With the gentle centrifugation under way, Pia turned on the scanning electron microscope to allow it to boot up. With that accomplished, and the remaining blood hidden in one of the many refrigerators in the lab, Pia peeled off her scrub clothes. She had another thought. She had to test the Chinese jogger’s blood that Paul still had squirreled away. It made her task that much more hazardous in that it would require leaving Nano and returning, but Pia knew she had to do it. Whatever she might find in the blood of the dissected individual in the tank, she needed to know if it was in the jogger, too.

Leaving the lights on in the lab, Pia went back to the elevators and descended to the lower level. As calmly as possible, she exited through the glass partition and walked back across the lobby toward the main exit. Russ was still on duty, reading a newspaper at the empty reception desk.

“You done for the night, miss?”

“No, Russ. I’m coming right back.”

Chapter 44

44.

PAUL CALDWELL’S APARTMENT, BOULDER, COLORADO

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2013, 3:25 A.M.

Like millions of other Americans. Paul Caldwell didn’t have a landline in his apartment, relying solely on his cell phone for communication. When he was off, he was really off, so he never had night call like most other physicians. For Paul that meant that when he climbed into bed, the cell phone was switched off.

Pia had learned all this about Paul early on in their friendship. She knew that when he was off duty and away from the hospital, if she really wanted to get hold of him, she had to go to his apartment. If it happened to be after hours, she knew it meant getting him out of bed.

That information had been theoretical until now. Leaving Nano, Pia didn’t bother trying to call Paul. Instead she drove directly to his apartment. Leaving her car running, she ran up to the front door of his building and leaned heavily on his intercom buzzer for a good minute before he answered.

“Who is it?” Paul asked, sleepily.

“Paul, it’s Pia. I have to talk to you.”

“Pia? Is that you? It’s three-thirty in the morning, can’t this wait?”

“No, it can’t wait. If it could, I wouldn’t be here.”

“What’s happening? Are you all right?”

“Paul, just let me in!”

Paul buzzed Pia in, and she ran up the three flight of stairs to his door.

“You have company?” she asked. She wanted to be sure.

“No. Only me.” Paul held open the door dressed only in his boxers, his eyes half closed, and his hair askew. “What is it that can’t wait?” He closed the door and stood in his foyer, looking pathetic.

“Where’s the sample of blood? The blood from the Chinese runner.”

“What? Why do you need that now?”