“Well, I hate to tell you this, Kathy,” Tuck inserted, “but a lot of that rage is from the diet pills, and we just can’t know for sure what might happen. A number of women have found themselves in the ER with stomach issues, headaches, confusion, blurry vision. The list of possibilities is long.”
Fresh tears fell down Kathy’s face and she sniffled. “I didn’t know all that.”
“Now you do, so count yourself lucky and don’t take the stupid pills.”
“Okay. Can I go now?” She grabbed her purse from the back of her chair.
“No. I have a few more questions.”
“You’re scaring her,” the friend stated.
“Good. I might save her life.” He directed his attention back to Kathy. “Do you have the number you called?”
“Yes. Sure.” She grabbed her phone from the table, opened it, and tapped the screen a few times before holding it out. Her hand was shaking, but Tuck pulled a pen from his back pocket and wrote the number on a napkin.
Jodi was pretty sure it was the same number the police had already. “So, you called that number and a man answered?”
“Yes. He told me how and where to send him the money and he would slip the pills into my purse here tonight.”
“Specifically tonight?”
She nodded. “He said he would be here Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. I chose Friday night and let him know what I was wearing. He didn’t show or didn’t find me.”
“When did you confirm you would be here tonight?” Tuck asked, his voice calm.
Jodi was silently freaking out, and she wondered if Tuck was thinking along the same lines as her.
The woman’s voice trembled. “Earlier this afternoon. Please don’t call the cops. I’ve never been in trouble in my life. I swear. I didn’t know.”
Tuck narrowed his gaze at her. “You knew enough. You knew the pills were illegal or you wouldn’t have been getting them under the table like this. Anything you have to buy from the black market is not going to be safe. Please promise me you will throw that number away and let this go. Consider yourself lucky this time. Take my advice. Don’t do it again.” He turned around and unlocked the front door. “Go. Please be safe.”
The women scrambled out the door, muttering their thanks.
Tuck locked it and turned around, leaning against the wall. He sighed as Jodi met his gaze.
Jodi’s dad stepped up next to her. “What’s going on? Doesn’t seem like I’m going to like it.”
“You’re not,” Jodi informed him. “I’m pretty sure we know who’s providing the drugs.”
“Who?” her dad asked, his gaze going to Tuck’s.
“We can’t know who the actual dealer is, but I’d bet money the middleman is actually a woman. Roxie.”
Her dad’s eyes widened. “Roxie? Surely not. What makes you say that? I know you sent her home for taking the damn pills, but why do you think she was distributing them?”
Tuck sighed. “Right now it’s just an educated guess. But it’s a good one. The woman who just left didn’t get her supply tonight. Whoever the middleman is was supposed to leave her stash in her purse and it didn’t happen.”
“And just because Roxie wasn’t here, you think she was the supplier?”
Jodi nodded. “Dad, she said the man she spoke to told her she had to come on Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday. Those are the nights Roxie works. It’s either a horrible coincidence or we have a serious problem on our hands.”
“I don’t believe in coincidences. We need to call Officer Feltner,” Tuck stated.
Jodi thought she was going to be sick. Roxie had worked at the bar for five years. If they were wrong about her, their relationship would be over. If they were right, she might be arrested.
Chapter 15
Tuck was pacing the floor a half an hour later when Officer Feltner showed up. It didn’t take long to fill him in, and Tuck kept glancing at Jodi, who was wringing her hands. He knew she was worried about them making a mistake and ruining her relationship with a valued employee. On the other hand, they didn’t have a choice here. The coincidence was too obvious to overlook.
Officer Feltner took all the information and said he would have an undercover female cop place an order for tomorrow night.
This made Jodi even more nervous.
Tuck couldn’t leave her standing there trembling. He pulled her into his side and rubbed her back. To hell with his stupid contract. Who was going to tell anyone at this point anyway? No one was here except Stan, Bill, and Feltner. Tuck was already going to have to defend himself for being late coming home. He might as well hold Jodi’s shaking body.
Feltner made no comment, even though Tuck knew the man was aware of the reality show from his wife.
Bill turned to Jodi. “Did you send Roxie home just for the night?”
“Yes. I didn’t say a word about tomorrow. I’ll call her in the morning and see how she’s feeling and tell her she can come in as long as she isn’t taking those pills. I can do that and sound convincing.” She shivered.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, ma’am,” Feltner stated. “Appreciate your help. It will be much easier for my agent to catch her in the act if she knows who she’s looking for. I wish I could have put someone undercover before now, but the department is stretched pretty thin. My boss couldn’t justify allocating valuable manpower with such vague information. Knowing we’re pretty sure who the distributor is puts a higher priority on the case.”
“I just can’t believe it’s Roxie,” Jodi murmured. “I know she’s been a little weird lately, but I never would have suspected her of distributing drugs.”
“Sometimes it’s the least obvious person, ma’am. I’m so sorry.”
“Do you think she’ll give up whoever supplies her?” Jodi asked.
Feltner shrugged. “Can’t be sure, but most usually do in exchange for a lighter sentence. If your
