Part 6
The sound of Marlene’s screeching echoed from the living room as the officers forcibly removed the silver chain from around her neck.
"You have no right!" she shrieked, her voice dropping its dignified facade and turning into something feral and ugly. "That is personal property! This is harassment! Jack will have your jobs for this!"
"We have probable cause and a signed emergency consent form from the homeowner, Ms. Vance," Detective Miller called back calmly, holding up the small brass key.
I stood in the doorway of the guest room as Detective Miller knelt down in front of the heavy wooden vanity. The room smelled faintly of lavender and old dust, a deceptive scent of grandmotherly comfort. Miller inserted the key into the bottom drawer. It turned with a heavy, metallic click.
The drawer slid open. Inside, neatly arranged, were old photographs of Jack’s father, a stack of legal documents, and a small, velvet-lined jewelry box.
Miller opened the jewelry box. It didn't contain rings or necklaces.
Inside were three amber glass prescription bottles, their labels partially torn, but the bold black lettering was still entirely legible: DIGOXIN - 0.25 MG. Next to the bottles lay a small, professional-grade mortar and pestle, its white porcelain surface stained with a fine, chalky white residue.
"We have a match," Detective Miller said, her voice grimly satisfied. She looked up at the forensic technician. "Bag all of this. Use the field kit to test the residue on that pestle immediately."
The technician knelt down, performing a quick chemical swipe. Within ninety seconds, the testing strip turned a deep, unmistakable shade of blue.
"Positive for highly concentrated Digoxin," the technician confirmed. "There's enough crushed residue here to stop an adult elephant's heart."
Detective Miller stood up, her face a mask of absolute steel. She walked back into the living room where Marlene was still sitting, her chest heaving, her eyes darting toward the front door as if calculating her chances of escape.
"Marlene Vance," Detective Miller announced, pulling a pair of heavy steel handcuffs from her belt. "You are under arrest for the attempted murder of Eva Vance, first-degree child endangerment, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to administer poison. You have the right to remain silent..."
As the officer pulled Marlene to her feet and clicked the cuffs into place around her wrinkled wrists, Marlene didn't look defeated. She looked at me, her mouth twisting into a sickening, twisted grin.
"You think you've won, Elena?" she hissed, leaning close as the officers guided her toward the front door. "You think you're saving her? You don't even know half of it. You don't know what that little brat saw. You think I did this for fun? She was going to ruin everything."
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"Get her out of here," I whispered, my body shaking so hard I had to lean against the wall to keep from collapsing.
As the police cruisers pulled away, their sirens fading into the distance, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from Jack: Eva is waking up. Come back now. She’s asking for you.
