Chapter 10: The Man Waiting Outside My Hotel
Daniel moved the curtains aside just enough to see the parking lot.
"That's Marcus's SUV.""
Attorney Carter immediately closed his briefcase.
"Everyone stay calm. I've already contacted the authorities.""
I looked through the narrow gap in the curtains.
Marcus stepped out of the vehicle.
He wasn't alone.
A woman climbed out of the passenger seat.
Emily.
My sister.
I turned toward the hotel door.
"Why is she with him?""
Daniel shook his head.
"I don't know. But we're not going downstairs.""
My phone rang.
Marcus.
I stared at the screen before answering.
"What do you want?""
His voice sounded unusually gentle.
"Lauren, sweetheart. Please come outside. We need to talk.""
"You've had eight years to talk.""
"Don't make this uglier than it needs to be.""
I almost laughed.
"You're standing outside my hotel at three in the morning after secretly drugging your wife, stealing her money, and arranging a medical procedure without her consent. How much uglier could it get?""
His voice hardened.
"Watch what you say.""
Daniel took the phone from me.
"Marcus, this is Daniel Hayes. The police are on their way.""
A pause.
Then Marcus laughed.
"Daniel. You really should have stayed out of this.""
Daniel ended the call.
Attorney Carter looked toward the door.
"We need to move. There's another exit through the conference level.""
We gathered the documents and headed toward the hallway.
But before we reached the elevator, my phone vibrated.
A message from Emily.
*Lauren, please. I need to speak to you alone. Marcus doesn't know everything.*
I stopped walking.
Daniel looked at me.
"Don't.""
"What if she's finally telling the truth?""
"She has lied to you repeatedly.""
"I know.""
I stared at the message.
Then another arrived.
*I have the original prescription records. The ones Marcus paid Dr. Collins to change. I kept copies.*
I showed Daniel.
His expression changed.
"That could be important evidence.""
Attorney Carter nodded.
"Tell her to meet us at the police station.""
I typed:
*Come alone. Bring everything.*
Her reply came immediately.
*I can't. Marcus has my car keys. He's watching me.*
I looked through the window.
Emily stood beside the SUV.
Marcus was holding her phone.
Then I noticed something else.
He wasn't holding it casually.
He had his hand around her wrist.
I felt a familiar ache in my chest.
"Daniel, she's frightened.""
He studied the scene.
"Then we get the police involved. We don't walk into a trap.""
We reached the conference level.
A security guard directed us toward a side exit.
Outside, a patrol car was already approaching.
Two officers entered the lobby.
I recognized one of them from the workshop.
He approached me.
"Mrs. Mitchell, are you safe?""
"Yes. My husband is outside.""
"We'll speak with him.""
I watched through the glass as the officers approached Marcus.
He immediately raised both hands.
His face transformed.
The angry husband disappeared.
In his place stood the concerned, respectable businessman.
He shook an officer's hand and pointed toward the hotel.
I knew exactly what he was saying.
That I was unstable.
That I'd been confused.
That my sister was worried about me.
Then Emily suddenly pulled away from him.
She ran toward the officers.
She was carrying a thick folder.
Marcus grabbed her coat.
One officer immediately intervened.
I watched my sister point toward him, shouting something I couldn't hear.
Then she held up the folder.
Daniel exhaled.
"She brought the evidence.""
We went outside.
Emily saw me and began crying.
"Lauren!""
I approached her cautiously.
"What happened?""
She handed me the folder.
"These are the original records. Marcus paid Collins to change your medication, and he did the same thing to Mom.""
I opened the folder.
Inside were pharmacy records, payment receipts, and printed emails.
One email contained a payment authorization from Marcus to a company owned by Dr. Collins.
Another contained a message from Emily.
*The dosage is making her dizzy. She keeps asking why she feels strange.*
Marcus had replied:
*Keep telling her they're vitamins. We only need a few more weeks.*
My hands went cold.
I looked at Emily.
"Why did you keep these?""
She wiped her face.
"Because I realized he was going to do to you what he did to Mom.""
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
"Because he threatened me.""
Marcus shouted from behind the officers.
"She's lying! She's trying to save herself!""
Emily turned toward him.
"No, Marcus. I'm done protecting you.""
He stepped forward.
The officer stopped him.
"Sir, remain where you are.""
Marcus looked at me.
"Lauren, listen to me. Whatever she told you, it's not the whole story.""
I held up the email.
"Then explain this.""
His face changed.
For the first time, he had no rehearsed answer.
Daniel took the folder and began examining the records.
Then he stopped at a document near the back.
"Lauren?""
"What?""
He showed me a medical payment record dated nine years earlier.
The amount was $18,000.
The recipient was Dr. Collins.
The payment description read:
*Emergency neurological treatment — patient: Evelyn Mitchell.*
My mother's name.
I looked at Emily.
"Was this the medication they gave Mom?""
She nodded.
Then she whispered:
"There's something worse. I found out where Marcus got the original prescription.""
"Where?""
May you like
Emily looked directly at me.
"From your medical file. He used the same medication on you that was administered to Mom the night she died.""
