Chapter 6 - Safe Harbor and Toxicology
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I drove straight to Scottsdale, to the gated home of Henrietta Vance—Beatrice’s mother.
Henrietta was a formidable woman in her late sixties, a retired appellate judge who carried herself with royal dignity. When I walked through her front door carrying Matilda and explained what had transpired over the past three hours, her face turned as hard as marble.
“She did what to my granddaughter?” Henrietta’s voice was dangerously quiet.
“Pamela has been dosing her juice with liquid drops,” I explained, setting Matilda down in the living room with a drawing book before leading Henrietta into the kitchen. “Matilda described severe restlessness, tremors, and racing thoughts. Lincoln found camera footage of Pamela drugging the drink and filming the resulting distress.”
Henrietta’s hands trembled with indignation, but her legal mind kicked in instantly.
“We need a comprehensive toxicology screen before those chemical compounds clear her system,” Henrietta said crisply. She picked up her home phone and dialed a private number. “I am calling Dr. Marcus at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. He is the Chief of Pediatric Toxicology and a close personal friend. We are taking her through the private executive entrance right now.”
Forty-five minutes later, we were in a private consultation room at the hospital. A gentle nurse drew several vials of blood from Matilda’s arm while I held her hand and stroked her hair.
Dr. Marcus returned two hours later holding a computer printout, his expression grim.
“Mr. Mercer,” Dr. Marcus said, closing the door firmly. “The initial rapid panel came back positive for concentrated liquid dextroamphetamine—a powerful central nervous system stimulant typically prescribed in strict doses for severe ADHD. In a six-year-old child without ADHD, a concentrated dose would cause intense physiological panic, severe hand tremors, hyper-agitation, and extreme emotional distress.”
I closed my eyes, a wave of nausea washing over me. “It’s poison to a child her size.”
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“In those quantities, absolutely,” Dr. Marcus affirmed. “If administered repeatedly, it could lead to cardiac arrhythmia. Who had access to this substance?”
“My wife,” I said. “And I’m going to make sure she spends the rest of her life behind bars.”
