Chapter 14 - THE BOTTLE FROM SCHOOLThe liquid remaining in Emma’s school bottle contained the same prescription sedative.
That ended the question of route.
Someone had put it into her drink.
The bottle also contained lemon flavoring.
Not from my tap water.
Investigators tested the lemon concentrate in our refrigerator.
Different flavor profile.
Linda kept bottled lemon juice and a powdered drink mix.
Could not uniquely identify origin.
Then a classmate’s mother provided a driveway-camera clip.
That morning Michael had stopped at Linda’s house before school.
I had not known.
His car entered at 7:28.
Left at 7:36.
Emma was inside.
Eight minutes.
I confronted him through our lawyers because by then direct conversations ended in screaming.
Why did you stop at Linda’s?
His written answer:
Emma forgot a homework folder there.
True.
Police found the folder in her backpack.
What happened inside?
Michael claimed:
Linda gave Emma a snack.
Emma used the bathroom.
He found the folder.
Then they left.
Did Linda touch the water bottle?
“I don’t know.”
Did he?
“Yes.”
There.
Why?
“I put it on the counter.”
Did he see Linda prepare anything?
Silence.
His attorney objected to some questioning pending formal interview.
May you like
The wall was cracking.
Slowly.
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