***Cedars Sinai***
Jonathan's lawyer, Mark Watson showed up, and came in to Jennifer's room. She was still sleeping.
They shook hands and Jonathan thanked him for coming.
"I think she might be in a little trouble".
He sat down. "Start from the beginning".
"Well, this morning she told me that she was going to a ladies' luncheon at a friend's house. It was a pool party thing. So, she had made up some margaritas to take with her and they were all bringing something. Next thing I know, I am getting a phone call at work that she had an accident. Came here, she's been like this. Police show up & start asking questions, which I answered the best I could. Doctor comes in, says her BAC is .12. I know my wife, she would never drink and drive. Not ever. Dr. also said a sleeping pill was found in her system, and that's not like her either. She doesn't take medicines hardly ever. So, something isn't right here, but I think she might need legal help". He handed him the police report that he had been given, and waited while he read it.
"I will stay right here. If the police come back, let me do the talking. It's all going to depend on what she says when she woke up. If you can get in touch with the ladies who she had lunch with, that would be helpful."
Jonathan nodded.
"Mark, I know Jennifer and she would never drink and drive. She is going to be absolutely devastated when she wakes up".
"I promise, it won't be easy, but I will do my best to keep her out of jail".
Jonathan nodded.
"I am going to go get something to eat, can I bring you anything?"
"No thanks, I'm ok".
"I will be back in about an hour. If she wakes up, wait till I get back before you call the police".
Jonathan nodded.
He turned his attention back to Jennifer.
He leaned forward and kissed her.
"I'm right here. As soon as you are ready to wake up, I will be right here".
He laced his fingers through hers and rubbed his thumb back and forth over the back of her hand.
She stirred a little bit, and moaned softly.
"Darling…I'm right here".
She turned her head and opened her eyes, but didn't say anything.
"Hi".
She smiled at him.
"Do you know where you are?"
She shook her head no.
"You had an accident. You are in the hospital".
She nodded, slightly.
"How do you feel?"
"Head hurts".
"I bet. You flipped your car".
She stared into space and appeared to zone out. He guessed that she was remembering everything.
She squeezed his hand.
"It's alright".
He was quiet for a minute.
"Darling, tell me about the luncheon".
"It was a pool party. We laid by the pool. We did beauty masks and we had snacks, and that was about it".
"What snacks?"
"The margaritas that I had brought, the frozen grapes that Sonya brought, and the champagne gummy worms that Susan made".
"Did you eat the gummy worms?"
She nodded. "A lot of them. They were so good".
"Did you drink the margaritas?"
"Yes, I did".
"Tell me about the beauty mask".
"It was one that Natalie had. You put it on in stages but you have to lay in the sun for 45 minutes".
"Jennifer, your blood alcohol content is over the legal limit. You weren't ok to drive".
He could see the fear set in her eyes. He tried to be reassuring.
"Why did you take a sleeping pill?"
"I didn't. You know that I don't take meds like that unless I absolutely have to".
"When was the last time you took a sleeping pill?"
"Last year, when I thought you had died in the plane crash".
"Well, the doctor said that they found doxepine, the clinical name for Silenor in your system. So, if you didn't take it, then someone must have slipped it to you."
"My friends wouldn't do that".
He leaned closer to her.
"We will get to the bottom of this, Jennifer. I promise you. And no matter how long it takes or what happens between now and then, I will stand by you the entire time."
She nodded. She teared up and tried to not let him see.
"It's alright, darling. I promise you, it's alright".
"Tell me what you remember".
"I went to the luncheon. We had the snacks, we laid out by the pool, and we did the face masks. And then I was so relaxed that I fell asleep. You know me, Jonathan. You know I can't sleep in the daytime unless I am extremely exhausted, which wasn't the case. When I woke up, we scrubbed off our face masks, and then I changed clothes and was headed to meet you. And I was driving and I was still so sleepy, and then….I heard and felt the crash. And then I crawled out and my arm was hurting and I went to the curb and laid down and asked someone to call you. And then, I woke up here, with you".
"You don't remember taking the sleeping pill?"
"No. I wouldn't have taken that. You know me".
He nodded.
"Well, Mark Watson is on this, and he is going to help us figure it out".
She nodded.
Mark walked back in right then, and came over and kissed Jennifer's cheek.
"Thanks for helping me".
"Anytime".
She went through it again for Mark's sake, and he agreed with Jonathan, that something wasn't right.
Jonathan wanted to speak to the doctor, so he went and asked the nurse to page him.
Mark advised that they call the detective and have them come talk to Jennifer.
She got up and walked to the bathroom. Jonathan called Kelly and asked her to go to their house and pack Jennifer a bag with yoga pants and a t-shirt and her flip flops, and bring it to the hospital.
He helped her back into bed, and she laced her fingers through his, and looked at him. He could see the anxiety in her eyes, and knew that she was highly upset. It was in her nature to help others and care about them, not to be reckless and purposely hurtful towards others.
The doctor came in, and examined Jennifer.
"Dr., my wife says that she didn't take a sleeping pill. How long do they stay in your system?"
"About 24 hours".
"I swear to you, I didn't take one."
"Doctor, my wife thinks someone slipped her the sleeping pill."
"It's possible, we have seen that before".
The detective walked in then, and asked if he could question Jennifer.
"Certainly".
He started out questioning her about the accident, and she didn't really remember a whole lot.
"I suppose I fell asleep, but that doesn't make sense to me. I don't normally sleep during the day".
He continued his questioning, and then began asking her what she had done before the accident.
Mark advised her that she could answer the questions, and she did honestly.
Finally, the detective looked at Jennifer.
"Detective, what about the people I hit? How are they?"
"One was a 17 year old girl, and she has some broken bones but will be fine. One was a 32 year old man, and he has a broken leg, but he will be fine. And the other was a 28 year old lady, and she unfortunately succumbed to her injuries".
Jennifer was devastated. She immediately started crying, and leaned her head towards Jonathan.
"It's alright, darling. You and I will get through this".
The detective finally spoke again.
"Mrs. Hart, based on your statement and your toxicology reports and your blood alcohol level, I have to say….Jennifer Hart, you are under arrest for vehicular manslaughter and suspicion of DUI".
As she cried out "NO!", he began to read her her Miranda rights.
"You have the right to remain silent…."
They cuffed her ankle to the bed, with a long chain so that she could get up and go to the bathroom if she needed to.
She was holding on to Jonathan, as if they were going to take her away right then.
"There will be a guard posted at her door. When she is discharged, we will take her to county, and she will have her arraignment after that".
The detective left and Jonathan looked at Mark.
"I am going to see if we can do a hospital arraignment. Sometimes they allow it, sometimes they don't. If they do, and I can get her bail, then she will be able to go home with you, instead of having to go to county".
Jonathan nodded.
Jonathan had lowered her bed rail and she had scooted over to the edge. She was crying and had her head on his shoulder.
Jonathan took her hand in his.
"Darling…who's house was the luncheon at?"
"Susan Montgomery".
"Who else was there?"
"Sonya Patterson, Natalie Evans, and Ally Markowitz".
"Ok, I am going to have Kelly call them and ask them to come here. I want to question them".
"No, darling. I don't want them to see me like this. Can't you question them somewhere else?"
"I could, but I don't want to leave you".
Kelly walked in then, with Jennifer's bag.
"Thank you, Kelly".
"Yes ma'am".
Jonathan went and asked the guard outside Jennifer's door if he could remove the ankle chain long enough for her to change clothes, and he agreed.
After Jennifer was dressed, she climbed back into bed and they re-shackled her.
Jonathan had given Kelly the names of the ladies Jennifer had lunch with, and asked her to call Susan first.
Kelly looked at the list.
"Natalie Evans-you mean Daniel Evan's wife?"
"You know them?"
"Only from the neighborhood. They live in my parent's neighborhood. He's known for being an unscrupulous businessman".
"He is?"
"Yes. My father has had several run-ins with him, business wise. Mainly him buying stock from fellow stockholders, wwithout going trhough a a broker, and then using it selfishly, like to get himself a seat on the board, or to get the upper hand. He bought stock in my uncle's company, and then forced my uncle out and ran the business into the ground. My uncle had built that company right out of college and it was basically all he had. Turned out the other stockholders had sold their stock because Daniel Evans had lied to them about what was going on, and said that my uncle was drinking and was about to sell the company, when in fact none of that was true".
Jonathan grimaced. He hated people who didn't have integrity when it came to their business dealings.
Kelly bid them goodbye, and then left. She promised to call Susan right away and have her come to the hospital, and Jennifer reluctantly agreed.
About an hour later, Jennifer's hospital telephone rang. Jonathan leaned over and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Mr. Hart?"
"Hi Kelly".
"Hi. I called Susan, and her husband said she was out cold. He said she has been sleeping ever since the party this afternoon. I called Ally next, and her husband said the same thing, as did Sonya's husband. Natalie was the only one who answered, and she stated that she was fine, but that she wasn't surprised that Jennifer wasn't, quote-'by the way she was knocking back the margaritas'-end quote".
"Knocking back Margaritas? She said that?"
"Yes. She specifically stated that she watched Jennifer drink the margaritas all by herself and then she went inside Susan's house and made more and drank at least half of that jug as well".
"I can assure you, that didn't happen. My wife can't handle more than a couple glasses of something at a time, there's no way she could handle as much as Natalie is suggesting".
"It sounded like a lot to me too".
"Well, thank you for your help, Kelly. I'll be in touch".
They hung up.
He filled Jennifer in on what Kelly had told him.
"I did not drink that much, Jonathan. I can't drink that much in a week!"
"I know. I believe you".
He kissed the back of her hand.
"I promise you, you and I are going to get through this, together".
She nodded.
He could tell she believed him. He hoped that he wouldn't let her down.