Part 13 (1/2)

”Again, believe it, Edward. And if there were papers, why would he leave them to me? I haven't seen the inside of a lab since med school,” she said, trying to throw him off the scent. ”A shame, with a mind like yours. Plus in a teaching hospital such as this one, it's only a matter of time before you'll have to consider some kind of research.”

Melissa hadn't forgotten that eventually she'd have to do more in order to move up the line. But for now, the only experiments she was interested in were her father's. ”I'm glad you think I have a fine mind, Edward, although it didn't seem that way in the hall a few minutes ago,” she said, trying to turn the conversation away from additional questions about her father.

”I'm sorry about pulling rank on you out there in the hallway. Most of my anger was with Nurse Martinez. She's a meddling sort, isn't she?” Edward's disdain for her friend was clear. Not to mention worrisome if he had any suspicions about Sara and her father. She only hoped Sara would take to heart her earlier admonitions.

”Apology accepted. As for Sara, she means well. However, seeing that you're concerned, I will speak to her about her involvement with the patients.”

Edward nodded, seemingly satisfied with Melissa's concession. He rose from the desk with stiff and almost lethargic movements.

”Are you okay, Edward?”

”Just a touch of age, my dear. No need to worry.” With a dismissive wave of his hand, he continued to the door, but paused for a moment before leaving. ”If you ever decide to resume your father's work, I'd be delighted to a.s.sist.”

Melissa forced a smile to her lips. ”If I find anything about it, I'll be sure to let you know. As for working together, it would be a delight.”

Edward's clear blue-eyed gaze was a.s.sessing for a moment. Then he stepped from her office, closing the door behind him.

s.h.i.+fting to the side of her desk, Melissa picked up the phone and dialed Ryder. When he answered, she said, ”We need to talk tonight.”

”Diana isn't available.”

”I know. She's meeting the M.E.-”

”And Detective Daly about the suspect in your break-in.”

There was that hint of anger in Ryder's voice again at the mention of the NYPD officer. She worried about whatever was going on between Diana and the detective that troubled Ryder so much. But she was even more worried that what she was about to suggest to Ryder would violate Diana's trust in her.

I can count on you, Diana had said earlier that night. But Diana would probably not approve of what Melissa thought they had to do next. ”Diana's being absent might be for the better, Ryder,” Melissa said and waited anxiously for his reply.

”Just remember that whatever we decide is something we're all going to have to live with. In my case, for a very long time.”

”I know, Ryder, and believe me, I wouldn't be thinking about this if it wasn't necessary.”

His tired and almost defeated sigh came across the line. ”I hope you're right.”

Chapter 18.

L ying, meddling b.i.t.c.h.

She knew more about her father's experiments than she was letting on.

The last lab rat was near the end of its life. Its red blood count was well beyond acceptable limits, literally choking all the blood vessels and organs with the imbalance. Destroying the necessary white blood cells and platelets that kept a body running. Soon the hemorrhaging would begin, followed by a slow and likely painful death.

Nothing had stopped the relentless onslaught of the red blood cells, which had been altered by the Danvers cell strain. Yet Danvers himself had been able to control the multiplication of the cells. Well, at least early on.

One set of rats had almost supernatural healing powers and strength beyond that of their uninoculated counterparts. And they'd lived long beyond the span of regular rats and of the rats stolen from Danvers's lab. Rats that Danvers had likely been using as control samples.

A step was missing-the process Danvers had used to maintain the superrat specimens. Whatever it was had not been revealed in the journal stolen from Danvers's lab nor in the incredibly boring memoir taken from Melissa's office.

Judging from her unconvincing act this afternoon, Melissa was well aware that she had important information about her father's experiments and the source of the cell strain.

There would be no more waiting now. No time to dawdle. Otherwise, the illness would be too far along to allow for a possible cure. The Danvers cell strain could only do so much and maybe there had been too much delay already.

Action had to be taken immediately.

”The toxicology reports on both the overdose victims confirms that it was heroin, but synthetic and very potent. Very designer.”

Diana paced back and forth in the kitchen, obviously unnerved by her earlier visit to the morgue.

”How designer?” Ryder asked.

”M.E. wouldn't put it in writing, but as far as he's concerned, this heroin wasn't designed to be sold on the street. It was intended to kill. There's only a handful of black ops organizations who'd do that,” she answered.

”Like the NSA?” Sebastian asked, raising one eyebrow to emphasize his point.

Diana shrugged. ”Possibly. Could be a rogue, as well.”

Melissa finally piped in. ”It seems careless to get rid of two people so close together both in time and location. It was bound to raise suspicions.”

”If Peter hadn't asked around, no one would have looked for another body. The first case was in Westchester and not within the NYPD's jurisdiction,” Diana explained.

Melissa shot Sebastian an uneasy look. ”So does this help us at all?”

Diana's full lips thinned into a tight line and she let out an exasperated sigh. ”There's no other forensics to tie the murders together.

Although the tox reports should be enough. The only other thing-Sloan worked for the NSA from sometime in 1999 to September of 2003.”

Ryder leaned forward. ”That's just one month before Melissa's parents were killed.”

”Too close for coincidence,” Sebastian said with a nod.

”But we have nothing from Forensics for probable cause-”

”Which means what? That we sit around and wait for another body to turn up? Maybe one of us?” Melissa asked angrily. She strode to the kitchen island, where she gripped the edges of the counter tightly. Her shoulders rose as she took in a deep breath. ”We have to do something. We can't just wait for something else to happen.”

Sebastian watched as Diana walked over to Melissa and laid a hand on her shoulder. ”I've asked Peter to go out on a limb for me-He's agreed to put a tail on Sloan. See what he's up to and where he goes.”

”If Sloan finds out he's being tailed-” Ryder said.

”Your detective friend could be in a lot of trouble. Sloan's a respected department head at one of New York's premier hospitals and if he's the killer...” Sebastian's voice trailed off.