{"id":26817,"date":"2026-10-01T11:56:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T11:56:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=26817"},"modified":"2026-10-01T11:56:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T11:56:42","slug":"part-19-richards-missing-pill-case-was-found-in-kanes-safe-but-the-fingerprints-inside-pointed-back-toward-someone-in-my-own-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=26817","title":{"rendered":"PART 19 \u2013 Richard\u2019s Missing Pill Case Was Found in Kane\u2019s Safe, but the Fingerprints Inside Pointed Back Toward Someone in My Own Family"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The warrant was executed before dawn.<\/p>\n<p>Detective Ruiz called me at 6:12.<\/p>\n<p>That time alone made my chest tighten.<\/p>\n<p>Six-twelve.<\/p>\n<p>Five minutes before the 911 call that had divided my life thirteen years earlier.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;We found the case.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I sat up in bed.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Richard&#39;s?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Silver. Initials R.H.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>My hand shook around the phone.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Where?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Robert Kane&#39;s residential safe.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Is he there?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He was present during the search.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Arrested?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Not at this time.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>The answer frustrated me.<\/p>\n<p>Then I remembered what I&#39;d promised myself.<\/p>\n<p>Evidence before conclusions.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What&#39;s inside?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Nothing.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Empty.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Fingerprints?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Being processed.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;D.N.A.?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Also.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I got out of bed.<\/p>\n<p>Evelyn, sleeping in the guest room, appeared in the hallway wearing Richard&#39;s old robe I&#39;d loaned her.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What happened?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;They found it.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>She closed her eyes.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Thank God.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I wasn&#39;t sure gratitude was the feeling.<\/p>\n<p>Finding the case meant Richard&#39;s suspicion had been justified.<\/p>\n<p>It meant someone had removed it from my house.<\/p>\n<p>It meant Kane had kept it.<\/p>\n<p>But it still did not tell us exactly what happened.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas arrived by eight.<\/p>\n<p>He had already spoken to Ruiz.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Kane claims Richard gave him the case.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I stared.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;When?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;The night before he died.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He says Richard wanted him to identify medication interactions.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I laughed.<\/p>\n<p>Actually laughed.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;After Kane fraudulently obtained medical records and searched beta blockers?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;That&#39;s the problem with his explanation.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did he know about propranolol?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He says no.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Jennifer gave it to him.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He claims she gave him unidentified pills and he discarded them.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Of course.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Kane&#39;s attorney says Jennifer was trying to set him up.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I felt anger flare.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Thirteen years in advance?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Thomas gave me a tired look.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Defense theories don&#39;t have to be elegant on day one.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What about Steven?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Claims he inventoried whatever his father told him to inventory.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;David?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Ruiz is questioning him again.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I paced the kitchen.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Could Kane have removed the case after Richard died?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Possible.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;How?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Access through someone else.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Jennifer.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Michael.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Either.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Or both.<\/p>\n<p>That possibility had stopped shocking me.<\/p>\n<p>By noon, the first fingerprint results came back.<\/p>\n<p>Robert Kane&#39;s prints were on the exterior.<\/p>\n<p>No surprise.<\/p>\n<p>Richard&#39;s partial prints were also present.<\/p>\n<p>Inside the lid, technicians recovered another usable print.<\/p>\n<p>Detective Ruiz insisted on telling me personally.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;It matches Jennifer.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>My eyes closed.<\/p>\n<p>Jennifer.<\/p>\n<p>Again.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Inside?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Could she have touched the case before Dad died for an innocent reason?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Certainly.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did she?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;We asked.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;And?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;She says no.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>My heart sank.<\/p>\n<p>If she had admitted touching it before, there might have been an ordinary explanation.<\/p>\n<p>Instead she denied ever handling it.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Was Michael&#39;s print there?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Not usable.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Mine?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Anything else?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Trace fibers.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Meaning?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Too early.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Jennifer agreed to another interview.<\/p>\n<p>This time she came to the station with a lawyer.<\/p>\n<p>I stayed home.<\/p>\n<p>I did not trust myself to watch her cry and separate grief from manipulation.<\/p>\n<p>Three hours later, Ruiz called.<\/p>\n<p>Jennifer changed her story.<\/p>\n<p>Of course.<\/p>\n<p>She now remembered touching Richard&#39;s travel case once.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;When?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;The day before he died.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I gripped the table.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;She says Richard asked her to bring it upstairs.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;From where?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;His car.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did Richard confirm that anywhere?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Do you believe her?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Margaret.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I know.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Ruiz continued.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Jennifer says she handed it directly to Richard.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Then how did it reach Kane?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;She doesn&#39;t know.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I looked out the kitchen window.<\/p>\n<p>Snow had melted from most of the lawn.<\/p>\n<p>The footprints from Richard&#39;s study had disappeared.<\/p>\n<p>Evidence could vanish that easily.<\/p>\n<p>Thirteen years had erased almost everything.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did she admit giving Kane propranolol?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did she admit giving him the car?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did she admit helping with Dad&#39;s medical records?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Then why lie about touching the case?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Fear, perhaps.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Or because she&#39;s still hiding something.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Perhaps.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>That afternoon, Michael called me directly despite Thomas&#39;s instruction that communication go through counsel.<\/p>\n<p>I almost ignored it.<\/p>\n<p>Then I answered.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Mom.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;You shouldn&#39;t be calling me.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I need to tell you something before Jennifer does.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;She took Dad&#39;s pill case.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;How do you know?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I saw her.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;When?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;That night.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;The night before he died?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Where?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Outside your house.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Everything in me became still.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;You told investigators you left before Jennifer arrived.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I did.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Then how did you see her?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I came back.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Another lie exposed.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I forgot my phone charger.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;At Dad&#39;s house?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>He stopped.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Michael.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I came back because Kane called me.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>My fingers tightened.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What did he want?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He wanted me to find out if Dad had changed his mind.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;So you returned.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did you go inside?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Then what did you see?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I parked around the corner.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why hide?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I didn&#39;t want Dad to know I was still talking to Kane.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Of course.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What did Jennifer do?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;She came out carrying something silver.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;The pill case.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I think so.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Where did she go?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;To her car.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Then?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;She drove downtown.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did you follow her?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I sat down.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Where?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Kane&#39;s office.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>My stomach turned.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Jennifer gave Kane Dad&#39;s medication case.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;That&#39;s what it looked like.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why didn&#39;t you tell anyone?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Michael laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Because I was working with Kane too.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>At least he no longer tried to polish it.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did you see her give it to him?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No. She went inside with it. Came out without it.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;How long?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Ten minutes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Then Kane came to the house later.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;You knew he had Dad&#39;s pills.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I didn&#39;t know what was in the case.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;You knew it was his medication.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I knew it was the travel case.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Michael.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;You knew.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>My chest ached.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why didn&#39;t you stop him?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I didn&#39;t think he was going to hurt Dad.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What did you think he was going to do with his medicine?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I thought he wanted to scare him.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;How?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I don&#39;t know.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;That answer has destroyed enough lives.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>He began crying.<\/p>\n<p>Michael.<\/p>\n<p>My son who had turned anger into armor for decades.<\/p>\n<p>Crying.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I was drowning, Mom.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;You were drowning years ago.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I forced the words out.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Then Dad paid your debt. Then you kept making choices.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>He said nothing.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Being desperate explains why you grabbed the first rope.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>My throat tightened.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;It does not explain why you wrapped it around everybody else.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>He sobbed once.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I know.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why are you telling me now?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Because Jennifer is going to say I gave Kane the case.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did you?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Can you prove it?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did you see her?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did anyone see you?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;David.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>My eyes opened.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;David saw you return?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He never told us.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Because I paid him.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Of course.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;How much?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Ten thousand.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;For silence?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I felt sick.<\/p>\n<p>Every witness in this story had been purchased at least once.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did David accept?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did he keep notes anyway?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Probably.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What exactly did you ask him to hide?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;That I came back.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Anything else?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;That I followed Jennifer.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did you tell Kane she was coming?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;How did she know to go?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I assumed Kane called her.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did you ask?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Another silence where truth should have lived thirteen years earlier.<\/p>\n<p>I asked, &quot;Did Dad know you returned?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Are you certain?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I never went near the house.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Then how did Richard later write that someone inside the family was giving Kane access he couldn&#39;t explain?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Michael whispered, &quot;Because Jennifer was.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Maybe.<\/p>\n<p>Or because Richard had discovered both.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did you know Dad changed his will?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Not that night.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;When did you learn?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Seven years ago. From the memorandum.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;And you gave the original to Kane.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;For two hundred thousand dollars.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Debt relief.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Same thing.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why keep the copy?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Michael&#39;s answer surprised me.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Because I hated myself.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I said nothing.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I kept thinking I&#39;d give it to you.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;You had seven years.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I know.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Then last year you opened Daniel&#39;s toolbox.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;And after reading Dad&#39;s warning, you still tried to take my house.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Michael&#39;s crying stopped.<\/p>\n<p>When he answered, his voice was empty.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Because Kane came back.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He never left.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What did he threaten?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Daniel.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>My breath caught.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Not physically.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Do not make me drag language out of you.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He threatened to expose my role publicly. Said Daniel&#39;s scholarship, Rebecca&#39;s job, my company, everything would go.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;That&#39;s not a threat against Daniel. That&#39;s consequences for you.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I know.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Now.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;So you decided my house was cheaper.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>I looked around the kitchen Richard built with me.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Mom.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I wasn&#39;t thinking like that.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;You were thinking exactly like that.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I ended the call.<\/p>\n<p>Then I called Ruiz.<\/p>\n<p>She already had Michael scheduled for another interview.<\/p>\n<p>When I told her about David&#39;s payment, she sighed.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Mr. Cole left that out.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Are you surprised?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Neither am I.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>David admitted it when confronted.<\/p>\n<p>Michael had paid him ten thousand after Richard&#39;s death to omit Michael&#39;s return from the timeline.<\/p>\n<p>David said he accepted because he feared Kane would learn he had been watching both sides.<\/p>\n<p>Again, cowardice with a reason.<\/p>\n<p>Again, money turning silence into structure.<\/p>\n<p>But David also provided one new detail.<\/p>\n<p>He had seen Jennifer leave my house earlier.<\/p>\n<p>He had not seen her carrying the silver case then.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Then Michael&#39;s story doesn&#39;t fit,&quot; I said.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Not necessarily.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Explain.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Michael says he saw Jennifer with the case later, after she returned a second time.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>My body went cold.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Jennifer came back?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;According to him.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did David see her?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No. He temporarily left his observation point.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Food.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Of course.<\/p>\n<p>A twenty-minute gap.<\/p>\n<p>Enough.<\/p>\n<p>Ruiz obtained old toll and parking records through archived litigation files connected to Kane&#39;s company.<\/p>\n<p>Miraculously, one record survived.<\/p>\n<p>Jennifer&#39;s Lexus entered a downtown garage near Kane&#39;s office at 10:58 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>Exited 11:14.<\/p>\n<p>David had recorded Jennifer at my house around 10:47.<\/p>\n<p>She could have left my house.<\/p>\n<p>Driven downtown.<\/p>\n<p>Delivered the case.<\/p>\n<p>Then Kane arrived at my home at 11:36.<\/p>\n<p>The timing worked.<\/p>\n<p>Too well.<\/p>\n<p>I called Jennifer with Thomas present.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did you take Dad&#39;s travel pill case to Kane?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Michael told you.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Answer.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>She began crying.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>The word barely existed.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Kane said he needed to compare the labels.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;You had already given him the medication information.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He said Dad was hiding something.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I don&#39;t know.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;So you stole Dad&#39;s medicine.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I didn&#39;t steal it.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What do you call taking something without permission?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He wasn&#39;t using the travel case that week.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Language again.<\/p>\n<p>Always adjusting the verbs until wrongdoing sounded manageable.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did you know propranolol was inside?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did you put it there?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did Kane?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I don&#39;t know.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did you get the case back?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He said he&#39;d return it to Dad.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He came here thirty minutes later.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;And you never wondered?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I did.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;But you said nothing.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I breathed slowly.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Jennifer, what did Kane tell you after Dad died?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Her crying changed.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He said I had killed him.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>My eyes opened.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He called after the ambulance left.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What exactly?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He said, &#39;If anyone asks where Richard got the wrong pills, remember who brought them to me.&#39;&quot;<\/p>\n<p>My stomach turned.<\/p>\n<p>Kane had trapped her instantly.<\/p>\n<p>Whether he had poisoned Richard or not, he made Jennifer believe she could be blamed.<\/p>\n<p>And she spent thirteen years under that fear.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Did he demand anything?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Information.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;For years.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;That&#39;s why you kept helping him.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why didn&#39;t you go to police?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Because I thought they&#39;d arrest me.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I felt anger.<\/p>\n<p>And pity.<\/p>\n<p>Both.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Kane made you his source by convincing you silence was safer.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What changed now?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;You found the blood sample.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Thomas.<\/p>\n<p>The architecture of Kane&#39;s control was becoming clear.<\/p>\n<p>Debt for Michael.<\/p>\n<p>Complicity for Jennifer.<\/p>\n<p>Fear for both.<\/p>\n<p>But control did not prove murder.<\/p>\n<p>We still needed to know what happened inside the house.<\/p>\n<p>That evening, Ruiz called with another forensic result.<\/p>\n<p>Trace material from inside Richard&#39;s silver pill case had been analyzed.<\/p>\n<p>Residue contained propranolol.<\/p>\n<p>My breath stopped.<\/p>\n<p>Not merely in Richard&#39;s blood.<\/p>\n<p>In the case.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Anything else?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>A second medication residue.<\/p>\n<p>Metoprolol.<\/p>\n<p>Richard&#39;s legitimate prescription.<\/p>\n<p>The pills had been together.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Fingerprints?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Jennifer&#39;s inside the lid. Richard&#39;s on the hinge. Kane&#39;s on the exterior.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;And Michael?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No usable match.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Is that enough?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;No.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Enough for what?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;To establish that the case contained propranolol and passed through several people&#39;s hands.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Not who put it there.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Correct.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Then Ruiz added one final result.<\/p>\n<p>The plastic lining beneath the pills retained a tiny fragment of adhesive label.<\/p>\n<p>Technicians reconstructed part of a pharmacy name.<\/p>\n<p>It was not Carol Benson&#39;s pharmacy.<\/p>\n<p>Not the pharmacy where Jennifer claimed her friend obtained propranolol.<\/p>\n<p>The fragment came from a pharmacy across town.<\/p>\n<p>Ruiz had already subpoenaed archived records.<\/p>\n<p>A propranolol prescription had been filled there eight days before Richard died.<\/p>\n<p>Patient name:<\/p>\n<p>Steven Kane.<\/p>\n<p>Robert Kane&#39;s son.<\/p>\n<p>The prescribing physician was legitimate.<\/p>\n<p>Steven had been treated for migraines.<\/p>\n<p>My heart pounded.<\/p>\n<p>Kane had access to propranolol without Jennifer.<\/p>\n<p>Her ten pills may never have mattered.<\/p>\n<p>Or they may have been the decoy that allowed Kane to blame her.<\/p>\n<p>I thought of his call after Richard died.<\/p>\n<p>Remember who brought them to me.<\/p>\n<p>He had prepared Jennifer&#39;s guilt before anyone knew a crime might exist.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas stared at the report.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;He planned for blame.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Maybe.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I heard my own caution now.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe.<\/p>\n<p>Ruiz said, &quot;We&#39;re bringing Robert Kane in tomorrow.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;For arrest?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Interview.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Does he know?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;His attorney does.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Richard&#39;s photograph.<\/p>\n<p>Thirteen years of silence had protected Kane.<\/p>\n<p>Now every lie was beginning to fail at once.<\/p>\n<p>Then Ruiz said, &quot;Margaret, there&#39;s something else you should know before tomorrow.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;What?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Steven Kane wants to talk.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;About his father?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Yes.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why now?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Because he says Robert did not act alone.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>My chest tightened.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Who did?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Ruiz paused.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Steven says Michael helped plan what was supposed to happen to Richard that night.&quot;<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=26818\">Click here to continue reading: PART 20: Steven Kane Said Michael Helped Plan the Confrontation, but His Version of Richard\u2019s Death Finally Exposed the Difference Between Guilt and Murder<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The warrant was executed before dawn. Detective Ruiz called me at 6:12. That time alone made my chest tighten. Six-twelve. Five minutes before the 911 call that had divided my &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26817"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26817\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26852,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26817\/revisions\/26852"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}