Chapter 3 - The Interception
Mark violently jumped back, dropping the paper onto my lap. Rachel gasped from the hallway.
Standing in the doorway was Robert Gaines.
He did not look like a guest at a charity gala. He was wearing a sharp, imposing black trench coat, carrying a thick leather briefcase. And he was not alone. Flanking him were two uniformed Indianapolis police officers, and standing directly behind them was David Vance, the Chief Financial Officer of Whitaker Logistics.
"What the hell is this?" Mark demanded, his voice instantly dropping its gentle facade and snapping into defensive anger. "This is a private medical room! My wife is recovering!"
"Your wife," Robert said, his voice a deep, resonant baritone that sucked all the oxygen out of the room, "is exactly where she planned to be."
I calmly set the silver pen down on the bedside table. I pushed the paper blanket off my legs, swung my feet over the side of the cot, and slipped my heels back onto my feet. The dizziness was fading, replaced by a surge of pure, freezing adrenaline.
I stood up.
Mark stared at me, his brain completely short-circuiting. "Diane? What are you doing? Lie down, you're sick—"
"I'm not sick, Mark," I said, smoothing the front of my navy dress. "I was sedated. There's a distinct difference."
I walked past him and handed the temporary proxy document to Robert. Robert didn't even look at it; he handed it directly to the police officers.
"Mark Harrison," one of the officers said, stepping forward into the small room. "We need you to step away from your wife."
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"Are you insane?" Mark yelled, his face flushing red as he looked between me, Robert, and the police. "I am the Vice President of this company! My wife had a medical episode!"
"Your wife," Robert interrupted coldly, opening his briefcase, "had her sparkling water secured from the banquet floor twelve minutes ago by private security. It is currently en route to a toxicology lab. Though we already know what they'll find, considering the private investigator we hired photographed Rachel purchasing prescription Rohypnol three days ago."
