He nodded, realizing he should have mentioned the call. “He phoned about thirty minutes ago.”
She looked surprised. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was outside, talking to the chief at the time. Your brother has been in the barracks all night.”
“So he didn’t fire the shot.”
“Evidently not.”
Just because Ted Upton had nothing to do with tonight didn’t mean he hadn’t caused some of the other problems that had befallen Stephanie over the past few days.
“It’s getting late.” She stood and rubbed her hands over her arms. “How long before the police leave?”
“They’re finishing up now, but I can stay for a while.”
“No, Brody. I’ll be fine.”
He stared long and hard into her eyes. She didn’t blink. With a resigned sigh, he grabbed his gym bag and followed her to the door.
“Keep away from the windows,” he cautioned. “Don’t spend time on your deck or patio. I’ll pick you up at seven tomorrow morning for work. Unless that’s too early.”
“I’ll see you then.”
Brody hated to leave her, but she needed sleep and he wanted to follow the chief back to police headquarters. Someone had been found about three miles from the Estates, inebriated and talking about his marksmanship. He seemed an unlikely shooter, but he needed to be questioned, and Brody wanted to hear what the guy had to say.
Once outside, he checked that a squad car was in place to watch the Upton house throughout the night. Brody planned to be back after the interrogation, but he needed to know Stephanie would be safe until then.
Before climbing into his car, he turned to look back at the house, wishing he could catch a last glimpse of her. The curtains were drawn. He’d cautioned her to stay away from the windows. This time, Stephanie had taken his advice.
TWELVE
Unable to face Brody, Stephanie called a cab early the next morning. She had slept fitfully, her slumber punctuated with dreams of his strong hands and dark eyes and a horde of police officers that wandered through her yard. She’d awakened with a headache and puffy face from the tears she’d cried before she’d fallen asleep. All the emotion she’d kept bottled up for so long had spilled out as she’d sobbed into her pillow.
The ride to post made her head hurt even more. She blew her nose and applied lipstick before the cab pulled into the WTB area. After paying the driver, she hurried into her office.
By the time the other workers arrived, Stephanie had completed a stack of paperwork that had piled up in her in-box.
A civilian clerk who worked in the records section knocked twice on the door to her office and then entered. With a wide smile, she placed a box of oatmeal-raisin cookies on Stephanie’s desk.
“These arrived for you. They’re from the Cookie Palace on Fourth Street. They deliver in town and on post.”
Stephanie was touched by the thoughtful gesture. “The WTB must have sent them as a welcome gift. I bet Ted told them oatmeal raisin is my favorite type of cookie.”
Noticing the clerk’s eagerness for her to open the box, Stephanie quickly added, “Are the cookies from you?”
The woman shook her head and pointed to an attached envelope. “The card should tell you who sent them.”
Stephanie read the note silently. “Sorry about last night. Brody.”
She smiled. “They’re from a friend.” Evidently he had asked Ted about her preference. Or maybe Nikki.
After removing the outer wrapper, Stephanie handed the box to the other woman. “Would you like to pass them around the office?”
“Don’t you want one?” she asked.
“Maybe later.”
The clerk returned after a few minutes. “Everyone said to thank you.” She placed the remaining cookies on Stephanie’s desk and headed back to work.
Unable to resist any longer, Stephanie reached for a particularly large cookie packed with plump raisins. Smiling at Brody’s thoughtfulness, she bit into the soft sweetness. Maybe she had reacted too quickly last night.
There was so much she liked about the special agent.
Her office phone rang. She pulled the receiver to her ear, expecting to hear Brody’s voice. Instead, the call was from her regional director.
“Ms. Upton, we’ve had a complaint from one of the soldiers on your caseload.”
Her stomach tightened.
“Private Upton has lodged a formal grievance against you. I’ll fax over a list of forms you’ll need to fill out. Please return them to me promptly. We take something like this very seriously.”
“Yes, sir. I’m not happy about it, either.”
When the director hung up, Stephanie dropped her head into her hands. Her cheeks were hot and a bitter taste filled her mouth.
She glanced again at the box of cookies. Surely, they didn’t contain peanuts. She was very careful to never eat ones that did, yet the way her throat was feeling, she wondered if she could be having an allergic reaction.
Her skin itched. Looking down, she saw the red rash and patches of hives. Reaching for her cell, she turned on the phone and then hit the saved number for the medical unit attached to the WTB.
“It’s Stephanie Upton. I’m sorry to bother you, but...” She struggled to catch her breath. “I’m allergic to peanuts and seem to be having a reaction.”
* * *
Frustration!
That’s what Brody had been feeling since he’d spent the night at police headquarters questioning a number of displaced persons who were wandering the streets of Freemont. One of the police officers had suggested the shooter was some novice outdoorsman who didn’t know gun safety or the hunting laws in Georgia. Which Brody didn’t buy. Hopefully the chief of police didn’t, either.
By the time Brody left P.D. headquarters and arrived at Stephanie’s house, she was long gone. Either she had called a cab or driven one of her dad’s cars to work. Mad at himself, he had phoned to apologize, but her cell went to voice mail.
Surely, she wasn’t rejecting his calls.
He groused the entire drive back to post and was equally frustrated when he was tied up in a meeting that lasted all morning. At lunchtime, he hurried to his car and called her as he neared the WTB.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get to your house early enough this morning,” he said when she finally answered.
“Don’t worry. I took a cab to post, Brody.”
“I tried calling you.”
“My phone was off. I only realized it a few minutes ago when I phoned my doctor.”
Brody spied the ambulance when he turned into the WTB area. He pulled into a parking space, jumped out of his car and ran toward her office.
“What happened?” he said, the phone close to his ear.
She hesitated. “I...I must have had a reaction to the cookies.”
A chill settled over him. “What cookies?”
“The note said you were sorry about last night.”
He pushed through the door and raced toward her office. Barging into the room, his heart constricted. She was sitting in a chair with the doctor from the WTB hovering over her, two EMTs at his side.
“Tell me she’s okay,” he demanded when the doc looked up.
“She’s okay. An allergic reaction, but she called us in time.”
“In time?”
“She’s allergic to peanuts. Evidently, the cookie she ate contained nut particles.”
“You didn’t know, Brody,” she said. Her smile was reassuring, except he was anything but reassured.
“I didn’t send you cookies. Someone else must have, but it wasn’t me.”
Worry flashed from her eyes. “If it wasn’t you, then who sent them?”
Someone who knew about
Stephanie’s allergy. Who would have that type of information?
One person came to mind. Brody fisted his hands.
Ted Upton.
* * *
“You’ve had an allergic reaction.” Dr. Carter confirmed what the military physician had told Stephanie earlier. Rejecting the EMTs offer to transport her to the Freemont Hospital, she had instead insisted on seeing her family allergist, which the WTB doctor had agreed would be a good idea.
Dr. Carter had treated her mother for years before her death and Stephanie trusted his diagnosis, which was why she had asked Brody to drive her to his office.
“I’ve only had minor incidents prior to this,” Stephanie assured him. “This time I ate an oatmeal-raisin cookie, which shouldn’t have peanuts in it, and I had an almost immediate reaction.”
“There could have been cross contamination.” He glanced at Brody. “You might want to check with the bakery. Sometimes two types of cookies are prepared in the same area. Even a small amount of antigen could cause a reaction.”
The doctor turned his gaze back to Stephanie. “As you probably realize by now, allergic reactions are unpredictable. The next one could be minor, but it could also be much more severe. The response might be immediately after you come in contact with the allergen. Then again, you could have a delayed response. I’m telling you this so you don’t discount any reaction you might have in the future.”
He handed her a prescription. “Get this filled at your pharmacy on the way home. It’s for two EpiPen Auto-Injectors, which each contain a single dose of epinephrine. Keep at least one of them with you at all times. You’ll find directions printed in the insert.”
The doctor glanced at Brody. “If you notice any allergic symptoms, have her use the EpiPen and then be sure to seek medical help. I don’t want to scare you, but things can happen quickly once a reaction starts.”
The doctor made a note in her file and then patted her arm. “You take after your mother with her big heart. She was a good woman. So are you.”
Stephanie’s cheeks burned under the doctor’s gaze, and knowing Brody was staring at her caused her even more embarrassment.
“I’ve known your family for years,” the doctor added. “Don’t let your concern for Ted keep you from living your own life. He’ll find his way. You don’t want to miss your own opportunities because you’re caring for him.”
Stephanie had little to say as Brody drove her to the pharmacy. As much as she appreciated Dr. Carter’s advice, she and Ted were a family and needed to stick together. Even if Ted didn’t seem to understand what being a family meant.
“That was nice of the doctor to mention your mother,” Brody said after they parked and were walking toward the pharmacy. “She must have been a special woman.”
Hearing Brody confirm what she already knew made her appreciate him even more. Despite the gun on his hip and his job handling military crime, he had a compassionate side that she had noticed. This was one of those times.
As if he realized her own internal struggle, he circled her with his arm. She leaned into him, supported by his strength.
She shouldn’t allow herself to indulge in the moment, but she didn’t want to pull back from his closeness. They would separate once they entered the store. Until then, she wanted to pretend they were together and that what they shared was special.
Too soon, she’d have to go back to being the Wounded Warrior advocate and the sister of a soldier who was struggling to find his way. Brody would once again be the CID agent who didn’t trust Ted and weighed everything Stephanie said in light of her brother’s supposed involvement.
The doctor’s words circled through her mind. You need to live your own life, Stephanie.
What did she want her own life to entail? At this moment, she wished it included Brody.
* * *
Once the prescription was filled and Stephanie had the EpiPens safely tucked in her purse, Brody let out a sigh of relief.
“I’ll take you home now,” he said.
“I need to go back to work,” she insisted. “Keith emailed the report for the island picnic. I have to review his plans and then pass them on to Major Jenkins.”
“The major told you to take the afternoon off,” Brody reminded her.
“He’s been more than kind.”
“You’ve done a great job. Major Jenkins said he can see the strong bonds of trust that you’ve developed already with the soldiers on your caseload. He also said the class on PTSD had a positive influence, which was good to hear. Since then, a number of the guys have opened up and shared more readily about their own inner struggles.”
“Did he mention Ted?”
“Only that he wanted to be removed from your caseload. Jenkins assured him the request would be reviewed, although he hopes to delay the final decision and give you both more time.”
“I have a feeling you had something to do with that.”
Brody smiled. “I told him you were working to overcome some history that probably played into Ted’s current problems. Jenkins suggested I talk to your brother’s counselor. I told him you would probably have more information to offer.”
She nodded. “I met with his care team and counselor. Ted has been quite reticent about his life before the military. Of course, many soldiers have more than one problem. Often they’re dealing with outside issues in addition to their injuries, no matter how traumatic those may be.”
“Talking about those other situations helps in the healing process, which I hope Ted realizes.” Brody glanced at his watch. “I’m going to have the cookies you received analyzed, but I also want to talk to the folks at the bakery who made them. Do you feel like joining me? If not, I can take you home first.”
She smiled. “I told you I need to go back to work, but the bakery isn’t far. Nikki Dunn’s sister works there. I’m sure Diane can answer any questions you might have. We can stop in and talk to her before we drive back to Fort Rickman.”
Brody parked in the small lot behind the bakery. A few people milled about the store when they entered. The smell of freshly baked cookies made his mouth water.
He noticed a sign hanging near the checkout register. “Products containing nuts are made in this facility.”
A woman waved to Stephanie. She was in her midthirties and wore a white apron, a hairnet and a warm smile. She bore a striking resemblance to Nikki and was, undoubtedly, the sister Stephanie had mentioned.
The two women embraced before Stephanie introduced him. “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” he said as they shook hands.
“I placed an order for you this morning.”
“Actually, that’s why we’re here,” Brody said. “Could you find the order form?”
Diane rifled through a stack of papers behind the counter. A look of success passed over her face as she pulled one free. “Here it is. Two dozen oatmeal-raisin cookies. The order came in sometime yesterday. Pat was working the counter.”
“Is she here today? I’d like to talk to her.”
Pat was an older woman with gray hair. Yesterday had been a busy day. She didn’t remember anything about the order or the person who had requested the cookies. She apologized for not being able to provide more information before she returned to the kitchen.
Brody briefly mentioned Stephanie’s allergic reaction, and then asked Diane, “When was the last time you baked anything containing nuts?”
“Our schedule never varies. We bake sugar and oatmeal in the morning. Chocolate chip, peanut butter and macadamia nut follow. We wipe down the equipment between batches, but a contamination could easily occur. That’s why we post the warning.” She pointed to the sign Brody had seen upon entering.
“What about your sister, Nikki?” Brody asked. “Does she know the baking schedule?”
“Probably, we h
aven’t changed the routine in years. She used to help out when she was in high school. In fact, Nikki stopped by yesterday with Paul. He bought a dozen macadamia-nut cookies for his mom and dad. They left on a three-day trip this morning.”
Diane glanced at Stephanie and lowered her voice. “Truth be told, I’m worried about him. Nikki said he feels guilty. I think it eats at him that his friends were injured.”
“Maybe I should encourage Paul to get some help,” Stephanie suggested.
As the women talked, Brody peered into the kitchen where Pat was using a large metallic scoop to add an ingredient to the batter she was preparing.
Maybe the problem hadn’t been cross contamination.
When he explained his concern to Diane, she ushered him into the kitchen and pointed to the flour and oatmeal bins, and where they kept the other ingredients. Nothing seemed suspect until Brody opened the lid on the raisins. Using a scoop, he sprinkled some on the metal worktable.
Diane gasped.
Brody stared at the tiny particles that appeared to be nuts mixed in with the dried fruit. “I’ll need to have this container analyzed. Contact the distributor and see if they’ve had other complaints.”
“Of course. It was probably an error on their part.”
“Unless it was done locally by someone who wanted to contaminate your products.”
Diane’s face paled as she undoubtedly realized the significance of Brody’s statement.
“Why?” she asked. “Why would anyone sabotage our bakery?”
Which was exactly the question Brody needed to have answered.
THIRTEEN
To prevent Stephanie from having a second reaction, Brody made her stand back until he placed the container of raisins in his trunk. No doubt, the ground particles were some type of nut. Who had mixed them with the raisins and for what reason was yet to be determined.
Had it been done so that Stephanie would have an allergic reaction? Or was she simply the unsuspecting bystander who happened to get involved? Again the question of coincidence came into play. Too many coincidences didn’t add up, especially when they all involved Stephanie.
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