Chapter 5 - The Cold Room of Truth
The hospital room was quiet,
save for the steady beep of the heart monitor.
Sophie was asleep,
her face pale but peaceful.
I sat in the plastic chair by her bed,
staring at the wall.
The image of the dinner was burned into my retinas.
I could still smell the braised meat.
The door opened,
and Silas walked in,
looking exhausted.
He sat on the edge of the bed and sighed.
"The DNA came back,"
he said,
his voice heavy.
"It was him."
I closed my eyes,
a single tear finally escaping.
"I know,"
I said.
"They didn't even try to hide it."
"They thought I would just take it."
"Arthur is claiming it was a mercy killing,"
Silas continued,
his eyes hardening.
"He says the dog was aggressive and had attacked the neighbor's niece."
"He's lying,"
I snapped.
"Max wouldn't hurt a fly."
"The niece was afraid of him,
yes,"
"Because she's a spoiled child who has never been told 'no'."
"She tried to pull his tail,
and he just walked away."
"Arthur used that as an excuse to 'handle' the problem."
Silas nodded.
"We checked the neighbor's security cameras."
"The 'attack' never happened."
"In fact,"
"The footage shows Arthur luring Max into the garage with a piece of steak."
"The dog was wagging his tail,
Elena."
"He trusted him."
I felt a surge of nausea.
The depravity was deeper than I had imagined.
It wasn't just a crime of convenience;
it was a crime of betrayal.
"What about Margaret?"
I asked.
"She's blaming everything on Arthur,"
Silas said with a grimace.
"She says she was a victim of his temper."
"But we found her diary."
"She wrote about how much she hated the dog."
"She called him a 'filthy creature' and said he was 'infecting' the house."
"She even discussed recipes,
Elena."
"She was an active participant."
I looked at my daughter,
who was breathing softly.
"They deserve the maximum,"
I said.
"Don't worry,"
Silas replied.
"The ADA violations alone are enough to put them away for years."
"But I'm also looking into their finances."
"It turns out Arthur has been embezzling from his firm for a decade."
"He used the mansion as a front for money laundering."
"The house is going to be seized by the government."
"Everything they own,"
"The cars,"
"The jewelry,"
"The accounts,"
"It's all going to be liquidated."
I felt a cold sense of justice.
They had tried to take everything from Sophie.
And now,
the law was going to take everything from them.
"I want them to see us,"
May you like
I said.
"I want them to see the people they tried to break."
