Chapter 11 - The Poisoned Master
The emergency room at St. Jude’s Memorial was chaotic, smelling of sterile disinfectant and rain-soaked coats. Julian was asleep on a gurney in the pediatric ward, hooked up to an IV for mild hypothermia, his small hand still tightly holding Sarah’s apron.
Sarah sat on a plastic chair beside him, a white bandage taped across her forehead where Marcus had struck her. She refused to leave the boy’s side, even as detectives waited in the hallway to take her formal statement.
The heavy swinging doors burst open, and a doctor in scrubs hurried over. It was Dr. Henderson, the Vance family’s longtime physician.
""Sarah,"" Dr. Henderson said gravely, his eyes lined with exhaustion. ""Thank God you reached the boy in time.""
""How is Mr. Vance?"" Sarah asked, standing up carefully to avoid waking Julian. ""Mrs. Higgins said Marcus gave him something.""
Dr. Henderson nodded grimly, leading her a few steps away into the corridor. ""Digoxin. A powerful cardiac glycoside. In large doses, it mimics a massive heart attack. It was mixed into his evening brandy. If Mrs. Higgins hadn't called the emergency line right after you left, Arthur would have been dead before midnight.""
""Is he going to survive?""
""We pumped his stomach and administered the antidote. He’s stabilized in the ICU, but he's weak. He’s asking for you and Julian.""
Sarah felt a complex knot of emotions tighten in her throat. Arthur had been blind to Eleanor’s true nature, but he was still Julian’s father, and Julian loved him.
""What about Eleanor?"" Sarah asked.
""She’s in the custody ward downstairs,"" a gruff voice interrupted. Detective Martinez stepped forward, holding a legal pad. ""She’s not talking. Demanding her lawyers. And unfortunately, Miss Cole, we have a massive evidentiary problem.""
Sarah’s heart sank. ""The flash drive.""
Martinez sighed, adjusting his badge. ""The drive is at the bottom of Lake Blackwood. The divers won't be able to search until the storm clears tomorrow afternoon, and even then, lake silt can destroy flash storage within hours. Without the video footage proving Eleanor tampered with the will and pushed Julian, her high-priced defense team will claim she was trying to protect the boy from an unstable maid.""
""What about Marcus Thorne?"" Sarah countered. ""He tried to shoot me! Julian witnessed it!""
""Marcus’s body was recovered by the shore patrol twenty minutes ago,"" Martinez said flatly. ""Drowned. His weapon was lost in the lake. It's your word against Eleanor Vance's, and she has eighty million dollars of Arthur’s money to fight it.""
Sarah stared at the detective in disbelief. After everything they had endured, was that monster really going to walk free on bail?
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Suddenly, little Julian stirred on the hospital bed, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He looked up at Sarah and pointed to his navy school blazer, which had been folded neatly on the bedside table.
""Sarah,"" Julian whispered, his small voice clear in the quiet room. ""The magic card is still in my pocket.""
