Chapter 4
Back at the suburban residence, forensic investigators from the state crime lab dusted every surface of the kitchen. Special agents in blue hazmat suits carefully lifted fingerprints from the glass cups and the small US flag stand.
Eleanor sat handcuffed in the back of a parked patrol cruiser, staring blankly out the window at her ruined manicured lawn. The neighborhood was completely deserted, shuttered behind drawn curtains as news vans began arriving at the street corner.
Detective Miller walked up to the cruiser, opening the door and sliding a heavy manila folder across the seat. "Your fingerprints match the residue found on the poison vial recovered from the garage tool shed, Eleanor," Miller stated flatly.
"Circumstantial nonsense; any guest could have touched that old bottle in the garage," Eleanor lied with desperate defiance. Detective Miller tapped a finger against the clear plastic evidence bag containing the small USB audio recorder.
"This tiny device captured your entire conversation with your co-conspirator discussing the exact dosage schedule," Miller revealed. Eleanor’s breath hitched in her throat, her chest heaving as the absolute finality of her trap closed in.
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"I want immunity; I didn't act alone in this scheme," Eleanor blurted out in a panic. "You can negotiate your cooperation terms with the federal judge after you are booked into the county detention center," Miller dismissed her.
The officers slammed the cruiser door shut, revving the engine as they prepared to transport her downtown. The flashing lights painted the darkening evening sky in sharp strokes of crimson and cobalt blue.
