Chapter 9 - The Eviction of Shadows
Twenty minutes later, the blue and red strobe lights of two county sheriff cruisers cast dancing patterns across the beige walls of the nursery.
The local deputy, a burly man named Miller who had known the Vance family for twenty years, stood in the doorway of the nursery. He held the small amber glass bottle in a plastic evidence bag, his face grim as he looked from the fallen matriarch to the young family sitting on the floor.
"State lab is going to test it, Lucas," Deputy Miller said quietly. "But based on what you found in her room... we found three more bottles in the cellar. All hidden behind the old fruit jars."
Evelyn sat in an oak chair near the wardrobe, her hands handcuffed behind her back. A female deputy stood beside her, keeping a firm grip on her shoulder. Evelyn held her head high, her grey hair wild, her lips pressed into a thin, bloodless line. She refused to look at the police, refused to look at the evidence bags, and above all, refused to look at her son.
"She’s sick, Miller," Lucas said quietly, standing near the window with Toby wrapped securely in a clean blanket against his chest. "She’s been sick for thirty years."
"She’s going away for a very long time, son," Miller replied, placing a heavy hand on Lucas’s shoulder. "Attempted murder of a minor, child endangerment, poisoning... and we’re reopening the files on Caleb and Thomas."
At the mention of her dead sons' names, Evelyn’s severe expression twitched slightly. A tiny, flicker of defeat passed through her dark eyes before she hardened her jaw once more, staring blankly at the wall.
"Take her out," Miller ordered.
The female deputy pulled Evelyn to her feet. The matriarch walked slowly, her steps stiff without her cane, her dark blue jacket dragging slightly. As she passed Lucas, she stopped for a fraction of a second.
"You'll come back," Evelyn whispered, her voice a dry, rattling hiss. "You don't know how to live without me, Lucas. None of you do."
Lucas didn't look at her. He kept his eyes on his son’s tiny face. "Goodbye, Ma."
May you like
The deputies led her out of the room. Her footsteps echoed down the wooden stairs, followed by the heavy, final thud of the front door closing forever.
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