Page 79 of See How They Hide

“Earlier this morning, he complained of nausea, so we added an antiemetic to his IV. He was alert, spoke of his partner—which the psychologist on staff indicated was a good sign. Then he had his breakfast, but didn’t eat much, still complained of nausea. He slept and then as I was working at the desk here—” she motioned “—I noticed his blood pressure was dropping. I went in to check on him, found him unresponsive, and contacted Dr. Granderson.”

“We stabilized him,” Granderson said, “but he didn’t regain consciousness and his blood pressure remained dangerously low. I talked to our sister hospital in Colorado Springs and they have a full trauma team, so we sent him there.”

“When did the flowers arrive?”

“Last night,” Dunn said. “At the beginning of my shift. They were delivered from a local florist, Colorado Flowers and Gifts. I took them in to him when he was sleeping, put them on his bedside table.”

“Was there a card?”

“Yes. I didn’t read it.”

Michael went into the room and looked at the flowers. It was a colorful spring mix interspersed with several red poppies. A card and envelope lay next to the flowers. Gardner had definitely opened it.

Michael pulled on gloves and picked up the card.

In memory of Donovan.

Breathe.

“Out,” he told everyone as they crowded the doorway. He put the card down, took a quick picture of it, and left the room behind them. “No one goes in there, touches the flowers or anything else, until my forensics expert arrives.” To the security chief, “I need security footage of whoever delivered the flowers ASAP.”

“Agent Harris,” Granderson began, but he cut her off.

“I believe that your patient was poisoned. That something in the flowers or the envelope was contaminated.”

“I know who delivered the flowers,” Dunn said. “He delivers all the time. This is usually his last stop because he lives a mile down the road.”

“Name? Address?”

“Trevor Knight. I know he lives close, but I don’t know exactly where.”

“I’ll contact his employer,” Michael said.

When the security chief left to gather the information Michael wanted, he called Matt again. “I believe Gardner was poisoned. It might be airborne.” He paused. “I think he knew. Gardner knew the flowers were poisoned and didn’t tell anyone, maybe because he’s still suicidal, I don’t know. Now he’s in a coma and unless we can figure out what poison was used so the doctors can reverse it, I don’t know that he’ll make it.”

“Wait there for Jim,” Matt said, “then find the delivery guy and get answers.”

29

South Fork, Colorado

Kara still didn’t know what to make of Dean Montero. He was in his midforties with brown hair graying at the temples and golden-brown eyes. He was Matt’s height—a bit over six feet tall—but thinner, on the verge of being too thin. He wore a suit, like most feds, but his was a bit more rumpled, more a college-professor vibe. She half expected him to pull out a pipe and start puffing.

Ryder had procured the only two suites in the small hotel, plus two additional rooms for the team to use. Kara, Sloane, and Riley shared one suite; Matt and Michael the other. Sloane was keeping an eye on Riley while Matt, Dean, and Kara debriefed.

Kara went to the meeting in Matt’s suite, cautious about Dean Montero. She had learned to be a bit more trusting of feds she met in the course of her job, but old wounds and all, and Kara still had a hard time trusting outside her team. They shared information and then Dean said he had some thoughts about how to approach the second interview with Riley. She was pleased that he suggested they not tell Riley at this point that someone had tried to kill Andrew at the hospital. She might think they couldn’t protect her and run.

“She’s exhibiting signs of repressed trauma,” Dean explained, “and she believes she’s vulnerable, that the people of Havenwood might find her if they suspect she’s alive. If she has something tangible to grow that fear—such as our suspicion that Mr. Gardner was poisoned while under police protection—she could regress and clam up completely.”

Matt looked at Kara and she nodded her agreement. “She’ll bolt first chance she gets,” Kara said. “I don’t think she’s consciously aware of it, but she’s identified every way out. She hasn’t asked to leave, hasn’t asked for a lawyer, and she knows she’s not under arrest. She feels safe here for now, but at the same time she believes her life is in danger if Havenwood knows she’s alive.”

“We have to go with the assumption that they know,” Matt said.

“We don’t want to share that information with Riley either,” Dean said.

“We have to,” Kara said. “She knows these people, can spot them, and they are a threat to her and others. For her own protection, she needs to know.”

“Can we agree to hold back the information at least until after our initial conversation today?”

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