“You’re back from New York,” the detective said. “I’m going to need to ask you a few questions about your trip.”

“Answer mine first.” He took a step forward, but one of the officers held him back.

The detective waved the man off. “It’s fine. Mr. Fielding can come in . . . for now. But take the bag.”

Liam stood there as the police stripped the duffel off his shoulder and motioned for him to go farther into the room.

“We’re going to need your car keys. Your vehicle is covered by the search warrant,” the detective added.

The situation worsened with every word. Gabby struggled to keep from retching. Anger. Full-fledged rage. That was the only way to survive the constant spinning: to focus all her energy into rugged indignation. “Stop treating him like he’s a criminal.”

“He’s being treated like anyone else would be in this situation.” The detective motioned for the officers to keep searching.

“I’m here now. What is this about?” Liam stopped scanning the room and stared at the plastic bag in the detective’s hand. “What are you holding?”

“Methohexital.”

Liam shrugged. “Okay. And?”

“A sedative.”

Confusion flooded Liam’s face. “Where did you get it?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” the detective said.

Gabby wanted to jump in, to use that expensive legal education to save or at least protect Liam, but the fuzziness in her brain refused to clear. Sedatives. Searches. She hated that her secrets had ripped her family apart, but now she wondered about what Liam had been hiding.

“The sedative isn’t mine.” Liam stepped back as if standing too close to the bag might incriminate him. “I take a vitamin and a pill for high cholesterol. That’s it. No other medicine.”

The detective made a humming sound. “That’s an interesting response.”

“Why?” Anxiety churned inside Gabby. She had to bite back all the words floating through her brain. Babble could only cause trouble here.

But the detective kept talking directly to Liam. “We found the bottle and syringe in your bathroom upstairs.”

His bedroom . . . but drugs? Gabby couldn’t make those pieces fit together no matter how many times she pulled them apart and tried to make them fit together again.

“Not possible.” Liam pulled his cell out of his pants pocket. “I’m calling my attorney.”

“Go ahead. Your sister-in-law is holding the search warrant.”

Liam froze. “Why me? What brought you here?”

“We have information that you may know more about your brother’s death and your sister-in-law’s attack than you previously told us.” The detective’s gaze traveled from Liam to Gabby and back again, assessing the stunned reactions in real time.

Liam shook his head. “What the hell? You can’t be serious.”

“Who gave you this so-called information?” Gabby asked at the same time.

The detective shook her head. “Not relevant.”