CHAPTER 6
The nursing home was called Palm View, and it was the kind of place where people went to die.
It smelled like urine and disinfectant, and the walls were the color of faded beige.
Elizabeth Williams was in room 217.
She was old, maybe eighty or ninety, with paper-thin skin and eyes that were cloudy with cataracts.
"Mrs. Williams?" I said.
She looked at me but didn't respond.
"I'm Lauren Carter. Mark's wife."
She blinked.
"You know Mark?" I asked.
"Yes," she croaked. "I remember him."
"My daughter was poisoned with propofol. Mark's father was poisoned with propofol. Do you know anything about it?"
"I killed him."
"I know."
"But I didn't mean to."
"What do you mean?"
"It was an accident. I didn't intend to kill him. I just wanted to hurt him."
"Hurt him?"
"He was going to leave me. He was going to go back to his wife."
"So you poisoned him?"
"I gave him something to make him sick. I didn't think it would kill him."
"Did you give him propofol?"
"Yes."
"How did you get it?"
"I stole it from the hospital where I worked."
"What did you do with the rest of it?"
"I threw it away."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Then how did Mark get it?"
"I don't know."
"Mrs. Williams, I think Mark found the propofol. I think he found it and used it."
"Found it where?"
"I don't know. But I think he did."
She was silent for a long time.
"Mark was always searching," she said finally. "Searching for something."
"What?"
"His father. He wanted to be like his father. He wanted to be just like him."
"Did he know about the propofol?"
"I don't know. But I think he did."
"Why did he want to recreate his father's death?"
"Because he couldn't let go. He couldn't accept that his father was gone."
"Mrs. Williams, did Mark ever talk about killing someone?"
"No."
"Did he ever talk about harming himself?"
"Yes."
"He threatened to kill himself?"
"Yes. Many times."
"Did he say how he would do it?"
"He said he would use the same way his father died."
"Propofol."
"Yes."
"Then he used it on his daughter."
"I'm so sorry, Lauren."
"Why didn't you do something, Mrs. Williams? Why didn't you stop him?"
"I didn't know he was going to do it. I didn't know what he was planning."
"Did you ever talk to him about it?"
"Once. He came to see me in the hospital. He told me he wanted to end his life. But I thought he was just talking."
"Mark talks a lot about things he wants to do," I said. "But he never follows through."
"Until now."
"Until now."
I stood up to leave.
"I'm so sorry, Lauren."
"Me too."
I walked out of the nursing home and got into the car with Detective Miller.
"She told me Mark threatened to kill himself," I said.
"But he killed his daughter instead."
"Attempted to kill her."
"Yes."
"Why would he do that?"
"I don't know. Maybe he thought she would be safer dead."
"Safe from what?"
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out."
---
I went to see Mark.
He was in the county jail, wearing an orange jumpsuit.
He looked terrible.
His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were red.
"Lauren," he said softly.
"Don't talk. Just listen."
He nodded.
"I talked to Elizabeth Williams. I know about the propofol. I know about your father."
"Elizabeth Williams?"
"She killed your father."
"I know."
"She said you visited her. She said you talked about suicide."
"I don't remember."
"Bullshit."
"Lauren, I was in a bad place. I said things I didn't mean."
"You said you wanted to kill yourself."
"Sometimes I feel that way. But I don't really want to die."
"Then why did you try to kill Emma?"
"I didn't."
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying."
"You were the one with the propofol."
"I was holding the propofol. But I didn't put it in her drink."
"Then who did?"
"I don't know."
"Stop lying."
"I don't know."
"Why won't you tell me the truth?"
"Because I don't want to hurt you."
"I'm already hurt."
He was silent.
"Tell me," I demanded.
"Rachel did it."
"No."
"Yes."
"Rachel is your sister-in-law."
"I know."
"She loves Emma."
"I know."
"Why would she do it?"
"I don't know."
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying. I really don't know why she did it. But she did."
"I saw her smile."
"That's what I'm saying. She smiled because she was happy."
"Happy about what?"
"Happy that Emma was dying."
"Why would she want Emma to die?"
"I don't know."
"You have to know something."
"I know she is jealous."
"Jealous of what?"
"Of our family. Of the life we had."
"She has a family of her own."
"Yes. But she always wanted what we had."
"You're lying."
"I'm not lying."
"Then prove it."
"I can't."
"Goodbye, Mark."
I walked out of the jail and got back into the car with Detective Miller.
"Mark says Rachel did it," I said.
"Rachel?"
"He says she was jealous. He says she wanted what we had."
"Does that make sense?"
"No. Rachel has a husband and a child of her own. She doesn't need our life."
"Then why would she do it?"
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out."
---
I went to see Rachel.
She was in the county jail, wearing an orange jumpsuit.
She looked just as terrible as Mark.
"Lauren," she said, "I didn't do it. I would never hurt Emma."
"Mark says you did."
"Mark is lying."
"Why would he lie?"
"Because he wants to get out of jail. He wants to blame someone else."
"He says you were jealous."
"I wasn't jealous."
"Then why did you smile?"
"Because I was relieved it was Emma and not my child."
"No."
"What?"
"No. You're lying."
"Lauren, please. You have to believe me."
"Why should I?"
"Because I'm your sister. I love you. I would never do anything to hurt you."
"I have a hard time believing that."
"Then what do you want me to do?"
"I want you to tell me the truth."
I have."
"No, you haven't."
"Then tell me. What do you think happened?"
"Mark and I had an argument," she said carefully. "A big argument."
"About what?"
"About money."
"Money?"
"He wanted to borrow money from me. He said he had a gambling problem."
"Mark doesn't have a gambling problem."
"He told me he did. He told me he owed someone money."
"Who?"
"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me."
"But you gave him the money?"
"Yes. I gave him the money."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to help him."
"What did he do with the money?"
"I don't know."
"Rachel, this is serious. If Mark has a gambling problem, he could have done anything."
"I know. But I had no idea."
"Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"Because I was scared. I didn't want to get involved."
"Now you're involved."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Be honest with me. Is there anything else you haven't told me?"
"No."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
I walked out of the jail and got back in the car with Detective Miller.
"She told me Mark has a gambling problem," I said.
"A gambling problem?"
"Yes. He owed someone money."
"Who?"
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out."
"How?"
"I'm going to ask his mother."
---
I called Mark's mother.
"I know about the gambling problem," I said.
She was silent for a long time.
"Tell me," I demanded.
"It started about a year ago," she said. "Mark went to Atlantic City with some friends. He started gambling. He lost a lot of money."
"How much?"
"I don't know. But it was a lot. He borrowed money from Rachel to pay off his debts."
"Who did he owe the money to?"
"A loan shark. Someone dangerous."
"What did he do with the rest of the money?"
"He bought the propofol."
"He bought the propofol?"
"Yes. He bought it from someone at the hospital."
"Who?"
"I don't know. But he paid a lot of money for it."
"Why did he want propofol?"
"To kill himself."
"Or to kill someone else."
"Or to kill someone else."
"Did he tell you that?"
"No. But I suspected."
"Why didn't you tell someone?"
"Because I was scared. I didn't want to lose my son."
"You already lost him."
"I know."
"Goodbye, Mrs. Carter."
I hung up the phone and stared at the wall.
Mark had a gambling problem.
Mark owed money.
May you like
Mark bought propofol.
But who was he going to use it on?
