Zoe smiled. “Use these all in combination and it’s impossible to detect the root cause. And let me tell you, I can’t prove this was deliberate or an accident. I can’t prove where it came from. Your poisoner did a good job of confusing that. I can prove you have a nightshade, but that’s it. There’s no angel’s trumpet flowers, or any part of the plant in her stomach contents. But if she drank tea made from it, she’d have the alkaloids only in her system.”

“Oh my God. How do we catch this person, then?” Val said and then looked up to see Gavin standing in her doorway.

“This person, in my opinion, can’t be caught. We’ll have to wait for them to make a mistake, but that’s unlikely,” Zoe said. “I’ll say this again. You’re looking for a skilled poisoner. Someone knows how to execute the perfect crime. You are not looking for an amateur. That’s why the heavy metal poisoning is confusing me, because that is amateur.”

Val thought for a moment. “Zoe, what about an amateur who evolved. Became more skillful over time. Fifteen years is a long time to get good at a craft.”

“That is entirely possible.” Zoe shrugged.

“Claudia is back in town,” Gavin announced, causing both Val and Zoe to look in his direction.

“Holy shit. When did she get back?” Val said.

“Yesterday.”

33

“Thank you for finally agreeing to talk to me, Claudia,” Gavin said.

Two lawyers sat on either side of her, obviously paid for by Mr. Morgan. The sharp, well-fitted suits and intimidating stares were the best money could buy. Mr. Nunez wore a red tie and Mr. Cooper, the alpha attorney, wore gold. This really wasn’t to protect Claudia. It was to set a tone, because Mr. Morgan would be next. He willingly agreed to speak with the detectives, in a move that Gavin could only guess held some advantage for Mr. Morgan. Gavin had his own plan for today. He had no intention of letting Mr. Morgan get the upper hand.

Gavin, Warren, Claudia and the lawyers were in Mr. Morgan’s boardroom, on the top floor of Buffalo’s Guaranty Building, one of Buffalo’s first skyscrapers, famous for its ornate reddish-brown terracotta exterior. They sat around a large hand-carved boardroom table. Roughly twenty feet long, it had sixteen matching carved wooden chairs, all with green leather inserts. Each station at the table was outfitted with a personal drawer.

Claudia looked at both lawyers for approval before she spoke. They nodded. She could answer. “I’d like to just get this over with,” she stated.

“So would we,” Warren said.

“You were the nanny for all of the Morgan children, correct?” Gavin took over the questioning.

“Yes.”

“For how long?”