Chapter 6: The Morning My Sister Learned She Was Alone
She came to the hospital at nine the next morning.
I knew she was coming before she arrived because Detective Reyes called to tell me.
My sister had shown up at the precinct first, demanding to see my mother.
They had told her my mother was being held pending formal charges.
My sister had then demanded to speak with my father.
They had told her he was with his attorney and unavailable.
She had left the precinct and gotten into her car.
There was only one place left to go.
Daniel was in the hallway when she came off the elevator.
I heard his voice first.
"You can't go in there."
"She's my sister."
"I know who she is."
"Daniel, I just need five minutes.
I need to explain—"
"There's nothing to explain.
The police have the recording.
The lab report.
The purchase records.
There's nothing you can say in that room that changes any of it."
A pause.
"What purchase records?" Her voice shifted.
Something dropped out of it.
"Ask your father," Daniel said.
"Oh — you can't.
He's with his lawyer."
Silence in the hallway.
Then the door opened and she walked in anyway.
She looked smaller than I remembered.
She was wearing no makeup, which was unusual for her, and her hair was pulled back roughly, like she had done it in a car mirror.
She stopped just inside the door.
For a moment neither of us said anything.
"Leah," I finally said.
Her name.
Just her name.
She flinched.
"I didn't think it would go this far," she said.
"Which part?"
She looked at the monitor.
At my stomach.
Back at me.
"I didn't think she'd actually—" She stopped.
"The tea was supposed to just.
It was supposed to make you lose the baby early.
Naturally.
So it would look like—"
"So it would look like a miscarriage."
She didn't deny it.
"And then you kicked me," I said.
"In front of everyone.
In front of a camera."
"I lost my temper.
You were talking about Grandma's trust like it was already yours, like we didn't deserve any of it, and I just—"
"You lost your temper and you kicked your six-month pregnant sister in the stomach."
She pressed her lips together.
"Leah." I kept my voice level.
"Who bought the misoprostol?"
Her eyes moved to the window.
"Dad's name is on the receipt," I said.
"But I don't think Dad went to the pharmacy."
She said nothing.
"Did you send Mom?"
Her jaw tightened.
"He's already in there telling them it was your idea," I said.
"He went in last night with his lawyer.
Whatever he told them, he made sure his name was the one attached to a transaction he says he didn't authorize."
She turned to look at me.
Her face did something complicated.
"He wouldn't," she said.
"He did."
"He was part of this.
He knew everything.
He's the one who told me about the trust clause in the first place.
He said if we—" She stopped.
"If you what?"
She shook her head.
But the damage was done.
"If you got rid of the baby before she was born and named," I said quietly, "the trust reverted.
Dad told you that."
She didn't answer.
"And then he sent Mom to bring me tea every morning, and he stayed home, and now his name is on a receipt he says he didn't authorize." I looked at her.
"He used you, Leah.
He used Mom.
And the moment it fell apart, he walked into a police station and handed both of you over."
Her hand went to her mouth.
Daniel appeared in the doorway.
"Detective Reyes is on her way up."
Leah turned toward the door.
Then stopped.
"I didn't want her to die," she said.
She was talking about my daughter.
Her voice had gone very small.
"I just wanted the money.
I just didn't want to lose everything Grandma left."
"Grandma left it to her granddaughter," I said.
"Her granddaughter who isn't born yet.
That's all she did."
Leah stood at the door for a moment longer.
Then Detective Reyes appeared behind her in the hallway, and Leah stopped moving entirely.
"Ms.
Harmon," Detective Reyes said.
"I've been looking for you."
Leah looked back at me one last time.
May you like
I didn't say anything.
There was nothing left to say.
