Detective Reed: Mr. Vance! We got your emergency distress call from the estate security board. What happened here?
Forty-five-year-old Detective Marcus Reed walked into the high-key dining room alongside two uniformed city police officers. He adjusted his coat as he looked around the grand room, his eyes lingering on the framed American flag on the back wall before turning to Charles.
Charles: Detective Reed, thank you for arriving so quickly. My wife just attempted to poison my champagne during dinner.
Victoria: Detective, this is a complete misunderstanding! My husband is suffering from severe paranoia!
Maya: It's not paranoia, Detective! I have full video footage of her pouring the liquid into the wine decanter three minutes ago!
Maya held up her smartphone again, playing the video clip for Detective Reed. The detective leaned in closely, watching the footage as Victoria poured the clear liquid from the dark dropper bottle.
Detective Reed: That's clear enough footage for me. Where is the bottle shown in this video?
Charles: Right there on the tablecloth, Detective. Along with the decanter and the glass she served me.
Detective Reed pulled a pair of blue latex gloves from his pocket and carefully bagged the small dark glass bottle and the crystal glass into sealed evidence containers.
Detective Reed: Officer Davis, run a field chemical test on the residue inside this bottle immediately.
Officer Davis: Yes, Detective.
The young officer set a portable test kit on the marble counter, placing a droplet of the liquid onto a paper strip. Within fifteen seconds, the test strip turned a dark, bright purple color.
Officer Davis: Toxin test is positive, Detective. High concentration of synthetic potassium cyanide.
Detective Reed: Cyanide... That is a lethal dose, Mrs. Vance.
Victoria: No! That can't be right! The seller told me it was just a sleep aid!
The entire dining room went deathly quiet. Victoria's hands flew to her mouth as she realized what she had just blurted out in front of three police officers.
Detective Reed: A sleep aid? So you admit you bought a controlled chemical substance from an illegal seller and poured it into your husband's drink?
Victoria: I... I didn't mean it like that! I was confused! I didn't say that!
Detective Reed: Mrs. Victoria Vance, you are under arrest for attempted first-degree murder, possession of a controlled toxic substance, and domestic assault.
Victoria: Get your hands off me! Do you know who I am?! I am the chief patron of the city arts foundation!
Detective Reed: Turn around and place your hands behind your back, ma'am.
The police officer grabbed Victoria's wrists, clicking heavy steel handcuffs around her arms. Her bronze satin dress crumpled as she was forced to turn toward the doorway.
Victoria: Charles! Tell them to stop! You can't let them take me away in handcuffs! Think of what this will do to our estate value!
Charles: The estate value will recover, Victoria. But my life would have ended tonight if it weren't for Maya's courage.
Victoria: You miserable little maid! You ruined my life!
Maya: You ruined your own life the second you decided to hurt a good man for his money, Mrs. Vance.
The officers escorted Victoria out of the dining room, her high heels clicking loudly against the marble floor as she wept and screamed all the way out to the police cruisers waiting in the driveway.