“Don’t listen to him, Viv.”
“I said, put your gun—”
The door burst open behind the doctor, smashing into his back and sending him stumbling forward. He lost his grip on Bea, and she yanked away, but not before Vivian saw his right hand move, the syringe plunging into Bea’s neck before it was knocked out of the way.
“Bea!” she yelled. She swung the gun back up, but somehow Leo was there in the room, kicking the door closed behind him as he tackled Dr. Harris.
Bea had one hand clasped to her neck, her eyes wide but her whole body still, as though waiting to see what would happen. For a moment, there was nothing. “I think it’s okay,” she said, letting out a relieved breath and taking a step toward Vivian.
Then her legs seemed to give way, and she crumpled to the floor.
TWENTY-SEVEN
“Bea!” Vivian shrieked, dropping to her knees next to her friend.
Bea’s eyes were still open, but her lashes were fluttering. “Feel all woozy,” she muttered. “Vivian? What did he…” She trailed off, blinking rapidly. “Viv?”
Vivian could feel the hot burn of tears like something at a distance. Clutching one of Bea’s hands, she turned back toward the door, trying to aim the gun at Dr. Harris. But he was grappling with Leo, and there was no clear shot.
But Dr. Harris’s only advantage was the wildness that panic gave him. He wasn’t a fighter. When Leo’s fist connected with his jaw, he went down in a crumpled heap, whimpering and clutching his face.
Leo shook out his hand, grimacing as he stood, and kicked the doctor in the ribs for good measure before hauling the other man up and shoving him toward the opposite end of the room, far away from the door and anything else he might use as a weapon.
Vivian stumbled to her feet, the gun pointed straight at the doctor. “What did you do to her?” she demanded. “What did youdo? Fix it! Fix it now!”
Dr. Harris had to grab the edge of a chair to keep himself upright, wincing and gasping with pain. There were tear tracks on his cheeks, and his breathing was heavy, but he gave her a gloating look. “Kick that gun over here and I’ll tell you which bottle has an antidote.” When Vivian hesitated, he gave a chuckle, though it made him clutch at his side. “Ticktock, Vivian. Time’s running out. Kick it over here.Now.”
Vivian stared down at Bea. With a gasped sob, she started to place the gun on the floor.
“Don’t listen to him.”
Leo’s voice made her jump. He came to stand next to her, the syringe dangling from two fingers. When Vivian gave him a quick glance, about to argue, she was stunned to see that he was smiling. It was not a kind expression.
“It’s not a poison,” he said. “It’s a sedative.”
“Are you sure?” Vivian demanded. Her hands were shaking now, the gun trembling as she pointed it at Dr. Harris.
“It says so right on the label,” Leo said, calm and reassuring. Dropping the syringe, he crushed it under one foot, and the doctor flinched at the sound. “And he only got half of it into her. Keep that gun pointed at him.” Kneeling down, Leo lifted Bea so that she was supported by one arm. With the other he gently patted Bea’s cheeks. “You all right, Beatrice?”
“Don’t feel so good,” she mumbled. But she lifted her head, and after a moment Leo was able to help her to her feet, though she had to lean heavily on him. “Where’d you come from?”
“I can tell when Viv is lying to me,” he said dryly. “And you girls didn’t look behind you when you were heading this way. Figured I’d tag along and see if I was needed.”
“Thanks,” Bea mumbled. “Guess I owe you one.”
“Don’t mention it. So what’re we going to do about him?”
Vivian stared at Dr. Harris, and he stared back at her, his expression equal parts sullen resentment and fear. “I don’t know,” she said at last.
Dr. Harris drew himself up, though it made him wince. “Look, I think we can all be reasonable here. Beatrice is fine, you’ve got the upper hand. Congratulations. But you know you’re not going to shoot me. So let’s—”
“I want that dress back, first of all.”
“What on earth for?” Dr. Harris asked in genuine disbelief.
“Because it’s not yours,” Vivian snapped. “And plenty of girls could find themselves out of work because it’s gone.” Her voice was shaking, and she had to take a deep breath. “Why did you want it anyway? You paid off your father’s debts. And you’ve made it clear that theft, at least, is beneath you. So why have me steal it? Were you hoping I’d get caught and arrested?”
“I wasn’t hoping anything, Vivian, I just needed to distract you. I was in a panic.”
