Chapter 6 - The Last Person Victor Suspected
Victor stared at the toxicology report.
"Twice?"
Dr. Parker nodded.
"The second dose was administered approximately three hours after admission."
"Who had access?"
"Several people."
Victor looked through the glass toward Lily.
She was playing cards with Sam.
The sight should have reassured him.
Instead, Victor felt another wave of fear.
Someone inside the hospital had helped Isabelle.
Someone close enough to touch Lily.
Daniel entered.
"We reviewed badge records."
Victor turned.
"And?"
"One physician entered Lily's room during the relevant window."
"Name."
Daniel hesitated.
Victor noticed immediately.
"Who?"
"Dr. Thomas Reid."
Victor stared at him.
Thomas Reid was not a stranger.
He had been Victor's family physician for eighteen years.
He had treated Victor's late parents.
He had treated Lily since infancy.
Victor trusted him.
That made the betrayal almost impossible to accept.
"Where is he?"
"His office."
Victor walked out.
Daniel followed.
Dr. Reid sat behind his desk when Victor entered.
He looked exhausted.
Victor closed the door.
"Thomas."
The doctor looked up.
"Victor."
"Did you give Lily the second dose?"
Silence.
Victor's heart sank.
"Answer me."
Reid removed his glasses.
His hands shook.
"Yes."
Victor stepped forward.
Daniel remained near the door.
"Why?"
Reid looked down.
"They threatened my daughter."
Victor froze.
"What?"
"Richard knew she had gambling debts."
Victor stared at him.
"He paid them."
Reid nodded.
"Then he threatened to expose her. Destroy her career."
"So you helped kill Lily?"
"No."
Reid looked up desperately.
"I was told the dosage would only extend the state she was already in."
"You signed nothing."
"I couldn't."
"Yet you let others declare her dead."
Reid covered his face.
"I was terrified."
Victor's voice sharpened.
"So was Lily."
Reid broke.
"I know."
Victor wanted to strike him.
Instead, he stepped back.
"Police are outside."
Reid nodded slowly.
"I expected that."
Victor turned to leave.
"Victor."
He stopped.
Reid whispered, "There's one thing you don't know."
Victor looked back.
"What?"
"Richard didn't choose Lily first."
Victor's expression changed.
"What does that mean?"
Reid swallowed.
"The original target was you."
Victor went still.
"He planned to kill you?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"Medication."
Victor thought back.
Months of headaches.
Fatigue.
Occasional dizziness.
He had blamed stress.
Reid continued.
"Small doses over time."
Victor stared at him.
"You prescribed them."
Reid nodded.
Victor's stomach turned.
"How long?"
"Seven months."
Daniel looked alarmed.
Victor asked, "What were they supposed to do?"
"Weaken your heart."
Victor touched the edge of the desk.
Not because he was collapsing.
Because the room suddenly felt unstable.
"Why change the plan?"
Reid looked toward the hallway.
"Lily."
"What about her?"
"Richard learned the trust would not automatically pass to Isabelle if you died while Lily was alive."
Victor understood.
"They needed her gone first."
"Yes."
Victor closed his eyes.
His daughter had nearly been buried alive because his brother wanted control of a company.
A company Victor would have gladly sold every piece of to save her.
He opened his eyes.
"Is there permanent damage from what you gave me?"
Reid shook his head.
"Probably not. Stop the medication and get cardiac testing."
Victor nodded.
Then he walked out.
Police arrested Reid.
Victor returned to Lily.
She looked up.
"You look tired."
Victor smiled faintly.
"I am."
Lily shuffled the cards.
"Sam cheats."
"I do not," Sam protested.
"You looked at my cards."
"They were facing me."
Victor almost laughed.
Then he noticed Lily's expression change.
"Daddy?"
"Yeah?"
"What's going to happen to Sam?"
The room became quiet.
Sam stopped moving.
Victor looked at him.
The boy had no parents.
No stable home.
No one waiting.
Victor had spent days thinking about how Sam saved Lily.
But he had avoided thinking about what came next.
Sam stared at the floor.
"They'll probably send me somewhere."
Lily frowned.
"Where?"
"A foster place."
Lily looked at Victor.
"No."
Victor blinked.
"No?"
"He saved me."
"I know."
"So he should stay."
Sam looked embarrassed.
"Lily."
She ignored him.
"He can have the guest room."
Victor looked at Sam.
The boy's eyes immediately filled with hope.
Then he looked away as if ashamed to show it.
Victor sat down.
"Sam."
The boy looked up.
"Would you like to stay with us for a while?"
Sam didn't answer.
Victor waited.
Finally the boy whispered, "Really?"
"Really."
Sam swallowed hard.
"Just for a while?"
Victor smiled.
"We'll start there."
Lily grinned.
"See?"
Sam looked at her.
"You still cheat."
Lily threw a card at him.
Victor laughed.
It surprised him.
A real laugh.
The first in what felt like years.
Over the following weeks, the nightmare slowly loosened its grip.
Lily recovered.
Victor's cardiac tests showed no permanent damage.
The doctors implicated in the conspiracy lost their licenses and faced criminal charges.
Richard remained in jail awaiting trial.
Isabelle cooperated with prosecutors in exchange for consideration, but the evidence against her remained overwhelming.
Sam entered temporary guardianship under Victor's care.
At first, he barely touched anything in the guest room.
He asked permission before opening the refrigerator.
He hid extra bread inside his backpack.
Victor noticed but said nothing.
Then one night, Victor found Sam standing in the kitchen.
The boy looked guilty.
Victor saw two sandwiches wrapped in napkins.
"Going somewhere?"
Sam shook his head.
"No."
"Then why pack food?"
Sam stared at the floor.
"In case."
"In case what?"
"In case I have to leave."
Victor felt something break quietly inside him.
He crouched.
"Sam."
The boy looked up.
"You're not being thrown out."
"But you said for a while."
Victor nodded.
"I did."
Sam's face fell.
Victor continued.
"I've been talking to the court."
Sam stared at him.
"What court?"
"About making this permanent."
Sam stopped breathing.
Victor smiled.
"If you want."
The boy's eyes filled with tears.
"You mean..."
"Adoption."
Sam covered his mouth.
Victor put one hand on his shoulder.
"No pressure."
Sam launched himself forward.
Victor caught him.
The boy cried into his coat.
Victor closed his eyes.
Lily appeared in the doorway.
She smiled.
"I knew it."
Victor looked at her.
"You knew what?"
"That we're keeping him."
Sam laughed through tears.
For the first time since the cemetery, Victor felt something like peace.
But one final task remained.
The trial.
And Isabelle had requested to speak to Lily before sentencing.
Victor's answer was immediate.
No.
Then Lily surprised him.
"I want to see her."
Victor stared at his daughter.
"Why?"
May you like
Lily looked down.
"Because I want her to know she didn't win."
