My mouth went dry. “Gave her what?”
He sat down across from us. “Her bloodwork shows a plant-based substance that affects the heart. It isn’t something a child gets into by accident. The good news is that you brought her in quickly. We’ve started treatment, and she’s responding well. She’s going to be okay.”
Clara let out a sound I’ll never forget, half sob and half laugh.
“Quickly,” I repeated. “What if I hadn’t?”
The doctor chose his words carefully. “Then I’d be much more worried than I am right now. You did the right thing.”
Because of what the tests showed, the hospital had already called the police. Two detectives were waiting down the hall. One of them sat down beside me with a notebook.
“Mr. Alvarez, who prepared the drink your daughter had last night?”
“Gregory Hale,” I said.
And as soon as the name left my mouth, something I had buried a long time ago came back to me.
