Chapter 5 - The Master Manipulator
The blinding lights of the police cruisers flooded the lawn.
Officers swarmed into the study with their weapons drawn.
Arthur was still gasping on the floor, pointing a shaking finger toward Margaret.
But his voice was too weak to form actual words.
"Help him!" Margaret cried out, producing fake tears with terrifying speed.
"My daughter-in-law broke in and attacked us!"
A paramedic rushed past me to tend to Arthur.
Another officer grabbed my arms and pinned me against the wall.
"Search her," Margaret demanded, pointing a trembling finger at me. "I saw her put something in her bag!"
The officer grabbed my purse and dumped its contents onto the desk.
The tiny glass vial rolled out, catching the light perfectly.
The detective who had arrested me earlier stepped into the room.
He picked up the vial with a gloved hand and looked at me with pure disgust.
"Attempted murder," the detective said. "You're going away for a long time, Claire."
They dragged me out of the house for the second time that night.
I was thrown into a maximum-security interrogation room at the precinct.
Hours passed in total, agonizing silence.
Finally, the heavy metal door swung open, and Ethan walked in alone.
He looked exhausted, but a smug smile played on his lips.
"I can make all of this go away," he said smoothly.
He slid a fresh legal document across the metal table.
"Sign the lake house over to me, and my mother will tell the police she made a mistake about the vial."
I looked down at the paper, then up at his arrogant face.
I let out a slow, dry laugh.
"You really think I'm that stupid, Ethan?" I asked.
I leaned across the table, my eyes locking onto his.
"I didn't just bring an envelope to dinner tonight," I whispered.
"I also transferred the deed of the lake house to a blind trust yesterday morning."
Ethan's smug smile instantly vanished.
May you like
"You did what?" he choked out.
"I don't own the house anymore, Ethan," I smiled. "And the beneficiary of that trust is the one person your mother fears most."
