He didn’t comment. Smart. Instead, he kept walking down the aisle before he stopped at a clipboard hanging at the end. He ran his finger down the listings and then left it on the wall and moved through the room as if he knew exactly where he was going. He paused in front of the box and gestured to it.
“Feel free to take a look, but it’s solved. If you’re interested, we always have more that we could use help with.”
More. I didn’t want more. I wanted this one.
“Thanks, I’ll let you know when our agent in charge gets back in town.”
Matthews nodded and clapped Grant on the back again. “It’s always good to see you. Please give Gigi my regards.”
“Of course.”
Grant waited until the director left the room, then grabbed the box off the shelf. He walked over to the clipboard hanging on the wall. He put his name down, and under the reason for signing it out, he scrawled the word research.
“I thought you said it was a cold case,” I said as I quickly followed him out of the room.
“It was when I left,” he answered, shoving out the door of the facility. “I never even heard anything on the news about an arrest or court appearance.”
“That is weird. When I turned myself in, they made me a celebrity.”
“Yeah, well, you did happen to dump a serial killer all cut up and in a coma inside the precinct doors.”
I shrugged. “Someone had to catch the guy.”
“Yeah, they did. He screwed up, taking Gigi. We were both out for blood; only you caught him before me.”
“Sorry, not sorry.” I climbed into the SUV while Grant shoved the box in the back. He climbed in behind the wheel. “Besides, everything worked out for the best.”
“I still owe you one,” he said as he pulled out of the parking lot. His gaze assessed our surroundings as if he, too, could feel that something wasn’t right in Crazy Town.
Chapter Nine
The doctor’s office was a nondescript building about twenty minutes away. Dr. Cline didn’t have any other patients besides those that had participated in the trials in some form or fashion. It had been explained to me that one doctor seeing all the patients was better for keeping details about the programs under wraps. Things would be less likely to be leaked.
Grant pulled up in front of the doctor’s office and left the car idling.
“Aren’t you coming in? Or are you afraid the women in there might think you’re my baby daddy?”
Grant chuckled. “No, I’m going to run to the house and pull the file I kept on Claudia.”
“I knew you didn’t destroy everything,” I said in an accusatory manner.
“I kept some of her records and stashed them away, just in case Justice ever had questions…if she ever found out the truth.”
“You’re sweet like that,” I said, climbing out of the SUV. Before shutting the door, I turned with my hand on the handle. “Listen, with the FBI visit today, I’m not sure it’s ideal for me to go home without Ford being around. I’ll probably stay at the Watermill.”
“That’s not a bad idea. I think Gigi and I will join you. That way, we can get started on figuring out what the hell is going on.”
“Yep, because we both know this shit stinks. If the killer was apprehended and doing time, then why did someone go after Justice? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Nope, it sure doesn’t.” Grant turned his gaze to the clinic doors. “Call me when you’re ready to go.”
“I’ll just call a cab. I’ll be fine. You can update Noah on what we know, and while you’re at it, check on whoever was arrested and see if they’re still locked up. If he was released, it might make sense, but not if he’s still crazy and in a psych ward.”
“Will do,” he answered.
I shut the door and jogged up the steps into the waiting room. A picture of Betty Williams, the nurse that had been killed by my stalker, was hanging on the wall. Beneath her picture was a plaque along with some kind words.
I rolled my eyes. Even though that woman didn’t deserve to die, she sure gave up the goods on me awfully fast. In the end, Sebastian Elliot had killed her before we’d caught him, and he died in jail.
I scrawled my name on the sign-in sheet sitting on the counter. The nurse glanced at my name. “If you’ll have a seat, it won’t be long.”
“You normally have a full waiting room. I was surprised when I walked in.”
She gave me a strained smile as if she wished I’d go away.
I propped my elbow on the counter and smiled bigger at her. “What gives? Did everyone run off scared because Nurse Betty isn’t here anymore?”
She rubbed her lips together and then glanced back over her shoulder before leaning toward me. “They’ll be moving the offices in the next month or two. They’ve started transitioning patients.”
I tilted my head. “All of his patients?”
“Most,” she said. “But don’t worry, he’ll give you advanced notice and the name of your new doctor where he’s sending the records. If he hasn’t already mentioned it, then you’re fine. You’ll be one of the last patients to go.”
“I figured he’d eventually have to refer me out to someone else, seeing as he’s not an Ob/GYN.”
“I believe he’s handled pregnancies before.” She smiled. “If you’ll have a seat.”
I guess it was good if he was leaving now. I kind of wanted to make some kind of connection with the man I’d be teaching new curse words too during my delivery. I’m not sure poor Dr. Cline could have handled seeing the real me, unfiltered.
I was about to sit when the door opened, and a nurse stood on the other side. “Dr. Bray.”
“Yes,” I answered and followed her down the hall and into the exam room.
“It looks as though this is just a routine visit for some bloodwork.” The nurse glanced over her shoulder at me as she continued walking. “Is that correct?”
“Yeah, bloodwork, and then he wanted to talk to me if I remember correctly.”
The nurse went about putting me into a room and drawing five vials of my blood. She held a dollop of cotton to the mark and strapped a bandage over it to hold it in place.
“Let me just go take care of your blood, and then I’ll escort you into Dr. Cline’s office.”
Within ten minutes, I was waiting in Dr. Cline’s office again without any supervision. This time instead of looking at the files on his desk, I walked around the room, inspecting everything in its place. He was a stamp collector. He had a case of different stamps, some dating back as far as the early 1800s. Next to that was another picture on the wall, this one of him sitting in front of the building that Grant and I had just left. There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and Cline was standing next to Director Matthews. Both men looked so young with bright eyes and smiles.
The door opened, and Dr. Cline walked in. He jolted to a halt. His gaze shifted from me to the chair and back again. He seemed surprised that I wasn’t seated.
“Dr. Bray, it’s good to see you.”
“Is it?” I asked without taking my gaze off the picture. “I hear you’re dumping me.”
“Excuse me?” he asked. The frown and the fine lines on his forehead deepened.
“I’m surprised you’re closing up shop. Haven’t you been with the program since its inception? Have you always dealt with the hunters?”
“Yes, they gave me that job in the very beginning, so I would be a point of consistency for those patients.” He swept a hand toward the chair I was supposed to be sitting in. “Please, have a seat and tell me how you’re feeling.”
“I’m feeling fine.”
“No more headaches?”
“Only when I get pissed off, which is now only once a week.”
“Good, then the new medicine I gave you seems to be helping. Any morning sickness?”
“Every day. I think this child hates what I eat.” I gestured over my shoulder toward the picture again. “How many other women in the program have gon
e through pregnancy while still being hunters?”
He paused and lifted his gaze from writing in my file. “You’re the first person to ever ask me that. And you’re my first pregnant patient.”
“First? Really?” Had the nurse been wrong? “I would think more women have gotten pregnant in the last decade or so since the program was started.”
“You would think.” Dr. Cline folded his arms and rested them on top of my file and held my gaze. “I’m having your lab work expedited so I should have it back in the next day or two so we can see if anything else has transpired with changes in your DNA and numbers. Have you absorbed any more blood?”
That was a tricky question. If I told him I had, and whose blood it was, it would prompt more questions. And I was afraid to give those answers until I knew what was going on. I looked him square in the eye, and without batting a lash, I answered, “No, nothing to report.”
His phone rang, and he held up his finger. “Excuse me. I’m waiting on a call.”
“Take your time,” I said and turned my gaze to the filing cabinet against the wall. It was labeled with letters of the alphabet.
“You don’t say,” Dr. Cline said as he lowered his head and rubbed at his temple. “Yes, I understand. Of course. We’ll fit you in next week.”
I returned my attention to him and smiled as he hung up. “Everything okay?”
“Of course, just one of the patients I need to see. Nothing to worry about.” Dr. Cline rose from his seat and walked to the door, pulling it open. “One of the nurses will call when I have your results.”
“That was quick and virtuously harmless,” I said, frowning as I was ushered out of the office and back toward the lobby.
Dr. Cline closed the door behind me, and I stared at the wood for several seconds, trying to figure out what might have riled the guy.
“Dr. Bray, you’ll have to excuse him. He’s overloaded with trying to get everything ready for the move,” the nurse behind the counter said.
“I imagine he would be.”
My gut was telling me it was something more. I smiled at the lady and stepped out of the building and called a cab.
Chapter Ten
The cab dropped me off at the Watermill, and I flashed my badge at the guards. My ID photo had been taken the day I’d been released from the psych ward. With my wild eyes, windblown hair, and no makeup, I looked like the poster child of crazy—the thought made me grin. The guard barely suppressed a shudder and faded back a step as he waved toward the electronic lock pad.
Rolling my eyes, I held the badge to the sensor. The door buzzed and clicked. I yanked it open and walked in.
People I still hadn’t met glanced in my direction before quickly dismissing me and going back to their computer screens.
Having new people in the building made my skin crawl. Not because I thought they were encroaching on my personal space, even though they were, but it made me feel kind of vulnerable, not knowing anything about them, despite their access through the same security procedures I’d passed through. I headed towards Grant’s office, ignoring the desire to push papers off the desks in passing just to bring these people to life.
Grant’s door was open, and the light was off. He either hadn’t made it back or was somewhere else in the building. I left him a sticky note telling him to come and find me when he returned. Stopping by the kitchen, I grabbed a bottle of water and started up the stairs to the one place in this entire building that helped calm my nerves. I bypassed the churning water wheel and crawled out onto the little balcony that overlooked the flowing river below. This was my special place, somewhere still within the secure building yet a little hideaway and oasis away from the unknown people inside.
The sun was dipping behind the trees. I’d sat outside enjoying the fresh air long enough that now, a cool breeze caressed my face. Though chilly, I wasn’t ready to retreat inside yet.
The door opened up, and I turned to find my sister stepping out to join me. She took the seat next to mine.
“I thought I’d find you here,” Gigi said.
“It’s a little crowded inside with all the new people.”
“Well, I’m sure most can be trusted seeing how they passed the required background clearance.”
Seeing was believing. That was where Gigi and I differed. She had an open heart, not necessarily naïve but she believed in the good in people, taking it at face value. She saw the light in any given person where I saw the dark.
I took the last sip of my water and put the cap back on the bottle. I dropped my feet from the railing and turned toward my sister. I took a deep breath before dropping my bomb. “Gigi, there is something I have to tell you.”
The calm façade on Gigi’s face slipped. I think she was afraid of what was so important I needed to share. I knew I’d be scared out of my mind if my twin had told me she was on the verge of a mental breakdown and possible death.
“Let me start out by saying I’m not dying.”
Gigi's shoulders relaxed, but only marginally. “Okay, well now that you’ve got that out of the way, what do you have to tell me?”
I took my sister’s hands and squeezed as I tried to soften the news. I knew that she and Grant had been trying for years to have a child, and yet I was the one that would soon find my hands full. “I’m just going to spill it.” Taking a deep calming breath, I smiled again. “I’m pregnant.”
Gigi’s eyes crinkled at the corners. Her lips twisted into a smile. “Is this some kind of joke? Did Grant already tell you?”
And I thought I was the one losing my mind. “Grant didn’t tell me anything. And this isn’t a joke. I just found out, and I’ve now told Ford, so I’m telling you.”
Gigi’s mouth parted into a big O. Her eyes widened, and then her soft laughter carried on the breeze. She squeezed my hand back. “I’m pregnant too.”
“Seriously?” I asked.
“Seriously.” Her smile softened.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Gigi countered.
“I didn’t tell you because I was waiting on my bloodwork results to make sure everything was okay. I was going to tell you as soon as I knew for sure.”
Gigi’s smile slipped, and her eyes clouded with concern. “I didn’t even think something could go wrong for you. Did you get your bloodwork back?”
“The first round yes. As you know, my DNA has started to change from some of the blood donors, and from some of the blood I absorbed. Dr. Cline prescribed new medications to help with my migraines, and he’s benched me from doing any more hunts. He just ran some additional blood work to see if there has been anymore changes.”
“And you’re going to listen to him, right?” Gigi asked as if she was the older sister and I was the younger one. She may have been, but it was only by three minutes.
“I had every intention of listening to him, but then life happened.”
Gigi rose from her seat and stared down at me as if she was a mom on the verge of grounding me. “This isn’t something to play with, Lucy.”
“I know. But when a kid drops dead on your doorstep, you have to give them CPR even if they’re covered in blood.”
“Wait, what kid? Grant hasn’t told me about any kid.”
“It’s a long story, but she’s alive, and so am I. It’s just everyone is looking for her now. The feds think she knows something about the deaths of three agents. And its a given the people who killed the agents are looking for her too. It’s a jacked-up situation.”
“Where is she?”
“Somewhere safe for now.”
The door opened up again behind us, and Grant poked his head out and met my gaze. “If you’re ready to start digging through the research, now would be a good time. Most of the other agents in the building have left for dinner or gone for the day.”
“I’m ready, but you and I need to have a talk about these other agents in the building. I’m starting to feel claustrophobic. H
ow well do you know them?”
“They’re legit, Lucy, or they wouldn’t be here, and you can ask Noah all about them. He’ll be arriving in about ten minutes.”
Noah. I wasn’t sure I was ready to talk to him even if I understood his betrayal and the need for complete secrecy. My gut churned with frustration. He hadn’t trusted me with the truth. He must’ve known I would’ve helped her; otherwise, he would have never made her memorize my address.
“Great. I’ll be sure to do that.” I sighed.
My relationship with Noah was like old socks, holey and in need of repair, and this time, for once, I wasn’t the cause of it.
Chapter Eleven
We followed Grant back down through the Watermill to where the offices were located. He pushed open one of the conference room doors and gestured me inside. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to take Gigi to my quarters to rest.”
“Rest? I don’t need to rest,” Gigi complained. “I need to stay and help.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not leaving the compound tonight. I’ll be here so we can talk later,” I said reassuringly.
“You’ll watch out for her…” Gigi’s directions to her husband trailed off as he guided her down the hall. With a sigh I moved into the room. Boxes had been stacked on the large oval table. Beside them was a box of gloves so we didn’t contaminate any potential evidence.
What I had been expecting was maybe a manila file and maybe a small accompanying box of personal items, but that was not what I got. Three boxes sat on the table filled with files and items. The box that we’d borrowed from the closed case files sat next to them. There was no blood for me to tap into. This wasn’t going to be an easy find or fix. Figuring this one out was going to take time and patience.
I slipped my phone out and dialed Ford’s number. He answered on the second ring, “Hey, Lucy. I was just thinking about you.”
“And did any of those thoughts have anything to do with whether or not I was causing trouble?”
Guarding Justice (Fractured Minds Series Book 7) Page 5