she doesn’t know what she’s going to do.”

“Bruce wants to back out?”

She nodded and sat up straighter. “It doesn’t matter anyway. The guy’s a murderer. Now, I wouldn’t let him even look at my little cousin.”

The nurse poked her head in the door. “Oh, there you are, Mrs. Connolly. Dr Wong will be able to see you in a few minutes.”

“What about me?” Celia asked.

“I’ll be back with your dinner.” The nurse left.

Celia made a face. “Sounds like I’m staying for a while. I hate hospitals. That’s why I offer an alternative to women giving birth.”

I rose from the chair. “Celia, I was thinking. How do you suppose he did it?”

Celia looked as though she was considering the question for the first time.

“It wasn’t in the salmon,” I added.

“Probably in my drink or something.”

“Did you taste anything?”

Celia glanced upward as if trying to recall. “Hmm. Now that you mention it. My beer did taste rather . . . metallic. But sometimes beer does, so I didn’t think anything of it.”

I returned to my room to find McNearny sitting on the chair next to the bed.

Uh-oh!

I glanced down at my hospital gown. Not the kind of look a gal wants while having company. I desperately searched the room for a robe.

None.

“Can I help you?” I demanded.

McNearny stared at me. “How are you feeling?”

I shrugged.

He cleared his throat and stood. “Well, glad to see you’re up and about.”

Was he?

I had to be cautious; it would be just like him to try and get me off my guard.

He motioned for me to take a seat on the bed. I sat and pulled the sheet up to my neck, more or less defensively. He sat back down on the chair. We waited each other out in silence.

After a minute he said, “Maybe you can help. What happened today?”

I briefly recounted the details of my lunch at Bruce’s. He shook his head back and forth in complete and utter disapproval as I spoke.

“What were you doing there in the first place?”

“I wanted to find out what Helene and Sara had been fighting about that night on the cruise.”

“And what was it? Is it relevant?”

“Apparently they fought about a construction project and whether or not it was being canceled.”

He scowled. “Who cares about that?”

My hands clenched involuntarily. “Well, I also wanted to know if he’d seen anything that night. Like Helene drinking Margaret’s drink—”

“l told you to limit your actions to the doctor!” McNearny growled.

“Well . . . I . . .”

He stood. “Do not step on this investigation. I’m not interested in idle gossip about who is canceling projects. I’m canceling you. You got that? Believe it or not, SFPD was here before you broke onto the scene. We have the training and experience necessary to handle this. It’s not amateur hour. Amateurs end up in the hospital!”

I remained quiet, duly reprimanded.

He leaned in a bit. “Either that or they end up in jail for interference!”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Second Wind

To Do:

1. Talk with Galigani—what are the real dangers of this business?

2. Stock up on soup and tea.

3. Dust and clean house—yuck!

4. Ask Jim to do laundry.

5. Laurie swim classes?

6. Be a better mom—stay out of trouble—do NOT endanger Laurie.

The following morning, I puttered around the kitchen making coffee, still not sure if I would be able to drink any. My throat continued to hurt and only tea seemed to go down. It was 9:00 A.M., and Jim and Laurie were still sleeping.

The nurses had pumped Laurie full of formula and it seemed to knock her out overnight. We had been up to breastfeed only once, around 3:00 A.M.

Hmmm. Something to keep in mind.

When we got home last night, after the hospital escapade, Jim had made me promise not to investigate without guidance. He’d said if Galigani wasn’t willing to sponsor me as an intern and supervise me, then I’d have to stop investigating.

Actually, the arrangement was fine with me. I hated being scolded by McNearny. What if he arrested me?

No.

I would be a stay-at-home mom! Full-time mother! Completely dedicated and 100 percent devoted to my little flower!

The temperature had dropped overnight and it looked like we were in for a bit of a cold spell. At least by San Francisco standards, high forties. I planned to snuggle under a fleece blanket, drink tea, be with Laurie, and watch TV all day.

After all, isn’t that what new moms were supposed to do?

No running around and thinking I had consumed something deadly.

I flicked on the TV and at the