Page 40 of Never Leave Me
Her nerves prickled. They knew way too much about her. Did they even know she’d returned early from her trip specifically to try to find holy water to cure Josie?
Dr. Lionel’s expression remained calm, but as before the coldness of his gray eyes sent a shiver of unease up her spine. Something about him warned that he would find a way to bend her will—whether she cooperated or not.
“All you need to do,” he continued, “is find the source of the holy water and give us a regular supply of it.”
Dr. Lionel made it sound so simple. Even so, she couldn’t—wouldn’t—help him. “You have to know I can’t agree to it. It wouldbe a betrayal to my dad and sister. Not to mention the abhorrent way you treated Lord Burlington last year—”
“You have no choice but to cooperate, Miss Creighton.” Dr. Lionel’s mouth pinched tight. “Only you have the power to save Josephine Ansley and the other children in your program. Without the ultimate cure, they will all perish. Sooner rather than later.”
Something in his words and expression caused Ellen’s blood to run cold. What if Dr. Lionel and his staff were behind what had happened to Josie? Had they infiltrated Serenity House and given the little girl a drug that sent her into life-threatening cardiac arrest?
No, Dr. Lionel wouldn’t have purposefully done such a thing. Would he?
Jasper dropped his attention to his coffee, refusing to meet her gaze, almost as though he was embarrassed to be part of the scheme.
“It would be a shame, Miss Creighton,” Dr. Lionel said, “that the children would have their lives cut even shorter. Children like Theo and Brittany and Mila.”
Those were three more who’d recently stayed at Serenity House. Yes, he was scheming to kill her children. She could see it in the depths of his soulless eyes.
“How dare you?” She jerked against her bindings, but the shackles only bit into her flesh. “They’re innocent and have enough problems. How could you even think about hurting them more?”
“The staff at Serenity House would be held suspect, as evidence all points to the commonality of their deaths.”
Her chest swelled with the need to scream out her frustration. But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing how much he was angering her. “You’re a monster. You’ll never get away with this.”
“On the other hand, if you supply me with water”—he said as if he hadn’t heard her—“you may still have time to save Josie.”
Time to save Josie. That’s why she’d returned from Saint Lucia. To save Josie by ingesting holy water residue, facilitating a brief connection with Marian, and asking for her sister to put more ampullae in the vault at Chesterfield Park. Since that didn’t appear to be a possibility at the moment, then maybe she had to consider falling into a coma and going completely back.
Dr. Lionel watched her face expectantly. He’d dropped the bait and was waiting for her to nibble. How could she not? What other choice did she have?
“Why me? Why not send Jasper?” She tossed a glare at the young scientist.
Dr. Lionel didn’t spare Jasper a glance. “With either your sister or father there to assist you, you’ll have a much greater chance of success.”
True. Marian would know where to find the holy water, which would save time and effort. And if Marian truly was alive, then Ellen would get to see her sister again. The possibility sent a shimmer of anticipation through her. “If I do this, how do I know you’ll let me have some of the holy water for Josie when I’m through?”
“The more water you find, the more we’ll have to go around.”
“How long before you wake me up from the coma?”
“It depends on how well you’re able to do.”
She’d never be able to trust a man like Dr. Lionel to give Josie the holy water. But maybe she could set aside some in the vault at Chesterfield Park, reserved specifically for the Serenity House children. Dr. Lionel wouldn’t have to know about it. And then Harrison could give it to Josie.
“I’ll expect your full collaboration, Miss Creighton,” Dr. Lionel added, as though reading her mind. “You must deliver the water to me and me alone in the spot I designate. Please don’t foolishly think you can get away with hiding it elsewhere for your own purposes.”
Or else. He didn’t say the words, but the threat hung over her, nonetheless. If she didn’t do exactly as he wanted, he’d carry through with harming the Serenity House children.
“If you resist my instructions in any way,” Dr. Lionel continued, “I am not sure I can guarantee Lord Burlington’s safety either.”
Was Dr. Lionel threatening to kidnap Harrison again? She couldn’t let him, couldn’t involve Harrison.
“What are the plans?” For now, she had to go along with his scheming. But surely she’d be able to figure out how to keep Josie and the other children alive and safe without helping Dr. Lionel.
Dr. Lionel returned to the desk and began stacking spreadsheets. “After studying more about the year 1382, the year your father picked, we’ve concluded that is truly the best time frame for collecting holy water.”
She wasn’t sure how Dr. Lionel had gleaned the secret information in the clues her dad had left for Marian. The scientist apparently had eyes and ears everywhere, people spying for him and providing information he needed.
