An hour later, the wine cellar was quiet again. Crime scene technicians in white suits gathered samples of the spilled wine from the dark wooden table while Julian and Clara sat in the main living room upstairs.
Clara held an ice pack gently against her left cheek, her eyes fixed on the warm cup of tea Julian had handed her.
Julian: The paramedics said the swelling should go down in a couple of days, Clara. But please, if you feel any dizziness, tell me immediately so I can take you to the emergency room.
Clara: I'm fine, Mr. Sterling. Really. The ice is helping a lot.
Julian: I still can't wrap my head around how you noticed her doing it. There were over fifty guests in that wine cellar tonight.
Clara: I was resting behind the wine barrel row after refilling the tray. I saw Miss Vanessa standing near your table, looking around nervously to see if anyone was watching her.
Julian: She was acting paranoid?
Clara: Yes, sir. She kept checking her reflection in her phone screen, making sure your back was turned. Then she reached into her green dress pocket and pulled out a small glass bottle.
Julian: Did you see what was written on the bottle?
Clara: I couldn't read the label from where I stood, but I saw her open it and empty the entire white powder into your glass. I knew if I yelled from across the room, she would just deny it or throw the glass away.
Julian: So you pulled out your phone and started recording first.
Clara: I needed proof, sir. I knew a wealthy guest wouldn't take the word of a hired server against his own fiancé without evidence.
Julian: You were remarkably brave, Clara. Most people would have been too scared to intervene in a situation like that.
Clara: My mother always taught me that doing the right thing is never something to be afraid of, no matter who is involved.
The heavy front doors of the mansion opened, and Detective Vance walked into the room wearing a dark trench coat, carrying a police folder.
Detective Vance: Good evening, Mr. Sterling. I have the preliminary lab results from the field test unit outside.
Julian: What did they find in the wine, Detective?
Detective Vance: The substance mixed into your glass was a concentrated dose of odorless digitalis toxin, a powerful heart medication that causes fatal cardiac arrest within fifteen minutes when mixed with high-proof alcohol.
Julian gasped, sinking back into his leather armchair as his hands trembled visibly.
Julian: Fifteen minutes... I would have been dead before the ambulance even reached the main gate.
Detective Vance: Precisely. And because it mimics a natural heart attack, her plan was likely to claim you died of sudden natural causes during the gala dinner.
Julian: She knew about my father's history of heart conditions. She was planning to use his medical background to cover up her crime.
Detective Vance: We also searched her designer purse in the driveway. We found three more glass vials containing the exact same toxic powder, along with a forged copy of your estate will.
Julian: A forged will?!
Detective Vance: Yes, sir. It named her as the sole beneficiary of your entire trust fund, complete with a forged signature dated three days ago.
Julian closed his eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath as the sheer weight of what almost happened washed over him.
Julian: She had everything planned out down to the smallest detail... except for Clara.
Detective Vance: Your server saved your life, Mr. Sterling. Without her quick thinking and that video recording, Miss Harrison might have gotten away with capital murder.