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“I will.” She groaned. “Is it wrong for me to say I hope they’ve just caught a stomach bug?”
“I get it.”
“I hope they’re okay. Keep me updated?”
“You bet.”
I hung up and checked the time again. I could officially clock out. I hunted down the officer who’d be in charge of the night shift and briefed him on the day’s activities, then shut down my computer at record speed and rushed to Grace’s place.
I had to park outside the neighbor’s property since Alice’s car was up the drive and Max’s was parked along Grace’s frontage. There was a light on in the cottage, but the house looked dark from here. Presumably, they were in the private quarters on the other side of the building. I unlocked the door and flicked on the hall light. Duke appeared from around a corner, his tail wagging. He barked once in greeting but didn’t make a fuss.
“Where’s your owner?” I asked, bending to scratch behind his ear. He leaned into the scratch, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.
I headed into the private living room. Alice lay on the couch, her head on a pillow, her complexion pale. Max knelt beside her, taking her temperature. He didn’t look up until he’d finished.
“Hey,” I said.
Max nodded at me, then turned back to Alice. “Your temperature is up but not enough to cause concern. Based on your symptoms and what you’ve told me, it’s likely you’ve got a mild case of food poisoning. It’s possible something in the salad wasn’t washed properly. Whatever it is, you seem to be better off than Grace, which makes me think she ate more of the contaminated food than you did.”
I frowned, his comment triggering a question in my mind. If Alice wasn’t as unwell as Grace, was it possible that this might not be an accident? Could someone have tried to poison Grace, and Alice was just collateral damage?
“Where’s Grace?” I asked.
“In her bedroom.” Alice was clearly miserable. “Tess is there too.”
“Thanks.” I hesitated, uncertain what to say to her or whether to voice my suspicions. In the end, I decided I’d keep it to myself until I had the chance to speak to Max alone. “Is it likely to be contagious?”
“It’s hard to know for sure,” Max said. “If it’s food poisoning, then no. But don’t worry, I had Tess put on a surgical mask and told her to keep a little distance between herself and Grace, so she’s unlikely to be exposed any more than she already has been.”
“I appreciate it.” I nodded to them and went to find my girls.
Grace lay on her back beneath the covers. Her hair was a mess, and her skin was even waxier than Alice’s. A cold compress rested on her forehead, and her eyes were open just wide enough to see me as I entered. Tess sat on the floor against the wall. Her expression crumpled with relief at the sight of me, and she scrambled up and threw her arms around me.
“It’s okay.” I soothed her. “Grace is going to be fine. She just looks a little worse for wear.”
“Exactly what every woman wants to hear,” Grace muttered from the bed.
“You’re still beautiful,” I replied automatically, then froze, realizing I shouldn’t have said something like that in front of Tess, but my daughter didn’t seem to pick up on it.
Max cleared his throat from the doorway. “Alice is fine to go home, although I’d prefer for someone to drive her there. I’ve told her to keep her fluids up, and the same goes for you, Grace. Plenty of water and take it easy. Neither of you should work tomorrow. Your bodies need time to recover.”
“Okay,” Grace agreed. The fact that she didn’t argue spoke volumes about how poorly she must feel. She rarely took time off even if she was sick.
“If you start feeling worse, call me,” Max said. “No matter what time it is.”
“We will.” I joined him and we walked to the exit together. “Thanks for coming.”
“No problem.” He grimaced. “I hate seeing them like that.”
“Me too.” I glanced around to make sure I hadn’t been followed, then lowered my voice. “Is there any chance this might not have been an accident? Could someone have poisoned them intentionally?”
Max’s eyebrows flew up. “Why would you ask that?”
I explained the situation with Grace, watching as his face grew graver.
“I didn’t realize it had gotten so serious.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Yes, there are poisons that could have produced these symptoms, or if someone had access to their food or drinks, they could have knowingly introduced a contaminated food or liquid. It might not have happened at the cafe, although considering the security system in place here, that would be the most likely place.”
My stomach clenched. “Are there any tests you could do to confirm whether or not it was poison?”
