Bad Nerd Rising (21 page)

“That’s a relief.”

“Yes. Before you relax,
remember, she says she doesn’t
think
it’s impossible. She’s simply
not sure at this point what’s going on in your mother’s
brain.”

“What about the physical tests?”

“We haven’t gotten all of
those results back, and all Dr. Cleary is saying is that we might
need further tests.”

Aleksi dropped onto a lab
stool. “So there could be a problem physically?”

“Yes. I believe...” she
started, but broke off.

“What, Aunt Loletta?”

“I think we might be
dealing with a physical problem
and
a secret.”

His eyebrows rose as his
stomach sank. “A secret?”

“Yes. I think she kept
something from your father, and never told him, even when he was
dying.”

“Why would she do
so?”

“I don’t know. I do believe
she loved him very much, and I just wonder if whatever secret she
held might have hurt him rather than aided him, so that’s why she
never said anything.”

“She wouldn’t have said
something to hurt him. They were very careful of each other’s
feelings,” Aleksi said, thinking of his childhood. His parents had
enjoyed a close, loving, respectful relationship. Maybe not as
loving as say Graham and Maria, but a good marriage,
nonetheless.

“No, she wouldn’t have.
That is why I believe she’s held this secret so long. I wonder if
she’s torturing herself with this and everyone else around her is
suffering right along with her.”

“Always a possibility.
She’s been embarrassingly hostile. Especially to Tia,” he
said.

“Yes. I’ve heard some
pretty rude comments on that quarter, and I can’t imagine anyone
being as bad as she makes your Tia to be.”

“Mother doesn’t even know
her. Tia, who is an American, showed better manners and more grace
than my own mother who is supposed to be a princess.”

“I know. Gracia never gave
her a chance. That is also unlike your mother.”

Aleksi heaved a calming
breath and shoved a hand through his hair. “I don’t understand her
these days.”

“No, but I’m starting to suspect that your
father didn’t die from natural circumstances.”

“What?”

“I don’t think he was
murdered, but I am wondering if, like you’ve feared, there was
something in your wells that affected him badly enough, or poisoned
him, if you will, and that’s what killed him. And has changed your
mother into someone we don’t recognize.”

“You think the problem with
our wells effected Father enough that he died?”

“I suspect. I don’t know.
We might never know. But your mother’s behavior is decidedly
odd.”

“Yes. I thought she was
experiencing menopause.”

“She is nearly through
that. But it’s not entirely to blame.”

“I see.” He didn’t want to,
but he did understand. Aleksi remembered Tia’s media plate from
well twenty-six as his eyes rested on one of the incubators in the
lab.

“I’ll see what Tia says
about the wells maybe contributing to Father’s death. See if there
is a bacterium on one of the plates that could have killed
someone.”

“You’re not intending to give her the
details are you?” His aunt sounded alarmed.

“Of course not.”

“I thought...”

“You thought I’d tell her
family secrets? That would be a good idea, Aunt Loletta.
‘
Tia, let me tell you how messed up my
family is.
’” He heard the exasperation in
his voice.

“Sorry, love. I lost my
head for a moment there.”

“I want this woman to marry
me, why would I tell her things that would make her run in the
opposite direction?”

“An excellent question, of
course. You wouldn’t.”

“I should think not,” he
muttered and rubbed a hand over his face. “Will you phone me as
soon as you have these test results?”

“Of course.”

“Let’s hope the doctors
there can figure out what’s ailing Mother. I’d really like for Tia
to meet the real her.”

“There is a possibility she’s lost, you do
know that?”

His aunt’s voice sounded as
melancholy as he had ever heard.

“Yes, I do. But I’m willing
to believe the doctors there can help her.”

“I am hoping for the same.
If anyone can help her, these folks can.”

“Short of sending her to
the Mayo Clinic in America—” Aleksi started but his aunt’s snort
cut into his statement.

“Like that’s going to ever
happen.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“The Americans have excellent doctors, but
your mother isn’t about to set foot in that country.”

“Think an American might have something to
do with her secret?”

Silence.

“I don’t know.”

Something in her voice made
him frown. “What?”

“I’ve been toying with the
notion that
you
have something to do with her secret.”

Chapter
15

Tia finished the last of
her cheesecake as Aleksi re-entered the room. “Hello,” she said,
feeling absurdly shy.

She had just passionately
kissed this man, and she wanted to do it again. There was no reason
to be shy. Of course, his eyes were like pools of liquid chocolate.
Thick and sweet and rich.

Drowning in them was a definite
possibility.

Especially since she knew
what it was like to kiss him. She wanted to kiss him again. Wanted
to shove her fingers through those gorgeous curls again.

But something in his eyes
stopped her. They seemed...
sad
, maybe.

“Is something wrong?” She
tilted her head to the side, and watched him.

He straightened his jacket
before seating himself. She noticed he didn’t meet her eyes. “No,
why do you ask?”

“You seem sad, or upset,” she answered, not
sure if she believed him.

“I am fine.” But his smile
didn’t reach his eyes. He looked worried, and tired.

Not at all how he had
appeared when he left the room.

“You spoke with your aunt?”

“Yes.”

“Was she angry with you
for hanging up with Virulent Woman,”
oh,
don’t say that
, “I mean, with your
mother?”

This time his smile did
reach his eyes. “Virulent Woman, an apt phrase for my mother right
now. And no, Aunt Loletta was not upset with me. My mother has been
acting strangely, most unlike herself for a year.”

“She isn’t normally so...”
Tia bit her lip. How to say this nicely? “Hard to get along
with?”

“No. During my growing up
years, even two years ago, she was all that was refined, gracious,
and polite. It has only been in the last year that she’s turned
into someone we do not recognize.”

“And do you and your aunt believe that your
mother hasn’t been able to grieve properly?”

“Yes and no.”

She cocked an eyebrow,
encouraging him to elaborate. Tia noticed he didn’t pick up his
fork and finish his cheesecake. Instead, he sat across from her and
watched her, weighing each word he said carefully.

Why was that?

“Some of the tests from her
physical indicate she may require additional testing. My aunt is
worried there might be something both physically as well as
mentally with my mother.”

“What do you mean by mentally?”

“The grieving bit. My aunt
is concerned my mother is keeping secrets.”

“Ah, something’s eating
her, and she won’t allow herself to grieve for your father because
she feels guilty for not telling him something
important.”

He nodded. The lines around
his mouth didn’t relax though. Apparently this secret wasn’t only
eating his mother.

“Does this secret have to do with you?”

“We do not
know.”

“Ah, that’s tough.”

He nodded but didn’t comment.

“Tia, is there a
possibility one of those bacterium from well twenty-six could be
deadly?”

She blinked at the sudden
change in conversation as well as the intensity behind his
question. “I suppose so. Anything in great quantities can be
dangerous.”

“But you have not located a
bacterium from that plate in your tests,” he waved a hand toward
the lab, “that might have killed someone?”

“Aleksi, any bacteria can
kill if it grows out of control, or if the individual is allergic
to it.” Unfortunately, it appeared most of the bacteria she
suspected were on that plate were well known killers. But she
hadn’t verified that yet, so she didn’t want to commit to it, just
in case.

The lines around his mouth
deepened. “What if the person already had a weak heart?”

“The simplest things can kill someone who is
already weakened.”

“Do you think that well
might have killed someone?”

She hesitated. This was
tricky, untried ground. “It’s difficult to say. I’d be willing to
venture that well twenty-six made people ill. Definitely. And if
someone drank from it, it’d make them incredibly uncomfortable for
a time, if not downright sick.” How she hated questions like this
one.

“But it probably wouldn’t kill them?”

“I didn’t say that, because
someone who is immunocompromised... there is a high probability.
The problem is we don’t know exactly what’s in that well yet.
There’s no way to tell until we can further isolate the different
bacteria.”

“What do you mean by
further isolate?”

“We’re trying to make each
different bacterium grow specifically and individually. Meaning
that’s the only one growing on said plate or in said
tube.”

He nodded. “And the reason
for that is?”

“So we can identify each
species growing on the initial Petri dish.”

“This will indicate what
that well contains?”

“Yes. Once we know what’s
contaminating the well, we’ll know how to treat the affected
patients in addition to cleaning all the wells.”

“You will have to
treat
all
the
wells?”

“I hope not. But at least
we’ll know what is in each well.”

“Is this testing something we should be
doing regularly?”

“Yes. And for the most
part, you are. Your water personnel picked up that there was a
problem at the same time your doctors started seeing more
patients.”

“But we will have to change
our testing methods?”

She frowned. “I don’t know.
This might be an isolated incident. Then again it could be a
recurring problem. It’s still too soon to know.”

“We have been dealing with
this for nearly a month now. We grow impatient.”

“And rightfully so. But
we’ll figure it out, without cutting corners. If we rush through
this phase, we’ll make mistakes and more people could
suffer.”

“You are saying I need more
patience.”

She smiled at him. He
looked so cute all disgruntled like that. “Yes, that’s essentially
what I’m telling you.”

“Will you be able to tell if any of those
bacterium killed someone?”

“Perhaps with a skilled
physician who knew the individual well,” she prevaricated. Who did
he believe had been killed? Why did he want to believe that
individual had died from a bacterial infection? Had there been a
recent murder in Rurikstan?

Since no answers were forthcoming, Tia
glanced at his untouched plate. “Okay, a more important
question?”

“Yes?” His eyebrow soared
in the cutest way. If she didn’t find something to distract
herself,
fast
,
there’d be trouble. Of the six foot four variety plus her at five
foot ten. Visions of them entwined again circulated in her
brain.
Not good
.

“Are you planning to eat
that cheesecake?”

***

Strolling down the hall,
Aleksi was torn between shouting, punching the wall, or returning
to the comfort of Tia’s arms. But he reluctantly left the lab
because he could clearly see she had a stack of work ahead of her,
and he knew he couldn’t linger any longer.

Instead he turned in the
direction of his bedchamber. There he entered the closet and
selected athletic clothing. Right now, the safest way to work off
the tension and anger looping through his system was a good
workout. He tugged on a t-shirt before selecting a pair of running
shoes. If he didn’t rid himself of this restless energy, he was
likely to do something stupid.

As he was trying to court a
certain lady, stupidity didn’t fit into his game plan. He needed to
keep life simple. Only it was spiraling out of his control and he
hated when life did so.

The feeling of chaos and
tumult fought with his closely guarded self control and restraint.
So far, the chaos appeared to be winning, which only upped his
stress levels. He definitely needed to run off the
steam.