Inside the room, Brenda quietly closed the door behind herself. She sat beside Chloe, spoke softly for several moments, and then glanced toward the hallway window as though checking whether anyone was nearby.
She opened her handbag and removed another glass bottle displaying the same brand label and dropper lid.
Chloe immediately leaned backward against her pillows. “I don’t want to take those drops.”
“My sweet girl, you need to take them so you can become strong again,” Brenda encouraged in a low voice.
“The doctor said I’m not supposed to take anything brought from home,” Chloe insisted.
Brenda’s pleasant expression tightened slightly. “Doctors can be overly cautious sometimes, and besides, this little secret can stay between you and me, so open your mouth quickly before somebody comes inside.”
She squeezed the rubber bulb, drawing liquid into the glass dropper.
At that exact moment, the bedroom door opened wide, and Rosalyn entered the room followed immediately by Raymond and two police officers.
