Chapter 7 - Fourteen Nights
Anna placed the metal case on the dresser.
Dererick’s controlled expression finally fractured.
“Those files are private.”
“They’re recordings of me.”
“They’re marital property.”
“You filmed me without consent.”
“You consented to home security.”
“There was no security camera in our bedroom.”
Anna picked up the earliest drive.
Its label read:
E.H. — Trial 1.
E.H.
Evelyn Harper.
Her mother.
Anna’s hands began trembling.
The drives were not all recordings of Anna.
Some documented experiments conducted before Evelyn died.
Melissa spoke from the hallway.
“I never saw those.”
Dererick looked toward the door.
“Be quiet.”
“What did you do to Mom?”
“I said be quiet.”
Anna inserted the drive into the closed laptop on the dresser.
The screen illuminated, but she kept it angled away from the camera. She did not need to watch everything.
The first audio file was enough.
Evelyn’s voice sounded weak.
“Why am I so tired?”
Then Dererick answered.
“The new vitamins can do that.”
Anna’s knees nearly gave way.
The recording continued.
Evelyn asked why Melissa had not visited.
Dererick told her both daughters were busy.
He had isolated her.
Exactly as he later isolated Anna.
A second audio clip captured Dr. Vale discussing dosage.
“Not enough to be fatal,” Vale said. “Enough to establish confusion.”
Dererick replied, “And if she takes her regular medication on top of it?”
Vale remained silent for several seconds.
Then he said:
“That becomes unpredictable.”
Anna stopped the recording.
The bedroom felt freezing despite the closed windows.
“You tested the drug on my mother.”
Dererick’s voice was low.
“She was already taking multiple medications.”
“That is not an answer.”
“She was going to remove Melissa from the trust.”
Melissa gasped outside the door.
“What?”
Dererick realized he had spoken too quickly.
Anna turned toward the hallway.
“Melissa, did you know?”
“No.”
Dererick moved toward the black bag.
Anna blocked him.
He looked at her with open contempt now.
“You think your sister was innocent? She gave me your mother’s schedule. She signed the access forms.”
Melissa began sobbing.
“I thought you were helping with estate planning.”
Anna looked from the door to Dererick.
The conspiracy had layers.
Melissa helped create access.
Vale supplied drugs and false evaluations.
Dererick controlled the recordings and evidence.
But Evelyn’s death may not have been part of Melissa’s plan.
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That made Melissa a witness.
And Dererick knew it.
