Chapter 2 - The Medication That Disappeared
In early December, Lucy caught bronchitis.
Nothing dramatic.
A fever.
Persistent coughing.
The pediatrician prescribed medication and told Sarah to make sure Lucy finished it.
Sarah placed the bottle in a locked kitchen cabinet because Walter had once given Lucy an extra dose of cough syrup without asking.
On December 7, the bottle disappeared.
Sarah searched the kitchen twice.
Mark searched the bathroom.
Lucy insisted she had not touched it.
Sarah called the pharmacy.
The pharmacist said the prescription had been picked up three days earlier.
"I know," Sarah said. "I picked it up."
There was silence.
"No, ma'am. According to our system, a replacement bottle was collected yesterday."
Sarah stopped.
"By who?"
The pharmacist hesitated.
"A family member."
"What family member?"
"I shouldn't give out personal information over the phone."
Sarah drove there.
Security footage showed Walter.
He had claimed Sarah had dropped the original bottle.
Because his surname matched Lucy's and he knew Lucy's date of birth, a busy technician had released the refill.
Sarah drove directly to Walter's house.
He answered wearing slippers and a cardigan.
She pushed past him.
"Where is Lucy's medicine?"
Walter looked mildly amused.
"Hello to you too."
"Where is it?"
"I picked up a replacement."
"Why?"
"You said she'd been coughing."
"I did not ask you to pick up anything."
Walter walked into the kitchen.
Sarah followed.
The bottle sat on the counter.
Unopened.
"Then take it."
Sarah snatched it.
"Why did you lie to the pharmacy?"
"I didn't lie."
"You said I lost the original prescription."
"You couldn't find it, could you?"
Sarah froze.
She had not told Walter the original bottle was missing.
Walter saw the realization in her face.
A fraction too late.
Sarah lowered her voice.
"How did you know?"
Walter smiled.
"Mark mentioned it."
When Sarah asked Mark later, he denied it.
That was the first time Mark genuinely looked worried.
"Dad probably guessed."
"He didn't guess."
"Sarah."
"He knew the bottle was missing before I knew it was missing."
Mark rubbed his face.
"What are you saying?"
"I don't know yet."
The next morning, the original bottle appeared in Lucy's school backpack.
Sarah stared at it for almost a minute.
"Lucy, did you put this here?"
"No."
"Did Grandpa?"
"I don't know."
That afternoon, the school nurse called.
Someone had reported that Lucy was carrying prescription medication without parental supervision.
Sarah nearly dropped the phone.
The school opened another report.
The same phrase appeared again.
Unsafe medication access.
The child welfare file was reopened.
Sarah began writing everything down.
Dates.
Times.
Calls.
Names.
Walter's comments.
May you like
She stored the notes in a blue folder inside her bedroom dresser.
Two days later, the folder disappeared.
