a case in your own name—at least not civilly. You could report the violation to the appropriate oversight boards, but I know that would be politically difficult for you. That’s one of the reasons Sasha went to Golden Village first. She hoped she could convince Athena Ray to be the one to put the screws to Dr. Allstrom.”
He mulled over this information. “I see what you’re saying. And I know from Sasha’s report that Athena Ray assuredly didn’t put the screws to Dr. Allstrom, as you phrase it, but, based on her phone calls, someone has.”
“The IRB?” Naya ventured.
He had no idea. “Possibly. I guess … I could try to find out? Should I speak with her?”
Naya exhaled loudly. “I’m not sure. Let me try to get ahold of Sasha; she should be on the island by now.”
“The island? Sounds very exotic.”
“Hardly,” she said, choking back laughter. “Sasha and Leo went traipsing off to coastal Maine in the dead of autumn and took the babies with them.”
“Oh. You’re quite right; that’s the opposite of exotic. Maine is beautiful, but it can be downright chilly this time of year.”
----
S asha crouched beside the blanket she’d spread out on the floor of the quaint, if drafty, cafe and put a hand to each of the baby’s cheeks to check their skin temperatures. Somehow, despite the fact that she was still shivering from the raw, windy water taxi ride, both twins were toasty in their hooded outfits. Finn looked at her curiously and flashed her a toothless grin, while his sister swatted her hand away in irritation. She apparently didn’t wish to be disturbed from whatever private game the two were playing with the soft fabric ball and wooden block Sasha had given them to inspect.
She laughed to herself at her infant daughter’s fierceness and instantly regretted it because the action set her teeth chattering again. She cupped her hands around the yellow ceramic coffee mug in an effort to warm them. The feeling in her fingertips had nearly returned when her cell phone chirped. She glanced at the display: Naya Work scrolled across the screen.
“Hi,” she answered.
“Hi, yourself. How’s Maine?”
“Cold. Beautiful, though.”
Naya chuckled. “How’d the little ones do on the trip?”
“They were great on the plane. Finn barfed during the car ride, which made me really excited about the water taxi portion of the proceedings, but he hung in there. Fiona was fine.”
“Did Leo meet that dude yet?”
“He’s at Wynn’s house now. The twins and I are cooling our heels at this little general store with a cafe down near the dock.”
“You didn’t go with him?” Surprise rang through Naya’s voice.
“No. I could tell the thought of me and the twins tagging along was making him extra anxious, so I offered to stay here.”
“Personal growth, Mac. Very nice.”
“Ha ha. It turns out I can compromise. Who knew? So, what’s up? I skimmed my emails but didn’t see anything particularly urgent. Did Will get a verdict back in that bribery case?”
“No, the jury’s still out. I’m actually calling about Dr. Kayser.”
“Oh, right. He did send an email saying he wanted to ask me a question. My signal’s been spotty. Do I need to call him or did you talk to him?”
“He called me to ask what I thought and I said I had to talk to you first.”
Sasha bit down on her lower lip. She had plenty of experience managing junior associates from her time at Prescott & Talbott. But Naya wasn’t a typical baby lawyer. She was a self-possessed, confident middle-aged woman accustomed to making decisions. After a moment, she said, “Why don’t you tell me what he wants to know and what your instinct tells you?”
“Dr. Allstrom wants to meet with him.”
“Why?”
“She says she wants to ease his mind about her research protocol. From the messages she’s left him, he gets the sense that she wants to convince him that what she’s doing is perfectly fine.”
“Messages
He mulled over this information. “I see what you’re saying. And I know from Sasha’s report that Athena Ray assuredly didn’t put the screws to Dr. Allstrom, as you phrase it, but, based on her phone calls, someone has.”
“The IRB?” Naya ventured.
He had no idea. “Possibly. I guess … I could try to find out? Should I speak with her?”
Naya exhaled loudly. “I’m not sure. Let me try to get ahold of Sasha; she should be on the island by now.”
“The island? Sounds very exotic.”
“Hardly,” she said, choking back laughter. “Sasha and Leo went traipsing off to coastal Maine in the dead of autumn and took the babies with them.”
“Oh. You’re quite right; that’s the opposite of exotic. Maine is beautiful, but it can be downright chilly this time of year.”
----
S asha crouched beside the blanket she’d spread out on the floor of the quaint, if drafty, cafe and put a hand to each of the baby’s cheeks to check their skin temperatures. Somehow, despite the fact that she was still shivering from the raw, windy water taxi ride, both twins were toasty in their hooded outfits. Finn looked at her curiously and flashed her a toothless grin, while his sister swatted her hand away in irritation. She apparently didn’t wish to be disturbed from whatever private game the two were playing with the soft fabric ball and wooden block Sasha had given them to inspect.
She laughed to herself at her infant daughter’s fierceness and instantly regretted it because the action set her teeth chattering again. She cupped her hands around the yellow ceramic coffee mug in an effort to warm them. The feeling in her fingertips had nearly returned when her cell phone chirped. She glanced at the display: Naya Work scrolled across the screen.
“Hi,” she answered.
“Hi, yourself. How’s Maine?”
“Cold. Beautiful, though.”
Naya chuckled. “How’d the little ones do on the trip?”
“They were great on the plane. Finn barfed during the car ride, which made me really excited about the water taxi portion of the proceedings, but he hung in there. Fiona was fine.”
“Did Leo meet that dude yet?”
“He’s at Wynn’s house now. The twins and I are cooling our heels at this little general store with a cafe down near the dock.”
“You didn’t go with him?” Surprise rang through Naya’s voice.
“No. I could tell the thought of me and the twins tagging along was making him extra anxious, so I offered to stay here.”
“Personal growth, Mac. Very nice.”
“Ha ha. It turns out I can compromise. Who knew? So, what’s up? I skimmed my emails but didn’t see anything particularly urgent. Did Will get a verdict back in that bribery case?”
“No, the jury’s still out. I’m actually calling about Dr. Kayser.”
“Oh, right. He did send an email saying he wanted to ask me a question. My signal’s been spotty. Do I need to call him or did you talk to him?”
“He called me to ask what I thought and I said I had to talk to you first.”
Sasha bit down on her lower lip. She had plenty of experience managing junior associates from her time at Prescott & Talbott. But Naya wasn’t a typical baby lawyer. She was a self-possessed, confident middle-aged woman accustomed to making decisions. After a moment, she said, “Why don’t you tell me what he wants to know and what your instinct tells you?”
“Dr. Allstrom wants to meet with him.”
“Why?”
“She says she wants to ease his mind about her research protocol. From the messages she’s left him, he gets the sense that she wants to convince him that what she’s doing is perfectly fine.”
“Messages
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