CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Tanya drew in several quick, short breaths and tried to steady her nerves. She was more scared than she’d ever been in her life. How she came to be in the middle of a triple murder investigation, she didn’t have a clue. She wished she’d never set eyes on Leo Baker. If only she’d resisted the urge to sleep with him. She cringed at the thought of what her father would say if he knew about her recent behavior.

She’d spent the past six nights at home. Her father had been curious about her reasons, but hadn’t pried. She was thankful he hadn’t asked her any questions. She honestly didn’t know how she would have replied.

He assumed she’d had an argument with her roommate and she’d allowed him to think it was true. The deceit sat heavily in her stomach. Guilt weighed her down at the disservice she was doing Chanel, but hurting her friend’s feelings was the least of her problems. Besides, her roommate would never be any the wiser.

Tanya didn’t know what to think when the detective announced the bottle she’d taken from Leo contained the same kind of poison that was used to kill Leo’s patients. The knowledge that she’d handled it and had maybe played into the hands of a killer made her ill. The detective said the police didn’t know the extent of Leo’s involvement, but they didn’t know how much he had it in for her friend. There was no other reason for him to ask her to store it in Chanel’s kitchen.

And now she was about to meet with the man who could be a cold-blooded murderer. Wearing a wire. Trying to entrap him. It was like something out of a movie—and a scary one at that. She didn’t have a clue if she could pull it off.

If she wanted any chance of making it work, she needed to act as normal as possible, but how was she expected to do that? She was scared out of her wits. She couldn’t imagine Leo hadn’t known what the bottle contained. When she told him the police had tested the contents, he’d know straight away why she was scared. She’d use that to mask the fact she was quaking inside at the thought he’d discover she wore a wire. If he knew she’d turned police witness, there was no telling what he might do.

The detective assured her they weren’t far away, but anything could happen before they got there. She was meeting Leo on the third floor of the hospital. The police surveillance van was parked in an alley behind the main building. Even at a flat-out run, they wouldn’t get to her in less than five minutes. She didn’t care what the detective said.

She drew in another breath and tried to slow her racing heart. She wiped her sweaty palms down the sides of her white lab coat and was reminded of the wire taped to her skin. Determination surged through her; she squared her shoulders and held her head high. With an effort, she quelled the nausea swirling in her belly, and entered the foyer of the hospital. She went straight to the bank of elevators.

Too soon, she stepped out on Level Three and rounded the corner. She stopped outside the door with Doctor Baker’s nameplate. The first time she’d come there was the first day of the program. She’d been full of hope and excitement, tinged with more than a little awe: This is what she’d dreamed about; this was going to be the start of the best time of her life. Now that day seemed like a lifetime ago. She couldn’t believe how naïve she’d been.

She gave a brief knock on the door and entered, as per usual. She was greeted with silence and breathed a small sigh of relief. Susan Baker was out. She heard a sound behind her and turned.

“My dear Tanya, how nice to see you again.”

* * *

Chanel looked at the next two names on her list and headed down the corridor toward Ward Two. Both gentlemen had been in hospital for the past three days under the care of Doctor Baker. She smiled a little cautiously at the staff who milled around the nurses’ station, hoping they’d be just as kind as the nurse she’d spoken to earlier.

“Good afternoon, ladies. I’m seeking information on a couple of patients under the care of Doctor Baker.”

Two of the nurses looked at each other. One of them leaned closer to the other and whispered something in her ear. The other nurse turned to look at Chanel, her eyes narrowed.

“I understand that you were told to stand down from Doctor Baker’s staff, Doctor Munro. We’re not at liberty to discuss his patients with you.”

Heat scorched Chanel’s cheeks, both from anger and embarrassment. It came as no surprise that her recent fall from grace had made the rounds of the hospital. She straightened her shoulders and stared the nurse in the eye.

“I’m sorry to inform you, but your information is out of date. I was reinstated this afternoon. Feel free to contact the general manager if you don’t believe me. Now, would you tell me where Alex King and Jack Lineman are? Doctor Baker has asked me to check on them.”

Once again, the two nurses looked at each other. The one who’d spoken frowned.

“Both of those men went home yesterday on Doctor Baker’s orders. Are you sure you have them on your list?”

Chanel glanced down at the paper in her hand and checked the entries again. “Yes, I’m sure.”

“Well, I’m sorry,” the nurse replied, sounding anything but. “Perhaps it hasn’t been updated. Maybe you should speak to Doctor Baker about it?” The look the nurse threw her was even more pointed than her words. Chanel held her stare and refused to feel intimidated. Instead, she replied in as steady a voice as she could manage, “I’ll do that.”

Chanel headed out of the ward and back toward the elevators, her cheeks blazing. She couldn’t imagine why Doctor Baker had given her an old list, but she was determined to find out.

Stepping out of the elevator on Level Three, she turned the corner and walked the short distance to his office. It was possible he’d left, but it was as good a place as any to start looking. As she drew nearer, she heard him speaking. A moment later, a woman replied.

Chanel stilled. It was Tanya. Surely, after all that had happened, she wasn’t still under his spell? It seemed impossible and yet, there was no mistaking it was Tanya who stood on the other side of the door.

Chanel was wracked with indecision. Should she wait and see if her roommate was there for work-related reasons? Maybe it was best to intervene, no matter what the reason? Tanya had proved she was more than a little susceptible to the doctor’s dubious charms. Then again, it wasn’t Chanel’s place to decide who her roommate dated.

Perhaps it might be better for Chanel to wait and see whether she could determine the cause of the visit? It would be horribly embarrassing for Chanel, and Tanya would be more than annoyed, if the meeting was legitimate. After all, Chanel was there for work-related reasons. It was highly possible Tanya was, too.

The only thing to do was to eavesdrop a moment or two and be certain either way. With her mind made up, Chanel cracked open the door.

* * *

Leo came toward Tanya with outstretched arms. She deftly sidestepped his embrace and turned her head away from his lips. His kiss landed awkwardly on her cheek.

“What’s this? Have you tired of me already?” He chuckled and waited for her to join him in his joke.

Chanel was relieved to note Tanya remained unmoved. Apart from the paleness in her cheeks, she looked calm and composed. Perhaps it was a work meeting after all?

“Leo, I’m not here on a social call. I need to know about that bottle.”

Chanel’s heart stood still. She had no idea Tanya had decided to confront their boss. She waited with bated breath for his reaction.

He frowned in confusion. “Bottle? What bottle?”

Tanya’s hands fisted and it looked like it was all she could do to stop herself from slapping him.

“The medicine bottle you told me held the herbal aphrodisiac. I left it in Chanel’s apartment, just like you told me to.”

“Oh, that bottle. Now I remember. Yes, I thought we might have a lot of fun with it.”

She shook her head. “What are you talking about? The police raided the apartment. They took the bottle and had it tested. It contained ricin. They told me it was the same poison used on those women.”

“Poison? Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. Why would they lie to me?”

“My dear Tanya, you’re so innocent. It’s one of the things I love about you. The police lie all the time. They’ll say and do whatever it takes to make their case. Surely, you know that?”

Tanya stared at him and Chanel was proud of her friend when she held her ground. Her eyes narrowed on the man in front of her.

“You knew what was in that bottle. Don’t tell me you didn’t. I won’t believe it.”

“I don’t care what you believe. Why would I give you a bottle that contained ricin? Do you know it can be fatal even if you inhale it? Imagine how those elderly women felt when they swallowed it in their food.”

How did he know the victims had swallowed it? The thought had no sooner formed in Chanel’s mind when Tanya frowned and said, “How do you know they swallowed it?”

Doctor Baker shrugged, unconcerned. “It’s just an educated guess. Swallowed, inhaled or injected—it works as a lethal poison either way.”

Tanya stared at him, her face filling with uncertainty. “How do you know so much about it? You’re freaking me out. I’d never heard of ricin before the police told me about it.”

He smiled in an almost paternal way and reached out to cup her cheek. Chanel’s skin crawled.

“My dear Tanya,” he replied in a tone of condescension. “You’re still so young. You’ve barely begun to live. You’ve been sheltered and pampered all of your life by a father too doting for his own good. Try living like some of the rest of us—poor, hungry, motherless. I was ten when my mother died of cancer and I went to live with my dad.”

He scoffed at the last word. “Huh! He was my father in name only. I believe he contributed the genetic material necessary to give me life, but he wasn’t a father in any way you could imagine. Right from the very start, he didn’t want me. When my mother died, he was forced to take me in, but he never let me forget he’d done it under sufferance.”

He moved away and began to pace, tension evident in every line of his body. From her vantage point, Chanel watched him through the crack in the door, transfixed.

“I was treated like little more than a servant, forced to sleep outside. Winter or summer, hot or cold, my father didn’t care. I either sweated to death in the hayshed or froze lying huddled amongst the cows. I slept beside them, stealing their warmth. It was the only thing that kept me alive.”

“How did you escape? You went to college, med school?” Tanya whispered, her expression filled with horror and disbelief.

His bark of laughter contained no humor. “Despite the lack of care and concern at home, I was a bright boy. My teachers recognized my ability. I was tutored, free of charge. One teacher in particular went out of his way to help me. He was the reason I got into college. I was accepted into medical school on a full scholarship.”

His eyes turned distant and his voice lowered. Chanel strained to hear him.

“It was the best thing that ever happened to me. I finally found somewhere I belonged. Nobody cared about my background. They were too busy borrowing my lecture notes. I managed to leave my past behind me. I vowed never to be walked on again. My father died quietly in his sleep after a short illness. He was found dead in his bed by my stepmother. He was sixty-four.”

He turned to face Tanya. Chanel started in surprise at the feral smile on his face.

“The official cause of death was heart attack. He was overweight and a heavy smoker. There was no surprise that he’d met with a premature death. No one thought to test for anything else, least of all, poison. After all, he owned very little. There was no motive for murder. Nobody remembered the son he had who’d left two decades before.”

Chanel’s heart pumped fast. She was as stunned as her roommate looked, frightened at what he might reveal next. His voice was almost conversational now, as if he were talking about someone else. She held her breath and waited for him to continue.

“It had been twenty years since I’d lived there, in the filth and squalor of the shed, but I hadn’t forgotten. I hadn’t forgotten a moment of the humiliation and the pain he made me suffer. I was ten years old when I arrived there, grieving the loss of my mom. He treated me worse than an animal and I never forgot it. The day I left, I swore revenge and I got it in the end. I’d studied hard all through college. It wasn’t a coincidence I did my thesis on the effects of different poisons on the human body.”

His eyes took on a wild light. He smiled and came toward Tanya and reached out for her hand. Chanel watched her roommate take a step backward, but then bravely hold her ground. Doctor Baker put his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. Chanel noticed Tanya’s quick indrawn breath and the tension in her body and realized the girl was trying hard not to shudder.

“I experimented on several patients before I perfected my technique,” the doctor continued in a tone so calm and conversational that nausea swirled in Chanel’s stomach.

“At first, I’d force them to inhale it, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. I had differing results. Some died a long and horrible death, others didn’t die at all. I learned from each experience until I got it right. Now, I know exactly how much to administer, down to the final grain. I filter and extract the ricin from castor beans and turn it into a powder. From there, it’s a simple thing to add it to someone’s food. My father found out just how easy.”

The meaning behind Doctor Baker’s words struck Chanel with a force that left her gasping. Her heart thumped so hard, she was sure they would hear it.

His bark of laughter quickly escalated into more, turning harsher and louder, as if he’d lost control. Tanya was in the room with a man who was clearly unhinged. Chanel had to do something. She had to help her friend.

With a surge of determination, she opened the door and pushed her way into the room. Doctor Baker and Tanya looked up at her in alarm. Her sudden entry had startled them both. It was Doctor Baker who recovered first.

“Doctor Munro, what a nice surprise. To what do we owe this pleasure?”

Chanel looked from him to Tanya and thought hard about what she should do. He looked different from the Doctor Baker she knew. His eyes were unfocused and distant, his expression was of a man who’d lost his mind. She wanted to feel sorry for him, but she couldn’t. From what she’d overheard, he’d had a terrible childhood. He was sick and needed help. But he’d also become a cold-blooded killer and it hadn’t ended with revenge.

Who knew what he was capable of? She needed to get Tanya out of there, away from him. In an effort to distract him, she began talking to him about his past. Perhaps he if thought she was on his side, he’d let them go without a fight.

“Doctor Baker,” she said gently, “I’m sorry to hear about your childhood. It must have been tough growing up like that.”

He turned to face her, his eyes wide, as if surprised by her words. “You overheard me speaking, Doctor Munro? Never mind… And you’re right; it was tough. You simply have no idea. Like I was saying to Tanya, you young people have it easy. You have no idea how some people are forced to live. We hide our atrocities like we hide our shame, so that no one is any the wiser. Who wants to hear about another abused kid? The world’s full of them. Nobody wants to know and nobody cares. If it hadn’t been for my teachers, I’d probably have ended up in jail. Or dead. Not many street kids live a long life. It’s just the way it is.”

“I can’t imagine your pain, Doctor Baker or the fear and the anger and hurt. But you could have used all that for good and yet you chose evil.”

His face turned red. “I do good work. I do God’s work. Besides, I didn’t choose evil; evil chose me. It was in me from the start. My father never tired of screaming at me that I was bad from the inside out. After awhile, you begin to believe it, even when others don’t see. That’s how it was for me.”

“What about your patients? Amelia Arncliffe, Robyn Evan and Eileen Green? Why did they have to die? Were their premature deaths a by-product of your evil? You cut their lives short and it wasn’t fair. They didn’t deserve to die before their time.”

She asked the questions quietly, careful to keep her voice free from accusation. He stared at her for a long time, as if he didn’t know who she was. Finally, he spoke and his voice was full of defeat.

“Fair? Where does fair come into any of this? A long time ago, I had a conversation with God. I was halfway through med school. He told me I was there for a higher purpose. I was there to help bring His people home. As a doctor, I had an elevated position of trust in the community. In the hospital, I was treated like a god. I was God. At least, I was His foot soldier. I followed His will. I did as He asked.

“At first, I only took the lives of those who needed to find relief. The terminally ill, the ones who couldn’t be healed. The accident victims who begged to be allowed to die in peace. I did them a favor and God was pleased.”

Chanel stared at him in horror. “What about the recent deaths? The women on my list? They weren’t seeking a release from pain. They were on their way to getting better. They’d come to you for help. They trusted you to make them well.”

He shrugged. “That was their mistake. They should have known better. I can’t save everyone.” He offered her a smile. “Only God can do that. It was through God’s wisdom I came up with the plan to frame you for their deaths. Given that the police have released you, I suspect my plan hasn’t been entirely successful. Never mind. All will be well. I have God on my side.”

He encompassed both girls in his gaze. “Now, as much as I’ve enjoyed our little chat, I have things to do, places to go, people to see.” He stared at Chanel, his expression bordering on crazy. “Patients to kill,” he added with a maniacal laugh.

He turned away, dismissing both of them as if they were of no consequence. Finding his white coat hanging on a hook behind his office door, he shrugged it on and headed toward the door. Chanel stood watching him, aghast, unsure. Surely, he’d been joking?

He came to a sudden halt and then strode back to where she and Tanya stood. Before she knew what was happening, his fist came out and connected with the side of Tanya’s head. With a little cry, the girl fell down hard.

Chanel gasped in horror. She looked around for a weapon, but there was nothing. When he came at her, she fought and kicked and sunk her teeth into his arm, but she was no match for him. With his fist clenched and his manic eyes flashing, he brought back his arm and hit her full force on her jaw. She cried out in shock and pain. Stars danced behind her eyes. A moment later, her legs gave out and she crumpled to the floor.

* * *

Bryce strained to listen through the headphones, but heard nothing but silence. He was still reeling from the knowledge that Chanel was also in the room. He’d recognized her voice the moment she spoke and his gut had filled with dread. Now, the room had gone ominously quiet.

“Something’s happened,” he said, panic spreading quickly through his veins. “I heard two cries and something that sounded like a thump and now there’s nothing. Those girls are in trouble. We have to get in there.”

Jett heard him through his headphones and nodded. “I agree, and we have enough to take him down, anyway.”

Bryce threw down his headphones and checked the safety on his service revolver. “Let’s go.”

The short distance to the hospital yawned like the width of the widest valley. He took off at a run, not waiting for Jett who followed closely behind him. The noise he’d heard over the headphones just seconds before everything went quiet reverberated in his head. If that bastard has hurt them… He wouldn’t even let himself complete the thought.

He tore through the front doors of the hospital and pushed a group of people out of his way. “I’m sorry. Please, excuse me… Police, let us pass.”

He mumbled the words without hearing them, focused only on getting to the third floor. He found the fire exit and took the stairs two at a time, cursing every second it took to reach his destination.

He never imagined Chanel would walk in on Tanya and the doctor. He should have made sure the room was more secure. He should have placed men outside to guard the door. His only defense was that until that moment, he hadn’t a clue how unstable Baker was. Bryce was just as shocked as everyone else when he heard the man confess.

Still, he should never have sent Tanya in there alone. He shouldn’t have taken the risk. If he’d known how sick Baker was, he’d never have done it.

The fact that they had enough evidence to lock the prick up for the rest of his life didn’t matter if it came at the cost of the girls’ lives. The thought of Chanel, bruised and broken, had him gasping from an agony of pain. Despite the turmoil of the last few years, he’d learned to love again and he had her to thank for that. He couldn’t lose her now. Not when he’d just found her.

He burst through the heavy fire door and raced down the corridor. An engraved nameplate identified Doctor Leo Baker’s rooms. Without pause, Bryce barged in and came up short in the reception area. Both Chanel and Tanya lay still and silent on the floor.

With a cry, Bryce ran to Chanel and turned her over, his heart lodged deep in his throat. His fingers went to her neck and felt for a pulse. It was there. He was sure of it. Faint and erratic, but there all the same.

Jett ran in a moment later and took in the scene. “Jesus, are they alive?”

“Chanel is, but she’s hurt. I haven’t had a chance to check on Tanya.”

Jett raced over to where Tanya lay and searched for signs of life. “She’s still breathing!” he shouted and Bryce swallowed a sigh of relief.

“I think the bastard knocked them unconscious. Chanel has a mother of a bruise on her jaw and I can feel a lump on the back of her head.”

“It looks like Tanya took a direct hit to her cheekbone. She’ll have a hell of a black eye tomorrow.”

“Call for a doctor. They both need to be taken to the ER.”

Jett tugged out his cell phone and disappeared the way he’d come and Bryce leaned over Chanel. He gently slapped her on the cheek.

“Come on, Chanel, wake up for me. Open your eyes, honey.”

She groaned and her eyelids fluttered and he smiled in relief.  “That’s it, sweetheart. Open your eyes. I need to see you’re okay.”

This time, her eyes came open and she blinked against the light. “Ouch, it hurts. What happened?”

Before he could offer her an explanation, comprehension flooded her face. “Doctor Baker! It’s him! He hit me!”

Bryce pressed a quick kiss against her forehead. “It’s okay, we caught everything on tape. He won’t be hurting anyone else again.”

“You have him? You were listening?”

“No, not yet. And yes. Tanya was wearing a wire.”

“Oh, my God! She’s such a brave woman. He hit her hard. Is she all right?”

“Yes, she’s going to be fine. She’ll sport a shiner about as good as yours, but I’m sure she’ll be okay.”

Chanel’s expression turned somber. “He killed his father.”

“Yes, and a lot of other people, from what I heard.”

“I was listening through the door. He had such a sad childhood. Nobody should be allowed to treat a child like that. It…did something to him. It warped his way of thinking.”

“I love that you’re finding excuses for him, but don’t. Many people have it tough and don’t become serial killers. I’m not as kind and compassionate as you and I’m definitely not ready to hear any more excuses. He hit you. I could have lost you. God, I can’t bear to think about it.”

She smiled groggily up at him. “So, does this mean you care for me, even a little?”

Emotion rushed through him and choked him up. “More than a little. Are you okay with that?”

Her smile widened. “More than okay.” She looked around and her smile faded. “Where did he go?”

“We’re not sure, but we have a van full of officers who’ll find him. He won’t get too far away.”

She frowned. “He said something about having to go somewhere and kill another patient. He laughed when he said it and I thought maybe he was joking, but what if he wasn’t? What if he’s crazy enough to kill someone else?”

Bryce froze. He wanted to deny that it could happen, but it made a perfect kind of sense. Was that the reason Baker had hit the women? Was it because he needed them out of the way? He might have confessed, but in his warped mind, he hadn’t done anything wrong. Perhaps rendering them unconscious was just a convenient way of getting rid of them while he went about his work.

“Grandma,” he gasped, remembering she was waiting for him to collect her. “She’s still here. I need to go and find her.”

Chanel paled. “Ward Three. I spoke to her earlier. She told me about you.”

Bryce started in surprise and wanted to stay and hear more, but the feeling of dread that now consumed him wouldn’t be denied. It urged him to go to his grandmother and make sure she was safe. He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss on Chanel’s lips.

“Stay here. Help’s on its way. Don’t leave the hospital without me.”

She nodded and Bryce was relieved by her calm acceptance of his order.

“Go and find her,” she whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.”

* * *

Doctor Baker strode down the corridor of Ward Three with something akin to a skip in his step. He always felt that way right before he set into motion a chain of events that would eventually lead a patient to their Maker. The thought the police were onto him gave him pause, but he didn’t break his stride. God would look out for him. He always had.

It was God who’d given him the words that had put that detective off the scent. Ha! Taking his wife out on the harbor! As if that would ever happen. It had been years since they’d done anything together. What a joke!

He took the return of Doctor Munro to the hospital as a sign from up above. It made his choice of victim very simple. He assumed she’d already attended upon the one who was to receive his healing touch. She was at the bottom of the doctor’s list. He found the room he was seeking and greeted the patient in the bed.

“Virginia, how lovely to see you. I thought I might have missed you. Aren’t you supposed to be going home today?”

“Yes, Doctor Baker, I am and your nice young Doctor Munro came to sort out the paperwork. I’m just waiting for my grandson to come and collect me.”

“I see your meal has arrived. You might as well eat while you’re waiting.”

“Thank you, Doctor. I wasn’t sure what time Bryce would arrive, so I went ahead and ordered dinner.”

Leo came closer and lifted one of the lids. “Mm, it smells good. Better than the hospital food they used to serve when I was a kid.” He laughed and the woman laughed with him. He loved it when they died with a smile on their face. Not that she’d be smiling in a few hours, when the poison took effect.

Surreptitiously, he pulled a vial from out of the pocket of his white coat and carefully prised open the lid.

“Would you like me to pour you a glass of water, Virginia?”|

“Thank you, Doctor. That would be very nice of you.”

“What about a little salt and pepper? Do you need a hand with that? Those little paper thingies can be tricky to get opened.”

“Yes, a little salt would be lovely.”

The doctor shot her a smile so bright he was sure she’d feel it all the way down to her toes. All was going as planned.

* * *

Bryce charged into Ward Three and skidded around the corner. Nurses looked up from their posts, curiosity clear on their faces.

“Doctor Baker— Have you seen him?”

“Yes, he went by here a few minutes ago. He headed that way.”

The nurse who’d spoken pointed in the direction of Bryce’s grandmother’s room. He spun around and raced down the hall. He reached his grandmother’s room and bolted through the doorway. The doctor stood beside his grandmother’s bed, shaking something in his hand. Bryce pulled his service revolver out of his holster and shouted.

“Stop! Police! Step away from the bed and put your hands up where I can see them. Grandma! Don’t touch anything. Move, quickly! I need you to get out of there!”

“Bryce, what’s going on? Whatever are you doing?”

His grandmother sounded bemused rather than scared and he implored her once again. “Grandma, I have reason to believe Doctor Baker’s trying to poison you. Please, get out of the bed and move away.”

Bryce eyed the tray of food and his heart nearly stopped. “Have you eaten anything?”

“No, it only just arrived. Doctor Baker was helping me open the salt. You know how much trouble I have with those tiny little packets.”

With his gun still trained on the doctor, Bryce closed the distance between them. He flung the covers across the bed and helped his grandmother out of it. She shook her head and fussed at him, still convinced he had it wrong. Bryce preferred to be more safe than sorry and his gut was telling him he’d gotten there just in time.

With his grandmother safe on the far side of the room, he pulled a pair of handcuffs off his belt. He’d just finished securing the doctor when Jett arrived, Chanel in tow.

“What the hell are you doing here? I told you to get her to the ER!”

Chanel stepped forward. Apart from the bruise shadowing her jaw, she looked almost like her old self.

“I insisted he bring me here. I needed to see your grandmother for myself. Is she okay?”

“Yes, she’s fine.” He shot a narrow-eyed glare at Doctor Baker. “I got here just in time.”

Jett looked at the doctor in disbelief, but directed his comment to Bryce. “I don’t believe it. You mean, he was trying to poison your grandmother?”

Fresh anger surged through Bryce and he nodded. “Yes, it’s my guess that’s exactly what he was trying to do.”

More staff arrived, confusion and concern in their eyes. Within moments, the room was full of people, including more members of the task force.

“Bag up everything on that tray,” Bryce ordered when the forensics team arrived. “And search the prisoner’s pockets. He must have it stowed somewhere.”

A few moments later, one of the officers gave a triumphant shout. “I’ve found something in his coat. It looks highly suspicious to me.”

Bryce stared at the small clear vial filled with white powder and could only guess what it contained, but he was willing to bet everything he had that it wasn’t sugar crystals. The knowledge that he’d gotten there just in time began to set in and then it hit him hard. His legs weakened.

Chanel frowned, as if she knew exactly how he felt. She moved closer until she stood beside him and held onto his elbow. Her support was just what he needed and he breathed a sigh of relief. She was fine. His grandmother was safe. It was over.