by Peggy Dulle
She wasn’t a doctor, but she was a whole lot more qualified than me. I followed her into one of the rooms and set Shelby on the metal table. The nurse put on a stethoscope and listened to several places on Shelby’s body.
“She’s got a good pulse. It’s a little slow, but it’s definitely strong. Could she have gotten into some of the medicine that Ken gave you?”
“I don’t see how. I keep it in a bag in a drawer of the clothes cabinet.”
“I’m going to give her something to clean out her stomach and then get an IV of fluids going.”
“Is she going to be okay?” I whispered, unsure if I really wanted to hear her response.
She nodded and smiled. “I think so. After I get her set, I’ll give Ken a call and have him come over as soon as he can.”
“Thanks,” I smiled back, grateful for all she was doing for Shelby.
She pointed to the door that I had used to come into the room. “Why don’t you go back to the waiting room?”
I didn’t move. The fear that something was seriously wrong with Shelby crept into my mind and made my body shudder.
She patted my shoulder. “She’s going to be okay. You can come in after I’ve got the IV going.”
“Okay,” I reached over and stroked Shelby’s fur. “I appreciate all you’re doing.”
“You’re welcome.” She picked up Shelby and went through the back door of the examination room.
I walked back to the waiting room and sat down on one of the couches. My eyes filled with tears and I put my head in my hands. Great, it was bad enough I put myself in danger, but now my dog was hurt because I came to Clainsworth to find out what happened to Danielle.
A few minutes later, the nurse came back. “She’s doing fine. Her pulse is stronger and her breathing is better.”
I heaved a heavy sigh of relief. “Can I sit with her?”
“Of course.”
I followed the nurse to the back room. The right side was filled with narrow cabinets with glass doors. There were hundreds of bottles and boxes of medication.
The nurse saw me looking and said, “We get so many samples from the pharmaceutical companies. We keep them and give them to patients who can’t afford the medication for themselves or their animals.”
“That’s really nice.”
“Ken’s a good guy and a great doctor.” She winked at me. “Although I’m a bit prejudiced, I’m afraid.”
I smiled and nodded. He had certainly helped me, and if he could help my dog, I’d be his friend for life.
I noticed a large glass bottle with the words, “Sodium Pentothal” on it. What would a doctor use that for? Animals? I’d have Justin check into that.
When I saw Shelby lying in a makeshift crib, my heart sank and tears welled up in my eyes again. She was hooked up to several monitors and had an IV running from her leg.
The nurse put her hand on my arm. “It looks a lot worse than it is.”
I walked over and petted Shelby on her head. She didn’t respond.
The nurse came over and adjusted one of the monitors. “I talked to Ken. He’s finished with Kate and he’ll be over in a few minutes.”
“Great.”
The nurse left and I stood by Shelby’s bed, petting her, and praying that she’d be okay.
A few minutes later, Doc Gordon came in. “I hear your little girl got into something.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know how. The meds you gave me were in a bag inside of a cabinet.”
He walked over and petted Shelby. “It’s amazing how they can get into things.”
I shrugged. “I guess so. Will she be all right?”
“Let’s take a listen and see what’s going on.” He put on a stethoscope and listened to the same places that the nurse had. “Her heartbeat is strong and her breathing is even. She’ll be fine. It just will take her a while to come out from under the sedative effects of the medication.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
“You’re welcome.” Then he leaned towards me. “You look exhausted Lisa. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just worried about my dog.”
“If you’d like, I can give you a shot of something to help you get a good nights sleep.”
“Well…” I was certainly exhausted, but he’d been the last person to give Danielle something and look what happened to her.
Just then, Tom came in, out of breath, and panic clearly visible on his face.
The doctor nodded at me. “I’m going to check with Jane, my wife, and see what she’s given Shelby.” He turned and left through a door that was marked, “Private Residence. Do Not Enter.”
“What happened?” Tom asked, between breaths.
I wrapped my arms around him and buried my head in his chest, ignoring the fact that he was still talking to me. My body trembled but it calmed as he held me tighter.
He whispered into my ear, “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I whispered back.
He leaned his head away from mine and in a low controlled voice, he asked, “Then, what the hell happened?”
“Shelby must have gotten into some of the meds the doctor gave me for my aches and pains, although I don’t know how. I shook my head, then continued, “But the doctor says that she’ll be fine.”
“I’m glad honey, that’s great,” he pushed my hair back behind my ears, “But that’s not what I’m talking about.”
“What?” I shrugged in confusion.
“Let’s see, maybe it’s the guy tied to our bed.”
“Oh I forgot about him.”
“Yeah, him,” Tom smiled. “What happened?”
“I came back and found Shelby sick. I wrapped her in some towels and when I was ready to leave, he was behind me. He’s one of those stupid guards from the mayor’s big tent.”
The corners of his mouth turned up in a smirk. “Did you use one of those moves I taught you?”
“Actually I used two of yours and one of my dad’s. He went down; I tied him up, and drove over to the Doc’s clinic. How’d you find me?”
He tilted his head toward the front of the building. “I followed the blaring lights.”
“That’s because your car has too many buttons. I just tried to turn on the headlights but ended up turning on everything.”
“That’s okay. It was like a beacon so I could find you.” He reached over and petted Shelby. “How’s she doing?”
“She’s going to be fine.” I put my head against his shoulder and leaned on him. “By the way, what happened to the man tied to our bed?”
“I put my cuffs on him and called the police. They should have him in custody by the time we get back to our room.”
“That’s nice. I would have had trouble sleeping with a grown man tied to my bed.”
Tom laughed. “That’s good to know.”
The doctor came back and checked Shelby again. Then he turned to Tom and me. “You two might as well go back to the inn. She’ll be out most of the night. You can pick her up in the morning.”
I wasn’t leaving my dog, “But…”
Tom put his hand on my arm to silence my objections. Then he looked at the doctor, “Are you sure?”
“Yes. She’s going to be fine.”
I really didn’t want to leave her, but standing by her bed and watching her sleep wasn’t going to do either of us any good.
“Come on, Liza. Let’s go get something to eat and some well earned rest. It’s been a long few hours.”
“I’m not really hungry.” I petted Shelby a few more times and kissed her on the top of her head. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
When we got outside, I noticed that only Tom’s patrol car sat in front. “How did you get here?”
“I ran.”
“Why didn’t you drive Kate’s car?”
“Bill was so glad to see her that he lifted her grounding, so I gave it back to her. I figured since I was here we could just take the patrol car if we needed to go anywhere.”
/> “That must have made her happy.”
“Oh, yes.”
Tom and I got into his patrol car and drove back to the inn. The man I had tied to the bed was gone. I went to the cabinet and checked my medicine. It was still in the childproof bottle in the bag.
I held it up to Tom. “Shelby did not get into my meds.”
“Then what did she get in to?” Tom asked as he sat down on the bed.
“I don’t know.” I checked the bathroom and every drawer and cabinet. There wasn’t any medication anywhere. The only explanation was that someone had given something to her. But why? And how? She didn’t trust anyone, and taking food from a stranger is something she would never do. It had to be someone she was comfortable with. That was a limited number of people in Clainsworth.
I walked out of the bathroom and back over to the bed. Tom had lain down, fully dressed, and was sound asleep. He looked cute lying there. My watch said it was only seven o’clock. I leaned over and whispered into his ear, “I thought you were hungry?”
He didn’t even open his eyes. “I’ll eat extra tomorrow. I’m exhausted. I don’t think mine exploring is for me.”
“Well, you might want to get out of those clothes, love. You don’t have many changes of clothes and this is going to get wrinkled if you keep sleeping in it.”
He opened one eye and smiled. “Want to take them off?”
I shook my head, “You were right about it being a long day and I’m still worried about Shelby. My mind wouldn’t be in it.”
“I have enough trouble keeping your mind focused without the added distraction of a sick dog.” He got up and kissed me on top of my head. “I’ll hang these up. Maybe tomorrow I’ll buy another pair of pants and a few shirts. I’m kind of tired of wearing the same outfit.”
“Besides,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “After romping around the mine, it doesn’t smell too good either.”
“Thanks.”
I put on my nightgown and climbed into bed. It was early but I was exhausted, too. A few minutes later, Tom joined me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. Then he whispered into my ear, “Shelby is going to be okay.”
I turned and buried my head into his chest. “I hope so.”
Chapter 26
In the morning, I shot up in bed and yelled. “Let’s go get Shelby.”
Tom sat up slowly, rubbed his eyes, and looked at the clock next to the bed. “It’s only seven-thirty. I don’t think the doctor’s office is open this early, Liza.”
“Well, first we need to take showers and get you some new clothes. That’s going to take a while. By then the doctor’s office will be open.”
“Okay.” He lay back down and buried his head in his pillow. “You shower first.”
“Okay.”
I got into the shower and took the quickest one I had ever taken. After I dressed, I went out to tell Tom to get in. He was sound asleep. The clock on the table said eight o’clock. I knew the stores on the Main Street opened early this week because of the festival. Maybe I’d go get Tom some clothes and let him sleep for a while longer. I went back into the bathroom and checked the size on his pants and shirt — thirty-four and large. Just thinking about his broad shoulders and stocky build made me want to climb in bed with him. But I didn’t.
I tiptoed out of the room and walked toward Main Street. I wasn’t about to take Tom’s car again and wake up the entire town.
I found a clothing store open only a few blocks away and bought two pairs of jeans, one black and the other blue. Then I got him four different polo shirts, two for each pair of pants. That should do it. I took the clothes to the counter.
The clerk smiled. “Buying clothes for your boyfriend?”
I couldn’t believe how quickly news traveled in this town. “Yes. He came up here without enough changes of clothes.”
She pointed to a table in the middle of the store. “What about underwear?”
“Oh.” My face turned a light shade of pink. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Does he wear boxers or briefs?”
The color in my face darkened, and I said, “Boxers.”
The clerk smiled and grabbed a couple of bags of underwear, t-shirts and a package of socks. She set them down on the counter with the rest of the clothes.
“Thanks,” I said. “I wouldn’t have thought of those.”
“That’s my job.” The clerk rang up my items and put them into a large bag.
I thanked the clerk and walked back to the inn. When I opened the door, Tom wasn’t in bed anymore. I could hear the water in the shower running. Great, he’d get dressed and then we’d go and get Shelby.
I knocked on the bathroom door. “Tom?”
“Yes.”
I opened the door and stuck my head in. “I bought you some clothes.”
“Thanks,” he called from the shower and then stuck his head out of the curtain, “And thanks for letting me sleep.”
“You’re welcome.” I put the bag on the counter and closed the door.
A few minutes later Tom came out of the bathroom dressed in the black jeans and red polo shirt. He looked good. “Nice choice on the clothes.”
“Thank you.” I walked toward the door. “Can we go and get my dog now?”
“Of course. But first I have to tell you something.”
I turned back to him. “What?”
“When I woke up, I wasn’t exactly sure where I was and I ran into the table by the door.”
“Are you okay?” I walked to him.
“Yeah, but when I hit the table, one of the white bags fell off.”
I ran over to the table and shrieked, “the one with my expensive apple pot in it?”
“Yeah,” he whispered and walked to me. “Sorry. I picked it up and put it back on the table. I didn’t hear anything rattling inside, so hopefully it’s not broken.”
I opened the bag and took out the pot. Slowly I unwrapped the tissue paper and turned the pot over. It didn’t seem to have any cracks. “It looks okay.”
“I’m glad.” Tom came over and took the pot from my hand. “It sure is prettier than that other ones you have.”
“Yes. But it’s a second.”
“A second what?”
I pointed to the crease at the bottom of the pot. “It has a flaw so you can’t put it in the oven. It would break.”
“So you can’t make apple cobbler in it?”
“No. It’s just for decoration.” I took the pot out of his hands before any more accidents happened. “I’ll wrap it up again and put it away in the clothes cabinet.”
Tom smiled. “Good choice.”
I smoothed out the paper on the table, then lifted my hands. They were covered in a white powder. I brought one hand to my nose but before I could sniff it, Tom moved it from my face.
“What?”
“Don’t sniff things when you don’t know what they are.”
I held up my hands. “I see cops sniffing and tasting white powder all the time.”
“That’s only on television. We don’t really do that.”
“Why not?”
“Let’s see. If it’s a drug, then we’d all get high. People that are high shouldn’t carry as much firepower as we do.”
“That’s true.”
“And besides, the bad guys watch television too and some of them started lacing the drugs with poison.”
“That would be bad.”
“Yes.” He picked up the apple pot again and turned it over in his hands. “Where did the white powder come from?”
I shrugged.
He rubbed his finger on the crease at the bottom, then reached in his pocket and pulled out a knife.
“Wait!” I yelped. “You’re not going to break my pot, are you?”
“If I do, I’ll buy you another.”
“Okay, but I really like that pot.” I pointed to the crease. “Maybe you can just slip your knife in and cut where the crease is. Then I can glue it back together
again.”
“I’ll try.” Tom slipped his knife into the crease and cut through the pot. Then he took off the round piece from the bottom. He turned the pot over and I got a look at the bottom.
“It’s hollow?”
“Yes.” He scraped his knife inside the pot and more white powder fell out.
“Could this be the drug that’s being smuggled and how it’s getting into the country?”
“That’s a very good possibility.”
I went over to the sink and got one of my other pots. I put it in an old plastic bag and slammed it on the ground.
Tom jumped back. “What are you doing?”
“I want to see if all of the pots are hollow.”
He shook his head, “Next time give a guy some warning, won’t you?”
I opened the bag and took out a piece of the broken pot. It was solid. These pots were not designed to carry drugs, just apple cobbler.
I sat back down at the table and picked up my fancy pot. “It’s all about greed, isn’t it?”
Tom stepped closer. “With drugs, it usually is.”
“No, I’m not talking about the drugs.”
“Then, what?”
I held the pot toward him. “Bill told me that they get their first shipment of pots in December and then every other week until the end of June.”
Tom shrugged and sat down in the chair across from me. “Okay.”
“That’s seven months, fourteen shipments.” Tom nodded his head and I continued, “The lady that sold me this pot told me that she got between ten and fourteen pots.”
Tom raised his eyebrows. “Okay, what’s that got to do with the drugs?”
“What’s the first thing you would do if you got a shipment of drugs?”
“Set them on fire?”
“No, think like a drug dealer.”
He tilted his head. “Okay, I’d check the drugs and make sure they were pure.”
“Right,” I held the bottom of the pot toward him. “So you would slice off the bottom of one pot in each shipment and check the drugs.”
Tom took the pot from my hand. “Like this one.”
I nodded. “And then if you were smart,” I pointed to the pot. “What would you do with that pot after you’ve finished testing the drugs?”