Chapter 2 - Detective Ruiz Questions Preston About The Amber Bottle
The small hospital room fell into a suffocating, heavy silence as Detective Ruiz turned her sharp eyes toward Preston.
Four-year-old Poppy’s words hung in the air like a physical weight, shattering the carefully constructed deception her father had just built.
Preston’s face tightened into a rigid mask, his jaw clenching so hard a muscle twitched violently along his cheekbone.
Detective Ruiz stepped away from the doorway, her notebook poised and her professional demeanor instantly shifting into razor-sharp focus.
“Mr. Marchetti, did your daughter just say you took a little bottle from the kitchen counter?” Ruiz asked quietly.
Preston offered a thin, forced smile, attempting to laugh off the accusation with a manufactured air of paternal indulgence.
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“Children have incredible imaginations, Detective; Poppy watches too many cartoons and often confuses reality with her little games,” Preston replied smoothly.
Madeline watched her husband closely, noticing how his left hand remained clamped rigidly over his jacket pocket.
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