Chapter 2 - The Interrogation RoomThe flashing red and blue lights of the ambulance painted grotesque, pulsing patterns across the soaring white pillars of the Brooks estate. Paramedics rushed stretchers through the double doors, while local police officers, summoned by an anonymous tip from a panicked family friend, cordoned off the perimeter.
I sat on a velvet armchair in the private study, the heavy oak door locked from the outside by Officer Nguyen, a seasoned detective whose eyes missed nothing. Across from me stood Richard Brooks, pacing the Persian rug like a caged, rabid wolf. His tuxedo jacket was discarded, his tie loosened, and sweat beaded on his forehead despite the air conditioning humming at full blast.
"You are going to fix this," Richard snarled, stopping abruptly to point a trembling, accusatory finger at my face. "You are going to tell the authorities that it was an accident—that Madison accidentally took the wrong glass, or that you spiked it as some sick prank and she ingested it unknowingly. If you ruin this family, Natalie, I swear to God I will ensure you never see a single cent, and I will destroy every professional reference you have before your career even begins."
I took a slow sip of bottled water, letting the silence stretch just long enough to infuriate him further.
"Threats, Dad? At a time like this?" I finally spoke, setting the bottle down with a soft clink. "Your favorite daughter is currently in an intensive care unit having her stomach pumped for a heavy dosage of rohypnol, and your primary concern is your public image?"
"Shut your mouth!" he bellowed, lunging forward, though the sudden unlocking of the study door halted him inches away.
Officer Nguyen stepped into the room, a heavy leather notebook in hand, flanked by two uniformed officers. The detective’s expression was an unreadable mask of professional severity.
"Mr. Brooks. Miss Brooks," Nguyen began, his voice deep and authoritative. "The preliminary toxicology report from St. Jude’s Hospital has just come through via secure fax. Miss Madison Brooks ingested a massive, near-fatal dose of flunitrazepam. Given the concentration, it was introduced directly into a single serving vessel—not the shared punch bowl."
Clara, who had just entered behind the detective supported by a family friend, let out a piercing wail and collapsed into a chair. "No! My daughter is an angel! She would never take drugs! Someone spiked her drink out of pure malice!"
"That is correct, Mrs. Brooks," Nguyen said quietly, his eyes shifting slowly from my weeping mother to my rigid father, and finally resting on me. "Someone did. And according to the estate’s security server logs, which my cyber-forensics team just pulled from the cloud, the entire refreshment station was under direct line-of-sight from the eastern balcony cameras."
Richard’s breath hitched. For the first time, the armor of absolute invincibility cracked entirely.
"Miss Natalie," Nguyen said, turning his full attention toward me. "You were standing closest to the table when the glass was poisoned. You were seen handing that exact glass to your sister. Care to explain your version of events?"
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I stood up slowly, smoothing down the fabric of my graduation dress. I walked over to the mahogany desk, reached into my small clutch, and pulled out a sleek, high-capacity flash drive. I placed it gently on the polished wood surface, sliding it toward the detective.
"I don't need to explain anything, Detective," I said clearly, looking straight into my father's terrified, bloodshot eyes. "The video file on that drive shows everything in 4K resolution. Every movement, every powder packet, every malicious intent. You won't just find out who poisoned the champagne... you'll find out why a father tried to drug his own daughter on her graduation night."
