Chapter 6 - The Cup
The coffee cup was ceramic.
White.
LAURA printed across it in blue.
Margaret reached for it.
Detective Harris stopped her.
“Don’t touch.”
Why had the cup remained there?
Because no one cleaned the garage after Robert died.
Margaret could not bear to.
Laura had urged her to throw everything away.
Margaret refused.
Now the untouched garage had become evidence.
The next morning, Harris called.
“Claire?”
“Yes.”
“Preliminary swab on the cup found residue consistent with the same medication in the bottle.”
My stomach tightened.
“Can that prove anything?”
“No. Not yet.”
He was careful.
Good detectives are.
“Did you tell Margaret?”
“I’m calling her next.”
Then he said:
“Do you know why Robert chose Lakeside?”
“I thought because Charlie knew me.”
“There may be another reason.”
“What?”
“Robert made a donation to the shelter three months ago.”
I knew.
Five thousand dollars.
Anonymous.
Or I thought anonymous.
“He specifically requested the money be used for senior animals.”
Harris continued.
“He also added Lakeside as a secondary beneficiary on a small life-insurance policy.”
I sat down.
“What?”
“Fifty thousand dollars.”
“I had no idea.”
“Neither did your director.”
Why would Robert do that?
Harris had found a handwritten memo with the insurance amendment.
If Margaret cannot keep Charlie, Lakeside will.
Not Laura.
That line again.
Not Laura.
I drove to the shelter.
Charlie was back in his kennel after police finished at the house.
He had finally eaten.
A little.
At noon, Laura arrived.
She was furious.
“You took my mother into that house after midnight?”
“You called police.”
“We found evidence.”
Then recovered.
“What evidence?”
“I can’t discuss that.”
“Correct.”
“Stay in your lane.”
Charlie began growling.
Laura looked at him.
I said nothing.
She leaned closer.
“Robert filled my mother’s head with paranoid nonsense before he died.”
I stared.
“How do you know he thought someone was after him?”
May you like
Laura froze.
I had not told her about the recording.
