“Probably not in the afternoon when I’m doing my shift. Why?” She’d stopped unpacking and was watching him intently.
“I want to take it to the office and scan it. See if there is a tracking app or device put on it.”
Marie’s eyes widened. “You think someone put a tracking device on my phone? That’s ridiculous, and makes no sense. I’m a doctor. I’m not some sort of international spy or someone with the skills to create a chemical compound that can be put in weapons.”
Frustration gnawed at him, and he took a moment to bury it, getting into an argument with her wasn’t going to help. “We’ve already established that this whole attempted robbery/kidnapping is ridiculous, but I want to cover all bases. Take every scenario, no matter how far-fetched, off the list.”
His mind went to the box in his jacket pocket. Convincing her to wear the earrings with the tracking device in them wasn’t going to be easy. Not now. Actually, it was always going to be a hard sell, but he was stubborn too, and he wanted her, no, heneededher to be safe.
Silence stretched between them, and Isaac kept his attention on her, his gaze not wavering. She didn’t back down either, and it became a silent battle of wills.
Who would be the first to look away?
Who would be the first to give in?
“You’re not going to give up on this are you?” she said eventually.
“When it comes to you and your safety, no I’m not.”
“Fine. You can have my phone, but you’ll have to come get it from me before I start my shift, and I expect you to bring it back to me when I get off.”
“Consider it done.” There was no hesitation on his part. “I’ll even come and pick you up and take you tothe hospital, and bring you home when your shift is over.”
Would she push back? Tell him he was being over the top, or would she accept it?
“I can see by the look on your face that any argument is going to fall on deaf ears. But just so you know, I have to be there at 8 a.m. and I’m scheduled to finish at 10 p.m. Also, if I’m in the middle of treating a patient, I’m not walking out just because it’s the end of my shift. I’ll stay as long as necessary to ensure my patients are cared for.” She crushed the paper in her hand into a little ball and threw it at him, as if she was daring him to say it was all too hard and he didn’t want to wait. As if that would happen. He caught it one-handed and tossed it into the empty box in front of him.
“Wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
“Of course, it wouldn’t be a pain in the ass for you,” she muttered and moved to another box.
Isaac chuckled, he’d tackle the issue of the earrings when he picked her up tomorrow. He’d already achieved more than he thought he would tonight.
She wouldn’t know it, but he planned to camp out in his car and watch her building for the rest of the night. Her safety was his only priority. He could sleep when the mystery was solved and she could go about her life normally.
Isaac tried to squash the bubble of hope that when it was all over, he would still be a part of her life.
Chapter Twelve
“Wake up! Wake up!”
Marie groaned at her alarm’s demands. She really should change it to a melodic tune instead of the voice yelling at her to get her ass out of bed. However, if she changed her alarm, she was more likely to tell it to snooze, and she’d fall back asleep making herself late. Better to be hounded by a drill sergeant and get out of bed to face the day, than to get reprimanded for always being late.
A morning person she had never been, and considering her occupation and that sleep could be elusive, it was a wonder she’d survived her residency. She loved her job, and usually after her first cup of coffee she was able to face the day.
With a groan, she tossed the covers back and stretched. Marie couldn’t deny that being back in herown home, sleeping in her own bed, was blissful. She loved her time in Guatemala, but there was nothing like the familiarity of home. After her time in San Carlion she also appreciated that she was lucky enough to be able to live in one of the most expensive cities in the United States.
But there was something about the simplicity of her living accommodations in Guatemala. How she was able to do without so many of the things she thought she hadn’t been able to. How to live simply and still be rich in other ways.
So while it was lovely to have her things around her, she knew that she probably had excess items that she could do some good with. Her plan was to box up some of her towels, blankets, bed linen, along with some of the dishes she didn’t use, and ship them to Ophelia in San Carlion so that her former colleague could give them to people who needed them more than her. It wasn’t like she needed five different towel sets when it was only her. She could make do with two. One in use and one in the cupboard.
She made a mental note to keep a few boxes after she’d unpacked all her stuff to enable her to do what she wanted to do. But that was a matter to be dealt with later, right now she needed to focus on getting ready for her first full day at the hospital. It wasgoing to be a long one, but she was eager to get back to helping people.
Marie showered quickly and was in the living room putting everything she needed into her bag when the doorbell rang. A shaft of fear stabbed her in the gut. How had someone got up without her being advised she had a visitor. The building may not have a guard twenty-four hours a day, but they were usually at their post by six in the morning before finishing at nine at night.
“Marie, it’s me, Isaac.”
Her panic eased at hearing his muffled voice, and she recalled that she’d told Felix to add Isaac to her approved visitor list. That was why she hadn’t had notification she had a visitor.
