Noah put a hand at her back and steered her through the crowd. “Which way are we going?”
She stopped to look at the numbers on the doors. “Dr. Ernst’s office should be straight down this hall.” She slowed her pace, soaking in the feeling of the building, testing her memory. She could picture herself hurrying down this hallway as they approached a door at the end. “This is it.” Taking a deep breath, she rapped lightly on the wood panel. When it opened, she reared back.
Emerson Prescot stood just inside the large, booklined room. Tall, blond, and classically handsome, he wore tailored wool pants and a suit jacket. Raising a brow, he regarded her through discerning eyes the color of his sage green shirt.
“Come on in, Riley. It’s good to see you.”
Bits and pieces of memories rushed through her mind. The flutter of excitement she’d experienced when he’d first asked her out. Lying in bed beside him while he slept, thinking she should be happier than she was. Being so angry she nearly exploded when she overheard him on the phone, telling a buddy she was decent in the sack so he put up with her blathering on and on about her work.
She shook her head to dispel the unpleasant recollections. “What are you doing here? I have an appointment with Dr. Ernst.”
“His wife called in hysterics because someone broke into their house. As he was on his way out, he asked me to sit in for him since your grad student said this meeting was important.” He glanced over her shoulder at Noah and held out his hand. “I’m Emerson Prescot, a colleague of Riley’s.”
Noah stepped forward and shook the offered hand. “Noah Kimball.” Releasing it, he touched her arm. “I can call Brasher and tell him he’ll have to wait.”
“No, go talk to the detective. I’ll be fine.”
Just as she finished speaking, Charles appeared down the hallway, breathing hard as he pulled off his beanie and shoved it into the pocket of his down jacket. “Sorry I’m late. Car troubles.”
Riley gave him a quick smile. “We just got here.” Turning back to Noah, she met his gaze. “I promise to call you just as soon as we’re finished.”
He frowned but nodded. “I won’t be gone long.” Giving Emerson a long, cool look, he walked away.
“What’s wrong with him, and why is he talking to a detective?” Her ex took hold of her arm and urged her into the office. Charles followed and shut the door behind them.
“Someone attempted to grab me again and failed.” Her tone was cool. “He’s understandably concerned about my safety.”
Charles took off his glasses and wiped the lenses with a tissue. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, thanks to Noah.”
Emerson pointed to a pair of chairs facing the desk. “Why don’t you both take a seat and you can tell me about your research, Riley. Last I heard through the department head, you had no memory whatsoever. That seems to have changed.”
She dropped onto the leather club chair and set her laptop case on the floor by her feet. “I’ve been getting more and more memories back as my brain injury heals. The first ones were from my childhood, but I’ve had a scattering of recent memories emerge. People and events that made a lasting impression.”
“What about your dementia research?” Charles gripped the back of the other chair rather than sitting in it. Have you been able to reconstruct all of it?”
Both men stared at her with equal intensity. Emerson took a step closer and leaned against the front edge of the desk, boxing her in.
She tried to swallow, but her mouth felt like a sidewalk on a hot summer day. “I’d rather have this conversation with Dr. Ernst present. I don’t mind rescheduling.”
“Fine.” Emerson uncrossed his ankles and straightened. “But it was a pretty simple question. A yes or no answer. I’m not asking you to turn over your formula to me, although I thought that was your intention in setting up this meeting.” He gave an offhand shrug. “You can’t blame a guy for being curious about something so groundbreaking.”
She clasped her fingers together in her lap to keep them from shaking. “To answer Charles’ question, I’ve reconstructed most of my work. Not the final changes, however. I thought I had, but they aren’t quite right. I expect to have results shortly, but I need to spend some time in my lab.” She forced a smile. “I’m not sure what all is involved in starting clinical trials once I have the formula perfected. I was hoping Dr. Ernst could set things in motion for me.”
“I thought you said—”
“I was wrong.” Riley interrupted Charles and rose to her feet. Bending, she picked up her laptop case and gripped it tightly. “As I said, I’ll reschedule with Dr. Ernst.”
“I can free up time if you need my help in the lab.” Charles slid one hand into his jacket pocket and backed up against the door.
“That would be great. I’ll give you a call. I know you’re nearly as invested as I am in getting results.”
“In the meantime, maybe we can have coffee.” Emerson pushed away from the desk and cupped his palm over her shoulder in a warm grip. His smile resembled a cat staring at a particularly juicy bird. “You know, to catch up. I’d be happy to fill in any memory gaps you still have regarding your class curriculum.”
Her cell phone dinged, saving her from responding. Pulling it from her pocket, she glanced at the display. “Noah will be here in a minute.”
“He’s certainly prompt.” Emerson dropped his hand and backed up a step. “Are you free tomorrow?”
Some of the tension drained out of her. “Actually, I think I’m all set for next semester’s classes. I found a box of lesson plans that were pretty detailed.”
“Doesn’t mean we can’t get together. We used to enjoy each other’s company, and—”
A knock on the door interrupted him.
Charles glanced at both of them before he opened it. “Hey, Noah.” He edged around him. “I was just leaving. I’ll talk to you later, Riley.”
“I’ll be in touch.” She squeezed by Emerson. “Sorry to waste your time.”
“It wasn’t wasted.” He gave Noah a dismissive glance. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.”
She simply shook her head and left the room.
Noah put a hand at her back as they walked down the hall. “The tension in there was pretty thick. What happened?”
“I freaked out a little and didn’t give them my files.” She waited until he opened the front door and then hurried down the wide stone steps beside him. “I felt like the walls were closing in on me the whole time I was in the office.”
“What did Prescot say to you?” Noah bit off each word.
“It wasn’t anything specific. Both Emerson and Charles were staring at me like I held all the secrets to the universe. It was unnerving. I was going to call when you texted me.”
“I can’t imagine Prescot would pose much of a physical threat, but maybe he isn’t as soft as he looks.”
Shivering, she stuffed her hands in her pockets. “He may look like a pretty boy, but he’s not a wimp. However, the vibe he was sending off . . .” She shrugged. “Maybe I overreacted. Also, Charles sounded so damn desperate, I just wanted to get the hell out of there.”
“Listening to your intuition is smart. You can call the department chair yourself and reschedule.”
She crossed the street when the light changed, bumping elbows with a handful of students who were headed toward campus. When Noah reached for her hand and interlaced their fingers, she glanced up at him. “Too bad I’ve only prolonged the danger by keeping my mouth shut.”
“I’ll make sure you’re safe.”
His tone left no room for doubt, which was both a relief and a burden. Guilt nagged at her. He shouldn’t have to spend all his time worrying about her, but she knew arguing with him would be a waste of time and breath.
“Since we skipped lunch after the fiasco at Harbor House, I’m starving. Let’s get something to eat and make a plan.”
“I’m afraid that meeting destroyed my a
ppetite, but I could go for a cup of tea to take the chill off. There’s a café a block and a half from here that has great soups. Becca and I met there.”
“Excellent. Lead the way.”
A few minutes later they entered The Graduate and sat at the table her bodyguard had occupied the last time she’d been there.
Riley pushed the menu aside and planted her elbows on the wooden surface. “I wonder how Dex is doing. I should have called to check on him. What with everything that’s happened recently, I feel like I haven’t had a chance to even breathe.”
Noah leaned back in his chair. “What made you think of Dex?”
“He was here with me when I had coffee with my friend Becca. I haven’t returned her calls, either.”
“I’ll check on Dex, and you can call your friend—right after we decide on a course of action. And it sure as hell isn’t going to be the one Detective Brasher suggested when I talked to him.”
Before Riley could respond, their server approached. The young woman pulled a notepad from the rear pocket of her skin-tight jeans and smiled. “What can I get you?”
“Just a chai tea, please.”
Noah glanced down at the menu. “Uh, the broccoli cheese soup, an order of garlic bread, and a tall coffee.”
She picked up their menus. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
Riley regarded him as the woman walked away. “Tell me what Detective Brasher had to say.”
“He doesn’t want to move on Andrew Murdock and scare him off until they have solid evidence. Right now, everything is circumstantial. He told me to stay away from the man.” Noah crossed his arms over his chest. “I get the feeling he’d be happier if the asshole at Harbor House had actually grabbed you, giving them a perp to go after. He made a snide remark about the Counterstrike team eliminating their only source of information when we took out the two thugs who tortured you in Georgia. Wolf is still dealing with the fallout from that. Domestic situations can be a pain in the ass.”
“Like you had a choice in the matter.”
“Exactly.” He paused when the server returned with two steaming mugs and set them on the table. “Thank you.”
“Sure. Your food shouldn’t be long.”
Noah nodded then took a sip of his coffee. “I told Brasher he wasn’t going to use you as bait. He said he didn’t intend to go that far, but—”
“There was a but?” Riley sniffed her fragrant tea.
“I told him no buts. Then I headed back to meet you. I didn’t like leaving you alone in that meeting to start with.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “I wonder if Prescot has any ties to Vortex. Seems awfully coincidental that the department chair’s house was broken into right before your meeting.”
“Just because Emerson is interested in my research and was sort of hitting on me doesn’t automatically mean he’s linked to a criminal.”
Noah set down his mug with a thump. “That jerk hit on you?”
“He wanted to get together. I got the feeling it wasn’t just to discuss academia.”
“Maybe he wanted to badger you into handing over your computer. Either way, you aren’t going anywhere near him.”
Riley raised her brows. “Wow. Who knew you had such caveman tendencies? Should you beat your chest now?”
He smiled broadly and moved his coffee mug when their server returned with his soup and bread.
“Anything else?”
“No, I think we’re good.” Riley smiled as she answered.
“Okay. Enjoy.” The woman hurried away as a quartet of co-eds entered the café.
Noah picked up his spoon. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that to come out as a direct order.”
“You sure?”
“All right, maybe I did. It’s common sense to stay clear of any potential suspects.”
“Which is why I told him no. Give me a little credit, for heaven’s sake.” When her stomach growled, she eyed his bread. “That smells like heaven.”
“Have a piece.”
She took a warm slice soaked in butter, garlic, and parmesan and bit off the end. “God, that’s good. Maybe I’m a little hungry, after all.” She closed her eyes and chewed. Finally, she opened them. “Apparently I can be wrong on occasion.”
His lids lowered slightly, and his eyes softened in a way that made Riley squirm in her seat.
“You look extremely sexy right now. Eat all the bread you want.”
She licked one finger. “I just might.”
His cheeks darkened, and he picked up his water glass and drank half of it. “Just wait until we’re alone.”
“Promise?” Heat flared between them as their gazes locked. Finally, she wiped her hands on a napkin and picked up her tea cup. “Uh, what were we talking about before this conversation turned R rated?”
“Your ex-boyfriend’s intentions. I’ll see what Luna can dig up on him.”
“I’m not going to argue with that. You mentioned creating a plan of action. What did you have in mind?”
“Staying at my house or yours isn’t the best idea right now. Not after what happened at Harbor House.” Noah’s brow furrowed as he ate a spoonful of soup. “If Murdock or someone else at Vortex sent Prescot to intercept your files, they must be scrambling to regroup after he failed.”
“You think someone will try to kidnap me again?” Riley’s fingers trembled as she held the warm mug of tea between her palms.
“At this point, I bet they’d risk eliminating you if they thought they could get ahold of that laptop.”
Tea sloshed onto the table. Setting down the mug, she lifted her computer case from the floor to her lap. “I told Charles and Emerson I hadn’t reconstructed the entire formula yet, that I needed lab time to perfect it.”
“Great, but who knows whether either of them will pass that information along, or if anyone will believe it if they do.”
Her skin crawled, and she glanced quickly over her shoulder.
Noah reached across the table and gripped her hand. “I’m keeping my eyes open. Anyway, they need time to set a new plan in motion. When they do, you’ll be somewhere safe.
“So, we’re back to hiding out again?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Even if I contact Professor Ernst? Surely we can arrange a meeting at a safe location.” Before he could respond, she slammed her free hand down on the table. “Dammit, Noah, I can’t disappear again. Grandpa has already lost some of his recall. He needs another injection of the transcription repressor. Now that we know the serum won’t kill him, I can work on perfecting the dose.”
He tightened his grip on her fingers. “You need to set up clinical trials to gather that type of data. You have to do this right, and it’s going to take some time.”
“Do you think Vortex will play by the rules? Maybe they will if they patent my formula first and can sell the drug at an astronomical price. I don’t want that to happen. I want treatment to be affordable to the masses.” Her voice cracked. “And I want my grandpa back, not the shell of a man who’s been occupying that room at Harbor House the last few years.”
His grim expression softened. “I know you do, and we’ll make it happen. But first we need to keep you alive.”
“By hiding me someplace safe? That didn’t work out so well the last time.”
“I underestimated their intel. And their persistence. I won’t make that mistake again.”
She swallowed against the burn of tears in her throat. “How long?”
“Not more than a few days, I hope. Luna is digging into Murdock’s bank records. She’ll find a money trail.”
“What are the police doing?”
“Hell if I know. Brasher was pretty tight-lipped. That’s why I don’t intend to leave it up to the cops to make a timely arrest. My goal is to hand over everyone involved on a freaking platter. Once you’re safe, I’ll do everything I can to fast track your clinical trials. Wolf has connections in high places, and he isn’t afraid to call in favors.”
/>
A tiny ray of hope penetrated the darkness surrounding her. “He has that kind of pull?”
Noah simply nodded. “I know it’s hard to be patient when there’s so much at stake.”
“Yes, it is.” She let out a long breath. “Fine. Where are we going this time?”
“I’ll know when we get there.”
Chapter Eighteen
Noah and Riley were nearly back to the garage where they’d left the car when her phone rang. While she paused to pull it from her jacket pocket, Noah took a long look around. A few students hurried toward campus, bundled up against the cold. Cars idled on the street, waiting for the light to change at the next intersection. Half a block away, a homeless man and his dog sat wrapped in a blanket on the sidewalk in front of a frozen yogurt shop.
“It’s Becca. Funny, I was just thinking about her.”
“Go ahead and take her call. I’ll drive while you talk to your friend.”
Riley nodded and swiped to connect with one gloved finger. “Hi, Becca. I’m glad you called. How’s your new job?”
Noah pulled out his wallet, extracted a ten-dollar bill, and handed it to the homeless man as they passed. “Get yourself and your dog something to eat.”
He looked up and blinked red-rimmed eyes in a bearded face. “Thanks, man.”
“You’re welcome.” Noah hoped he wouldn’t blow it on booze. Reaching the door to the stairwell, he held it open for Riley.
She gave him a quick smile. “That’s great, Becca. What? No, I’m with Noah.”
“Hey, mister.”
Noah glanced over his shoulder. The homeless man was on his feet. He wore camouflage pants and a heavy green army jacket. The dog, some sort of shepherd mix, walked over to a mailbox and lifted his leg.
“Yes?”
“Some dude gave me twenty bucks to call him when a man with a pretty, brown-haired woman went into that garage.”
Noah gripped Riley’s arm and turned to walk back toward him. “And you’re telling me this because…?”
Lethal Memory (A Counterstrike Novel Book 2) Page 20