Guest A: Digitalis? That causes immediate cardiac arrest!
Guest B: She was going to kill him on their wedding night!
Victoria: That glass bottle isn't mine! My fingerprints aren't on it!
Julian: You were wearing white lace gloves all evening, Victoria. Look at your hands right now.
Victoria looked down at her hands, her white lace gloves spotless, but her knuckles shaking uncontrollably.
Victoria: Lots of people wear gloves at a formal wedding!
Julian: The catering staff wear black cloth gloves. You are the only person in this room wearing white lace.
Heavy thuds echoed against the grand front doors of the ballroom as the police arrived outside.
Officer Vance: Police! Open these doors immediately!
Julian: Security, unlock the main doors for Detective Vance!
The brass locks turned, and the heavy oak doors swung open. Four uniformed police officers walked onto the marble floor, led by Detective Vance in a dark trench coat.
Detective Vance: Mr. Sterling, we received your emergency call regarding an attempted poisoning.
Julian: Over here, Detective. Look at the fallen slice on the floor, and look at this bag Marcus recovered from the kitchen.
Detective Vance knelt down beside the fallen cake, his sharp eyes examining the silver syringe protruding from the frosting.
Detective Vance: Nobody touch the cake or the floor area. Evidence team, get pictures from every angle!
Victoria: Detective Vance, thank goodness you're here! My husband had a psychotic break and slapped me in front of two hundred guests!
Detective Vance: Mrs. Sterling, keep your voice down while we secure the scene.
Victoria: I want him arrested for domestic assault right now!
Julian: Hand him the bottle, Marcus.
Marcus handed the sealed plastic bag to Detective Vance. The detective read the chemical label, his expression turning dark as he looked up at Victoria.
Detective Vance: Concentrated digitalis is a controlled medical substance, Mrs. Sterling. Where did you acquire this?
Victoria: I didn't acquire anything! Someone planted that bottle in the pantry to frame me!
Detective Vance: We’ll check the venue’s security cameras right now.
Victoria: The venue manager told us the kitchen hallway camera was undergoing maintenance today!
Julian: How did you know that specific camera was under maintenance, Victoria?
Victoria froze, her mouth opening and closing as she realized what she had just said in front of four police officers.
Julian: I never mentioned camera maintenance to anyone today. Neither did the venue manager.
Detective Vance: That is a very specific piece of information, Mrs. Sterling.
Victoria: I... I heard one of the waiters talking about it earlier!
Lily: No she didn't, Daddy! She paid the camera man fifty dollars to turn it off!
Julian: What did you say, Lily?
Lily: I saw her give green money to the camera man near the back stairs before the party started!
Detective Vance: Officers, go secure the camera control room and detain the technician on duty!
Officer Davis: Right away, Detective!
Victoria stumbled backward, her long lace train catching on the edge of the stage as she looked for an escape route that was no longer there.