Chapter 6: The Recording
The reply came at 1:17 in the morning.
One line: *I've been waiting for someone to ask.*
The name on the message was Dr.
Priya Anand — Claire's physician for the last four years of her life.
Maya had her number saved from the days when Claire was still alive, when Maya had sometimes been the one to call ahead and confirm appointments, to pick up prescriptions, to sit in waiting rooms while Claire had tests she didn't want Daniel to know were serious.
They met at a diner three miles from the house.
Maya left after Reyes gave her permission to step out briefly, after she'd arranged for one of the officers to sit outside the sitting room where Noah slept.
Priya was already in a booth at the back when Maya arrived.
She was a small woman in her fifties, still in the clothes she'd clearly been wearing all day.
She had a cup of coffee in front of her and both hands wrapped around it.
She looked up when Maya slid into the opposite seat.
"You said it's about Claire."
"Yes."
"Then tell me what happened tonight.
All of it."
Maya told her.
Priya listened without moving.
When Maya finished, Priya set down her coffee cup.
"Victor Hale," she said.
"You know him."
"I know of him.
Claire mentioned him once — only once — about three weeks before she d*ed." Priya's voice was careful.
Precise.
The voice of someone who had been holding something for a long time and was now choosing each word.
"She came in for what she said was a routine visit.
But she was agitated.
She asked me something strange."
"What did she ask?"
"She asked whether a healthy person could show cardiac symptoms if they were given something over a period of weeks.
Something that wouldn't be obvious." Priya paused.
"I asked her why she was asking.
She said it was for a friend."
The diner was quiet.
A cook moved behind the counter.
A ceiling fan turned slowly overhead.
"It wasn't for a friend," Maya said.
"No." Priya looked at her hands.
"I should have pushed harder.
I've thought about that every day since she d*ed." She looked up.
"Her autopsy listed cardiac arrhythmia.
She was forty-one with no significant prior history.
It was unusual but not — not impossible.
And there was no reason at the time to look for anything else."
"Is there a reason now?"
Priya reached into her bag.
She set a manila envelope on the table between them.
"After Claire d*ed, I kept her file.
All of it.
Including the bloodwork from her last three visits." She pushed the envelope toward Maya.
"I sent copies to a colleague six months ago.
A toxicologist.
I told him it was an academic question."
Maya looked at the envelope.
She didn't touch it yet.
"What did he find?"
"Trace levels of a compound that shouldn't have been there.
It's a substance that, in small repeated doses over several weeks, can cause progressive cardiac stress.
It metabolizes quickly.
In a standard autopsy panel, you wouldn't find it unless you were specifically looking." Priya's voice was steady, but her hands weren't.
"In a targeted panel, looking for exactly that compound — you find it."
Maya picked up the envelope.
"This is evidence," she said.
"Yes."
"Why didn't you go to the police?"
Priya was quiet for a moment.
"Because I didn't know who to trust," she said finally.
"Claire told me once that the people around Daniel — some of them — had long memories and longer reach.
I didn't know if that included anyone in the department.
I didn't know who Victor Hale had in his pocket." She looked at Maya.
"I'm a doctor.
I'm not equipped for this.
I've been sitting on this for eight months waiting for someone to come along who was."
Maya held the envelope in both hands.
"Detective Reyes," she said.
"She's not from this jurisdiction originally.
She transferred in fourteen months ago — after Claire d*ed.
She has no prior connection to Daniel or anyone in his circle."
Priya studied her.
"You've thought about this."
"I've been thinking about it for eight months too."
Priya blinked.
"You suspected?"
"I suspected something was wrong.
I didn't have what you have." Maya set the envelope flat on the table.
"Together we do."
Priya looked at it.
Then at Maya.
"What happens to Daniel?" she asked quietly.
"If Victor Hale has something on him—"
"We deal with one thing at a time," Maya said.
"Right now the most important thing is that Noah is safe and that whoever did this to Claire doesn't get to walk away from it."
Priya nodded slowly.
May you like
"All right," she said.
"What do you need me to do?"
