Chapter 4 - The Strategy
"We can arrest her for attempted poisoning right now, Mrs. Howard," Detective Ruiz had said, tapping the certified lab report inside an unmarked police sedan parked two blocks from the Howard estate.
"No," Elena replied, staring straight ahead through the tinted windshield. "Her father still has high-powered lawyers on retainer. Julian will hire the top defense firm in the state just to protect the family reputation. She’ll claim a maid planted it. She’ll claim I planted it myself to frame her for sympathy. She’ll walk on bail, and Julian will use it to commit me to an institution."
"So what's the play?" Ruiz asked, raising an eyebrow at the woman sitting beside him.
"We catch her on camera committing physical assault with clear intent to cause severe bodily harm and termination of pregnancy," Elena said, her voice completely devoid of fear. "I want her red-handed on federal wiretaps and multi-angle 4K security feeds. I want the entire Howard family’s complicity laid bare so they can never bury it."
"Elena, you’re seven months pregnant," Ruiz said, his tone turning severe. "I cannot authorize a civilian putting herself or her unborn child in direct physical danger."
"I won't be in danger," Elena said calmly, unbuttoning her coat to reveal a custom-molded, high-density Kevlar and medical-grade foam maternity support rig fastened beneath her sweater. "My OB-GYN approved the protective brace. The staircase landing has an eight-inch memory foam underlay concealed beneath the oriental rug. I’ve calculated the drop from the fourth stair. I won’t break anything."
May you like
Ruiz stared at her for a long moment, a mix of shock and respect in his eyes. "You’re terrifying, you know that?"
"I’m a mother," Elena answered, adjusting her seatbelt. "And nobody touches my son."
