iel's gaze in the

w not to drink i

wledge she couldn't explain: Daniel dead on the kitchen floor

small smile

the cup out

lled st

it taste

you meant t

htened. "You're ch

s the exit. "Miriam collapsed in fr

. "What was

kitchen. Cleanin

tchen. I didn't

ou're us

ct me to believe you knocked coffee out of my ha

rrogating me while your ho

his eyes softened into concern. He touched her shoulde

ne," sh

're

ill

lights. Rain stippled the glass doors. Daniel

e myself,"

hy

ck to the house.

take

d I'll

e he could argue. In the mirror, she watched him stand beneath the

sure she didn't

, letting the cold air sting her cheeks. She

ee smell

l made h

cted withou

ounded impossible, and Daniel had already shown her

had been wiped clean; the remaining coffee mug sat upside down by the sink

th

hind her. "Lookin

e cupboard. "A c

drawer fu

ound

d examined its rim. "Di

es

ught it smel

what I

put anyth

N

Mir

n't k

upposed to

urned shar

s she holdin

made

colla

es

n. "She could have pic

e tea spilling across the table, Miriam insi

," she

't w

s into he

o understand

sk the

ow what was in

her d

e counter. "You seem to

oothed her hair back and smiled agai

led something odd, saw a bottle with the wo

ld t

dn't

ted to throw the mug across the room, to scream that he had been dead, that s

ed for the tea tow

ands. "You don't nee

end w

you're

trying to keep this from

glanced at the scre

" she

dw

u call h

at

turned to her. "You s

not

felt strange

as t

the kitchen smelled strange." He placed his hand on the co

N

y n

don't nee

t one co

e tea towel. "Stop t

aging you. I

't look

ld worry l

n who doesn't know why his wi

ned patient. That frightened

king a test

arrange o

order me

ask

you'r

e been exposed to something dang

both

rank from the kitc

dn't dr

aste

nked. "You s

l got into

're

u a doc

ke a joke

hone and started typing. "I'll ha

cel

t look u

nie

h, Vic

e onto the counter. It skidded and struck the mug, knock

ria j

ssed both palms against

was gone now, replaced by a

of test?"

ng for anything we

h of

es

s com

ate phy

the cracked mug. A dark l

one. "I've booked it. E

voice steady.

es. "The doctor wil

at if I

you're so afraid of finding

ation. Daniel glanced at it, th

confirmed: 8:00 a.m. - Dan