Chapter 9 - THE MEDICATION MISSING FROM MY FATHER'S CABINET
My father took three prescriptions.
Blood pressure.
Cholesterol.
Heart rhythm.
Nothing exotic.
Nothing secret.
Margaret obtained his pharmacy records with proper authority.
Two weeks before his death, a fourth prescription appeared.
A sedative.
Dad’s cardiologist had not prescribed it.
The pharmacy record listed Dr. Samuel Pike.
A physician associated with Vale Harbor’s executive wellness program.
Claudia had approved that program.
My stomach tightened.
Then Julian found hotel records showing Dr. Pike met Claudia twice in the month before Dad died.
We still had no proof the medication caused anything.
Dad had genuine heart issues.
His death might still have been natural.
But the irregularities demanded investigation.
Then the flash drive Celeste brought changed the timeline.
It contained emails from Claudia.
One read:
Harrison intends to remove me after the audit.
Another:
MorganWell gives us leverage through Elise.
Then one sent the day before Dad died:
If H.V. signs nothing, succession solves the problem.
My blood turned cold.
No explicit murder instruction.
But enough to destroy the idea that Claudia was merely pushing a partnership.
Then I looked at Celeste.
“Why give me this?”
Her eyes filled.
“Because Claudia used my mother.”
I frowned.
“Explain.”
Celeste had grown up believing my father destroyed Caroline Bain.
That was the story Claudia told her.
She paid for Celeste’s education.
Helped her career.
Introduced her to Adrian years ago.
Then encouraged her to reconnect with him once he began dating me.
For years, Celeste believed she was helping punish the Vale family.
Then she found the old pension files.
Caroline had been involved in fraud.
But Claudia was too.
Possibly more deeply.
“My mother took the fall,” Celeste whispered.
I nodded.
“And Claudia turned you into revenge.”
Her eyes filled.
“Yes.”
That didn't erase the affair.
It didn't erase her choices.
But it explained why Claudia always seemed one step ahead.
Then Adrian said:
“Did Claudia tell you to sleep with me?”
Celeste looked at him.
“No.”
Silence.
“I did that myself.”
For the first time, someone in this nightmare refused to hide behind manipulation.
It mattered.
Adrian closed his eyes.
Then Celeste continued.
“But she encouraged me to stay close once it started.”
I looked toward my husband.
He looked destroyed.
I wasn't ready to care.
Then Margaret called.
Police investigators had reviewed Dad’s home security archive.
On the afternoon he died, Claudia Vance entered our family residence.
She stayed forty-one minutes.
May you like
Dad collapsed two hours later.
And she never disclosed the visit.
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