tremble. Myra grabbed a cashmere throw from the atrium and wrapped it around her friend. “There. There. It’s all going to be all right. You are perfectly fine now.”
Tears started streaming down Charlotte’s face. “They could have killed me,” she whispered. “No wonder I was feeling highs and lows. They told me that it takes several months for our bodies to adjust and things would be level after six months. That’s when they’re supposed to reevaluate you.” She put her hands to her face. “I’ve been such a fool!”
Myra hugged Charlotte. “You were not being a fool. You went to a doctor whom you thought you could trust. And then, when you were feeling a bit off, you reached out to us. That was a very wise move. And let me remind you, you stopped taking those pills when you were not feeling right. So, you are far from a fool.”
Everyone murmured in agreement. Annie stooped down to wrap her arms around Charlotte and Myra.
Fergus interjected, “While we are on the subject, can you bring the pill bottles down here? I want to see if there are any legal markings on them.”
Wiping the tears, Charlotte nodded and looked up. “So what do we do now?”
In unison, Annie and Myra exclaimed, “We thought you’d never ask!”
High fives and hoots, then the dogs. Yes, there were some big surprises coming for a trio of good-for-nothing scoundrels. The game was afoot.
Chapter 19
Aspen
Avery Snowden peered out the motel window. The mountains were spectacular, topped with the last of the winter snow and beautiful aspen trees. He wasn’t much of a snow or winter guy, but he could certainly appreciate the natural beauty of the area. He checked the digital clock on his laptop. It was 6:00 A.M. He sent the photo Eileen had taken of the mysterious guy to Charles to see if he had a police record. Charles had many ways to get that sort of information. The photo was a clean shot of the kid’s face. Yes, Eileen was very good at her job.
The laptop pinged, indicating that a big file was being downloaded. It was the blueprints of Steinwood’s house and office. The buildings were only five minutes apart by car. He had rented a car and an SUV and would switch between the two. He didn’t want one vehicle to be seen too many times in the same place. The night before, he had parked the first rental a block from the motel. He had then taken a cab to another rental agency and had used the same alias, Walter Harrison, to rent the SUV that he had used to register at the motel. The first car had been rented to Harry Walters. It was his own way of keeping track of what names he was using, at what time, and at what place. So far it had worked for him.
After the file downloaded, Avery, aka Harry, aka Walter, took a good long look at the office, which was close to the Baldwin Gallery. Surprisingly, there was not much security. The reception area was front and center as you entered the office. A small waterfall was the backdrop for the reception desk. There was a hallway on each side, with glass doors leading toward the back, where there were two rooms for patient consultations. A large private office was in the far corner and had what appeared to be a very large vault—a Scripps Safe TRXP Series pharmacy safe.
That’s a lot of steel, Avery thought to himself. I wonder what big secrets they’re keeping in there. I’m sure Charles and the sisters will find out.
Next, he looked at the prints for the house on Crystal Lake Road. He let out a low whistle. There was a detached garage that was almost as big as the six-thousand-square-foot house. Another mystery to be solved. But first, he had to visit the office of Live-Life-Long and plant a bug in the reception area. This way he could hear when they were closing, so he could break in and plant bugs in the big office and the patients’ rooms.
Avery unwrapped the muffin he had brought in the night before. He glanced at the small dresser, which held a pathetic-looking pot with something that resembled coffee and packages of synthetic milk. Sometimes these surveillances come with no perks. He smirked at his private sense of humor. Aspen was a small town compared to others. It was a resort, and the locals knew who was or