As the law enforcement officers entered his room, Tony pushed the button, raised the back of his bed, and squared his shoulders. He bet Claire had no fuck’n idea of the consequences of her failure! She would soon find out what would happen!
Anthony Rawlings’ statement was straightforward. “There was nothing special about the morning. I got up, worked out in my gym, showered, ate breakfast, and began working.”
“Working?” the officer asked.
“Yes, that’s what I do—I work.”
“Mr. Rawlings, did you go to your office?”
Tony pressed his lips together and momentarily stared. “Officer, I may be lying in a hospital bed, but I’m not crazy or stupid. Don’t ask me questions when you already know the answers. I don’t deal with incompetents and I don’t intend to start.”
The man bristled in his seat and rephrased his question. “Could you please be more specific about where you were working?”
“I have an office in my home. On occasion, I work from there. On the morning in question, I was working from my office within my home.”
“Sir, who else was in your home?”
“My wife and my staff.” Tony shook his head. “No one unusual.”
“Did—” The officer immediately rephrased, “What did you eat and drink that morning?”
Tony tried to recall. “I had a bottle of water after my workout. I think I ate eggs and bacon for breakfast. There might have been fruit, I don’t remember.” He paused. “Oh, I had orange juice and coffee with breakfast.”
“Was that all?”
“I had coffee again in my office, late in the morning.”
The officer’s shoulders stiffened. “Did you get your own coffee?”
“No.” Tony didn’t offer more.
“Sir, how do you take your coffee?”
“Black—sometimes with cream.”
The man wrote more in his notepad. “Who brought your coffee to your office?”
“My wife,” Tony mumbled.
“Did you say it was your wife?”
“Yes, my wife, Claire Rawlings, brought me coffee that morning, but if you or anyone else is suggesting that she would knowingly try to poison me, I believe you’re mistaken.”
It wasn’t the young officer taking notes who responded. It was the older gentleman who’d been watching from the perimeter of the hospital room. “Mr. Rawlings, we aren’t suggesting anything. We’re trying to gather the evidence.”
Tony was obviously feeling much stronger. Dr. Logan had been in earlier and authorized the questioning, and the cardiologist was scheduled to visit later in the afternoon. Tony leaned forward. “I’m at an obvious disadvantage,” he spoke to the older gentleman. “You know my name, but I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”
“Agent Hart, FBI.”
“Well, Agent Hart, would you mind sharing that evidence with me?”
“Once our questioning is complete, we’ll be glad to share with you. First, we want to know what you remember.”
“I remember being with my wife the night before the morning in question. I remember a lot about that night and none of that would hint toward hostility. I’d share more, but out of respect for my wife, I won’t. I remember talking with her on multiple occasions during the morning and making plans for later in the day. I remember booking a surprise vacation for the two of us. We’re supposed to be in the Grand Caymans right now. I remember asking her for a cup of coffee and her bringing it. Tell me now, why you believe the woman I share my name and my bed with is being suspected of this crime.”
Agent Hart nodded toward the young officer who’d been asking questions and taking notes. The younger man gathered his things and left the room. Once alone, Agent Hart swung the officer’s chair around and straddled the seat. Leaning forward on the chair’s back, he spoke quietly. “Mr. Rawlings, your wife was found yesterday driving near St. Louis.”
He appeared genuinely shocked. Eric hadn’t told him her destination. “St. Louis? Why?”
“Yes, Mr. Rawlings, why? Why would your wife leave your home in such a rush as to not take a coat? It is, after all, January in Iowa. Why would she leave without a purse, without her ID, and without any cash or credit cards?”
Tony couldn’t respond if he’d wanted to. St. Louis! She’d really left him. She’d taken the car and driven as far as she could. Finally, he asked, “How did you find her?”
“Her car has built-in GPS. Your driver was kind enough to share the information, and we were able to track the vehicle.”
“What did she say?”
“She hasn’t said much. She’s denied harming you, vehemently.”
Tony closed his eyes. “Where is she? I want to talk to her.”
“She’s on her way back to Iowa.” Agent Hart looked at his watch. “She may be back. The Iowa City prosecutor has secured a warrant for her arrest, and she’s being arraigned this afternoon.”
Shaking his head, Tony worked to contain the swirl of emotion: disappointment, betrayal, anger, hurt. It was a potent mixture. “I believe I need to speak with my legal team.”
“Yes, Mr. Rawlings, I believe you do.” Agent Hart stood. “I’ll ask your driver to come back, if you’d like?”
“Agent?” Tony’s voice hardened. “I don’t want to believe any of this.”
“I understand.”
“I doubt you do. No matter what, find out who did this, and I want that person to pay. There has to be consequences for this. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir, that I can assure you, I understand.”
Once Agent Hart was gone and Eric was back, Tony began making calls. His first was to Tom. Tom and Brent headed up Tony’s and Rawlings Corporation’s legal team. Tony told Tom that under no circumstance would any of his legal team be used to defend Mrs. Rawlings.
Tony said, “If she did this to me, I don’t intend to throw her a lifeline—she sure as hell didn’t throw one to me!”
When a good man is hurt, all who would be called good must suffer with him.
—Euripides
With each day that passed and Tony wasted in the hospital, his disappointment grew and festered. Every hour of work lost, every time someone entered his private room and performed some duty that was not to his liking, every time his personal space was invaded or the police came with more questions—every minute of each day was a reminder of how Claire had failed. Her failure didn’t only affect her—no, Tony suffered as well.
He suffered physical pain as the toxins exited his body. Every time Tony took a deep breath or moved, he suffered piercing pain from the repercussions of the CPR. Two of his ribs were broken along with excessive damage to the cartilage in his chest. Then, there was the psychological suffering as he endured the humiliation of test after examination after test. Never had he been so exposed to so many people. Even his money couldn’t save him from the prying eyes and hands of doctor after doctor.
After he regained his strength, Tony convinced the Iowa City Police Department and the FBI that he was safe with the help of his own security team. He explained that it was senseless for the people of Iowa to be burdened with the financial responsibility of his protection. The powers that be agreed, and Tony was at least free of the twenty-four-seven prying eyes of law enforcement.