Chapter 8 - The Breaking Point
Marlene’s face twisted into an expression of raw, ugly desperation. She lunged forward, not toward Clara, but straight at me, reaching for the notebook in my hand.
I dodged to the side, grabbing her wrist and twisting it upward. The silver injector flew from her grip, clattering across the hardwood floor. Marlene screamed in rage, clawing at my face with her manicured nails.
"You ruined everything!" she shrieked, fighting with a terrifying strength born of pure hysteria.
I restrained her arms, pinning her against the wall just as the front door burst open.
"Police! Nobody move!"
Detective Marcus Miller and three armed officers swarmed into the hallway, guns drawn. Behind them stood Dr. Reed, holding a printed medical report.
"Drop her, Ethan! We've got her!" Marcus ordered.
I released Marlene, stepping back with my hands up. Marlene fell to her knees, panting heavily, her silver hair completely disheveled, looking like a shattered mirror of her former self.
"He's lying!" Marlene shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at me. "He attacked me! He poisoned my daughter! Look at him!"
Dr. Reed stepped forward, holding the paperwork out to Detective Miller. "Detective, the blood test results from St. Jude Memorial just came back. Sarah Hayes has lethal levels of Digoxin in her blood stream. And we found traces of the exact same chemical in Mrs. Whitaker's private purse and her personal vehicle."
Detective Miller looked at the printout, then at Marlene. "Marlene Whitaker, you are under arrest for attempted murder, child endangerment, and illegal administration of a controlled substance."
As the officers pulled Marlene to her feet and slapped heavy steel handcuffs onto her wrists, I didn't waste another second. I sprinted up the stairs, my heart in my throat.
"Lily! Lily!" I yelled, throwing her bedroom door open.
Lily was lying on her bed, her breathing slow and heavy. I rushed to her side, pulling her into my arms. "Lily, sweetie, wake up!"
Her eyes fluttered open slowly, heavy with sleep. "Dad...?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "My head feels funny..."
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"It's okay, baby. It's over. You're safe," I sobbed, wrapping my arms around her as tears of pure relief streamed down my face. Marlene had only given her a mild sleeping aid to keep her quiet, not enough to harm her permanently.
Downstairs, the sound of Marlene screaming curses was cut short as the police led her away into the night.
