Free Slow Kill by Michael McGarrity Page B

smiled. “That would be the easy part. I’d use a natural dye.”
    “Could you duplicate the shape of the pill by hand?” Kerney asked.
    “Sure, but it would take some time to make a good supply, and the brand name would still need to be stamped on the pills to make them look authentic.”
    “What’s the usual refill supply that’s given to patients?” Kerney asked.
    “Three months is the norm, if the patient is stabilized on the dosage.”
    “You’ve been a big help,” Ellie said.
    The woman looked from the female cop to the man. “Now, please tell me what this is all about.”
    “Crime, of course,” Kerney said, stepping away from the counter.
    Ellie waited until they were in the parking lot before asking Kerney what he thought should be done next. He suggested having the pill found in Spalding’s pocket analyzed and getting started on the paperwork for a search warrant of Dean’s pharmacy and residence in Santa Fe.
    “I don’t have enough evidence to get a search warrant approved yet,” Ellie said as she unlocked the passenger door to her unit.
    “I bet you will have after the lab results come back tomorrow,” Kerney said as he ducked into the cruiser. “But you may not need to have the search warrant served right away. If you play your cards right, Claudia Spalding might just crack under questioning. Then you can go for an arrest warrant on Dean and serve both simultaneously.”
    Ellie got behind the wheel and fired up the engine. “Want to be there for the Q amp;A with Claudia Spalding?”
    Kerney shook his head and laughed. “Not a chance. Because of you, I’m spending an extra day in California, so I might as well enjoy it.”
    “Sorry about that, Chief,” Ellie said as they arrived at Kerney’s motel. “I’ll call you when things shake out.”
    “Leave me a message,” Kerney said as he climbed out of the unit.
    Ellie watched Kerney unlock his motel door and step inside. He’d never once flared up under the pressure she’d put on him. Beyond that, he’d gathered important information to advance the investigation and had graciously accepted her apology without laying into her.
    She’d come to Santa Barbara ready to ream Kerney out for meddling in her investigation. As she drove away, Ellie thought that Chief Kerney would be a hell of a good boss to work for.

Chapter 4
    K erney slept hard, got up early, showered, dressed, and studied a tourist map that promised to guide him to Santa Barbara’s finest dining, shopping, and entertainment experiences, including an adult video store and a gentlemen’s club featuring fully nude live dancers.
    He located a restaurant that looked interesting at a place called Hendry’s Beach outside of town. On the drive there, he enjoyed the quiet of the morning, the absence of traffic, and a view of the bay with gentle waves of surf rolling in.
    The restaurant, located next to the beach, wasn’t open for business when he arrived, although several servers were busy setting the tables on an outdoor patio. He took his boots and socks off, rolled up the cuffs of his jeans, and walked in the shade of the cliffs that lined the shore. Only a few people were out, including some joggers, a couple walking two dogs, and several tourists snapping pictures near some rocks where a young seal seemed to be calmly posing for a photo shoot. Out beyond the surf, a dolphin briefly surfaced, drawing the attention of a lone seagull circling overhead.
    On top of the cliffs, which showed signs of constant erosion, houses surrounded by tall, skinny palm trees looked out at the ocean. Steep stairs, some rickety and dangerous, provided access down the cliff face to the beach. Kerney wondered how long it would take before the sea, the wind, and the rain brought everything crashing down. A hundred years? A thousand? Ten thousand? Eventually, it would happen.
    His thoughts turned to Sara and the beaches they’d walked together on their honeymoon in western Ireland. There, cliffs