Chapter 7 - Rebecca Was Waiting for Something Else
Police arrived.
Rebecca immediately asked for an attorney.
Stephen Cole stopped answering his phone.
Richard gave detectives the video, flash drive, and documents.
No one made accusations beyond the evidence.
But the pattern was impossible to ignore.
Laura had suspected medication tampering.
Stephen discussed destroying a toxicology report.
Rebecca admitted on video that Laura never proved she was involved.
And Rebecca had financial connections to Stephen’s family.
Then a detective found something else.
Richard had recently increased his own life insurance.
Rebecca had encouraged it.
He remembered the conversation.
You have Ethan to think about.
It had sounded responsible.
Now every memory felt contaminated.
The detective asked Richard whether he had experienced unexplained
health problems.
He almost said no.
Then Denise spoke.
“The headaches.”
Richard looked at her.
For six months, he had suffered headaches and nausea.
His doctor blamed stress.
Rebecca often brought him supplements.
“Vitamins,” she called them.
The detective collected the bottles.
Rebecca overheard.
Her expression changed.
Richard saw it.
He did not need to shout.
“Were you doing something to me?”
Her attorney stepped between them.
Rebecca said nothing.
Ethan watched from the staircase.
Richard immediately moved so his son could not see her.
But Ethan had already seen enough.
He whispered:
May you like
“Daddy, she put something in your coffee.”
The entire foyer went silent.
