Chapter 5
Teresa crossed the street slowly.
Victor stood.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
She ignored him.
Her eyes stayed on the recorder in my hand.
“Give me that.”
I laughed once.
“No.”
“It belongs to me.”
“It belonged to Dad.”
“Everything your father owned became part of the trust.”
“Apparently not everything.”
Her expression hardened.
Amy stepped beside me.
“Stay away from my family.”
Teresa looked at her.
“This started because of you.”
“No,” Amy said. “This started because Ryan finally stopped being afraid of you.”
Teresa’s face twisted.
I had never seen anyone hate another person so openly.
“You think you won?”
Amy didn’t move.
“You’re standing in the street begging for a recorder. You tell me.”
Teresa lunged.
Victor blocked her.
“Stop!”
She shoved him.
He stumbled backward.
I immediately pulled out my phone and called our attorney.
Teresa saw me.
“Who are you calling?”
“Someone who will enjoy hearing Dad’s recording.”
Her anger disappeared.
“Ryan.”
It was the first time she sounded like my mother again.
Soft.
Almost frightened.
“Don’t do this.”
“Why?”
“You don’t know what happened.”
“Then explain it.”
“Your father was sick.”
“He said someone was taking his medication.”
“He was paranoid.”
“Dr. Cross said he was mentally incompetent without ever meeting him.”
She froze.
That told me everything.
“You knew.”
Teresa took a step backward.
“I knew nothing.”
“The doctor was yours.”
“So?”
“Victor admitted signing false documents.”
She looked at Victor.
His face collapsed.
“You idiot.”
That was the wrong thing to say.
Victor straightened.
“You told me nobody would ever find out.”
“Shut up.”
“You said Thomas was dying anyway.”
“Victor!”
Amy grabbed my arm.
“Ryan, record this.”
I already was.
Victor pointed at Teresa.
“You told me the missing medication didn’t matter.”
Teresa rushed toward him.
I stepped between them.
“Enough.”
Sirens sounded in the distance.
Teresa looked around.
“You called police?”
“I called them before we arrived.”
Her eyes widened.
She ran toward her car.
The police intercepted her before she reached it.
This time, she didn’t fight.
She smiled.
“You have a family argument,” she told the officer. “Nothing more.”
The officer looked at me.
I held up the recorder.
“We may have evidence related to my father’s death.”
Teresa’s smile vanished.
Everything changed after that.
Detectives arrived.
The property became part of an investigation.
Victor gave a statement.
I gave them the recorder.
Our attorney submitted the original trust amendment.
Harold Benson provided copies of his filing records.
By evening, Dr. Cross had been contacted.
At nine, a detective called.
“Mr. Carter, Dr. Cross admitted he signed the competency statement.”
“Why?”
“He says Teresa paid him.”
Amy sat beside me on the hotel bed.
“How much?”
“Fifteen thousand dollars.”
I closed my eyes.
“Can you reopen Dad’s death investigation?”
“We already have.”
The detective paused.
“There’s another problem.”
“What?”
“We reviewed your father’s pharmacy history.”
My heart started racing.
“In the two months before his death, someone repeatedly requested early refills.”
“Teresa?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“What happened to the medication?”
“That’s what we’re trying to determine.”
After we hung up, Amy leaned against me.
For the first time in two days, she looked exhausted rather than angry.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“For what?”
“You’re learning terrible things about your mother.”
I shook my head.
“You were washing dishes with a sick baby because I spent years pretending Teresa wasn’t cruel.”
“You didn’t know this.”
“I knew enough.”
Amy took my hand.
“Then change what happens next.”
I kissed her forehead.
“I will.”
The next morning, my phone rang at 5:12.
Detective Harris.
I answered immediately.
“We found something.”
“What?”
“Your father had a second autopsy request prepared before his death.”
I sat up.
“Why?”
“He apparently suspected he was being poisoned.”
Amy woke beside me.
I could barely breathe.
“Poisoned with what?”
“We don’t know.”
The detective paused.
“But the request was canceled the morning after he died.”
“Who canceled it?”
There was silence.
May you like
Then Harris answered.
“Your mother.”
