“Just some water, please.”
He grabbed a bottle and twisted off the cap before setting it in front of her. “Yeah, I hear dying can be dehydrating.”
She treated him to a slight smile then. “That’s what they say.”
His patience picked that moment to expire. He went from being supportive to being frustrated. The latter emotion he knew well in conjunction with Maura. “Look, I’m all for small talk but why don’t we skip to the part where you explain what’s going on?”
She took a long drink, drawing out the silence, then picked at the bottle’s label. “There was an explosion.”
“I know that much.”
She frowned at him. “Let me finish.”
With the shock gone, all he had left was the churning anger in his gut. “Your brother is sitting at his house drinking himself into a black oblivion while he mourns your death. So, forgive me if I’m confused why you’re here and not there. Why you’re anywhere, for that matter.”
Pain flashed across her face. “Dan.”
“Yeah, Maura. Dan.” Liam leaned down on his elbows until they were face-to-face. “You’re not the type who would let her brother worry for no reason. What is this?”
“I was in the building when it exploded.” She lifted her hand to stop him when he tried to butt in. “I … saw something.”
“What?”
“Dr. Hammer.”
Yeah, him. “I’m sorry about that, Maura.”
All emotion left her face. “For what?”
“You wanted to work for someone like Dr. Hammer for years and then achieved it. I know it meant a lot to you to get that job.” Liam stumbled over his words. He’d never been good at this emotional connection stuff. “This must be hard. You know, for you.”
Her mouth dropped open. “What are you talking about?”
“Your boss.”
“Yeah, and?”
“Haven’t you read a paper or seen the news?”
She pointed to the purple blotch on her cheek. “I’ve been busy.”
Doing what was the question. The same one Liam wanted to ask, but he’d ease up for now. “Your boss is gone.”
“As in?”
Oh, man. Why did he have to be the one to break this news? “The usual definition, I’m afraid.”
“I still don’t know what that means.” Her tone got testier the longer the conversation went on. It was almost hostile now.
Liam drew in a deep breath. There was no stopping now.
“He’s dead.” He enunciated each word, hoping that would help the message get through to her.
She shook her head hard enough to knock a few teeth loose. “No.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You’re wrong.”
“I am?”
“Where did you get your information about Dr. Hammer?”
Liam shrugged. “It’s in the paper.”
“Is my death in the paper?”
She had him there. “Well, yeah, but I was there when the police talked to Dan. They said Hammer’s research is also missing. The theory is that he was killed for it.”
“It’s my research, too.”
Liam ignored her outburst of ego. “They used some word I’ve never heard of to describe what you do.”
“Xenotransplantation.”
“It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie.”
“Hardly. We can transplant organs between animal species.” A new confidence filled her voice as she used her hands to act out the process. “The goal is to figure out how to grow human organs in animals and harvest them for transplants. It would eliminate the black market and organ shortages. We could offer even more than hope. We could give life.”
Make that a horror flick. “Are you kidding?”
“Of course not. One of the biggest impediments relates to the human immune system, but there are ways to account for that. Success would mean no more waiting on lists for transplants or depending on artificial devices. We’re talking about an epic breakthrough in the advancement of people’s health. The possibilities are breathtaking.”
He knew he had to put on the brakes before she gave him a full science lecture. “Anyway, the police thought you were collateral damage. That you happened to be in the building working at the wrong time.”
“How did they come to that conclusion?”
“They found a body. Thought it was you at first but it turned out to be male.”
Sadness pulled at the corners of her eyes. “Tom.”
“Who’s that?”
“The security guard.” She tucked her long hair behind her ear. “Okay, so they know it’s not me. What are they saying about the explosion and its cause now?”
This was not where Liam wanted the conversation to go. “They’re just asking some questions. Fishing. It doesn’t matter.”
She ripped off a long length of paper from around the bottle. “In other words, they’re blaming me.”
This is what happened when a guy dealt with a brainy woman. She had this angelic face and kissable mouth, but that didn’t hide the fact she was smarter than every adult around her by the time she hit the fourth grade. She didn’t miss a damn thing.
“That’s the new working theory,” he said.
“I didn’t.”
He wasn’t sure what to say to that since he still didn’t know what happened in that building, or what was going on in her head. “Okay.”
“And there’s one more thing you should know.”
“What’s that?”
“My boss isn’t dead.” She took a long drink. “But when I get my hands on him, he might be.”
A bottle of water
