Page 171 of Bad Blood

After a moment, he asks, “Have you talked to him?” His gaze moves over my shoulder to the door leading to the main floor. His eyebrows arch when he sees something, but I keep my focus on him.

“No.” I fidget while I stand there, fighting to maintain my composure.

“Is everything going well?”

“Yes.” This is what I need, so why does it feel so wrong?

“Nothing out of the ordinary?”

“Nope.” I find him staring.

“Why would he ask to change doctors, then? Any ideas?”

My heartbeat rages through my eardrums. This is not how I imagined this going. I try to formulate why Liam would have asked to change doctors since we didn’t get to that the other night, but my tongue is heavy and slathered in cotton.

“I told him I’d take him, although he should have been a referral from the beginning. If he wants to change providers, it’s none of my business. I just wanted to make sure it has nothing to do with you.”

“It doesn’t.” My voice feels small, emotion thickening as I clear my throat. I don’t want to give away what we have planned. “If Liam wants that, I would never hold him back.”

“He said it was personal. Do you have any ideas why he’d ask to change?”

The more I explore potential explanations, the more it doesn’t make sense. With the malpractice, my insistence on keeping Liam, and the treatment already being underway, it’s no wonder Kline’s suspicious.

“Because of the news broadcast.” The idea flits into my mind, and it’s an instant winner. I made a complete fool of myself on TV and may regret this later, but it is a reasonable motive for him to want to change. Yes, I’m totally throwing myself under the bus, and yes, the look on Kline’s face confirms it, but it’s the only thing that makes sense.

Kline rolls his shoulders back and flexes his jaw. But that’s all the reaction I get from him before he takes off down the hall without mentioning that he saw the recording and how I acted on live TV. “He has an infusion at nine. We’ll move forward with the dates you have outlined. I haven’t worked an ES case since your brother. This is why I suggested we do a referral, but it’s too late for that now.”

“I can help in any way you need,” I say, my desperation seeping into my words. I hope my lie sounds more convincing than I actually feel.

I will take Liam back, but this is one step in the direction I need things to go. There’s no way I’m going to let Kline have him and not keep a close eye on things. This really is the perfect plan. And with me staying involved, it won’t be at Liam’s expense. My paranoia has me convinced that Liam’s idea may be over the top, but I don’t think we have any other choice.

I step around him and pull the door open. Kline grabs my arm, pulling me to a standstill and offering me the chart in his hand.

It’s Liam’s.

I should have figured. I make my way toward the elevators, my head buried in the file. Everything is exactly as I had it before. One week for recovery after the chemo, a CT scan, and surgery. Kline hasn’t changed a thing.

“There’s one more thing.” Kline’s voice draws me to a stop, and I pull myself from the file, giving him my attention. “I can’t figure out why you think it’s okay to talk to the detectives behind my back.”

“Everyone has talked to the detectives,” I say with a dismissive roll of my eyes. I can feel the nurses and patients staring at us. I try to play off that I’m aware of his suspicion and jam my finger into the elevator call button. He stops next to me, and we stand in silence as we wait.

“But you’re a little more vested in this, aren’t you?” The doors slide open, and he steps onto the elevator.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I join him, lean against the back wall, and close my eyes. My heart thuds against my ribcage. Why did I agree to be with him alone?

“The lawsuit.”

My mind instantly goes to the murders. He has to realize that’s what this is about, but his lack of awareness of the situation has me second-guessing. Maybe Hudson was right, and they do have the wrong guy.

“I don’t know what you think you have, but you’ve got it all wrong.”

I bite back the tight sensation in my throat. “Why are you doing this?”

“I’m looking out for your best interest.”

“What happened to looking out for the best interest of our patients and coworkers?”

“That too.” He balls his hands into fists at his sides, flexing his fingers.

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