Page 41 of Love and the Laws of Motion
“Yes?”The physician’s assistant was nice, a woman in her twenties with kind dark eyes and a brisk, but warm demeanor.“Do you have another question?”
“What caused it?”
“The blockages?Any number of factors can contribute to—”
“No, the actual attack.Why today?Could it be...would stress trigger it?Like, a fight?”
“A stressful situation can raise the blood pressure, and yes, it can precipitate an attack, if the underlying conditions are already present.Is that what you mean?”
“Yes, that’s it.”
“I’ll come give you another update when she’s out of surgery.”
“Thank you.”
So Janet’s heart had already been in trouble.But there was that fight with Langley.In her gut, Livie knew that’s what had brought this on.This was all his fault.
“What’s going on?”Nick asked when the physician’s assistant had left.“Why did you ask her that?”
Did she really want to tell Nick about this?If either of her sisters had been there—but they weren’t and he was, and theywerefriends.
“I heard something.Right before she collapsed.She was having this terrible fight with Professor Langley.I’ve never heard her sound like that before.”
“What were they fighting about?”
“Equipment.Langley wanted her to purchase some software for his research with the Skylight grant money.”
“I’m guessing that’s a violation of a hundred different policies.”
“It is.That’s what I told—”
“Who?”Nick urged when she trailed off.
“Peter Hockman.”
“Who is that?”
“He’s another PhD candidate in my class.He said something to me earlier today, about buying equipment.He seemed really angry about the grant.It was weird.”
Nick’s eyebrows furrowed in concern.“Weird how?”
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” she said, shaking her head.“Peter’s frustrated because his research with Langley isn’t getting as much attention as what I’m working on with Janet.”
“Did this guy threaten you or something?”
“No, no, it wasn’t like that.”Except it had kind of felt like a threat, hadn’t it?Peter had been trying to intimidate her before Michiko stepped in and put him in his place.It was odd, Peter making all those comments about their “windfall” at the same time Langley was pressuring Janet to buy him new equipment with her grant.
“Yeah, maybe, but you tell me if he hassles you again.”
Despite the tension of the situation, his glower made her laugh.“What are you going to do, Nick, beat him up for me?”
He smiled, a wicked smile that made her heart flip over.“Like I’d need to do that when I can ruin his life much more effectively from my keyboard.”
His criminal threatsreallyshouldn’t make her heart beat faster.“You wouldn’t do that, though.”
“I’m very resourceful.Promise me you’ll tell me if the guy gives you a hard time again.”
“Sure.”Although she was certain there’d be nothing else to tell.Peter was harmless.Michiko was right.He was just frustrated that his academic career wasn’t going as well as hers.She was sure of that.
