Page 38 of Secrets & Lies

“No, it’s imperative that I speak with him,” I blurted out.

“Without an appointment, there isn’t anything I can do for you. If you’d like to make one—” She trailed off as typing sounds filled the background.

“Look, this concerns an associate of his here in Seattle, Aleksandr King. My name is Kinsley Taylor, and I work with Dr. Robertson. We have Mr. King in intake here at the Psychiatry Unit of UW Medical Center. Samantha, I insist that he take my call. I’ll wait.” I spoke with authority, lying through my teeth.

“Please hold,” she said, her irritation showing through.

I waited for what seemed like forever. My steadfast resolve was breaking, and I was getting ready to hang up when she came back on the line.

“I’ll put you right through.”

My heart raced a mile a minute.

“Hello. Ms. Taylor, I presume?” a posh-sounding man with a deep, rich voice spoke. His accent sounded just like Aleksandr’s. His clipped tones held a sense of power and privilege.

“Dr. Marcel, I’m sorry I lied to your secretary. However, I need to speak with you about Aleksandr. Seeing as I live in Seattle and can’t make an appointment, it seemed like the best way for me to get your attention,” I explained.

A beat of silence passed, and I thought he might have hung up, but then his deep laugh chimed through the line.

“Impersonating a professional from a psychiatry unit seems a bit extreme,” he drawled.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures. I can assure you, it’s extremely important, and I’m 100 percent worried about your friend Aleksandr King.”

“Are you, now?”

“Yes. It was you or Mr. King, the diplomat, and he looks rather scary, if you don’t mind me saying. And, honestly, it would probably be impossible to get in to see him.”

“Very true. You would have to be vetted. That might take a while, but if you don’t mind me asking, what’s the emergency with Alek? I spoke to him last night, and he seemed fine to me. A little on the grumpy side, but that’s Alek for you.”

“Yes, well, as I’m sure you must know from your profession, those closest to us often miss the warning signs and the early cries for help,” I told him.

“Tell me something, Ms. Taylor. Have you gone to school for psychiatry?” He sounded amused.

“No, but I know crazy,” I said, and he chuckled.

“Are you suggesting that Alek is crazy?”

“It’s the truth. I encourage you to speak to his brothers.”

“I’ve spoken to all of them, and I’m beginning to feel concerned myself.”

“Thank god, someone finally gets it. So will you speak to the creeper?”

“Alek?”

“Yes, one and the same. Let me spell it out for you. A man by the name of Mr. Lenkov hired your friend Nikolai to investigate me. Now I’ve got Death confronting me at my job, following me, texting me, and harassing me. I’ve tried being polite and asking him to leave me alone. He doesn’t listen very well.” I picked at my pajama shorts, my nerves getting the best of me.

“I see,” he responded with amusement thick in his tone.

“Yes, then there was the complete fiasco the other night at the nightclub.” My mouth kept rambling uncontrollably.

“Really? Please go on.”

“This isn’t a joke. I’d like you to askDeathto stop following me, sticking his tongue down my throat, and showing up at my job. I’m not sure what he wants.”

My face flushed as I lied. I knew exactly what he wanted. It was in his eyes, and his pants, that night at the club.

“Death? I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a woman call him that before,” he mused.

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