Reality" a suspense thriller, takes John Smith into the dimension of the surreal and the norm. Sleep deprived delusions and paranormal experiences test John’s faith in God and himself. "Trio of Horrors: Three Tales from the Holocaust", has done exceedingly well on Amazon's Kindle. Three distinct aspects of the Holocaust are represented by strong female characters in historically based tales. "The Healer”, while a sequel to "Slivers of Reality," stands on its own. Cindy Mitchell gains the "Power" while meeting John Smith at the psychiatric hospital. She receives not only the power to heal, but the ability to see through Jacob Saunders' eyes; discovering the evil plot behind them.

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Return to the Red Cliff Motel

by Cathlene Smith

Copyright © Cathlene Smith, 2013

Smashwords Edition

All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.

This e-book is a work of fiction. While references may be made to actual places or events, the names, characters, incidents, and locations within are from the author’s imagination and are not a resemblance to actual living or dead persons, businesses, or events. Any similarity is coincidental.

Musa Publishing

633 Edgewood Ave

Lancaster, OH 43130

www.MusaPublishing.com

Issued by Musa Publishing, November 2013

This e-book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. No part of this e-book can be reproduced or sold by any person or business without the express permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-61937-648-9

Editor: Mai Lee

Artist: Kelly Shorten

Line Editor: Helen Hardt

Interior Book Design: Cera Smith

To my husband Don. Without his encouragement and inspiration, nothing is possible.

Chapter One

Jessica pulled into the modest, almost dreary motel on the outskirts of Helipher, Utah. It had been years since she’d seen the looming red cliffs that surrounded her hometown. There was nothing left for her in the small mining community. She left behind nightmares, accusations, forgotten memories, and her family. Having vowed never to return to the God-forsaken place, she dreaded leaving her life in the city behind, even for a few days. She was not the same small-town girl. She was too sophisticated and refined for the likes of Helipher and her family. If not for the wedding of her eldest sister, Irene, there would be no coming back.

Jessica Doran had established a satisfying lifestyle for herself. As head psychiatrist at Phoenix General, she took her vocation seriously. Patients and Dr. Tom Reynolds were her only concerns. Tom had hired Jessica nearly ten years ago. Her main attributes, as Tom put them, were her ability to diagnose quickly and respond with compassion.

I wish I were back in my office. A cup of coffee and a stack of files sound delicious right now. I’m only doing this for you, Irene. Not for anyone else in the family.

Irene’s insistence that she be included in the wedding line had exhumed the past from the crypt it rested in. Everything from before Jessica’s departure had been sealed in mason jars with paraffin for protection. Tom had felt it would be good for her to finally release the anxiety and pain she’d experienced in Helipher.

If he only knew the hell they put me through. No one talks about it. Not my mom, not Irene or my other sisters. It’s easy for them. They stayed there making babies and Bundt cakes. I made something of myself. Not one of them asks me about my practice or Tom. It’s as though I don’t exist if I’m not wearing an apron or a wedding ring.

Sitting behind the wheel with the AC running, she felt her throat tighten. Sweat beaded around her honey blond ponytail. Phoenix had been sweltering. The drive through southern Utah had given little relief. The fiery cliffs seemed to bake the asphalt.

She tugged at her ponytail and plucked a few straggling hairs. Her palms were wet with anxiety. She opened her purse and pulled a pill bottle from inside. She checked the label and took two of the tablets. Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes briefly and sighed.

Tom, why didn’t you come with me? I need you. I can’t face them alone. Daddy