Chapter 1 - The Preserved EvidenceThe sharp tang of spilled burgundy wine and shattered crystal filled the air of our formal dining room. Vanessa dropped to her knees on the marble floorboard, clawing at her throat, coughing violently as the single mouthful of tainted wine hit her system.
My husband, Daniel, stood utterly frozen. His hands hovered in the air, his face completely drained of color, his jaw slack as he looked between his gasping mistress and me.
"Claire!" Daniel finally shrieked, stepping forward, his voice cracking into a high, panic-stricken pitch. "Are you insane?! You could have killed her!"
"She poured it, Daniel," I replied. My voice was smooth, cool, and flat as polished granite. "If that glass contained a lethal dose, then your assistant just attempted to commit murder under your roof. And if it was merely a sedative to make me 'interesting,' then she can enjoy the sleep she prepared for me."
Before either of them could react, I reached into my coat pocket, pulled out a pair of sterile medical gloves I kept in my handbag, and pulled them over my fingers.
Vanessa looked up from the floor, her eyes bloodshot, sweat pooling along her hairline. "You... you psycho... I'll sue you! I'll have you arrested for assault!"
"You're welcome to call the police, Vanessa," I said softly, stepping around the shattered glass.
I picked up the tiny plastic packet sitting beside the silver ice bucket. It was a high-grade zip-top pouch, still containing a faint residue of white crystalline powder. Using a clean silver spoon from the side table, I scraped the remaining powder into the pouch, sealed it tightly, and slipped it into a ziplock bag from my purse.
Next, I pulled out my smartphone and activated the high-definition video recording, panning the camera smoothly over the shattered wineglass, the spilled burgundy liquid pooling on the white marble, Vanessa shivering on her knees, and Daniel standing like a guilty statue under the chandelier.
"What are you doing with that phone?!" Daniel demanded, taking an aggressive step toward me.
I raised my eyes, locking onto his with a cold, weightless gaze that made him stop dead in his tracks.
"I am documenting the crime scene, Daniel," I informed him, every word dropped into the quiet room like a slab of ice. "For seven years, you thought I was just a dutiful wife who gave up her legal career to support your corporate ambitions. You forgot that before I wore this wedding ring, I was a Senior Assistant District Attorney for the City of Chicago."
Vanessa let out a low, whimpering groan, her head lolling backward as the sedative began to drag her consciousness down into the dark. "Daniel... help me... my head feels heavy..."
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Daniel dropped to his knees beside her, grabbing her shoulders. "Vanessa! Stay awake!" He looked up at me, his eyes wide with desperate, sweating panic. "Claire, call an ambulance! Please!"
"I've already called emergency services, Daniel," I said, checking my watch. "Along with my former colleague, Detective Miller from the Narcotics Division. They will be here in four minutes."
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