The man rounded the corner.
Ryan followed, lengthened his stride, and tackled the runner.
“Uggghhhh.”
They landed on the ground, and the doctor struggled to get from under Ryan’s weight. He spoke in his ear. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stop wriggling around. Now.”
As soon as the doctor went still, Ryan stood and hauled the portly man to his feet.
Daron, Dro, Nicco, and Angela stood around them. Eluding all of them would have been impossible.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” Ryan’s gaze went to the man’s chest, where his name was embroidered on his coat. “Dr. Butala.”
Now that they faced each other, Ryan swept the man from head to feet—bulbous nose, wispy hair styled into a comb-over, thick hands with blunt fingers, and his tie askew. He had been tidy before Ryan landed on top of him and messed up his clothes.
Glaring at him, Dr. Butala straightened his glasses and dusted his grimy coat. In a thick accent he said, “You were chasing me.”
“Yeah, but that came after the sight of you frightened that little girl.”
Dr. Butala blinked once. “I am sure you are mistaken.”
Arms across his chest, Ryan said, “I know what I saw. That child is terrified of you. I need to know why.”
A film of sweat covered the doctor’s forehead, and he swiped his face with the back of his sleeve. His gaze swept the group as if seeking a means of escape.
Ryan scanned the well-kept garden behind them as the doctor protested. “I have patients to see, and I do not understand why you have attacked me in my place of work. I will report this to the administrator.”
“There’s no need.” Daron said, waving one hand. “Here he comes now.”
Ryan had not met Jai Maharaj other than on a computer screen and did a double take when he laid eyes on the tall replica of Vikkas. The only thing that differentiated the two was the sliver of white hair in Jai’s widow’s peak.
“Dr. Butala,” Jai said, nodding at Ryan. “We should take this inside.”
“I—I have patients to see.” He tipped his chin into the air and gave Ryan a killing glare. “Can we meet later?”
“As you well know, this facility is fully staffed. I will assign someone to see your patients until we sort out this matter. I’m certain this won’t take long.”
As Dr. Butala’s eyes flickered, Ryan’s stomach shriveled. This would be bad. He sensed that rather than this case winding down, they had barely scratched the peak of the iceberg.
“We cannot take him back inside past Sunita,” Ryan said. “Can we use a different entrance?”
Jai nodded and pointed the group toward a parking garage a few feet away.
“I’ll go check with Aziza and see if she found out exactly what happened to Sunita.”
“While you’re doing that,” Dro said, motioning to Nicco. “We’ll take care of this matter.”
He escorted Dr. Butala down the walkway, leaving Daron to re-introduce Ryan and Jai.
“This will be interesting,” Jai said. “No matter how often we clean house, there’s always some rubbish left behind.”
Daron squeezed his shoulder. “You did the best you could with what you had at the time. You’ve done well considering that you’re even operating this facility in a place steeped in tradition.”
“Right, but I will not allow this bit of scum to cause me to lose everything I’ve worked for in this country.” He shoved both hands into his pockets and set his jaw. “If Dr. Butala has touched any of the women or children in his care, I will kill him with my bare hands and none of you can stop me.”
Daron nodded slowly as Jai stalked toward the back of the clinic.
Ryan figured there was some history of which he was not aware, but of course, now wasn’t the time to ask.
“See you in Jai’s office in a few minutes.” Daron said.
They went to the front of the building, where they parted company.
Aziza sat in the private waiting area where Ryan had kept her company earlier. She looked up when he entered the room, still stroking Sunita’s hair. The little girl had fallen asleep with her head resting on Aziza’s lap.
The welcoming light in her eyes made Ryan smile. Even in the hospital gown, she was beautiful. He sat next to her, and her head came to rest in the crook of his neck.
“Did Sunita tell you what frightened her?” he asked, smoothing the skin on Aziza’s arm.
“From what I pieced together, he abused her ... repeatedly.” Tears filled Aziza’s eyes as she continued, “I gather she was in some kind of place where there were girls of all ages. She called it El Zalaam. I couldn’t get the poor baby to stop screaming. She was sure he was coming to get her.”
“Well, we know that won’t happen,” Ryan said, seething with disgust.
A nurse went past the door as Aziza asked, “How did you know what the problem was?”
“My training in the police force. A child doesn’t behave like that for no reason. And a grown man doesn’t take off running, unless he’s in danger or scared. I’ve learned to be more observant than the ordinary man.”
“So where is that … that … ” Her eyes flashed heat. “I can’t even find a word to describe him.”
“Jai—the owner of this facility—will investigate. Dro and Nicco are with him, so there’s no fear of him escaping.
Aziza released a long sigh. “I feel as if I’ve already lived thirty-six hours today.”
“The hotel isn’t far, and we’ll soon be finished here. Just a little while longer, babe.”
Aziza shifted and cupped his jaw. “Do you mind if Sunita stays with us?”
“If it’s okay with Mrs. Maharaj, then it’s okay with me.” His gaze settled
