Chapter 2 - THE SECOND INJECTOR
I did not answer his question.
Collins held up one finger.
Stay calm.
"Why?" I asked.
Michael paused.
"Why what?"
"Why are you asking about the second injector?"
"Because you always carry two."
I kept one in the outer pocket and one in an inside zipper compartment.
I had never told Michael which was which.
Collins wrote something on a notepad.
"Where are you?" I asked.
"At home."
"Stay there."
"Daniel, what is going on?"
"Stay there."
Collins immediately sent officers to my house.
Then she asked me to walk through the luncheon from the beginning.
Lily wore a pale blue dress and her medical bracelet.
I personally spoke with the chef.
Peanut-free dessert.
At 12:40, Evelyn insisted Lily sit beside her for the children's scholarship presentation.
At 12:52, I took off my jacket and placed it over the back of my chair.
At 12:57, dessert arrived.
At 12:58, Lily took one bite.
"Dad, my tongue feels weird."
Then her face started swelling.
Evelyn was already telling people I had forgotten Lily's medication.
Collins said:
"Did she know where you kept the injectors?"
"Everyone close to us knew I carried them."
"Michael?"
"Yes."
"Did Evelyn?"
"Yes."
"Who knew about the trust?"
"Family."
"Define family."
"Me. Evelyn. Michael. My attorney. Anna's attorney."
"Anyone else?"
"Possibly Evelyn's accountant."
Collins asked:
"Why does the trust matter so much?"
Anna had inherited money from her grandfather.
When she died from an aneurysm two years earlier, almost three million dollars went into a protected trust for Lily.
I was trustee.
If I became unable to serve, an independent corporate trustee was supposed to take over.
Not Evelyn.
Not Michael.
Collins slid the petition toward me.
"Then why does this filing appoint Evelyn?"
There was an amendment attached.
Dated eleven months earlier.
It claimed Anna had wanted Evelyn as successor trustee.
"That's not real."
"You're sure?"
"Anna hated mixing family with money."
Then Collins pointed to the notarization.
Michael had signed as a witness.
May you like
My brother had not only supported the custody petition.
He had helped manufacture a new version of my dead wife's wishes.
