Chapter 8: The Woman at the Door
The doorbell rang before anyone could speak.
Naomi stared at the entrance.
Marcus went rigid.
Vanessa backed away from the hallway, shaking her head.
“No. No, she said she wouldn't come here.””
Detective Ross moved toward the front door, while Detective Ellis positioned herself where she could see both the entrance and the living room.
“Everyone remain where you are,” Ross instructed.
The bell rang again.
Naomi could hear a car engine running outside. Through the glass beside the door, a woman stood on the front step, holding a large leather handbag against her side.
She was Black, in her early forties, wearing a tailored gray suit and carrying herself with the practiced confidence of someone accustomed to walking into rooms where people were waiting for her.
Marcus stared at her through the glass.
“Danielle.””
The woman looked directly at him.
Then her gaze shifted toward Lily's memorial table.
Her expression changed.
Only slightly, but enough for Naomi to notice.
Danielle opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Detective Ross opened the door but remained in the entrance.
“Ms. Danielle Brooks?””
“Yes.””
“I'm Detective Ross. We need to speak with you.””
Danielle glanced past him.
“Is Marcus here?””
“Yes.””
“Then I'd prefer to speak with him first.””
“That won't be possible at this time. Please come inside.””
Danielle hesitated.
“Am I under arrest?””
“No. We're asking you to cooperate with an investigation.””
She looked toward Marcus again.
He shook his head.
Danielle stepped inside.
The room became painfully quiet.
Naomi stood beside Lily's photograph, watching the woman who had apparently been involved in decisions about her daughter's medical care.
Danielle approached no farther than the edge of the foyer.
“Marcus,” she said carefully, “I'm sorry about Lily.””
Naomi felt anger flare through her exhaustion.
“You knew my daughter?””
Danielle turned toward her.
“Not personally.””
“Then why are you sorry?””
“Because I knew what the family was going through.””
“You knew enough to get involved in her medication?””
Danielle's face tightened.
She looked at Marcus.
He lowered his eyes.
Ross stepped between them.
“Ms. Brooks, we need to establish your relationship with Mr. Reed and your involvement in any medical decisions concerning Lily.””
Danielle placed her handbag on the floor.
“I'm a consultant. Marcus contacted me because he was desperate to find additional treatment options for his daughter.””
“Did you recommend a medication?””
“I provided information about an experimental treatment.””
Naomi stared at her.
“Experimental?””
Danielle raised both hands.
“I did not prescribe anything. I'm not a physician.””
“Then why did you get involved?””
“Marcus asked me to help him understand some information he'd received.””
Marcus looked up.
“You said you could arrange a consultation.””
“I said I could help him find someone to speak with.””
“You gave me the bottle.””
Danielle's face went pale.
Ross immediately turned toward Marcus.
“Mr. Reed, please don't interrupt. Ms. Brooks, what bottle is he referring to?””
Danielle stared at Marcus.
“I gave him a sealed package containing information and a sample provided by a research contact. I told him it needed to be reviewed by a qualified medical professional before anyone used it.””
Naomi felt her stomach turn.
“You gave my husband something for my child without speaking to me?””
“I gave him information. I never spoke to Naomi because Marcus told me he was handling the discussions with the family.””
Marcus shook his head.
“You said it had been checked.””
“I said the supplier provided documentation.””
“You told me it was safe!””
Danielle's expression hardened.
“I told you to get medical approval before using it.””
Naomi turned toward Marcus.
“Did you give it to Lily?””
Marcus began to cry.
“I thought I was helping her.””
“That isn't an answer.””
He looked at her, his face crumpling.
“I gave her the dose I was told to give her.””
Danielle closed her eyes.
“Oh, Marcus.””
Ross's voice was firm.
“What did the package contain?””
“I don't know its complete contents,” Danielle answered.
“I did not manufacture it, and I did not prescribe it. I have the documentation from the supplier.””
“Where is that documentation?””
“In my office.””
“Can you provide it?””
“Yes.””
Ellis made a note.
“Did you communicate with Lily directly?””
Danielle hesitated.
“Once.””
Naomi's head snapped toward her.
“What?””
Danielle looked toward the memorial.
“She called Marcus's phone while I was with him. He stepped away, and I heard her speaking.””
“What did she say?””
“She asked whether the new medicine was supposed to make her feel strange.””
Naomi grabbed the edge of the table.
“Strange how?””
Danielle's face tightened.
“She said she felt dizzy. She said her stomach hurt.””
Naomi's vision blurred.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I didn't know she was experiencing those symptoms until that moment. I told Marcus he needed to contact her doctor immediately.””
Marcus shook his head.
“You said we should wait.””
Danielle stared at him.
“I said we should wait for the doctor to tell us what to do. I never told you to give her another dose.””
“You said the reaction might be temporary!””
“I said I couldn't assess it. I'm not a doctor!””
Naomi turned away, pressing her fingers against her lips.
The room seemed to shrink around her.
Every new answer opened another question. Every person who had claimed to be helping Lily appeared to have kept some part of the truth from her.
Ross asked Danielle whether she had any written communications concerning the package.
“Yes,” she replied.
“Emails and messages.””
“Have any of those records been deleted?””
Danielle frowned.
“Not that I'm aware of.””
Vanessa let out a small, involuntary sound.
Everyone turned toward her.
Danielle stared at Vanessa.
“What are you doing here?””
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
“You know exactly what I'm doing here.””
Danielle's face became guarded.
“I don't.””
“You told me Marcus needed help making sure the messages disappeared.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa in horror.
“What messages?””
Vanessa pressed a trembling hand against her mouth.
Danielle took one step backward.
“That's a lie.””
“Then why did you call me the night Lily sent that message?””
Ross moved closer.
“Ms. Cole, explain precisely what you mean.””
Vanessa looked at Danielle.
“You said the tablet was the only copy.””
Naomi felt a coldness spread through her chest.
“The only copy of what?””
Vanessa shook her head, crying.
Danielle turned toward Ross.
“I want legal counsel.””
“You're entitled to seek counsel,” Ross replied.
“We will preserve any evidence lawfully obtained and arrange the appropriate follow-up.””
Danielle reached for her handbag.
Ellis asked her to leave it where it was until they had clarified what materials she had brought into the house. Danielle slowly withdrew her hand.
Then Naomi noticed a small object peeking from the open top of Danielle's bag.
A pink plastic corner.
A familiar blue sticker.
Naomi took one step closer.
“What is that?””
Danielle looked down.
Her face drained of color.
She quickly moved to close the bag, but Ross intervened before she could.
“Please don't touch anything.””
He looked inside without disturbing the contents.
Beneath a folder of papers lay a small external storage drive in a pink protective case.
Naomi recognized the sticker on its surface.
Lily had placed the same kind of star stickers on everything she considered special.
“That belonged to my daughter,” Naomi whispered.
Danielle stared at the bag.
“I can explain.””
Ross looked directly at her.
“Why do you have a storage device belonging to Lily Reed?””
Danielle swallowed.
“Marcus gave it to me.””
Naomi turned toward her husband.
May you like
Marcus's face had gone completely white.
And before anyone could ask another question, Danielle added, “He told me to destroy it if he couldn't get the original recording erased.””
