Deputy Defender by Cindi Myers

Author:Cindi Myers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-06-11T15:28:52+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Dread filled Dwight as he raced toward the Jeep, but when he reached the open driver’s-side window he realized Eddie wasn’t dead. The figure slumped over the steering wheel snored softly and mumbled when Dwight shook his shoulder. Dwight leaned in closer and spotted a half-eaten pizza on the passenger seat. He sniffed, but didn’t smell alcohol—only sausage and pepperoni. He shook the security guard again. “Come on, Eddie, wake up.”

But Eddie only leaned sideways, mouth open, snoring away.

“The ambulance is on its way.” Brenda joined him and stared in at Eddie. “Is he drunk?” she asked.

“I don’t think so,” Dwight said. “I think he’s drugged.”

“Drugged? By who?”

“I don’t know. But he was eating a pizza.”

Brenda frowned at the pizza, in its cardboard box with Peggy’s Pizza on the front. “Do you think someone put something in his pizza?”

“I think we’d better have it tested, just in case.”

“Has anyone else been to the museum—or in the parking lot—in the last half hour or so?” he asked.

“No one’s been inside except Mr. Brownley,” she said. “When I answered his knock, his was the only vehicle I saw. But why half an hour? Couldn’t someone have done this earlier?”

“I’m just guessing, but the pizza is still warm.” He frowned at Eddie’s slumped figure. “I’ll find out from the mayor what time Eddie was supposed to start his shift.”

A wailing siren announced the arrival of the ambulance. The paramedics parked and jogged up to the Jeep. “What have we got?” Merrily Rayford, one of the squad’s senior paramedics, asked.

Dwight nodded to Eddie. “I think he’s been drugged. No idea with what.”

She and her partner donned gloves and opened the door of the Jeep. While they examined Eddie, Dwight retrieved an evidence bag from his cruiser and bagged the pizza, box and all. Brenda moved in beside him. “You don’t think Parker had anything to do with this, do you?” she asked.

“I don’t know what to think,” Dwight said. They watched as the paramedics shifted Eddie onto a stretcher.

“His vitals are good,” Merrily said. “I don’t think he’s in any danger, but we’ll take him in for a closer look.”

“I’ll want to question him about what happened,” Dwight said.

“From the looks of him, it might be a while,” Merrily said. “Maybe in the morning.”

“I’ll check with the hospital later.” He held up the evidence bag. “Meanwhile, I’ll get this to the lab.”

Brenda waited by her car, arms hugging her stomach, as the ambulance left the lot. “I need to take this in and file a report,” Dwight said. “I probably won’t be in until late.”

She nodded. “Eddie isn’t my favorite person, but I hope he’s all right.”

“I’ll let you know.” He wanted to kiss her, but settled for squeezing her shoulder. “Go home and try to get some rest. Try not to worry about this.”

“It’s been so long since I didn’t have anything to worry about, I’ve forgotten what that’s like,” she said.

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING, Dwight and Gage faced a sullen Parker Riddell in the sheriff’s department interview room.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.