by Rebecca Deel
“So you decided to work.” Trent chuckled. “Your wife must be exhausted. She loves to watch movies.”
“Tell me about it.” Zane’s tone was wry. “Can you talk?”
Glancing around to make sure he was still alone, he said, “Yeah. What do you have?”
“I’ve been checking into the Bowens’ financial situation.”
“And?”
“Devin tells anyone who listens how strong G & N’s financial position is. He’s blowing smoke. The company needs an infusion of cash, fast. G & N has burned through a ton of cash in research and development, cash that was earmarked for dividends.”
Trent frowned. “Dividends aren’t required, are they?”
“No, they’re not. However, the company has paid out dividends since the first year of operation. If Devin doesn’t authorize a payout, the market will wonder if the company’s in trouble. They’ve already lost stock value because of the death of his mother. If the market believes G & N is in trouble, the stock value will plummet and compound their financial issues.”
“He can’t borrow the funds?”
“Not if outside investors think the company’s in trouble.”
Trent gave a soft whistle. “When are the dividends to be paid?”
“Two weeks.”
“Guess $10 million would help Devin’s bottom line.”
“It would definitely give him some breathing room. Why?”
“That’s the amount of money Gayle Bowen left Grace and Nicole.”
“Oh, man. Yeah, that would qualify as a lifeline. Won’t be enough cash, but with that much on hand, Devin could borrow the rest easily. The money might be the reason Grace and Nicole were targeted.”
Not something Trent wanted to hear. “Great. They will stay targets until we stop the threat.”
“Do you have backup, Trent?”
“Mason Kincaid is with me. I’ll be fine.”
“Mason’s a good guy, but he isn’t trained.”
“If I need more help, I’ll see if one of my teammates is free. Z, I’m at Dumas Medical Center.”
“Why?”
“The four of us were eating dinner with Simon and Judy Randall, Devin and his wife, Clarice, and another partner in the law firm, Ron Satterfield. After dinner, Devin became violently ill. Grace insisted we bring him to the emergency room.” Trent glanced up at the light footsteps heading his direction. Grace. “I don’t think this was a stomach bug or the flu. Came on too fast. Grace said it wasn’t food poisoning or an allergic reaction, either.”
“Poison?”
“We’re waiting on information from the doctor.” He held out his arm for Grace to snuggle against his side as he rattled off the symptoms.
“Hmm. All of you ate and drank the same thing?”
“Only Devin became sick.”
When Grace shivered and pressed closer to his side, Trent shifted to hold her against his chest to share his body heat.
“I don’t like that, Trent.”
Trent heard the sounds of Zane typing over the cell phone. “Neither do I.”
“Were any of you alone with the food or drinks?”
He stiffened. Trent’s gaze dropped to Grace’s puzzled one. “Yeah.”
A sigh from his friend. “I was afraid of that. Watch your back, buddy.”
“Keep digging, Z. I need to figure out who’s doing this and stop it before someone dies.” Trent slid the phone into his pocket. He wrapped his free arm around Grace. “You okay, baby?”
“Got tired of dealing with Clarice’s drama. How does Devin live with her?”
“I wouldn’t be able to. Any news on Devin?”
“Not yet.”
“Are you going to tell me?”
“You are an observant man.”
He lifted one shoulder. “I’ve made it a point to study a beautiful woman named Grace Rutledge. Every one of her facial expressions fascinates me. Quit stalling, love. What do you suspect is wrong with your half brother?”
“I’m not a doctor.”
Trent squeezed her tighter against his chest and waited her out in silence.
“I think he was poisoned.”
“Any idea what the poison might be?”
She shook her head, a few strands of hair catching on his beard shadow. “Any number of things could cause the symptoms, many available to the public.”
“Were you alone with the food or tea, Grace?”
Her head popped up from his chest. “What?”
“Don’t look at me that way. I don’t think you’re guilty of trying to knock off Devin. I do think someone might try to frame you or Nicole, maybe both, for doing just that.”
“What’s our motive?”
“Money.”
“We have money, more than we’ve ever had in our lives. Although our parents weren’t wealthy, no one could have loved us more than they have. Despite Gayle Bowen giving birth to us, the Rutledges and Copelands are our real parents, Trent. They taught us that family, love, loyalty, and honor are more important than money.”
“I know, baby.” Trent trailed one hand up and down her back while the other cupped the nape of her neck, urging her to relax against his chest again. “An outsider might think you and Nicole have millions of reasons to be Gayle Bowen’s only heirs.”
“That’s crazy,” Grace protested. “Nic and I didn’t know we were Mrs. Bowen’s offspring until this morning. Even if we had figured out who our birth mother was, how would that tie in with my car accident and Nic’s break-in? We didn’t attack ourselves.”
“You could have hired someone to make it look as though you were victims, just as Devin appears to be a victim.”
Again, Grace’s head popped up from his chest. “Devin’s behind this?”
“It’s possible. He might have acted shocked by the news of your inheritance this morning.”
Grace was shaking her head before he finished his thought. “If that’s true, Devin deserves an academy award.” She shivered and pressed closer to Trent.
“Come on, baby. Let’s go back inside. Maybe there’s been word about Devin by now.”
They returned to the waiting room. “Any news?” Trent asked Mason.
Rio’s cousin shook his head. “Think Grace might be able to learn something?”
“I can try, but the nursing staff may not tell me anything.” She squeezed Trent’s hand and walked from the waiting room.
Ten minutes later, Grace accompanied the doctor to the corner where Trent and the rest stood, waiting.
“Mrs. Bowen?”
“I’m Clarice Bowen.” Devin’s wife stepped forward. “Is my husband going to be all right?”
“Too soon to tell.”
Clarice’s mouth gaped. “What are you talking about? He has a stomach bug.”
“Mr. Bowen doesn’t have a virus, ma’am. He was poisoned.”
Clarice pressed a hand to her mouth. “What about the rest of us? Have we been poisoned, too?”
“You would have exhibited symptoms by now.”
“I don’t understand.” Judy Randall clutched Simon’s arm with a white-knuckled grip. “We all ate and drank the same things. How could Devin have been poisoned?”
“That’s a matter for the police to investigate. My concern now is helping Mr. Bowen survive the next twenty-four hours.”
“He’s that sick?” Clarice whispered.
“Your husband is lucky Ms. Rutledge was with him. If she hadn’t been there, he’d probably be dead.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Grace’s stomach tightened into a knot despite the gratification of knowing she was right. Who wanted to hurt Devin and why? Was it the same person who caused her wreck and broke into Nic’s place? “Dr. Prescott, do you know what poison Devin ingested?” she asked. She ignored the venomous looks Devin’s wife threw her direction.
“Tetrahydrozoline.”
She swallowed hard. Easy to obtain and deadly if the person wasn’t treated in time. Unfortunately for Grace,
her medical knowledge might work against her in this case. She could guess what Mrs. Bowen would have to say. Then again, that information was at the fingertips of anyone with a computer and an Internet connection.
“What is that?” Clarice snapped.
“It’s the active ingredient in eye drops.”
“Which one of you has prescription eye drops?” Clarice’s accusatory glance shifted from one to the other of the four people from Otter Creek. “I’ll find out and make you pay for hurting my husband. I swear it.”
“That ingredient is also used in over-the-counter eye drops as well,” the doctor pointed out.
“So it’s easy to buy,” Simon said.
A nod. “You’ll find eye drops with that ingredient at any drugstore.”
“What are you doing to treat Devin?” Clarice asked.
“We’ve given him activated charcoal to neutralize any poison left in his stomach and we’re administering fluids through an IV.”
“Is that all?” She frowned. “Doesn’t sound as if he’s all that critical to me. I think you’re trying to make Grace Rutledge appear to be a good person when I know the truth. She’s a money-grabbing, horrible excuse for a human being.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mrs. Bowen. I’ve never met Ms. Rutledge before today. Even if I had, I would never help camouflage the truth about anyone.”
Grace winced. Clarice was rubbing the doctor the wrong way, not a smart thing to do to the man who was laboring to save your husband’s life. “Are you doing anything else to help Devin?” Maybe Devin’s breathing had improved.
“Mr. Bowen is also being given airway support.”
“What does that mean?” Ron asked.
“He’s on a ventilator. If he survives the next twenty-four hours, Mr. Bowen has a good chance of survival.” He inclined his head toward Grace. “You should consider going to medical school, Ms. Rutledge. You have good instincts.”
She smiled, shook her head. “I’ve had my fill of school for a while.” Still had nightmares about waking up late, being locked out of a critical exam, and failing a class. No thanks.
“Think about it. We always need good physicians. I think you would be an excellent candidate.”
Grace didn’t commit one way or the other. In truth, she couldn’t afford to go on for more schooling. She was still paying off her nursing degree. Maybe later, though.
If she enrolled in school, her schedule would be much less flexible. Her gaze locked with Trent’s. Her available time to spend with her boyfriend would shrink dramatically. Grace protected their time together, ruthlessly rescheduling dinners and outings with friends when Trent was in town. After a year, her co-workers and friends weren’t surprised when she canceled plans at the last minute. Classes and exams couldn’t be rescheduled and professors wouldn’t be nearly as understanding as her friends.
She hadn’t talked to Trent or anyone else except Nic about this, but Grace wanted to have a family of her own in the not-too-distant future. Going to medical school would take another five years or more to complete. Plus, where would she go to school? Otter Creek didn’t have a university with a medical program and she didn’t want to move. She loved the town and people in her life.
Dr. Prescott returned his attention to Clarice. “Mr. Bowen is being admitted to the critical care unit where we’ll keep a close watch on him. One of the nursing staff will let you know when he’s settled. Only family is allowed in the room and only two at a time.”
“I’m the only family he has left,” Clarice insisted.
“That’s not accurate, my dear,” Simon said. “Like it or not, Grace and Nicole are his sisters.”
“I don’t want them in there with my Dev. One of them might have tried to kill him.”
The doctor’s eyebrows rose. He cleared his throat. “I’ve notified the police of the poisoning. They should be here soon. I’ll let them sort this out. In the meantime, I have patients to see.”
“Are you seriously accusing us of attempted murder?” Nicole asked, incredulous. “If we wanted Devin dead, all we had to do was keep quiet about the necessity of taking him to the hospital. He would have died.”
“Maybe you had an attack of conscience or something. But I know someone is responsible and I won’t rest until that person is behind bars or dead.” Clarice stalked out of the waiting room with Ron close behind, an uneasy expression on his face.
“Nasty woman,” Mason said.
“You don’t know the half of it.” Simon sighed. “I don’t suppose you ladies have lawyers on retainer?”
Trent spoke up. “They have a lawyer.”
Grace’s head whipped around to stare at her boyfriend. “We do?”
He winked at her. “Trish Phillips.”
Simon’s shoulders relaxed. “Excellent. Ms. Phillips is well known in legal circles. She’s a shark in the courtroom. I didn’t realize she was taking new clients.”
“She isn’t. Trish is a friend and owes me a favor. She’ll represent them if there’s need.”
Eyes narrowing, Grace recognized the ugly emotion swelling in her gut. Plain, old-fashioned jealousy. Great. She was jealous of a woman she had never met. With Trent’s personality and looks, Grace suspected he had many female friends in his background.
Might as well come to grips with the fact that either he belonged with Grace or he didn’t. Either way, she wasn’t wasting her time and energy worrying about something she couldn’t control. With his job, Trent ran across beautiful women all over the globe. Grace trusted him with everything, including her heart.
At that thought, her chest tightened. She loved Trent St. Claire. Fine time to realize the truth. She didn’t know how deep his feelings ran. What if he didn’t feel the same? Not a comfortable question to face.
Trent’s arm wrapped around her shoulders, squeezed. When she focused on his face again, his eyebrow soared upward in silent inquiry. She shook her head. This wasn’t the time to discuss her revelation. It might never be, although she didn’t think that would be the case. Not considering the scorching kisses that had been increasing in frequency and urgency each time he returned from a mission, and the habit he’d developed of touching her hand, her back, her neck or hair all the time. Grace loved the touches. They reminded her of his care for her, a feeling she reciprocated.
“I’m glad you have someone to call upon for legal counsel. I’m not comfortable advising anyone about criminal defense. I focus on corporate and family law.” Simon paused. “Trent, you should notify Ms. Phillips about the circumstances and that you might be needing representation for Grace and Nicole. I can almost guarantee that’s where this is heading.”
“I’ll take care of it now.” His lips curved. “Before the police arrive.”
Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes. “Very wise, young man.”
Trent glanced around the still crowded waiting room. “I’ll be back in a minute.” He kissed Grace’s temple. “Stay with Mason and Nicole, baby. I won’t be long.”
When he finished talking to the lawyer and returned, two Dumas police detectives arrived.
“Let me speak to them first,” Simon said. “I’m sure they’ll want statements from us all. You should prepare yourselves. Clarice will do her best to convince the officers that Grace and Nicole are responsible for Devin’s illness and that you two young men are guilty of covering for your girlfriends.”
Despite the serious warning from the lawyer, Grace thought the fact neither Mason nor Nicole corrected Simon about their relationship was interesting. Maybe it was simpler not to try and clarify the situation. When Simon walked away to intercept the policemen, she glanced at Trent. “I’ve never been questioned by the police about a crime. Any words of advice?”
“Answer their questions truthfully, but don’t volunteer information they haven’t asked. They will separate the four of us to compare our stories.”
Mason grimaced. “I need to call Ethan before the detectives contact him.”
&nb
sp; “You’re positive they will?” Grace asked.
“Without question. I want Ethan to hear about this from me. If the cops contact him first, he will not be happy.”
“Do it now, Mase,” Trent said. “Be casual as you leave the waiting room. Go outside. If they can eavesdrop on you, they will. No need to arm them with more ammunition. We’ll have enough trouble convincing them we’re innocent as it is without fueling their suspicions further.”
The construction worker squared his shoulders and walked past Simon and the policemen. In the hall, he turned left toward the ER entrance, phone in his hand. Minutes later, he returned, his expression tense.
“What’s up?” Trent asked, his voice soft.
“Ethan said the cops will take a hard look at me, might even detain me until I’m cleared of all suspicion. He’ll do what he can from his end, but it might not be enough to keep me free.” He looked sick at the thought. “Thinking about spending even one more minute in jail makes me want to hurl.” While he spoke, Mason avoided looking at Nicole.
Grace felt for Rio’s cousin. He’d paid his debt, still felt guilty for his part in the accident which sent him to prison, and yet the police might automatically consider him guilty of yet another crime? Hardly fair.
Instead of asking the obvious questions of Mason, Nic clasped his hand. “You’ll be cleared. Let them do their job. If they won’t, we’ll prove you had nothing to do with Devin’s poisoning.”
If anything, Mason’s face paled further. “You know about my past.”
“I do.”
“I’m supposed to help Trent protect you and Grace, especially at night. I can’t do that if I’m behind bars.”
“Nic’s right.” Grace moved closer to Trent’s side as the detectives turned in their direction, their expressions ones of stunned disbelief. “We’re friends. We have your back, Mason.”
“This place is too noisy to ask questions,” Nic said. “Too many people around to discuss the things they want to cover. Do you think the cops will try to find a quiet room here?”
Trent snorted. “They’ll take us down to the station so we’re on their turf for the interrogation. Don’t let them rattle you. Expect the questioning to last for a long while and for them to repeat questions in several different ways. They’ll also ask you to repeat your story more than once, hoping to trip you up and catch you in a lie.”
