Chapter 2 - Poison in the BloodlineBy mid-afternoon, the tension in the mansion was palpable. Guards were stationed at every exit—not to keep threats out, but to keep everyone in.
Nina was in the linen room down in the basement, leaning against a tall stack of folded sheets, trying to catch her breath. The blue pills were still in her pocket. She needed to destroy them, flush them down a drain, or burn them. But doing so meant destroying the only evidence of the crime.
"Hiding, housemaid?"
Nina jumped, turning to find Marcus standing in the doorway. He had shed his suit jacket, rolling his crisp white sleeves up to his elbows. He looked less like a corporate lawyer and more like the enforcer he actually was.
"No, Mr. Hale. Just organizing the spare bedding," she said, backing away slightly until her shoulders hit the wall.
Marcus stepped inside and closed the heavy oak door behind him. "You’re a terrible liar, Nina. You were pre-med at NYU for two years before your mother got sick, wasn't it?"
Nina felt the air leave her lungs. "How... how do you know that?"
"Because I run background checks on everyone who breathes the same air as Alexander Romano," Marcus said, stepping closer. "Which means you know what a beta-blocker looks like. And you know what an overdose does to a man with an existing arrhythmia."
Nina’s hands shook uncontrollably. "Mr. Hale, I—"
"Quiet," Marcus commanded softly. He pulled a heavy silver revolver from his waistband and laid it on a table between them. "I’m going to tell you something, Nina. And depending on how you answer, you will either leave this basement on your feet or in a body bag."
Nina swallowed hard, nodding.
"Alexander’s illness wasn't a random virus," Marcus whispered, leaning in. "Someone has been micro-dosing his daily tea with arsenic for three weeks. Castellano was brought in to 'treat' it, but Castellano’s entire medical practice is financed by the Moretti syndicate—Alexander’s fiercest rivals."
Nina gasped. "The doctor... he was trying to kill him."
"Castellano was going to let the fever weaken him, then use the swapped pills to trigger a fatal cardiac arrest tonight. It would look like natural heart failure due to high fever," Marcus explained. His eyes bore into hers. "Except someone tampered with the trap. The pills in that bag were switched back to one-milligram doses. You saved him."
"You... you knew?" Nina stammered.
"I suspected Castellano," Marcus said grimly. "That’s why I told you to trust your instincts last night. I needed to see if you were in on it, or if you were as innocent as you act." He held out his hand. "Give me the bottle, Nina."
May you like
With trembling hands, Nina pulled the aspirin bottle from her apron and laid it in Marcus’s open palm.
Marcus cracked a faint smile. "Good girl. Now, listen to me very carefully. Castellano knows something went wrong. He realizes Alexander should be dead right now. He will come back tonight to finish the job—and he won't come alone."
