Chapter 26 #3
“No,” I said. “You’ll have to figure out a different plan. I’m not going to help you.”
She laughed. “Forgery, it is.” She raised her taser at me. And then two things happened at the same time. I tossed the umbrella at her like a weapon, and Henry and the rest of Ewan’s team burst through the door.
There was a scream, and I blinked as the lights flickered on. Henry already had her in cuffs. The taser had fallen to the floor.
I turned and hit the floor to untie Ewan. He was still out cold.
“Henry, I need Ewan and Carl to be taken to my clinic. They’ve been dosed with goodness knows what. We need to flush out their systems.”
“Found him,” one of the other officers said.
“Get the bus,” Henry called out. “Boss is also down. Doc needs them transported to the clinic.”
A half-hour later, I had them set up with IVs to help flush out their systems. Henry had found the syringes she’d used, and while they probably wouldn’t do any permanent damage, I felt better making sure we did our best to figure out what was used against the men.
Abigail, who had shown up before we arrived, had taken blood samples to double check the barbiturates in their systems.
We had both men in surgical suites just off the lab.
I’d been taking Ewan’s temp, when his eyes fluttered open. “Doc?” he questioned hoarsely.
“You’re OK,” I said. “We are flushing out your system. Kaitlyn drugged you.”
“Kaitlyn?”
“The victim’s sister. She hit you with the taser, and then shot you full of drugs.”
He tried to sit up. “Have to …”
I pushed him back down. “Do nothing. She’s in custody and was caught trying to kill me.”
He blinked as if he couldn’t quite believe what was happening to him.
“Feel weird.”
“It’s the drugs. They’ll wear off soon, though you might get a headache. Just let the IV do its job and stay still. She’s in jail and isn’t going anywhere. Henry will make sure of that.”
“You OK?” he frowned.
“I am now. I was worried when I found you passed out.”
The side of his mouth went up in a smile. “Worried about me?”
I touched his shoulder and squeezed. “Yes, Ewan. I was worried about you, but don’t let it go to your head.”
“I worry and care about you, too. Always,” his eyes fluttered shut.
I swallowed hard. I was pleased, but also embarrassed. Would he even remember what he said?
Probably not. Drugs brought down defenses, and people often said strange things they didn’t mean.
Henry came to take my statement. We stood just outside the room where Ewan slept.
“There is one thing I can’t figure out,” I said.
“What’s that?”
“What were Davina and Catherine searching for in the office? And was the sister in on it? Was she the one who shocked Mara and Jasper?”
“Aye, she’s made a full confession. She was working alone.
But I questioned the other two after we took Katilyn Jacks to the station.
They had been looking for a flash drive with secret accounts.
The sister was waiting for them to find it, and then she was going to steal it from them.
She’d given them the information, and they were all supposed to be working together.
They’re lucky you scared them that night.
They might have ended up dead,” he finished.
I shivered. “It is wild what greedy people will do.”
“Aye,” he said. “And to her own family. I dinnae always get along with my hard-headed sisters, but I’d protect them with my life, and I love ’em dearly.”
I nodded. “Henry, you will always be one of the good guys and for that, we are all grateful. Thank you for saving me tonight.”
He laughed. “Doc, it looked as though you had it well in hand. The umbrella was inspired. You hit her in the forehead. She’ll have a good bump.”
“Sheer dumb luck that I still had it in my hand,” I said.
“I’ll let you get back to the patients.”
I smiled as he left and turned my attention to Ewan who had fallen asleep again. Rest was good for him, and the saline would soon flush out his system.
The next morning, I woke up to my favorite scent, coffee. After he’d finished his IV the night before, Ewan had stumbled uneasily to my living room and had passed out on my couch. He refused to let me take him home, so I stayed on the couch with him.
Abigail and Mara had looked after Carl, who had been taken home by Henry in the wee hours of the morning.
But when I opened my eyes, Ewan was no longer on the couch and the coffee scent had me headed to the kitchen.
Ewan stood there in sweats staring at the coffee maker as if his life depended on it.
“How are you feeling?” I asked
“Like a lorry hit me, but I’m fine.”
“She dosed you heavily. Much more and there could have been serious complications.
“How is Carl?” he asked.
“Abigail and Henry took him home. He’s fine, too. Though, like you, he probably will have a headache today.”
“How did you know?” He squinted as if the light from the back window was too bright.
“I’m a doctor. We know these things. Caffeine will help.”
He nodded. “Thanks,” he said. “For everything, Doc. Henry told me what you did, and I read the statement he took last night. You could have been killed. Did you really use an umbrella as a weapon?”
I shrugged. “It worked. And nothing happened to me. I’m fine.”
“But you put yourself in danger again, and this time it was for me.”
I held up a hand. “Save the lecture, it won’t work. If someone I care about is in danger, I’m all in. Period. Nothing you can say will change that.”
He grunted. “I’m beginning to understand that.”
Then he grinned and had a mischievous look in his eyes.
“What?” I asked.
“You just admitted to caring about me. I sometimes wonder if you can stand to be in the same room with me.”
I laughed. “Well, it’s taken a year, but you’ve grown on me. I’d be very sad if anything happened to you.”
“I feel the same way about you.”
Awkward silence.
And then the alarm on the front door went off.
Ewan and I rushed through the house to the clinic to find Mara, Jasper, and Abigail bringing armloads full of food inside.
“What is all this?” I asked.
Abigail was already shutting down the alarm.
“The town heard about Ewan, and they have been bringing food to the pub all morning. Abigail told them not to bother you here.”
“That’s enough to feed the whole town,” I said. “And shouldn’t it be going to Ewan’s home?”
“They all knew he stayed the night,” Mara said. And then she giggled.
I rolled my eyes. At the same time, my stomach grumbled.
“Looks like we made it just in time,” Jasper said.
We made our way back to the kitchen.
The back door opened, and Tommy came through. “Food,” he said.
We all smiled.
As my friends and I sat down to breakfast at my table, I understood just how lucky I was. These people would do anything for me, and I felt the same way about them. Never would I take for granted my wonderful life in Sea Isle, and the great blessing of calling these people my friends.
I was the luckiest woman in the world!