Page 18 of Enigma
Nancy looked at Jason as if trying to figure out how much he knew about her relationship with his father. “And Jason . . . Lloyd talks about you all the time. I know he’s missed you, but he’s so proud of you—of all his children.”
“So remind me again—how long have you and my father been . . . ?” Jason paused, clearly unsure how to phrase the question.
“Dating?” Nancy offered.
Olive hid a smile. She had a feeling Jason knew exactly how long they’d been dating. He was either trying to make conversation or trying to trap her in a lie.
“About eight months. We met at a book club at the library.” She squeezed Lloyd’s hand. “He was the only other person there who actually read the assigned book.”
Despite the circumstances, Lloyd managed a small smile. “She was the only person there who had intelligent things to say about it.”
They both chuckled at their memory.
Then Nancy’s expression grew serious again as she looked back at Lloyd.
Her voice carried a mixture of fear and anger. “Lloyd, what’s going on? This wasn’t some random break-in, was it?”
Lloyd glanced at Jason and Olive before answering. “It’s complicated, Nancy. There are things from my past that still haunt me.”
“What kind of things?” Nancy’s voice was quiet but firm as she said the words. “Lloyd, if you’re in danger, I need to know.”
“Weallneed to know.” Jason’s voice carried the weight of everything they’d discovered.
Nancy looked between them, clearly sensing undercurrents she wasn’t privy to. “Maybe I should give you some privacy to talk.”
“No,” Lloyd said quickly, gripping Nancy’s hand. “If we’re going to have this conversation, you should hear it too. If people are willing to hurt me to keep these secrets, then you could be in danger just by being with me.”
Nancy stepped back, her expression resolute. “Then tell us. All of it.”
Lloyd was quiet for a long moment, and when he spoke, his voice sounded heavy with old regret. “When I was practicing in Oasis, I got involved with some people who weren’t what they seemed to be.”
A knot formed on Jason’s brow. “What people?”
“I don’t know.” Lloyd shrugged, looking more exhausted by the moment. “I never saw their faces. I only heard their demands.”
“You’re going to need to explain that a little more, Dad,” Jason murmured.
Lloyd seemed to instantly age ten years. He drew in several deep breaths before looking back at them. “Whoever these people were, they asked me to falsify medical records to support disability claims. To create documentation of injuries that never happened. To write prescriptions for medications that were then sold on the black market.”
“Why would you do that?” Jason demanded, his voice rising with outrage.
“At first, it seemed simple enough, and I knew I could use the extra money.” He shrugged. “I know—I was a doctor. I made good money. But life is expensive and . . .” He paused for long enough to shake his head as if disgusted with himself. “I knew it was wrong. After I did it a few times, I decided I wanted out. But these people had me between a rock and a hard place. I was already in too deep to get out.”
“So what happened?” Jason asked.
“So I kept doing what they wanted. Every time I tried to get out, their threats increased. They told me even if I wasn’t concerned about myself that I should be concerned for my family.”
They gave him a moment to gather his thoughts.
Then Lloyd started again, his voice barely above a whisper. “I felt trapped by my own bad choices.”
“But youdidget out, right?” Lines formed on Jason’s forehead.
“Eventually. But not before I’d helped launder hundreds of thousands of dollars through my practice and created false medical documentation for dozens of people.”
The room went quiet.
Nancy stared at Lloyd with an expression Olive couldn’t read, while Jason looked like he was trying to process everything his father had just revealed.
