Page 34 of So Wicked

“Yes,” Faith admitted. “I really do need to see Dr. Foster, though. We’re conducting an investigation.”

The receptionist blinked. “Um… I mean… do you have a warrant or anything?”

“We have a lot of probable cause,” Slade replied. “You can make things difficult for us, but that’s only going to delay ourinvestigation, not change the outcome. And it could contribute to a very bad person getting away with very bad things.”

The receptionist bit her lip and looked between the three of them. Her eyes rested on Turk, and the K9s professional demeanor finally swayed her. “Dr. Foster is waiting in her exam room, but I can’t promise that she’ll talk to you.”

"That's fine," Faith replied. "Let us worry about her. Where's her exam room?"

“It’s at the end of the hallway, past the cages. Your dog… he’s okay with other animals, right? We have some animals who were rescued from abusive households, and they can be unpredictable sometimes.”

“He’s fine,” Faith assured her. “He’s been through worse than a few barking dogs.”

“Okay. Shit, um… Good luck, I guess?”

The three of them walked through the door and started toward the exam room. As the receptionist had warned, several dogs got to their feet and backed to the rear of their cages, barking and snarling, their tails tucked in fear. Turk gave them compassionate looks but otherwise didn’t react.

A few other workers gasped when they saw the officers. One of them dropped a tray of dog food and apologized profusely as she tried to move the food out of their way.

“That’s all right,” Faith told her. “Sorry to intrude. We should be out of your hair soon.”

The door to the exam room opened, and a petite woman with severe features and jet-black hair pulled back in a tight ponytail poked her head out. "What the hell is going…” Her eyes flew open when she saw the investigators approaching. “Oh, shit!”

She ducked back into the room and closed the door. Faith heard a click as the latch closed. She drew her weapon, and Slade followed suit while Turk rushed to the door and barked firmly.

Through the window in the door, Faith could see Foster taking pill bottles out of her purse and throwing them in desk drawers. “I can see you,” Faith told her. “Open this door now, or we’re coming in.”

Foster glanced nervously back at the door, but didn’t answer. “Dr. Sarah Foster, I see you removing evidence from your purse and attempting to hide it. Wewillsearch this room, and we will find that evidence. You’re only earning yourself more charges. Do you open this door, or do we come in?”

Foster tossed a final bottle into a drawer and called, “I’m opening the door! I’m coming quietly! Please don’t hurt me!”

She rushed to the door, and when she opened it, she tried to push past the two of them. Slade caught her and quickly handcuffed her.

“Turk, go find her drugs,” Faith said.

“No!” Foster shrieked.

She aimed a kick at Turk, and Slade pulled her away and pushed her against the wall. “That’s assault on a law enforcement officer!” he shouted. “You want more charges?”

“Okay,” Foster said. “Damn it! Fine! You got me. Can we please have this conversation somewhere else, though?”

“We will,” Faith replied. “But first, we’re going to gather all of the evidence.”

Foster slumped in Slade’s arm. Tears welled in her eyes. “Damn it,” she muttered. “This isn’t fair.”

Faith scoffed. Some people were so selfish. Three people dead, and it was unfair that she’d been caught?

Well, she’d get what was coming to her. “Call a unit to take her to the jail,” Faith told Slade. “We’ll get what we need here. Then we’ll see what she has to say.”

Foster sniffled and pouted as Slade led her outside. Faith walked to Turk and retrieved the bottles Foster tried to hide. She saw one that said PENTOBARBITAL, and her lips thinned.

There was no more doubt about it. They had their killer.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Dr. Foster shook like a leaf as Faith and Slade took their seats opposite her in the interrogation room. Turk sat calmly to her left, watching her closely. After Faith walked out of the exam room with the pills Foster had tried to hide, Foster had lost all of her fight and gone quietly with the officers Slade called to take her. Now she sat ready to answer for her crimes.

“Okay, Dr. Foster,” Faith said. “Let’s get straight to the point. We suspect you of the murder of Dr. Rachel—”

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