A Doctor-Nurse Encounter. Carol Ericson

top, but Lacey didn’t know the menace that threatened her, and neither did Detective Chu. He had to keep her in the dark for her own safety.

      Could he protect her and his brother, too?

      “Oh, my God.” She covered her face with her hands. “How did Debbie die?”

      “She was strangled.” Detective Chu lifted the police tape and ushered Lacey through, her fingers tracing the bruise on her throat. “Let’s go in here to discuss this.”

      Nick followed them. He had to find out as much information as he could. Lacey’s life depended on it, and so did his brother’s.

      “What does he want? It can’t be the drugs.” Lacey paced the carpet, twisting her hands in front of her.

      “I’m not sure, but he’s definitely looking for something, and he’s desperate to find it. He tore apart Debbie’s house.”

      “I guess he didn’t find it in the appointment book.”

      Detective Chu looked up from his notes. “Appointment book?”

      Nick sucked in a breath. How far would this investigation go? How far could he let it go? He didn’t want any more people to suffer, but he didn’t want the cops to get any more leads. He had to do this on his own. If only Dr. Buonfoglio’s secrets had died with him, but someone out there believed at least one of his surgical nurses shared those secrets. And what about Lacey?

      He watched her as she told Chu everything she’d discovered today—the missing appointment book, Dr. B’s ransacked desk and the full inventory of drugs. She didn’t know anything, and Nick intended to keep it that way.

      “So I thought it was odd. If the guy wanted drugs, why did he smash everything? What’s he looking for?” She spread her arms wide.

      “Did the doctor have any enemies, any lawsuits going on? Any botched surgeries?” Chu tapped his notebook.

      Snapping his fingers, Nick said, “Sometimes a patient believes something went wrong with the surgery, but doesn’t have a case for a lawsuit. Cosmetic surgery is subjective in many instances. It could be a patient, dissatisfied with his surgery, trying to get something on him.”

      He wanted to steer Chu in as many wrong directions as possible. If he could just buy some time, he might be able to salvage the situation and protect everyone involved. Then he’d give the SFPD and the FBI just enough information to bring the killer—and those who hired him—to justice.

      “It must be someone who’s familiar with the office. How would he know about Debbie and where she lived?” Lacey stopped wearing a hole in the carpet and clutched her stomach. “He’s watching me, too.”

      “Someone’s watching you?” Chu asked.

      “The eyes.” She waved her arms. “The eyes on my car last night.” She turned to Nick. “You did bring that piece of paper back up to Detective Chu after I left last night, didn’t you?”

      Nick nodded. Even though he didn’t want to show those eyes to Chu, he’d given him the note.

      “I’m going to be sick.” Lacey’s creamy complexion turned a waxy white as she clutched her midsection.

      “Sit down.” Nick took one flailing arm and led Lacey to a chair. “I’ll get you some water.”

      As Nick filled a disposable cup from the water dispenser, Detective Chu said, “We don’t know that, Lacey. That paper with the eyes could’ve come from anyone. We don’t even know if those were supposed to be eyes.”

      She thanked Nick for the water and took a sip, the whiteness around her lips receding.

      “They looked like eyes to me, Detective.” She shook her head, her silky dark hair falling over one shoulder. “He plans to watch me just as he watched Debbie, like he’s probably watching Jill. Am I next?”

      “That depends on what you know, or what he thinks you know, and we’ve already contacted Jill Zombrotto to tell her to be careful.”

      “This is all just speculation.” Nick jumped up between Detective Chu and Lacey. He had to stop this line of questioning. “It could just be some nut job, a disgruntled patient or the relative of one. Maybe Dr. Buonfoglio gave some woman a younger face and a breast augmentation and she left her husband for the cabana boy. Now her husband’s taking it out on the doctor and searched the office to make it look like a burglary.”

      Detective Chu’s eyebrows shot up and Lacey’s jaw dropped as she stared at him. Okay, maybe he should back off, or he’d have Detective Chu investigating him. And he couldn’t have that. Ever.

      “I think you’re stretching it, Nick.” Lacey’s brow creased. “What did Jill have to say? Did she seem to think Dr. B had something to hide?” Lacey’s knee bounced up and down, the water sloshing over the side of the paper cup and onto her jeans.

      Chu’s lips twisted. “Actually, she had the same response as Dr. Marino—disgruntled patient.”

      Nick massaged the back of his neck. Either that nurse had an active imagination or she had as much to hide as he did.

      Detective Chu finished questioning Lacey, but she had nothing to add to the speculation.

      Nick’s pulse quickened when Chu asked her about the special patients who slipped in and out of the office incognito.

      “I don’t know much about them….” She stopped and smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand. “I forgot. The guy broke into Dr. B’s locked filing cabinet, the one that contained the files for those special patients.”

      The blood pounded in Nick’s ears as his heart hammered. He turned his back on Lacey and Chu and got some water, schooling the tension out of his tight face.

      Chu asked, “Was anything missing?”

      “Not that I could tell, but Deb…I mean Jill will have a better idea.”

      Closing his eyes, Nick gulped the water and then took in a deep breath. Even though Dr. Buonfoglio lived life on the edge, there was no way he’d keep sensitive files in a locked filing cabinet in his office. Why had he kept those records at all?

      “Can you do another search of Dr. Buonfoglio’s files to see if anything’s missing? We’ll have Ms. Zombrotto come into the office tomorrow and check out that filing cabinet. Maybe between the two of you, we can find out what this guy’s after.”

      “C-can you offer any protection, Detective Chu?”

      Lacey’s wide green eyes got wider, and her hands gripped the arms of the chair as if she was ready for takeoff. Nick’s gut twisted. Those bastards ruined lives, but he’d be damned if he’d let them touch anyone close to him again.

      “I’m afraid we don’t have the manpower for that.” He stuffed his notebook back in his pocket. “Just be aware of your surroundings. Get the security guard to escort you down to your car. Officer Bennett will be stationed outside the office until you and Ms. Zombrotto finish your search of the files.”

      Nick jumped to his feet. As if an unarmed security guard could protect her. He’d have to take his own measures. “If you’re ready to leave now, Lacey, I’ll walk you down.”

      Her gaze darted around the room, and she pressed her fingers to her temples. “I think I will leave now. I’ll come back in tomorrow when Jill’s here, and we can look through Dr. B’s stuff together.”

      After she locked her desk and gave Chu the inventory, they stepped into the hallway and Officer Bennett secured the door behind them.

      “Wait here while I check in with my office.” Nick held up his hand, and then jogged to his office.

      Zoe, his receptionist, looked up as he burst through the door. “Dr. Marino, are you coming back in? I canceled all your appointments.”

      “No, I’m not in to see patients,