Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
“What’s with the fancy clothes, Doctor?” Natalie asked as she watched the muscles in Liam’s back flex.
He pulled on a white button-down shirt over his bare skin, before turning to face her as he buttoned it. “I’m driving to the hospital in Oneonta.”
“And why are you driving to the hospital in Oneonta?” Natalie asked.
“I’m going to get a radioactive pig to solve our little problem in the lab,” Liam answered nonsensically while tucking the dress shirt into the waist of his black dress pants.
Watching her man change his clothes had momentarily transfixed her attention, derailing her questioning, but now that his muscles were hidden she got back on track.
Natalie frowned as she reviewed Liam’s answer. “Why is the pig radioactive and what does it have to do with your plan to contain the you know what?”
They’d decided to limit talking about their plan since the brain ghost seemed to be exceptionally good at hiding. It could be listening right now.
“It’s not an actual pig. It’s the common name for a lead container that holds radioactive material used in oncology, such as in the oncology department of the hospital in Oneonta.” He reached for a tie and flipped it around his neck, turning to face the mirror in her bedroom.
She started to see Liam’s plan. If this pig was lead and could contain radioactive material, maybe it might be able to contain an evil ghost attached to a brain.
It was a good idea. Natalie was totally on board with the plan. Especially since it was the only plan they had at the moment.
She was momentarily distracted again by the look of Liam in a tie. She hadn’t even known Liam owned a tie.
In fact, she’d never seen any of these clothes he’d carried over from the lab to get changed into at her place.
She lifted her hand. “One more question?”
The amusement twitching his lips, Liam said, “Yes, Natalie.”
“Why did you change your clothes just to pick up this pig?”
He reached for the lab coat she’d seen hanging on a hook in the lab but had never seen him wear.
In fact, dressed as he was now in black pants, white shirt, plain dark blue tie, and shiny black shoes, while holding the white lab coat that had Dr. William Walsh embroidered on the chest, he barely looked like the Liam she knew.
“Where did you get these clothes anyway? I’ve never seen them. You never wear them. It’s weird.”
He cocked up a dark brow. “This coming from a woman who’s got four plastic totes of clothes I’ve never seen her wear stashed under the bed. And it’s not weird. Every man has a set of clothes like this. You never know when you’ll need to dress up for a wedding or a funeral or a job interview.”
“And this pig pick-up you’re heading to requires a tie?”
“Natalie, I suggest you stop asking questions.” He reached for his keys and cell phone on the nightstand.
That answer had her asking, “Why?”
He leveled a gaze on her. “Because you’re not going to like the answer and since you can’t lie for shit and seem to be questioned by the law more often than anyone else I’ve ever known, it’s safer for everyone if you don’t know the details. Okay?”
Shock kept her silent but she managed a nod.
“Really? That’s it?” he asked, looking surprised at her lack of response.
“Mmm, hmm.”
“No more questions?”
“Nuh, uh.”
She’d kept her mouth shut but her mind was wide open as what Liam was about to do became clear.
“All right then.” He leaned low and pressed a quick kiss to her lips where she sat on the edge of the bed. “I’ll text when I have it and am on my way home.”
“Okay,” she said with all the fake cheer she could muster.
And after he left, she was going to see how much cash she had in the shop safe for bail money because there was no doubt in her mind now.
Liam was going to the hospital to pretend to be on staff there to steal that pig.