“But they did,” I countered. “Tetrahydrozoline. Found in medicated eyedrops. You can buy those over the counter.”
“And I haven’t bought any, so we just have to find out who did,” Emmie argued.
“It’s also in prescription eyedrops,” I told her. “Everyone in the senior center uses medicated eyedrops. Therefore, a case could be made that you did kill him. Which is a problem.”
“Emmie didn’t.” Zoe was furious. “And I can’t believe you brought him a sandwich when he thinks you’re a murderer, Emmie.”
“I’m her lawyer. I have to—”
I winced as screams echoed from the main dining room of the café.
“Boss, help!” One of the blond Svensson girls threw the door open. “Someone’s choking!”
“Call 911,” I ordered as we raced into the Christmas-bedazzled dining area.
“Help her!” Cora yelled as Beatrice, hands around her throat, was turning purple. “I think she’s choking. Help! Call the fire department!”
“Abbott, what the fuck are you doing?” Zoe demanded.
Abbott ignored her, taking photos of the chaos as Beatrice collapsed onto the floor.
Sirens blared outside as the fire department rolled up.
“I’m a doctor,” one man announced, rushing to Beatrice, leaving a table where a stunned Rosie sat.
He felt her throat then pulled out an EpiPen and stabbed Beatrice in the leg. The swelling in her face immediately started to go down.
Beatrice gasped and gurgled.
“She needs to go to the hospital immediately,” the doctor said to the EMTs who rushed into the café.
“Does she have any allergies?” I asked Cora.
“I don’t know. I… We’re not friends, really. We came in here to meet away from Oakley,” she said tearily. “We figured she wouldn’t come here.”
“What did she eat?” I demanded.
“I don’t… Uh… A sausage roll and a cupcake.”
“The cupcake murderer strikes again!” Abbott said gleefully as Cora clung to Emmie.
“Get out,” I snarled at him.
Abbott scurried away but not before snapping more photos of Beatrice. “I bet I can get one of the big TV stations to run my story.” He was giddy. “Big Christmas bonus incoming.”
“A woman almost died,” I snapped.
“It’s journalism,” he said then started trying to interview onlookers, who were all too happy to give their crazy small-town opinions.
“It was an allergic reaction,” Emmie was hysterically telling people who were anxiously looking at their food. “Everything is perfectly safe. See?”
I grabbed her wrist before she could take a bite out of the sausage roll that Beatrice had been eating.
“We need to have it tested,” I said in a low voice as the police officers trooped up to jeers from the fire department that they were late as usual. “I’ll handle the cops,” I promised her.
“Are they going to arrest me?” she sobbed.
I hugged her tight and kissed her tear-stained cheek as her heart raced against mine and she took those horrible gasping breaths.
