Intrigue Me

“Yeah.” Just what he’d thought. Eve really didn’t know anything about his dad’s grandiose plans. She thought Daniel was being stubborn and childish. He wished he could explain to her why he needed more time, but he couldn’t. Not until he could figure out what to say to Warren.

It didn’t help that he had no idea what his brother was feeling. They were only four years apart, but had completely different temperaments. Warren was more like their dad and the two of them had been really close. Their father had bragged about Daniel, but talked to Warren.

So why hadn’t he wanted Warren to know about his very ambitious plans for a whole new approach to their practice? His death had come so suddenly, and so soon after he’d told Daniel about his ideas that Daniel figured he’d died of a stroke. That he’d probably also suffered some mini strokes, and that was why their last and final conversation had been so unsettling. But it was his heart that had given out, and the autopsy had shown no abnormalities in his brain.

The promise he’d made his father wasn’t only that he’d work at the Madison Avenue Neurological Center. Discovering his father’s true colors had shaken him to the core. He didn’t want to walk into his new life until he completely understood what he wanted his life to be. What the hell was he supposed to tell Warren? Nothing? Should he just pretend the conversation with his father had never happened?

Maybe. But Daniel sure as hell wouldn’t forget it. He looked at Eve again. “Dad encouraged me to take some time off after I finished my fellowship.”

Eve’s mouth opened but it took a few seconds for her to ask, “When?”

“A few days before he died. I’d just finished at Mount Sinai.”

“During that private dinner meeting he had with you?”

“Yes.” Daniel knew she expected him to elaborate. Wouldn’t happen. Eve had been the office manager for sixteen years. She’d started right after graduating from Cornell and no one could have run the busy practice more smoothly. He shouldn’t be surprised she’d found out about the dinner. She just didn’t know what had been discussed, and it was clear she was hurt by his silence.

“He never mentioned the time off to me,” she said, then took a quick sip. “However, I really doubt he meant for you to take three months.”

“I’m not ready yet, all right? And for what it’s worth, he told me to take whatever time I needed. I wish things were different. But please know I’m not being frivolous. There’s a lot at stake here.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand your hesitation. All you ever wanted was to become a neurologist. To be like him. You don’t need to be dealing with stuffy noses and syphilis. You’ve got a gift, Daniel, and you’re wasting your talent.”

He exhaled as he shook his head and picked up his fork, although he doubted he’d use it. “You know she’s having an affair, right?”

Eve blinked at his non sequitur. “Warren’s wife? Yes. And so does he. What difference does that make to your commitment?”

“None. None whatsoever.” He took a big enough bite to put an end to the discussion. He knew exactly what he was supposed to do. Help Warren with their father’s house, with the trust and the business that was now technically half his. But nothing about that plan was simple anymore.

A minute of silence went by before he pointed his fork at Eve. “Warren stayed home from work for a week after Dad’s death. One week. Then it was back to business as usual. He knows I need some time to think things through, but all he cares about is the Center. He could quit tomorrow and have more than enough money to live out his life in luxury. Maybe with his wife, if he even gives a damn about her anymore. But at this rate, with the hours he’s keeping, he won’t make it past sixty-four, either.”

“People mourn in different ways,” Eve said, her voice gone soft and sad.

“Exactly. The doctors on staff right now can handle the current patients. I don’t care how important they are. The only reason Warren wants me there is because he doesn’t think it looks good that I’m working at a free clinic.”

“You’re not being fair. You know Dr. Elliot planned to retire as soon as you came on board. In view of your dad’s passing, he’s stayed to help out.”

“I think Dad was right. We should consider hiring another neurologist soon.”

“Daniel—”

“Look, I know you want what’s best for the business and for me. I’m just not sure following in Dad’s footsteps is what I want.”

Eve couldn’t have looked more shocked. She’d worshiped Dr. Randall Cassidy just as Daniel had. But she nodded and gave him a tight smile. “All I’m asking is for you to talk to Warren. Tell him what you’ve told me.”

Daniel shoved aside his plate. “I already have. He just doesn’t want to listen.”

* * *

AT LUNCH, LISA GRABBED a six-inch veggie from Subway on her way to the thrift store. There she found a great blue-and-white-striped sweater and a pair of jeans she liked better than her old favorites. There were shoes for sale, but she drew the line at wearing anything that once held a stranger’s foot.

She got back to the clinic with a couple of minutes to spare, so she reapplied her lipstick, stuffed her purse and other clothes in a locker and then checked her phone for messages. She didn’t have any, which wasn’t unusual these days. After all, she’d cut herself off from virtually everyone who’d been a part of her old life.

Mostly her communications were from Logan or Mike, the investigator who worked with them. Once a week her mom texted. That was, when she and Dad weren’t playing in a golf tournament, their latest passion since retiring to South Carolina. Lisa tried to phone them every other Sunday. Their conversations were always brief. They still felt bad about what had happened to her and never knew what to say. Frankly, there was nothing to be said.

As the day progressed, it became clear her change of clothes had paid off. The patient intakes went more smoothly. Sadly, she’d seen Daniel only twice despite staying until six, an hour after they stopped accepting new patients.

She did, however, meet Eve again. Lisa got the impression Eve didn’t like her very much. But then, Lisa had only one day left at the clinic, unless she decided to extend her commitment. Which largely depended on what happened with Daniel.

Okay, that made her sound like a lousy excuse for a human being. The clinic needed the help, regardless of her sex life, or lack thereof.

But before she agreed to anything else she’d have to go over the schedule with Valeria. Lisa couldn’t let volunteering interfere with her job. It wasn’t fair to Logan. And if she wanted to be a truly good person, she’d forget about Daniel altogether. A short steamy fling with him would mean she couldn’t return to the clinic as a volunteer.

Not that it appeared as though she’d have to choose. Maybe Eve had said something to him and now he was avoiding her. Dispirited, Lisa went to the lockers and got her purse. When she turned to leave, Daniel was standing just a few feet away.

“Hello again,” he said.

“Hi.” She paused to dial down the excited pitch of her voice. “You on your way out?”

“I am. Heading to the Upper East Side?”

Damn. “Other direction.”

“Ah.” He seemed disappointed, which boosted her spirits. “You take the subway?”

“Yep.” She wondered why he was standing there and if he even had a locker. Both coffeemakers were off, the carafes rinsed out. The doughnuts were long gone.

“Any chance you...?” His voice trailed off, his gaze drifting past her.

Lisa realized they were no longer alone. The wall with the lockers abutted the exit leading to the back alley. Now that the front door was locked, everyone would have to pass them to leave.

“Excuse me.” A nurse she’d met yesterday smiled as she ducked around her.

It took Lisa a moment to realize that she was blocking access to the lockers. “Sorry,” she said and stood closer to Daniel, so close that she was almost pressing into him.

It never occurred to her that he wouldn’t move back to give her room. Something that raised the brows of a watchful older woman dressed in pink scrubs.

“You were saying?” Lisa murmured.

Evidently their audience didn’t bother him because he was staring at her again, only this time he was up close and personal. She felt his warm breath on her cheek. Felt the heat from his body. The photocopy that she had in her purse didn’t do justice to the power of his smile. “I was wondering if—”

“Hey, Dr. Cassidy. You’re still here.” Hector from the reception desk stood at the doorway.

Daniel sighed and gave his head a small shake of frustration before looking at the man. “Need something?”

Lisa sighed, too. Why couldn’t everyone just go away? Couldn’t they tell that she was going to say yes to whatever Daniel was asking for? Probably dinner. Maybe more than dinner. But he couldn’t ask her with all the interruptions.

“I need a prescription.”

“Now?”

“It’s for Mr. Kennedy.”

Someone bumped into Lisa’s shoulder. She stumbled a step and her breast pressed into Daniel’s arm. He still didn’t move. And she refused to look him in the eye as she straightened. Her cell signaled a text and she was relieved to have someplace else to look.

It was Logan. He wanted the Trading Cards investigation wrapped up pronto. Her breath caught. How could she have forgotten the main reason she was there? Heather hadn’t turned down Dr. Cassidy yet, so it was hands-off until Lisa got the word.

She stepped farther back. “I’d better be going.”

“Yeah, I’ve got to...”

Neither of them moved.

“Will I see you tomorrow?” he asked.

Valeria, who wasn’t even pretending not to stare at them, had entered the lounge with a student doctor.

“Yes,” she said, hating his confused frown. But she couldn’t say anything more.

“Good,” he said. “Have a nice night.”

“You, too.”

“Yeah,” Valeria whispered as she walked toward the door. “You’re here to work, not flirt.”

4

LISA ROSE FROM the small table that doubled as a desk and place to eat, mostly takeout since her efficiency apartment had no kitchen to speak of. After making herself a cup of oolong tea, she returned to the laptop and read her report over one last time. While she had several pages of notes, she’d kept the write-up for Heather Norris brief and to the point. Basically, Lisa was giving the client exactly what she’d paid for: an overall picture of Daniel Cassidy, with a focus on his job and an estimate of his income.

Dr. Cassidy appears to be in excellent health. He’s a nonsmoker and there’s no evidence of addiction. He currently works as a full-time volunteer general practitioner at the Moss Street free clinic, Bronx, NY. His employment began three months ago, and there is no indication that he plans to change his situation in the near future.

Satisfied she’d met her obligation to their client, she hit Send. Just because she knew more about Daniel didn’t mean she was cheating Heather. The woman had never asked whether Dr. Cassidy had the ability to turn a woman’s knees to Jell-O with only a smile. Or that he had an intensely sexy stare that could result in a serious case of the shivers.

When Lisa hesitated to send a copy to Logan, she was forced to admit that maybe she’d come close to dipping a toe over the line. Only thing she could really do was move on by investigating Heather’s number two pick. Another doctor, this time a dermatologist who had a private practice in Midtown.

She unfolded the photocopy of Dr. Edward Fleming’s Hot Guys trading card. Lisa had looked into the dating club for herself. While it seemed completely legit with a slew of satisfied members, Lisa would’ve done the same thing as Heather and hired a PI to investigate her potential dates first.

Although not for the same reason as Heather. Ms. Norris had made no bones about the importance of the two doctors’ earnings. Lisa wanted to know everything she could about a man she’d want to date. Honestly, she didn’t really care about their income. She wanted safety. Someone she could trust.

But her own bitter experience had revealed that on a personal level her instincts were horribly flawed. The reminder of what her mistakes had cost had her shifting in her seat. Daniel appeared to meet all of her ideal man requirements, but clearly he had his own issues. There was a reason he wasn’t at the Neurological Center.

The last thing he needed was someone like her.

Her sigh sent Dr. Fleming’s paper flying off her desk. What a perfect metaphor for the mess she’d made of her life.

She retrieved the photocopy and focused on Edward Fleming. He was looking to date, his favorite restaurant was the Pure Thai Cookhouse in Hell’s Kitchen, his passion was flying and according to the woman who submitted his card, he was dependable and sweet.

That was the issue, though, wasn’t it? Lisa felt sure all the men on the cards sounded great, but there was no way to tell, really. It wasn’t cynicism. She knew firsthand that the people closest to you could turn out to be monsters. Tess had been her best friend, the one Lisa had trusted with all her heart. Tess’s uncanny ability to expose liars and cheaters and men with tempers should have raised a red flag, but it hadn’t.

She took a deep calming breath. Dwelling on Tess’s painful betrayal was counterproductive. More than that, it was damaging. The line between looking squarely at the truth and being sucked into an abyss of self-recrimination was very thin. She’d worked hard to move on, and she wasn’t going to blow it now.

Dr. Fleming’s name brought up a lot of hits on Google. His eponymous practice came up first. The site was professionally done, with plenty of quick-loading graphics of the before-and-after variety, testimonials and lots of advertisements for all the ways people could look younger. He was a real fan of Botox.

His bio read like a press release, so nothing to go on there. But he used LinkedIn, so...

Her email notification app beeped. Huh. Heather. She was out of town on business and Lisa hadn’t expected to hear back so soon. The response was short and to the point: Forget about Cassidy. He’s gorgeous, but a bleeding heart. Working for free? No thanks. Let’s move on to Dr. Fleming.

Lisa acknowledged the request professionally even though her heart was pounding and the stupid grin on her face felt weird. But she pulled herself together quickly. Daniel was no longer a person of interest as far as McCabe Security and Investigation was concerned, which meant...

No. She wouldn’t think about that yet. Heather was still their client, so Lisa went back to work.

Fleming looked more and more like the kind of man Heather wanted. He golfed. Co-owned a private plane. Belonged to a number of professional organizations and had dozens of connections listed on LinkedIn. In fact, the only mystery about Dr. Fleming was why he wasn’t married already.

Once again, she couldn’t be sure the information on the trading card was true. For either doctor.

She should call Cory, her friend from her old precinct.

At the thought her chest tightened. Calling him wasn’t something to take lightly. He would welcome the contact; she knew that. It was her ego that made the decision difficult.

She went back to work, making notes, clicking on website after website, until it was crystal clear that Dr. Edward Fleming appeared to be a perfect match for Heather. She’d be all over him. Lisa put his trading-card photocopy in her in-box while she pulled out Daniel’s.

She stared at his image, only mildly surprised at the butterflies in her tummy. Maybe that was reason enough to never show up at the clinic again. But really, if she kept her wits about her, did a bit more digging, why not have a one-night stand? Especially because she’d already met him. Gotten the scoop on him from his coworkers and patients. Besides, he didn’t really know who she was, thank God, because she couldn’t ethically set him straight without outing her client.

The moment she typed the final sentence of her report on Dr. Fleming, Lisa surrendered and turned her thoughts to Daniel. Half of her wanted to get that one-night-stand thing going. But the top half still had doubts. There were mysteries about the man. Was it his choice not to work at the Center run by his brother? Or was there a reason he wasn’t welcome to practice there? For all she knew, he could have a record. Be an addict. She’d met her fair share of people like him who started with energy drinks then moved on to ADD drugs and worse. Frankly, everything about Daniel made him seem too good to be true.

She really should call Cory.

Leaning back, Lisa went through a whole cycle of deep breathing while giving the matter serious consideration. Calling him was the logical next step. Logan never said a word, but he knew as well as she did that she had a wealth of investigative connections and useful tools at her disposal, and she hadn’t used any so far. Her own embarrassment wasn’t just crippling her; it impacted the business. With a deep exhalation, she made her decision. It was time to take another step on her road to recovery.

She remembered the phone number. Of course she did. She’d worked at the 36th Precinct for four years. Assuming things hadn’t changed too much since her resignation sixteen months ago, she should reach Detective Cory Riley.

“Detective Lisa McCabe.” Cory’s voice lowered, as if finding it difficult to believe it was really her. Perfectly understandable. She’d avoided everyone from the department for the past year. “Hey, kid, how ya doing?”

Kid. She smiled. While in the academy together, how many times had she reminded him she was a month older than he was. “Ah, you know, same shit, different day,” she said, the familiar banter coming more easily than she’d expected even as the reality that nothing was the same, would ever be the same, pressed on her chest like a fifty-pound weight. She wasn’t even a detective anymore. Being too trusting had lost her the right to that title. And after having worked so damn hard for it. Trying to make her mark in a good-old-boys network like the NYPD had been a monster of a hill to climb. “How about you?”

“Me? I’m okay. The wife got a kitten. My legs are shredded.” He paused and the sounds of the detective’s bull pen behind him brought tears to her eyes. “It’s been a long time,” he said, his voice softer. “God, I’m sorry about what happened. I know I should have called—”

“You did. I got your voice mails. It was me—I wasn’t ready...”

“I should’ve kept calling.”

“I just would’ve reported you for stalking.”

Cory laughed. “Yeah, you would,” he said, sounding more relaxed. “I can’t shake off what happened with Tess. It doesn’t seem real. How the hell could she have fooled us for so long?”

Lisa swallowed around the lump in her throat. “You mean me. She fooled me, Cory.”

“No,” he said after a short pause. “Tess Brouder fooled all of us, even the brass. I keep thinking about our academy days, trying to figure out if there’d been any clues that she was off her fucking rocker. But for the life of me, I can’t come up with anything. So, no, kid, you’re not alone.”

But Lisa was alone in this. It was sweet of Cory to want to soften the truth, but she’d trusted Tess with everything. Including access to all her personal documents.

“They’re still trying to figure out how she managed to bypass the precinct’s firewalls. Hacking the NYPD took some balls, that’s for sure.” Cory paused. “You ever get your credit straightened out?”

She didn’t want to continue this conversation. The panic attack building inside her wasn’t as bad as some, but with her inner voice screaming at her, the weight crushing her chest and now the shakes coming on... Rehashing the most painful betrayal of her life was torturous. No wonder she’d put this off for so long. “It’ll take years of rebuilding for me to get back my old credit rating, if I ever can. She really wiped me out.”

“Yeah, well, she can’t do any more damage now.”

Lisa briefly closed her eyes. That wasn’t entirely true. Tess’s death had robbed Lisa of finding the one thing she was desperate to know: Why? Why go to so much trouble when all she had to do was leave their shared apartment? They weren’t even working in the same precinct. And why bother with the other four victims. To try to mask that her primary target was Lisa?

“Cordova’s team is still working hard,” Cory said. “He knows it was an execution-style hit straight out of the Mafia rule book, but—”

“Nobody’s talking.” She knew how difficult it could be when a team ran into a roadblock. It would be old-fashioned police work that would net them their next clue, but that could take a hell of a long time.

“He’s sure they’ll get a break soon,” Cory said. “At least you got a copy of that flash drive.”

So had everyone else involved with the case. They were all privy to the intimate details of Lisa’s life and Tess’s utter contempt for her. Lisa hadn’t managed to read even half of the filth written about her. “Yeah—” Her damn throat closed up. She cleared it a couple of times. “Anyway, I’m actually calling to ask a favor. You think you could run a quick background check for me? Just, you know, priors, anything that stands out.”

“For you? No problem. I’ll get right on it and call you back.”

“Thanks, Cory. I’ll email you the name and address, and if you wouldn’t mind emailing me back, I’d appreciate it.” Damn it, he had to have heard the wobble in her voice.

“You’re missed around here, Lisa. Seriously. Just because that bitch was on some kind of vendetta doesn’t mean you weren’t a good cop. You didn’t ask for any of this.”

“I appreciate that.” She straightened in her chair. Pushed her trembling fingers through her hair and lied her ass off. “I’m doing great now as a PI. There’s a lot less paperwork, that’s for sure. Some of the clients are really interesting.”

Cory let out a big sigh and did her the great courtesy of getting off the phone quickly.

Before she did anything else, she emailed him the details. Thank God for spell-check. Once she hit Send, the reality of what she’d just done hit her. She’d guessed it would be bad, rekindling old connections, but that had been like ripping stitches from her tattered soul.

Somehow, she managed to log off the computer and shut it down. Then she got out the Jack Daniel’s. She was allowed exactly two fingers. No more. The last thing she needed was to add an addiction to her broken life. She just hoped two fingers would be enough.

* * *

DANIEL NEEDED TO do something fast. Working in the clinic while Lisa was in the building wasn’t working out so well. Not her fault. She certainly wasn’t in his way. But she was a distraction. He had questions. Too many for a woman he’d barely spoken to, and yet they’d kept him up far too late.

He couldn’t help wondering if she didn’t have to work. Temporarily unemployed? Maybe she worked at home, so coming to the clinic was a way to socialize. If he hadn’t interacted with her, he never would’ve considered she’d find volunteering at a free clinic rewarding. With her beauty and the cool reserve of a socialite, she looked more the fund-raiser type. Like his sister-in-law, for instance, only much prettier. He doubted Warren’s wife even knew how to file. But when she smiled and batted her lashes, men pulled out their checkbooks.

Forget being flirty. All Lisa would have to do was walk into the room. But somehow he couldn’t see her in that role.

And the staff seemed to like her. He didn’t really know the nurses or clerical personnel, but he overheard them chatting sometimes. They should’ve hated Lisa on sight. In his experience a woman that beautiful could stir up lots of trouble.

Also, she didn’t wear a ring. Or any jewelry, in fact. Just a watch. He hadn’t gotten a good look at it, so he had no idea if it was a street-vendor special or something from Tiffany & Co.

Her hair was different today. More casual. Straighter, with longish bangs that brushed her eyelashes. He liked it this way, and he liked that she looked so comfortable in a casual sweater and jeans.