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To her dismay, Usipov simply scoffed. “From the way this has gone so far, I’m going to go ahead and assume that you’re going to expect me to break doctor-patient confidentiality in order to answer your questions. Well, you’ve wasted your own time and everyone else’s. Although you clearly don’t feel the same way, I value the privacy and the mental health of every patient who steps through those doors – and I’m not going to violate that for a couple of morons who think they can just barge in anywhere with no consequences! Now, give me the name of your superior. I’m filing a formal complaint against you.”

Laura sighed. This was getting nowhere. Usipov’s hands were still balled into fists at his sides – but at least he wasn’t clenching a weapon.

“Sir,” she said, trying one last time. “We really do need your cooperation on this. What if more of your patients could be in danger from the same killer? Would you be willing to come and talk with us in that case?”

“Killer?” he said, and there was a note of what seemed like genuine surprise in his voice. Laura didn’t read too much into that, however. It could have been innocence – or it could have been surprise that he’d already been caught. He quickly recovered, either way. “I don’t care what kind of inducement you might try to make, there is no chance I am going anywhere with you two goons!”

Nate stood slowly, rising to his full height. He stood at around the same level as Usipov, but it was very clear that Nate was the more muscular of the two. He flexed slightly, letting his biceps bulge through the sleeves of his custom-made suit.

“I would actually put the chance at being very high,” Nate said. “I would advise you to call a lawyer, because they’ll tell you that cooperation is absolutely what you should be doing right now.”

Usipov looked for a moment as though he was going to back down, but then he did something else.

He burst out laughing.

“You think you intimidate me?” he asked. “I know Krav Maga, asshole. So, come on. Try me. I’ll take you on any day. And as for lawyers – you’ll be hearing from mine, but not about your investigation.”

Laura took a breath and stood up quickly, before the two of them turned this into more than just a measuring contest. “I was afraid you would make us do this, but now it seems we really have no choice,” she said, pulling a pair of handcuffs out of her belt and grabbing his wrist before he had a chance to pull away. “Dr. Vincent Usipov, I’m arresting you on suspicion of murder.”

“What?!” he yelped, but it was too late. Laura snapped the second cuff around his other wrist and handed him to Nate, so they could get him down to the car and then to the precinct.

Whatever he was hiding, they were going to find it out – attitude or no attitude.


Tags: Blake Pierce Thriller