Wine and Die (A Gripping Serial Killer Thriller) (Detective Julia Sawyer Book 2) by Rachel Hargrove

Author:Rachel Hargrove [Hargrove, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rachel Hargrove
Published: 2017-05-08T23:00:00+00:00

7 The Cop

A giant machine helps Ashley breathe, and her hair lies on a pillow like a dark halo. She's lifeless under a pile of blankets. Doctors pumped her stomach and gave her activated charcoal, but it might not be enough to save her.

From what?

This is insanity. Ashley was okay until the wine touched her lips. Jules keeps vigil over her and stares as though any second, the girl will rip the cord from her throat and scream, "April fool!"

Fontaine doesn't strike her as stupid. He wouldn't poison a bottle and give it to a cop, but what else could it be?

Skylar sniffs, squeezing Ashley's pale hand. Tears stream down her cheeks. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know," Jules says. Although she has an idea. "It's too early to tell."

"Something's in that wine," Skylar says through her teeth. "The moment she drank, she collapsed."

I'll kill him. "We'll get answers soon. Did you call her parents?"

"Yeah," Skylar says. "They're on their way."

The door opens, admitting a nurse in hot pink scrubs and a bald doctor with liver spots. Jules' skin crawls. He ignores them to check Ashley's vitals. "Heart sounds good," he says when he's finished.

She can't take the suspense any longer. "Did you find anything?"

"Yes. Your friend is suffering from an acute case of severe DDT poisoning. DDT is a pesticide that affects the nervous system. Used to be legal in the United States but it was banned in the seventies."

A fist-sized lump clenches inside her stomach. "Is she going to be okay?"

"I'm not sure. Ashley ingested a dangerous amount of DDT. We irrigated her bowels to get rid of as much of it as we can. If she breathes on her own within the next forty-eight hours, that's a good sign."

Jules exchanges a glance with Skylar. If she breathes.

Tears well in Skylar's eyes. "Oh my God."

The doctor replaces Ashley's chart and faces them. "Right now we need to let her rest and give the charcoal a chance to do its work."

"No problem." Jules grits her teeth against the urge to fall apart. "Come on. You heard him. She needs to heal."

A wordless cry shakes from Skylar's lips as she glances at Ashley's helpless form, unrecognizable under the tubes. Shaking, Jules leads Skylar into the waiting area where Fontaine waits.

Her throat tightens when he rises from the chair. "What happened? How is she?"

The concern in his voice almost convinces her. Jules should keep her mouth shut, but damn it. Ashley's her friend. This is personal. "You tell me. It was your wine, wasn't it?"

"I beg your pardon? Are you suggesting—"

"Pesticides," Jules snarls. "In a winery famed for its natural farming process. I went through the damn tour. That guide must have said organic at least fifty times, so don't deny it. Except you put enough DDT in that wine to kill someone."

"DDT?" His face goes up in flames. "Impossible! We're certified organic. Ask anyone in the industry. We have health inspections— No, I won't believe this."

"It's in the lab reports."

His hysteria hardens to rage.

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