At His Funeral, Their Daughter Felt Her Father's Hand Move

CHAPTER 4 - THE SECOND TEST

Elena drove straight from the hospital to Victor's house while Maya slept in the back seat, curled around the church blanket.

Rain tapped the windshield. The pharmacy receipt sat on the passenger seat like a live thing.

Victor opened the door in jeans and a black sweater, his expression arranged too quickly into concern. "How is he?"

"Alive."

He flinched.

That was all Elena needed to see.

She stepped inside without waiting. "Why did you buy insulin?"

Victor looked at the receipt in her hand and went pale. "You went through Daniel's things?"

"It was in his suit pocket. Answer me."

He pressed a hand over his mouth, then dragged it down. "It's not what you think."

Elena almost laughed. "Those words never help."

Maya stirred in the hall, and Victor lowered his voice. "I bought it for Mom."

Elena stopped. "Your mother isn't diabetic either."

"I know." His eyes filled. "She thought she was. She'd been dizzy. Thirsty. Losing weight. She hates doctors. Daniel begged her to get checked. She refused. He asked me to buy a pen because he thought maybe trying a small dose would scare her into seeing someone."

Elena stared at him. "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Victor nodded, tears slipping free. "Yes."

He sank onto the sofa. "I left it on Daniel's counter with a note for Mom because she was coming by to watch Maya that morning. Daniel called me after opening it. He was furious. Said I could kill someone."

Elena's skin went cold.

Her mother-in-law had made Daniel coffee that morning while Elena ran upstairs to get Maya's school sweater.

"Why push cremation?" Elena asked.

Victor looked shattered. "Because I thought it was my fault. I thought he somehow used the pen on himself trying to prove a point to Mom. I panicked. I wanted it gone before anyone asked questions."

Cowardice. Not murder.

Still enough to bury a man alive.

At the hospital, Dr. Patel met Elena with a new severity in his face.

"The additional scans are back," he said. "Your husband has minimal but definite brain activity. And Mrs. Alvarez... there were also bruises on his throat."

Elena felt all the air leave her body.

"Someone may have tried to make sure he never woke up."

Then Maya, half awake in Elena's arms, whispered, "Grandma was mad at Daddy. She said if he told, we'd all lose the house."