Athena Force: Books 1-6

by Justine Davis, Amy J. Fetzer, Katherine Garbera, Meredith Fletcher, Catherine Mann

  Kayla arched an eyebrow in question.

  “The doctor’s father was said to have been in excellent health. Whatever got him came on suddenly, then took its time eating away at his existence.”

  “Cancer?” Kayla suggested.

  He flared his hands in a your-guess-is-as-good-as-mine gesture. “That’s just it. They don’t know. She had his body flown back here for an autopsy but found nothing. Things just slowed down and eventually ceased to function.”

  Kayla didn’t respond. But her gut was tied in a thousand knots. All along she had felt as if someone were one step ahead of her in this investigation. How far were the powers that be in this ugly business willing to go to stop her—to stop all the Cassandras—from learning the truth? It seemed impossible that the cover-up could be so damned big.

  And yet, on some level, she knew it was.

  Deborah Halburg looked to be about forty. Tall, slim, hair more gray than blond, she had a pleasant face. One that spoke of deep concern for others…maybe too much. The lines etching the corners of her mouth and eyes proclaimed a weariness that likely had more to do with her father’s death than with her profession.

  “I was so sorry to hear of Rainy’s death,” she said as they settled around the massive cherry desk in her office. The office was large, each wall lined with either book-filled shelves or sprawling windows. “Such a waste. She was quite healthy and determined to have children.” She shook her head. “I’m sure she is missed in numerous circles.”

  Hadden took the lead in the conversation, seeming to sense Kayla’s struggle to balance her emotions at the moment. “You’ve been seeing Ms. Carrington for some time?” He took out a pen and small notepad similar to the one Kayla carried for interviews.

  “Almost two years.” Deborah Halburg frowned. “I can’t believe someone broke in here and took her records.” Her gaze shifted from Hadden to Kayla and back. “Nothing like this has ever happened before.” Her gaze narrowed. “Is there something about Rainy’s accident that you’re leaving out?”

  “We don’t know all the answers yet,” Kayla said, picking up on the doctor’s developing uneasiness. “That’s why we’re here. We need to know all we can about those last few weeks of Rainy’s life.”

  Halburg nodded. “I see. Well, I can tell you that Rainy Carrington was as fit as any woman her age can hope to be. A few months before her death I discovered some scarring on her ovaries that appeared to be the cause of her inability to conceive.”

  Kayla held her breath, hoping against hope that something would click here. She desperately needed answers.

  “Was this scarring recent?” Hadden asked.

  Kayla didn’t look at him but she knew he was attempting to tie the problem to Rainy’s time at Athena. Apparently he wasn’t willing to let go on the doubts Shannon Conner had cast over the school. She couldn’t let him make that connection just yet. Not until she had proof of what really happened.

  The doctor shook her head. “It looked like it developed over time, from when Rainy hit puberty. Ovaries are smooth until the onset of puberty. After that, they become atretic, or scarred and distorted from repeated ovulations. Sometimes the scarring is serious enough to cause fertility problems. It’s not too common, but does happen in a certain percentage of women. At first I thought that Rainy was one of them. We did some ultrasounds, though, and I noticed that her scars looked as if they could have been caused by fertility treatments. But Rainy said she’d never had any.”

  Halburg looked at them consideringly. “Given the circumstances of her accident, I will tell you that the ultrasound also revealed something that was very upsetting to Rainy. She seemed shocked to learn that her appendix was still in place. I questioned her about it, but she didn’t want to discuss the issue further.”

  “Did you feel she was depressed or angry?”

  Kayla had to grit her teeth to hold back the words she wanted to hurl at Hadden. He hadn’t known Rainy. How could he even hint that her mental state might be a factor in the accident?

  Her anger deflated when she considered that his not knowing Rainy was the very reason he asked. She was the one who needed to pull her objectivity back together here. Losing her focus wouldn’t help Rainy.

  Dr. Halburg clasped her hands in her lap as she continued, “I believe she was stunned and angry. Who wouldn’t be? She wanted children. With the severity of the scarring, that most likely wasn’t going to happen. At least, not naturally.”

  “What can you tell us about the scarring? Your theories?” Hadden pressed.

  “Clearly she’d had a surgical procedure as a teenager. She had a scar on the abdomen that looked like a typical appendix scar. With the appendix intact I can only assume that it was an exploratory surgery of some sort. My first thought when I discovered the scarring was chronic infection. That happens with some women, but considering Rainy’s insistence that she’d never had any such infection, I would have to say that some sort of surgical procedure caused the damage.”

  “Like egg mining,” Kayla suggested, seeing no point in avoiding the subject.

  Halburg didn’t look startled by the suggestion. “The usual term is harvesting. That’s possible. However, the harvesting procedure is generally reserved for in vitro fertilization and the like. There just wouldn’t be much reason to perform it on a teen. And in my opinion, no skilled surgeon would do the kind of damage I noted on Rainy’s ovaries.” She heaved a sigh. “But to be quite frank, I can’t think of any other procedure that would have caused this particular damage.”

  “You and Rainy discussed this possibility.” Kayla felt reasonably certain that the doctor’s conclusions had led Rainy to research the egg mining. Harvesting.

  “Of course. Two, possibly three months before her death. In fact I referred Rainy to a specialist who I hoped might be able to salvage any remaining eggs.”

  “Do you know if she contacted that specialist?” This from Hadden.

  Halburg shook her head. “She didn’t. I touched base with him after I returned and found out about her accident. It was a courtesy call since I’d contacted him previously regarding her case and my referral. He said he’d never heard from her.”

  Kayla stood. She’d heard enough. She extended her hand. “Thank you, Dr. Halburg. I hope you’ll let us know if you think of anything else that might be useful.”

  Deborah Halburg reached for Kayla’s hand and shook it, her movements slowed by uncertainty or distraction.

  Hadden pushed to his feet and offered his hand next since Kayla had left him no choice. “I’ll be in contact if we have additional questions.”

  Halburg’s words haunted Kayla all the way back to Athens. Hadden had made up some lame excuse for their investigation but Kayla had a feeling Halburg wasn’t buying it.

  Everything the doctor had said reinforced what Kayla, Alex, and the others already believed. Rainy had figured out what had been done to her all those years ago and she’d delved into her own past to determine how and why. Her search for the truth had exposed her knowledge to the wrong person, setting off a chain reaction that resulted in her murder.

  Kayla’s heart wrenched painfully.

  To her way of thinking that could mean only one thing—this was way, way bigger than mere egg mining. Someone had something enormous to hide. As much as she prayed it had nothing to do with Athena Academy, it looked more and more as if at least one member of the school’s personnel was involved.

  Christine’s admission about catching Dr. Carl Bradford looking through the files came immediately to mind. Bradford seemed likely to have been involved in some kind of wrongdoing. Betsy Stone might know for certain. After all, she’d probably given him access. With Christine’s confession, Kayla had the right kind of ammunition to go after the nurse the way she wanted to. Betsy Stone had better get her story straight damned fast because Kayla wasn’t going to let her off the hook so easily anymore. Stone was about to find out just how dogged Kayla could be.

  “Your friend knew w
hat had been done to her,” Hadden said, his voice sounding loud after nearly two hours of silence.

  He was digging.

  “Apparently.” Kayla wasn’t going to give him anything more than what she already had. Not yet.

  “I suppose that’s why she called her friends together for that promise you told me about.”

  She shifted in the seat, wishing they would get to her house so she could say good-night and be rid of him.

  Kayla told herself over and over that she simply didn’t want to answer his questions. But it was a lie. She wanted away from him, period. He made her tense. Made her uncomfortable. At this point he didn’t even have to flash her that awesome smile. His mere presence prompted a reaction from her. That sexy male scent.

  Bad, bad, bad.

  “That would be my guess,” she relinquished, knowing that to ignore him would only raise his suspicions.

  She resisted the urge to power the window down or to hold her breath. When had her senses latched onto his scent and become so sensitive? That natural male essence combined with something subtle and vaguely citrusy nagged at her.

  Her gaze kept wandering back to the steering wheel and his hands. She’d never really been a hands kind of girl. Sure, she noticed them. Big ones, small ones, dirty and well manicured. It was part of her job to notice things about suspects. But this was different. She wanted to study Hadden’s. In the dim light from the dashboard she could see that his hands were big and square, but not too much so. Long fingers, not the delicate, artistic sort. Nope, those fingers were strong and capable-looking, blunt-tipped. She could imagine how they would feel skimming her body. A shiver of heat slid through her.

  She looked away in hopes of distracting herself but it didn’t work. He’d touched her once or twice and she’d noted that his skin felt nice. Though his hands were hard and male, the texture wasn’t rough. Pleasant and smooth, warm.

  Her eyes rolled so far back in her head at her ridiculous thoughts that she would surely have seen her brain had it not been missing in action.

  Okay, he was a good-looking guy. Get over it. He was also the detective who thought Marshall was a criminal! She had to remember that. Thinking badly of her friends definitely lowered his standing. Or it should, for Christ’s sake.

  Kayla shook off the bizarre lapses in her mental processes and focused on the dark night outside the passenger side window. It was past seven already. She hated missing out on that time with Jazz. But it couldn’t be helped.

  She’d have to do something special with her this weekend to make up for her recent extra-long hours. The curse of motherhood. One always felt intensely guilty even about the little things.

  But time was precious. She’d learned that the hard way with Rainy’s death as well as her grandmother’s. No one was promised tomorrow. Better to make the best of today.

  Hadden parked in her drive behind her Jeep. He sat there for a moment in the darkness not saying anything. The tension vibrating between them was palpable. She should speak up and get the parting comments over with before he had a chance to spill what was on his mind. He probably had more questions about Rainy.

  He might as well forget it. She wasn’t telling him any more than she already had.

  “We have to talk about this.”

  Too late. Dammit. What was it about him that made her hesitate that single instant too long?

  Kayla turned to him. His profile was just visible in the straining glow of her porch light. “What’s to talk about? I’ve told you all I can.” It wasn’t an outright lie, but close.

  He laughed softly. “I know this is seriously out of line, but I wasn’t referring to the case.”

  Confusion snapped her mouth shut, the smart-ass remark she’d intended to toss at him evaporating.

  Hadden turned to her, his new position combined with the sparse illumination displaying his best features in an even sexier way. God, he looked good in the dark. Her heart thumped anxiously. How long had it been since she’d sat this close, looked this deeply at a man in the near darkness? Stakeouts with her partner didn’t count.

  “Maybe I’m alone in this.” He trailed a finger down her cheek. “But I have to get it out in the open.”

  Her pulse leapt. Between the heat and the shiver his touch elicited, she was losing ground fast here. But she couldn’t do this. Not now. Maybe not ever. There were too many obstacles to overcome. Jazz had to be her first priority. And there was Jazz’s father. Not to mention Kayla’s career and determination not to get involved with the wrong man ever again.

  “I like you, Kayla,” he said when she remained mute. “I can’t keep pretending it’s only mutual respect. I’ve been fighting the desire to get to know you better since the day we first met.” He chuckled. “I drove all the way from Tucson to have time alone with you in the car.”

  She almost laughed at that. She remembered quite well the day they met. Marshall Carrington and David Gracelyn, Allison’s brother, were at each other’s throats. Rainy had just died. Things had been so confusing and emotional. But she had to admit that she’d noticed a number of Hadden’s assets that very day herself. At least she hadn’t been alone in her momentary insanity.

  But, she had to get real here. Mike expected a call from her tonight and she hadn’t even talked to Jazz yet. Wasn’t even sure what she would say. And then there was the invitation to Athena for her daughter. Too much to deal with already. And there was that little detail that she couldn’t be completely honest with Hadden. That was no way to start off a relationship.

  No matter how badly she wanted to have at least a physical relationship with him. Incredibly, for the first time in a very long time she felt ready to dive in. Her body quivered then tensed at just the thought of making love with Hadden. He would be good. Thorough, focused. She could very well imagine that his careful attention to detail on the job would carry through to his personal ventures. Need welled inside her. But it would be a mistake.

  “O…kay,” he said slowly, drawing out the syllables. “Clearly I’ve overstepped my bounds here.”

  Kayla managed a smile. She didn’t know how. “It’s okay. I…” What did she say? Hey, I’d love to have sex with you but I have real issues. Big-time baggage. Maybe you’d better rethink your position.

  He faced forward, drawing back emotionally. “I’m glad we finally caught up with Dr. Halburg.”

  So…that was that.

  “Yeah, me too.” She reached for the door. “Thanks for the ride, Hadden. I’ll see you around.”

  “Definitely.”

  Kayla got out of the car and watched him drive away. She tried to analyze the feelings that lingered. A mixture of regret and trampled hope. Why did relationships have to be so complicated?

  Who knew?

  Yet another mystery she doubted she would ever solve.

  She trudged up to her door, unlocked it and went inside. She’d call Mary and give her a heads-up that she was on her way. Maybe then she’d call Alex with an update.

  Her sister Mary insisted that Kayla either come over and have dinner with them or give Jazz another forty-five minutes to do so. Kayla agreed to the latter since she could use the time to touch base with Alex. The real point was to avoid almost an hour in her sister’s presence. Mary would pick up on her worries immediately. Kayla just wasn’t ready to talk about any of it.

  Alex answered on the second ring. Kayla had worried that she might be away on assignment or out with Justin. Those two were definitely getting closer. Good for Alex. At least one of them was headed for a decent relationship with a great guy.

  It felt good to hear Alex’s voice. How had they gone the past twelve years without this connection? It was still a little shaky but it was there.

  “Is everything okay?”

  Like Mary, Alex had noted the slightest change in the nuances of Kayla’s voice. Damn. Could she not hide anything?

  “I’ve just had an emotional day. That’s all,” she admitted in hopes of defusing the unwanted atten
tion. “I finally caught up with Dr. Halburg.”

  “Did you learn anything new? Does she keep a backup for her files?”

  “No backup files.” Kayla answered the simplest question first. She held the phone between her ear and shoulder as she put on a pot of coffee to brew. This was going to be a long night. “She did say that Rainy had suspected her eggs had been harvested and that she was doing some research on the subject.”

  “Were her conclusions the same as mine and the medical examiner’s?”

  “Close enough.” Kayla pressed the start button on the coffeemaker and took the phone back in hand. “She recommended Rainy see a specialist for further testing to see if any eggs could be salvaged from the damaged ovaries, but Rainy never contacted the guy.”

  Alex made a speculative sound.

  “That tells me,” Kayla offered, “that she was too focused on finding out how and why this happened to her. We both know how badly she wanted children. That she would put her investigation ahead of that desire says a lot.”

  “I agree.”

  The silence dragged on a couple dozen seconds as the scent of strong coffee filled Kayla’s kitchen. Apparently her attempts at alleviating her friend’s concern hadn’t worked.

  “Has something else happened, Kayla?” Alex sighed. “I wish you’d tell me. I know we let the past get in the way for a while, but I want to put that behind us now. Talk to me.”

  Kayla sagged against the counter as her eyes closed with brimming emotion. She and Alex had been slowly inching toward this point since Rainy’s death. But it wasn’t until this moment that she felt like it was real.

  “Mike Bridges showed up at my door this afternoon,” she admitted, hoping like hell that the mention of his name wouldn’t set back their forward momentum.

  “He finally wants to be involved,” Alex guessed, her tone leaving no question as to how she still felt about Mike Bridges. Most likely she’d heard about Josie’s experience with him as well.