Celia was driving Evelyn's car away to hide it. Make it look like Evelyn had never arrived.

Evelyn. Her baby! I had to get to her.

I started the engine and drove down the street to the front of the birthing center. One tire popped the curb but I didn't care, I slammed the transmission into park.

'But you said Celia wasn't on the cruise!' Paula said.

I swung the van door open and reflexively put the strap of the diaper bag on my shoulder. 'She wasn't.'

'Then she couldn't have slipped something in Helene's drink if she wasn't even there. And then what about poisoning herself? I mean, do you think that was a suicide attempt-'

'No! Her dose wasn't lethal. Galigani told me that-'

Suddenly a hand reached into the van and gripped my hair. So fierce was the grip that it literally launched me out of my seat. My cell phone fell out of my hand. I gripped my bag to me and screamed, 'Paula! Call 9-1-1.'

A kick found its way to my ribs and I doubled over in excruciating pain.

Had she heard me?

Would Paula call 9-1-1 or would she think the call had simply dropped?

My a.s.saulter screamed, 'What the h.e.l.l do you think you're doing parked in front of my center?'

Celia!

Images of the riots on TV flashed in my mind. All of SFPD would be downtown. Was there anyone available to respond to a 9-1-1 call?

Celia's knee crashed into my face and she seemed to be pushing me back or was I retreating?

Laurie's face filled my mind and I swung the diaper bag as hard as I could into Celia's side. She blocked my blow, grabbing the bag out of my hands and pushing me into the birthing center. I landed on the cool marble floor, out of breath and in pain. She threw the bag at me.

Kenny!

Kenny was on his way!

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Celia's leg move back, gaining momentum for another kick. I rolled out of the way. Her miss only served to infuriate her further; she came at me and drew her leg back for another swipe. This time I was ready. As her leg swung forward, I grabbed it and pulled her off balance.

She struck the floor hard and I scrambled to my feet.

Could I make it out the door and back to the van?

Celia screamed and pushed herself up as I sprinted toward the door. She hurled herself at me, yelling obscenities.

When would Kenny be here?

Fifteen minutes at least. My cell phone was on the street. I had no backup. No weapon, no nothing.

Celia was punching at me and I was scrambling as best as I could to get out of her way.

'The cops are on their way,' I bluffed.

'Liar!' she screamed, knocking into me and throwing me off balance. 'You're going to ruin everything!'

I fell to the floor. This time she came with me, landing on top of me hard and knocking the wind out of me.

She put her knee between my shoulder blades and pinned my arms behind my hand. 'You should have stayed out of it,' she said.

Adrenaline shot through me and suddenly I was so furious that I wrung my arms out of her grip and launched myself to my feet. She fell back, momentarily stunned.

Fury boiled up inside me and I flung myself down on her-wrestler style-screaming, 'You killed that woman in Miami and took her baby. You sold her baby! You killed her and sold her baby!'

Celia pushed at me repeatedly. 'Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!'

'That's how you got the money for this remodel!'

She shoved me into the reception console. A packet that had been on top of the counter went flying. My eyes followed it as it landed on the floor. Patches. It was a bunch of medicine patches.

Her face contorted. 'And I'm going to kill you!' she spat. 'Just like I killed her!' She dove for the package.

The patches.

The drug had been on the nicotine patches. It had never been in a drink. Celia hadn't needed to be present in order to poison Helene!

Animal instinct overtook me. I pressed against the counter and propelled myself forward through the air, landing on top of her. I pounded my fist into her face. Blood poured from her nose.

'You broke my nose!' she screamed.

My face was wet and I realized I was crying. 'You were following me the other day! Your yellow VW bug. You almost crashed into me!'

My hand stung and my body ached, but I wasn't weeping from the physical pain. I was weeping for fear of my life and grief for the lives lost at the hands of this woman.

Celia twisted to the side and knocked me off her. She scrambled to reach the patches.

I reached the packet before her. 'You killed Helene with the patches and you tried to pin it on Bruce by poisoning yourself!'

She slammed her elbow into my side. The packet flew out of my hands as I tried to defend myself against another onslaught.

Celia punched at my face screaming, 'You're d.a.m.n right I killed her. She was backing out. First she wanted Evelyn's baby then she didn't.'

Evelyn!

She punched at me again, this time landing a blow to the side of my head.

My vision blurred.

'After all I went through to get things arranged for her,' Celia spat. 'Then she falls in love with that stupid foot doc-wants his kids instead. And what? I'm supposed to be left high and dry? No. Plenty of buyers for that baby. And like I'm going to let her turn me in?'

She pushed at me. I blocked her.

I heard a voice coming from the birth room.

I had to get to Evelyn. The woman in Miami had not lived to hold her baby. And now Evelyn and her baby's life were on the line.

Celia seemed to momentarily retreat, I struggled to my feet, looking down the hall for Evelyn. When I glanced back at Celia she was clutching the patches in her hand.

Blood streamed from her nose and her smirk both sickened and frightened me.

My eyes locked on the patches, my vision suddenly clear. She peeled one off and dangled it in front of me. 'Helene was so addicted to cigarettes I knew she'd use the patches I gave her.' She laughed. 'Especially when I told her a proper mother couldn't smoke. She'd have done anything to be a good mom even if it meant stealing the kid.'

Celia advanced on me, I stepped back.

'I never dreamed she'd use the patches on the night of the cruise. How perfect is that? With me nowhere near her.' Her lips curled and she lunged at me. 'But then you-'

I thrust my elbow out using her own momentum against her. She cried out as my elbow connected with her broken nose. She fell to her knees. A moan came from the birthing room. I ran down the pa.s.sage way. Evelyn was lying on a bed in the birthing room, her head rolling from side to side, a ridiculous smile on her face.

'I'm so high,' she said.

The first effects of fentanyl were like drinking a couple gla.s.ses of wine. Helene had seemed so drunk on the cruise; now I realized it had been the drug.

I rushed to Evelyn, but before I could reach her, Celia rammed her shoulder into my back. I stumbled and fell.

'You're going to die!' she said through her teeth. 'You meddling-'

I got to my feet and used my position below her as leverage and head-b.u.t.ted her in the chin with as much force as I could muster.

Fortunately, I have a very hard head.

Hers snapped back and she lost her balance. She stumbled and fell. I heard the door to the center open and Kenny called out.

'Help!' I screamed as I dove toward Evelyn.

'Whoa, whoa,' Evelyn kept repeating.

I pulled three patches off her arm.

How much had she absorbed already?

Kenny flew into the room and stopped short, his eyes bulging out of his head.

Poor kid, only seventeen. What did I expect?

Celia let out an ear-piercing scream and attacked me with new fury. Kenny pulled her off me and shoved her to the ground.

Sirens reverberated from down the block. Kenny and I tried to restrain Celia until the EMTs burst through the doors.

'In the back!' I screamed.

Kenny and I were trying to hold Celia down but she was punching and kicking at us with fury. We scrambled out of the way as one EMT grabbed and restrained her. The other EMT ran to Evelyn's side.

I rushed to the EMT by Evelyn. 'She's in labor and she's been given fentanyl. This woman'-I pointed at Celia-'was trying to poison her and take her baby.'

The EMT frowned, looking at me like I was crazy. He pulled out a stethoscope and placed it on Evelyn's chest.

'You have to get her to the hospital!' I cried.

The EMT continued to evaluate Evelyn.

I felt Kenny's hands on my arms. 'Everything will be okay now, Kate.'

'They have to pump her stomach!' I screamed.

'She's in active labor,' the EMT said to his partner.

I glanced over to the EMT holding Celia. She'd composed herself in their presence, her face a cold hard mask.

She pulled away from the EMT. 'I can deliver the baby.'

'No!' I screamed. 'Call Inspector McNearny! She's killed two people! Call Inspector-'

Evelyn let out a low moan.

Celia rushed to her side.

More sirens sounded from down the street.

The EMT said, 'Her heart rate's too low. We're losing her.'

More EMTs rushed in. Soon they had Evelyn on a stretcher and into an ambulance with Celia. Kenny and I were ushered to the other ambulance. When we made our way through the lobby of the center, I spotted my diaper bag strewn across the floor. I gathered up my items, including Laurie's purple puppy, which had fallen out.

I remembered that my cell phone was somewhere in the middle of the street. When I asked the EMT if I could go retrieve it, he gave me a look that would freeze over h.e.l.l.

We were silent on the ride to the hospital. I was examined by a middle-aged physician, who told me my ribs were bruised where Celia had repeatedly kicked me. He taped them up for me and then I was left to wait with Kenny for Inspector McNearny or Jones in the waiting room.

Please, G.o.d, let then send Jones. Please send Jones!

My understanding was that Celia was having her nose set, and given my accusations, she would be held in a separate waiting room.

Suddenly my hand flew to Kenny's knee. 'The Opera! Oh my G.o.d! What time do you have to be there?'

Kenny looked at the giant white clock on the wall and smiled. 'Half an hour ago.'

I grabbed his shoulders. 'Kenny! I'm so sorry.'

'It's okay, Kate. Helping you catch a murderer is much more exciting than-'

'Don't say it. You should be at the Opera right now.

I'm so sorry I dragged you into this.'