“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.”
“But maybe it was just someone trying to mug you.”
“I don’t think so. He followed me from where I’d gone to meet a former patient—who never showed, by the way. This guy seemed to know where I’d be. Plus, think about what happened to Dr. Keaton.”
She hated even saying Keaton’s name, but she needed to use whatever she could to elicit Rory’s help.
“Dr. Keaton?” Rory said, clearly shocked by the reference. “What do you mean?”
“I think—I’m wondering if he may have stumbled onto some of this information himself. It may be why he was killed.”