The Lives Between Us (49 page)

* * *

The drive to the hospital was tense as Skye refused to answer any of Mark’s questions. Expression guarded, Edward met them in the hall outside the ICU. Instead of their usual grins and warm handshakes, the men faced each other like opponents facing off.

“What’s going on?” Mark asked.

Edward studied Mark as if trying to gauge what he knew, then looked at Skye.

“I haven’t told him anything. I’ve been waiting for you to get back to me. Like you said you would.” Resentment sharpened her words.

Edward spun on his heel. “Let’s go where we can talk.”

He led them to the elevator, up a floor and then through the doctor’s lounge into a private conference room. Skye marveled that nobody stopped or questioned their march though the private domain of the doctor’s lounge. Edward rolled two chairs away from the round table, indicating for them to sit. He leaned against the table and faced them.

Mark looked from her to Edward. “One of you want to tell me what’s going on?”

Skye stared pointedly at Edward.

Edward gripped the table on either side of his hips. “Several weeks ago, Skye and her friend, Jenny Grant, informed me of some unethical and potentially illegal activities that affect you, me, and Noelle.”

Mark looked at her. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“I convinced her not to,” Edward broke in. “Skye wanted to, but I persuaded her and Jenny to give me a little time to investigate before talking with you.” He looked Mark in the eye. “And then I avoided all contact with them while hustling Noelle’s surgery through before you could stop it.”

“Oh, Edward.” Skye drooped in her seat.

Mark frowned. “Why would I stop it? I was the one pushing for it.”

Edward held Mark’s gaze, steady and serious. “Because there’s a strong likelihood that the donor stem cells came from embryos. Noelle’s neurons were probably grown from embryonic stem cells—from your lab.”

“
My
lab?” Mark’s eyebrows shot up. “The only ESCs we had were worthless cells for diabetes research, and we destroyed that line. We just got a new line from MSU. There wouldn’t have been time to grow the neurons.”

Skye reached out and took Mark’s hand as Edward explained all that they’d figured out.

Mark leaned back and crossed a leg over his knee. “So you think Eileen bought black market embryos?”

They nodded.

“Where’d she get the money?”

“I don’t know. You’ll have to go over the company’s books,” Edward said.

Mark looked at Skye, hurt shadowing his eyes. “You couldn’t trust me with this?”

“I made her wait,” Edward said. “Blame me, not her. I knew once you found out about the ESCs, you’d stop Noelle’s surgery.”

Mark stiffened. “You don’t know that—hell,
I
don’t even know that.” He rose and poked Edward in the shoulder. “You had no right.”

Edward slowly pushed off the table and nodded. “I know. But I couldn’t take the risk you’d stop the surgery.” He thrust his hands deep in his pant pockets. “At first, I didn’t believe it. It’s such a ridiculous situation. Then as the truth settled in, I was sick to my stomach.” He let out a deep breath. “I debated long and hard before doing what I did, knowing I’d have to live with this stain on my soul for the rest of my life.” He raised his gaze. “It’ll just have to join my other black marks.”

He looked directly at Skye during the confession, knowing she’d understand his reference. This wasn’t the first time he’d inadvertently taken a life to save a woman he loved.

His attention shifted to Mark. “By the time I found out, the damage had been done; the embryos killed and their stem cells used in phase two. The neurons were growing. Nothing I could do, but make their deaths mean something.” He shrugged. “At least that’s how I rationalized it.”

Though Edward’s dark eyes were shadowed with regret, his jaw and tight features spoke to his determination. “Noelle’s so much better. I wasn’t about to deny her this final step.”

Skye marveled at Edward’s total commitment and resolve. In spite of everything, he’d intentionally used ESCs—
connived
to use the stem cells that would make him a hypocrite. He looked exhausted, yet unwavering. The decision undoubtedly cost him, but it was a price he willingly paid.

Mark turned on Edward. “But it wasn’t only your decision. It was Noelle’s. And mine.”

Edward inclined his head. “True. But I couldn’t chance your making the wrong decision. So, I did it. Now we can sit here and argue all day about the morality of what I did, or figure a way out of this mess. As I see it, we still have two problems.” He ticked them off on slim fingers. “What do we do about Eileen, and two, how do we keep Noelle from finding out?”

“You’re kidding right? She’s
gonna
find out. And when she does...” Mark raised his eyebrows and poked an index finger at Edward. “She’s gonna kill you.”

Edward shook his head. “She won’t. She can’t ever find out.”

Mark reared back his head. “Let’s see, who knows about this? Eileen, you, me, and Skye.”

“And...” Skye winced. “Jenny. Jenny put it together first.”

“Another reporter. Great.” Mark pivoted toward her and then back toward Edward. “And you think Noelle’s
not
gonna find out?”

Edward pinched his bottom lip as he thought. “You have as much, if not more, at stake here than I do. So you keeping silent shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Gee, thanks.” Mark scowled.

Never mind Mark was loyal to the core
.

He turned to Skye. “Skye loves you, so she’s got plenty of reasons to keep our secret.” He bit his lip. “So as I see it, the only real wildcards are Jenny Grant and Eileen.”

“We can trust Jenny. She won’t say anything if the rest of us don’t,” Skye offered. “It’s not like you did anything illegal.”

Edward waved a dismissing hand. “Eileen’s clearly the primary threat.”

“Okay, fine.” Mark held out a hand and pursed his lips. “Let’s say, by some miracle, we managed to pull it off, and Noelle never finds out what went down.” He looked his best friend in the eye. “You can live with that? You can spend the rest of you life, knowing that a lie of that magnitude stands between you and your wife?”

“As long as she’s alive.” Edward met and held his gaze, nodding. “Absolutely.”

“And if she dies?”

“If she dies, I know I tried everything, and it was God’s will. I can live with what I did, but it was
my
decision, and I will not have Noelle tormented by my judgment call.”

And Eileen’s deception—let’s not forget her part in this
.

Edward was prepared to live with his decision, but at what cost? He’s a very principled man. Would going against his convictions and taking a life to save his wife’s eat away at him, destroying him over time or would her improved health be enough for Edward? Could he really live with this lie of omission between them?

Good Lord. How many secrets could one man keep before the deceptions broke him?

Skye had no problem keeping this confidence—but only because she didn’t believe an embryo that couldn’t live without a womb was a life. It’d be a different thing altogether if she had to sacrifice a living, breathing human being for that of a loved one. That death could easily eat her soul.

Mark considered his response for a few seconds. “Well... Okay.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “First thing we need to do is check the books for missing money and verify origins of the line used on Noelle.”

“And how’re we gonna do that?” Edward asked. “You can tell the difference between an ESC and a CBSC?”

“Nope.” Mark stood and headed for the door. “But I know someone who can.”

Ten o’clock that night, Mark let Edward, Skye, and his sister Serena in Aviva’s back door. They strode through the hallway, two-by-two, the men leading the women. Mark glanced behind and saw the ladies’ heads close together, whispering. This was the first he’d introduced Skye to his family. What could they be whispering about?

At the front near the reception area, Mark went to let the guard know they were here. Carl looked like a pugnacious bulldog but had the heart of a gentle golden retriever. He’d been with Aviva as long as Mark could remember. His dad befriended the older gentleman at his last job, and Carl worked for them ever since.

“Hey Carl, how’s it going?”

Carl turned down his jazz music and swiveled away from the monitor’s view of the parking lot. “Fine, Mark. Well, hello there, Miss Serena Sue.” His wrinkles deepened in a warm smile. “How’s your Dad?”

“He’s great. Loving his work in Singapore, and Mom’s loving the museums and malls. How’s your granddaughter?”

“Still the apple of my eye.” The older man beamed. “Just lovin’ college, that one is. Tell your Papa hello for me next time you speak with him.”

“Will do.”

“So what’re you kids doin’ here this time of night?”

“Serena needed a few things from the lab.” Mark stuck a hand in his pocket, striving to look casual. “Didn’t see any cars in the parking lot. Quiet night?”

He really didn’t want to run into Eileen or any of her researchers. They kept pretty regular hours, but it wasn’t unusual for someone to put in some oddball hours if the work required it.

Carl rocked back in his chair. “Well... Dr. Warren was here a while back, but nobody here now besides us.”

“Right. I’ll let you know when we leave.”

Carl looked beyond Mark at the waiting three. “Want me to sign them in?”

“No need.” Mark turned away.

“Uh... Okay. Since they’re with you...” His voice faded as they walked away and headed toward the chart alcove.

Mark sifted through the green ‘H’ charts looking for Noelle’s. “Not here.”

“Since she had surgery today, it’s probably in Eileen’s office,” Serena said.

Mark spun on his heel. “Let’s go.”

On the second floor next to the lab, Mark tried Eileen’s door. “Locked.”

“Surprise,” Serena said. “Want me to ask Carl to open it?”

“And what excuse could you
possibly
give Carl for needing to get into Eileen’s office?” Sometimes Serena was so obtuse. “I’ll get a master code from my office. Be right back.”

Mark jogged down the hallway and through the exit door.

Skye leaned against the wall and studied Edward and Serena. Edward stood with his arm crossed over his chest staring at the ground while Serena tried the lock again. Nobody seemed inclined to talk, so Skye kept quiet. In a couple of minutes, breathing hard, Mark was back. A quick card swipe and four-digit code, and they were in. He entered the office, and they all crowded in the doorway after him.

Skye felt so sneaky and wrong. Legally, Edward probably had a right to read his wife’s chart, so they weren’t
really
doing anything wrong, but she was still uneasy.

Mark sifted through the piles of papers on her desk. He frowned and pursed his lips. “Ed, you check the credenza while I go through the file cabinet.” Mark tugged on the drawer. “Bingo. Locked.”

Serena searched the desk drawers, and Skye felt around the back of the file cabinet looking for a hidden key. That’s where her mom used to hide her keys. Hands on hips, Skye faced Mark. “Now what?”

Mark stared at the file cabinet. “Now we find a way to break the lock.”

“That’s subtle. A detail-oriented perfectionist like Eileen will never notice you broke into her file cabinet,” Serena rolled her eyes.

“Who cares if she finds out?” Mark started opening and closing desk drawers, coming away with a letter opener.

“Then why not just call and ask her where the file is?”

“Shh,” Skye scolded the bickering siblings. “The guard’s going to hear you.”

Mark glared at his sister but lowered his voice. He bent to examine the lock, then wedged the blade of the opener in the seam and tried to pry it open. “As long as we get the proof, the gig’s up.”

Serena’s eyes turned big. “The ‘gig’s up?’ Did you
really
just say, the ‘gig’s up?’” She chuckled. “You’ve been watching too many Perry Mason reruns.”

Mark turned his attention away from the lock to send his sister a foul look. “Shut up and help us figure out how to break in.”

Serena rested her butt against Eileen’s desk and raised her eyebrows in an innocent expression. “Why not just take out your ‘piece’ and blow it off?”

Skye smothered a grin. She just might like Mark’s sister. Serena was cool under pressure and had a great sense of humor.

Mark’s scowl deepened. “Real helpful.”

“So it’s okay if Carl catches us in Eileen’s locked office breaking into her locked file cabinet?” Serena crossed her arms. “Great,
you
can explain it to Dad.”

“Shut the F up.” Mark tossed the bent letter opener in the garbage and latched his hands on his hips, no doubt to keep from strangling his sister.

Skye definitely liked Serena.

“The file’s not really even proof,” Edward said as his frowning gaze skimmed the room. “Technically we need a smoking gun to implicate her.”

Spoken like a true attorney
. “Meaning?”

“Meaning we have to find the embryonic cells in the lab and then prove that those match the ones in Noelle’s spine.”

“Without Noelle or her doctor ever finding out why she’s having another spinal tap to get the stem cells,” Skye said.

The sooner they found the file, the sooner they could leave this office. Skye picked up a nail file from Eileen’s desk and inserted it in the keyhole. Maybe it’s as easy as picking her sister’s bedroom door had been. Or not. The lock didn’t give an iota.

Edward nodded as his gaze continued to scan the room. “Exactly.”

Skye narrowed her eyes and visually scrutinize the room. Where to hide a key? She slid open one of the framed pictures lining the credenza. The back was labeled, ‘Oliver’s b-day 10/9/88’. “Handsome guy.” She showed it to Serena. “Eileen’s son?”

She craned her head. “Oliver. Her only child. Her husband died about five years ago—cancer.” Serena straightened. “Oh, ho.”

“Find it?” Mark asked.