Chapter 6 - THE MAN AT THE PHARMACY
The police investigator assigned to the suspected fraud was Detective Rafael Mercer.
He told me he could not promise an arrest just because an ugly recording existed.
"We need context, authentication, and proof of who did what," he explained.
"Threats and bad marriages are not interchangeable with criminal charges."
I appreciated his precision, even while I hated waiting.
Nora's pharmacy inquiry led to a former technician named Paul Jensen.
Paul agreed to speak only after learning that my father was dead.
We met in a monitored interview room at the police station.
He brought a folder of notes he had kept after reporting irregular account access at work.
"A man came in asking questions about George's medication," he told Mercer.
"He said he was the son-in-law."
"Was that man Ethan?" I asked.
Paul nodded.
"He wanted to know which prescriptions caused dizziness and whether your father had requested refills."
Mercer asked him to separate what he remembered from anything he had heard secondhand.
Paul described a second visit during which Ethan arrived with another man.
"The second one had a restaurant jacket," Paul said.
Daniel.
I could picture the cheap embroidered logo that had once appeared on his staff uniforms.
Paul said the men asked whether medication changes could be made without George visiting the pharmacy.
He had refused and reported the conversation.
The pharmacy's internal investigation had found an unauthorized lookup on George's account from a staff terminal.
The employee responsible was suspended, then resigned.
The police had not yet identified who instructed that employee.
Outside the interview room, Mercer warned me not to confront the family with this information.
I promised I wouldn't.
The promise lasted less than an hour, because Ethan was waiting beside my truck at the impound lot where police had arranged for me to retrieve it.
He looked exhausted, but he was still wearing the expensive black tie from the funeral.
"Tell the police to stop," he said.
"Get away from my truck."
"Mom is losing her house. Daniel could go to jail. You're destroying us."
"You did that yourselves."
He moved closer.
"You have no idea what George was planning."
"Then tell me."
For one moment, he looked ready to confess.
Instead, he whispered, "Ask your father why he changed his will before he died."
May you like
Then he walked away, leaving me with a question Dad could no longer answer.
