survive the test of whether or not he killed Foster.
“Kathryn, I thought you had something to show us.”
Her mother’s condescending voice shattered the moment. Kat opened the little drawer on the bottom of the music box and took out the flash drive. After carefully storing her music box, she plugged the flash drive into her computer and focused on scanning the list of names of the data and formulas she’d copied.
Ah, there it was. “AAS Blocker.”
“Anabolic-androgenic steroids.” Her mother pushed the box aside and sat next to Kat. “What about it?”
“One of the experiments I worked on. David was part of the studies showing that long-term use of anabolic steroids can speed up Alzheimer’s progression.”
“SiriX did some of those, yes.”
Kat had her mother’s attention. Even her dad moved in closer. Hope swelled in tiny, fragile bubbles. Maybe they would listen to her. “David tested ways to block the progression of brain damage caused by anabolic steroids, theorizing that might lead to finding a way to block the destruction of brain cells caused by Alzheimer’s.”
Diana’s eyes narrowed, causing lines to dig in around her eyes. “He never mentioned this to me. That doesn’t sound like David’s theories.”
“I believed him.” Hook, line and sinker. “We ran the testing using his formulation, but it failed. However, we discovered a side effect that the blocking agent kept the steroids from showing in urine.” Kat clicked on the file, opening the formula. She slid the computer to her mom’s lap. “If I give this to the lab Sloane is using to test Ethan’s steroid kit, I’m betting one of the products will match it.”
As her mother started reading, Kat got up, pacing to the door. “David sold that formula, or he’s making it.”
“You’re making more of this than it is.”
Her dad’s dismissal hit a nerve, the one that had endured a lifetime of not being taken seriously. Kat pivoted and faced her father with half the room between them.
It felt like miles rather than feet. She pulled in a calming breath. “What if I’m right? This whole thing is unraveling. David’s been lying for years, and not only to me.” Renewed anger pumped through her. “He’s risking all your work and everyone at SiriX. Even worse, Finn had thugs beat me with a baseball bat, then he showed up in my hospital room. Who says he won’t hurt you or someone else out of desperation?” She loved her parents. It would kill her for either of them to be hurt.
“Or go after Kat again. He knows she remembers him now.” Sloane’s arms bulged beneath his dress shirt. “No one is hurting you again.”
From across the room, the touch of his eyes and the feel of his words wrapped around her like a caress.
“I can’t believe this.” Her mom’s face paled. “It’s a mistake. David wouldn’t do this. He’s committed to improving the quality of human life with therapeutics.” She stood up, color splotching over her pale cheeks. “Why are you doing this? We’re so close to our goal with SiriX, and you want to destroy it all—decades of my and David’s work, the family—why? What makes you hate us all so much?”
Kat froze beneath her mother’s bitterness. “I don’t hate you.” The words clogged in her throat.
“David’s a good man. He’s put his life’s blood into SiriX, trying to help people, while you quit so you could sell people heart disease and diabetes in a pretty package.”
She stumbled back, desperate to escape the pain lancing her with every word.
“Diana, stop it.” Her father tugged on her mother’s arm. “Katie—”
“Is that what you believe too? That my bakery is nothing? That I’m nothing?” A black void opened up, and Kat shied away. She didn’t want to feel this desolation. Couldn’t do it. It was easier to emotionally retreat, let the gray numbness envelop her.
“I didn’t say that. Calm down—”
“This is bullshit.” Sloane reached Kat in a
“Kathryn, I thought you had something to show us.”
Her mother’s condescending voice shattered the moment. Kat opened the little drawer on the bottom of the music box and took out the flash drive. After carefully storing her music box, she plugged the flash drive into her computer and focused on scanning the list of names of the data and formulas she’d copied.
Ah, there it was. “AAS Blocker.”
“Anabolic-androgenic steroids.” Her mother pushed the box aside and sat next to Kat. “What about it?”
“One of the experiments I worked on. David was part of the studies showing that long-term use of anabolic steroids can speed up Alzheimer’s progression.”
“SiriX did some of those, yes.”
Kat had her mother’s attention. Even her dad moved in closer. Hope swelled in tiny, fragile bubbles. Maybe they would listen to her. “David tested ways to block the progression of brain damage caused by anabolic steroids, theorizing that might lead to finding a way to block the destruction of brain cells caused by Alzheimer’s.”
Diana’s eyes narrowed, causing lines to dig in around her eyes. “He never mentioned this to me. That doesn’t sound like David’s theories.”
“I believed him.” Hook, line and sinker. “We ran the testing using his formulation, but it failed. However, we discovered a side effect that the blocking agent kept the steroids from showing in urine.” Kat clicked on the file, opening the formula. She slid the computer to her mom’s lap. “If I give this to the lab Sloane is using to test Ethan’s steroid kit, I’m betting one of the products will match it.”
As her mother started reading, Kat got up, pacing to the door. “David sold that formula, or he’s making it.”
“You’re making more of this than it is.”
Her dad’s dismissal hit a nerve, the one that had endured a lifetime of not being taken seriously. Kat pivoted and faced her father with half the room between them.
It felt like miles rather than feet. She pulled in a calming breath. “What if I’m right? This whole thing is unraveling. David’s been lying for years, and not only to me.” Renewed anger pumped through her. “He’s risking all your work and everyone at SiriX. Even worse, Finn had thugs beat me with a baseball bat, then he showed up in my hospital room. Who says he won’t hurt you or someone else out of desperation?” She loved her parents. It would kill her for either of them to be hurt.
“Or go after Kat again. He knows she remembers him now.” Sloane’s arms bulged beneath his dress shirt. “No one is hurting you again.”
From across the room, the touch of his eyes and the feel of his words wrapped around her like a caress.
“I can’t believe this.” Her mom’s face paled. “It’s a mistake. David wouldn’t do this. He’s committed to improving the quality of human life with therapeutics.” She stood up, color splotching over her pale cheeks. “Why are you doing this? We’re so close to our goal with SiriX, and you want to destroy it all—decades of my and David’s work, the family—why? What makes you hate us all so much?”
Kat froze beneath her mother’s bitterness. “I don’t hate you.” The words clogged in her throat.
“David’s a good man. He’s put his life’s blood into SiriX, trying to help people, while you quit so you could sell people heart disease and diabetes in a pretty package.”
She stumbled back, desperate to escape the pain lancing her with every word.
“Diana, stop it.” Her father tugged on her mother’s arm. “Katie—”
“Is that what you believe too? That my bakery is nothing? That I’m nothing?” A black void opened up, and Kat shied away. She didn’t want to feel this desolation. Couldn’t do it. It was easier to emotionally retreat, let the gray numbness envelop her.
“I didn’t say that. Calm down—”
“This is bullshit.” Sloane reached Kat in a
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