CHAPTER 3 — The Hidden Diagnosis
CHAPTER 3 — The Hidden Diagnosis
Within twenty minutes, the mansion library had become an investigation room.
Security officers searched every hallway.
House staff stood silently against the walls.
Victoria remained seated, perfectly still.
Daniel stood across from her.
The little girl sat beside Detective Elena Ruiz, who had arrived after receiving an urgent anonymous phone call.
Daniel placed the silver spoon on the table.
"Explain it."
Victoria folded her hands.
"It proves nothing."
Detective Ruiz nodded.
"Perhaps."
She carefully sealed the spoon inside an evidence bag.
"But laboratory testing will."
Victoria's confidence cracked.
Daniel noticed the tiny tremor in her fingers.
Ruiz continued.
"Emma told us you always insisted on preparing Mr. Ashford's evening tea yourself."
Victoria forced a smile.
"I'm his wife."
Ruiz leaned forward.
"And yet every ophthalmologist who examined your husband diagnosed a mysterious degenerative eye disease."
Daniel looked down.
For almost a year...
His eyesight had faded.
Doctors blamed an extremely rare neurological condition.
He had trusted every diagnosis.
Ruiz opened a folder.
"Until yesterday."
Inside were new toxicology reports.
Daniel stared.
Mercury.
Repeated exposure.
Small doses.
Every day.
Enough to slowly damage vision.
Not enough to kill quickly.
He looked at Victoria.
"No..."
Her silence answered him.
Ruiz spoke quietly.
"We reexamined your blood after Mr. Harris anonymously contacted our department."
Daniel froze.
"So Harris knew?"
Ruiz nodded.
"He suspected someone was poisoning you."
"And he collected evidence."
Daniel's voice broke.
"Where is he?"
The detective lowered her eyes.
"We found his truck."
Everyone held their breath.
"It was abandoned near the river."
Emma started crying silently.
"He told me... if anything happened... I had to give you the spoon."
May you like
Daniel closed his eyes.
The room suddenly felt impossibly cold.
