Page 36 of So Wicked

Faith and Slade shared a look. “Did it upset you at all to be accused of unethical behavior by your colleagues?” Faith asked.

Foster scoffed. “No, not at all. I loved it.”

Faith smiled slightly. “Okay, fair enough. That was a weak question.”

“Here’s a stronger one,” Slade said. “How did you feel when your colleagues requested that you be removed from the panel?”

“How is that a stronger question? I was pissed. Just like I’m pissed when some moron in a Civic who thinks he has a sports car cuts me off on the way to work. But I don’t carry a gun and shoot everyone who cuts me off.”

“But you do carry Pentobarbital,” Faith pointed out.

Foster paled. “I’m a veterinary doctor. I often carry drugs with me.”

“Then why hide the evidence?” Faith asked. “Why run into the exam room in a panic and try to throw the pills into drawers? Why not just explain to us that’s why you had the drugs?”

“Because I knew you guys were going to assume the worst. I could see that your dog was fine—nicetrick, by the way, to get me to stay; super cool of you—and I saw your FBI uniform, and I knew that you were after me, so I didn’t want anything that could make you think I was a criminal.”

“Why did you know we were out to get you?”

“Because you’re always out to get me! That’s what you cops do. You go after innocent people.”

Faith leaned forward and held Foster’s gaze. The vet paled a little and lowered her eyes. “Do you really believe that?” Faith said.

Foster swallowed. “Yes.”

“Your mouth says yes,” Slade replied, “but your body language says, that you’re hiding something and trying to play stupid hoping that we buy it.”

Foster’s eyes shifted to the left. “I didn’t kill anyone.”

"Hmm. So why the pentobarbital? And the other drugs, what were they, Detective?"

“Embutramide, potassium chloride and magnesium sulfate.”

“Wow,” Faith said drily. “That’s a lot of big names. Dr. Foster, what do all those drugs do?”

Foster’s eye twitched. “They’re anti-seizure medications.”

“Ah. Anti-seizure medications. What else are they used for?”

Foster swallowed. “I use them as anti-seizure medications.”

“Yeah, we’re done with the lying,” Slade said. “Let me be very clear. I have three dead victims, all of whom were injected with lethal amounts of pentobarbital. Pentobarbital is used to euthanize pets. Fun fact: so are all the other drugs you had in copious amounts. I meancopiousamounts.”

“It’s also used as an anti-seizure medication.”

“It’s also used to execute people in certain states.”

Foster’s eyes snapped open. “W—what?”

“You heard me. Pentobarbital is used by some states to execute convicts on death row. So is potassium chloride.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“You didn’t know that those drugs were lethal to humans at the right dosage?” Faith challenged.

“Oh, come on!” Foster exclaimed. “Tylenolis lethal to humans at the right dosage. You can’t tell me that you actually suspect me ofmurderbecause Ihappenedto have drugs that could kill people. Everyone who has a medicine cabinet has drugs that can kill people.”

“Not many people have drugs specifically designed to kill people in large quantities in their handbags,” Faith replied. “Not many people have the same drugs that killed three people who got her removed from a panel and jeopardized her career and carry them around within hours of those multiple murders.”

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