by Alison Stone
“Yes. I’ve tried to remind Edna of that. She’s a worrier, you know?” Charlie yanked on the hose, dragging it along the emerald-green grass. “The police chief any closer to catching this guy?”
James lowered his voice. “No, not yet. They’re going to call in a sketch artist. Maybe Lily can remember enough details for them to track this guy down.” The sooner this guy was off the street, the sooner James could stop worrying nonstop about Lily. Not that he’d stop thinking about her altogether. But he needed to know she wasn’t going to be someone’s target.
Charlie swiped the back of his hand over his sweaty brow. “What’s this world coming to?”
“Just keep your eyes open, Charlie.”
“Always.”
James took a step toward the front porch and stomped the freshly cut grass from his polished shoes. “Don’t work too hard.”
“You know me, Dr. James. I don’t like to be sitting idle.” Charlie adjusted the spray on the nozzle, a concerned expression lining his sun-weathered features.
“Good thing you work for my grandparents, then.” James smiled, then turned and pressed a few numbers on the security keypad next to the door. The light flickered red, then green. He pushed open the front door and the cool conditioned air came rushing out. A huge bouquet of roses, with a “Happy Birthday” marker poking out from a spray of green, sat on the foyer table, left over from the weekend festivities.
From deep in the house he heard Stephanie’s voice. She must have parked around the side of the home and entered through the back door.
James strolled into the dining room and found his grandfather sitting at the head of the table.
“Look who’s here.” His grandfather’s once commanding voice sounded gravelly. He made no effort to stand, instead placing his hands on either side of his plate. He fidgeted with his silverware. He looked paler than normal this morning. Drawn. Tired. Perhaps the party and chaos had been too much for him.
“Morning.” James shook his grandfather’s hand. His grasp was not as firm as it once was. The concern for his grandfather’s well-being niggled at the back of his brain, but he couldn’t come out and inquire about his health. Although well intended, James’s concern wouldn’t be well received. His grandfather was a proud man.
“What would you like to eat, my boy?” His grandfather tipped his gray head toward the kitchen. “Edna will make you whatever you want.”
A stack of pancakes and fresh strawberries sat in the middle of the table. “Pancakes look fantastic.”
“Are you sure? She can cook up some bacon or sausage.” His grandfather patted his belly. “Me, I need to cut back.” His grandfather’s plate was piled high with food, making James doubt his grandfather’s I’m-so-full act.
“This is fine, really.”
Across the table, Stephanie scoffed. “Grandfather, this breakfast must look like a feast. He’s used to eating chow in the mess hall.” She smiled brightly at James. “That’s what they call it, right?”
James pushed his tongue against his cheek. “Don’t knock what you’ve never tried.” Actually, James ate better in the army than he did as a bachelor living in the apartment over the clinic.
“I don’t need to try something to know I won’t like it.” Stephanie picked up the pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice and filled the crystal goblet.
His grandfather cleared his throat. “I’m glad you’re home. You did this family proud.”
A lump of emotion formed in his throat. He had never heard his grandfather say as much. “Thank you.” James pulled out a chair and sat to the right of his grandfather and across from his cousin.
“I believe—” his grandfather’s authoritative voice cut through his thoughts “—it’s time you came back to Medlink full-time. Stop running yourself ragged at the clinic.”
“I suppose we have some business to discuss, then.” James turned to Stephanie, her fork frozen midway to her mouth. It wasn’t fair to anyone to prolong announcing his decision.
His grandfather nodded. “Yes, we do. Elinor has some crazy ideas about taking a cruise around the world and some other nonsense. It’s time I cut back.”
“I didn’t think you had it in you,” James joked, lining up his fork, knife and spoon with precision.
His grandfather raised a skeptical eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. “We’ve been married a long time. She’s always supported me. It’s my turn to do something for her.” The acknowledgment surprised James. His grandfather wiped the white linen napkin across his mouth. “It’s time to transition the leadership of Medlink. Now. While I can make sure it’s done right.” His grandfather never used the word retirement. Instead, he referred to cutting back. Transitioning. Never retiring. “I’ll be taking a position on the board of directors.”
“A board of directors?” Turning her head slowly toward their grandfather, Stephanie set her glass down, her lips slightly parted.
“Yes. I have put together a board of directors to ease the transition. I realize it’s not something done often with privately owned companies, but I think they will prove beneficial with their breadth of knowledge.” His grandfather rubbed his fingers together as if he were trying to rid them of crumbs. “I will have a position on the board. The bylaws will allow the CEO to have a wide berth. But checks and balances are a good thing.”
“And you expect James to be the new CEO?” Stephanie asked, never taking her eyes from their grandfather. Expectancy weighed heavily in the air.
“Of course. That was always the plan.” His grandfather met her gaze, unwavering.
“I’m ready to pull more of the departments under my leadership.” Stephanie angled her chin. She draped her long blond hair over one shoulder and blinked her large blue eyes.
“I know you are, Stephanie, but I need to know James is on board.” His grandfather shifted in his seat to square off with his grandson.
“You know where my priorities lie.” James spread the white linen napkin over one knee.
“In a foreign country? Or in that clinic your father insisted on starting?” His grandfather ran a finger along his jaw and gave James that ultimatum look, the one he’d given when he’d been determined to send James away to boarding school. “It was okay when your father did it, because I was still in my prime. But you’re needed here now.”
“The people I serve need me.” James kept his voice even. He cut a gaze toward Stephanie; her expression had softened. She seemed puzzled. His news must have come as a shock—a pleasant one, for sure.
“You should be proud of James, Grandfather. He’s a great physician. Perhaps he’s more suited to practicing medicine than running a business.” Stephanie sat completely still. The air was wrought with tension.
“Thanks for the support, coz,” James said, a knowing smile pulling on his lips. Then to his grandfather, he said, “I need to be up front with you. I plan to reenlist.” Stephanie let out an audible gasp.
A steely gaze lit his grandfather’s eyes. “There is a time and place for everything. You’ve already served our country. I didn’t put you through medical school for you to enlist in the army.” Little tremors shook his grandfather’s head. The formidable man—a force to be reckoned with all of James’s life—suddenly looked so very, very old. And it made James very, very sad.
Indecision forced the breath from James’s lungs. “The army needs me.”
“I need you. You must secure Medlink’s future for the next generation.”
James squared his shoulders. His grandfather never took no for an answer. Even now. He’d go to his grave yelling out commands.
“I don’t mean to upset you.” James softened his tone. “Stephanie is more than capable.”
“Thank you. I believe I am.” Stephanie set her fork across the plate and smiled.
His grandfather’s gaze slid
to Stephanie—his red face registering his anger, the tremor in his head growing more pronounced—and back to James. “I think it’s important Medlink has you at the helm, James.”
“Grandfather, I went to med school to practice medicine. The only assurance I need from you and Stephanie—if I relinquish the position of CEO—is that Medlink continues to fund the clinic.”
“Of course.” Stephanie squared her shoulders. She reached across the table and covered Grandfather’s hand. “We both know how important the clinic is, especially at a time when people can’t afford health care.”
All the dishes on the table bounced and rattled. His grandfather’s fist sat rigid on the edge of the table. “You are the next generation. You’re an O’Reilly. I expect you to return to Medlink as CEO.”
“Wait a minute.” Stephanie’s voice grew hard. “I’m an O’Reilly.”
His grandfather wiped his napkin across his mouth with a shaky hand and tossed it onto his plate. Holding on to the table, he forced himself to a standing position, the heavy chair scraping across the polished maple floor. He snatched his cane from the arm of his chair and leaned toward James, ignoring his granddaughter. “I have funded the clinic and I have allowed you to serve this country. However, the economy has been tough on Medlink. Changes are going to have to be made. Big changes. You’re free to stay or go. But if you go, don’t be surprised if you lose funding for your clinic. I’m especially concerned now after the incident there the other night. I don’t want to be responsible if someone else gets attacked.”
His grandfather took a few steps, his cane slamming against the hardwood floor. He swiveled and faced James. “And I don’t want the incident at the clinic tied in with Medlink in any way. It would make potential investors nervous. What would they think if one of our star researchers was almost killed?”
James twisted his cloth napkin in his lap. A rock dropped in his gut. He had feared his grandfather would use that incident against him. He bit back any comments, knowing it would only fuel both his grandfather’s rage and his determination to make a decision that proved he was still in charge. His grandfather had been generous. But he was also stubborn.
To get his way, his grandfather wouldn’t hesitate to use threats.
James watched as his grandfather stepped out onto the patio and pulled out a wrought-iron chair. Edna, the housekeeper, must have anticipated this because she had his coffee and newspaper out to him before he had a chance to settle in. Stretching across the table, the housekeeper cranked up the dark blue umbrella to block the morning sun.
James released a sharp breath. “It must be hard for Grandfather to give up control after all these years.”
Stephanie pushed her shoulders back. “Grandfather doesn’t want to cut off the clinic. He’s using it as a bargaining chip.” Glancing toward the French doors, she leaned in conspiratorially. “He’s not used to not getting his way. He wants to be able to control you. Don’t worry. Go do what you need to do, whether it’s the army or the clinic. I’ll see that Medlink continues to fund the clinic. I promise.”
“Of course you’re going to promise me that now.” He watched his cousin. “You’re getting exactly what you wanted. You’ll be the head of Medlink.”
Stephanie pushed her half-eaten plate of food aside and folded her hands on the edge of the table. “I’ve never made my ambitions a secret. Never. I’ve always wanted to run Medlink.” She tipped her head. “Now we can both have what we want.”
For some reason Stephanie’s decisiveness unnerved him. “Give me a chance to talk to Grandfather again. Make him understand. I owe him that much.”
Stephanie took a bite of a strawberry and chewed thoughtfully. “Fair enough. In the meantime, work on getting Lily someplace safe. We can’t afford for anything to happen to her.”
James let out a mirthless laugh. “How considerate of you.”
“But it’s true. Lily won’t acknowledge it, but her life is in real jeopardy. Send her away on a nice vacation. Until this—” she lifted a shoulder as if searching for the right word “—unfortunate situation blows over.”
“Do you really think I can convince her to walk away from her research, even for a short while?”
Stephanie’s eyes darkened. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
FIVE
Lily picked up the lab rat and cradled it in the palm of her hand, drawing it close to her face. The poor creature sniffed her hand, thinking it was in for an evening treat. She loved all animals—all of God’s creatures—but as a scientist, she understood these rats were bred for research. To make sure pharmaceuticals were safe for humans.
“You know that, right?” she whispered to the rat, tracing a finger across the top of its head. She sighed heavily. A couple days back in the lab and she had been able to shake most of the stress from this past weekend’s events. Even though it was already midweek, she was still waiting for a phone call from the police department to go in and work with the sketch artist. Once she did that, she’d try to put this whole situation behind her.
Tilting her head from side to side to ease the kinks, she placed her hand flat and the rat scurried onto the shredded paper on the cage floor. She latched the door and made a few notes. By nature, research was painstakingly slow. She prayed the clinical trials continued to go well. But her work in the lab was far from complete. Although a treatment was within reach, a cure was Lily’s ultimate goal. Her beautiful niece’s face came to mind. Thankfully, her niece had not shown any more symptoms in over a year.
God had truly blessed her.
She tossed her pen on the counter and glanced toward the door. Her lab was tucked into a far corner of the complex and not exactly the hub of activity. She hadn’t run into James at all these past few days. Just as well. She didn’t need any more heartache when he reenlisted. She rolled her eyes at herself. It wasn’t as if he was knocking down her door to start a relationship. And when he did find that someone special, he deserved the whole package. A wife. A mother to his children.
Not her.
She shook off the thought. Focus.
Lily washed her hands and checked the clock. Her lab assistants, Sarah and Talia, had gone home hours ago. Or maybe they’d met up with some of the other young researchers at the coffee shop. Well, Sarah, the more social of the two, probably went. Talia had begged off more recently. Sarah speculated Talia had a new boyfriend. Good for her. Talia had reminded Lily of herself—all work and way too serious.
On Monday morning, her two assistants—who had been at the party—had been all questions about the incident by the pool at the O’Reillys, but by Monday afternoon, it was old news. Such was the digital age. Gossip about Lily’s run-in had probably been replaced by the latest celebrity haircut. Or breakup. Or something equally unimportant. The short-term attention span of her generation was depressing, but no more than the memory of the creep’s warning. Why would a gang member threaten her? Was it all just a ploy to keep Lily from identifying him?
Rubbing her temples, Lily figured it was time to call it a day before a full-fledged migraine took over. If that happened, she’d be useless tomorrow.
She left the lab and strode through the long corridor leading to the exit near the security guard. Long shadows crept into the corners of the mostly empty—but highly secure—complex. Glancing over her shoulder, she had the distinct feeling someone was watching her. She quickened her pace. A mixture of apprehension, nerves and exhaustion tightened her stomach.
She’d have to call Chief Farley and demand he get a sketch artist to Orchard Gardens by the end of the week, or she’d drive to Buffalo or Rochester herself—wherever the sketch artist worked. Until the thug who threatened her was in custody, she’d be looking over her shoulder forever.
The tiny hairs on the back of her neck prickled to life. Lily had never believed in a sixth sense until the day she couldn’t sha
ke the feeling that something was terribly wrong at home. She was in the middle of a final exam her senior year of high school and the overwhelming urge to leave and check on her mom drove her to distraction. Of course, she couldn’t leave her exam. She was on track to be valedictorian.
Two hours later she’d found her mother dead in her bed.
The backs of Lily’s eyes burned at the memory. Stop it. You couldn’t have known.
The squeak, squeak, squeak of wheels rattling against the tiled floor caught her attention. Down a long corridor, the janitor was pushing a mop and bucket. She squinted, recognizing the young man. “Have a good night.” The janitor nodded in response. Lily was careful not to step on the section of floor he had already washed.
“I think you’re the last one here. Don’t you have a social life, Dr. McAllister?” the janitor asked.
“I have a thing for lab rats.”
He shuddered. “Their beady eyes give me the heebie-jeebies.”
She flicked a wave. “Night, Brian.”
Lily strode toward the exit, swiped her badge through the security reader and waited for it to turn green. She gave a quick wave to the older gentleman manning the security station. He seemed preoccupied by something on the television. She pushed through one set of double doors, then another until she reached the outside.
Ah, fresh air.
The balmy evening air caressed her chilled skin. Bright light from the lampposts illuminated the parking lot. A jagged flash lit the night sky followed by a loud rumble, making her jump. A big fat drop of rain plopped onto her shoulder.
“Great,” she muttered.
Hugging her purse close to her, she bolted for the car, the only one in the back parking lot. She had parked along the edge of the lot under a tree. A drop of rain hit her head. Her arm. Her shoulder. The air smelled as if the skies were ready to open. She pointed the key fob at the car and nothing happened. “That’s strange.” She studied the key fob in her hand for a brief moment, wondering how she was going to unlock the door, before realizing she was being ridiculous. She had a key.