Chapter 5 - The Medicine Cabinet
Richard ended the call.
"A client."
Victoria leaned against the doorframe.
"At eleven at night?"
"Shipping doesn't sleep."
"Neither do you, apparently."
Her tone was light, but the warmth was gone.
She walked in and closed the door.
"What did you find in the safe?"
Richard looked at her.
"Why would I find anything?"
"You opened it."
"It's my safe."
"Our home."
"My safe."
The distinction landed.
Victoria's jaw tightened.
"You've been watching me all night like I'm under investigation."
"Are you?"
She laughed once.
"This is ridiculous."
"Then let's make it simple. Why did you use my security code to disable Maya's nursery camera fourteen times?"
Silence.
Victoria stared at him.
He saw the exact moment she understood he had the logs.
Her face changed without moving.
"I didn't."
"The local panel did."
"Then someone else used your code."
"You knew it?"
"No."
"Did Malcolm?"
That struck.
"What does my father have to do with this?"
"You tell me."
Victoria's eyes filled with tears so quickly he might once have believed them.
"You think I'm hurting Maya."
Richard said nothing.
"My God. You actually think that."
She pressed a hand to her mouth.
"After everything I've done for you. For her."
"Did you lock her in the closet?"
"No."
"The microphone recorded her inside it."
Victoria froze.
For the first time, fear broke through.
Not sadness.
Fear.
"You recorded me?"
"The system did."
Her tears stopped.
It was almost eerie.
"You have no idea what you heard."
"Then explain it."
"Maya throws tantrums. She hits. She bites. Mrs. Gable coddles her. I put her in the closet for less than a minute because she kept slamming the door and nearly caught her fingers. I was teaching her not to play there."
"You removed the inside handle."
"Maintenance did."
"You lied about that ten minutes ago."
Victoria's face hardened.
"You're tired."
There it was.
The phrase.
Richard felt suddenly alert.
"Am I?"
"You barely sleep. You repeat questions. You lose track of conversations. This entire night proves you're not well."
"Does it?"
She stepped closer.
"I am worried about you."
Her voice softened.
"The doctors are worried too."
Richard stared.
"What doctors?"
A beat too long.
"Dr. Halpern. He said your stress markers were alarming."
Richard remembered the concierge physician Victoria had insisted he begin seeing six months earlier.
He also remembered the nightly supplements she placed beside his water.
"Where are my vitamins?"
Victoria's expression flickered.
"What?"
"The capsules you give me every night."
"In the bathroom. Why?"
Richard walked past her.
She followed.
In the master suite, he opened the medicine cabinet.
The amber bottle stood on the middle shelf.
No pharmacy label.
Only a printed white sticker: R.S. NIGHT FORMULA.
He picked it up.
Victoria reached for it.
"Don't be dramatic. Those are magnesium and melatonin."
Richard pulled it away.
"Then you won't mind if I have them tested."
"Richard."
He opened the bottle.
Thirty capsules.
He poured one into his palm.
Victoria's face went white.
Richard saw it.
She saw him see it.
Then footsteps approached from the hall.
Conrad Kessler entered without knocking.
"Everything all right?"
Richard looked at him.
No one had called security.
Victoria moved between them.
"Richard is having an episode."
The phrase hit like ice.
Kessler's hand moved toward the radio clipped beneath his jacket.
"Mr. Sterling, perhaps you should sit down."
Richard closed his fingers around the capsule.
"Get out of my bedroom."
Kessler did not move.
"Sir, Mrs. Sterling asked me to ensure everyone's safety."
Richard smiled without humor.
"You work for me."
Kessler glanced at Victoria.
That glance answered too much.
Richard backed toward the door.
"Ellis," he called loudly.
No answer.
Kessler stepped forward.
Then a woman's voice came from the hall.
"He said get out."
Laura Bennett stood there with two uniformed Nassau County detectives behind her.
Victoria's face collapsed.
Laura held up her phone.
"And before anyone tries to clean this up," she said, "we already sent copies of the audio, camera logs, and court filing off-site."
Kessler stopped moving.
Richard opened his hand and showed Laura the capsule.
"Add this."
Victoria whispered, "You don't understand."
Laura looked at her.
May you like
"Then this is your opportunity to become very clear."
Down the hall, Maya began to scream.
