her throat. “I’ve been praying it’s not a relapse.”
James touched her arm. “One day at a time.”
Little feet padded across the floor. Mrs. Benson’s granddaughter ran down the hallway and wrapped her arms around Lily’s legs. Lily touched the tiny braids crisscrossing the little girl’s head. “Hey there. Did you finish reading Winnie-the-Pooh?”
The little girl nodded emphatically. Something tugged at Lily’s heart. Mrs. Benson, her arms full of her granddaughter’s things, limped down the hall. “Oh, that child is going to wear me out.”
James offered his hand and Chloe eagerly took it. “Come with me.”
Mrs. Benson sighed in relief. “You’re a lifesaver, Dr. James. A real lifesaver.”
Lily patted the woman’s arm as she passed. “You’re in good hands.”
The older woman smiled for the first time. “I know, dear.”
EIGHT
L ater that afternoon, Lily swiped her badge and pushed open the door to her lab. She snatched her lab coat from the hook and slipped her arms into the crisp, cool sleeves. Sarah, one of her assistants, looked up from the microscope. She tucked a long strand of silky, black hair behind her ear and slanted a sideways look in Lily’s direction. “I thought it was some major holiday that I wasn’t aware of.”
“I had a family emergency.” And the sketch artist at the police station had taken longer than she had expected. But the composite was done. Done. Maybe now they’d catch this creep.
“Everything okay?” Sarah sat on the stool and crossed her arms.
“My niece wasn’t feeling well. She seems fine now, but James took a blood sample to be on the safe side.”
Sarah seemed to stare right through her. Sometimes Lily forgot there were two other people committed to her research, as well. They may not have a personal stake in it, but they took pride in their work.
Sarah smiled convivially. “We’re on track, Doc. We’re going to have a treatment available soon. We won’t stop until we find a cure.” She tapped on the paperwork on the table next to her.
“From your lips to God’s ears.” Glancing around the lab, she realized for the first time that it was just the two of them. “Talia not in again today? That’s unlike her.” Talia had rarely had one sick day, never mind two in a row.
Sarah lifted her palm in a semishrug, distracted by something at her workstation.
“Did she call in today?” Lily’s gaze darted to the phone on her desk. The red light blinked, indicating she had a message. She strode across the room and picked it up. She pressed in a few numbers, then listened to the messages. None from Talia or from Human Resources indicating Talia would be out sick. Lily buttoned her lab coat. “That’s strange.”
Foreboding, like cool air from an air-conditioning vent, skittered across the back of her neck. Sitting on the corner of her desk, Lily brushed her knuckles across her chapped lips. “Everything been okay with you? Anything strange happen lately?” A detailed image of the mutilated rat left on her doorstep scraped across her brain.
Sarah tapped the cap of her pen against her lips. “No...?” She took a step closer. “I mean, other than the excitement at the O’Reillys’ party last weekend.” A hint of fear flashed in her eyes. “I thought that was just some random intruder.” Apparently, most of the guests hadn’t learned of the intruder’s connection to the clinic.
Lily threaded her fingers through her hair. “It’s probably going to hit the news soon, so I’ll tell you.” She relayed the recent incidences. “The guy seems to be specifically targeting me, but all the same, be careful coming and going to work. My car was vandalized in the parking lot.”
Sarah’s ivory skin turned deathly white. “Just great.” She pulled her cell phone from her lab-coat pocket. “I’m texting my boyfriend. He can pick me up after work. I’m not going to take any chances.”
“I don’t think you’re in danger, but
James touched her arm. “One day at a time.”
Little feet padded across the floor. Mrs. Benson’s granddaughter ran down the hallway and wrapped her arms around Lily’s legs. Lily touched the tiny braids crisscrossing the little girl’s head. “Hey there. Did you finish reading Winnie-the-Pooh?”
The little girl nodded emphatically. Something tugged at Lily’s heart. Mrs. Benson, her arms full of her granddaughter’s things, limped down the hall. “Oh, that child is going to wear me out.”
James offered his hand and Chloe eagerly took it. “Come with me.”
Mrs. Benson sighed in relief. “You’re a lifesaver, Dr. James. A real lifesaver.”
Lily patted the woman’s arm as she passed. “You’re in good hands.”
The older woman smiled for the first time. “I know, dear.”
EIGHT
L ater that afternoon, Lily swiped her badge and pushed open the door to her lab. She snatched her lab coat from the hook and slipped her arms into the crisp, cool sleeves. Sarah, one of her assistants, looked up from the microscope. She tucked a long strand of silky, black hair behind her ear and slanted a sideways look in Lily’s direction. “I thought it was some major holiday that I wasn’t aware of.”
“I had a family emergency.” And the sketch artist at the police station had taken longer than she had expected. But the composite was done. Done. Maybe now they’d catch this creep.
“Everything okay?” Sarah sat on the stool and crossed her arms.
“My niece wasn’t feeling well. She seems fine now, but James took a blood sample to be on the safe side.”
Sarah seemed to stare right through her. Sometimes Lily forgot there were two other people committed to her research, as well. They may not have a personal stake in it, but they took pride in their work.
Sarah smiled convivially. “We’re on track, Doc. We’re going to have a treatment available soon. We won’t stop until we find a cure.” She tapped on the paperwork on the table next to her.
“From your lips to God’s ears.” Glancing around the lab, she realized for the first time that it was just the two of them. “Talia not in again today? That’s unlike her.” Talia had rarely had one sick day, never mind two in a row.
Sarah lifted her palm in a semishrug, distracted by something at her workstation.
“Did she call in today?” Lily’s gaze darted to the phone on her desk. The red light blinked, indicating she had a message. She strode across the room and picked it up. She pressed in a few numbers, then listened to the messages. None from Talia or from Human Resources indicating Talia would be out sick. Lily buttoned her lab coat. “That’s strange.”
Foreboding, like cool air from an air-conditioning vent, skittered across the back of her neck. Sitting on the corner of her desk, Lily brushed her knuckles across her chapped lips. “Everything been okay with you? Anything strange happen lately?” A detailed image of the mutilated rat left on her doorstep scraped across her brain.
Sarah tapped the cap of her pen against her lips. “No...?” She took a step closer. “I mean, other than the excitement at the O’Reillys’ party last weekend.” A hint of fear flashed in her eyes. “I thought that was just some random intruder.” Apparently, most of the guests hadn’t learned of the intruder’s connection to the clinic.
Lily threaded her fingers through her hair. “It’s probably going to hit the news soon, so I’ll tell you.” She relayed the recent incidences. “The guy seems to be specifically targeting me, but all the same, be careful coming and going to work. My car was vandalized in the parking lot.”
Sarah’s ivory skin turned deathly white. “Just great.” She pulled her cell phone from her lab-coat pocket. “I’m texting my boyfriend. He can pick me up after work. I’m not going to take any chances.”
“I don’t think you’re in danger, but
Similar Books
