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“None of us gave her anything,” the dread-lock twin said.
“Well what has she had to drink since she’s been here?” asked his brother. He looked around at the little group. “Someone could have roofied her drink.”
“That’s no roofie,” Mack said darkly. “More like fucking meth or angel dust.”
“They handed her some champagne when she came in but I don’t think she even drank it,” Mel said.
“It could be food too,” Hunter said. “Something she ate. We ate at the diner a couple of hours ago but I ate off her plate and I’m fine. Did she eat anything here?”
“Just the pie Nicholas made,” Mel said. “A waiter gave her a piece as soon as she walked in the door.”
“Did one of you tell him to do that?” Hunter asked.
Everyone in the group looked around at one another. Isobel had quieted down with a zoned out look on her face. Christ. They needed to get her to a doctor and find out what the hell was in her system.
Hunter looked at everyone. “So? Did anyone tell the waiter to give her the pie? Were they walking around giving pie to everyone else?”
“They were handing out champagne to everyone,” Mel said, “but not pie.”
“You think someone put something in the pie before they gave it to her?” Reece asked, obviously horrified.
“Pie?” Hunter shook his head in confusion. “Why was there pie anyway?”
“It was a family tradition,” Jeremiah spoke up. “From when she was a kid. She’d have apple pie for her birthday instead of cake. She told us about it this morning.”
“So who else would know she always ate pie on her birthday?” Mack asked, anticipating Hunter’s next question. “If that’s how they drugged her?”
“We were the only ones there,” Mel said, looking around the small circle.
“No. There’s someone else who would know.” Hunter turned around and looked at Isobel’s stepmother. Marie had finished with her and she was apparently so distraught she just had to talk to one of the reporters. On fucking video.
“That bitch,” Mel whispered.
“We’ve got to find the plate Iz was eating from,” Jeremiah said. “There are probably traces of whatever she was dosed with.”
“And find the goddamned waiter, too,” Hunter growled.
“On it,” Liam said, heading toward the back of the bar.
Marie strode toward them. Though she was petite with short blonde hair that made her look more like a pixie than an officer of the law, she walked with an air of authoritative confidence. She’d earned the respect of almost everyone in town a couple years ago when she singlehandedly solved one of the most brutal homicides the county had seen in a decade. “Sorry guys, but I gotta take her in. Her stepmother is pressing charges.”
“The hell you are,” Mack said, stepping between Marie and where Nicholas was still holding Isobel. Nicholas hadn’t let up on his grip, but Isobel had gone limp.
“She needs a doctor, not a jail cell,” Jeremiah pushed Mack aside. “She’s been drugged. Just look at her.”
Marie frowned. When she stepped forward to look at Isobel, Mack tried to block her again but Jeremiah shoved him back. The two men glared at each other but Marie ignored both of them. She took out a pen flashlight and shined it in Isobel’s eyes. Isobel flinched from the light but gave no other reaction.
“She’s on something all right,” Marie said. She stood up straight and looked around at all the tall, intimidating men around her. She only came up to Jeremiah’s chin but she didn’t back down. “But she’s heading to lockup first. Then she’ll receive medical attention.”
Mack started to interrupt her but she cut him off. “And if any of you so much as think of interfering with an officer of the law, I’ll haul your ass in with her.” She leveled each one of them with a cold stare that dared them to fuck with her.
Then she turned back to Isobel. “All right, honey. I’m gonna take you in now.” She looked up at Nicholas as she pulled out a pair of cuffs. “Let her go, please.”
“Are handcuffs really necessary?” Reece asked.
“Standard protocol for a 10-15 call.”
“You swear you’ll get her checked out first thing?” Hunter demanded.
