“You look exhausted, Lena.
Your mother is trying to help.”
The video ended when I backed out of the kitchen.
My mother began shaking her head.
“I never gave her anything dangerous.”
Dr.
Cole stood at the foot of my bed with my laboratory report in his hand.
“The substance in her blood is not a vitamin.”
“She must have taken it herself.”
I almost laughed, but the movement hurt too much.
Victor pointed at me.
“There.
You see? She’s unstable.
This is exactly why we prepared the petition.”
The detective closed the laptop halfway.
“You prepared a petition to declare her incompetent while someone in your home was repeatedly administering a veterinary sedative to her.”
Victor’s confidence flickered.
“That is not what happened.”
“Then tell me what happened.”
He looked at my mother.
For six years, they had operated like two parts of the same locked door.
Victor supplied the violence.
My mother supplied the excuses.
When one of them hesitated, the other pushed.
But now they were measuring the distance between themselves.
My mother spoke first.
“Victor handled her medication.”
His head snapped toward her.
“What medication?”
“The things you gave me to put in her tea.”
“You did that willingly.”
“I was afraid of you.”
Victor gave a short, humorless laugh.
“You were afraid of losing four million dollars.”
The officer beside him moved closer.
The detective reopened the laptop.
“Let’s continue.”
The third recording had no visible violence.
That made it worse.
Victor and my mother sat alone at the kitchen table.
The incompetency petition lay between them.
Beside it was a photocopy of my grandmother’s trust.
My mother traced one clause with her finger.
“If the court appoints me, I can authorize distributions for her care.”
Victor leaned back.
“And if she doesn’t make it to twenty?”
My mother did not answer immediately.
He tapped the page.
“It transfers to you.”
“I know what it says.”
“Then stop acting guilty.”
“I am guilty.”
Victor leaned toward her.
“Not yet.”
The recording continued for another minute.
They discussed making me appear confused in front of a doctor.
