pushed Liam out the door, then closed it and locked it. Liam gritted his teeth.
The man might be innocent. But he’d planted enough doubt in Liam’s mind to warrant further investigation.
* * *
PEYTON RACED TOWARD her mother’s cottage, her heart in her throat. The attack from her sister yesterday, then another attack last night, and now her mother...
She had to be all right.
Lights from the fire engine twirled against the dark gray skies, and an ambulance was parked in front. The scene was chaotic with some of the residents gathering on the lawn to watch while firefighters raced inside. She threw her car into Park, jumped out and ran toward the cottage. Joanna stood, wringing her hands together and pacing.
“What happened?” she cried as she ran toward Joanna.
“Gas leak,” Joanna said. “I smelled it the minute I went in.”
Peyton froze, her mind racing. The only gas in the cottage was the fireplace which her mother never turned on. Her hands were too weak.
Which meant someone else had.
The medics were rolling her mother to the ambulance. Joanna hugged her, her eyes wide in fear, making Peyton’s stomach clench into a fist-sized knot. Joanna was the calmest, coolest caretaker Peyton had ever met.
If she was worried, her mother’s condition was serious.
She wiped at a tear as she ran to the ambulance. Joanna grabbed her arm as if to steady her, and it was a good thing. The sight of her mother unconscious with an oxygen mask over her face stole her breath.
One medic was taking her mother’s vitals while the other medic was on his phone calling in to the hospital. Peyton stroked her mother’s soft hair from her forehead. “I’m here, Mama. I’m here. Hang in there.” But her mother didn’t respond.
“We’re going to transport her to the hospital,” the medic said.
“How is she?” Peyton asked, a note of desperation in her voice.
“Pulse is low and thready. But hopefully we got her out in time.”
Peyton gripped the side of the gurney to keep from sinking to the ground. Fear was rapidly taking over, fueled with adrenaline and panic.
She kissed her mother’s cheek, then released her hand so the medics could load her onto the ambulance.
While they did, she scanned the lawn and property for her sister or anyone suspicious, but a minute later, the medics said they were ready to leave and shut the back door of the ambulance. She gripped her keys to go to her car, but Joanna caught her arm. “I can drive you, Peyton.”
She shook her head. “Stay here and see after my patients,” she said. “I’ll let you know when I hear something.”
Terror knifing through her, she jogged back to her car, started the engine, pulled from the parking lot and followed behind the ambulance.
* * *
LIAM SPENT THE next few hours investigating Miller Conrad. He stopped by Jacob’s office and set up his laptop in one of the interrogation rooms, then phoned Pine Ridge Hospital.
Anita Arnez, the head nurse for the ER, took his call. He explained that he’d spoken to Conrad. He wanted information on his mother’s illness, but he knew damn well that HIPAA would prevent a doctor from divulging personal details. Still, a casual conversation might lead to insight.
“Miller is dependable, punctual, and takes the healthcare of his patients seriously.”
“Sounds like a glowing recommendation for someone who was asked to leave,” Liam said.
She hesitated, then cleared her throat. “Well, yes. The problem was that sometimes he gets a little intense.”
“What do you mean?” Liam asked.
“I don’t want to slander his reputation,” Anita said. “But he and I clashed on how to deal with patients’ families. When those two patients died, and questions were being asked, he got defensive and said he’d go work for a place that appreciated him.”
“What do you mean about how he deals with families,” Liam said, drawing her back on track.
“Well, he reprimanded grown children for not taking better care of their parents. He accused one man of neglecting his mother, and a sister and brother of withholding medication that would make their father more comfortable.”
“Were his accusations substantiated?”
“Not that we found, although there definitely are some people who don’t treat the elderly well. I don’t like it either.”
“I imagine he’s extra protective because of his mother’s illness,” Liam murmured.
Another sigh. “You know about her?”
“I stopped by his house and saw her,” Liam admitted. “He said she’s in the final stages of cancer now.”