Chapter 5 - The Medical Mystery
Detective Harris met us in a quiet corner of the hospital library, away from the bustling hallways and security cameras. He was a gruff, middle-aged man with tired eyes and a no-nonsense attitude.
Michael laid out the evidence: the security footage from the doorbell camera, the forged trust document, and the financial records showing Julian’s impending bankruptcy.
Harris looked at the documents, his expression growing grimmer with every passing second. He watched the video of Kara entering the house on loop, his thumb tracing his jawline.
"This is strong, Emily," Harris said, leaning back in his chair. "The video shows her entering the house, and the trust gives her a clear motive. But there's a problem."
"What problem?" I asked.
"The poison," Harris explained. "Oleandrin is rare. It’s not something you can just buy at a local pharmacy or hardware store. We searched your sister's house and Julian's office yesterday under a quiet warrant. We found nothing. No plants, no chemicals, no online search history on their personal devices."
"They must have bought it somewhere," Michael said. "Or they had help."
"If we arrest them now," Harris said, "their lawyer will claim the video just shows a daughter visiting her parents. Without the physical link to the poison, a jury might not convict. We need to find out where they got the chemical."
I stood up, walking over to the window that looked out over the hospital courtyard. My mind raced. How would Julian, a city-dwelling real estate broker, get his hands on a rare cardiac poison?
Suddenly, I remembered something.
Two years ago, Julian’s real estate firm had purchased an old, abandoned estate in the countryside—a historic property they planned to renovate and turn into a luxury boutique hotel. The project had fallen through due to zoning issues, but Julian still held the keys to the property.
"The Oakridge Estate," I whispered, turning back to Harris. "It’s an old Victorian property Julian owns in the valley. The original owner was a botanist. He had a massive greenhouse."
Harris’s eyes lit up. "A greenhouse. We’ll get a warrant for the property immediately."
"Wait," I said, a dangerous plan forming in my mind. "If you go there with sirens, they'll know we’re onto them. They’ll destroy whatever is left. Let me bait them. Let me make them go there to clean up their own mess."
"How?" Michael asked, looking at me with concern.
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"I’ll tell Kara that the forensic team is planning to search all of Julian’s commercial properties on Monday," I said. "I’ll pretend I heard it from a contact at the police department. If there’s anything left of the poison at the estate, they will rush there tonight to get rid of it."
Harris stared at me for a long moment, a slow, appreciative smile spreading across his face. "You’ve got a sharp mind, kid. Okay. We’ll set up surveillance at the Oakridge Estate. The second they step foot on that property to destroy evidence, we move in."
