the most urgent ones, including one from a prospective client wondering why she hadn’t yet received a proposal from Lake, and then she just couldn’t concentrate any longer. Her assistant was due back next Wednesday, and she could help get things under control. But Lake couldn’t imagine how she’d function normally in front of her with everything that was going on. Plus, would Lake be putting her in danger?
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