by Lisa Eugene
She felt her vocal cords knot in her throat. She stared at him in stunned silence.
“Good. You think about that, Nina. Think about how you’re proceeding. You wouldn’t want to make any errors in judgment at this stage of the game. It could be deadly.”
She watched his thin lips turn up in a sinister smile that caused goose bumps to punch up on her skin. She nodded silently. Her voice was lodged deep in her throat, held back by the fear that strangled her.
She watched him walk away, and as she replayed the conversation over in her head, fine tremors started in her hands. Maybe she completely misunderstood him. Maybe he was just telling her that she should be at her best performance at work since her promotion was being decided soon, and errors in her line of work could be deadly. Maybe she was just being paranoid. She exhaled a slow tremulous breath. No maybes. She had distinctly heard the threat weaved in his words.
She felt panic zing through her, and she held her hands together to keep them steady. Her eyes darted quickly around the hall, trying to find a quiet area where she could escape and pull herself together.
“Nina? Nina? Are you all right?”
Nina turned and saw Dr. Tanno gazing at her with concern. His rounded spectacles were almost sliding off the bridge of his nose.
She swallowed at the lump in her throat, trying to stay calm.
“I’m fine.”
“Come here and sit down.” Dr. Tanno ushered her to a chair in the hall. “Is everything okay? I saw you talking to Ethan. Did he say something to upset you?”
She shook her head, still too shaken to speak. She swiped her damp palms along her scrubs.
Dr. Tanno shrugged his sagging shoulders and adjusted the frame of his glasses. “Did he say something about your promotion? You know, he can be a real pompous ass sometimes. He enjoys intimidating his subordinates. Don’t let him upset you. You’re doing a wonderful job.”
She looked into her friend’s kind eyes and smiled at his encouraging words. Sitting down for a minute had given her the opportunity to collect herself.
“Thank you,” she said to him, smiling genuinely. “That makes me feel better.”
“Now, don’t give it one more thought. I’m on that committee too you know.”
Dr. Tanno winked, the deep lines fanning from his eyes crinkling.
She stood and hugged him. “I don’t want any special treatment, really. I just want to be judged on my work here.”
He gave her a quick fatherly hug before shuffling away. She tried to refocus her attention back to work, aware though that her nerves were still rattling. She tarried over her notes the next morning in an attempt to avoid her customary walk home with Sally. She couldn’t very well explain why she was now lodging elsewhere.
“You sure you don’t want me to wait for you?” Sally inquired again, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
“No. I’m gonna be a while” Nina indicated the large pile of charts awaiting her attention.
Sally gave her a quick hug then stood back to look into her eyes. Nina squirmed on the inside, but was able to hold her friend’s long assessing gaze.
“You sure you’re ok?”
Nina nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“Just forget about that creep! He’s not worthy of you,” Sally said, referring to Wade. She punctuated her words with another compassionate hug.
Nina nodded again then waved her friend away, swallowing guilt she felt over her dishonesty.
“Oh, by the way.” Sally turned back to her. “I know you probably don’t want to deal with your mom right now, but you should give her a ring. She called me. She’s concerned because you haven’t been in touch. She’s also trying to finalize the plans on your birthday party.”
Nina closed her eyes and groaned audibly.
“No, I mean it. If you don’t, you’re likely to end up spending your thirtieth birthday at Chuckie Cheeses!”
Another groan issued from Nina’s throat as she watched Sally give a fake shudder and stroll away. She wasn’t sure she could deal with Beth right now, but she did owe her parents a call. She felt guilty omitting a huge part of her life from her loved ones, but the alternative was too risky.
By the time Nina left the hospital it was midmorning. The busy uptown traffic seemed to be moving well and stepping onto a curb she hailed a cab to Wade’s apartment. She was only about two blocks away from her destination when the cab slowed to an intolerable crawl. Deciding that she could probably walk faster than her idle cab, she paid the driver and stepped out into the morning sun to walk the rest of the way.
The quiet street was lined with tall boxy brownstones that she admired for their prewar charm. She was admiring a particularly ornate façade when she caught a flash of movement somewhere behind her. Her breath died in her throat as fear seized her. She accelerated her pace, almost running from the unseen threat. She didn’t dare look back. Her only thought was to escape this danger that distressed the hairs on the back of her neck and caused her heart to thunder wildly in her chest. The heavy clogs she wore made her gait clumsy and her legs drag like lead.
The clip clip of rapidly approaching footsteps drowned out all sound, and Nina felt the quick jolt and expulsion of her breath as her body was knocked solidly against a brick wall. A rough hand pawed into her hair, pulling and dragging her flailing body into a lonely alley. She opened her mouth to scream, but was abruptly silenced by a large meaty hand clapping over her mouth and nose.
Her body was pinned tight from behind by a large unyielding form, the odor or cigarette smoke and rancid onions thick and revolting, causing a wave of nausea to roll through her stomach. Her mind was frantic, trying to conjure a way to defend herself, but her small body was no match for the threat that immobilized her.
Her eyes watered as she tried desperately to draw a breath. The man leaned in close, and his cloying stench engulfed her, causing a new wave of blinding panic.
“Don’t move, bitch! Where’re the fucking films?
The words were sneered against her ear. She tried to shake her head. The hand against her mouth eased to allow a strangled sound to roll from her throat.
“D..don’t know…” she managed weakly.
“Like hell you don’t! Where’re the fucking films?”
“I..I don’t—”
Nina was shaken roughly, her body flopping against the wall like a rag doll. Her temple connected with a brick, and a searing pain lashed through her head.
“Bitch! Answer me!”
Her gaze darted around frantically. She wondered if she should just lie and give any answer. She doubted it would save her life. The malice that poured from her attacker’s body was patently terrifying.
“You were warned not to interfere…” he growled, his putrid breath puffing next to her face and punctuating every word.
She whimpered when she felt his fingers inching down to her throat. She still couldn’t see her attacker, but sensed his malevolent intent. She opened her mouth to scream, but the scream she heard instead was coming from somewhere outside her head. A woman’s high pitched scream rent the air. The man behind her pushed her roughly to the ground, and Nina felt her knees scrape the concrete alley. Her arms shot out to break her fall. She took several deep gulps of air as a figure stooped beside her.
“Ma’am, dear God…are you ok?”
She nodded her head, trying to reassure the stranger as he guided her to a sitting position. The woman who’d screamed was now approaching them, her questions tumbling over one another in a dizzying frenzy. Nina looked up, emotion causing hot tears to run down her cheeks as she regarded the two people who had just saved her life.
“All right, tell us again exactly what Dr. Reynolds said to you last night,” Detective Sullivan’s gruff voice asked again.
“We’ve already been through this, Detective.” Wade leaned forward in the couch he occupied and glared at the lanky Detective. Joe and Detective Sullivan had been occupying space in his living room for the past
two hours, and he couldn’t wait to be rid of them. Although Nina had been cooperative and agreed to talk to them he didn’t want her badgered and overly taxed. She’d been through enough.
“It doesn’t really sound like much of a threat…”
“It was most definitely a warning!” Wade practically jumped from his seat. “Look at what happened to her!”
“We can’t rule him out as a possible accomplice in this,” Joe interjected quickly, as the tempers of both men reached a boiling point.
“Are we done here?” Wade sighed and speared his fingers through his hair. He watched Nina intently. He was concerned about the injury she’d sustained to her right temple, but she was still insisting she was fine.
“Listen, I’ll do a background check on Reynolds. I’ll see if anything comes up.” Detective Sullivan raised his hands in mock surrender. He turned to Nina who sat silently on an adjacent couch. “Is there anything else you can remember about the man who attacked you?”
She shook her head. “He was behind me the entire time. I never saw his face.”
Detective Sullivan harrumph loudly, his stance one of frustrated futility. He’d wanted her to go to the station to make a statement and file a report, but Wade had adamantly refused.
“You already got a description from the couple who intervened,” Wade stated. “Sounds like the same guy from her apartment.”
“Could be the same, but the old bag next door had been more interested in the Springer show, couldn’t really give much of a description.”
“Well it’s obvious they’re still trying to retrieve the film,” Joe interjected calmly.
Wade stared at the Detective. He wasn’t sure how much Captain Ryan had told him about the case, but it was obvious he wasn’t thrilled about working with them. He’d done nothing but lob a barrage of irreverent questions at Nina and responded to her answers with unbridled hostility.
“Why are they so interested in the film?” Her voice shattered his thoughts and all three pair of eyes swiveled to rest on her.“Well, the films prove the fraud. Without them we have no evidence.”
Nina narrowed her eyes, a niggling thought gaining momentum in her brain. “I know, but WMH is a large hospital with many senior attendings. Only a few can print radiology films, but they could each deny it or point the finger at each other, especially if there’s no other evidence to link the culprit to the case. There must be a reason they would kill to get these films back?”
Wade’s features sharpened; his blue eyes were steady and thoughtful. “You mean if the films pointed to a specific individual.”
“Yes.” She turned abruptly to him, ignoring the jolt of pain in her head. “Every test or lab we order in the hospital has the ordering doctor’s computer signature on it. I wonder if it’s the same for printed radiologic films.”
Joe took a step towards her, shaking his head. “We’ve gone over these films a million times. The only thing stamped on them is the RL on the bottom corner.”
“Do you have the films here?” Nina asked Wade.
“Yeah.” He nodded, turning away.
She sat silently and awaited Wade’s return. Detective Sullivan sank into a chair beside her. His bored sigh echoed through the large living room. A few seconds later Wade walked into the room carrying a two-by-three manila case. He extracted a flexible radiographic sheet and handed it to Nina. She studied it intently for several minutes, then squinting thoughtfully, headed over to a nearby lamp and switched it on. She held the film up so the light penetrated through the sheet and frowned as the letters ERMD came into focus under the illumination.
“I bet you those letters are the signature for whoever printed out these films.”
Nina turned and was surprised to see Wade standing closely behind her. He was staring with surprise and fascination at the lighted letters. Quickly he pointed them out to Joe who shook his head in wonder. The letters could only be seen, like the anatomic details on the film, when flooded with light.
“So who’s ERMD?” Detective Sullivan asked, his interest now perking up.
“Ethan Reynolds, Medical Doctor,” Nina said flatly.
“I think it’s time we spoke with the hospital,” Joe said to Wade. “We need confirmation on those initials.”
Wade nodded, still reeling from the new discovery. He’d always thought they were on the cusp of a huge revelation in the case, especially as the search for the films had become so frantic. That’s also why he and his partners had decided to keep the films here in his apartment instead of at his office where evidence was usually locked up.
Was this the reason Ben had been shot? Had he figured out it was Dr. Reynolds who’d printed the films? Did he find finger prints on the films? Wade sighed, frustrated with their impotence in this case. He couldn’t deny his awe and admiration for Nina. Even with the terror she’d endured that morning she was still willing to offer her knowledge and assistance. He’d been deranged with fear and worry when he’d found out about her attack, and fit to commit murder at the thought of her being harmed. His heart ached when he realized how close he’d come to losing her.
She’d barely had time to change and put ice on the swollen lump at her temple before the detective had shown up at the door demanding answers. Now he could see the events of the morning weighing on her. He could just imagine what she’d been through. The lids shielding her eyes were almost closed, and her shoulders bowed heavily as she leaned back against the couch that dwarfed her slender frame.
“Okay, gentleman. Let’s wrap this up.” Wade’s voice rang with finality.
“I’ll talk to the hospital. They should be able to tell me the meaning of those letters without putting up much of a fight. I’ll let you know what I find.”
“Bank records might be helpful too. Nina mentioned something she heard about him throwing around a lot of money, new house, large expenses and such,” Wade suggested.
Joe scribbled notes in a small spiraled book in his palm.
“I’ll run a background check on this Reynolds and see what I can come up with,” Detective Sullivan reiterated.
Wade nodded stoically as the gentlemen left. His mind was still focused on the beautiful redhead now asleep on his couch. He allowed his eyes to leisurely rove over her. She resembled a delicate treasure curled up with her palms tucked under her cheek.
Her lips were pushed into a vulnerable pout, and an errant curl strayed unto her forehead, revealing the angry discolored bump on her temple. The sight made his anger bloom and his gut clench. He hated the fact that he’d gotten her mixed up with this. He considered moving her to his bedroom, but the sight of her was so angelic that he instead brought a pillow and blanket from her room and cocooned her on the couch.
Several hours later Nina’s eyes fluttered open and her brain glided sluggishly through the murky cloud it languished in. Words were deciphered in broken fragments as she became increasingly cognizant of her surroundings. Long muscular jean clad legs came into view as Wade paced back and forth a few feet away from her. A fitted black tee tested the strength of his brawny chest and rippled with his every move. She enjoyed secretly watching him. For someone so tall and broad, he was surprisingly graceful.
As his voice became clearer she realized he was conversing on his cell phone. He was reassuring whoever was on the other end that they should have some answers soon. She guessed it was one of his law partners. Wade turned abruptly, and upon seeing her awake, a handsome smile split his face. The brilliance of that smile, along with the warmth in his eyes, reduced her insides to jelly. She was almost breathless. It was then she realized she was in deep trouble emotionally. There is absolutely no way you’re in love with him! She rebuked herself sternly. Stupid, stupid girl! She pushed the undesired emotion down and looked away, afraid he’d see the evidence in her eyes.
Wade signed off the phone and joined her on the couch. Strong arms embraced her and automatically she sank into the warm comfort of his body.
“How are you feeling?
How’s your head?”
“A lot better,” she replied truthfully. The throbbing headache that had hammered through her skull earlier had subsided, and she actually felt a sense of satisfaction as she remembered the progress they’d made in the case.
A loud indecorous rumble came from her stomach, and she smiled sheepishly when he grinned down at her.
“Your stomach disagrees.”
She shrugged then shifted to get off the couch.
“Whoa…Where’re you going?” His hands instantly halted her progress. They landed around her waist to pull her unto his lap. She felt her body’s instant response. The tee shirt he wore was thin, and she could feel every hard contour of his chest as her tingly palms rested there. The solid hardness of his thighs as well as a distinct bulge registered in every synapse of her brain.
She uncoiled in a long stretch then replied, “I’ve been a couch potato long enough. I’ll make some lunch…” She wrinkled her nose with dread and sighed. “And then I guess I’ll call my parents. They must be worried. I haven’t spoken to them in a while.”
He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers, sending a fission of heat clamoring through her. She tasted his tongue as she leaned into the kiss, her body yearning for more. Her hips involuntarily churned against his growing erection. He suckled her bottom lip then reluctantly pulled away with a groan.
“You’ve been through a lot today. You need to rest. Stay here while I make lunch.” He picked his cell phone up from the table and handed it to her. “Feel free to call your parents if it’ll make you feel better.”
She smirked at his comment, but nodded mutely. He ran a finger over her injured temple and issued a low curse. His soft lips brushed the area right above it, then he scooted her off his lap and strode towards the kitchen.
“Rest,” he threw over his shoulder.
Taking a deep breath, she dialed the number to her parents. Her father answered on the second ring.
“Dad?”
“Nina! How are you?”
“Fine Dad. How are you and mom?”
“Doing well. We left you several messages.”