Chapter 16

Lex woke up covered in sweat. DamnŠfeels like I¹m lying too close to a fire, or something. She felt the smaller body next to hers shiver. What theŠ? The rancher pulled back the covers and saw that her companion was huddled up beside her, trembling violently. "Amanda?"

No answer, just another hard shudder.

Worried, Lex tried to roll the younger woman onto her back. "Sweetheart, can you hear me?"

A strangled gasp was Amanda¹s only response.

"C¹mon, babyŠwake up for me," Lex pleaded in a nervous tone. She could feel the heat emanating from the feverish body next to her. "Oh, godŠ" The dark-haired woman leapt from the bed in a panic. "OkayŠI¹ll go downstairs and get your Gramma. She¹ll know what to do." Lex rushed to the door and then looked down at her nude body. "Shit."

They had taken a short nap before dinner and after the meal had declined Frank and Jeannie¹s offer to go out dancing. Lex had still been tired, and Amanda had been unusually quiet throughout the entire meal. The blonde had quickly bidden her sister and Frank goodnight, and then led the rancher upstairs. Within minutes, both women were undressed and in bed asleep.

Lex quickly grabbed some clothes and put them on. She tried one more time to rouse her lover. "Amanda?" She gently shook the trembling woman¹s shoulder.

Amanda never awakened, but rolled over into a fetal position and continued to shiver.

Lex grabbed a nightshirt from the nearby dresser and quickly clothed her friend. "Hold on, babyŠI¹m gonna get you to the hospital." She wrapped Amanda in the quilt from the bed and picked her up. Ignoring the protest from her still-healing back, Lex pulled the shuddering woman close and began to carry her down the flight of stairs.

The rancher paused at the foot of the stairs and shifted her precious cargo. She looked around until she spotted a weak light coming from the den.

"Lex?" Amanda¹s eyes opened slightly. She blinked several times and tried to focus. "What¹s happening? I¹m so cold," she rasped out quietly.

"ShhhŠyou¹re really sick, sweetheart. I¹m gonna get you to the doctor." She watched as the glassy green eyes closed involuntarily. "You¹re gonna be all right," the rancher mumbled, more to herself than to the woman unconscious in her arms. She kissed the heated forehead and stepped into the den. "Anna LeighŠJacob." Lex was close to tears, "I need your help."

The older couple was snuggled together on the sofa in front of the flickering fireplace. When the dark-haired woman stood in the doorway, Anna Leigh turned around and gasped aloud. "Lexington? Dear lordŠ" She jumped to her feet and rushed to the rancher¹s aide.

Jacob followed his wife to the standing woman. "What¹s the matter, honey?" He saw that Amanda¹s face was flushed and her eyes were closed. "Nevermind. I¹ll go get the suburban warmed up." He hurried from the room without another word.

"Sweetheart, why don¹t you bring Mandy over here to the sofa?" Anna Leigh touched Lex¹s arm.

The tall woman stood and looked down worriedly at the frail bundle in her arms. "She¹s burning up," she murmured with tears in her eyes. "I don¹t know what to do."

"OkayŠI¹ve brought the truck around to the front of the house," Jacob broke in breathlessly. "Let me help you there, Lex." He reached carefully for his granddaughter.

Lex pulled Amanda closer to her. "NoŠplease." She allowed Anna Leigh to put an arm around her shoulder.

The older woman gave her husband a knowing look. Let¹s not argue with herŠwe need to get Mandy to the hospital. She smiled a little when he seemed to read her mind.

He moved to the other side of Lex and helped her navigate to the front door. "I¹ll help her get Mandy into the truck, love." He looked down at the rancher¹s bare feet and legs. She had rushed out of the room in her boxer shorts and tee shirt. "Why don¹t you run upstairs and grab some of Lex¹s clothes?"

"Good idea, darling. I¹ll be right there. And I¹ll leave a note for Frank and Jeannie so they¹ll know where we went." Anna Leigh patted Lex on the shoulder and hurried up the stairs.

***************

Oblivious to the stares she received, Lex paced up and down in the waiting room. "What¹s taking them so damn long?" she grumbled, as her bare feet rapped out a steady beat on the tile floor.

"Lexington, please come over here and get your clothes," Anna Leigh requested for the tenth time. "You¹re not going to do Mandy any good if you catch pneumonia." She was secretly worried about her granddaughter¹s friend. The tall woman seemed completely lost without Amanda nearby to anchor her. Anna Leigh looked up as her husband stepped back into the waiting area.

Jacob quickly covered the distance from the door and sat down next to his wife. They were at Parkdale General Hospital instead of the community hospital, because the facility was newer and much bigger. All of them had agreed that the extra thirty-minute drive would be well worth the time since the staff was larger, and the hospital was more up to date. Now he was regretting the decision. I don¹t know any of the people here, and they all seem soŠimpersonal. "I checked with the nurse at the admitting desk. Still no word on Mandy¹s condition, but she did tell me that the doctor was in with her now." He watched as Lex continued to pace and sometimes exchange dirty looks with the other people in the room. Jacob pulled his wife close and studied the rancher. She was still wearing her boxer shorts and tee shirt, and carried around the shoes and socks that Anna Leigh had brought for her. "Still can¹t get her to calm down or get dressed?" he asked worriedly.

"I¹m afraid not. I can¹t get much of a reaction at all from her." Anna Leigh shook her head. I don¹t know why I didn¹t think of it beforeŠ" She patted his leg and stood up. "I¹ll be right back, love. I¹m going to go make a phone call." Anna Leigh left the room before her husband could ask where she was going.

The older man stood up and walked over to where the distraught woman was standing. Lex was staring out the window into the evening gloom. Small bits of sleet had begun to fall against the glass and Jacob felt a sympathetic chill run down his spine. "LexŠ" He cautiously placed a hand on the rancher¹s shoulder. "Come away from the window, honey." He felt her shiver as a blast of cold air rattled the window.

Lex turned away from her vigil and stared at the handsome older man. "What?" She looked towards the closed door. "Has the doctor been in yet?"

"No, sweetheartŠnot yet." Jacob put an arm around Lex and gently led her to a nearby chair. He grabbed an abandoned blanket from another chair and wrapped it around the dark-haired woman¹s shoulders. "You¹re like a block of ice, honey. Why don¹t you let me get you a cup of coffee?"

"No, thank you." Lex shook her head, but didn¹t take her eyes from the door. What the hell is taking so long? She jumped to her feet as the door opened, but sank back down wearily when Frank and Jeannie burst into the room.

The small auburn-haired woman quickly scanned the room. When she spotted Jacob and Lex, she grabbed Frank¹s arm and dragged him across the waiting room. "GrandpaŠLex!" Jeannie stepped into her grandfather¹s open arms. "What on earth happened?"

Jacob held the young woman close. He glanced down at Lex, who was staring at the door once again. "Your sister developed a rather high fever after you left the house this evening," he murmured quietly so as not to upset the rancher. "Lex brought her downstairs and we rushed her here."

"Damn." Frank sat down next to Lex and put a gentle hand on her leg. That explains why Lex looks as if she jumped right out of bed. "Hey thereŠcan I get you anything?" He watched as the blue eyes slowly tracked to his face, and then blinked.

"Frank? Amanda¹s sick." She bit her lip as tears welled up in her eyes. "I couldn¹t get her to wake up." Lex took a deep breath to try and calm herself.

Jeannie pulled back from her grandfather¹s embrace and looked around the room. "Where¹s Gramma? Has she gone to call Mother and Father?"

"I¹m not sure, honey. She did say she was going to make a phone call, but I don¹t know to who." Jacob looked up as the door opened.

A dark-haired man wearing a white lab coat walked purposely into the room. He glanced down at the clipboard in his hand and looked around the waiting room. "Are there any relatives of a Miss Amanda Cauble here?"

Jacob made his way over to the smaller man. "I¹m her grandfather, DoctorŠ?"

"Barnes." The weary doctor looked up into the older man¹s concerned eyes. "Why don¹t we go into the consultation room, and I¹ll brief you on what I know."

"How¹s my granddaughter, Dr. Barnes? Can we go in and see her now?" Jeannie, Frank, and Lex had joined Jacob. "Is she going to be okay?"

The doctor looked at the anxious faces surrounding him. "She¹s resting comfortably for now. But I really need to get some information from you first." Dr. Barnes consulted his clipboard again. "Has Miss Cauble complained of difficulty in breathing, or had any problems with coordination?"

All faces turned to Lex. "You¹ve been around her more that the rest of us lately. Has Mandy mentioned anything like that to you?" Jeannie asked the tall woman. "She did seem rather quiet at dinner this evening."

"NoŠshe hasn¹t said anything to me, although he seemed more tired tonight than usual." Lex shook her head. "What¹s wrong with her?"

"As I said before, I really want to talk about her condition privately. Let¹s go into the consultation room." The doctor opened the door and began to usher the group out with him.

Jacob stopped suddenly. "WaitŠmy wife. She¹s gone to make a phone call." He didn¹t want Anna Leigh to come back and see her family missing.

"I¹ll wait for her, and then we¹ll both join you," Frank volunteered. He wanted to know what was wrong with Amanda too, but felt that it was more important for the others to find out first.

Dr. Barnes nodded. "Very well." He looked at the three remaining people. "You all are immediate family, correct?" All but the tall woman nodded. "Who are you in relation to the patient?"

"I¹mŠuhŠ" Lex looked at Jacob with confusion. What the hell am I? Friend? Family? Significant other? DamnŠ "She¹s myŠuhŠwe¹reŠ"

"Nevermind. You¹ll have to stay here, if you¹re no relation to Miss Cauble. Only immediate family." He ushered Jacob and Jeannie from the room.

Jacob could be heard arguing with the doctor as they walked down the hallway. "You had no cause to treat her like that! Lex is a part of our family, too." The doctor¹s reply couldn¹t be heard.

Lex stood there and stared at the closed door. She felt a strong hand clasp her shoulder gently. "C¹mon, LexŠwe¹ll wait for Anna Leigh to get back, and then she¹ll find out what¹s going on for us."

***************

Charlie pulled his cruiser up to the front entrance of the ranch house. He noticed that two old trucks were also parked nearby. Those are the trucks that the ranch hands use, he observed to himself. I wonder what on earth is going on? Before he could finish walking up the steps, the front door opened and Martha bustled out.

"Thank goodness you¹re here!" She rushed to the lawman and enveloped him in a fierce embrace. "Ronnie¹s in the den. He¹s really shook up, too. Lester and Roy are in there with him now, and I can¹t seem to get in touch with Lexie. There¹s no answer at the Caubles, and I get the voice mail message when I call her cell phone."

"Calm down, sweetheart. Everything¹s going to be okay." Charlie rubbed her back and then pulled away slightly. "What seems to be the problem? You said on the phone that he found out about his brother and became upset. Does he blame Lex for Matt being back in jail?"

Martha allowed her fiancé¹ to lead her back into the house. "NoŠhe somehow feels responsible for what his brother has done and is trying to leave the ranch." She stopped when she heard several loud voices coming from the den.

"Now just calm yourself, son," Roy¹s deep voice rumbled. "No sense in you getting all upset."

"I don¹t deserve to stay here!" The young man tried to race from the room, only to run into Charlie in the hallway. "OOOF!" Ronnie stumbled back and then paled. "ShŠSheriff Bristol?" He looked at Martha, and then to Charlie. "I guess you¹re here to take me back to the detention center, aren¹t you?" He raised both hands up in front of his body. "Might as well put the handcuffs on meŠI¹m no better than my brother."

The lawman shook his head and was about to speak when Martha stepped between them. "Now you wait a cotton-pickin¹ minute! Don¹t you dare compare yourself to the likes of that man." She reached out and grabbed the teenager and pulled him to her gently. "My Lexie would be the first to tell you that you can¹t judge a person by their family." She felt Ronnie¹s arms wrap around her body as the young man buried his face in her ample chest and began to cry. "It¹s all right now, honey. This is your home now. No one¹s going to send you anywhere, I promise."

She¹s so good with kidsŠit¹s a shame she never had any of her own. Charlie watched with pride as his wife-to-be comforted the upset boy. Well, I should take that back. Lex is more like her own than anyone could ever be. And she¹s done a fine job with her. He motioned for the other two men to join him in the hallway.

Lester smiled at the scene as he passed. "Sorry you had to make the trip out here for nothing, Charlie." He led the other two men down the hall to the kitchen. "Might as well make some fresh coffee, right?"

"Sounds good to me," Charlie acknowledged. "And I was about to drive on out here anyway."

Roy laughed. "That¹s right. I hear that congratulations are in order." He slapped the lawman on the back good-naturedly. "You¹re not planning on taking Martha away from the ranch, are you?"

Charlie shook his head and sat down at the kitchen table. "Like I ever could." He saw the relief cross the foreman¹s face. "Are you kidding me? I¹ll have to tie her up and kidnap her just for the honeymoon."

"Don¹t we know it? I¹ll bet thatŠ" Lester¹s remark was cut short by the ringing of the nearby phone. "Let me get that." He limped over to the cabinet and picked up the receiver. "Rocking W ranch, Lester here."

"This is Anna Leigh Cauble. Is Martha available?" The older woman¹s voice sounded somewhat upset.

Lester looked at the phone in his hand. "Mrs. Cauble? Is everything okay?" He covered the mouthpiece with his hand and raised his eyes to the other two men. "Go get Martha ¯ it¹s Amanda¹s grandmother."

"I¹ll get her." Roy jumped up and hurried from the room.

The sheriff stood up and accepted the phone from Lester. "Anna Leigh? This is Charlie. Is everything okay?"

Anna Leigh sighed heavily. "Charlie! I¹m so glad you¹re there. We¹re at Parkdale General."

"Hospital? What happened?" Charlie heard footsteps and then felt Martha lean up against him. "Martha¹s here, Anna Leigh." Neither noticed as Lester limped quietly from the room to give them privacy.

"Great. Can you bring her up here? We brought Mandy in over an hour ago, and poor Lexington is beside herself with worry." She breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Poor girlŠI think she really needs Martha right now.

Martha allowed Charlie to hand her the phone. "Did I hear something about a hospital? What¹s going on, Anna Leigh?" She felt her fiancee¹ wrap a comforting arm around her.

"Mandy seemed to get a very high fever this evening after they went to bed, and we rushed her to Parkdale General. We¹re now waiting on word from the doctor. Could you possibly come up here and help us with Lexington? I¹m afraid she¹s not taking this whole situation very well."

"Of course! We¹ll leave right away." Martha smiled at Charlie¹s agreeing nod. "Is there anything we can bring?"

The older woman almost laughed. "Well, you might want to bring Lexington another change of clothes. She¹s pacing around here in her pajamas, and I can¹t get her to put on the jeans and shirt I brought."

"Don¹t tell me she¹s wearing a pair of those cartoon shorts and a tee shirt?" Martha closed her eyes in resigned disbelief. I swear that girl is gonna be the death of me yet.

"I¹m afraid so. Everyone in the hospital has seen the Grinch in all his glory." Anna Leigh chuckled at the tone in the housekeeper¹s voice.

Martha groaned. "Dear lordŠnot those! Okay, then. We¹re on our way, honey." She paused for a moment and turned serious. "My prayers are with you and your family. I know that Amanda is going to be just fine."

Anna Leigh took a deep breath and smiled into the phone. "Thank you, Martha. I¹ll see you both in a little while."

The housekeeper hung up the phone and looked up into the worried eyes of her intended. "Poor little Amanda¹s sick, and our Lexie needs us."

"Let¹s get going, then." Charlie kissed the top of Martha¹s head and led her from the kitchen.

***************

Dr. Barnes waited to speak until Jacob and Jeannie were seated in front of his desk. When the older man opened his mouth, the doctor raised a hand to forestall him. "Please, Mr. Cauble. We¹ve been over this half a dozen times. Hospital policy states that if a person isn¹t related to the patient, we cannot release information to them."

"I can appreciate that, Doctor. But what I don¹t appreciate is the manner in which you dismissed Lexington. She¹s as much a part of our family as I am." Jacob smiled as Jeannie nodded in agreement.

"That may be true, but policy is policy." Dr. Barnes flipped through the notes on his clipboard. "Let¹s just get a few questions out of the way. Then we can worry about my manners, or lack thereof." He had worked two double shifts in a row and was completely exhausted. After the pair across from him nodded, he continued, "Please don¹t take any of these questions personally. I¹m trying to help Miss Cauble, so I¹ll need you to be as truthful as possible."

Jeannie looked questioningly at the physician. "Believe me, we¹ll do everything we can to help my sister."

"Thank you." Dr. Barnes consulted the papers in front of him. "Does Miss Cauble use drugs, even in a recreational manner?"

"WHAT?!?" Jacob jumped to his feet. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Grandpa, please." Jeannie grasped his arm gently and pulled him back down to his chair. "No, she never has."

A timid knock at the door caused all three heads to turn in that direction. Anna Leigh poked her head in and smiled slightly. "I¹m terribly sorry I¹m lateŠthe nurse at the front desk told me where to find you." She noticed the upset look on her husband¹s face. "What¹s wrong?" The small woman stepped the rest of the way into the room and stood next to Jacob.

Jacob pointed a shaky finger at the shocked doctor. "This man insinuated that Mandy is on drugs." He glared at the seated man.

"Mr. CaubleŠI wasn¹t insinuating anything. Due to the nature of my patient¹s illness, I had to ask that question." He waited until everyone was seated again. "We can rule out drug use, then." Dr. Barnes spoke more to himself as he wrote something on the clipboard. "Did I hear you correctly, that she spends most of her time with that other woman?" He asked the concerned people in front of him.

"That¹s right, Doctor. Amanda has been living at Lex¹s ranch for over a month now," Jeannie offered helpfully.

As Dr. Barnes continued to write, he mentally braced himself for the next question. "How well do you all know this woman? Does she have a history of drug use?"

Anna Leigh couldn¹t help herselfŠshe laughed. "Good lord, no!" She patted her husband¹s arm to keep him calm. "I¹ve known Lexington for most of her lifeŠshe¹s the most anti-drug person I have ever met. Why all the questions about drug use?"

"After running several tests, we¹ve concluded that Miss Cauble¹s illness was brought on by barbital poisoning." Seeing the blank looks on everyone¹s faces, he continued, "This is something that cannot be accidental."

Jacob felt his wife¹s fingers dig deeply into his arm. "Poisoned?"

"Is she going to be okay?" Jeannie asked shakily.

"We hope soŠthe next twelve hours are crucial. Once she gets past that, she should be fine."

"How could she have come in contact with this? Are you sure it wasn¹t somehow an accident?" Anna Leigh questioned. Why would anyone want to hurt Mandy?

"I¹m afraid not. This had to be given either by injection, or oral means. And from the traces we found in her bloodstream, she was given a very large doseŠtoday." The doctor sat his pen down on the desk with a weary sigh.

***************

Frank watched as Lex tossed the blanket from her shoulders and began to pace the waiting room again. She looks like hellŠ He stood up and tried to keep up with her. "LexŠwhy don¹t you get dressed, and we¹ll go get some coffee? I¹m getting cold just looking at you." It was trueŠthe waiting room felt like it was about sixty-five degrees, and the sleet slamming against the windows made it feel even cooler.

"Why won¹t they tell us what¹s wrong with her? They won¹t even release the damn room number to me ¯ just that she¹s in intensive care." Lex ran a nervous hand through her disheveled hair. She stalked over to the window and peered out at the late night gloom.

"I¹m sure it¹s just a precaution. She going to be fine ¯ you¹ve got to believe that." Frank stood behind the tall woman and put his hands on her shoulders. Neither one of them heard the door open behind them.

"Lexington Marie Walters! You get yourself over here and put some clothes on this instant!" Martha stood inside the doorway holding a small suitcase.

Spinning around, Lex almost knocked Frank down. "Mada?" she murmured and rushed forward as tears began to spill down her cheeks.

Martha crossed the room to meet Lex halfway and gently embraced the upset woman. "It¹s going to be all right, babyŠI¹m here now." She dropped the suitcase behind Lex and held the tall woman tight. She allowed the rancher a few moments to get herself together, then pulled back a little and gave Lex a no-nonsense look. "NowŠyou¹re going to put some clothes on and go wash your face."

"But what ifŠ" Lex argued, until her mouth was covered with a small hand.

"No arguments, Lexie. Charlie and Frank can wait here while we get you all presentable. You don¹t want Amanda to see you looking like this, do you?" The housekeeper wiped at Lex¹s face with a cotton handkerchief.

Lex smiled slightly. She always seems to have one of those things stashed somewhere. I don¹t know where they come from. "No, MadaŠyou¹re right. I¹m a mess." She gently took the handkerchief away from the smaller woman and dabbed at her eyes. "C¹monŠlet¹s get this over with before the doctor comes back." She kissed the graying head beneath hers and bent down to get the suitcase.

"I¹ll get that for you, sweetheart." Charlie picked up the overnight traveling case.

"Thanks, Uncle Charlie." Lex wrapped her arms around the lanky sheriff and squeezed. "I really appreciate you both coming."

The lawman cleared his throat and returned the hug. "No place else I¹d rather be than here with you, honey." He rubbed her back comfortingly then took a step back. "You two go take care of business and I¹ll stay here with Frank. We¹ll send word if the doctor comes back before you do, okay?"

The dark-haired woman nodded. "Please, do." Lex took the suitcase from Charlie and kissed his cheek. "Thanks again. I don¹t know what I¹d do without you both." She allowed Martha to lead her from the room.

Charlie watched her leave with a sad look on his face. Wish I could take that hurt look away from her. He looked over at Frank, who also watched the tall woman as she left the room. "Have you heard anything at all?"

"NoŠnot a damn thing." Frank shook his head and then stood up to stretch. "It¹s been several hours since we brought Mandy in. The doctor came to get Jacob and Jeannie about twenty minutes ago." He looked at the sheriff with a grim smile. "I thought we were going to have a fight on our hands." He brushed off the front of his jeans and sat back down.

"A fight? Did Lex do or say something?" Charlie dropped down next to the brawny man. "I know she¹s not the most patient person in the world, butŠ"

Frank shook his head. "It wasn¹t herŠJacob got upset when the doctor refused to allow Lex in the consultation room with them. He claimed that he could only talk to the immediate family."

The older man sighed. "DamnŠI¹d forgotten all about that rule. No wonder Lex looked so upset when we came in. I¹m just glad that Anna Leigh thought to call us."

"She called you? I was wondering how you two heard about this so quickly." Frank sat back down and stretched his long legs out. "I keep debating with myself on whether or not to call her parents. I honestly don¹t know if they would even care."

The door opened and Anna Leigh bustled through it and looked around anxiously. She saw the two men sitting down nearby and rushed over to them. "Charlie! Thank goodness you could make it. Where¹s Lexington?"

Charlie and Frank had both jumped to their feet as the small woman came into the room. "Martha took her to get cleaned up and dressed. Is something wrong?" The sheriff felt a knot of apprehension build in his stomach.

"Not with MandyŠalthough they said that the next twelve hours are crucial. We need to find out exactly where they were today. Mandy has been poisoned." Anna Leigh looked around the room. "While we were in there with the doctor, a nurse came in with the most disturbing news."

After Dr. Barnes dropped the bombshell about Amanda¹s poisoning, he sat back to allow the family time to adjust to the news. He was about to go over the young woman¹s condition when a knock at the door interrupted him.

A slender blonde nurse entered the room. "I¹m sorry to disturb you, Dr. BarnesŠbut Dr. Sanderson thought you should read this." She handed him a clipboard and then quickly exited the room.

"Thank you, Francis." He called after the woman. After reading for a few moments, Dr. Barnes looked up at the people seated across the desk. "You¹re from Somerville, isn¹t that right?"

"That¹s right." Anna Leigh answered, and then looked at her husband in confusion. "What does that have to do with Mandy¹s condition?" she asked quietly.

The doctor looked up from the notes in concern. "It appears that an elderly woman was brought into Somerville Community Hospital earlier this evening with the same symptoms as your granddaughter."

"An elderly woman? Do you think that she may be able to tell us how Mandy was poisoned?" Jacob asked expectantly. "It¹s too much of a coincidence to ignore, isn¹t it?"

"You¹re right. But I¹m afraid she won¹t be able to help us. The woman died this evening before she was able to tell anyone anything." The doctor related quietly. "We need to find out where Miss Cauble has been all day ¯ it¹s the only way we can figure out how it happened and possibly keep others from being exposed to the poisoning agent."

Anna Leigh stood up. "I¹ll go get Lexington. They went shopping today, and she would be able to answer your questions better than us."

Dr. Barnes stood up as well. "That¹s a good idea." He looked at Jacob with a small smile on his face. "It would also give me an opportunity to apologize to her." He stepped around the desk and headed for the door. "If you¹ll excuse me, I¹m going to go check on my patient. I¹ve also got to contact the authorities and notify them of the latest development." He left the room quickly.

"Are you saying that someone else was poisoned too?" Charlie immediately changed from concerned family member to sheriff. I¹d better make some phone calls.

Anna Leigh nodded. "That¹s what the doctor told us. And now he wants to talk to Lexington to find out where they were today."

The door opened and Lex stepped inside, followed by an upset looking Martha. "LexieŠ please calm down. I¹m sure that Charlie can get to the bottom of this in no time." Martha looked up and saw Anna Leigh. "Has there been any word?"

"Not yet. But the doctor has gone back in to check on Mandy now." Anna Leigh stepped over to Lex and gently touched her arm. "What¹s wrong, Lexington?"

Lex had to stop herself before she shook off the light touch. "It¹s bad enough that they won¹t tell me what the hell is going on, but now there¹s a couple of policemen who want to talk to me about Amanda." She looked over at Charlie with tears of frustration in her eyes. "Can you go with me, Uncle Charlie? I could really use the moral support." As much as she hated asking for help, the lawman¹s presence would be a great comfort. She was wearing her usual denim shirt and jeans and a pair of comfortable-looking boots. Martha had also braided her long hair in one long plait, and it dropped casually down her back.

"That¹s a good idea, honey. I need to talk to them anyway." The lawman wrapped an arm around Lex¹s shoulders. How can anyone so tall look so suddenly frail? Poor Lex looks as if she¹s about to collapse. "C¹mon, sweetheart. Let¹s go see what they want." He nodded at Martha, who returned the look. They¹d better be easy on her ¯ I don¹t think she can handle much more right now. Although I¹d feel better if she had a lawyer with her, not just me.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Martha asked.

The rancher looked at the housekeeper with a sad look. If for some reason they arrest me, I don¹t want her to witness that. It would just about kill her. "UmmŠwould it be okay if just Charlie went with me?"

"That¹ll be fine, Lexie. I¹ll just wait here with Anna Leigh, okay?" The housekeeper patted Lex on the back as they walked by. "If you need me, just holler." She knew that the young woman was having problems coping, and realized that a roomful of people would be too much for her.

***************

Lex and Charlie stepped into the small room and looked around. It was furnished with a cheap formica-topped desk and several uncomfortable looking chairs. Two men in suits stood up as they entered. The older one was tall with his blond hair in a crew cut. The other was shorter, but stockier built. Both looked uncomfortable in their dark suits. The shorter of the two had loosened his tie and his dark hair was damp with perspiration.

"Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, Ms. Walters. This is not an interrogation. But if you¹d feel more comfortable with a lawyer present, we can wait." At the negative shake of her head, he continued. "We know what a trying time this is for you since yourŠfriendŠis so ill." The shorter of the two men came forward and offered his hand. "I¹m Detective Weingart, and this is Sergeant Byers." He motioned to the taller man who waved the two people inside. "Please, have a seat. We¹ll try to make this as quick as possible." The detective looked at Charlie, who was still in his sheriff¹s uniform. "I¹m sorryŠI don¹t believe we¹ve met." GreatŠa small time sheriff trying to play cop. That is just what we need underfoot.

Charlie stepped forward and shook the man¹s hand. "I¹m Sheriff Bristol from Somerville." He gently guided Lex to a nearby chair. "I hope you don¹t mind if I sit in." Although I¹m not about to leave, I don¹t like the way the short guy is looking at Lex. He¹s going to be trouble, I¹ll bet.

The sergeant reached over and shook Charlie¹s hand also. "Not at all. We were just hoping that Ms. Walters could help us figure out how Miss Cauble became poisoned."

The dark-haired woman missed the edge of the chair and fell to the floor. "Poisoned?" she gasped out. She didn¹t even realize when Charlie helped her up and into the chair. "Did you say that Amanda has been poisoned? How in the hell did that happen?"

"That¹s what we¹d like to know. Was she with you at all times today? Did she come in contact with any strangers or suspicious persons?" The crew-cut blond man asked. He consulted an open folder that was lying on the desk.

"We were together all day today. I promised to take Amanda Christmas shopping at the mall, and we spent the entire day there. We never left each other¹s side." Lex frowned in deep thought. "Wait. I did leave her at the atrium while I went to get us something to drink, but she really wasn¹t out of my sight."

The sergeant wrote furiously in the folder while the detective stepped around the desk and sat on the corner closest to Lex. "You both had something to drink at the mall?" He looked down at the upset woman. "How do you explain that Miss Cauble became ill, while you appear to be in good health?"

Charlie stepped forward and got between the detective and Lex. "I don¹t think I like your insinuation, Detective. Just what is it you¹re trying to say?"

"We¹re not trying to insinuate anything, Sheriff. We¹re just trying to find out how Miss Cauble could have been exposed to the poison." Detective Weingart stood firm. He didn¹t like the attitude of the old man or this woman. She¹s Miss Cauble¹s Œspecial¹ friendŠ disgusting!

Lex stood up and put a reassuring hand on Charlie¹s shoulder. "It¹s all right. I want to get to the bottom of this as much as they do." She guided the sheriff into a nearby chair and stood over the still seated detective. "We ate the same foods, drank the same drinksŠ" She stopped suddenly as a thought came to her. "Damn."

"What is it, Ms. Walters?" Sergeant Byers looked up from taking notes.

"I¹m not sureŠit may be nothing, butŠ" Lex¹s brows were creased in thought.

Detective Weingart crossed his arms across his chest. "Why don¹t you let us be the judges of what¹s relevant, and what isn¹t. Just spit it out." Smartass dykesŠthink they¹re better than menŠ

The rancher ignored him and spoke directly to the sergeant. "I bought a couple of drinks from this little stand in the mall. There was this obnoxious teenage boy behind me that was pushing people around and just being a general nuisance. After I turned back around from getting lids for our drinks, he had disappeared."

"And you expect us to believe that a teenage boy is responsible for something as devious and well-planned as this poisoning obviously was? How was he supposed to know which drink belonged to which person?" The detective snorted in disgust. Save me from amateurs.

"I don¹t know. But that¹s the onlyŠ" Lex paused for a moment. "Wait! I forgot! I didn¹t drink mine."

Detective Weingart pointed an accusing finger at the rancher. "So you admit that you didn¹t have the same drink!" I¹ve got you now. Probably had a little lover¹s quarrel and wanted to get back at her. I¹ll bet Miss Cauble was going to dump her for a man, and she lost it.

"If you¹ll just shut your damn mouth for half a second, I¹ll finish telling you." Lex glared at the pudgy man. When he leaned back a bit and nodded she continued, "Amanda was talking to a little old lady when I got back to where she was sitting in the atrium. I gave Amanda one drink, and offered mine to the old woman because she looked as if she needed it."

The two policemen looked at each other in silent communication. "That certainly explains a few things." The tall man murmured to his partner.

Charlie stood up again. "Explains what? Are you about through giving Lex the third degree? I don¹t appreciate you treating her as if she was some sort of criminal." He finally quieted when Lex put a hand on his arm. "I¹m sorry, honey. But I can¹t stand here and watch them treat you like this."

Lex smiled gently at the older man. "I really appreciate your concern, Uncle CharlieŠbut these guys are just doing their job." Although, "chubby" over there is beginning to get on my nerves. I hope they¹re not trying to play good-cop, bad-cop. She almost laughed out loud at that thought. Too many reruns of Miami Vice, I¹ll bet. She looked back at the officers. "What exactly does this explain?"

Detective Weingart looked over at his sergeant, who shrugged. "We received a report from Somerville Community Hospital some time ago. An elderly woman was admitted earlier this evening with the same symptoms as Miss Cauble."

"Elderly woman? Oh, godŠ" Lex paled and sat back down in her chair. "How is she?"

"She passed away about three hours ago." Sergeant Byers advised sympathetically. Poor womanŠfirst her friend is poisoned, and then she finds out that her act of kindness killed an innocent bystander.

The dark-haired woman closed her eyes. "She¹s dead because of me." Charlie¹s comforting hand on her shoulder almost did her in. Lex slumped in her chair. "What about Amanda? Do you know if sheŠ?" I couldn¹t survive if I lost AmandaŠgod.

"Mrs. Carruthers had a history of heart problems. Her family said that she had been complaining of chest pains for the past week or so. We¹re fairly certain that the poison just sped up the inevitable." The sergeant explained. She¹s got enough to worry about without the guilt of the old woman¹s death. Maybe I can make her feel a little better. "Just as an added precaution, we¹ve assigned an officer to Miss Cauble¹s room. We don¹t want whoever slipped the poison to her to finish the job." I don¹t think that¹s going to happen, but better safe than sorry.

Charlie stood up and squeezed Lex gently on the shoulder again. "I don¹t think Amanda was the target, gentlemen. Why don¹t we let Lex go back to the waiting room and I¹ll be more than happy to brief you on the events before today. It¹s a rather long and complicated story."

"I don¹t know. I think that I¹d like Ms. Walters to come down to the station for further questioning." Detective Weingart stated. "I just want to make sure that we have all the details correct." He practically glared at the seated woman. Teach her to take an attitude with me.

"Then you¹re gonna have to arrest me, Detective. I¹m not leaving this hospital any other way." Lex stood up and challenged the red-faced policeman with a defiant look in her eyes. "Now if you¹ll excuse me, I need to go check on my friend." She turned and stomped from the room.

The stocky detective jumped to his feet and started for the door. "She wants to be arrested, I¹ll be more than happy to oblige her!"

"Hold it, Barry. Let her go." Sergeant Byers ordered. "I¹m sure that Sheriff Bristol can answer any questions we may have." After Charlie nodded, he motioned for the detective to sit back down. "NowŠwhy don¹t you start at the beginning, Sheriff"?

***************

"HelloŠI would like to check on the condition of a patient that you have there." Mark Garrett was sitting in a hotel room about four blocks away from Parkdale General. He had been parked outside the Caubles¹ home earlier to see if his plan had worked, but had been horrified to see Lex carry an unconscious Amanda to the suburban.

"Yes sir. And what is the name of the patient you are inquiring about?" The nurse asked pleasantly.

"Amanda Cauble." Mark crossed his fingers. Please let her be okayŠI¹ll be in so much trouble, otherwise. Stupid teenage kid. Can¹t depend on anyone to do anything.

The nurse paused for a moment. "UmmŠlet me check. Will you hold for a moment, please?" Loud classical music began to play on the line as she put him on hold.

Mark slammed down the phone quickly. "Dammit!" He jumped up from where he had been sitting on the edge of the bed and began to pace the small room. They must have figured out what happened. That stupid kid was supposed to drug both cups then make sure that Amanda DIDN¹T drink hers. He checked his watch and sighed. Midnight in Los AngelesŠdamn. I really do not want to make this phone call. With slumped shoulders, Mark sat back down on the bed and dialed a number from memory. After several rings it was finally picked up.

"Yes?" A slightly breathless voice answered.

"It¹s me." Mark knew that no identification from him was necessary.

"Where in the hell have you been? I¹ve been waiting by this phone for hours," the voice berated. "I called your hotel last night, and they said that you had already checked out. What¹s going on down there?"

The weary man wiped a hand over his face. "Everything kinda fell apartŠI had to go into hiding."

The person on the other end of the phone sighed heavily. "It has to do with that jackass you hired, doesn¹t it? I knew that he was too stupid to be trusted."

"Well, that¹s part of it." Mark leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes. This is not going to be fun. "He attacked Walters in her barn yesterday morning."

"You¹ve got to be kidding me!" Shocked, she continued, "WellŠwas he able to do any damage? That would at least be some consolation."

Mark sighed. "Not exactly. She pretty much kicked his ass all over the place, even though she was still recuperating from his last mistake." He took a deep breath. "And, to top it all off, the sheriff is actually engaged to her housekeeper ¯ so he had spent the night there at the ranch. Sterling never had a chance. He got hustled off to jail in a hurry."

There was another thoughtful silence on the phone. "This just keeps getting better and better. Thank god the idiot doesn¹t know much." A slight pause, "He doesn¹t know who I am, does he?"

"No! Of course not! That little voice-altering device not only made your voice indistinguishable, but scared the hell out of him," Mark assured his boss. "But, I have more bad news." He braced himself for the outburst that was sure to come. "I wanted to surprise you by getting Walters out of the pictureŠbut things didn¹t go quite as I had planned."

"What did you do?" The voice turned icy. This will teach me to use amateurs instead of professionals when I want something done.

"It really was a great plan. Even if it didn¹t succeed, her reputation would be in question." He tried to soften the news.

"WhatŠdidŠyouŠdo?" Each word was bitten off sharply as the question was drawn out angrily.

"I paid this punk kid fifty dollars cash to dump some drugs in her drink ¯ he was supposed to put it in both cups and then whiz by on his skateboard to knock Amanda¹s out of her hand."

"Dear godŠyou don¹t mean thatŠ?" Pain colored the voice. "Is sheŠ?"

Mark sat up again. "She¹s alive. But Walters gave her drink to some old lady, and it killed her."

"You stupid fool! You almost killed her!" Shaky fingers rubbed a suddenly pounding forehead. "Where is Amanda right now?"

"She¹s at Parkdale General Hospital. The last I heard they had her in intensive care. But I can¹t call for any information, because the cops know that she was poisoned." Mark twirled the phone cord around his finger. "What do you want me to do?"

Silence.

"You still there?" He questioned cautiously.

"Yes, I¹m here. Shut up for a minute while I think." Incompetent moron. I should have just hired a professional to do away with that pesky woman when I had the chance.

The exhausted man sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for a brilliant solution to his problem. "Do you want me toŠ"

"No! You¹ve done quite enough already. Just sit there quietly while I try to think. WaitŠ my other line is flashing. Hold on a minute." A quiet click, and then silence on the line.

Mark sat patiently. He kept going through his mind other scenarios. I don¹t know what went so wrong. If I weren¹t so afraid of going to prison, I¹d shoot the bitch at point blank range.

"I¹m back." The voice sounded tired and upset. "That was my obligory phone call to notify me of Amanda¹s condition. About time they called me, don¹t you think?"

"Maybe they were just waiting until they had something to report. How is she?" Mark was more worried about what would happen to him if she died. He really didn¹t care too much about her condition.

A slight silence, then a heavy sigh. "She¹s still in intensive careŠthe doctor said it would be awhile before we know for sure if she¹ll pull through."

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked with fake concern.

"I believe you¹ve done quite enough, Mark. Get yourself on the next flight to Los Angeles, and we¹ll find someplace for you to hide until this mess all blows over." Thoughts of a sudden car accident, or maybe just having the man disappear altogether flashed through their mind. I can¹t allow him to be out running around ¯ they¹d have no trouble getting the little idiot to blab every-thing he knows to save his own skin.

Mark nodded at the phone. "All right. I¹ll drive straight to the airport from here. I should be able to get a flight out in the next couple of hours."

"Actually, I think it would be better if you drove to Austin to catch a flight. I know it¹s a lot further for you, but the authorities won¹t be looking for you there." And it¹s a long stretch of deserted highwayŠanything could happen.

"Good idea. I¹ll leave immediately." He was anxious to please his employer after this past week¹s mistakes.

"Now remember ¯ keep as low a profile as possible. Fly back coach, and try to make yourself as invisible as you can. I don¹t want anyone to remember you. I¹ll have you booked on a flight out of the country when you get here. There will be someone to meet you that will have your itinerary."

Mark exhaled a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I know that I let you down, but if you¹ll just give me a chance, I¹ll make it up to you."

"I know you will." The voice was calm, almost soothing now. "None of this was your fault. Everything is going to work out just fine. Now hurry backŠI¹ve got an assignment for you in Great Britain that I think you¹ll enjoy."

"Thank you. I won¹t let you down," the happy man gushed. I KNEW that I was specialŠ this just proves it. A shame my worthless wife didn¹t seem to think soŠ but once I get settled overseas, I¹ll try to get custody of the kids.

"OhŠjust in case. You don¹t have anything with you that could be traced back to me do you? I¹m a little concerned that you could be caught by a radar-happy trooper."

Mark thought for a moment. "Nope. Not a damn thing. But you don¹t have to worryŠyou can trust me," he assured his employer.

"I believe you. I guess I¹m just a little paranoid." They let out a nervous chuckle. "Hurry back, and we¹ll get you settled overseas."

"Great. I¹m leaving right now." Mark hung up the phone with a satisfied smile. Guess someone else will have to take care of that Walters woman. Oh, wellŠ He grabbed his suitcase and looked around the room. No more backwaters dives for me. Ritz Carlton, here I come!

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