Katie arrived at the clinic feeling calm after her walk in the woods. The serenity lasted all of fifteen seconds. Angie approached with a pile of charts and a worried look.

“Hi, Dr. LeClair. I assume you’ve heard the news about Ellen Riley. Chief Carlson is treating it like a murder.”

Katie nodded. “I heard.”

“So has most of Baxter. The phones are ringing off the hook. For some reason, they think we might know something.”

Katie and Angie both knew why the patients thought they would get some information at the clinic. Debra. Debra was married to Sean, who was an officer in the Baxter police department. And her best friend owned the hair salon. Between those two sources, she knew as much about the town as anyone.

Katie didn’t say anything, but Angie held up her hand.

“I’ll talk to Debra again and tell her not to gossip. It’s like she can’t help herself.”

Angie juggled the pile of charts and pulled a couple out of the middle. “Your first two arrived together—fifteen minutes early. They’re in rooms five and seven.” She handed Katie the charts. “I’m trying to fend off a stack of ‘urgent’ visits that have asked to be seen today. I’ll do some triage and see if any of them really need to come in. Maybe I’ll just tell them we don’t know anything and see if they suddenly feel better.”

Katie took a deep breath. She hated to accuse anyone at the office, but this had gone too far for her to stay silent. Ever since she’d heard the word “Demerol,” she’d been thinking about that note that she’d seen on Emmett’s desk. “Angie, did you hear how Ellen died?”

Angie nodded. “I heard it was an overdose.”

Katie lowered her voice. “This is confidential, but they got the path report back, and it was an overdose of Demerol, not diazepam as they originally thought.”

Angie swallowed. “Demerol?”

“Yes, she was injected with Demerol. That’s why they’re treating it as a murder.”

“Oh, poor Mrs. Riley,” Angie said. She put her hand to her mouth. “I hadn’t heard that part.”

“I need to know . . . have any meds gone missing from the med cabinet recently?”

Angie stepped away from Katie and glanced up and down the hallway. “You’ll have to talk to Emmett about that.”

“Is there something to talk to him about?”

Angie sighed. “There might be.” She held her hand up when Katie started to speak. “I’m sorry, but that’s all I’m saying. Emmett asked me to keep it to myself, and that’s what I’m doing.”

Angie flipped through the charts in her hands and continued muttering to herself as she walked down the hall to her office.

“Thanks,” Katie said quietly, knowing Angie wouldn’t hear her.

Katie glanced at the charts in her hands. Mrs. Peabody and Miss Simms. They were both in their eighties, but they didn’t realize that yet. Former schoolteachers, they were involved in a synchronized roller skating club and terrorized the streets with their Vespas. They went everywhere together.

Katie had seen them multiple times during her residency and then twice since she’d started with the practice. She had learned her lesson the first time. She wouldn’t get any information about either woman without first talking to her friend.

Mrs. Peabody’s chart was on top, so Katie knocked on the door to room five.

“Hello, Mrs. Peabody.” Katie walked in the room and shook Mrs. Peabody’s hand.

“Hello, my dear.” Mrs. Peabody’s short silver hair sported a hot-pink streak on the right side, and she wore a matching tracksuit. She was thin and taller than Katie by an inch or so.

“Is Miss Simms doing okay?” Katie asked.

“No, she’s not.” Mrs. Peabody sat tall in her chair and wore a put-upon expression. “She hasn’t been sleeping well, and she’s very tired. She doesn’t even want to go on our daily walk. You should check her over, even if she denies it.” Mrs. Peabody nodded to punctuate her order.

“And how are you doing?”

“Fit as a fiddle. Nothing wrong with me.” Mrs. Peabody crossed her arms and dared Katie to argue with her steely expression.

“Why don’t I just step next door and see what I can do for Miss Simms.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Mrs. Peabody opened her book and began to read.

Katie stepped into the hallway and took a deep breath.

She walked down the hall and knocked on room seven’s door.

She opened the door and stepped inside. Before she had even shut the door behind her, Miss Simms began talking.

“I’m so worried about Mrs. Peabody!” Miss Simms paced in the small room. She was shorter than Katie and pleasantly round, with white hair pulled into a bun. “She hasn’t been well.”

“What seems to be the problem?”

“She stopped eating completely, that’s the problem!” Miss Simms allowed Katie to lead her to a chair, and she sat.

Katie glanced at Mrs. Peabody’s chart. Her weight was stable; she’d even gained two pounds since her last visit. This visit must be about Miss Simms then. But she didn’t seem tired. She seemed agitated.

“And how have you been, Miss Simms?”

“I’m just fine, except for worrying, of course.” She smoothed her hair, leaned forward, and lowered her voice. “I haven’t been sleeping very well. But it’s because I’ve been so worried about her!”

“I have a record here, Miss Simms, and Mrs. Peabody has not lost any weight. Maybe her appetite has changed a little, but it’s not affecting her health. I’ll talk to her about this. Don’t worry, okay?” Katie had needed to have both ladies sign HIPAA waivers to allow her to discuss each woman’s health with the other when she first took over their cases.

Miss Simms pulled a tissue out of her pocket and dabbed at her eyes. “Not Mrs. Peabody, Ellen Riley!”

Katie was having difficulty keeping up with Miss Simms as she jumped from one concern to another. She sat back in her chair and narrowed her eyes. “What?”

“Ellen Riley.” Miss Simms sniffed and one lone tear fell. “I’ve been worried about her for weeks, and now she’s dead!” Miss Simms began crying in earnest.

Katie placed a hand on Miss Simms’s shoulder. “Why were you worried about Ellen Riley?”

Miss Simms looked up at her from red, wet eyes. “She was such a lovely person. I live next door to the Rileys, you know.” She blew her nose loudly and mopped her eyes. “She always stopped for a chat if I was in my yard.”

Katie waited for her to continue.

Miss Simms took a shaky breath. “She and her husband had begun arguing. Not that I was eavesdropping or anything, you understand.” Miss Simms fixed Katie with a forceful stare that would have quelled any classroom jokes and high jinks. “I’ve known Christopher all his life, so I was surprised when I heard them.”

“All married couples fight sometimes.”

Miss Simms shrugged. “I wouldn’t know myself, but this seemed out of character for both of them. After that, I saw her in her kitchen on the computer at all hours—as long as her husband wasn’t home.”

“Have you told Chief Carlson about this?”

She shook her head. “No, I didn’t think I had anything to tell him. It’s just gossip, really. And I don’t want to tell Mrs. Peabody. She thinks I have too much imagination. No, I don’t think I will tell anyone. I feel better already, talking to you.” She patted Katie’s hand.

Katie went back to room five.

“Well?” Mrs. Peabody snapped her book shut. “Are the labs back already?”

“No, we don’t need lab work today,” Katie said. Miss Simms had had normal labs just two weeks earlier. “But I think she’ll be better from now on.”

“Well, that’s a relief.” Mrs. Peabody stood to leave. “I’ve been worried since that Ellen Riley killed herself. Miss Simms is very sensitive.”

“Yes, you’ve mentioned that before.”

Mrs. Peabody leaned closer to Katie and lowered her voice. “I was with Miss Simms the night Mrs. Riley died. I haven’t said anything to her, but I do wonder why Mrs. Riley wasn’t found earlier. I saw her husband come home hours before the ambulance showed up.”

Katie caught her breath and tried to keep a bland expression on her face. “Excuse me?”

“Christopher Riley. He came home and went inside around seven o’clock. I think he must have been out running. He had on one of those jogging suits with the hood pulled up. Although why he would need a hood on such a pleasant evening is beyond me. Maybe he’s doing one of those sweat diets?”

“Are you sure you saw Christopher Riley?”

“Well, of course I’m sure.” Mrs. Peabody scowled. “He had a key. Miss Simms seems to think he left again around seven-thirty. She says she heard a car. Of course, she can’t see their driveway from the kitchen, but she’s sure she heard a car.”

“Mrs. Peabody, I really think you should talk to the police about what you saw and heard.”

“No.” Mrs. Peabody crossed her arms. “That John Carlson has always been a troublemaker. He was in detention more than he was in class. All the practical jokes and shenanigans.” She shook her head and glared at Katie over the top of her glasses. “I’m sure he wouldn’t believe a word I said. And don’t forget this is all confidential. I signed a paper.” She tapped the chart in Katie’s hand as if Katie may have forgotten where the paper was stored.

Katie wasn’t sure the HIPAA regulations applied to gossip and supposition about non-health-related issues, but she let it slide for now.

Katie opened the door for Mrs. Peabody, and she sailed out of the room. Mrs. Peabody knocked on door seven and opened it. A few moments later, the two ladies emerged and made their way to the front desk.

Katie pulled her notebook out of her pocket and added this new information to her ever-growing “plan.” She added a note about Ellen and Christopher fighting recently and her suspicions that the Demerol had come from her own office. She would have to look at everyone who had access to the med room and try to find out why Christopher was home hours before he said he was.

Katie would think about how to get the information to Chief Carlson later. Maybe she could convince the ladies to talk to him in spite of his shenanigan-filled youth.