Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Alisa woke up at seven on Friday morning. The sun was shining through the shutters and when she got up to open them, she saw a blue sky, hopefully a good sign of what was to come. She'd taken a shower before bed, but she took another one now, the hot water soothing her stiff and aching muscles. And when she got dressed in some clean jeans and a pullover long-sleeve knit shirt, she felt a lot better. She'd also found an extensive first aid kit in the bathroom, which had allowed her to clean her wounds and reapply a bandage to cover the stitches on her palm and the long cut on the back. The fact that there were so many supplies reminded her she wasn't in a hotel, she was in a safe house. There had probably been people who had stayed here who had been worse off than her. That fact did not make her feel better, so she hastily tucked the kit away and made her way downstairs.

Jason was in the kitchen. He was standing at the stove, scrambling eggs, and looking very sexy in jeans and a black polo shirt, his dark-brown hair still damp from a recent shower.

He turned his head, giving her a smile, and she felt a jolt of attraction run through her. His eyes were so blue, his face so handsome, she had trouble looking away, especially since he didn't look much like a federal agent today. He looked like a guy she might have spent the night with.

But he'd made it clear that wasn't on the table. Logically, she knew he was right. But she still kind of wished it had happened.

"Morning," he said. "Did you sleep?"

"More than I thought I would." She grabbed a mug from the cabinet and filled it with coffee, needing a shot of caffeine to clear her head. "I need to check in with the hospital about my mother. Can I turn on my phone?"

"I already checked. Your mother had a quiet, restful night. Her vital signs are good. Dr. Grayson is going to check on her at ten and would like to meet up with you then. I told the nurse to let him know we'd be there."

"Okay, but how come you can use your phone, but I can't use mine?"

"I used a second phone that we keep here in the house. It can't be traced."

"Oh. Well, thank you for checking. Maybe my mother is going to be all right." She felt more hopeful than she had in a long time.

"The signs are pointing in that direction. I made some eggs. Are you hungry?"

"If there's enough, yes."

"There's plenty. I've got bacon in the oven, too."

"I thought I smelled bacon." She sat down at the island, watching him work. He cooked in an efficient, no-steps-wasted kind of way. He seemed to be extremely organized and time- sensitive, popping in the toast at just the right moment so that it would be ready when the eggs and the bacon were done.

Ten minutes later, she had an enticing plate of food in front of her, and she savored the feeling of normalcy that came along with it. That probably wouldn't last long, but she was going to enjoy it while she had it.

"I wanted to ask you about Henry Cavendish," Jason said. "You mentioned that he visited with your mother on Wednesday night and that he's a longtime family friend. Is it possible your father would have spoken to Henry about where he was going?"

"Over my mother? I don't think so. If he was going to tell anyone, he would have told her."

"Unless he needed her not to know. But he might have asked someone for help. Would you say anyone else is closer to your father than Henry?"

She frowned, barely hearing the second part of his question because she was stuck on the first part. "Why would he need her not to know?" she asked.

"So she couldn't be forced to tell anyone. Nor could you."

"But someone could still think we know more than we do."

"Yes," he said, meeting her gaze. "But you're both under the protection of the FBI, so let's focus on Henry. Unless there's a closer friend we should discuss?"

"My dad has lots of friends, but I'd say he's closest to Henry. They golf a lot on Sundays. If my father isn't with my mom, he is usually with Henry. And even more so since Henry's wife died."

"How did she pass away?"

"Heart attack. It was unexpected. She'd always seemed to be in good health."

"I'd like to speak to Henry. You said he works in the building next to the hospital? Why don't we stop there on our way in?"

"Okay," she said. "But my mom said that Henry asked where my dad had gone, so he may not know any more than we do."

"Only one way to find out."

As Jason drove out of the garage twenty minutes later, he felt a mix of emotions. Getting back to work should have felt like relief, but the truth was…he was getting too close to Alisa. He needed to remember they weren't friends. She was his assignment and maybe the key to finding Novikov. He couldn't let anything else get in the way .

"You're quiet," Alisa commented. "Are you worried someone is following us?"

"No. We're good," he said, taking another look in the rearview mirror just to be sure.

"Can I turn on my phone now?"

"Let's wait until we get to the hospital. They'll expect you to be there, but we don't need them to know where you are when you're not there."

"Okay," she agreed, tapping her fingers nervously on her thighs.

He liked her casual jean look, and that she'd left her thick, wavy hair down. It fell around her shoulders in a very pretty way, making him want to run his hands through her hair, capture her face, and steal a kiss from her also very pretty mouth.

He hit the brakes hard at the next intersection, not so much because he was going too fast with the car, but because he was going too fast in his head.

She shot him a quick, worried look.

"Sorry. I was thinking about something else," he muttered, forcing himself to focus. She was just a job, he told himself. He could compartmentalize, and he would. There was no other option. The stakes were too high.

He kept his attention on the road as he drove them the rest of the way to the medical center. When he headed up the hill, he noticed that Alisa focused her gaze on her hands, which she was twisting in her lap. He couldn't blame her. It would take a while to get over that harrowing crash.

When they reached the medical center, he showed the valet his badge and left the car in front of the stand, keeping his keys with him. Then they walked to a five-story building next to the hospital where labs and medical offices were located. Henry Cavendish's lab was on the top floor, and when they walked into the office suite, he saw a small lobby area with two couches, a couple of chairs, and a receptionist sitting behind a desk. She was speaking to an older gentleman about a clinical trial .

As they waited for that conversation to finish, a woman in a lab coat came through the door. She appeared to be in her early forties, her hair a dark red and pulled back in a bun. She stopped in surprise when she saw them. "Alisa, how are you? How is your mother? Henry told me she'd taken a turn for the worse."

"She's doing much better now," Alisa replied. "Is Henry here? I need to talk to him."

"He's in his office, but he's on a call. I'm sure he'll want to speak to you, though. I'll let him know you're here."

"Thanks, Lauren."

"Should I tell him who you're with?" Lauren asked, sending him a curious look.

"Special Agent Jason Colter," he told her, noting her suddenly wary expression.

"Special agent?" Lauren echoed. "As in FBI?"

"That's right. And you are?"

"Lauren Silenski. I'm a senior lab manager." Lauren turned to Alisa. "Is this about your mother? Henry said he couldn't get in to see her yesterday, that she'd been moved, and visitors were restricted. He said he left you a message, but he hadn't heard back."

Jason thought Lauren was a little too interested in Alisa's mother's condition.

Maybe Alisa thought the same thing because she simply said, "It's been busy. I haven't had a chance to return calls. Will you let him know we're here? We have to get to the hospital shortly."

"Of course."

Lauren disappeared through the door and Alisa turned to him. "She's a very nosy person."

"So, her questions weren't unusual?"

"No. Since Henry's wife died, he and Lauren have developed a relationship outside of work. My parents aren't too thrilled about it."

"Why not?"

"Lauren just seems like she has a lot of ambition and likes to spend Henry's money. They go out to dinner a lot, and the fancier the restaurant, the better. My parents are worried she's taking advantage of his loneliness."

"Maybe he's just enjoying the attention of a younger woman."

"I'm sure he is. I will say that she is very smart. She leads one of his research teams. They're working on a nanoparticle delivery system."

"I have no idea what that is," he said dryly.

"It's complicated, and I'm not sure I know exactly how it works, but in cancer treatment, if they can isolate nanoparticles and deliver medications to certain cells without affecting other cells, it could be a game changer. Only the cancerous cells will be affected, not the healthy cells. They've just started clinical trials, so it will take time to know how effective this new system is, but it looks promising. Henry is very excited about it. I only know as much as I know because my dad always asks him a lot of questions. He's a science nerd."

He thought about how much his mother had hated chemotherapy, how it had affected her entire body in such a negative way that she'd become a shadow of herself. "I'm glad they're working on that because cancer sucks."

She gave him a compassionate look. "How long was your mother sick?"

"About nine months start to finish, but all of it was bad."

"I know. I work in oncology at the hospital, so I know what that looks like. It's why I'm excited about what Henry's team is developing. I just wish the research and the trials could go faster, but it takes a long time."

"It does," he agreed. "And people die while they're waiting for a cure."

Alisa reached out, gently squeezing his hand. The gesture was meant to comfort, but the warmth of her touch lingered, stirring something deeper in him. She was such a sweet person, so genuine, so kind. Her touch felt like a balm to his cynical and wounded soul. He'd spent a lot of time on the dark side of life the last few years. He'd almost forgotten what this felt like.

As he held on to her hand, their gazes met, and something inexplicable passed between them, something he didn't want to define, and he didn't think she did, either.

Fortunately, they didn't have time for words because Lauren opened the door and told them Henry would see them now.

Alisa let go of his hand as they followed Lauren down a wide corridor where glass-walled labs were located one next to the other. The doors were closed, many with coded locks and signs prohibiting entry. At the end of the hall was Henry's office, which was spacious and well-decorated with a view of the city from the windows behind his desk.

Henry got up to greet Alisa with a hug, and Jason took a moment to study him. Henry Cavendish was a tall, lean man with pepper-gray hair, glasses, and pale skin that looked like it never saw the sun.

Henry’s warm smile faltered the moment Alisa introduced Jason, tension flickering in his eyes. But he came forward to shake his hand and then waved them toward a couch and two chairs, which surrounded a coffee table laden with medical journals.

As they sat down, he was surprised to see Lauren taking a seat as well. And he wasn't the only one.

"Lauren," Henry said. "Would you mind checking on the experiment? It's time-sensitive, and I need you to make sure it runs smoothly. I can take care of things here."

"Oh, of course," Lauren said, not looking happy about being dismissed.

As she exited the office, she left the door open, and Jason couldn't help but wonder if that was deliberate.

"I spoke to Dr. Grayson last night," Henry told Alisa. "He shared his thoughts with me about what is going on with your mother. To say I was shocked is an understatement. I called you, but you didn't answer, and I didn't want to bother you with a message. I figured you were with your mom."

"I was. I'm also stunned her condition is because of a toxic substance. She has apparently been getting dosed for the last ten days, and I can't imagine who would poison her."

"It's impossible to imagine," Henry agreed, turning to him. "I assume you're investigating, Agent Colter."

"I am. And the person I'd really like to speak to is Dan Hunt. I understand you and Alisa's father are very good friends. Do you know where he is?"

"Pamela said he went to visit a friend," Henry returned.

"And you didn't find that strange, considering his wife is fighting for her life?" he challenged.

"I found it quite odd," Henry said. "And rather appalling, to be honest. I never thought Dan would leave Pamela on her own. He's always been a very loyal, loving husband. Has he spoken to you, Alisa?"

"No," she replied. "But I need him to come back and help me deal with all this."

"I called him, but his phone didn't connect," Henry said. "That surprised me, too. I'm sorry you're having to handle all this, Alisa. What can I do to help?"

"You can try to help me find my dad. Who else would know where he is?"

Henry shook his head, giving them a baffled look. "I have no idea. I'm sorry."

"Did you hear what happened to my parents' house?" Alisa asked.

"Something happened?"

"Someone set a fire. The house is basically gone."

Henry's jaw slackened. "That's terrible. Are you saying it was arson?"

"Yes."

"I don't understand what's going on. I hope you can figure this out, Agent Colter. "

"Oh, I'll figure it out," Jason returned. "When was the last time you spoke to Dan Hunt?"

"It was on Monday when he took Pamela to the hospital. We spoke in the ER, and I assured him I'd do what I could to help."

"What about before that? Were you in frequent contact with Dan?"

"We spoke a few times a week. But he didn't mention any problems or concerns. Even when Pamela first got sick, he thought she had just caught a bug. He wasn't worried. But that changed when he brought her to the hospital. That's when I saw genuine fear in his eyes." Henry paused. "Now that I know what's been happening with Pamela, I'm also concerned about you, Alisa. What's with the bandage on your hand?"

"I cut myself. It's fine. I'm fine," she said.

He was surprised Alisa didn't launch into more detail about the kidnapping attempt or the car crash. But he was also fine with not getting into all that with Henry. Maybe she felt the same way.

"If your mother was being poisoned, you could also be in danger," Henry said. "Perhaps you should think about getting out of town."

"I can't leave my mom, especially with my father gone. She needs me. She needs an advocate."

As Alisa finished speaking, Lauren returned.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Lauren said. "But there is an urgent call for you, Henry. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother you."

Henry gave Lauren a questioning look, then nodded. "Very well." He got to his feet and smiled apologetically at Alisa. "I have to go, but I'd like to visit your mother when that's possible."

"She's not having visitors right now," Alisa said as they stood up. "She needs to be in a controlled environment."

"I understand. If there's anything you need, please call me. I'm not your dad, but I'd like to be there for you."

"I appreciate that. "

"It was nice to see you again, Alisa," Lauren said as she walked them to the door. "I hope everything will be all right with your mom."

"Thanks."

As they stepped out of the office, Jason paused, his phone vibrating in his pocket. "One second." He took out his phone to check the message, surprised to see a text from his former partner. Not that they didn't occasionally talk, but it had been a few months. The fact she'd reached out now that Novikov was in town made him nervous. He'd answer her later.

As he put his phone into his pocket, he heard Henry speaking to Lauren in a tense tone.

"Did you tell her I can't speak to her now?" Henry asked.

"I did, but Tatiana is very insistent she speak to you and only you. She's worried about not getting in the trial with her recent symptoms."

His pulse jumped at the mention of Tatiana.

Alisa gave him a questioning look. He put up a hand as she started to speak.

"I can't talk to her right now. Tell her I'll call her back," Henry said.

"Henry—"

"Just do it, Lauren. I have other things to take care of right now."

As Jason heard Lauren moving toward the door, he hurried down the hallway, and Alisa quickly followed.

They didn't speak until they left the building. Once outside, Alisa paused, giving him a questioning look. "What was that all about? What was in the text you read, and why did you want to eavesdrop on Henry and Lauren?"

"The text was from my ex-partner, Stephanie Genaro. She wants to meet, which is a problem for me."

"Why?"

"When Novikov shot her three years ago, her injuries prevented her from working as a field agent ever again. She has been very depressed about that, and while she has returned to work as an analyst, it's still difficult for her to be tied to a desk. I want to be there for her, to support her, but I have to keep this investigation tight. If she knows Novikov is in LA, she'll want in, and I can't let her in."

"Why not? It sounds like Novikov cost her a lot."

"He did, and I wouldn't blame her for wanting to take him down, but I can't let someone's personal desire for revenge complicate things. I have to keep this clean."

"But, Jason, you have a personal desire for revenge. He killed your father. Why should you be involved and not her?"

"Because I'm still a field agent. And most importantly, I am not looking for revenge. I want justice."

She gave him a speculative look. "Can you really separate the two? Wanting revenge wouldn't make you a bad person."

"It would make me a bad agent. It would cloud my judgement." He looked around, not wanting to forget that Alisa was a target, there was no one nearby, no one watching them. Still, he wanted to be alert. "We should go inside."

"In a minute. What about my second question? You seemed very interested in what Lauren and Henry were talking about. Why?"

"Because I heard the name Tatiana. Novikov was involved with a woman named Tatiana Guseva. She runs a dance studio in LA."

"Really? Novikov has a girlfriend in LA?"

"Ex-girlfriend. When we interviewed her after the courthouse bombing, she claimed she hadn't seen him in a decade, and we couldn't find any evidence she was lying. But recently, she had communication with a man who is close to Novikov and who has been friends with both of them. She mentioned to him she had cancer and that hearing from an old friend was the best medicine."

"What does that mean?"

"Maybe nothing. But when I heard Henry use her name, it made a connection I wasn't expecting. Henry is tied to your father. If he's also tied to Tatiana, he could be more important than I thought."

"If this Tatiana has cancer, it makes sense she would want to talk to Henry. He runs clinical trials, and she wants to get in one. That might have nothing to do with my father. There could also be more than one Tatiana in LA."

"Everything you say is true, Alisa. But my gut tells me it's a possible lead, and I'm going to follow it up."