"Is Mom all right?" Natalie immediately asked. She scooted across the bed, put her face close to his and waited for her sister to respond.
"She's disoriented but not hurt. She was at her health club trying to get into the sauna while wearing street clothes, and someone on the staff called me. She refused to go back to the hospital, so I'm taking her home."
"We can be there in twenty minutes," Rick offered.
"I'd rather you stay put for an hour or two. I hate to sound rude, but it'll be easier for me to get her settled in if you're not there."
That was true—especially if Macy still believed that Natalie had tried to have her committed to a mental institution. Still, Rick wanted to be there so that Kitt wouldn't have to handle this alone.
"The doctor is on the way over to examine her," Kitt continued. "I'll make sure the place is secure. You've done the same for Natalie?"
"Of course."
"Good. Okay, here's what the PIs have learned, and that good news doesn't necessarily apply to this part. It's true about the upcoming investigation into the Cyrene Project. The feds informed Dr. Isabella Henderson and Dr. Benjamin of that less than a week ago."
So, that meant Dr. Benjamin had a motive for attempted murder. The stark look on Natalie's face was an indication that she'd realized this as well.
"According to the Justice Department agent who informed them, the doctors had a huge argument, and Isabella Henderson threatened Benjamin. It got very ugly."
Rick didn't doubt that. There was a lot at stake and not just reputations. Jail time was a possibility. Either one might be trying to cover their tracks.
"I'm thinking that one or both of them drugged us," Natalie explained. "And then one or both decided this baby shouldn't exist because it's evidence against them."
"That's what I was thinking, too," Kitt mumbled. "But there's more. The PI found out something else when he talked to the agent."
"What?" Rick asked when Kitt didn't automatically continue.
"The agent gave the PI the name of the person who tipped off the feds about the Cyrene Project. Brace yourself, Rick. It was your uncle, Carlton."
Chapter Thirteen
"I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to be out like this," Rick grumbled as he turned into the drive of her mother's estate.
Natalie heard him, but what she also noticed was that he wasn't pushing his grumbled complaint. He hadn't wanted her to go to her mother's house, but he also understood her need to see her mother, to make sure Macy was truly okay.
She in turn understood his need to make sure Carlton hadn't done something criminal. Natalie had already reassured Rick several times that Carlton wasn't a killer.
It hadn't helped.
Rick's plan was once they'd visited her mother, he would get one of the PIs to stay with Natalie while he had a little chat with his uncle.
Natalie figured that chat wouldn't be friendly.
"What the heck?" Rick mumbled, obviously noticing the cars parked in the circular drive of her mother's house. "That's Dr. Henderson's car."
"You're sure?" Natalie asked.
"Yeah. I saw it when she came to visit. What would she be doing here?"
"I have no idea. Macy and she know each other well, but other than the visit to the hospital Dr. Henderson's not in the habit of making social calls."
Of course, maybe this was an impromptu visit like the one Dr. Henderson had paid to Rick and her. Maybe the doctor was still on a mission to clear her name and point the proverbial finger at Dr. Benjamin.
But Natalie had another thought. Perhaps the doctor's motive wasn't so benign and she wanted to do Macy harm.
Natalie jumped out of the car the moment that Rick parked and hurried up the steps. Rick hurried as well and easily caught up with her.
The front door was locked—probably one of Kitt's security measures—so Natalie rang the bell and waited. Impatiently waited. That impatience and concern went up a notch when she heard the voices.
Loud voices.
The people inside were arguing.
It obviously alarmed Rick because he began to pound. Natalie was sure if Kitt hadn't opened it, that Rick would have kicked in the door.
"What's going on here?" Natalie immediately asked her sister.
Kitt scowled. "Chaos."
With that vague explanation, Rick pushed past her and headed toward those voices. Natalie and Kitt hurried behind him, and Natalie soon saw what her sister had meant by chaos. Her mother was in her sitting room, but she wasn't alone. She had three visitors.
Dr. Claude Benjamin.
Dr. Isabella Henderson.
And Carlton.
"Macy called them," Kitt explained, and her tone conveyed her displeasure. "She said it was time to get a few things straight. Personally, I think it's time for Rick to start banging some heads together so they'll all shut up."
"I agree," Rick growled. He stepped into the room, and he must have garnered their attention because everyone quit arguing.
The room went silent.
"You," Rick said, pointing to Dr. Benjamin, "are leaving—now. You can either walk out, or I'll toss you out. Your choice. Personally, I'm hoping you opt for the toss."
"I can't leave. Not until I make Macy understand."
"I understand perfectly," Macy insisted. "You're a scheming, lying monster who drugged my daughter so she'd become pregnant."
Dr. Benjamin walked toward Macy. "I did no such thing."
"Then it was your former partner," Macy continued, volleying fiery glances between both doctors. "And if I find out which one of you did it, there'll be hell to pay. Hear that? Hell."
Well, her mother certainly didn't seem drugged and disoriented, and despite the circumstances, that pleased Natalie.
"And that hell will apply to the person who was drugging Macy," Rick added. "Okay, who gets tossed first?"
And his glare included his uncle.
"I've had enough of this," Dr. Henderson snarled. "I'm warning all of you—you're looking at a lawsuit if you don't stop maligning my good name by linking it to this charlatan."
Isabella aimed a nasty glare at Claude Benjamin and headed for the door. Both Rick and Natalie watched to make sure she would indeed leave. Once she'd slammed the door behind her, they turned back to the other guests.
"I'm staying put," Carlton insisted. "We have to talk, and you know it."
Natalie knew that was true. Rick would no doubt need to hear the rationale for Carlton tipping off the feds. If Carlton's motive was to get Dr. Benjamin arrested, then it wasn't a bad thing.
She just wanted to know why he hadn't informed Rick sooner of what he'd done.
Why had Carlton kept it a secret?
"I have just one thing to say," Dr. Benjamin interjected into the tense silence. He looked at Natalie. "I would do nothing to hurt you. Nothing. You're like my own daughter, and I care for you."
That did nothing to reassure her he was innocent. In fact, Natalie couldn't believe a word he said.
"Time to go," Rick said, latching onto the man's arm.
Claude Benjamin didn't fight the manhandling, and he let Rick lead him to the door. But he didn't stay silent. He gave them one last parting shot. "Watch out for Troy and Dr. Henderson. They're dangerous."
Rick didn't even acknowledge the warning. He shoved the doctor outside, closed the door and double-locked it.
"Speaking of the devil, where is Troy?" Rick asked Macy.
She shook her head. "I don't know. I haven't seen him since he visited me in the hospital."
"Good. Keep it that way," Natalie insisted. "Mom, he may have been the person drugging you."
"Yes. That did occur to me—after the fact." She gave a weary sigh. "I trusted him, and he's a wolf in sheep's clothing, isn't he?" She didn't wait for them to confirm that. She spared all four of them a considering glance. "You obviously have things to discuss, and I'm exhausted. If you need me, I'll be in my room."
Kitt began to follow Macy, but Nat
alie caught onto her sister's arm and pulled her aside. "Can you check and make sure none of her vitamins and regular meds have been tampered with?" she whispered. "Maybe you'll be able to tell if the capsules have been opened and the contents replaced with something else."
Kitt nodded. "Sure. I'll flush them just in case Troy or whoever decided to continue their criminal activity. Now, if we can just figure out why someone would want to drug her."
Natalie could think of a reason, and it didn't necessarily involve Troy.
Dr. Benjamin could be responsible, because Macy was a vocal opponent of the Cyrene Project and this was his way of silencing her. Still, Troy could have done it simply to keep Macy under his control. Either way, her mother had become a pawn in a very dangerous game, and Natalie wasn't about to forget that. Someone would pay for what they'd done.
"Good luck," Kitt mumbled.
Natalie followed her sister's gaze to Rick and Carlton. Neither of them was saying a word, but their body language indicated they were posturing for a fight.
Great.
Just what she didn't need tonight.
"Thanks," Natalie answered, and she walked away from her sister so she could join Rick. She didn't want him to have to go through this alone—especially since Carlton's venom would almost certainly be aimed at her and not Rick.
"We learned that you're the one who contacted the authorities about the Cyrene Project," Rick said. "Why didn't you tell us you'd done that?"
There was a flash of anger in Carlton's eyes. "Because I didn't want anyone to know. Especially you," he stared at Natalie. "I'm still not convinced that you weren't in on this phase-two plan right from the beginning."
His accusation shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was. "You think I arranged to have Rick drugged so he'd sleep with me?"
"I don't think you turned down the idea when Dr. Benjamin came to you with it."
"Dr. Benjamin didn't come to Natalie or me with anything," Rick said, stepping between them. "Besides, if Natalie truly wanted a phase-two baby, all she had to do was ask Dr. Benjamin to pair her with another Cyrene Project male. She didn't need me."
"She wanted you. She still wants you."
Natalie couldn't refute that. After all, she'd confessed that to Rick less than an hour ago. But she could challenge that this was any of Carlton's business. "I don't intend to discuss my personal feelings with you."
"But I intend to ask you some questions," Rick insisted, staring at his uncle. "Did you start the fire at my shop?"
Carlton looked genuinely insulted. "I can't believe you'd ask me that."
"I can't believe you'd give me a reason to ask it, but you have. For whatever reason, you've decided to blame Natalie for everything that's happened. And you know what—I'm more than a little tired of that. So, how about an answer to my question—did you start the fire?"
"I'm not going to stand here and have you talk to me like that."
Rick stepped in front of his uncle when Carlton started to leave. "Did you start the fire?"
And Natalie held her breath. Before this conversation, before she'd seen Carlton's reaction, she'd been so certain that he was innocent. That he couldn't have possibly started the fire that nearly killed them.
But she wasn't so sure now.
"I had nothing to do with that fire," Carlton declared. But he dodged Rick's gaze, making Natalie wonder if it was an outright lie.
"Are you saying you've done nothing to Natalie and me?" Rick pressed. "Nothing other than make that call to the feds about the Cyrene Project?"
Carlton didn't answer. Nor did he look at either of them. He fixed his attention on the floor.
Oh, mercy.
For Rick's sake, she'd prayed that Carlton was innocent, but his behavior indicated otherwise.
"What did you do?" Rick demanded.
Carlton shifted his posture slightly, and he slowly met Rick's gaze. "I did you a favor. Or rather that's what I tried to do. I knew I had to do whatever it took to keep you away from Natalie."
Natalie felt her breath stall in her throat. "What do you mean?" she asked.
But Carlton didn't address her. He aimed his response at Rick. "I mean that I spoke to David while he was in the hospital. While he lay dying in the emergency room. And I told him that Natalie and you had to stay away from each other. That if you two got together it would continue this sick Cyrene Project. David agreed. He understood what I was asking him to do, and he did it."
Rick took a step toward his uncle and got right in his face. "What did you ask him to do?"
Carlton stared defiantly into Rick's eyes. "I wanted David to make you swear that you'd never get involved with Natalie. And that's exactly what he did."
* * *
RICK DIDN'T KNOW who was more surprised by Carlton's revelation: Natalie or him. For Rick, the surprise lasted several moments.
And then the anger kicked in.
"Let me get this straight—it wasn't David's idea for Natalie and me to stay apart?"
"No," Carlton readily admitted. "In fact, David decided to kill himself so that he'd clear the way for the two of you."
Natalie walked toward Carlton. Or rather she stormed toward him. "You orchestrated that deathbed promise?"
"Of course. And I did it for your own good. If you'd gotten together and had a child, it would have become Dr. Benjamin's medical experiment. He would have used your child to plan a phrase three and four and so on and so on. It wouldn't have stopped, and it had to stop. Can't you see how much misery the Cyrene Project has caused? Natalie, your parents were miserable. Rick's, too."
"That didn't mean Natalie and I would have the same fate," Rick pointed out. "Yet, you decided to play God, just like Dr. Benjamin. Now, tell me, how does that make you any different from him?"
"I have your best interests at heart. He doesn't. He merely sees you as his own personal science experiments." Carlton cursed under his breath. "And now, he's got his wish. That baby growing inside you is the abomination that he's worked thirty years to achieve."
Rick hadn't thought his anger could reach any higher, but he was wrong. Natalie caught onto his arm, probably because she feared he was about to launch himself at his uncle.
And he was.
"Carlton, it's time for you to leave," Natalie instructed.
"I will, but my warning still stands. Don't get involved with Rick. If you do, Dr. Benjamin wins."
"This is about winning?" Rick snapped. He eased Natalie aside so he could face his uncle.
"Not just about winning. But about letting a man like Benjamin have his way. He thinks he can run over people, and he can't. Show him that he can't."
"At the moment, how I feel about Dr. Benjamin is a lot more charitable than how I feel about you," Rick informed him. "Natalie was right. It's time for you to go."
Carlton opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he stopped and shook his head. He hurried out the door.
Rick took a moment to get his teeth unclenched so he could speak. "I need you to ask Kitt for the number of the PI she hired."
"Why?" Natalie asked. She studied his face, probably trying to make sure that he was all right. He was. For the most part. But it might take him a lifetime to get over the anger he felt for what Carlton had done. It was a betrayal of the worst sort. Because he'd loved and trusted the man.
"Because I want someone to follow Carlton."
She continued to study him. "You think that's necessary?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
Natalie didn't disagree. Which meant she'd come to the same conclusion.
Carlton couldn't be trusted.
Rick cursed softly. How could he have been so wrong about his own uncle? Better yet—why had Carlton felt it his duty to become his protector?
Natalie went upstairs to get the number from Kitt, and Rick checked the front drive to make sure their trio of guests had actually left the premises. They had. The only vehicle parked in front was Natalie's car.
Rick went to
the bar and poured himself a single shot of whiskey. He took it in one gulp. It didn't help clear his head as he'd hoped it would do, but then that was asking a lot of even good whiskey. Natalie and he had just been delivered yet another blow, and they'd learned that a death-bed promise they'd made was basically a sham. Orchestrated by the one person that he thought was on his side.
No amount of whiskey was going to make that easier to accept.
Natalie came into the room and immediately noted the empty shot glass. "Are you okay?"
"Sure," he lied. "You?"
"Just fine."
The corner of his mouth lifted so he could let her know that her lie wasn't very good.
"We'll get through this," she added, and she handed him a yellow sticky note. "That's the number for the PI, but Kitt's calling him now. She said she'll instruct him to put a tail on Carlton."
Good. Because Rick didn't want his uncle within fifty miles of Natalie. Even if Carlton wasn't the person trying to kill them, Rick didn't want Natalie or his child exposed to that kind of bigotry and warped thinking.
Rick slipped the number into his pocket. "Does Kitt need us to stay here tonight?"
Natalie shook her head. "No. In fact, she thinks it'll be best if we go back to my house. The doctor's on the way, and Kitt's going to ask that Macy be given a mild sedative to help her sleep."
At least someone would be sleeping tonight, but Rick didn't think that would extend to him. His mind was racing with everything he'd learned and with how he was going to come to terms with it.
He slipped his arm around Natalie's waist to get her moving toward the door. With luck, he'd be able to get her to rest. With luck. Of course, Natalie had the same issues to deal with as he did.
They made their way out the door and down the steps. Rick heard the sound.
A snap.
He saw the shadowy figure step out from the side of the house, and Rick automatically pushed Natalie behind him.
"What—" But she didn't finish. Probably because it wasn't necessary. She followed his gaze and saw what had prompted his response.
It was Troy.
"I've been waiting to talk to you," Troy greeted. He stayed in the shadows, but Rick didn't need to see his face to know that the man was furious. Rick could hear that fury in his voice.
Covert Conception Page 13
