Chapter 2

I didn't go home.

Instead, I took the lab report straight to the police station and laid out everything for the officers.

They told me they needed to run their own forensic tests to confirm the findings and warned me not to tip Leon off in the meantime.

But I couldn't stop worrying about Phoebe. The moment I left the station, I rushed back to her house.

"Grandma, don't take any of the other pills in the house for the next couple of days. Only take the ones from the bottle I bought you earlier. Don't touch anything anyone else gives you."

Phoebe looked at me, slightly confused. "Elsie, what's going on?"

"I saw on the news that there's a batch of counterfeit medicine going around. The bottle I got you is from a licensed chain pharmacy, so it's the safest bet. Just stick to that one."

She nodded. "Alright. Whatever you say."

I thought about taking her to stay at my place or with my best friend, Willow Francis, for a few days.

But Phoebe's legs were bad. She twisted her knee just last week and could barely manage a few steps, let alone a sudden move. Besides, if I abruptly moved her, Leon would definitely get suspicious.

All I could do was wait for the police lab results and for them to officially step in. It shouldn't take long.

That night, I stayed at Willow's place. I texted Leon, telling him I had to go on an unexpected business trip.

He replied with a quick, "Okay, stay safe", followed by a kissing emoji.

As I stared at the screen, my stomach churned.

The next morning at 10:00 am, I received a call from the police.

"Ms. Spencer, the forensic results are back. We've confirmed the medicine has been tampered with and have officially opened a criminal case."

I let out a massive breath of relief.

"We'll be coordinating our next steps shortly. Until then, please act as normally as possible and do not—"

Before the officer could finish, a call-waiting tone cut in. It was Leon.

His voice was frantic and breathless. "Where are you? Get to the hospital right now! Something happened to Grandma!"

I froze completely.

"What?"

"Grandma was found collapsed in her living room this morning. By the time they brought her in… she was already gone."

That was impossible.

I gave her the untampered meds yesterday. She was getting better. I even explicitly told her to only take pills from the bottle I bought.

How could she…

"Who went to check on her this morning?" My voice was trembling.

"My mom went over early to drop off breakfast. The second she walked in, she found Grandma on the floor."

My head started spinning.

My mother-in-law, Sophie Pearce, went.

But Phoebe was already dead by the time Sophie got there. Logically, she wouldn't have had the time to do anything to her.

And the only meds on Phoebe's coffee table were the new ones I bought. That bottle came from a legitimate pharmacy. There was nothing wrong with it.

Could Phoebe really have died of natural causes?

By the time I rushed to the hospital, a crowd had already gathered outside the emergency room.

Sophie was slumped in a chair, sobbing hysterically, while Leon paced back and forth down the hallway.

The moment he saw me, he lunged forward and grabbed my arm. "Grandma's gone! She was already dead when Mom got there!"

My legs gave out, and I slid against the wall for support.

I had tried so hard to protect her. I explicitly warned her to only take the medicine I gave her. How come she still died?

Just then, the doctor stepped out of the operating room. "Family of the patient? Initial signs point to sudden cardiac arrest from a heart attack.

"However, given her age and prescription history, we strongly advise a formal toxicology screening. We've already notified the authorities as per standard protocol."

Sophie snapped her head up, her eyes locking onto me. "It was you."

Her voice was sharp, dripping with absolute certainty.

"You went to give Mom her medicine yesterday! You're the one who poisoned her!"