Page 69 of Risky Match
Another forty-five minutes pass before a sharp knock startles me.
Adrian says, “Come in.”
The door opens with authority, and an older man, wearing an expensive suit under a white coat, steps in.
“Your Royal Highnesses, I’m Dr. Shepard. I’ve been asked to provide you with an update on Blake Knight’s condition.”
“Thank you, Dr. Shepard. Please have a seat.”
Adrian and I sit across from him.
“Is Blake okay? What happened?” I ask, my voice shaking.
“Mr. Knight’s condition is serious. But he’s strong and in excellent physical condition. That will help his chances.”
“What’s wrong with him? Did he tear a muscle? Break ribs? What do you mean by ‘help his chances’?” I ask. My voice trembles as my panic skyrockets.
“No. It wasn’t a physical injury of that nature. We believe he was poisoned.”
“Poisoned?” Adrian asks.
“You mean he had an allergic reaction to something?” I suggest, unwilling to believe the worst.
“No. I mean he was poisoned. It could have been accidental or on purpose.”
My jaw drops in shock and horror. How could that have happened? My thoughts race through possibilities. Could it be related to our investigation?
“What was the poison?” Adrian asks in an unexpectedly calm tone.
“We need to verify it with further tests, but we believe the poison came from an oleander plant.”
“I didn’t know that oleanders are poisonous,” I manage to utter as my body shakes and my voice quivers.
“They are. All parts of an oleander plant are extremely poisonous, even the flowers and roots. In fact, a small dose can be fatal.”
“Are you saying Blake will die?” I ask as a tear escapes and trails down my cheek. I can’t bear the thought of losing him.
“We hope not. If it was a mild exposure, he will pull through. We need to watch him closely overnight.”
“When will you know if he’s going to be okay?” Adrian asks.
“This is a strange poison. He’ll either be fine in one to three days or ...not.”
I gulp, my worst fears realized. He could die.
“Can we see him?” I ask.
“Not until tomorrow. But you can help. We need to find out how he was exposed to the poison. We don’t want anyone else to accidentally ingest it. And if he recovers, we can’t risk another exposure. It could be fatal.”
“There’s an oleander bush in the backyard of the house where we’re staying. Could that be it? Would touching a leaf or smelling a flower have been enough to poison him?” I ask.
“That’s possible, but he may have ingested it.”
“How could that have happened?” Adrian asks.
“Ask the people who were around him what they saw him eat or drink. Then when he feels up to answering questions, we may learn more.”
“Based on when he collapsed, can you estimate when he would have ingested the poison? That might help us narrow the possible sources,” I say.
