Chapter 9: The Morning It Came Apart
Two officers arrived at the house at half past eleven.
Daniel had called Paul first, who had taken Lily to the backyard with a book and strict instructions not to come inside until he said so.
When the patrol car pulled up, Nora was in the kitchen making coffee as though it were an ordinary Saturday.
She heard the knock.
She opened the door herself.
She saw the officers.
She saw Daniel standing behind them on the porch.
Her face did the calculation in under a second.
"Mrs.
Marsh?" the first officer said.
"We'd like to ask you a few questions."
"I'd like to call my attorney," Nora said.
"You're welcome to do that.
We'd also like you to come with us to the station."
"Am I being arrested?"
"We're asking you to come voluntarily at this stage."
Nora looked at Daniel over the officer's shoulder.
Her voice was very controlled.
"You did this."
"You did this," Daniel said.
"I just made sure it didn't get buried."
She held his gaze for three full seconds.
Then she turned back to the officers.
"Let me get my coat," she said.
She went to the hallway closet.
Both officers watched her.
She put on her coat, picked up her bag from the hook by the door, and walked out of the house without looking at Daniel again.
The patrol car pulled away.
Daniel stood on the porch until it turned the corner.
Paul appeared at the side of the house with Lily on his hip.
"She's gone?"
"She's gone."
Lily looked at the empty driveway.
"Where did the police take her?"
"To answer some questions."
"Because of the bottle?"
Daniel looked at his daughter.
"Yes.
Because of the bottle."
Lily was quiet for a moment.
Then she said, "I should have told you sooner.
About the coffee."
Daniel took her from Paul's arms and held her.
"You told me exactly when you needed to.
You were very brave."
"I was scared."
"I know." He pressed his cheek against the top of her head.
"Me too."
---
Raymond Goss called at two in the afternoon.
Daniel let it go to voicemail.
Goss left a message that was professionally worded and said nothing of substance, which told Daniel that Nora had already told him about the lab result and the bank transfer records.
Marcus Hale called at three.
Daniel didn't listen to that voicemail at all.
At four, a detective named Sonia Reeves called and asked Daniel to come in the following morning to provide a formal statement.
She told him to bring the original bottles, the printed bank records, and the name and contact information of the lab contact Paul had used.
"Is Karen Soll's statement something you need?" Daniel asked.
A pause.
"You have a witness?"
"I have someone who can speak to prior intent and the sourcing of the compound."
"Yes," Detective Reeves said.
"We'll need her statement."
Daniel called Karen after he hung up.
She answered on the first ring.
"They'll want to talk to you," he said.
"I know," Karen said.
"I've been waiting for you to call.
I'll go in tomorrow."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me.
I should have done this a long time ago."
Daniel ended the call and sat down at the kitchen table.
The marble floor had been cleaned.
The broken cup had been thrown away.
The cabinet under the sink was empty where the bottles had been.
May you like
The room looked almost normal.
Almost.
