Gospel by Sydney Bauer Page B

weekends at the office . . .’
    â€˜Right,’ said David, knowing where this was going. It was Sara who was thinking the long days at work could be over-exposure. She had no intention of putting up with him 24/7 and who could blame her?
    â€˜And your place is a five-minute walk to the office. So I figure if you get that extra twenty minutes to sleep in, then so should I.’
    â€˜What?’ he said, not believing what he was hearing.
    â€˜I want to move in with you, David, if that’s okay.’ She looked at him then, her pale aqua eyes full of uncertainty, anticipation.
    â€˜Okay?’ he said, a smile of relief spreading across his face. ‘It’s . . . it’s . . .’ He leaned across the table to kiss her only to be interrupted by the ring of his cell.
    â€˜Damn,’ he said, pulling it out of his pocket to check the number. It was Joe Mannix.
    â€˜Hey Joe,’ he said, as he answered and smiled at Sara.
    â€˜Hey. We need to talk,’ said Mannix.
    â€˜What is it?’
    â€˜Not on the phone. I need to see you. Tonight.’
    â€˜Come on, Joe. Sara and I are at dinner, she’s agreed to join the firm and . . .’
    â€˜Oh, that’s great,’ Joe said, at the same time sensing that given whatwas about to go down in DC, it may not end up being so great after all. ‘Tomorrow then, but it has to be early. Meet me at Long Wharf, 8am.’
    â€˜Long Wharf? Why in the hell would I . . . ? Anyway, I can’t do eight. I have an early meeting with a client and it’ll probably go for . . .’
    â€˜Ten then. No later. I’ll see you there.’ And then Mannix hung up.
    David shut off his cell, having no idea what to make of his detective friend’s request. He looked across at Sara and decided now was not the time to dwell on the short but confusing exchange. After all, Sara was moving in with him and the overwhelming happiness somehow made him feel invincible.

15
    W ashington Memorial Hospital Cardiac Unit medical secretary Coral Kapetas was a very loyal employee and passionately protective of the man she was proud to call ‘boss’. Of course, there were those at the hospital who assumed it was more than that, and in truth, it had been . . . although briefly. Secretly she enjoyed the lingering looks of suspicion, the whispers that asked ‘Are they or aren’t they? Was she or wasn’t she?
’
Well, she had been and now she wasn’t, but if asked, she probably would again.
    Still, she had understood when the Professor had needed to end their little tryst and admired him for what he referred to as his ‘determination to fight the power of their mutual attraction out of respect for their brilliant working relationship and his desire to keep Coral as a dear, dear friend for life’.
    A true gentleman was Stuart Montgomery, and let anyone suggest otherwise. That was probably why these two heinous excuses for public servants had infuriated her so much. These agents with their short hair and manicured nails and egos so huge they thought themselves beyond any semblance of decorum. She hated the dark one, Ramirez, the most, for he was arrogant and abrupt and downright disrespectful. This was the third time in the past month that they had interrupted the Professorduring his private patient clinics. On the previous two occasions they had demanded Coral buzz the good Professor in the middle of a consultation, which was bad enough. But this time they did not even acknowledge her presence, just stormed on in like a pair of hard-nosed militants on a mission.
    This could not be good, thought Coral, as Ramirez entered the Professor’s room without knocking, kicking the back of the door to prevent Coral from following, and pulling out his badge as if it gave him the power to intrude on whoever he pleased, whenever he chose to do so.
    â€˜Professor Stuart Ignatius