face flamed. “I’m simply representing the CDC to validate the accuracy of these tests.”
“I guess you’ll have to show up here again tomorrow, then—when the tests are completed.”
“She’ll be here, of course.” Dr. Gregory interrupted opportunely, “There are some papers Miss Patterson will have to sign tomorrow when a formal conclusion is reached. I assume we can expect to see you and Detective Stansky tomorrow, too, Detective Tomasini.” Not waiting for his response, Dr. Gregory extended his hand toward the two detectives in informal dismissal and said, “And thank you for your concern.”
Accepting his hand, Tomasini replied, “You’re welcome.” He nodded at Natalie briefly, his gaze almost palpable before he turned to his partner and said, “Let’s get out of here.”
Unable to bear the awkward conversation sure to follow the detectives’ departure, Natalie said, “If you don’t mind, I’ll leave, too.” She paused to add, “I just want to be sure you understand that my presence as an observer doesn’t indicate the CDC’s lack of confidence in anyone’s ability here. As Detective Tomasini pointed out so clearly, Dr. Gregory, your experience and expertise far outrank mine, and it isn’t my intention to pretend otherwise. If that was the impression I gave, I apologize.”
“My dear…” Responding with a smile that was truly generous, Dr. Ruberg spoke up for the first time, saying, “I think I speak for all of us when I say that we understand your position and the importance of the findings here. Don’t concern yourself. Everything is fine.”
Back in the hallway later, Natalie approached the exit, overwhelmed by the generosity of the treatment she’d received from the professional staff at the facility but seething at the obnoxious Detective Tomasini’s obvious objection to the necessity of her presence during the tests.
She didn’t like it.
She didn’t understand it.
She was presently helpless against it.
Damn! What had George gotten her into?
THE LAB SCENE behind them was still on Brady’s mind as he slid his car into Drive and took off from the curb, cutting off a silver Honda without looking back. The image of angry gray eyes remained with him, displacing the responsive blast of the Honda’s horn as he advanced through the traffic. It occurred to him in retrospect that Felicia, his very vocal former girlfriend, would say he had acted like a jerk back there at the lab.
He figured he had acted like an ass.
Brady shook his head. He supposed lack of sleep was partially to blame for his reaction to the CDC “expert,” but he knew that wasn’t entirely true. For some reason, Natalie Patterson had ticked him off. Maybe it was because he never had appreciated the just-graduated-from-college, know-it-all type she represented—the kind who thought everybody had to listen when she started talking. She had probably graduated from college with the idea that the world was waiting for her talents. Being hailed the U.S. expert on an unknown drug by an agency as renowned as the CDC had obviously given her an inflated sense of importance, if he were to judge from the way she watched the test and took every opportunity to caution a seasoned Ph.D. as if he were a novice.
Besides, he didn’t like the way she had tried to put him in his place.
Brady huffed. Good luck on that.
Brady screeched the car to a halt at the light, giving Joe the opportunity to say, “What was that all about, Brady?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You were pretty rough on that girl back there.”
“Rough on who?” Brady replied caustically, “The U.S. expert?”
“That’s what she looked like to me.”
“Not to me. She’s probably right out of school, and she’s already an expert on a drug that nobody else in the U.S. knew existed?” He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“What’s eating you?”
“Come on, you’re happily married, but you’re not dead. She’s a babe!”
“You’re saying good looks and brains are mutually exclusive?”
“She did her best to hide her looks, like she was trying to impress somebody with her brains.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Why the need to try to impress somebody?”
“What’s your point? Are you mad because she isn’t quite the four-eyed, middle-aged, lab-coated nerd you expected her to be?”
“She did her best to look like one.”
“You’re losing me, pal.”
“The last thing we need on this case is a pain-in-the-butt expert who’s trying to prove herself by sticking her nose into our investigation.”
“You’re crazy, you know that?” Joe paused, then said, “You look like hell, you know. How much sleep did you get last night?”
“Enough.”
Joe stared at him. “Look, I don’t know what’s got into you, but I’d say laying off that CDC girl would be a good idea. She’ll probably be back in Atlanta by the end of the week, anyway, and that’ll be the last we see of her.”
“Not soon enough, if you ask me.” Relenting in the face of his partner’s obvious disapproval, Brady said, “Look, none of this makes sense, Joe. Candoxine? Who ever heard of it? If it was confined exclusively to research purposes in a lab in England, how did it make its way out of that lab and here to this country? And what possible reason could somebody have for poisoning a family in Queens with it?”
Joe raised his brow speculatively. “I guess you’re assuming the test will come out positive tomorrow, then.”
“Everybody seemed to think so.”
“Then why the big speech about not jumping to conclusions?”
“I told you. That Natalie Patterson pissed me off.”
“Really? You usually don’t have that reaction to a hot little number like her.”
“Janie would like to hear you say that.”
“Come on! I’m just repeating what you said.”
“She didn’t look that good to me.”
“Sure.”
Ignoring his partner’s response, Brady said, “We’ve got a day’s reprieve before we can do anything on the case, anyway. I say we get something to eat and then try to clear up what we can on our desks. I need to get home on time tonight.”
“What for?”
“I’ve got things to do.”
“Oh? What’s her name? No, don’t tell me.” Stansky shook his head.
