Love Inspired Suspense January 2016, Box Set 2 of 2 by Christy Barritt

Author:Christy Barritt
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459295285
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

Dr. Cortas poured three cups of tea from a white china pot. Cole sat close to Deborah where she had perched herself on the couch, hands resting on her knees. Dr. Cortas offered them a piece of cake from a tray. They both waved him away. Cole looked around the tastefully decorated room with its gilt-edged mirrors on white walls. He felt as though he had been transported into an English historical drama rather than facing down a criminal doctor. He reached into his pocket and felt the small listening device nestled there. The leafy plant in the corner would provide a perfect hiding place.

“Dr. Cortas,” he said, leaning toward the leather chair where the middle-aged man sat. “You know why we’re here, right? So why not cut to the chase?”

Dr. Cortas looked pained. “I received a telephone call from a former colleague at Shoreline Medical Center last night.”

Cole was surprised. “Dr. Gorman?”

“Yes.”

Deborah was clearly surprised, also. “But Dr. Gorman told us he wanted our meeting to remain a secret. He was very anxious not to be associated with our investigation.”

Dr. Cortas widened his eyes. “Is that what I am?” he asked incredulously. “An investigation?”

“Absolutely,” Deborah replied. “I want answers from you. And I want the truth.”

Dr. Cortas put down his teacup on a table beside him. The china clinked on the glass top and Cole saw that the doctor’s hand was shaking.

“Dr. Gorman was a good friend of mine, and he felt uncomfortable about betraying my confidence,” Dr. Cortas said. “So he called to tell me about your meeting. I understand he told you everything about my history in Chicago, and about my research into cystic fibrosis.”

“We know all about Cyclone,” Cole said. “And the death of a young woman on your clinical trial.”

The doctor pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “Yes, I live with the guilt of her death every day of my life.”

“So why are you continuing to test Cyclone on the children in Harborcreek?” Deborah asked, her voice raised. “There are six children suffering the exact same symptoms that occurred in your clinical trial. Don’t try to tell me that’s a coincidence.”

“I would never do anything to harm an innocent child,” Dr. Cortas said, rising to stand. He leaned on the mantel. “I am not responsible for the renal failures of those children, but I agree that it’s not a coincidence.”

Cole was as confused as Deborah looked. “What exactly are you saying, Doctor? Are you telling us that somebody else is responsible?”

The doctor kept his back turned to them as he spoke, arms outstretched on the mantel. Cole could see his ashen face in the mirror. He looked pained as he spoke. “When I left Shoreline three months ago, I was devastated. I’d spent my whole professional career working on Cyclone and the FDA ruled that it must all be destroyed.” He held his hands in the air, fingers splayed. “My entire life’s work gone in a matter of minutes.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.