Officer Martinez stepped out of the shadows, no longer trying to blend in with the party guests. In the emergency lighting, his badge was clearly visible.
Paul’s face went white.
“Officer, is there a problem?”
“Several problems, actually. Starting with the fact that the power outage wasn’t an accident.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Someone cut the main electrical line to the building. Someone who knew exactly where to find it and how to disable the backup-generator delay system.”
I looked at Paul, whose expression had shifted from nervous to terrified.
“We also found some interesting items in your jacket pocket, Mr. Barrett. Would you like to explain what you’re doing with prescription sedatives that aren’t prescribed to you?”
Paul’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.
“I… those aren’t mine.”
“Whose are they?”
“I don’t know. Someone must have planted them.”
“Someone planted unmarked pills in your jacket pocket at your mother-in-law’s birthday party?”
When Officer Martinez put it like that, it sounded exactly as ridiculous as it was.
“Where is Linda?” Mom asked, her voice steady despite everything that had just happened.
“She’s being questioned by my colleagues,” Officer Martinez said, “along with Dr. Peterson.”
Dr. Peterson. I had almost forgotten about him in the chaos.
“What did they find?” I asked.
“Forged medical records documenting cognitive decline that never actually occurred. Pre-signed commitment papers. Applications to three different nursing homes, all submitted last week.”
“Last week?” Mom’s voice was sharp with anger. “Before I ever signed any power of attorney?”
“Yes, ma’am. It appears this plan has been in motion for several months.”
Mom looked around the dim room, taking in the chaos, the emergency lighting, the reality of what her daughter had tried to do to her.
“I want to see Linda,” she said finally.
“Mom, I don’t think—”
“I want to see her now.”
Officer Martinez nodded.
“She’s in the security office. But I should warn you, Mrs. Wilson, she’s been advised of her rights and has requested an attorney.”
“Fine. She can have an attorney. But first, she’s going to look me in the eye and explain herself.”
We followed Officer Martinez through the confused crowd of party guests. Most people were gathered in small groups, speculating about the power outage and wondering when they could leave. They had no idea they had just witnessed the collapse of an elder-abuse conspiracy.
The security office was a small room behind the main hall. Linda sat in a plastic chair, her party dress wrinkled, her makeup smeared from crying. She looked up when we entered, and her face crumpled again.
“Mom, I’m so sorry. I never meant for it to go this far.”
“How far did you mean for it to go?” Mom asked, her voice deadly calm.
“I just… we needed money. And you have so much. And you’re alone in that big house. And I thought maybe if you were somewhere safer…”
“Safer? You mean more expensive?”
“The nursing home is very nice, Mom. I researched it carefully.”
“You would have been comfortable while you sold my house and spent my money.”
Linda could not meet her eyes.
“It was going to be yours anyway. When you eventually…”
“I was just expediting the process.”
“Expediting my death, you mean?”
“No. I would never—”
“You were going to drug me and have me committed against my will. You forged medical records to make me seem incompetent. You cut the power at my birthday party to create chaos so you could kidnap me in the confusion.”
Put like that, the plan sounded like something out of a crime thriller, except it was real, and it had almost worked.
“I was desperate,” Linda whispered.
“Desperate enough to destroy your own mother.”
