My hand flew to my chest as I took in the room. I wasn’t sure how to react. While it was a kind gesture that I wholeheartedly appreciated, being arrested and bailed out wasn’t something I wanted to celebrate.
Leigh picked up on my discomfort immediately. She stepped forward and took my hand in hers. “We just wanted you to know that we believe in your innocence and will do whatever we can to help. And, you know, we all need to eat.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Thank you. I’m just, uh, I guess I’m a little overwhelmed by everything.”
“And that’s perfectly understandable,” she said kindly. Then, she turned around to face the group gathered in the common room. “Y’all go find something to do and give the girl some room to breathe,” she ordered.
To my surprise, the crowd dispersed. “There we go. Now, let’s get you something to eat. I hear jail food is horrendous.”
I absently rubbed my stomach. “It looked disgusting, but I was too upset to eat much of anything.”
She nodded in understanding. “I’m the same way. I carry all of my stress in my stomach. Do you feel like eating anything now? We’ve got plenty to choose from, but if there’s something particular you’d like, I’ll be happy to make it for you.”
I eyed the various dishes and plates of food set out on one of the tables. “No, no, what’s here is great.” I grabbed a plate and started loading it with food. I really wasn’t hungry, but I didn’t want to call any more attention to myself by not eating.
Jonah joined me at the table, as did my brother, Copper, and another man who looked a lot like Copper. “River, this is Phoenix,” Jonah said. “He’s the President of the original chapter of Blackwings. He’s also the one who posted your bail.”
Phoenix extended his hand to me, but I stood and moved around the table. The man had just paid one million dollars to free me from jail; he deserved much more than a handshake. I didn’t hesitate to hug him. “Thank you,” I said softly.
“You’re welcome, River,” he said and patted my back. “You better get back to your seat before your man makes a very unwise decision.”
I turned to find Jonah glaring at Phoenix. “Seriously, Jonah? You need to wipe that look off your face and get your ass over here to hug him, too,” I blurted causing the table to erupt in laughter.
“Yeah, I like her,” Phoenix chuckled while Jonah gave me a look I could only describe as a mix between shock, pride, and desire.
Copper pulled his phone from his pocket and held it to his ear. “Yeah,” he said and paused. “Let her in.” He disconnected the call and said, “Tina’s here.”
“What? Why?” I blurted. I knew I would have to meet with her at some point, likely multiple times, but I hadn’t expected it to be so soon.
“To start working on your case,” Jonah said. “The sooner, the better.” Well, I couldn’t argue with that. I wanted this nightmare to be over more than anyone. I still couldn’t believe that I had been arrested for murder. I wasn’t sure that would ever fully sink in.
Tina arrived looking like the quintessential no-nonsense lawyer, which was quite comical with her standing in the middle of a biker clubhouse. “Hello, everyone,” she greeted and turned her attention to Copper. “Are we doing this here or would you prefer somewhere more private?”
“Here’s good. You hungry?” he asked and gestured toward the food table.
“I may get something when we’re finished, but I’d like to go ahead and get started now.”
“Go right ahead,” he said and went back to his food.
“Basically, here’s the deal. Gwendolyn Ellison is Chairman of the Ritch County Council. Her daughter died from a drug overdose a few months ago and she has been aggressively pushing for changes in the laws and punishments related to illegal drugs. The current district attorney is up for reelection this year and Gwendolyn has enough power to influence voters, so the DA is trying to stay in her good graces by actively pursuing any and all drug related charges,” Tina explained. “Or that’s what he wants her to believe. He’s clearly letting a junior prosecutor or one of the paralegals review the cases and give the okay to file charges, because anyone with his experience would’ve realized how weak the case is against you.”
I wanted to believe what she was saying. I wanted to fully exhale for the first time since I’d been arrested and sag with relief. But I couldn’t, or wouldn’t. Not until I heard the words from the judge’s mouth.
“I feel confident I can get the charges dropped, but I need to ask you a few questions and gather some other information before I make a formal request.”
“What do you need to know?” I asked.
We spent the next two hours going over my whereabouts and activities since I’d arrived in Devil Springs. Unsurprisingly, most of the time I was at work or asleep, but thanks to Jonah’s home security cameras, I could be accounted for even when I was home alone during the time surrounding Brett’s death.
Tina had already received the hospital’s narcotic count records for the recent weeks which showed there were no instances of missing medications, particularly fentanyl. She was also working on getting documentation from the hospital to prove that fentanyl was not routinely stocked or used in the ER. Even though I worked in the hospital, it wasn’t a medication I readily had access to. In fact, I couldn’t recall ever giving it to a patient in any form other than a transdermal patch in all my years working as a nurse.
“How much do you know about fentanyl?” I asked.
Tina didn’t hesitate to answer with the truth. “Only what I’ve seen on the news recently.”
“I think there is a gross misunderstanding of fentanyl thanks to the media. The actual drug is not the killer it’s made out to be. Sure, any medication has the potential to be deadly when misused; acetaminophen is a perfect example, but, the ‘fentanyl’ that’s being mixed with heroin and other recreational drugs is usually a fentanyl analog that was either created in an unregulated lab by underground chemists or one that was legitimately created for a different use. Like carfentanyl. It’s intended for use as an anesthetic for extremely large animals like elephants. My point is these drugs aren’t found in a hospital.”
Tina was steadily taking notes as I spoke. “This is exactly the kind of information I need. Tell me everything you know about these kinds of drugs.”