“Get dressed and meet me in my office across the hall,” Dr. Tiller instructed.
Carter did not hear a response, assuming Kyle had simply nodded. A rustling sound could be heard, and then came Kyle’s quiet voice. “Audio check. Getting dressed, now. Hopefully whatever he’s going to give me will come from inside his office.”
Responding, Carter said, “Audio check, affirmative.”
“This could be it,” Evan said.
A flash of red walked by and pulled open the front door of the clinic. “God dammit!” Carter growled when he saw Beth heading inside. “She’s a fuckin’ distraction for the doctor.” There was nothing he could do about her now, so they refocused on listening to Kyle and Dr. Tiller.
Talking to Kyle, Dr. Tiller paid lip service to the benefits of painkillers being used sporadically. Kyle, frustration lacing his voice, growled, “Lewis said you could help me. If you ain’t gonna help me, then what the fuck am I doing here?”
The radio waves grew silent, and Carter held his breath, waiting to see if their plan was going to work. He wished that he had a way to see what was going on in Dr. Tiller’s office and not just listen.
Finally, Dr. Tiller said, “I have something that I can give you to take away your pain.”
“Give me? I don’t gotta pay Lewis anymore?” Kyle asked.
“Well, you will be expected to make contacts and help others.”
“Okay, that’s it?”
“Take this bottle with you. No more than one a day, and your pain will ease and you will be able to sleep,” Dr. Tiller instructed.
“And what do I gotta do?”
“Lewis will give you all the instructions you need. You’ll be available certain days of the week to get an extra something in the bag lunch.”
“What? At the shelter? Them bag lunches we get at the shelter?” Kyle asked.
“Well, I can hardly have everyone come to the clinic to get help with their pain, now can I? Now, shut up and listen. Once you get the extra something, then you’re free to sell it to whoever you can. Lewis is your contact. You get the money to him and he pays you a percentage.”
Kyle said, “Says on the outside of this that it’s antibiotics. I’m not stupid. That’s not going to do shit for pain.”
“I think when you look inside, you’ll find exactly what you need. The same thing will end up in your lunch bag. Plenty to use. Plenty to sell. Just keep in mind to do exactly what Lewis says or you won’t live to see another day.”
Carter did not need to look at Evan to know that they were ready to enter the clinic. Both men climbed from the SUV at the same time, heading for the front door. Throwing it open, they walked inside. Flashing badges, Carter ordered, “We’re here to see Dr. Tiller.”
“Don’t worry. We don’t need appointments,” Evan threw out.
They stalked straight to Dr. Tiller’s office, opening the door. Kyle was clicking the handcuffs on the doctor, whose grim face and wide eyes glared daggers.
“I was just reading him his rights,” Kyle said. Moving so the doctor was facing the two detectives, Kyle started over, quoting the rights to Dr. Tiller. Kyle nodded to the table behind the door and said, “There’s the evidence.”
“I’ll start bagging,” Evan said.
Carter stepped out into the hall, motioning for the staff to stand back as Kyle walked Dr. Tiller out of his office. Immediately, the gasps and murmurs began, several staring with open mouths, shaking their heads. He waved to three police officers who had entered after them and said, “Keep the staff together for questioning.”
“Holy shit, I can’t believe it,” came a voice from behind Carter. He jerked around, seeing Robert standing in the hall, adjusting his pants. The two pharmacy techs were next to him, and just like the others, their eyes were wide as they gaped at the scene unfolding in front of them.
The flash of red darted from Robert’s office toward the back, and Carter realized he hadn’t seen Beth. She disappeared from sight, and he rushed after her. Pushing his way past Robert and the others, he turned a corner and saw her disappear through a door.
He grabbed the knob on the door, finding it locked. Looking over his shoulder, he yelled, “Who’s got a key for this?”
Robert leapt out of his stupor, running toward him with his keys in his hand.
“Where does this go?”
“It’s a door that goes between the clinic and the shelter,” Robert explained, his hand shaking as he shoved the key in the lock.
Carter threw the door open but barely made it three steps inside the shelter when his feet stumbled to a halt. Toward the end of the hall stood Beth. One of her hands was gripping Tara’s upper arm and the other held a gun to Tara’s head.
32
Tara didn’t move a muscle. In fact, she wasn’t sure she was breathing. Having heard a noise coming from the door down the hall that led to the clinic and the rapid sound of stilettos on tile, she stepped out of her office to see what was happening. She recognized the pharmaceutical representative, but before she had a chance to ask what she was doing, she was staring at the barrel of a gun pointed straight at her.
Before she could do anything other than gasp, the door opened again and Carter’s eyes landed on her, a flash of anguish moving through them before it morphed into pure, white rage.
Robert was holding the door open, his eyes wide in what appeared to be shock. Finding his voice, he shouted, “Beth! What the hell are you doing? Oh, Jesus, you can’t do this!”
Bethany and Michael came out of their offices, looking first toward
