Paula Rojas gets an unexpected few days off when a case she was prosecuting ends abruptly. Instead of taking the time to paint her kitchen, her friend Tony Valetta persuades her to help in a case he had been assigned. An elderly woman, living alone, had been brutally murdered for no apparent reason, and the Detective has nothing to go on. Preston Thorndahl, a locally renowned psychiatrist runs the upscale Clinic and Retreat overlooking the ocean in La Jolla. Most of his effort goes into maximizing profits, but he does treat an occasional patient. Among them was the murder victim.While Tony and Paula struggle to find a lead in the case, another brutal murder takes place, another of Thorndahl’s ex-patients. Too unlikely to be a coincidence. By the fourth victim, it is obvious that Thorndahl is the connection, but surely not the murderer, or is he?Kirsten Drue who had some counseling sessions with her friend Thorndahl after her son committed suicide is sure the killer is stalking her. Tony and Paula frantically try to connect the clues and foil what they are sure will be the next attempt.“The Clinic” follows the case to its surprising conclusion, and along the way reveals the dysfunctional workings of one of the city’s most respected health institutions.