The Perfect Game by Leslie Dana Kirby Read Free Book Online Page A

polygraph is your best investigative tool, you have a fucking problem!”
    â€œOkay, I’ll note that you refused the polygraph,” Wallace said coldly.
    â€œWait a minute. I didn’t say I wouldn’t take…” but Lauren was talking to dead air. Wallace had already hung up.
    Lauren was dialing Wallace back to inform him that she would take the lie detector test when she received an urgent page. I’ll let him cool down and call him back later, she decided as she sprinted to trauma Bay Three.
    Lauren spent the next hour pumping a fifth of vodka out of the stomach of a teenager. Afterward, Ritesh caught up with her in the hallway. “Your order has arrived.”
    â€œWhat order?”
    â€œTall, dark, and handsome.”
    â€œHa ha. Very funny. I wouldn’t get between me and the Diet Coke machine if I were you,” she said.
    â€œYou must secretly find me attractive,” Ritesh said, “because you immediately assume I am referring to myself, but there’s a cop here to see you. He’s down by the nurses’ station.”
    Lauren recognized Detective Boyd from a distance. She invited him into the doctors’ lounge, which was empty. Despite all the jokes about golfing, ER doctors didn’t have much time to lounge.
    â€œLauren, did you really refuse to take the polygraph?”
    Feeling defensive and guilty at the same time, Lauren responded, “No, that’s not what I said. Or at least that’s not what I meant. Of course I’ll take the polygraph, even though I don’t believe in them. They’re based on physiological measurements that can be affected by so many extraneous variables, like anxiety or medications or feeling guilty about something else. But I’ll happily take it if it will help get the investigation going.”
    Detective Boyd let out a long sigh. His aqua eyes focused on her green ones. “I know this must be frustrating for you, especially since we can’t tell you much. But you have to believe me when I tell you that this investigation remains in full-gear. One great thing about all the media coverage is that the brass responds to that type of pressure. We will solve this case. It’s only a matter of time. Don’t overthink this polygraph request. It just allows us to check you off the suspect list.”
    â€œBut why me? Any more time you spend looking at me is time wasted.”
    Detective Boyd paused for a moment. “So, did you really take Wallace to task about the reliability of polygraphs?”
    â€œI didn’t mean to. He caught me off guard and—”
    Lauren was interrupted by Detective Boyd’s laughter. He began shaking at the waist and his eyes teared up, accentuating their vivid color. He was laughing so hard that she was having trouble understanding what was saying. “What I wouldn’t have given to see the expression on his face when you told him that even intro psych students know that lie detector tests aren’t admissible. Classic!”
    Lauren was sucked into the infectiousness of his laughter and they shared a good, long laugh. She felt both relieved and ashamed as she enjoyed the momentary respite from her grief.

Chapter Eleven
    (Saturday, August 13)
    Lauren drummed her fingers, waiting for her patient’s lab results to come in. Mr. Hanson was either high on drugs or acutely psychotic. Only the toxicology findings would tell. While she waited, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She dug into her scrubs pocket to answer it.
    â€œHey, Jake. How’s everything?”
    â€œPainful. How are you?”
    â€œSurviving.”
    â€œListen, I’m sorry for the late notice, but I’m calling to invite you to a charity event tonight. Liz is going to be honored by MADD.”
    â€œTonight?”
    â€œI know. I’m sorry. This was scheduled before Liz died, but with everything going on, I let the whole thing slip my mind. It’s bound to