I leaned forward and put my hands on my knees to grab a gulp of air. The bakery walls seemed to inch closer as everyone stared at me. I needed to run before Pearl jumped ship and boarded the "Broadrick is a good guy" boat.

"I've got to make a call. Be right back." I slipped off my apron, tossed it on the counter, and then hightailed it out the bakery's front door.

Pelican Bay offered very few places to sit for privacy. Ridge Jefferson had the entire place on camera thanks to his obsessive need to keep his wife safe and his unlimited funds from running Pelican Bay Security.

There were a few spots, though, and thankfully I had them memorized. A bench outside the bakery was in a location where they couldn't make out audio. That's where I went to have my meltdown in relative peace.

I dropped to the bench and let the winter chill cut through my shirt. I should have grabbed the coat I'd left on the hook inside. The wind beat against me, and I needed something to do with my hands, but I didn't want to pace or wring them.

My nose sniffled, and I sneezed into my elbow. Was I really sick? Would one day away from the mess cost me too much? Looking for something to do, I grabbed my phone from my back pocket and searched for the number to the pharmacy.

I'd never had to fill a prescription since moving out on my own because I had the immune system of a horse. Who knew a common cold might take me down for twenty-four hours?

"Pelican Bay Pharmacy," the person answered, sounding way too chipper for the weekend shift.

I hesitated, trying to come up with something to say. "Hi."

"Hi." Her cheerful expression faltered a little, and it gave me the strength to carry on.

"The walk-in clinic doctor wrote me a prescription, and I need to come and pick it up. What do I do?" There. Straight and to the point.

"Name, please?"

"Vonnie Vines."

Her fingers clicked over keys as I waited. "Great, Vonnie, it looks like the clinic sent the script over for you already, and we filled it yesterday."

Wait a minute. "If they already called it in, why did the doctor give me a written prescription?"

A beat passed before she answered, "Well, I'm not sure in this case, of course. It could be many reasons."

"What's the most likely scenario?" I told Broadrick that the walk-in clinic was fishy. They probably had an underground ring going where they were writing an extra prescription for people to sell the vitamins on the street. I didn't know the street value of vitamin C, but the profit margins might be out of this world.

"Normally, when we see this, it's because the patient is of..."

"Yes?" Wouldn't she get to the point already?

She cleared her throat. "An older age who doesn't trust technology or doctors. It's reserved for difficult-to-treat patients."

"Excuse me?" Demand to see one walk-in doctor's college degree and his licensures and they decide I'm difficult. The audacity.

"I'm not saying that's what happened here. It might have been a clerical issue. Either way, the good news is that someone already picked up your prescription, so you don't need to make the drive."

The plot thickens.

"Is that so? Who picked it up?"

More keys typing. "The signature isn't great, but looks like a Broodrack Mc-something. He was a tall guy."

The nerve. On all accounts. Broadrick to get my script and the pharmacy to give it to him. What if he wanted to sell those drugs? That was my drug money.

"Thanks," I said and hung up before she could reply.

It wasn't out of rudeness but necessity. A black Grand Cherokee parked on the street between the bed-and-breakfast and the bakery. If his gaze had been on the blue historical home further down Main Street, I might not have freaked.

But it wasn't. His attention stayed on me the entire time he drove past.

He knew.

Shit.

I shoved my phone in my pocket and darted back into the bakery. "We have to hide Lainey!"

Everyone froze at my declaration, so I waved my hands in a shooing fashion to get them moving. "Anderson is on his way."

"Shit," said Anessa, who slammed the cookie case door closed with too much force.

Lainey glanced in both our directions with wide eyes. "He really is a nice guy."

She didn't understand the problem. They never did.

"Yeah, he's nice, like a bear fresh out of hibernation and looking for his next meal. I do not taste like salmon, Lainey!"

She rose from her chair as I pulled on her arm. "Are you sure this isn't an overreaction?"

"I'm gristly and I don't want to be chewed on. Besides, I don't have bail money right now."

Lainey laughed. Totally clueless. "I doubt Detective Anderson would arrest you."

I tugged her toward the bathroom, opened the door, and shoved her inside. "Stay here."

The bathroom door closed as the bakery door opened like fate herself choreographed the movement.

Anderson walked in like he was entering a saloon in the Wild West. I'm surprised he didn't have spurs to click against the tile floor in the bright pink bakery. An actual cowboy couldn't have made the entrance any better.

"Can I help you, Detective?" Anessa asked, standing in front of the register, trying her best to appear nonchalant.

He shook his head at Anessa. "It's going to be that way?"

"What way?" Pearl asked as she placed her teacup on the saucer. She'd been so quiet I'd actually forgotten about the older woman.

Pearl was not an easy woman to forget. Maybe I really was sick.

"I know Vonnie picked up Lainey about an hour ago and they both drove here. Where have you stashed her?" He walked directly to the bathroom and knocked on the door. "You can come out, Lainey."

How did he know?

We all held our breath.

A creak cut through the silence, and the door opened hesitantly.

Lainey stepped out, letting her gaze hit each of our faces, and then bit her lips together. Her eyes were huge saucers when she finally looked at Anderson. "Detective. How nice to see you here."

"Uh-huh," he said, shaking his head at her but not getting closer. "I told you not to talk to these women. They are all crazy."

"How did you know we had her?" Anessa asked, making it sound a little like a kidnapping.

Anderson turned his entire body toward her when he answered, "Our neighbor saw Lainey leave with Vonnie."

A quiet, "Damn," slipped out. I needed more disguises. Although, it'd probably be just as suspicious if Lainey had walked out with a plumber.

He turned back to Lainey, giving me his back-not his smartest move. "I'm serious that they are bad news. It's only a matter of time until they're all arrested."

Lainey scoffed right along with the rest of us in the bakery.

"That's ridiculous, Anderson. Your jail can't even hold us all," said Anessa.