sweetheart, you can drink up. We’re celebrating.”
“I know, Daddy, but I have to go soon.”
Hill’s brows arched sympathetically. “After preparing such a feast? You must be tired.”
“Of course she is. You know, Carl, my baby didn’t microwave a thing. Everything came out of the oven.”
“And tasted it.” Hill dipped his glass toward her.
“It was nothing, really. The stove did most of the work. Besides, I have a study date with Dan.”
Hill’s features clouded. “Dan? Daniel Cain?” Megan nodded, and Hill stared into his glass. “Herbert West has moved in with him, hasn’t he?”
“For the time being. I—I’m not sure they’re really going to be happy with each other.”
“Are they too alike?”
The doorbell chimed, and Megan rose. “Hardly. I’m not even sure Mr. West has any interests outside his work.”
“Precisely my point.”
Megan stiffened and said sweetly, pointedly, “I assure you, Dr. Hill, Dan has an interest in other things. Now, if you’ll excuse me, that must be him at the door.”
After she’d gone, Hill peered thoughtfully at Halsey. “So . . . your daughter is seeing Cain. Do you think that’s wise, Allan?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, just that Cain is an ambitious young man without much money. I’d hate to think that he was seeing your daughter simply to try and use her to influence you.”
“A modern-day Pocahontas and Powhatan, eh? You know me better than that, Carl. All that matters to me is making Miskatonic the top medical school in the nation, and that means kowtowing to my professors, not my students.”
The young couple entered then, and Halsey rose to shake the young man’s hand.
“Good to see you relaxing, Dan!”
“It’s only a short break, sir. We’ve both got some reading to do on spirochetal jaundice.”
“Spirochetosis icterohaemorrhagica,” Hill noted dryly.
Cain looked over. “Hello, Dr. Hill.” They shook hands across the table. “I almost didn’t recognize you without your smock and cap.”
“Sort of like Superman without the cape,” Dean Halsey noted. “Would you join us for a glass of wine?”
Cain checked with Megan, who counseled him with a barely perceptible shake of her head.
“Actually, we have some work to do. It’d be better if we got to it while we’re still fresh.”
“Why don’t you study here?” Hill suggested. “You’ll be fresher still.”
“Thanks, but . . . Chopin puts me to sleep. I’ll have her home soon, don’t worry.”
“Well then.” Hill shot to his feet. “May I, Allan, offer one last toast?”
“By all means.”
Hill raised his glass. “To Megan—my esteemed colleague’s capable, beautiful, loving daughter.”
“Why, thank you,” the dean replied.
“Megan,” Hill repeated solemnly, barely audibly, as he sat back down. “The obsession of all who fall under her spell.”
The young woman acknowledged the toast with a small, stiff bow, then bent and kissed her father on the forehead. Pleasantly bidding the men a good evening, Cain followed her out.
Behind them, Hill was once again stroking the knife.
CHAPTER
5
“H e’s a lech.”
“You’re being overly sensitive, Megan. Dr. Hill is a brilliant man.”
Megan looked down into the book on her lap. “Fine, he’s brilliant . . . he’s a brilliant lech. I don’t like being around him.”
The living-room lights were turned off, save for the small Tiffany lamp beside the old sofa. Cain and Megan were seated beneath the lamp, reading from the same book.
“Forget Dr. Hill. Did you finish this stuff about Leptospira australis?”
“Screw it.”
“Can’t. They’re wee itty-bitty things.”
Megan shook her head, and, putting his arm around her, Cain nuzzled her on the cheek.
“Dan—”
He licked her jawline.
“Dan, please!”
Cain leaned back, throwing up his hands. “Okay, what is it?”
“I don’t know.” She bit her lower lip and said apologetically, “Look, it’s not you. It’s
“I know, Daddy, but I have to go soon.”
Hill’s brows arched sympathetically. “After preparing such a feast? You must be tired.”
“Of course she is. You know, Carl, my baby didn’t microwave a thing. Everything came out of the oven.”
“And tasted it.” Hill dipped his glass toward her.
“It was nothing, really. The stove did most of the work. Besides, I have a study date with Dan.”
Hill’s features clouded. “Dan? Daniel Cain?” Megan nodded, and Hill stared into his glass. “Herbert West has moved in with him, hasn’t he?”
“For the time being. I—I’m not sure they’re really going to be happy with each other.”
“Are they too alike?”
The doorbell chimed, and Megan rose. “Hardly. I’m not even sure Mr. West has any interests outside his work.”
“Precisely my point.”
Megan stiffened and said sweetly, pointedly, “I assure you, Dr. Hill, Dan has an interest in other things. Now, if you’ll excuse me, that must be him at the door.”
After she’d gone, Hill peered thoughtfully at Halsey. “So . . . your daughter is seeing Cain. Do you think that’s wise, Allan?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, just that Cain is an ambitious young man without much money. I’d hate to think that he was seeing your daughter simply to try and use her to influence you.”
“A modern-day Pocahontas and Powhatan, eh? You know me better than that, Carl. All that matters to me is making Miskatonic the top medical school in the nation, and that means kowtowing to my professors, not my students.”
The young couple entered then, and Halsey rose to shake the young man’s hand.
“Good to see you relaxing, Dan!”
“It’s only a short break, sir. We’ve both got some reading to do on spirochetal jaundice.”
“Spirochetosis icterohaemorrhagica,” Hill noted dryly.
Cain looked over. “Hello, Dr. Hill.” They shook hands across the table. “I almost didn’t recognize you without your smock and cap.”
“Sort of like Superman without the cape,” Dean Halsey noted. “Would you join us for a glass of wine?”
Cain checked with Megan, who counseled him with a barely perceptible shake of her head.
“Actually, we have some work to do. It’d be better if we got to it while we’re still fresh.”
“Why don’t you study here?” Hill suggested. “You’ll be fresher still.”
“Thanks, but . . . Chopin puts me to sleep. I’ll have her home soon, don’t worry.”
“Well then.” Hill shot to his feet. “May I, Allan, offer one last toast?”
“By all means.”
Hill raised his glass. “To Megan—my esteemed colleague’s capable, beautiful, loving daughter.”
“Why, thank you,” the dean replied.
“Megan,” Hill repeated solemnly, barely audibly, as he sat back down. “The obsession of all who fall under her spell.”
The young woman acknowledged the toast with a small, stiff bow, then bent and kissed her father on the forehead. Pleasantly bidding the men a good evening, Cain followed her out.
Behind them, Hill was once again stroking the knife.
CHAPTER
5
“H e’s a lech.”
“You’re being overly sensitive, Megan. Dr. Hill is a brilliant man.”
Megan looked down into the book on her lap. “Fine, he’s brilliant . . . he’s a brilliant lech. I don’t like being around him.”
The living-room lights were turned off, save for the small Tiffany lamp beside the old sofa. Cain and Megan were seated beneath the lamp, reading from the same book.
“Forget Dr. Hill. Did you finish this stuff about Leptospira australis?”
“Screw it.”
“Can’t. They’re wee itty-bitty things.”
Megan shook her head, and, putting his arm around her, Cain nuzzled her on the cheek.
“Dan—”
He licked her jawline.
“Dan, please!”
Cain leaned back, throwing up his hands. “Okay, what is it?”
“I don’t know.” She bit her lower lip and said apologetically, “Look, it’s not you. It’s
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