“Sarah, this is absurd. I can’t just abandon our guests.”
“Mom,” her voice trembled. “I’m begging you. This isn’t a game. This is about your life.”
There was something so raw, so genuine in her fear that I felt a chill run down my spine. What could have scared my daughter so much? What did she know that I didn’t? I quickly grabbed my purse and the car keys. We found Richard in the living room, chatting animatedly with two men in suits.
“Richard, excuse me,” I interrupted. “My headache is getting worse. I’m going to the pharmacy to get something stronger. Sarah is coming with me.”
His smile froze for an instant before he turned to the guests with an expression of resignation. “My wife isn’t feeling well,” he explained. “Be back soon,” he added, turning to me. His tone was casual, but his eyes conveyed something I couldn’t decipher.
When we got in the car, Sarah was trembling. “Drive, Mom,” she said, looking back at the house as if expecting something terrible to happen. “Get away from here. I’ll explain everything on the way.”
I started the car, a thousand questions spinning in my mind. What could be so serious? It was when she started talking that my entire world fell apart.
“Richard is trying to kill you, Mom,” she said, the words coming out like a choked sob. “I heard him last night on the phone, talking about putting poison in your tea.”
I slammed on the brakes, almost hitting the back of a truck stopped at the light. My entire body froze, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe, much less speak. Sarah’s words seemed absurd, like something out of a cheap thriller.
“What, Sarah? That’s not funny at all,” I finally managed to say, my voice weaker than I would have liked.
