Body Parts

by Adrianna Dane

  He was one of a kind, an experiment never to be repeated. One that could be turned monster or man. The Ransoms had wanted the man, but if anyone else found out the truth about him…the monster could be released if the wrong person learned his secrets. He couldn’t take the chance, not even with a lover like Paul Cathcart. No one was to be trusted, that was the one edict that had been ingrained into Athan by the Ransoms.

  Trust no one.

  Chapter Three

  Korrie slammed back into her office at ten a.m. after her meeting with the chairman of the board, a million thoughts churning inside her head. Erik didn’t give her much time to make up her mind. She dropped the thick folder onto her desk and spun away to gaze out the window.

  Last night when she’d fantasized about finally being handed the project, she hadn’t really expected it to happen. Yet the first words out of Erik Carter’s mouth had yanked that fantasy right into reality.

  “We’re making a change in the Ransom Project. I’m offering it to you first, Korrie. But I need to have your answer by the end of the day.”

  It was abrupt, a complete about-face on the part of the institute. It should be an easy decision for her, and it would have been if she’d been offered the assignment first. If her father’s death hadn’t been caused by the very man whose place she would usurp.

  But why now? What was Erik Carter not telling her?

  Erik had avoided looking her straight in the eyes, and his face had gone all red. Well, he should be embarrassed after yanking this opportunity right out from under her feet, dammit. It should have been hers from the start.

  She was the one who’d gotten permission from the trustees of the Ransom estate to go there to review and catalog whatever related documentation they could uncover. She had done all the groundwork, knew every bit of the history of the experimentation that was publicly available, and even some that she had gleaned from face-to-face interviews with people who might have been connected to the Ransoms in any way.

  She looked down at the fat folder. In fact, most of the information contained in this folder was probably gathered by her.

  When she’d been given the news that Paul Cathcart would be undertaking the project, she’d almost walked away from the institute ‑‑ for the second time.

  But she was older, maybe a litter wiser, since her last confrontation with her ex-fiancé. The last time she’d run it had resulted in fatal consequences. But not this time. This time she knew what the devil looked like and he wasn’t going to win.

  What do you think, Dad? Have we finally arrived?

  Of course, there was no response. There never was whenever she found herself looking to him for answers.

  She still had the freedom to turn down the assignment, just walk away, but that would be foolish pride driving her reactions. This was the project she had waited her whole life to accomplish, the purpose she was destined to complete. Would she really let Paul destroy that for her?

  She dropped down behind her desk and stared down at the file.

  “I don’t really have a choice, do I, Dad?” If for nothing else, she had to do it for him, the man she had let down by running away. She smoothed a hand over the top of the file. It was hers. All she had to do was walk down that hall and give the chairman the answer he was waiting for. The one she wanted to give.

  “We’re going to do it, Dad. We’re finally going to get what we wanted. What you wanted.”

  Rising from her chair, she strode out of her office, through the lab, and toward Erik Carter’s office. He wanted her answer by the end of today and she was ready to give him the only answer she could. There really was no point in waiting.

  Knocking on the door, she heard a muffled voice tell her to enter. Opening the door, she stepped inside.

  “Korrie.” His gaze widened when he saw her standing there. He probably hadn’t expected her to return quite so quickly.

  He waved to the vacant chair on the other side of the desk. “Do you have an answer for me?” Dr. Carter always cut to the chase and never minced words. He often said life was too short to waste on small talk. He’d once been a good friend of her father’s and had been devastated by his death.

  Korrie eased down into the chair. No one at the institute knew the truth behind her father’s obvious depression or why he’d killed himself. He hadn’t left a note. Korrie wished she could have told him she forgave him, but she’d always kept putting it off. She would have to live with that knowledge for the rest of her life.

  She gazed across the desk at Dr. Carter. “Why now? Just tell me that.” He knew how much she had wanted this assignment right from the start.

  He looked away from her and cleared his throat. “You know how it is, Korrie. We have powerful people watching what we do here. Paul has ingratiated himself with some of the more…influential people. There was pressure.” In other words, Paul had taken a lover who had more clout than her. Or the chairman of the board for that matter. She couldn’t help wondering who it had been.

  She nodded. Yes, she knew how it could be, most assuredly. Whoever held the purse strings made the decisions. The money disappears and the whole institute goes down the tubes. And, no, she didn’t want to see that happen.

  “Yes, I can understand that, but that doesn’t answer my question as to why you’re offering me this assignment now? Paul’s already at the estate. It’s going to take time to get me up to speed on what he’s uncovered.”

  His bushy black eyebrows drew together in a frown as he looked down at the papers resting on his desk. “According to the latest reports, he hasn’t made the least damn bit of progress. Certainly not what I would like to see considering the time he’s been out there.”

  “Is that why you’re sending me in to pinch hit? You’re not satisfied with what he’s come up with?”

  “Um, not exactly.”

  “Then what is it?”

  He shuffled the papers on his desk and then cleared his throat. “I’m not supposed to tell you this, but there have been some discrepancies in several of the other projects he’s done. And his…friends…are not happy with him at the moment. They want him back here.”

  She leaned forward. “Discrepancies? What kind of discrepancies?”

  “I can’t tell you that. It’s confidential, but it was brought to my attention by someone I trust. When we looked into it further, we found a number of his reports riddled with what looked like false data. But there have been some rumors about his personal life as well. About his love life. Who he’s been involved with to get him to where he is. We thought he had a good handle on his projects, but what’s come to light indicates otherwise. And we need to find out the truth. Quickly. Our patrons want answers and they don’t want to take the chance on him screwing up this important project as well. Bad publicity for the institute would not help in our efforts to gain continued financial backing.” He leaned forward. “I personally know the kind of work you do, Korrie. And I have faith you can do this.”

  Korrie looked him straight in the eye. “Yes, I can. And I will. I’ll take it on, but someone is going to have to take over with the experiment I’ve been conducting. I’ll need a few days to wind things up.”

  He nodded. “That will be taken care of. I’ll get you Kandie Mason. She’s new, but she has some darn good potential. She’s sharp and should catch on quickly. Can you get your other affairs in order before, say, Friday?”

  Korrie nodded. “Yes, I think I can do that. I should meet with Paul, so I can figure out what he’s done so far.”

  Dr. Carter leaned back in his chair. Tilting his head downward, he looked at her over his gold wire-framed glasses. “We’d rather that you didn’t. Review the file and you’ll have some idea of where he’s at with his investigation. Probably more than if you took the time to speak with him.”

  “You’re sure about this?”

  He licked his lips. His faded blue gaze darted past her and then settled on her once more. “He doesn’t know yet, Korrie. We’re sending someo
ne out to give him the news tomorrow. We don’t want to provide him with a lot of time to cover his tracks, if you get my drift.”

  “Ah, you don’t want to warn him of what’s coming.” She had to wonder exactly how much hot water he was in. “Are you going to tell him who’s taking his place?” That would certainly yank his chain.

  He nodded. “Yes, we aren’t keeping that a secret. But that’s about all he’ll know right now. Something’s not right with him and we want to get to the bottom of it.”

  Damn straight there was something wrong with him. But she’d never guessed it would be to this extent. Looked like his house of cards was about to fall.

  She rose from her chair. “I’ll get everything in order and be ready to leave by Friday. I hope, for the institute’s sake, you’re wrong about Paul Cathcart. It could lead to some very nasty publicity for everyone.” Especially if word got out about how he slept his way to the top.

  Dr. Carter stood up and reached across the desk to shake her hand. “I know you’ll do a good job out there, Korrie. I’ve always thought you were a very bright young woman, as well as honest.” She had a feeling he thought Paul had been less than honest with them all. She, on the other hand, knew it quite well.

  Once she left the chairman’s office she swiftly headed back to her own. She wanted to reacquaint herself with the background on the project and see if she could discover exactly what Paul was up to. Or not up to, as the case may be. If anyone could determine if he’d falsified information with this project, she’d be the one to do it. She was the most intimately familiar with the Ransom research of anyone at the institute.

  Stepping into her office, she closed the door and sat at her desk. What part would her father have played in all this if he were here? He’d been the founder of the Morgan Institute. He hadn’t seen through Paul any better than she had. At least at the beginning. Paul had duped them both. Would he have continued to help Paul under these circumstances? Had he covered up for him before?

  She had come to the conclusion that she didn’t read people very well at all, not like she did stats and formulas. People and their motivations just seemed to escape her totally. Paul was someone she had absolutely misread. With her father ‑‑ she should have known, shouldn’t she? That her father and fiancé were sleeping together? Shouldn’t there have been some indication that she could have picked up on? Had she been so inwardly focused on her budding career she didn’t see what was occurring before her own eyes?

  It was part of the reason she hadn’t become seriously involved with anyone else. She was afraid to trust her instincts about people. She’d had several casual relationships, purely sexual in nature. They had been friends, colleagues who, like herself, were totally focused on their careers. No chance for personal commitment in any form. That had suited her just fine.

  She opened the folder flap and gazed down at the sketchy reports. She guessed she was about to find out what Paul had discovered. She had to wonder what he would do when he found out who was replacing him. The man was devious and she could only hope he didn’t destroy precious information in an effort to thwart her and the institute.

  * * * * *

  Paul looked up and removed his glasses as Mrs. Grippen entered the library. “Yes?”

  “There’s someone here to see you, sir.”

  “Who is it?” He rose to his feet.

  “Someone from the institute, I believe.”

  Hmmm. From the institute. What could be the problem now? “Fine, send him in. And if you wouldn’t mind, would you please bring us some fresh coffee?”

  “Yes, sir.” Picking up the tray containing the dishes from his breakfast, she exited the room.

  She was an odd sort, that was for sure. Never said much of anything and one never knew exactly what she was thinking. From his understanding, she’d been here a long time, but she was another one who refused to talk about what she knew. He pivoted around and gazed out the window at the expansive, lush, well-manicured lawn.

  This was certainly some place. It was what he wanted for himself. But he needed to make a lot more money than he was right now before that was going to happen. And if he had his way, he’d lighten the place up a bit. Too drab and gothic for him. One day, when he had his own place, it would probably be in California or maybe Florida. Lots of light and fresh air.

  His hope was that he would discover something here at the Ransom estate to ensure his future. So far his efforts had been futile. He’d been unable to ferret out much of anything useful regarding the so-called experiments the Ransoms had purportedly conducted, either good or bad.

  He’d thought Athan might be able to help. He still had a feeling he was keeping something back ‑‑ he was a man with a lot of self-control. Paul had figured someone in his position as caretaker wouldn’t hold out against his own sophisticated experience and charm. For that matter, most of the men and women, he’d screwed over the years had always crumbled and spilled their guts to him without much effort at all. But something about Athan was different. Paul was frustrated by his lack of success in that arena. If something didn’t break soon, he’d have to start doctoring the reports as he’d been required to do on several other institute projects, just to give himself some breathing room.

  He turned and glanced back at the door as it opened. He was surprised to see one of the young research assistants enter. Paul knew him, had even taken him to bed a time or two. All in the interest of furthering his career, of course. He had no clout at this point in his career, but one never knew where these new ones would end up. It always paid to garner some level of loyalty from them. And they were flattered by the attention of a man with his power at the institute. They were all pushovers, almost to the point of boredom. Unlike Athan, there was little challenge in conquering the tame little puppies in the city. But Athan ‑‑ there was such an earthy element to the man.

  Paul stepped forward with his hand held out in greeting. “Hello, Edward. What brings you all the way out here? Have a seat.” He indicated a chair.

  Immediately, Paul could sense that something was wrong. Edward was extremely nervous and fidgeted with a loose thread on his wool trousers.

  He forced a laugh. “Now it can’t be that bad, can it?” At any rate, he certainly hoped it wasn’t.

  “Dr. Carter wants you back at the compound. Right away,” he blurted out without preamble. Reaching into his pocket, he thrust a wrinkled envelope toward Paul. “Here. This should explain it.”

  Paul slowly reached out for the envelope, his eyes still focused on Edward, whose complexion had turned ruddy.

  “It’s not exactly the best time for me to leave right now. Is it that important?” Taking his time, he lifted the flap and slipped out the typewritten sheets. Whatever was contained in it, it was on official institute stationery and signed by the chairman.

  It took all his self-control to keep his expression blank as he scanned the contents of the letter and not register his shock and dismay. He knew what the cloaked words meant. They wanted him back to the institute to question him about the information contained in several reports he had prepared. He had a feeling he knew exactly which reports they were. What he didn’t know was how they had discovered the discrepancies. He was going to have to come up with some fast thinking to calm things down.

  Carefully, he folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. “Looks like there’s some confusion. I’ll get it straightened out when I return.” He looked up as Mrs. Grippen carried in a tray of fresh coffee. “In the meantime, how about a cup of Mrs. Grippen’s excellent coffee? I’m sure after that long drive out here, you could use some refreshment.”

  “That would be great,” Edward responded with a relieved expression on his face. Had he expected some kind of outburst from Paul? It was not his way at all to expose his hand. Edward had a lot to learn if he was going to rise to the top at the institute rather than simply end up in some mediocre gofer assistant job where no one ever knew who he was. That certainly wasn’t
where Paul planned to be. He leaned over, poured out two cups of coffee, and handed one to Edward.

  “How are things going with you? I’ve missed seeing everyone while I’ve been stuck out here.”

  Edward appeared to have relaxed a bit after accomplishing his mission and leaned back in his chair to sip at his coffee. “Same as usual. Nothing changes too much. It’s quiet without you around. Dr. Odell’s replacement is on board now, but that’s about it for news. No new exciting projects at the moment.”

  Paul’s ears perked up. “Korrie is leaving?”

  Edward’s face suffused with color once again. “I’m sorry, I thought it was in the letter. She’s taking your place out here. She’s going to be the one to finish up this project.”

  It was lucky Paul was sitting down and that at just that moment he didn’t have the cup and saucer in his hand. Korrie was going to replace him? After all he’d done to make sure she didn’t get this assignment, she was now the one to supplant him while he was called back like a naughty boy to answer a summons from the great chairman? What had she been up to while he was gone?

  “No,” he finally said, the calm words an effort. “I didn’t know she would be coming out here.” He casually leaned back in his chair. “Well, I hope she has a little more luck than I’ve had so far.” He had to remain gracious before this tale-carrying young man. He had to keep up a good front.

  The rest of their chitchat was rather mundane and anticlimactic. Right now the one thing he wanted was to be rid of the kid. He had things to do before he left. Like making certain that Athan knew who he owed allegiance to in Paul’s absence.

  One of the things he’d always found most annoying about Korrie was the way she could gain people’s loyalty without even trying. That naive charm of hers had been so easy to manipulate when he’d first arrived at the Morgan Institute.

  And her father, a lonely old man since his wife’s death ‑‑ well, he’d taught him a thing or two about sex. And contrary to what he wanted to admit, Dr. Odell had loved every minute of it. It was only when his daughter had discovered them together that the guilt had weighed on him. But by then Paul had gained the leverage he needed to advance within the institute. If Odell didn’t support him, he’d make certain the whole town knew about his gay affair with his daughter’s fiancée. That would assuredly put paid to his career with the institute, even if he was the founder.