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"Looks like we've got our--"
"Except for one thing. She was Claire's replacement. She arrived in town at the same time I did."
"Doesn't mean she wasn't here before. But, yeah, that makes it a little less clear cut. We need to take a closer look at all those girls. I can't say for sure that it's the cookies, but that's my guess. There are a bunch of poisons that can inhibit spellcasting."
"Poisons?"
"That's why I'm worried. I know you're going to hate this, but I want to get you to Portland, pay a visit to Dr. Lee."
Lee was the physician used by most area supernaturals when they had a health concern that went beyond a cold or flu. In an emergency, we can use a regular hospital, but whenever possible we avoid it--there are things in our systems that can give wonky test results and raise eyebrows.
"So the theory would be that this witch-hunter poisoned me to reduce my spellcasting so she can get the jump on me," I said as we prepared to leave.
"Could be. Or she might just be protecting herself against you. That Bible was left out for a reason. She knew you'd be involved in the case, and I can't see why she'd tip her hand like that unless it was a warning."
"So she's not targeting me, just telling me to back off? Mmm, not so sure. I see it more as a challenge."
Adam's look said he didn't like that explanation. A challenge said she intended to kill me no matter how hard I fought.
My cell phone rang. It was Bruyn.
"You were looking for me?" he said.
"I was. I wanted to get a look at the crime-scene photos if you have them."
"Sure do. If you've got a minute, swing by now. I've got some news you might want to hear."
thirty-four
Adam called Dr. Lee first, checking to make sure he would be in when we got there. He talked to the doctor, who agreed it sounded like one of the poisons Adam listed.
Dr. Lee said there were about a half-dozen toxins that could affect spellcasting and induce nausea. None would be immediately detectable in a cookie, if the dose was low enough. Most were mild and all I had to do was stop eating the cookies. Two of the poisons, though ... Well, I don't know exactly what Dr. Lee said to Adam, but when he hung up, he insisted that our visit to Bruyn had to be very short.
Adam started fidgeting within sixty seconds of getting to the police station. I don't blame him. Bruyn's big "news" was that the results from the lab were finally in and the bullet that killed Claire hadn't been fired from the same gun as the one that killed Ginny and Brandi.
That would have been far more useful to know a day ago. Now it only confirmed Paula's story, though I guess it also meant Alastair hadn't killed Claire using the same gun. Right now, though, the case wasn't at the top of my priority list.
I did, however, want those crime-scene photos. Bruyn wanted an update first. I gave him some tidbits that would in no way implicate Paula. He seemed satisfied with that, and we were about to leave when his mother came in.
"I just got a call, sir. Bob Thorne is reporting a truck parked over by the sawmill since last night and he--"
"I'll look into it as soon as I'm done this meeting," Bruyn said, waving at us.
"There's a reason I interrupted your meeting, dear." She turned to us. "The vehicle Bob is reporting is a 1992 Dodge pickup, registered to Jesse Aanes from Seattle. Isn't that the other young detective you've been workingwith?"
ADAM WAITED UNTIL the Jeep doors were shut before he blasted me. "Why the hell did you say we'd look into it? They were perfectly willing to send a cop to check it out--"
"When those cops returned from a call. In other words, it's not a priority. And if we suspect anything supernatural, then we can't let them go out there, can we?"
"You need to get--"
"First, we don't know for sure that I've been poisoned. Second, there's only a one in three chance that it's fatal."
"Only one in three. Well, that's okay then."
"I never said--"
"I don't care if it's one in three thousand, Savannah. I'm taking you, to the doctor."
