Chapter 6 - A Poisonous Legacy
Back at the estate, I spent the evening in the greenhouse. The blue orchids were blooming, their petals a vibrant, almost unnatural shade of sapphire.
Mom cultivated these orchids herself. They were a hybrid species, entirely unique. But she had always warned me to wear gloves when handling the soil of the mother plant.
"The roots are highly toxic, Elena. A defense mechanism," she had told me years ago. "A single scratch can cause temporary paralysis. A concentrated dose in the bloodstream? A heart attack that looks entirely natural."
I reviewed the autopsy report Mr. Vance had given me. Cause of death: Asphyxiation due to oxygen deprivation.
But I looked closer at the toxicology screen. There was a microscopic trace of an unknown alkaloid.
Mom hadn't just been murdered by the oxygen tank. She had ingested something.
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I checked the security footage from the kitchen the night she died. Chloe had made Mom a cup of tea before leaving.
Chloe didn't just tamper with the tank. She poisoned her first.
