Chapter 5 - The Sedative Trail
Daniel felt a cold sweat break out across his neck. "Why didn't you call me, Nora?"
"I tried," Nora said, tears finally welling in her eyes. "But the house Wi-Fi was restricted last month. Elise blocked my outgoing calls to international numbers. She told me it was a system upgrade, but my phone wouldn't connect to the cellular network unless I walked to the end of the driveway. And whenever I tried to leave the property, Elise’s driver, Marcus, was always there to 'offer me a ride.'"
"She was keeping you prisoner," Daniel said, the realization hitting him like a physical blow.
"She was keeping us quiet," Margaret said, her hand reaching out to grip Daniel’s wrist. Her fingers were cold, but her grip was surprisingly strong. "Daniel, I’m not losing my mind. I knew the medicine was making me sleepy. I knew it was making me forget where I put my keys. So I stopped taking it. I’ve been hiding the pills under the rug in the blue sitting room."
"The camera," Daniel whispered, the pieces of the puzzle suddenly falling into place. "The camera in the sitting room wasn't to watch you fall. It was to make sure you were swallowing the pills."
"Yes," Margaret nodded. "She saw me spit them out on Tuesday. That’s why she was so angry today. She knew I was clearing my head. She knew I was going to tell you the truth when you came home."
Daniel stood up, his mind racing. He had spent his entire adult life protecting his family’s wealth, but he had left the most precious part of it completely unprotected in the hands of a sociopath.
"Nora," Daniel said, his voice hard as iron. "Pack my mother’s bags. We are leaving this house tonight."
"And go where, Daniel?"
May you like
Elise’s voice cut through the room. She stood in the doorway of the suite, a glass of red wine in her hand. Her expression was completely calm, almost amused.
"The security cameras in this house are fully integrated, Daniel," Elise said, taking a slow sip of her wine. "And I have power of attorney over your mother’s estate. I had her sign the declaration of cognitive incompetence three weeks ago. Dr. Sterling’s evaluation is fully certified. If you try to remove her from this house, it will be considered medical kidnapping."
