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  She wanted to go into pediatrics. She’d always adored being around kids. Her brothers had enough between them to fill a bus, but there was always room for more. And her sister Josie was trying for a baby, too. Chanel could only hope this time the IVF would be successful. There wasn’t a woman on the planet who deserved to be a mother more than Josie Munro, but Chanel knew full well, life didn’t always work out the way you planned. Bryce was a prime example of that.

  Josie and her husband, Chase, had set up a halfway house for troubled kids. Their farm in the country on the outskirts of town was often home to a dozen or more. Foster kids, mostly, who’d been in and out of care. Chanel couldn’t believe the love and dedication her sister and husband showered on them. That couple was truly turning lives around.

  As inspirational and fulfilling as Josie found it, she still yearned for a child of her own and Chanel understood her need. She felt the same yearning. It had come upon her slowly, sometime after meeting Bryce. She supposed until she found a man she could imagine having kids with, she hadn’t allowed herself such thoughts.

  Now, those thoughts almost consumed her and she wondered how he’d feel. He hadn’t been able to have kids with his wife. According to Bryce, Angela’s need for a child had become an obsession and it nearly ruined their marriage. Would he want to contemplate the possibility all over again? Did he care enough to want to even think about it? Was she brave enough to ask him and find out?

  He liked her well enough and she believed he cared, but did he love her? Did she love him? Yes, she probably did. They hadn’t known each other very long, but what was time when it came to true love? Her father had known the instant he met her mother that she’d one day become his wife. It was the same for all of her brothers and they were still in love with their wives. In fact, sometimes it was downright embarrassing to see the devotion in their eyes.

  Would Bryce look at her like that someday? She could only hope. For now, she had work to do. Making the bed and tidying the apartment were at the top of her list. Then she’d get ready to return to her job at the hospital. She couldn’t wait.

  * * *

  Chanel finished pulling on her white lab coat and closed the door to her locker before heading in the direction of the elevators. She got out on Level Three and strode around the corner to Doctor Baker’s rooms. She knocked and opened the door, but the reception area was unattended.

  “Hello? Is anyone here?” she called.

  A few moments later, the door to Doctor Baker’s office opened and he stepped into the room. When he saw her, his eyebrows flew up in surprise.

  “I was told you were arrested on suspicion of murder. How could they let you come back?”

  Chanel clenched her jaw, but replied with as much courtesy as she could. “I’ve been cleared of any wrongdoing. The general manager called me today and reinstated me. Do you have my list of patients?”

  He stared at her a moment longer and his expression grew petulant. “I don’t know what the world’s coming to these days,” he muttered and stormed off into his office. He returned a short time later brandishing a sheet of paper.

  “Here you go and make sure you get around to all of them. I haven’t managed to see the last four on the list today, so I’d like you to start with them.”

  Chanel nodded and took the list from him and then turned to leave.

  “It’s good to have you back, Doctor Munro,” he threw at her on her way out the door.

  She turned and stared at him in confusion. Only moments before, he’d seemed annoyed about her return. Now he was showing her encouragement and support—if she could call it that. She couldn’t work it out and right then and there she didn’t want to. It was enough that he hadn’t threatened to have her removed from his program. She’d half expected he would.

  “Thank you, Doctor Baker,” she murmured and made her escape.

  Most of the patients at the end of her list were in Ward Three, on the same level as Doctor Baker’s rooms. She approached the nurses’ station a little uncertainly, unsure of the reception she’d receive. No doubt news of her arrest had made its way around the hospital.

  A young nurse greeted her with a friendly smile and only the slightest hint of curiosity. If she wondered about Chanel’s role in the investigation, she didn’t voice it. Chanel breathed a sigh of relief and proceeded to record bed numbers beside the names on her list.

  The first patient was a woman by the name of Virginia Tilocca. Virginia had been receiving treatment for a chronic ulcer on her foot that was simply refusing to heal. She was a diabetic, which made the healing process worse and had been admitted to undergo a course of IV antibiotics. Along with the drug therapy, the wound was being cleaned and dressed twice daily.

  According to the hospital notes, the ulcer was healing nicely. The patient was due to be discharged later that afternoon.

  “If you could complete the discharge papers and organize her medication, that would be great,” the nurse said after Chanel enquired about them.

  “I’m sure I can do that,” Chanel replied with a smile and headed off in search of the patient.

  The woman was in a four-bed room. There was only one other patient in the room, asleep in the bed opposite. Chanel spied the nametag above the bed and smiled in greeting. A mass of white hair surrounded the woman’s head, framed by a sweet, wrinkled face.

  “Ms Tilocca?”

  “Yes, honey. That’s me.”

  “I’m Doctor Munro. I work with Doctor Baker. I believe you’re going home later today. I’m here to complete your discharge papers. I notice Doctor Baker hasn’t been in to see you yet. Do you mind if I take a look at your ulcer and just check that it’s okay?”

  “Of course, Doctor.”

  The petite woman in the bed pushed aside the covers and stuck out one pale, skinny leg.

  “It’s my left leg that’s been giving me all the trouble, but it’s looking so much better than it did. Doctor Baker’s a miracle worker.”

  Chanel nodded, but remained silent. Drawing the curtains around the bed, she switched on the overhead light. After removing the dressings on the woman’s left foot, Chanel got a good look at the wound. A large ulcer was visible on her foot. Although it still looked painful, the skin around it was a healthy pink and it was free of discharge.

  “It looks good, Ms Tilocca. It looks like the antibiotics have done the trick.”

  “That’s good news, Doctor. I’m keen to get home. My grandson tries to behave as if he doesn’t miss me, but I know he does and I need to know he’s eating right. He’s a detective in the city and he works long hours, so I like to make sure he has a good meal at night. I baked lasagne and meatloaf to tide him over while I was in here, but he’s just as likely to leave them in the freezer and order pizza.”

  Chanel frowned. She remembered Bryce saying something about his grandmother’s meatloaf and that she was a patient under Doctor Baker’s care. Could Virginia Tilocca be Bryce’s grandmother?

  Chanel re-covered the wound with the dressings and then drew up the bedcovers before coming to stand beside the patient at the top half of the bed.

  “Ms Tilocca, I don’t suppose your grandson’s Detective Bryce Sutcliffe?”

  Surprise lit up the old woman’s face and she smiled widely. “Why, yes it is! Do you know him?”

  Heat stole up Chanel’s neck and spread across her cheeks. She lowered her gaze to the bed.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Are you one of the doctors he spoke to? He told me he’s in the middle of an investigation involving the hospital.”

  “Yes, I met him through work. He’s a lovely man. You’re very lucky to have such a wonderful grandson.”

  The woman looked at her, curiosity bright in her eyes. “Are you single, Doctor Munro?”

  Chanel blushed to the roots of her hair. “Ms Tilocca, why on earth would you ask me that?”

  “No reason, but my grandson’s just gone thirty and he needs a woman in his life. He’s had to endure a
lot of sadness in his short years. He needs someone to love.”

  “Oh, Ms Tilocca, I don’t think we should be discussing this. Your grandson would be appalled you’ve even mentioned it.”

  “I’ve known him all his life. He was orphaned when he was eight. I raised him on my own from that point on and I couldn’t love him more. But I’m old and tired and won’t live forever. I need to know he has someone who cares; someone who’ll look out for him and love him. He needs that.”

  “He might disagree with you.”

  “You’re right, he might, but I know him better than he knows himself. He’s been alone for far too long. It isn’t good for the soul. I should know. I lost my husband to cancer right before the accident that claimed Bryce’s parents. If it weren’t for that little boy, I don’t know what I would have done. But it’s time for me to give back, to help him, like he helped me. I want to die knowing he’s taken care of, knowing he has someone who loves him like I do.”

  The old woman’s voice cracked with emotion and Chanel bit down hard to stop the prick of tears. Bryce’s grandmother had painted a picture of him that tore at Chanel’s heartstrings.

  She wanted to be the one who loved him; who eased him through his pain; who cooked for him and laughed with him; who was there for him each and every day. But she couldn’t tell his grandmother that. It would cause confusion and raise too many questions. And much as she longed to learn more about the Bryce his grandmother knew, she had more patients on her list.

  “Ms Tilocca, it’s been lovely meeting you and even more so because I know Bryce, but I’m going to have to keep moving. I have a lot to do this afternoon.”

  “Of course, Doctor. Do you know what time I can get out of here? It’s just that Bryce is coming to collect me. He’s very busy most of the time, so I wanted to give him a time. That way, he won’t be sitting around waiting for me.”

  “I need to get a supply of antibiotics from the hospital pharmacy for you to take home with you. I’ll also give you a prescription for an additional week. That should be enough. You’ll need to make an appointment with Doctor Baker to see him in ten days’ time. Hopefully everything will be healed by then.”

  “How long will it take to get medication from the pharmacy?”

  “I’ll drop the request in now. It might take them an hour or so to fill it. It depends on how busy they are.”

  “Fine, I can wait an hour or so. I’m not sure what Bryce is up to, anyway. He might not be able to get free until much later this afternoon. He usually doesn’t finish work until six.”

  Chanel nodded and did her best to keep her thoughts away from the woman’s grandson, but she was filled with disappointment. His grandmother was being discharged from hospital. He was taking her home. There would be no visits to Chanel’s apartment that evening.

  “I must be off, Ms Tilocca, and I’m so pleased to see that your ulcer is better. You take care, now.”

  “You too, Doctor Munro and I’ll be sure to put in a good word for you to my grandson.” She gave Chanel a wink. “Sometimes men need a little push in the right direction, if you know what I mean.”

  Chanel returned the old lady’s smile before bidding her another good-bye and heading out of the room. She shook her head and mused about the coincidence of running into Bryce’s grandmother.

  The woman was as sweet and lovely as salted caramel ice cream on a hot summer’s day and she could see why Bryce thought so much of her. He was lucky to have such a staunch supporter and someone who loved him so unconditionally. Chanel was fortunate to have that kind of parental love in her own life, but there were many people who didn’t. She sent up a silent prayer of gratitude for her family and moved on to the next patient on her list.

  * * *

  Bryce stared at Tanya where she sat on one of the seats inside the unmarked van that housed the police department’s finest technicians and their equipment. The wire was in place and she was ready to go. They’d rehearsed her lines over and over until Bryce was confident she’d get it right. Now all they needed was for Leo Baker to play his part.

  “When you spoke to him on the phone and set up the meeting, did he ask what it was in relation to?”

  “No, but I told him it was important I see him.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He didn’t sound too happy about it, but he agreed just the same.”

  “Good. Now, remember, we’re not exactly sure how he’s involved in all of this, but anything you can get him to say about it will be good. He knows he gave you that bottle and he must be aware we found it in Chanel’s apartment. I’m sure the hospital rumor mill would have reached him by now. It won’t come as a surprise to him that you want to talk about it.”

  “What if he fobs me off?”

  “Then you’ll have to try harder. Remember the script. Do what you need to do.”

  She was pale and looked scared and Bryce had to stop himself from offering her comfort. It was important that she approach the doctor with a realistic level of fear. Any girlfriend finding out they were possibly an accessory to murder would be feeling jittery. Tanya’s fear wouldn’t come as a surprise.

  “Now, don’t worry about the wire. It’s completely invisible beneath your clothes. Asking him about the bottle won’t come across as strange. In fact, he’s probably already guessed that’s the reason you want to talk. Everything that’s said will be heard by us in here. If things get out of control, we’ll be there in less than a minute.”

  If it were possible, Tanya paled even more. “Wh-what do you mean if things get out of control? What do you think he might do?”

  “I don’t know, probably nothing. It’s just a figure of speech. Either way, we have your back. Just try and behave as you normally would and get him to talk about that bottle.”

  Her head bobbed up and down as if on autopilot and Bryce cursed beneath his breath. He could only hope she’d hold it together long enough to get them what they needed. Refraining from voicing his concerns, he squeezed her arm in reassurance.

  “You’ll be fine. Now, it’s almost time. Where are you meeting him?”

  “In his office on Level Three.”

  “Have you met him there before?”

  “Yes, we go there to get our daily patient lists at the start of every shift and once… Once we had sex on the examination table in his office.”

  Bryce refrained from commenting but made a note to himself to never trust his judgement again. Some “Husband of the Year.”

  “What about his wife? Doesn’t she work there?”

  “Yes, but sometimes she’s out running errands. I’m sure he wouldn’t have arranged to meet me there if she was in.”

  “Okay. It all sounds good. Are you ready?”

  Tanya drew in a deep breath and let it out on a shaky sigh. “I guess so.”

  “Great. Let’s do it.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Tanya drew in several quick, short breaths and tried to steady her nerves. She was more scared than she’d ever been in her life. How she came to be in the middle of a triple murder investigation, she didn’t have a clue. She wished she’d never set eyes on Leo Baker. If only she’d resisted the urge to sleep with him. She cringed at the thought of what her father would say if he knew about her recent behavior.

  She’d spent the past six nights at home. Her father had been curious about her reasons, but hadn’t pried. She was thankful he hadn’t asked her any questions. She honestly didn’t know how she would have replied.

  He assumed she’d had an argument with her roommate and she’d allowed him to think it was true. The deceit sat heavily in her stomach. Guilt weighed her down at the disservice she was doing Chanel, but hurting her friend’s feelings was the least of her problems. Besides, her roommate would never be any the wiser.

  Tanya didn’t know what to think when the detective announced the bottle she’d taken from Leo contained the same kind of poison that was used to kill Leo’s patients. The knowledge that she’d hand
led it and had maybe played into the hands of a killer made her ill. The detective said the police didn’t know the extent of Leo’s involvement, but they didn’t know how much he had it in for her friend. There was no other reason for him to ask her to store it in Chanel’s kitchen.

  And now she was about to meet with the man who could be a cold-blooded murderer. Wearing a wire. Trying to entrap him. It was like something out of a movie—and a scary one at that. She didn’t have a clue if she could pull it off.

  If she wanted any chance of making it work, she needed to act as normal as possible, but how was she expected to do that? She was scared out of her wits. She couldn’t imagine Leo hadn’t known what the bottle contained. When she told him the police had tested the contents, he’d know straight away why she was scared. She’d use that to mask the fact she was quaking inside at the thought he’d discover she wore a wire. If he knew she’d turned police witness, there was no telling what he might do.

  The detective assured her they weren’t far away, but anything could happen before they got there. She was meeting Leo on the third floor of the hospital. The police surveillance van was parked in an alley behind the main building. Even at a flat-out run, they wouldn’t get to her in less than five minutes. She didn’t care what the detective said.

  She drew in another breath and tried to slow her racing heart. She wiped her sweaty palms down the sides of her white lab coat and was reminded of the wire taped to her skin. Determination surged through her; she squared her shoulders and held her head high. With an effort, she quelled the nausea swirling in her belly, and entered the foyer of the hospital. She went straight to the bank of elevators.

  Too soon, she stepped out on Level Three and rounded the corner. She stopped outside the door with Doctor Baker’s nameplate. The first time she’d come there was the first day of the program. She’d been full of hope and excitement, tinged with more than a little awe: This is what she’d dreamed about; this was going to be the start of the best time of her life. Now that day seemed like a lifetime ago. She couldn’t believe how naïve she’d been.