Critical Diagnosis (Love Inspired Suspense)

by Alison Stone

  “That’s not important right now,” his grandfather said, a perturbed expression on his wrinkled features. “Go on, James. What were you saying?”

  James stood. “Security assumed the intruder last weekend gained access through the unlocked main gate. They had no reason to suspect someone had cut through the fence. The breach is hidden by some shrubbery on both sides of the fence.”

  “What do we pay these guys for?” Stephanie asked, disgust dripping from her voice. She spun around and glared at Lily. “Now, what did your lab assistant—what’s her name, Talia?—say to you?”

  Lily rested an elbow on the arm of the couch and explained how Talia had recognized the man on the news as the man she’d been dating, a man named Frank Smith. When Talia had confronted him, he had told her if she came forward, he’d tell everyone she gave him the research files on Regen. Lily shuddered and her elbow slipped off the arm of the couch. “Talia claims that if he does have the notes, he stole them. She naively let him into the lab.”

  Stephanie gasped.

  Lily met James’s gaze, worry in her eyes. “Talia had to sneak away from her boyfriend. I’m worried about her. She’s in over her head.... She’s just a kid.”

  Stephanie’s normally smooth forehead crumpled with disbelief. “She’s hardly a kid. I think you should be less concerned about Talia and more concerned about your research.”

  Lily pushed her thin shoulders back. “Trust me, I am. But first we have to make sure Talia’s okay.”

  “We found a rat at Talia’s home,” James said, sitting down next to Lily. “Maybe Talia’s more involved than she claims. Didn’t you say she had a lot of student debt? Maybe she thought she could sell Regen. Pay off her debt.”

  “She claimed Frank planted the rat in her closet,” Lily said.

  Stephanie shook her head, her long ponytail sweeping across her back. “We need to find her. Regen is Medlink’s financial future.”

  “I called the chief of police. He’s putting a ‘be on the lookout’—or whatever it’s called—on her.” He smiled at Lily, trying to reassure her. “They’ll find her. We’ll get to the bottom of this.” A sinking feeling roiled his gut.

  Lily pushed to her feet. Her hair was a mess of curls from the humidity. “I’m having a hard time getting my head around this. Talia has been nothing but a solid researcher. Now we’re expected to believe she’s involved with a man who stole our research and then tried to break into the clinic. Why the clinic?”

  “Don’t you watch the news?” Stephanie asked. “It’s always the quiet ones.”

  “Maybe the clinic wasn’t actually the target. Maybe you were,” James said, the tiny hairs on the back of his neck prickling to life.

  “But why hurt—” Lily’s face grew deathly white “—me if he already had what he wanted?”

  “To keep you from finding out,” James said, his voice low and cool.

  Lily pressed her palm to her forehead. James stepped a little closer, ready to react if necessary. “I’m afraid for Talia’s safety if this Frank guy finds out she came to me.” Lily ran a hand under her nose. “I’m afraid for her mental well-being, too. We need to find her. Help her. Straighten the rest out later.”

  “Talia puts absolutely everything you’ve worked for all these years at risk and you want to help her?” Stephanie shifted her weight and scooped up her purse, signaling she was done talking about this. “Give me a break. You’re the one who’s naive.”

  “I’ll have to deal with the research aspect later,” Lily said quietly. “For now, I’m worried about Talia.”

  “What do you think happened?” His grandfather slowly lowered himself into the chair next to his wife. Without taking his eyes from Lily, he reached over and pulled his wife’s hand into his lap and patted it reassuringly.

  “I think she’s stressed and snapped,” Lily said.

  Stephanie threw her hands up. “Of course she snapped. Who cuts a hole in a chain-link fence and sneaks into her employer’s home?”

  Lily let out a long, slow breath, as if buying time to rein in her emotions. “You didn’t see the home where she lived with her mother....” Her voice trailed off. “She’s obviously had a tough life.”

  “Talia did have a difficult home life.” James hesitated to say too much more for fear of invading Talia’s privacy.

  His cousin adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder. “Would you like to give her a raise and a corner office at Medlink? What kind of business are we running?”

  “My first concern is finding her,” Lily said.

  “Someone needs to go to her house. Check on Talia’s mother.” James studied Lily’s face. Her mask of composure slipped a little bit.

  Lily tipped her head. “Thank you.” She ran a hand over her hair.

  “This is going to be a PR nightmare. A loose-cannon researcher.” Stephanie shook her head, obviously disgusted. “This could ruin us financially.”

  The news his grandfather had shared earlier—of possible embezzlement at Medlink—ran through James’s mind.

  Pushing on his cane with a shaky hand, his grandfather stood up. “What do you think, James?”

  Stephanie whipped around. “What does he think?” Anger rolled off her in waves. “He’s going to side with his girlfriend over there.” She flicked her hand at Lily.

  James fisted his hands, but held his tongue.

  “You are every bit your mother’s daughter.” His grandfather’s face shook with fury. “She was as headstrong as you’re being now.”

  “I’m not my mother’s daughter.” Stephanie angled her chin in such a way she reminded James of their grandmother. “I have done so much more with my life than she ever did.”

  “Stephanie,” his grandmother soothed, “we’re all just frazzled.” His grandmother rubbed his grandfather’s hand. “Don’t speak poorly about your mother.”

  Stephanie waved a hand in dismissal. “I have to make a few phone calls. We have to hide the news from investors that the Regen files may have been stolen.”

  James put his hand on Lily’s forearm. She stiffened under his touch. “Will you be okay staying in the carriage house or do you want me to ask Edna to prepare a room in the main house?”

  “Security checked everything out?”

  He nodded.

  “I’d rather stay in the carriage house. I need some time alone.”

  * * *

  James made a check of the small apartment. Lily’s gaze slid toward the door, reassuring herself she had flipped the dead bolt after they’d come in. Seated on a stool at the kitchen island, she couldn’t shake the horrible sense of violation. Talia had been right there.

  In her apartment.

  James reemerged from checking the bedroom, compassion in his eyes. He straddled the stool next to hers. “You look tired.”

  Resting her elbow on the counter, she played with a long strand of hair. “I am. But I doubt if I’ll sleep. It’ll take a while to come down off this adrenaline high. My nerves are buzzing.” She ran her palm across the smooth granite. Suddenly, she bolted upright. “What about the lab? Is it secure? Security knows not to let Talia into the lab, right?”

  “Absolutely. They’ve reset the badge readers. You’ll have to go through security and get your badge reset. None of the magnetic strips on the old badges will work.”

  Lily slid off the stool. “I should let Sarah know. She won’t be able to get into the lab, either.”

  James grabbed her wrist and led her back to the stool. “Security will let her know in the morning. It’s fine. Sit. Relax. Take care of yourself.”

  She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, trying to shake the chill. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” She took a step toward the couch, then turned to James. “I don’t know what scares me more. This Frank guy hurting Talia, or Tali
a trying to hurt herself. I’ve never known anyone to look so desperate. I should have stopped her.” She bit her lower lip, unable to derail her erratic thinking.

  James cupped her shoulder, his smooth voice washing over her. “You can’t control anyone’s actions but your own. Don’t do this to yourself.”

  “I should have done something more. Talia came to me for a reason. She wanted help.” She covered her face with her hands and dropped her head until her hands hit the counter. “How come I couldn’t reach her?”

  “Talia is a grown woman. She’s not your responsibility.”

  Lily lifted her head. “I feel like my world is closing in around me.” She was ashamed she lacked faith.

  “The police are looking for Talia. They’ll find her.”

  “I pray they do.” She searched his face but couldn’t find the comfort she so badly needed.

  A knock on the door startled her. James smiled and patted her hand. “It’s fine. I invited Kara over.”

  “Why?” Exhaustion weighed heavily on her shoulders. She wasn’t sure she was up for her chatty friend tonight. Kara would surely pester her for every last detail. Details she wanted to forget.

  If only for tonight.

  “I don’t want you to be alone, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to stay—even on the couch.” A smile touched his lips. “We don’t want to give Edna and Charlie anything to gossip about.”

  “Edna and Charlie are rooting for us.” She laughed. James narrowed his gaze at her and she waggled her fingers toward the door. “Go. Answer the door.” She tracked James’s confident stride across the room. He opened the door a fraction, then pulled it open wide.

  Kara brushed past him and rushed over to Lily. Her friend wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into a fierce embrace. “Are you okay?”

  Lily smiled wanly over her shoulder at James. Stiffening, she pulled away from Kara. “I’m fine. Talia just wanted to talk.” She didn’t know why she was defending someone who had shaved at least ten years off her life.

  “I always thought she was a tad off.” Kara tossed her quilted bag on the couch.

  Lily sat back on the stool and watched her friend breeze around the small apartment. “Did you ever meet her boyfriend?” Lily asked.

  “No, we weren’t that close. I only ate lunch with her in the cafeteria.” Kara unzipped her bag, pulled out a pair of slippers, tossed them on the ground and slipped them onto her feet. “To be honest, I wondered if she was making him up because he seemed to come out of left field. Before then, she only talked about work and her plans to get her Ph.D.” Kara crossed her arms and leaned against the back of the couch. “Why all the questions about her boyfriend?”

  James gave Lily a nod of approval. “Her boyfriend is the man who attacked me at the clinic and—”

  “The guy who’s been stalking you?” Kara’s eyes grew wide. “I can’t believe it. Why?”

  “We’re trying to figure all that out.” James dug his cell phone out of his back jeans pocket. “Excuse me a minute.” He turned around and answered a call.

  “So are we safe here?” Kara asked.

  “Yeah, the police and the head of Medlink security double-checked everything.”

  Kara nodded. She grabbed a bottled water from the fridge. Twisting off the cap, she rounded the couch and flopped down. “This is unbelievable. You think you know someone.”

  Lily sat on the arm of the couch, watching James’s concerned face as he talked quietly into the phone. “How well do you really know anyone?”

  James ended the call. “That was the hospital. Mrs. Benson was admitted. She’s asking for me.”

  “Go, go.” Lily got up and walked over to James. The thought of Mrs. Benson’s beautiful granddaughter, Chloe, came to mind. The elderly woman had been in the clinic many times recently. “Is her granddaughter being cared for?”

  “Yes. The nurse said she was staying with a neighbor.” He scrubbed a hand across his face. She wasn’t the only one fighting exhaustion. “You guys okay here?”

  “Yes, we’re fine.” She tipped her head toward Kara, who had a few DVDs in her hand. “I think my friend has a romantic-comedy marathon planned.”

  “Looks like you’re in good hands.” Leaning in close, he brushed a kiss across her cheek. “Sleep well.”

  Warmth spiraled around her heart. Lily met his steady gaze. “Good night.”

  “Hey, don’t I get a kiss?” Kara held up her arm in a languid manner and let it flop over the back of the couch.

  James took her hand and patted it with the other in a strictly platonic gesture. “You know I only have eyes for Lily.” He turned and winked at Lily.

  Lily punched him playfully on the arm. “Now go. I’m tired.”

  Lily ushered James to the door. He turned around in the threshold. “Make sure you turn the dead bolt. I’m going to run to the hospital and check on Mrs. Benson, then I’m coming back to the main house. I’ll be staying there tonight. Call me if you need anything.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she whispered, closing the door. She turned the dead bolt; the thud of it hitting home reassured her.

  “Must be nice to have money.”

  Lily jumped and spun around. Kara was standing right behind her. Lily pressed a hand over her racing heart. “I didn’t know you were right there. Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

  Kara held out her arms and spun around slowly, laughing. “This place is only so big. How far away can I be?” She stopped and leaned toward Lily, locking gazes. “A little jumpy, maybe?”

  Lily brushed past her and sat on the couch. Leaning back, she pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes. “This is really a mess, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, my friend, it is.” Kara sat down next to her.

  Lily sat up ramrod straight. “How do you always stay composed, rational?”

  “You don’t have to deal with Mrs. Elinor O’Reilly day in and day out.” Lifting both hands out in front of her, she pinched her fingers together. “Ohmmmm...”

  “I’m not going to touch that one. I have nothing but gratitude for the O’Reillys. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”

  “Me, neither.” Kara giggled. “But it isn’t exactly the place of my dreams. But I suppose I shouldn’t complain. If Mrs. and Dr. O’Reilly take off on the cruise around the world, I may be out of a job.”

  “We both can fly the coop.” Lily started to giggle and couldn’t stop until tears rolled down her cheeks. “I might not have a choice if Talia’s boyfriend stole my research.” Saying the words out loud made her feel queasy.

  Kara’s jaw dropped. “Did he really do that?”

  “That’s what Talia said.” The woozy feeling made her cheeks grow warm. “Talia brought him into the lab. He could have made copies of the files. No one would be the wiser. Talia was mad at me because she thought I didn’t provide a strong letter of recommendation for the Ph.D. program.”

  “Maybe she’s lying.” Something dark flickered in Kara’s eyes. She reached over and tapped her friend’s knee. “After everything else, maybe she’s a liar. Where’s that faith you’re always talking about?” The smile slid from Kara’s face.

  Lily studied her friend’s face. “What’s wrong?”

  “I did something really awful.”

  Lily’s mouth grew dry.

  “It’s about the letter of recommendation for Talia to the university.”

  Lily nodded, a lump forming in her throat.

  “I threw it out.” Kara crossed her arms, then let them drop. “She deserved it.” She hiked her chin, but Lily could tell her conviction was slipping. “Talia’s such a braggart. I thought she’d be insufferable if we all had to start calling her ‘doctor.’ And when I saw you drop the letter off in the mail room...”

  Lily c
overed her mouth. “I can’t believe you did that. You had no right.”

  Kara hung her head in her hands. “I know. Now look at the mess I created.”

  FOURTEEN

  The next morning, James jogged up the stairs to Lily’s second-floor apartment. He pounded on the door, the thumping competing with the pounding in his chest. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket. It was nine-fifteen in the morning. Last time he’d heard from her was shortly after he’d left last night, when Lily had called to tell him what Kara had done with Talia’s letter of recommendation. He was still shaking his head over that one.

  But where was Lily now? She hadn’t answered her cell phone when he’d tried to call her from the main house. And Kara didn’t answer her cell phone, either. Lifting his hand, he pounded again. “Come on, Lily. Answer.”

  He turned his back to the door and scanned the property. The sun had burned off the early-morning fog. The flowers Charlie so diligently tended lined the fence of the pool in a neat row of purples and pinks, his grandmother’s favorite colors. Nothing looked out of place. He slid a finger across the screen of his cell phone and dialed her number. Again.

  “Where are you?” he muttered to himself while the phone rang. A wave of apprehension coursed through him. More than once, people he loved had been taken away from him.

  Without any warning.

  Dread and a heavy feeling of loss constricted his chest. He forced air into his lungs. He was a grown man. He shouldn’t react this way. He had taken every precaution to keep Lily safe. She was safe.

  Dear Lord, please let her be safe. The prayer seemed to come as naturally as when he’d prayed as a child with his mother. The realization made him pause for the briefest of moments. He lifted his hand again and was about to knock when he heard a rustling inside.

  The door handle rattled and he sucked in a breath. The door opened. Lily’s tired eyes looked up at him. “What’s wrong?” She pressed the heel of her hand into one eye. Pillow marks lined her cheek.

  “You’re home.” He cupped her shoulders as if to reassure himself she was really safe and sound, standing in front of him.