Chapter 5 - THE BLOOD TEST
The hospital confirmed it before sunrise.
Leo had been given nearly four times his prescribed sedative dose.
The amount was not immediately fatal.
But combined with smoke inhalation, immobility, and prolonged exposure to heat, it could have killed him.
Dr. Rachel Monroe stood beside Leo’s bed.
“Could he have taken them himself?”
Detective Daniel Reeves asked.
“No.”
Clara answered first.
Everyone looked at her.
“The medication is stored in a locked cabinet.”
“Who has the key?”
“His medical aide.”
“Anyone else?”
Clara hesitated.
“Eleanor.”
Detective Reeves wrote it down.
Leo was sleeping.
His breathing had stabilized.
Clara had minor burns on one arm and a bandage around her palm.
She refused admission.
“I’m staying.”
Nobody argued.
At 6:20 a.m., Richard Sterling arrived from Chicago.
Seventy-two.
Tall.
Silver-haired.
Still wearing the suit from the plane.
He entered Leo’s room without acknowledging Clara.
Then he stopped beside the bed.
Something cracked across his face.
Not tears.
Not yet.
But guilt.
“My grandson.”
Leo remained asleep.
Richard turned.
“What happened?”
Clara looked directly at him.
“Your family left him inside.”
Richard’s face hardened.
“Be careful.”
“I was careful for ten years.”
“Clara.”
“I watched everyone ignore him.”
“I documented missed therapy.”
“Skipped appointments.”
“Medication errors.”
“Meals he ate alone.”
“I stayed quiet because I thought neglect was the worst thing happening here.”
Richard stared at her.
“I was wrong.”
Eleanor entered with Crowe.
“That is enough.”
Richard turned toward his daughter.
“Is it true?”
“Of course not.”
Eleanor looked offended.
“The fire caused confusion.”
“Leo was found restrained.”
“That belt was part of his positioning equipment.”
Clara shook her head.
“No, it wasn’t.”
Crowe stepped forward.
“We should allow investigators to determine facts instead of permitting an employee to exploit a family tragedy.”
Richard looked at Clara.
“Exploit?”
Crowe continued.
“Ms. Hayes has developed an inappropriate attachment to the boy.”
Clara laughed once.
“Someone needed one.”
Eleanor’s face went white with anger.
Before she could respond, Detective Reeves entered.
He held a plastic evidence bag.
Inside was the leather strap Clara had removed.
“We found this in the nursery.”
Crowe nodded calmly.
“As I said, positioning equipment.”
Reeves looked at him.
“There’s a problem.”
“What?”
“The buckle contains partial fingerprints.”
Eleanor’s expression changed.
Reeves continued.
“We’ll know whose by this afternoon.”
Then another officer entered.
He whispered something into the detective’s ear.
Reeves turned toward Richard.
“Mr. Sterling, the fire marshal believes the blaze was deliberately set.”
Richard slowly looked toward his daughter.
Eleanor said nothing.
May you like
The detective continued.
“And the first ignition point appears to have been directly below the room where Leo was locked.”
