said. “Because of everything. I’ll be back in a little while.”
It was hot out, in the mid-eighties, and the walk did nothing to calm her, only left her blouse damp and sticky with sweat. But at least she could relax with the knowledge that Steve hadn’t seen her on Crosby Street, or going into Keaton’s.
Upon her return, even the receptionist was now gone from the waiting area, though she found Maggie, Rory, Chelsea, and Emily bunched by the kitchenette, whispering. Clearly they’d been discussing the murder.
“Oh, there you are,” Maggie said, smiling weakly.
Lake glanced at her watch. It was twenty to four.
“Was Dr. Levin looking for me?” she asked.
“No, but a man called for you. He wouldn’t leave his name.”
It was hard for her to imagine who it would be. Hotchkiss? Had she ever told him the name of the clinic?
She started to turn to get back to the small conference room, but caught herself. She should stay, she thought. Gossiping with these four would help keep her in the loop—though she would have to be careful of every word she spoke.
“So how’s everyone doing?” she asked, forcing a sympathetic smile.
“I’m scared to death,” Maggie said. “I asked my sister to spend the night with me.”
“You don’t think you’re in danger, do you?” Lake asked.
“I just don’t want to be alone,” Maggie said. She turned to Rory. “What are you going to do? You shouldn’t be under stress in your condition.”
“I know—I have to think of the baby,” Rory said. “Colin’s going to be away for a few more days and our house is kind of secluded. I’ll probably call a friend.”
Emily shook her head.
“You girls are being silly. It’s not like there’s some serial killer out there stalking people who work at fertility clinics.”
“What do the police think?” Lake asked. “Was it a burglary?” She’d tried to make her voice seem natural, but her words sounded stilted to her, like she was acting in a high school play.
“They asked me if I knew if he was seeing someone,” Maggie whispered. “Like it might have been one of those crimes of passion.”
“They asked me that, too,” Rory said. And then she turned to Lake. “Did they ask you that, Lake?”
“No,” Lake said. “But then again they wouldn’t. They know I’ve just been here a short time.”
“But you knew him, didn’t you?”
“Keaton?” Lake said, startled. “Um, no. I only met him when I started here.”
“Oh, I saw you talking to him for quite a while yesterday. I thought you might have known him from before.”
Was that why the police had asked if she’d known him previously—based on something Rory had said?
“No, I didn’t.” She could hear a slight defensive edge in her voice. “We were just talking about work—”
“Well, speaking of work, I’ve got things to do,” Emily said. “Can you give me a hand, Maggie?”
Good, Lake thought. She didn’t want any more awkward conversation about Keaton and was glad for the excuse to leave. The group broke up and Lake walked away.
It was almost four. Before going to Levin’s office, Lake returned the folders of articles she’d been reading to the storage room in the back of the clinic. She was pretty certain she’d studied every press clipping and journal article filed there, but just to be sure, she thumbed through the drawer once more. With her mind oneverything but the presentation, she needed all the inspiration she could get.
Finding nothing she hadn’t already seen, she pulled the lower drawer open. It seemed to contain mostly old correspondence. Just as she was about to close it, she noticed a hanging file with the word “Archer” in the tab, and Lake could see pages of a magazine peeking out. She tugged the file out of the drawer. At a glance she saw that it was an article about the fertility business. She slapped the file closed and took it with her.
By the time she arrived in Levin’s office, the doctors had
It was hot out, in the mid-eighties, and the walk did nothing to calm her, only left her blouse damp and sticky with sweat. But at least she could relax with the knowledge that Steve hadn’t seen her on Crosby Street, or going into Keaton’s.
Upon her return, even the receptionist was now gone from the waiting area, though she found Maggie, Rory, Chelsea, and Emily bunched by the kitchenette, whispering. Clearly they’d been discussing the murder.
“Oh, there you are,” Maggie said, smiling weakly.
Lake glanced at her watch. It was twenty to four.
“Was Dr. Levin looking for me?” she asked.
“No, but a man called for you. He wouldn’t leave his name.”
It was hard for her to imagine who it would be. Hotchkiss? Had she ever told him the name of the clinic?
She started to turn to get back to the small conference room, but caught herself. She should stay, she thought. Gossiping with these four would help keep her in the loop—though she would have to be careful of every word she spoke.
“So how’s everyone doing?” she asked, forcing a sympathetic smile.
“I’m scared to death,” Maggie said. “I asked my sister to spend the night with me.”
“You don’t think you’re in danger, do you?” Lake asked.
“I just don’t want to be alone,” Maggie said. She turned to Rory. “What are you going to do? You shouldn’t be under stress in your condition.”
“I know—I have to think of the baby,” Rory said. “Colin’s going to be away for a few more days and our house is kind of secluded. I’ll probably call a friend.”
Emily shook her head.
“You girls are being silly. It’s not like there’s some serial killer out there stalking people who work at fertility clinics.”
“What do the police think?” Lake asked. “Was it a burglary?” She’d tried to make her voice seem natural, but her words sounded stilted to her, like she was acting in a high school play.
“They asked me if I knew if he was seeing someone,” Maggie whispered. “Like it might have been one of those crimes of passion.”
“They asked me that, too,” Rory said. And then she turned to Lake. “Did they ask you that, Lake?”
“No,” Lake said. “But then again they wouldn’t. They know I’ve just been here a short time.”
“But you knew him, didn’t you?”
“Keaton?” Lake said, startled. “Um, no. I only met him when I started here.”
“Oh, I saw you talking to him for quite a while yesterday. I thought you might have known him from before.”
Was that why the police had asked if she’d known him previously—based on something Rory had said?
“No, I didn’t.” She could hear a slight defensive edge in her voice. “We were just talking about work—”
“Well, speaking of work, I’ve got things to do,” Emily said. “Can you give me a hand, Maggie?”
Good, Lake thought. She didn’t want any more awkward conversation about Keaton and was glad for the excuse to leave. The group broke up and Lake walked away.
It was almost four. Before going to Levin’s office, Lake returned the folders of articles she’d been reading to the storage room in the back of the clinic. She was pretty certain she’d studied every press clipping and journal article filed there, but just to be sure, she thumbed through the drawer once more. With her mind oneverything but the presentation, she needed all the inspiration she could get.
Finding nothing she hadn’t already seen, she pulled the lower drawer open. It seemed to contain mostly old correspondence. Just as she was about to close it, she noticed a hanging file with the word “Archer” in the tab, and Lake could see pages of a magazine peeking out. She tugged the file out of the drawer. At a glance she saw that it was an article about the fertility business. She slapped the file closed and took it with her.
By the time she arrived in Levin’s office, the doctors had
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