Lethal Legacy: A Novel (Guardians of Justice) Read online

  The stretcher disappeared into a treatment room, the paramedics and the nurse on their heels blocking his view of the injured woman.

  He stared after them.

  No way.

  Kelly wasn’t the only woman with hair the burnished red of autumn leaves.

  Still, he eased toward the door, craning his neck for a better view. He arrived just in time to watch the paramedics transfer the woman to the hospital gurney in one smooth motion. She had an oxygen mask over her face, but he could see enough to make a positive ID.

  It was Kelly!

  His heart stalled, then slammed into double time. Adrenaline propelled him into the room, where he collided with the nurse at the foot of the bed.

  “Whoa, Detective.” She steadied herself with a hand on his chest—and kept it there when he tried to edge around her. “I thought you were done here.”

  “I thought so too.” He kept his gaze fixed on Kelly’s face. The oxygen mask obscured much of it, but he could see that her eyes were closed.

  Not good.

  “What happened?”

  “Are you family?”

  “No. I’m . . .” What was he, exactly? The answer eluded him, and he gave up trying to figure it out. “But I know her.”

  A guy in a white coat shouldered into the room, aiming for Kelly.

  “Sorry.” The nurse increased the pressure of her hand on his chest, edging him toward the door. “We have work to do in here.”

  “There’s a friend of hers in the waiting room who can fill you in,” one of the paramedics offered as he maneuvered around Cole.

  He shot the guy a grateful look. “Thanks.”

  With one more glance at Kelly, he exited and wove through the ER toward the waiting area. Halfway there, he realized he hadn’t asked the paramedic if Kelly’s friend was a man or a woman.

  Stymied, he paused near the door. Huh. For whatever reason, it had never occurred to him she might have a man in her life.

  And the notion didn’t sit well with him.

  A nurse hit the release button on the wall beside him to admit a patient’s family, and as the security door to the waiting room opened, he walked through. If her friend was a guy, and he didn’t like Cole butting in, tough.

  The waiting room was half full, and he did a quick sweep. Most of the occupants were clustered in groups of two or three. Two women and a man were sitting alone. The lone male appeared to be about forty. He was slouched in his chair, yawning as he paged through a newspaper.

  Cole hoped that wasn’t Kelly’s friend. She deserved a guy who’d be pacing the halls and demanding answers, not checking out sports scores.

  The solitary middle-aged woman was reading a form, glasses balanced on her nose. The other woman, a stylish blonde, was closer to Kelly’s age. She was perched on the edge of her chair, legs crossed, foot jiggling while she talked on a cell phone. Her posture and demeanor spelled distress with a capital D.

  He decided to start with her.

  As he approached, she looked up. “I don’t know, Shaun. We just got here and they relegated me to the waiting room. As soon as I get an update, I’ll let you know. Hold on a sec, okay?” She removed the phone from her ear. “Can I help you?”

  “Are you by chance here with Kelly Warren?”

  “Yes.”

  “When you’re finished with your call, I’d like to talk with you.”

  “Okay.” She put the phone back to her ear. “Shaun, I need to go. I’ll call you back in a few minutes.” She removed the phone from her ear, punched the off button, and slipped the cell into her purse as she eyed his sport jacket and tie. “Are you a doctor?”

  “No. My name is Cole Taylor. I’m a St. Louis County police detective.”

  A beat of silence passed. “Are you the one Kelly’s been talking with about the note from her father?”

  “Yes.”

  The woman held out her hand. “Lauren Casey. Kelly and I are old friends.”

  He took her cold fingers in his and gave them a firm squeeze. “I was in the ER interviewing a witness when she was wheeled in. Can you tell me what happened?” As he released her hand, he took the chair beside her.

  “She went into anaphylactic shock. Kelly’s highly allergic to peanuts. Even half a peanut can be fatal if she’s not treated immediately.”

  The bottom fell out of his stomach. “Was she?”

  “No.” The woman clenched her hands on her lap. “She carries an epinephrine injector with her, but for some reason it didn’t work. The coffee shop we were at called 911 right away and the paramedics got there fast, but she’d already passed out and her lips were turning b-blue.” The woman’s voice hitched, and her knuckles whitened. “I don’t understand how this happened. She’s a regular at the Perfect Blend, and she’s checked out all their stuff.”

  The word fatal was still strobing across his mind. They could determine the cause of her medical crisis later. Right now, he just wanted information on her condition.

  “Do you know who has authority to make decisions in an emergency, now that her father is gone?”

  “Yes. Me and her minister.”

  “Good.” He stood, took her arm, and drew her to her feet. “Because we’re going to get some answers.”

  Her lips had stopped tingling. And she could breathe again.

  Thank you, God.

  “Are you with us, Kelly?”

  At the question, she opened her eyes. A middle-aged woman wearing a scrub top was fiddling with an IV beside the bed.

  “Yes.” Her voice sounded funny, coming through the oxygen mask.

  “Welcome back. You had a close call, but the doctor says you’ll be fine. Shall I let your friends come back?”

  Friends? Plural? “Who’s here?”

  “A blonde-haired woman and a dark-haired St. Louis County police detective.”

  She frowned. “Why is a detective here?”

  “He was in the ER when you were brought in. I think he was interviewing a witness in some case. He said he knew you and joined your friend in the waiting room.”

  As the woman leaned over and removed the oxygen mask from her face, Kelly puzzled over that. The only detectives she knew were Alan Carlson and Cole Taylor, and Carlson was blond. It had to be Cole. But why would he be waiting around to see her? After he’d called on Tuesday to tell her Carlson was reviewing her father’s case, she hadn’t expected to hear from him again.

  “So are you up for visitors?”

  “Yes. Thanks.”

  The nurse disappeared, and three minutes later Lauren appeared at the door, the man in question close on her heels.

  “Oh, Kelly.” Lauren crossed the room and leaned down to give her a hug. “How are you feeling?”

  “Not bad. Anaphylaxis is easy to treat as long as you catch it in time.”

  “We almost didn’t.”

  Kelly didn’t want to think about that. Instead, she transferred her attention to Cole, who stood just inside the door, holding a cup of coffee. “Hi.”

  At her greeting, he moved beside the bed, across from Lauren. Twin lines creased his forehead as he scrutinized her. “You had an exciting morning.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I can think of better places to get my kicks than the ER.” She plucked at the blanket, trying to come up with a backdoor way to find out why he’d hung around. “I heard you were here interviewing a witness.”

  “Yeah. Half the department is working a double homicide, so everyone else is filling in where needed on other breaking cases.”

  “Are you still on duty?”

  “No.”

  That was all he offered, leaving her in limbo about his motives for staying. Was he simply being a good Samaritan—or did he have a more personal interest in her well-being?

  Lauren looked from Kelly to Cole and back again before she spoke. “So what happens next? Will they admit you?”

  “I can answer that.” The nurse in the scrub top came back in. “Your vitals are all back to normal, b
ut we want to keep you for four hours from time of arrival in case there’s a biphasic reaction.”

  “What’s that?” Cole asked.

  “A second wave of symptoms. It happens sometimes.” Kelly turned to Lauren. “You need to go home and get ready for that twinless date with your husband. I know how much you’ve been looking forward to it. I’ll be fine. It’s just a waiting game now.”

  Lauren gave a dismissive flip of her hand. “We can reschedule. Besides, you’ll need a ride home after you’re released.”

  “That’s what cabs are for.”

  “I’ll be happy to give you a lift.”

  At Cole’s offer, Kelly turned back to him. From her prone position, she had a perfect view of an endearing dimple in the middle of his chin that she’d missed in their previous encounters. Her heart skipped a beat—and her sudden breathlessness had nothing to do with peanuts.

  “That’s a great idea!” Lauren enthused.

  Kelly stifled a groan at the speculative gleam in her friend’s eyes. Lauren was shifting into matchmaking mode, and subtlety wasn’t her strong suit.

  Time for evasive maneuvers.

  She refocused on Cole. “That’s too much of an imposition. What will you do for three hours?”

  “Keep you entertained?” He gave her a half-hitch smile that set off a tingle in her stomach.

  “Perfect!” Lauren buttoned her jacket and squeezed Kelly’s fingers. “I can see you’re in very capable hands. I’ll call you later tonight.” Slanting a grin at Cole, she lifted her hand in a wave and disappeared out the door.

  In the wake of her departure, silence descended. Cole remained by the side of the bed, and Kelly gave him an apologetic glance. “Look, you don’t have to stick around. I have to believe you have better things to do on a Saturday morning than kill time waiting for me to be released. But I appreciate the offer.”

  He took a sip of coffee, watching her. “If you’d rather not have visitors, I’m fine with that. But if you’d like the company, I honestly don’t have any other plans. Work already nixed my one-on-one basketball game with my brother.”

  Her heart warmed. So his reasons for staying were personal, after all. “Okay. If you’re sure.”

  “I’m sure.” He slid the hard plastic chair in the corner closer to the bed and sat. “So tell me what happened this morning. Your friend was very upset, and I didn’t get a clear explanation.”

  “That’s because there isn’t one.” She sighed and pushed her hair back from her face. “I have no idea what went wrong. She told you I have a peanut allergy, right?”

  “Yes. Severe, apparently.”

  “Very. A fraction of a peanut, or eating foods cooked in or containing peanut oil, can lead to anaphylactic shock. That’s what happened today. But I don’t understand why. I’m very, very careful to verify the food I order at restaurants has had no contact with peanuts. I even talked to the owner of the coffee shop on my first visit. He assured me they didn’t use any peanut products in their pastries, which they bake on-site, and I’ve had that cinnamon roll many times.”

  “What did you drink?”

  “Same as usual. A white chocolate mocha.”

  Cole took another sip of coffee, his expression thoughtful. “Okay, putting aside the cause for a moment . . . your friend said you had a drug with you that didn’t work?”

  “Yes. I always carry an auto-injector of epinephrine. It did fire—but I also dropped it as I pulled it out of my purse.” She frowned and shook her head. “Still, I can’t believe all the epinephrine would have leaked out that fast.”

  “Have you ever dropped it before?”

  “Not that I recall.”

  “What happened to the injector?”

  “The paramedics probably brought it in. Why?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “I don’t like mysteries. Maybe if you saw it, you could tell what happened.”

  “We have the injector.” The nurse in the scrub top joined their conversation as she entered the room. “It’s completely empty. When did you check it last?” She directed that comment to Kelly as she adjusted a setting on the IV.

  “Six or eight weeks ago, I think. I’ve been a little distracted in the past few months.”

  “I’d like to see it,” Cole said.

  “Sure. I’ll round it up for you.”

  Kelly watched the nurse exit, feeling like an idiot as she gave Cole a sheepish look. “I usually check it every week or so. It must have leaked and I never noticed.”

  “You’ve had plenty of other things to worry about.”

  She appreciated the empathy in his eyes. “Thanks for being nice about it. And I’m still sorry about ruining your morning.”

  “It’s not ruined.” He moved on without giving her a chance to dwell on that remark. “But even if you weren’t as diligent as you should have been about monitoring the injector, that leaves us with the question of why you had the reaction in the first place.”

  “I guess it’s possible they changed their recipe at the coffee shop. They know me there, but I didn’t place the order today. Lauren did. Since I told her everything was safe, she didn’t ask.” A sudden yawn caught her off guard, and she sent him an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”

  One side of his mouth quirked up, and he stood. “You’ve had a tough morning. Why don’t you see if you can get some sleep? I have a few calls to make anyway.”

  Her eyelids were growing heavy. And a quick nap sounded appealing. But guilt nipped at her conscience. “I feel like I should at least keep you company.”

  “You can keep me company later. In the meantime, I’ll be close by if you need anything.” Tossing his empty cup in the trash can, he sent her one more smile before exiting.

  And as her eyelids drifted closed, as she hovered in that drifting state between wakefulness and sleep, she found herself wishing his parting comment would be true for far longer than her unexpected hospital stay.

  Scanning the central desk area as he exited Kelly’s room, Cole spotted the nurse who’d promised to find the injector and strode toward her.

  She saw him coming, and by the time he reached her she had it in hand. “Looking for this?”

  “Yeah.” He took it as she handed it over. It had been put back in its plastic storage tube, and he turned it end to end. Through the viewing window he could see that no liquid remained.

  “My guess is a leak,” the nurse offered. “A normal firing would leave a small amount of medication inside.”

  “Does that happen very often?”

  “No. Only if the injector is damaged.”

  He examined it, but if there was a crack or other break, it wasn’t visible to the naked eye.

  She leaned closer to inspect it too. “It could be that a fine crack produced a slow leak. It might take an X-ray to pick that up.”

  The medical examiner’s office owed him a few favors. Depending on what else he discovered, this might be the time to call one in.

  “Hang on to this for me, okay? I’d like to take it with me when we leave.”

  “Sure thing.”

  As she turned to answer a summons from one of the staff doctors, Cole pulled out his cell phone and crossed to the exit, stepping outside where he could get a signal. With the help of directory assistance, he had the owner of the Perfect Blend on the line in sixty seconds.

  After introducing himself as a friend of Kelly’s and assuring the concerned man she would be fine, he asked whether any recipes had been altered in the past few days.

  “No. And as I told the young woman when she inquired on her first visit, I never allow the use of peanuts or peanut products in my beverages or baked goods. I have a nephew with a peanut allergy, and he’s had to use his injector several times after eating restaurant food he thought was safe. I know how dangerous it can be.”

  Cole shoved back one side of his sport jacket and propped a hand on his hip as he mulled over possible scenarios. “Have you switched ingredient suppliers recently?”

 
“No. We haven’t changed a thing.”

  “Okay. Thanks for the information.”

  Frustrated, Cole pressed the end button and slid the phone back onto his belt. None of this was making sense.

  Too wired to sit, he went back inside and prowled around until he found a small hallway not far from Kelly’s room, where he could pace off some of his restless energy. This whole incident had a decidedly bad flavor. While coincidences happened, it was a stretch to think that on the one day she’d ingested peanuts, her injector had been empty.

  What bothered him most, however, was that all of this had happened not long after she stirred up questions about a closed case she claimed was a homicide.

  Cole wasn’t a detective because he liked puzzles. He was a detective because he liked solving puzzles.

  And as he went in search of another cup of coffee, he was already formulating more questions for Kelly.

  5

  The slam of a door penetrated Kelly’s sleep-fogged brain, and she opened her eyes. Blinked against the bright light. Stared at the white ceiling.

  Where was she?

  When she spotted the IV, it all came back. The allergy attack. The clawing panic when she couldn’t breathe. The ride in the ambulance.

  Cole Taylor.

  She turned her head to find him sitting in the chair he’d occupied earlier.

  “Welcome back.” He smiled and saluted her with a disposable cup.

  “How long was I out?” Even as she asked the question, she twisted her wrist and peered at her watch.

  “A couple of hours.”

  Her eyes flew open. “You waited all this time while I slept?”

  “I promised I’d stay close. And I always keep my promises.” He held her gaze for a moment before standing to approach the bed. “You look better.”

  “I feel fine. Maybe they’ll spring me soon and you can get out of here.” She gave the door a hopeful glance.

  “I’m in no hurry.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Feel up to answering a few questions while we wait?”

  She looked back at him, conscious of a subtle shift in his manner. His tone was still casual and conversational, his demeanor friendly, but she sensed he’d just slipped into his official persona. The one he used when interviewing witnesses. Or suspects. Or victims.