Chapter 2 - THE NAME ON THE BOTTLEThe name on the bottle was Daniel Carter.
My husband's name.
My dead husband's name.
For a few seconds, I couldn't understand what I was seeing.
Daniel had been dead for four years.
I stared at Detective Miller.
“That’s impossible.”
“You recognize him?”
I nodded slowly.
“He was my husband.”
Miller’s eyes narrowed.
“You’re certain?”
“Yes.”
I took the bottle from his hand without touching it directly.
The label clearly read:
DANIEL CARTER.
Prescription: high-potency sedative.
Date filled: three days ago.
I shook my head.
“My husband has been dead since 2022.”
Miller didn't react.
“We verified that.”
“Then someone is using his name.”
“That's what we're trying to determine.”
I looked toward Caleb’s hospital room.
“How could anyone know about this?”
Miller closed the evidence bag.
“We're not sure.”
A nurse suddenly appeared.
“Mrs. Carter?”
I turned.
“Your son is stable for the moment.”
I nearly collapsed with relief.
“Can I see him?”
“In a few minutes.”
Miller stepped aside.
“There's another person we'd like to speak with.”
“Who?”
He pointed toward the waiting area.
Amber was sitting there.
Her arms were crossed.
Her expression was annoyed rather than frightened.
When she saw me, she stood.
“You're welcome,” she said.
I stared at her.
“For what?”
“For getting your son help.”
“You drugged him.”
“I already explained what happened.”
“You lied.”
Amber smiled.
“No one is going to believe you over me.”
Lily was sitting beside her mother.
The child wouldn't look at Amber.
That mattered.
I walked toward Lily.
“Sweetheart?”
Lily looked up.
Tears filled her eyes.
“My mommy told me not to say anything.”
Amber immediately stepped forward.
“She's confused.”
Miller blocked her.
“Let the child speak.”
Lily swallowed.
“Mommy put the white powder in Caleb's orange drink.”
Amber went pale.
“It wasn't powder.”
Lily whispered:
“She used two pills.”
I looked at Miller.
His expression remained unreadable.
“Where did you get them?” he asked.
Lily pointed toward Amber.
“Mommy had them in her purse.”
Amber shook her head.
“That isn't true.”
Lily started crying again.
“I saw you!”
Amber screamed:
“Enough!”
Every person in the waiting room turned.
Miller's voice hardened.
“Mrs. Carter, control yourself.”
Amber stared at him.
Then suddenly she laughed.
“You know what? Fine.”
She turned to me.
“He deserved a little scare.”
My fists clenched.
“A scare?”
“He embarrassed me.”
“For what?”
Amber didn't answer.
Miller stepped closer.
“What did Caleb do?”
“He told someone something.”
“What?”
Amber's face changed.
For the first time, she looked afraid.
Then she whispered:
“He shouldn't have seen it.”
My heart stopped.
“Seen what?”
Amber said nothing.
Miller asked again.
“What did Caleb see?”
Still nothing.
Then my phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
A text appeared.
STOP ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PARK.
Another message arrived.
YOUR SON WASN'T THE TARGET.
I stared at the screen.
My hands began shaking.
Miller noticed.
“Who sent that?”
“I don't know.”
He took a photo of the screen.
Then my phone buzzed again.
One final message appeared.
ASK AMBER WHAT HAPPENED FOUR YEARS AGO.
Four years.
The same year Daniel died.
I slowly looked at Amber.
She was staring at my phone.
May you like
And the expression on her face told me one thing.
She already knew exactly who had sent the message.
