Little Girl Said She Could Help The Wealth Man Walk Again

CHAPTER 2 - The Wrong Bottle

"Nobody leaves this house until I know why that pill was in my feet."

Dr. Reed froze in the foyer.

His face had lost all color, but he tried to recover quickly. "Mr. Hale, there has been a mistake."

"A mistake?" Martin asked. "You ran."

Reed pressed one hand to his bag. "I had an urgent call. Nothing more."

Lily stood close to Martin's wheelchair now, brave enough to study the doctor with open suspicion. Children always noticed what adults tried to hide.

Martin looked from Reed to Helen. "Show me the bottle."

Helen shook her head. "Martin, don't turn this into something it isn't."

"Then what is it?"

No one answered.

Owen stepped forward. He was the easygoing one, the family peacemaker, the kind of man who hated conflict until conflict sat in the middle of the room. "Maybe the doctor dropped a tablet and Lily found it. That's all."

Martin's jaw tightened. "Then why is Helen holding an empty bottle like she wants to crush it?"

Every eye turned to her.

Helen's voice came out thin. "Because I was trying to keep you calm."

"By lying to me?"

The housekeeper made herself useful by carrying the basin away, but Martin saw the water moving inside it. Something floated at the bottom for one brief second before the porcelain disappeared into the kitchen.

The pill had not been the only thing in there.

Two hours later, after Reed had been sent away without explanation, Martin sat in the library with Lily on the rug beside him. She had found a second object in the basin when the water was emptied: a tiny silver capsule marked with a number, rubbed almost smooth.

Mrs. Grant said she had never seen it before.

But Owen went white when Lily placed it on the coffee table.

Martin noticed.

"What is it?" he asked.

Owen swallowed. "Nothing."

"That was a terrible answer."

Martin's phone buzzed then. A message from Reed.

Do not take any more of the medication. If Helen tells you to, refuse.

Martin stared at the screen.

Across the room, Helen was already looking at him.

And she knew, from his face alone, that the doctor had just spoken against her.