Page 16 of Married to Lies

It was a small comfort that no one would be able to just walk in and finish the job they started. “Where’s the doctor?”

“Making rounds. Should be here in an hour or two.”

I wanted answers now, but Bryce was still on his way. Surely he’d want to hear it all for himself as well. So I sat in the chair beside Simon’s bed, hands in my lap. “Have his children been notified?” I asked the CNA.

The kid ran a hand through his scruffy facial hair. “His emergency contact was—” his face screwed up in concentration, and then he gave up—“that woman the police took. She called several people. I don’t know who.”

I wished Iris were here to tell me because the presence of his children would wildly change the landscape of this hospital room. And yet, they deserved to know about their father... didn’t they?

My mind went back to Daybreak Dominion’s attack on Simon at the gala. Could Jasper’s cult be behind the poisoning as well? Worry made my stomach sink. If they were at fault, they’d escalated quickly from painful messages to deadly actions.

I sent Walter a text message.

Quentin: Tell the police to look into Jasper and Simon’s other kids. They have reason to want Simon gone.

Walter: Yes. They’ll want you in for questioning as well eventually.

My jaw clenched in frustration. The last time I’d had access to Simon was at the wedding four days ago. The doctors didn’t think he was poisoned then, did they? Who all had been there? Just close friends and family. But then as I went through the evening in my mind, I remembered there had been catering staff in attendance. A bartender too.

I sent a new message to my assistant.

Quentin: Get the list of every person at Bryce’s wedding, including staff, and send it to Walter.

Within seconds, I had a response.

Daniel: On it.

As I put my phone in my pocket, Bryce rushed in, chest rising and falling. His gaze scanned Simon quickly before tracking back to me. “Q, they brought Iris to the police station. What if she’s been framed for it?” Worry was wild in his eyes.

“My lawyer’s on his way to meet her at the police station,” I told him. “Daniel’s getting a list of everyone who was at the wedding to give to the police as well.”

Bryce’s skin turned sallow. “They think it happened at the wedding?” He looked to the CNA for confirmation, but I waved my hand.

“He’s making sure no one attacks Simon again. The doctor should be here in an hour or so.”

Bryce’s face had a look of wild determination as he went to the call button on the wall above the bed. When the nurse answered, Bryce said, “We need to see a doctor as soon as possible.”

The answer came back, “I’ll page her to let her know Simon’s family is here.”

Bryce and I shared a heavy look, and Bryce finally said, “Thank you.”

He pulled up a free plastic chair and positioned it on the opposite side of Simon’s bed from me. Speaking quietly, he said, “Hang in there, Simon. We’re here for you. We’re going to figure out who did this. When you wake up, we’ll have security on you twenty-four seven. You won’t be hurt like this again. I promise.”

Simon’s heart rate beeped in the same steady rhythm, even as Bryce took his hand and held on to it.

Bryce always knew the most caring thing to say in each moment. Meanwhile, my mind ran rampant with words, yet none of them seemed more valuable than the silence. The clock ticked past fifty minutes while Bryce told Simon about his little girl and what a whirlwind it had been to see Jada give birth.

“I’ve never been so amazed by someone,” Bryce said, eyes shining. “I have you to thank for that, in some strange way, for all of your crazy demands...”

I was about to remind Bryce we had an audience, even though the CNA was doing his best impression of a bump on a log, but then a doctor came into the room, scrubbing hand sanitizer over her olive-toned hands. The CNA didn’t even move, despite Bryce and I both rising to greet the woman.

After we introduced ourselves, I said, “Get us up to speed.”

She nodded, a determined look furrowing her thick black eyebrows. “Our tests reveal thallium poisoning. Are you familiar?”

Both Bryce and I shook our heads.

“It used to be used in pesticides,” she explained, “but it’s been outlawed since the seventies. We’re not sure how much he ingested, but the treatment is the same regardless of the dose.”