Chapter 17: A Bed and a Roof

Livia gave her statement sitting up in bed four, with her hands folded over the baby.

The CID agent sat on one side of her.

I sat on the other, because Livia had asked for that, and I had decided I could stand an hour.

Kirk waited outside with a very bad cup of vending machine tea.

"Start at the beginning," the agent said.

"At Christmas," Livia said. "I've told Ginny. He came to the house when she was out."

"Did he ever mention giving her anything?"

"The day before the wedding, he said she'd need to rest." Livia swallowed. "He said Mom had something gentle for it. I thought it was tea."

The agent wrote.

"The morning of, did you see your mother give him the bottle?"

"Yes. At the coffee cart, at eight thirty. I was in the car with my veil on my lap. I saw her put it in his hand."

My hands tightened on my knees.

"Livia," I said. "You saw it."

"I thought it was tea." Her voice cracked. "I wanted so badly for it to be tea."

The agent let that sit for a moment.

"Mrs. Drummond," she said. "Will you swear to that?"

Livia flinched at the name.

"Don't call me that."

"It's your legal name, ma'am."

"Then I'll change it," Livia said. "After I testify."

She signed on three lines, and the pen did not shake.

"One more thing, please."

She reached into the drawer of her bedside table and brought out a plastic pill bottle with a white cap.

"This is what Mom gives me every morning. I took it out of her purse yesterday when she was crying in the hall."

The agent put it into an evidence bag with two fingers.

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