a strong word. But he was stalking her, wasn’t he? She ran her fingers down the edge of her lab coat and forced a smile. “I’m fine, really. Thanks for asking.”
If Kara had registered Lily’s sarcasm, she didn’t acknowledge it. “Look over there.” Kara jerked her thumb toward Stephanie’s glass office. Muffled voices sounded through the closed door. “James and Stephanie are arguing.”
James is here? She’d thought he’d be at the clinic.
“They’re arguing? About what?” Curiosity made Lily’s scalp tingle.
Kara lowered her voice. “I can hear a lot better when I’m sitting at my desk.” She arched her brows. “But of course, Stephanie asked me for coffee right when it was getting to the good part.”
“The good part?” Lily’s pulse kicked up a notch.
“Stephanie wants you to get out of town. Like, yesterday. I’m only getting bits and pieces now because I don’t want to make it obvious I’m listening. But she doesn’t want you in the carriage house. She’s worried you’ll bring danger to their grandparents’ doorstep.”
“Seriously?” Lily’s stomach hollowed out. “But my research.”
Ignoring her, Kara tossed her long hair over her shoulder. “This guy actually left dead rats on your doorstep?” She turned up her nose. “How gross.”
“It was one rat.”
Kara twisted her lips. “Still creepy.” She glanced toward the closed office door. “Do you think the rat came from Medlink’s labs?”
Lily slumped her shoulders and stuffed her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Denial?
“Listen,” Lily said, changing the subject, “did Talia call in sick today?”
Scooping the coffee grinds into the filter, Kara’s face brightened. “No. You mean to tell me the queen bee of research is out sick? She must really be sick.”
“Did Talia call in?”
“No. Maybe she’s too sick.” Kara went over to the sink and filled the coffee carafe. “Once I was so sick I could barely lift my head. But of course, Mrs. O’Reilly had urgent business I had to attend to.” She grimaced and glanced toward Mrs. O’Reilly’s office, which was next to her husband’s. She didn’t have an official job at Medlink. Mostly she ran social functions, but she still had an office. “Good thing I didn’t toss my cookies on her expensive imported rugs.”
“We’re not talking about you, Kara.” Lily gave her friend a close-lipped smile. “I’m worried about Talia. It’s not like her to not show up for work.” What if this stalker was targeting more than her? None of this made sense.
“Excuse me.” Kara brushed past Lily and poured the water into the coffeemaker and set the carafe on the hot plate. “Maybe she had a mental breakdown from telling everyone how great she is.”
Lily scratched the back of her head. “Talia’s really not that bad, is she? She’s a smart girl lacking just a tad in the social arena.”
“You think?”
“Be nice.” The smell of the rich coffee filled Lily’s senses. “Do you know if Talia lives alone?” She found her gaze drifting toward Stephanie’s office. From this angle, all she could see were James’s hands and arms as he gestured to his cousin in what seemed to be a heated discussion.
“I think she might live with her mother.” Kara opened the cabinet and pulled out two mugs. She glanced over her shoulder. “Can you imagine? And I hear her mother puts a lot of pressure on her. Talia’s the first one to go to college.” Kara shrugged. “Maybe that’s why she always goes on and on about her research and her plans for a Ph.D.” Lily detected a hint of compassion in her friend’s tone.
Lily tore off the lid to a coffee creamer. “Am I the only one who didn’t know Talia was rejected from the Ph.D. program?”
A flicker of a frown pulled at Kara’s lips before she recovered. “You’re always busy working. You rarely take lunch. The rest of us chat in the cafeteria. Besides—”
If Kara had registered Lily’s sarcasm, she didn’t acknowledge it. “Look over there.” Kara jerked her thumb toward Stephanie’s glass office. Muffled voices sounded through the closed door. “James and Stephanie are arguing.”
James is here? She’d thought he’d be at the clinic.
“They’re arguing? About what?” Curiosity made Lily’s scalp tingle.
Kara lowered her voice. “I can hear a lot better when I’m sitting at my desk.” She arched her brows. “But of course, Stephanie asked me for coffee right when it was getting to the good part.”
“The good part?” Lily’s pulse kicked up a notch.
“Stephanie wants you to get out of town. Like, yesterday. I’m only getting bits and pieces now because I don’t want to make it obvious I’m listening. But she doesn’t want you in the carriage house. She’s worried you’ll bring danger to their grandparents’ doorstep.”
“Seriously?” Lily’s stomach hollowed out. “But my research.”
Ignoring her, Kara tossed her long hair over her shoulder. “This guy actually left dead rats on your doorstep?” She turned up her nose. “How gross.”
“It was one rat.”
Kara twisted her lips. “Still creepy.” She glanced toward the closed office door. “Do you think the rat came from Medlink’s labs?”
Lily slumped her shoulders and stuffed her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Denial?
“Listen,” Lily said, changing the subject, “did Talia call in sick today?”
Scooping the coffee grinds into the filter, Kara’s face brightened. “No. You mean to tell me the queen bee of research is out sick? She must really be sick.”
“Did Talia call in?”
“No. Maybe she’s too sick.” Kara went over to the sink and filled the coffee carafe. “Once I was so sick I could barely lift my head. But of course, Mrs. O’Reilly had urgent business I had to attend to.” She grimaced and glanced toward Mrs. O’Reilly’s office, which was next to her husband’s. She didn’t have an official job at Medlink. Mostly she ran social functions, but she still had an office. “Good thing I didn’t toss my cookies on her expensive imported rugs.”
“We’re not talking about you, Kara.” Lily gave her friend a close-lipped smile. “I’m worried about Talia. It’s not like her to not show up for work.” What if this stalker was targeting more than her? None of this made sense.
“Excuse me.” Kara brushed past Lily and poured the water into the coffeemaker and set the carafe on the hot plate. “Maybe she had a mental breakdown from telling everyone how great she is.”
Lily scratched the back of her head. “Talia’s really not that bad, is she? She’s a smart girl lacking just a tad in the social arena.”
“You think?”
“Be nice.” The smell of the rich coffee filled Lily’s senses. “Do you know if Talia lives alone?” She found her gaze drifting toward Stephanie’s office. From this angle, all she could see were James’s hands and arms as he gestured to his cousin in what seemed to be a heated discussion.
“I think she might live with her mother.” Kara opened the cabinet and pulled out two mugs. She glanced over her shoulder. “Can you imagine? And I hear her mother puts a lot of pressure on her. Talia’s the first one to go to college.” Kara shrugged. “Maybe that’s why she always goes on and on about her research and her plans for a Ph.D.” Lily detected a hint of compassion in her friend’s tone.
Lily tore off the lid to a coffee creamer. “Am I the only one who didn’t know Talia was rejected from the Ph.D. program?”
A flicker of a frown pulled at Kara’s lips before she recovered. “You’re always busy working. You rarely take lunch. The rest of us chat in the cafeteria. Besides—”
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