So did she.
Natalie was tired of having lost control over her life. She was tired of having things happen that didn't make sense. She was especially tired of not having a logical explanation for what had happened. Only after Rick and she got that explanation would they be able to figure out what their course of action might be.
"You tell Macy that we have to speak to her," Rick called out as Troy barreled up the stairs—probably to tattle to Macy that they'd barged their way in. "If she's too tired or upset to come down, we're coming up. Because one way or another, we're talking to her tonight."
Rick was obviously so furious that Natalie considered trying to calm him down. But she wasn't in a calming-down sort of mood herself. She was pregnant, and someone either wanted to scare her, torment her or kill her. And it was entirely possible her mother could give them some clues as to why this was happening.
Nope.
There'd be no calming down, and this conversation was going to take place.
"Are you sure you're up to this?" Rick asked.
She glanced at him and saw that he was watching her. Studying her, really. Probably because she didn't look too steady. "Trust me, I'm up to it."
"Because if you're not, I can do this alone." His attention drifted down to her stomach.
Oh.
She understood then.
Rick was questioning her delicate condition. Not a bad term for it, either. She did feel delicate. Fragile. Dazed. And confused. But fortunately, the need for answers outweighed the early symptoms of pregnancy and the adrenaline fatigue caused by the incident with the SUV.
"I could do this alone as well," she countered.
But the sudden steel in Rick's jaw let her know that he was staying put.
That didn't surprise her. Rick was the sort of take-charge man who was rock-solid in a crisis. He would indeed stay put and stand by her.
For how long though?
That was a sobering question. Natalie would have preferred someone else's help—anyone else's—but she had to admit that Rick had a vested interest in this.
He was the baby's father.
Just thinking about that little fact caused Natalie's stomach to sink. Fate certainly had a strange sense of humor.
"You need to sit down," she heard Rick insist. But he didn't just insist, he caught onto her arm and led her into the adjacent living room.
Natalie nearly protested the kid-glove treatment, but she quickly realized it was necessary. She was indeed dizzy, and Rick had no doubt noticed that she wasn't too steady on her feet. He plopped her down on the sofa and went to the bar to pour her a glass of water.
She took the water from him, meeting his gaze over the top of the cut-crystal glass. "Thank you."
Before Natalie said that last part, he'd looked ready for battle, but the steel in his jaw softened a bit, and after a heavy sigh, he eased down on the granite coffee table across from her. "I don't want you to worry," he said. "I'll get to the bottom of this."
She believed him. However, Natalie believed in her abilities as well. They would get to the bottom of it. But that wouldn't change one vital point.
"No matter who's responsible, I'm still four weeks pregnant."
"I know." He groaned and scrubbed his hand over his face. "I can't go back and change that. Sorry."
He was sincere. Natalie didn't doubt that. She also didn't doubt that this was as much of a life-changing experience for him as it was for her. Which led her to the next question.
What were they going to do about the baby?
It wasn't as if they were a couple. They could barely tolerate being in the same room with each other.
Well, that wasn't exactly true at the moment.
They were in the same room together. On the same side, so to speak. With a huge shared concern.
Their baby.
Even though she couldn't recall the sex that had created the child, the pregnancy itself created a new sort of intimacy between them. An intimacy that she was certain neither of them was prepared to deal with.
"What are the odds?" Rick asked. He didn't wait for her to ask what he meant. "That we'd have drugged sex at the very time you'd be ovulating?"
Natalie had already been through this during her frantic pregnancy tests and trips to the doctor. Unfortunately, that little detail only made all of this seem more sinister. Had someone planned that, too? Other than herself, there weren't a lot of people who knew about the timing of her menstrual cycle. Kitt, maybe.
Perhaps even Macy.
Rick opened his mouth. Closed it. And it seemed as if he changed his mind a dozen times about what he wanted to say. "Will you, uh, keep the baby?"
"Yes." Natalie answered so quickly that he probably believed she'd given it no thought. She had. Plenty of it. "Call it my personal beliefs, whatever, but this child is mine…Ours," she corrected. "I'll definitely keep it."
Though that ours had not come easily.
It might take her a lifetime to begin to feel comfortable including Rick in any part of her life. Still, that discomfort didn't extend to the baby. Now that she was beginning to come to terms with the fact that she was indeed pregnant, she had also come to realize that she would love this child no matter how it had been conceived.
Rick nodded, but she couldn't tell if that was a nod of approval or if he simply didn't know how else to react. She didn't have time to ask because Natalie heard footsteps. Macy's footsteps, no doubt. Caused by a pair of ridiculously high spike heels coming down the staircase.
Natalie set her water glass aside and watched her mother make her way from the foyer and into the room. Macy didn't seem too steady on her feet, perhaps because of the heels. The footwear complimented her outfit: a short, slim lipstick-red dress that would have been more appropriate for a college student on a date than for a fifty-two-year-old woman. Not that Macy looked her age. Far from it. Of course, at least a half dozen cosmetic surgeries and a pampered lifestyle were responsible for that.
"Rick. Natalie," Macy greeted. But it wasn't much of a greeting. As Macy walked closer, Natalie could see that her mother's eyes were red, and her mascara was smeared as if she'd been crying. The extra proof of that was the wadded-up handkerchief she held in her right hand.
"I know why you're here," Macy said. "I know that you're pregnant." She slowly walked to the chair. Sighing deeply, she sank down on the cushion, and she made eye contact with Natalie. "Your sister dropped by about an hour ago and let me know what was going on."
Natalie should have anticipated that her sister would do that. Kitt was looking out for her. And Kitt was also probably trying to prepare her mother for the shocking news. Judging from her mother's teary eyes and shaken demeanor, Macy was already on her way to coping. Which was good. Because unfortunately, Rick and she were going to have to press Macy for information.
Macy leaned back against the chair, and Natalie could see that her mother's perfectly manicured fingers were trembling. "Kitt said you believe you were drugged the night of your birthday party?"
"We were," Rick verified, his tone tense but somehow still respectful. "I had lab tests done so I have proof of that."
"So it's true." Macy shook her head and swiped at another tear. "I'd prayed it wasn't true."
Rick reached over and gently put his hand over hers. "Macy, what do you know about the caterer you hired for Natalie's party?"
Macy reacted with a sharp gasp, and her eyes widened. "Oh, God. You don't think…" But she didn't finish it. She ended with another "Oh, God."
"We don't know what to think at this point, but we need the name of the caterer," Rick pressed. "It's important that we ask him or her some questions."
"Of course." Macy nodded. "It's Antoine Dupree, but I don't think he did the work himself. I remember him saying he was going to have to subcontract because he was busy with a wedding."
That was not what Natalie wanted to hear. If the caterer had indeed hired out the work, then it would be another level to dig through to
come up with names of possible suspects. It also wouldn't help if there'd been a huge staff. She couldn't remember a lot about her own party, but Natalie figured there were at least a half-dozen people working.
Any one of them could have been responsible.
"We know the caterer or someone on his staff would have had the opportunity to put a drug into the food or drinks," Rick continued. "But what we don't know is why someone would do this. There have been no blackmail attempts. And judging from the surveillance tapes, no one entered Natalie's bedroom to take incriminating photos of us. That leaves us with no motive for this crime."
"Did the surveillance tapes show you leaving Natalie's bedroom?" Macy asked. "Or the better question would be—did it show anyone taking you out of there?"
Rick shook his head. "Someone or something jammed the surveillance feed."
"Kitt said it wouldn't be that hard to do," Natalie added. "But that means the person would have known in advance about the security system. In other words, they would have had to bring the jamming equipment with them. Coupled with the drugging, that makes it premeditated."
When Macy didn't respond, Natalie asked what both Rick and she needed to know. "Can you think of any reason why the caterer or someone on his staff would want to do this to us?"
"I can think of a reason. A bad reason." Her voice broke, and Macy stood slowly and made her way to the window. "God help me. I should have told you sooner."
Natalie froze. She'd wanted to hear her mother's denial. Any denial. However, this didn't sound like the start of something like that.
"I'm not really sure if this is all connected. But maybe it is…" Macy turned and faced them. "Your father and I and Rick's parents were all friends at university together, and we became involved in eugenics research. Specifically, we became involved with the Cyrene Project."
Natalie repeated those last two words under her breath. It wasn't the first time she'd heard them. No. As a child, she'd heard her parents say them.
In whispers, sometimes.
Other times, the words had been parts of rather loud arguments.
In fact, Natalie had heard her father mention the Cyrene Project the day he walked out and left his family when she was barely six years old. His leaving had preceded a very bitter divorce. It'd continued to be bitter until her father's accidental death when she was seventeen.
"The Cyrene Project?" Rick commented, sounding very skeptical and not at all pleased with the topic. "What does this have to do with the drugging?"
"Maybe everything," Macy said softly. Not her usual drama-queen level of emotion, either. Her voice was small and thin. "The Cyrene Project was an experiment to produce genetically superior babies."
Natalie had speculated as to what the project was, but she hadn't even come close in her conjecture.
She stared at her mother and tried to process what she'd just heard.
She couldn't.
Natalie glanced at Rick, but he didn't appear to understand this any more than she did. Her mother had been having episodes of odd behavior, and Natalie couldn't help but wonder if she was having one now.
"Your father and I were paired because our DNA was compatible," Macy continued a moment later. "That's why we married. That's why we had children."
Rick cursed again. "Macy, you're not making any sense."
"I'm making perfect sense," Macy insisted. "And I'm telling you the truth. Your parents were paired as well, even though they weren't a couple before. Did you know that your mother was dating your uncle Carlton until the Cyrene Project?"
Rick shrugged. "I knew they'd dated." He said it in a matter-of-fact tone, but Natalie could see that he was trying to piece all of this together. So was she.
"Your mother agreed to marry your father because he was the most suitable DNA candidate," Macy insisted. "We wanted superior babies through eugenic matching, and that's exactly what we got. All of you, including Natalie's brother and sister, are superior in every way."
Superior.
Yes, that was true. All four of them had higher-than-average intelligence. All had been better-than-average athletes. Natalie hadn't really considered that before, but she considered it now.
"All right," Rick said. He aimed his index finger at Macy. Lowered it. And he started to pace. "For argument's sake, let's say this project existed. Actually, it'd explain a lot because heaven knows there wasn't much love in my parents' marriage. It was the same for you, Macy. I could see that even though I was just a kid. But what does the Cyrene Project have to do with anything that happened to Natalie and me?"
Macy swallowed hard and lowered her head. "It has everything to do with you. Everything. It's because of the Cyrene Project that Natalie's pregnant."
Chapter Five
To put it mildly, Macy's revelation floored him.
Rick stopped pacing, and his hands went on his hips. He stared at Macy waiting for more of the explanation. When it didn't come, he asked, "You're saying this Cyrene Project is responsible?"
"Yes." Macy walked to the bar, poured herself a shot of Kentucky bourbon and downed it in one gulp. It took a few deep breaths and a headshake to deal with the straight liquor which had no doubt burned her throat and watered her eyes. "Before you were even born, you two were already paired for the second phase of the project."
Rick didn't know whether to continue cursing or to laugh. Judging from Natalie's expression, she was trying to make the same decision.
This just kept getting crazier and crazier. Which made him wonder—had Macy gone insane? Except she seemed not insane, but adamant.
"That's the reason I wanted the two of you together when you were younger," Macy continued. She set the empty glass back on the bar, poured a second shot and drained the liquid. "That's the reason I pushed so hard with the matchmaking. Not any more though. Not any more."
"Hell," Rick mumbled.
Natalie mumbled something similar, and they waited for her mother to continue.
"To the day I die, I'll regret that I ever got involved with the Cyrene Project," Macy said. "Because of it, I married a man I didn't love. A man who didn't love me. And yes, we had three beautiful, intelligent children, but for years I've had to live with the fact that I cheated Mother Nature. I don't think Mother Nature likes it when people do that. She's punishing me. That's why I have these horrible headaches. That's why I can't sleep, why I hear these voices."
Rick held up his hand to stop her from saying more about nature's wrath. He already had enough information spinning in his head, and he'd reached maximum overload. There was a bottom line here, somewhere, and he wanted to get to it now. Later he'd need to deal with Macy's obvious health problems. Something would have to be done.
"Just answer this—did someone associated with the Cyrene Project drug us?" he asked Macy.
Macy reached for another drink, but Rick got up and stopped her. She might need the bourbon to get through this, but he wanted her sober for the rest of this explanation. He only hoped the next part made more sense than the first.
But he wasn't counting on it.
At the moment, little about his life made sense.
Rick caught onto Macy's shoulders, spun her around and forced her to face him. Natalie quickly joined him. Side by side.
"Who. Drugged. Us?" Natalie demanded, clearly frustrated with her mother's account.
Tears filled Macy's eyes, and she frantically shook her head. "I think it might have been Dr. Benjamin."
Whoa. Rick hadn't expected that answer. Not even close. Obviously, neither had Natalie. She actually dropped back a step, and the color drained from her cheeks.
"Our family doctor?" Natalie asked, the disbelief and the shock straining her voice.
Rick knew exactly how she felt because Dr. Benjamin had been his physician until he'd moved closer to his motorcycle shop. And not once had he suspected the doctor of some plot to improve the DNA of the human race.
"Dr. Benjamin started the Cyrene Project a little over thirty years ag
o," Macy explained. "Rick, you were his first successful offspring. Natalie came a few months later. Then, Wyatt and Kitt."
Rick let go of Macy so he could catch onto Natalie—who suddenly looked woozy. She didn't resist his attempt to steady her.
"I can't believe this," Natalie mumbled.
Rick had her sit on a bar stool so he could continue this interrogation of her mother. And, yep, it had become an interrogation. He only hoped he could get any information that would help them. Macy was obviously hanging by a thin emotional thread.
"How did Dr. Benjamin drug us?" Rick asked.
Macy directed her answer to Natalie. "Remember, you'd been to Dr. Benjamin's office right before you came home for the party?"
Natalie nodded. "Yes. He gave me prescription meds, and they made me drowsy." She paused and swallowed hard. "He's the one who confirmed the pregnancy."
Oh, man.
Rick didn't like the way the pieces of this puzzle were coming together.
Groaning, Natalie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. When she opened them, there was no more wooziness. There was fire in the depths of all those shades of blue. "Mother, why in the name of heaven didn't you tell us this sooner?"
"I…well…" Macy fumbled with her words a moment longer before she cleared her throat and continued. "Because I didn't really think Dr. Benjamin would go through with his plan."
"And you're positive he did?" Rick asked.
"Who else could it have been? Dr. Benjamin and I had a huge argument about this the day of your party. I told him to stay away from you." Macy tried to pour herself another drink, but once again Rick stopped her. She stared into his eyes. "I didn't tell you sooner because I thought it would go away. I thought the promises we made all those years ago were long forgotten."
"What promises?" Rick and Natalie asked in unison.
Macy hesitated a moment and then snapped her fingers as if remembering something important. "I have papers," she said. "I'll get them." And with that, she hurried across the room and to the stairs.
Rick considered following her but dismissed that idea when he noticed Natalie had even less color in her face than she'd had when they'd started this conversation with her mother. He'd known Natalie all her life, and he'd rarely seen her upset, much less shaken to the core.
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