Suddenly she felt overwhelmed with fatigue. But she didn’t dare take a nap like yesterday, in case it would be hours before she woke. Instead she showered, turning the water to cold before she finished. As she toweled off, she mentally prepped for the meeting with Rory, urging herself not to seem desperate like she had with Maggie. She winced at the memory of her grabbing Maggie’s wrist. This was a different situation, of course. Rory was coming to her. But she could sense that Rory was a reluctant witness and that she’d have to be careful not to frighten her off.
Lake made sure she was at the bar fifteen minutes early. She found a table toward the back, with a view of the door but away from the windows. It was too early for the first piano player of the evening, though people were already gathered at the bar, a few in groups. She ordered a glass of red wine and folded her hands on the table. Let this be something, she thought.
When Rory entered the bar, Lake almost didn’t recognize her. In her floral dress she looked far more pregnant than she did in her white uniform jacket. Her blond hair was wavy from the humidity and pinned back on one side with a barrette.
As she made her way to Lake’s table, Rory searched the room with her eyes and then looked behind her before sitting down.
“Are you sure no one will see us here?” she asked worriedly as she sat across from Lake
“I’m positive. Would you like something to drink?” Lake asked.
“Drink?” Rory exclaimed, her pale blue eyes widening. “But I’m pregnant.”
“I didn’t mean a drink drink. Do you want a soda-or a sparkling water?”
“No, nothing.”
It was clear Lake needed to cut to the chase.
“I really appreciate your coming, Rory,” she said. “Why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind.”
Rory looked behind her once more before speaking.
“Like I told you on the phone, I overheard Maggie and Chelsea talking. Maggie usually eats lunch at this one coffee shop and she always takes the full hour, but today she went out and came back in ten minutes with just a sandwich from a deli. I saw her go into the kitchen to get something to drink and she seemed sort of flustered. Chelsea was already in there and I started to go in there, too, but then I overheard them whispering. Maggie said that she’d run into you and that you told her that the real reason you were fired was because you’d discovered something bad going on at the clinic-in the lab in particular.”
“Did she tell Chelsea what it was?”
“Not that I heard. She just asked Chelsea if she thought it could be true, if Chelsea thought something weird might be going on. And Chelsea told her that you were just trash-talking out of revenge. Of course, I’m not sure how Chelsea would even know, one way or the other. She’s really not that smart.”
“As far as you know, did Maggie say anything to anyone else?”
“I doubt it. Chelsea’s the only one she’s really close to.” Rory ran her eyes over Lake’s face as if she were searching for something.
“Rory, look-”
“Is there really something going on at the clinic?” Rory asked, her eyes narrowed in worry.
“Yes, I think there may be,” Lake said. “A former patient told me she believes that the doctors implanted some of her embryos into another woman-without permission from either one of them.”
“Omigod,” Rory said, instinctively curling her arm around her rounded belly. “They-they could get in so much trouble for that.”
“Have you ever witnessed anything that would make you think that they’re guilty of that? On the phone you said that something funny had happened.”
“I did see something funny,” she said after a moment. “But I don’t know if it has anything to do with what you’re talking about.”
“But it might,” Lake urged. “Please tell me.”
Rory took her arm from her belly and folded her hands on the table. Her hands were large and strong, fitting her body, but also perfectly manicured-with peach-colored nails.
“When I first got pregnant I felt really awful,” Rory said. “I have no clue why they call it morning sickness because I was sick all day long. One afternoon I felt so bad I didn’t know how I was going to be able to get on the train to go home. So after I’d finished with the last patient, I decided to lie down in Dr. Kline’s office for a while-he’s got a little love seat in there. It was about five-thirty and I only planned to rest for a few minutes, but when I opened my eyes it was almost seven. I couldn’t believe it. I was afraid that everybody had left and I was locked in with the alarm on. I walked down to the reception area and all of a sudden I saw Dr. Hoss standing there with a man I’d never seen before. She seemed really uncomfortable when she noticed me-like I’d caught her at something.”
“Maybe it was someone she was dating-and she felt awkward?”
Rory glanced quickly behind her again.
“Well, he had a silver container with him,” she said, her voice hushed. “The kind that’s used to carry eggs.”
“Eggs?” Lake said.
“Yes. And embryos.”
“Was he delivering eggs?” Lake asked. “From a donor bank?”
Rory shook her head.
“I don’t think so. I think he was taking some away.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because I followed him.”
“Followed him?” Lake asked, surprised. “How did you manage that?”
“I left the clinic first. I could tell they didn’t want me there. But I waited down the street until the man came out. Like I said, the whole thing just seemed kind of funny to me, and I thought if I saw what kind of car or van he got into, it would help me figure it out. But he didn’t get into a car. He just started walking. I still felt a little sick, but I decided to follow behind. I knew he couldn’t be going very far because he had the cooler with him. And then just three blocks away he went into a townhouse. After about five minutes I went in and checked the name on the plaque. It said New Century Research.”
“So the eggs may have been donated for research? Isn’t that something the clinic does occasionally?”
“Some couples okay it but not very many. I certainly never would if I were in their situation. Besides, that’s not the name of a company the clinic deals with regularly. And, like I told you, there was something really funny about the way Dr. Hoss acted.”
Lake studied the table for a moment. It wasn’t the information she’d been hoping for, but it all might fit in. If the clinic had enough reckless disregard for someone’s embryos to implant them in another woman, they wouldn’t think twice about selling them for research.
But she needed evidence. She had to convince Rory to look through the patient charts. When she glanced back up, Rory was staring at her.
“Rory, I really appreciate your sharing this with me,” she said. “But now I need your help. Would you be willing to pull a few patient charts? I honestly think that the clinic is doing things that aren’t ethical, and the proof has got to be in the files.”
Rory shook her head quickly back and forth.
“Look, I told you what I know,” she said. “If there’s something weird going on, I want the doctors to be told they have to stop. But I don’t want to make trouble.”
“Please, hear me out, Rory,” Lake said. “First of all, innocent couples are being affected by this. Secondly, I think there are dangerous people at the clinic. A man tried to kill me last night-and I’m almost positive he was hired by a person at the clinic.”
“Kill you?” Rory said. She drew her body back, startled. “How?”
“He pulled a knife on me in a park. Fortunately I was able to get away.”