Chapter 8 - The Hidden Medical Files
Julian’s breath caught in his throat as he held Sophie tight against his chest. The rain continued to pour down, plastering his dark hair across his forehead, but the freezing water felt like nothing compared to the ice spreading through his veins.
"What are you talking about?" Julian demanded, looking up at his wife through the downpour. "Beatrice is family. She’s been taking care of the estate while you were gone."
Clara let out a harsh, humorless laugh that sounded more like a sob. "Beatrice doesn't care about family, Julian. She cares about the legacy. She cares about keeping the foundation's secrets buried under twenty feet of stone and concrete."
The tall man in the rain slicker stepped forward into the dim light, pulling a heavy, waterproof leather portfolio from beneath his coat. He extended it toward Julian, his face obscured by the hood of his coat.
"Read it, Julian," the man spoke for the first time, his voice deep and raspy. "It’s the unedited autopsy report for Emily. The one Beatrice paid the county coroner to burn."
Julian hesitated, looking down at Sophie, who was shivering violently against him. He gently pulled his damp coat tighter around her shoulders, then reached out with one trembling hand to take the leather portfolio from the stranger. He unbuckled the strap and pulled out a sheaf of medical papers protected by plastic sleeves.
The emergency flashlight beam cut across the page. Julian’s eyes raced over the medical terminology, skipping past the standard headers until they landed on the toxicology section.
"This... this is impossible," Julian whispered, the words catching in his windpipe.
"It’s real," Clara said softly, stepping closer to him in the mud. "Emily didn't die of a natural asthma attack. Her system was saturated with a synthetic paralytic agent. The exact same compound that was detected in the water supply of the mansion's east wing."
Julian looked up, his dark eyes wide with horror as the terrifying puzzle pieces finally slammed into place.
"Beatrice," Julian hissed, the name tasting like ash in his mouth.
"She poisoned Emily because the girl started asking questions about the basement laboratory," Clara said, her voice dropping to an urgent whisper. "And tonight, she was going to do the exact same thing to Sophie."
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Before Julian could answer, the sharp, deafening crack of a rifle shot echoed through the dense woods, and a bullet slammed into the wooden wall of the shed inches above their heads.
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