his secretary to tell her he’d be late, but didn’t tell her why.”
Fisk shook his head. “Lisa, you know that doesn’t make sense. Matthew must have heard what’s happened. He must know that the media have stormed the citadel. Why the hell isn’t he here? Why the hell hasn’t he called?”
“I don’t know.” Edmond was right. Matthew had left her a message, but that had been early in the morning. Again she asked herself where he was now. For the first time, she felt a stab of fear.
“He’s been preoccupied lately, have you noticed?” Fisk said. “Something’s been bothering him. Do you know what?”
She heard concern in his voice and considered telling him. But Matthew hadn’t confided in Fisk. He’d said not to tell anyone. Not even Sam. “No. I’m sorry.” She met his eyes but flushed under his intense gaze. Her cheeks were warm.
“You’re keeping something from me. Lisa. Why? You know how much I care about Matthew. He’s like a son to me, and to Georgia.”
She believed him. “Edmond, I wish I could help you.” That much was true.
He reached over and clasped her hand in both of his. “They’re saying Matthew knew that the charges against the clinic were about to be exposed. That he’s responsible for the wrongdoings and fled to escape arrest.”
“That’s insane!” She tried yanking her hand away, but he held on tightly. “You don’t believe that, do you, Edmond?”
“I don’t want to believe it. Lisa. But where is he?”
“I don’t know" His eyes were like drills, she thought, boring into her.
Finally he nodded. “Matthew may be unable to come forward because something terrible has happened to him. Or else he’s run away, leaving us to deal with a disaster he’s created.” Fisk paused. “First and foremost, I pray to God he’s safe. I think you believe that.”
“Yes, of course.”
“If he’s done something wrong, if he’s acted out of desperation, I’m not saying I wouldn’t be disappointed, even angry. I’d feel betrayed. But I’d try to understand, Lisa,” he said gently. “I’d try to help him. I can’t help him if he’s run away.”
She almost told him, he sounded so forlorn. But she’d promised. “Matthew hasn’t done anything wrong, Edmond. And he hasn’t run away. I’d stake my life on that.” Which meant something terrible had happened to him. Her chest felt hollow; her eyes smarted. She blinked back tears.
“I hope you’re right.” Pisk sighed and released her hand. His gait seemed heavier as he returned to his desk and resumed his seat. “Tomorrow a reporter from Minute by Minute is coming. If Matthew hasn’t appeared by then—and I pray that isn’t so—I want you to take her around. Show her that we have nothing to hide, that what these ‘unnamed sources’ suggest is impossible.”
The last thing Lisa wanted was to deal with the media. “What about Sam Davidson? Or Ted Cantrell? They’ve been with the clinic far longer than I have.”
“If I’d wanted Davidson or Cantrell, I would have asked them.” Fisk sighed again. “I know that sounded testy, but to tell you the truth, I’m disappointed in you, Lisa, and hurt. I thought you could trust me.”
“Believe me, Edmond—”
He held up his hand. “Don’t make it worse.” He swiveled back and forth, then stopped the chair. “You have patients waiting, don’t you?”
She had never been a good liar. She would be married to Asher if she’d been willing to live a lie, as her mother
and father had urged her, begged her. The same lie they’d lived with for twenty years. The lie her mother had confessed to her, in tears, two weeks before the wedding.
Lisa—she was Aliza then—knew something was wrong. She overheard her parents, who never raised their voices to her or to each other, arguing behind the door to their bedroom. She saw them sneaking glances at her when they thought she wasn’t looking. “Tell her!” she overheard her father say one night.
Fisk shook his head. “Lisa, you know that doesn’t make sense. Matthew must have heard what’s happened. He must know that the media have stormed the citadel. Why the hell isn’t he here? Why the hell hasn’t he called?”
“I don’t know.” Edmond was right. Matthew had left her a message, but that had been early in the morning. Again she asked herself where he was now. For the first time, she felt a stab of fear.
“He’s been preoccupied lately, have you noticed?” Fisk said. “Something’s been bothering him. Do you know what?”
She heard concern in his voice and considered telling him. But Matthew hadn’t confided in Fisk. He’d said not to tell anyone. Not even Sam. “No. I’m sorry.” She met his eyes but flushed under his intense gaze. Her cheeks were warm.
“You’re keeping something from me. Lisa. Why? You know how much I care about Matthew. He’s like a son to me, and to Georgia.”
She believed him. “Edmond, I wish I could help you.” That much was true.
He reached over and clasped her hand in both of his. “They’re saying Matthew knew that the charges against the clinic were about to be exposed. That he’s responsible for the wrongdoings and fled to escape arrest.”
“That’s insane!” She tried yanking her hand away, but he held on tightly. “You don’t believe that, do you, Edmond?”
“I don’t want to believe it. Lisa. But where is he?”
“I don’t know" His eyes were like drills, she thought, boring into her.
Finally he nodded. “Matthew may be unable to come forward because something terrible has happened to him. Or else he’s run away, leaving us to deal with a disaster he’s created.” Fisk paused. “First and foremost, I pray to God he’s safe. I think you believe that.”
“Yes, of course.”
“If he’s done something wrong, if he’s acted out of desperation, I’m not saying I wouldn’t be disappointed, even angry. I’d feel betrayed. But I’d try to understand, Lisa,” he said gently. “I’d try to help him. I can’t help him if he’s run away.”
She almost told him, he sounded so forlorn. But she’d promised. “Matthew hasn’t done anything wrong, Edmond. And he hasn’t run away. I’d stake my life on that.” Which meant something terrible had happened to him. Her chest felt hollow; her eyes smarted. She blinked back tears.
“I hope you’re right.” Pisk sighed and released her hand. His gait seemed heavier as he returned to his desk and resumed his seat. “Tomorrow a reporter from Minute by Minute is coming. If Matthew hasn’t appeared by then—and I pray that isn’t so—I want you to take her around. Show her that we have nothing to hide, that what these ‘unnamed sources’ suggest is impossible.”
The last thing Lisa wanted was to deal with the media. “What about Sam Davidson? Or Ted Cantrell? They’ve been with the clinic far longer than I have.”
“If I’d wanted Davidson or Cantrell, I would have asked them.” Fisk sighed again. “I know that sounded testy, but to tell you the truth, I’m disappointed in you, Lisa, and hurt. I thought you could trust me.”
“Believe me, Edmond—”
He held up his hand. “Don’t make it worse.” He swiveled back and forth, then stopped the chair. “You have patients waiting, don’t you?”
She had never been a good liar. She would be married to Asher if she’d been willing to live a lie, as her mother
and father had urged her, begged her. The same lie they’d lived with for twenty years. The lie her mother had confessed to her, in tears, two weeks before the wedding.
Lisa—she was Aliza then—knew something was wrong. She overheard her parents, who never raised their voices to her or to each other, arguing behind the door to their bedroom. She saw them sneaking glances at her when they thought she wasn’t looking. “Tell her!” she overheard her father say one night.
Similar Books
