Chapter 6 - The Poison Was Not Meant to Kill Quickly
The private clinic had been built inside a converted townhouse in Polanco.
There were no reporters.
No family staff.
No Aranda drivers.
When Alejandro arrived, Samuel met him outside Valeria's room.
"Tell me."
Samuel held a folder against his chest.
"We found traces consistent with a medication-derived anticoagulant."
Alejandro stared at him.
"In plain English."
"Something has been interfering with Valeria's blood clotting."
"Enough to cause the bruising and bleeding."
"Could it kill her?"
"Yes."
"And the baby?"
"Yes."
Alejandro looked through the glass window at Valeria.
She was sleeping with an IV in her arm.
"How long?"
"I can't tell yet."
"The levels suggest repeated exposure."
"Not one incident."
Repeated.
The word was worse than poison.
Repeated meant routine.
Repeated meant planning.
Repeated meant someone watching Valeria drink something every day.
"The tea."
"It is one possibility."
"I sent the sample you brought to an independent toxicology lab."
"How long until results?"
"Several hours."
Alejandro leaned against the wall.
"Why would anyone use something like this?"
Samuel hesitated.
"To create complications that could look natural."
The meaning hit Alejandro immediately.
Pregnancy complications.
A hemorrhage.
A miscarriage.
A medical emergency.
Something tragic.
Something believable.
He looked at Samuel.
"Do you think somebody is trying to kill my wife?"
"I think someone has knowingly exposed her to something dangerous."
"I won't speculate beyond that."
Alejandro nodded.
"Good."
"I will."
Samuel studied him.
Alejandro's voice went quiet.
"My mother gave her that tea."
Samuel said nothing.
"My sister knew you were visiting."
"She tried to convince me you were Valeria's lover."
"Security recordings were erased."
"My wife tried to leave and my mother physically stopped her."
Samuel exhaled slowly.
"You need law enforcement."
"I need proof first."
"You need both."
Alejandro looked back toward the room.
Valeria was awake now.
She was watching him.
He entered.
"How do you feel?"
"Like I haven't slept in a month."
He sat beside the bed.
"I owe you an apology."
She looked away.
"More than one."
"Yes."
He accepted it.
"I believed that photograph."
"I believed Marcela because it was easier than asking why you were terrified."
"I let my pride become more important than you."
Valeria's eyes filled with tears.
Alejandro continued.
"I can't change that."
"But I can stop pretending I didn't fail you."
She was silent for a long time.
Then she asked.
"What did Samuel tell you?"
"Someone has been exposing you to a blood-thinning compound."
Valeria closed her eyes.
"I knew it."
"You suspected?"
"I suspected the tea."
"Why?"
"Because every morning after I drank it, I felt worse."
"Why keep drinking it?"
Valeria opened her eyes.
"Because when I refused, your mother watched me."
Alejandro's jaw tightened.
"Sometimes Marcela watched too."
He looked away.
Valeria reached toward him.
Her fingers touched his hand.
"I don't know if they wanted to hurt me."
"Maybe they thought they were giving me something harmless."
Alejandro looked at her.
She still wanted to believe there was another explanation.
He no longer did.
His phone buzzed.
Rafael had sent a message.
FOUND BASEMENT CHAPEL.
SEALED DURING 2014 RENOVATION.
Alejandro stood.
"I have to go back to the mansion."
Valeria's hand tightened around his.
"Why?"
"Teresa thinks my father left something for me before he died."
Valeria stared at him.
"What?"
"I don't know."
He kissed her hand.
"But I think my family has been keeping secrets much longer than your pregnancy."
As Alejandro reached the doorway, Valeria spoke.
"Alejandro."
He turned.
"Be careful."
"Your mother told me something the night I fell."
"What?"
Valeria's face became pale.
"She said your father made the same mistake you're making now."
Alejandro felt every hair on his arms rise.
"What mistake?"
May you like
Valeria swallowed.
"Choosing someone outside the family."
