Nora smiled, a humorless, chilling smile. “That’s exactly why we have a guest waiting to join us,” she said, picking up her phone. Seconds later, the door opened and a tall, serious-looking man entered.
“This is Martin Miller,” Nora introduced. “Former detective, now a private consultant. Mr. Miller has spent the last forty-eight hours investigating the two of you.” I watched the panic finally bloom, real and raw, in Rachel’s eyes. “He found out, for example, that Derek made several online searches about the effects of propranolol. He found out that Rachel used a fake name to buy the drug at a pharmacy on the other side of town. And he found out that you two owe over two million dollars to people who are not known for their patience.”
“What do you want?” Rachel finally asked, her voice low and defeated.
“I want to understand how my own daughter got to this point,” I said, a wave of genuine sadness washing over me. “How did money become more important than love, family… than everything I thought I had taught you?”