Chapter 13 - Ava's Envelope
Detective Cole opened the envelope wearing gloves.
Inside were photocopies of medication records, three emails, and a handwritten letter from Ava.
The first email was from Conrad Pike.
It discussed a "contingency structure" that would move Ava's shares away from Lily if Ava died before a planned corporate restructuring.
Ava had replied with one line.
ABSOLUTELY NOT. MY SHARES BELONG TO MY DAUGHTER.
The second email was between Conrad and Martin Vale.
No names were mentioned, but the message referred to "the wife" being "difficult" and warned that the trust language had to be "fixed before she involves outside counsel."
The third email was from Ava to Rachel Kim, asking for an urgent meeting.
It was sent the night before Ava was hospitalized.
The meeting never happened.
Ava's handwritten letter was worse.
She described seeing Vivian near her medication box after midnight. She described a missing vial. She described Conrad pressuring her to sign documents while she was weak from treatment.
Then came the sentence that made Julian sit down.
"If I die suddenly, do not let grief make you trust the people who were standing closest to me."
Maya looked away.
Cole folded the evidence back into protective sleeves.
"This gives us motive and prior suspicion. We still need medical evidence for Ava's death."
That evidence arrived the next morning.
The preserved blood sample contained a concentration of an immunosuppressive medication far above what Ava had been prescribed.
It could not prove who administered it.
But it proved Ava had been right.
Police added homicide-related charges to the investigation.
Conrad Pike immediately asked to negotiate.
Vivian did not.
From jail, she sent Julian a letter.
He almost threw it away.
Maya stopped him.
"Let the police read it first."
Cole opened it.
The letter was only six lines.
The last line was written in larger letters.
ASK MAYA WHAT SHE DID THE NIGHT AVA DIED.
Julian slowly turned toward her.
May you like
Maya's stomach dropped.
Because she had never told Julian that she had been in the Mercer house that night.
