Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 137144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Harvey nodded. Fine. He could understand that.
“She also told us that the few interactions she’s had with Lily, she was practically comatose, unable to do anything for herself. But when she left, she was walking, moving around by herself and seemed fine. This woman thought it was odd, but she was paid well to keep her mouth shut. Until recently, that is, when the payments stopped. Why did the doctor stop paying his staff, I wonder? Is it something to do with Lily?”
“Listen, I just wanted her to do what I told her. She was refusing to marry Rick, and I needed her to get on board with that plan. So, I went to Dr. Wallace, and he suggested these pills that would make her more obedient.”
“More obedient?” Harvey said. “Or completely mindless and suggestive? You drugged her so you could get her to do whatever you wanted! Do you realize how evil that is?”
“She wouldn’t do what I wanted,” her mother screeched. “It was her duty to make a good match! She was meant to fulfill my dream of being the First Lady.”
“Your dream, not hers,” Harvey said. “Lily would’ve hated that. She would’ve hated the spotlight. And what were you going to do, keep her drugged the entire time?”
“Of course not. Lily came to her senses. She was going to marry Rick. She wanted to marry Rick.”
Harvey took a step toward her. “She didn’t want to marry Rick. You just took away everything in her life so that she had nothing. What you didn’t realize is that she had me. I’m always going to be on Lily’s side. I’m always going to protect her.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter now, does it? It’s all ruined. Rick’s family is broke. He’s never making it to the White House. I have nothing. And Clem wouldn’t give me my own mother’s property. James left me and is working somewhere else. Selena fled and I don’t know where she went. Now Lily is with you. And I was arrested. The world is completely upside down. None of it makes any sense. None of it even matters.”
“It matters to me,” Harvey said. “And it matters to Lily. What else were you doing to her?”
Her mother glanced away, looking nervous. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I wanted her to do what she was told, and Dr. Wallace prescribed us those pills. End of story.”
“I don’t think it is the end of the story,” Ronan said. “Because the doctor’s finances don’t add up, and neither do yours. You lost all your money, and yet you were able to pay for your lifestyle. The doctor must be running something else from that clinic, something secret. I’m sure the real patients are just a front to keep it looking legitimate. There’s a back door, isn’t there, Roberta? There’s something very dodgy going on.”
She glanced around as though searching for someone to rescue her. “I need to leave.” She stepped toward the door, but Paddy moved in front of it and shook his head.
“You’re not going anywhere until we get answers,” Ronan said. “Who killed the doctor?”
“I have no idea. Like I said, I’m sure he had enemies with what he was doing.”
“And what was he doing?” Harvey was running out of patience with this woman. “Tell us.”
“I don’t know.” She pulled at her hair, and this strange look came onto her face as she stared down at Dr. Wallace. “I don’t know what is going on anymore. And I don’t want to talk anymore. This all went wrong. Everything has gone so wrong. David promised me it would all work out, but it hasn’t.”
Harvey tried to stop her as she paced back and forth frantically. But she screeched and jumped away.
“Leave me alone. Leave me alone.”
Ronan shook his head at Harvey, then glanced over at Paddy. “Find his home computer system and hack into it. See if there’s any footage.”
Paddy nodded and walked off.
Lily’s mother started to sob, and when he glanced back at her, she was sitting on the floor with her back to the wall, staring at the doctor’s body. “It’s all gone wrong. Everyone left me. James. Selena. Lily. Clem had me arrested. It’s all gone, wrong, wrong, wrong.”
Ronan walked over to her and crouched down, reaching out a grasp hold of her chin, not letting her move away. “Where did you get the money from? How did you pay for the doctor, for the Devil’s Breath?”
“It was all free. All I had to do was let him have her once a fortnight for a night or two and I got my cut. I don’t know what he did to her. I had to make excuses to Rick that she was sick. Luckily, he never seemed to notice or care. He was too wrapped up in himself.”