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expert on an unknown drug by an agency as renowned as the CDC had obviously given her an inflated sense of importance, if he were to judge from the way she watched the test and took every opportunity to caution a seasoned Ph.D. as if he were a novice.

      Besides, he didn’t like the way she had tried to put him in his place.

      Brady huffed. Good luck on that.

      Brady screeched the car to a halt at the light, giving Joe the opportunity to say, “What was that all about, Brady?”

      “What are you talking about?”

      “You were pretty rough on that girl back there.”

      “Rough on who?” Brady replied caustically, “The U.S. expert?”

      “That’s what she looked like to me.”

      “Not to me. She’s probably right out of school, and she’s already an expert on a drug that nobody else in the U.S. knew existed?” He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

      “What’s eating you?”

      “Come on, you’re happily married, but you’re not dead. She’s a babe!”

      “You’re saying good looks and brains are mutually exclusive?”

      “She did her best to hide her looks, like she was trying to impress somebody with her brains.”

      “What’s wrong with that?”

      “Why the need to try to impress somebody?”

      “What’s your point? Are you mad because she isn’t quite the four-eyed, middle-aged, lab-coated nerd you expected her to be?”

      “She did her best to look like one.”

      “You’re losing me, pal.”

      “The last thing we need on this case is a pain-in-the-butt expert who’s trying to prove herself by sticking her nose into our investigation.”

      “You’re crazy, you know that?” Joe paused, then said, “You look like hell, you know. How much sleep did you get last night?”

      “Enough.”

      Joe stared at him. “Look, I don’t know what’s got into you, but I’d say laying off that CDC girl would be a good idea. She’ll probably be back in Atlanta by the end of the week, anyway, and that’ll be the last we see of her.”

      “Not soon enough, if you ask me.” Relenting in the face of his partner’s obvious disapproval, Brady said, “Look, none of this makes sense, Joe. Candoxine? Who ever heard of it? If it was confined exclusively to research purposes in a lab in England, how did it make its way out of that lab and here to this country? And what possible reason could somebody have for poisoning a family in Queens with it?”

      Joe raised his brow speculatively. “I guess you’re assuming the test will come out positive tomorrow, then.”

      “Everybody seemed to think so.”

      “Then why the big speech about not jumping to conclusions?”

      “I told you. That Natalie Patterson pissed me off.”

      “Really? You usually don’t have that reaction to a hot little number like her.”

      “Janie would like to hear you say that.”

      “Come on! I’m just repeating what you said.”

      “She didn’t look that good to me.”

      “Sure.”

      Ignoring his partner’s response, Brady said, “We’ve got a day’s reprieve before we can do anything on the case, anyway. I say we get something to eat and then try to clear up what we can on our desks. I need to get home on time tonight.”

      “What for?”

      “I’ve got things to do.”

      “Oh? What’s her name? No, don’t tell me.” Stansky shook his head. “Just tell her to let you get some sleep for a change.”

      Yeah, sure. He forgot. He was supposed to be a stud.

      Brady slipped the car into Drive and took off from the light with a screech of his wheels that set Joe to cursing.

      Chapter Two

      “The results are conclusive. The liver specimens test positive for Candoxine.”

      Natalie glanced around the lab at the gathering of smiling faces as Dr. Gregory made his pronouncement. She had awakened in her hotel room that morning and had dressed conservatively in a sober brown suit that she believed made her appear older and, she hoped, more credible, yet doubts had assailed her. What if she had made a mistake when testing the liver specimens at the CDC? What if by some chance the results proved negative after all? What if Doctors Gregory, Truesdale and Ruberg decided the tests were inconclusive and challenged the results, thereby ultimately challenging the findings of the CDC?

      What if…what if…?

      But her doubts had proved groundless and, to her relief, everyone present appeared as pleased as she was to have the results confirmed.

      Natalie glanced at the tall figure standing silently beside a lab table a few yards away. She altered that last thought. Everyone in the room appeared pleased that the results of the test had confirmed her report…with the exception of Detective Brady Tomasini.

      Natalie struggled to present a composed demeanor. She had become intensely aware of the arrogant detective’s presence the moment she walked into the room that morning; but then, how could she not? It wasn’t only that she couldn’t miss him, considering that Tomasini easily dwarfed the other occupants of the lab with his height and stretch of shoulders, or that she knew he might be considered good-looking by some women—if they were the kind to appreciate his type. Neither was it the fact that he seemed more rested, making the intensity of his surprisingly light eyes keener as they seemed to linger on her longer than necessary, or that the more conventional sports jacket, crisp shirt, tie and freshly pressed slacks he wore did nothing to tone down his intimidating demeanor. She had done her best to ignore him as his stare had bored into her back while the results of the tests were thoroughly examined and rechecked, yet she had been unable to miss his subtle, negative reaction when the results were confirmed.

      Natalie’s lips tightened almost imperceptibly. The man had a way of putting her immediately on the defensive, which she didn’t appreciate. She had worked too hard to eliminate negativity from her life to allow it to seep back in now.

      To be succinct, she didn’t like him—apparently no more than he liked her.

      Intensely aware that the detective had walked forward to join their group, Natalie smiled and accepted the hand Dr. Ruberg offered her. She shook it warmly as the older woman said, “I want to be the first to congratulate you, Natalie. You’ve done us all proud. You’ve proved the true professional that you are by identifying a source of contamination that we couldn’t find. However ghastly the thought that the people in the Winslow party may have been deliberately poisoned, it’s a relief for us here to know that there isn’t a virulent, as yet unidentifiable virus out there somewhere, just awaiting the right set of circumstances to burst into an epidemic.”

      “I’m glad to see somebody’s happy about the results.”

      Detective Tomasini’s interjection turned the attention of all in his direction. He pinned Natalie with his penetrating stare as he continued, “I suppose congratulations are in order, Miss Patterson, but since you were so adept at identifying the Candoxine, maybe you can tell me how such a carefully controlled substance managed to make its way out of a British lab to the U.S.”

      Openly annoyed by the question, Dr. Gregory replied in Natalie’s stead, “I think we’re all agreed that Natalie’s done her job and done it well, Detective, so I guess it’s time for you to answer that question by doing your job.”

      “Actually,

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