Thirteen - The Truth
Now all eyes were on Ransom, who repeated the question, "Why did I hire you?"
"Yes. Let's back it up, to the night of the party... Your argument with Harlan. What were the overheard words by the Nazi child masturbating in the bathroom? Ms. Drysdale-" He pointed to her again, once again catching her off guard.
"Um, 'My Will', and 'I'm warning you'."
"Exactly. You and Harlan were drama mamas, you shared a love of twisting the knife into one another. And you see, I don't believe he would have slipped it in halfway, no. I submit Harlan told you everything. Marta, remind me what Ransom said his conversation with Harlan ended with?"
"Harlan told him that I could beat him at Go."
"And I asked myself, 'How did the topic of conversation get steered to Marta?' There's only one obvious explanation - he told you everything."
"That's some heavy-duty conjecture," cut-in Ransom.
"Granted. But it is the only way what comes next makes sense: you storm out, driving off into the night. You tell Marta later that, what was it? Feeling an overwhelming sense of-"
"Clarity," finished Marta. "That he had to make do for himself from here on out."
"Exactly. Harlan. Marta. The will. And a plan forms. A truly wicked plan..."
Blanc continued, launching into how Ransom returned that night, being sure to avoid the security cameras. How he snuck up the trellis to the top where Harlan's study was, all while the family were still partying downstairs - "What you need to do will take moments, but it is essential that you are alone and undetected" - how Ransom proceeded to switch the medication bottles, taking the antidote just to be sure.
"You know that if Marta is held responsible for Harlan's death - even unintentionally - the slayer rule would nullify the changed will and you would get your share back."
"No, no, no, that's impossible," cried Marta, voicing Flora's very thoughts. Casting a glance at her brother she found his expression unreadable, as usual.
"But it is the truth," Blanc insisted.
"If the meds were switched, then when I got them mixed up, I - I accidentally switched them back. So that means I gave Harlan-"
"The correct doses," Blanc finished with a nod. "Yes. But not accidentally. The vials are the same, but the liquids inside are different. How did you know it was morphine?"
"I just knew."
"You knew because there is the slightest, almost imperceptible differences of tincture and viscosity between the two liquids. You knew because you've done it a hundred times before. You gave him the correct medication because you are a good nurse."
"Then Harlan was-"
"I'm sorry Marta, but yes. Harlan was perfectly fine. His blood was normal. The cause of death was truly, solely suicide, and you are guilty of nothing but some damage to the trellis and a few amateur theatrics. If Harlan had listened to you and called the ambulance, he would be alive today."
"Oh my God..." Flora choked.
"Damn," muttered Elliot.
"A twisted web... And we are not finished untangling it. Not yet."
"There's more?" sighed Flora.
"Oh yes indeed there is, Ms. Drysdale. There is." Blanc turned back to Marta and launched in again. "Marta, when Greatnana saw you climbing down the trellis, she said, 'back again already?' Back agian..."
Ransom snickered. "Come on, this is stoopid with two o's. You don't have a shred of evidence, you're just spinning a fairytale."
"Not a shred, no. Just as we have no real proof of Marta mixing up the vials. So it's your word-"
"You have her confession!" Ransom practically yelled.
"Ah, right, yeah. We do have that. But I'd like to spin a little further-" Continuing on right ahead, Blanc stated how Ransom returned later that night to retrieve the vials, only the dogs saw him and barked, which woke Meg.
"Never mind, you'll get the vials tomorrow. But tomorrow brings news, not of a medical error and a guilty nurse, but of a slit throat and a suicide. Now the circumstances are perfect for the anonymous hirin' of me. You know a crime has been committed by Miss Cabrera, and you need her to be caught for it. You cannot reveal how you know. Enter, Benoit Blanc."
"Benny, look, I hear what you're saying," said Elliot, but Trooper Wagner shushed him, obviously enjoying listening to Blanc spin his fairytale.
"The body is discovered early the next morning. The police, the medical examiner, the family, everyone swarms in. And there is no possible way for you to get to Marta's medical bag to retrieve the vials. And so you have to wait for your moment when the investigation is over, when you know the house is empty."
"The funeral, you weren't at the funeral," Flora suddenly realized.
"Right again, Ms. Drysdale. That is why you missed the funeral."
"You skipped it."
"Indeed he did. Poor Fran - she caught you tampering with Marta's bag. She did not know what you were doing, but she knew you were up to no good. She loved Harlan, hates Ransom, so the poor girl decides to test her theory and make this asshole pay."
He spins further, stating how Fran got a hold of the toxicology report, which would be evidence that Harlan had been fine, and made a blackmail note for Ransom, who then sent it to Marta.
"What is his reaction? Elation! He still thinks Marta has given Harlan the tampered drugs, and a blood tox report will prove her guilt. He goes to the will reading in high spirts, ready to see the family tear itself apart, secure in the knowledge it will be all undone when the tox report comes to light. And then, Marta's confession. Everything turns on its head and the tox report will prove her innocence. The changed will is gonna stand. He has lost..."
But, according to Blanc, Ransom isn't about to let it rest there.
"In for a penny, in for a pound."
He set fire to the medical examiner building, then resent the blackmail to Marta, and confronts Fran so that Marta will find her.
"See, now the board is set: Marta will get the note, you'll put the pieces together for her. You'll guide her to the rendezvous, you'll make the anonymous call to the police, they will catch her there with the body and the burned evidence, Marta will be arrested for killing Fran and Harlan.
"I thought Fran said, 'You did this'. But she wasn't talking about me, she said, 'Hugh did this'," cried Marta.
"Cause you made 'the help' call you 'Hugh'," said Flora.
"Because you're an asshole," finished Marta.
"And it would have worked, if we had not brought you in for questioning so you could not make your anonymous call. And if Fran had not stashed a safety copy of the tox report. And if Marta had not outplayed you again by having a kind heart, for saving Fran's life, though it meant her losing the inheritance and going to jail. She didn't play your game."
"Fran's alive?" questioned Ransom, though didn't sound very concerned.
"Fuck," breathed Flora. "Ransom, what have you done?"
"You don't really believe this crap, do you Flora?"
"May I take this?" Marta asked, holding up her cell phone, which was buzzing. "It's the hospital."
Blanc nodded and Marta took the call. "She's okay. She's ready to talk."
"Trooper Wagner, could you please keep Mr. Drysdale in custody while Lieutenant Elliot, Miss Cabrera, Ms. Drysdale, and myself go to the hospital and take Fran's statement."
Ransom faced Marta. "I'm gonna say this just to you. We allowed you into our home, we let you watch our granddad, we welcomed you into our family, and now you think you can steal it from us? You think I'm not gonna fight to protect my home, our birthright, our ancestral family home-"
He was cut off by Blanc laughing. "Oh, that is hooey! Harlan bought this place in the '80s from a Pakistani real estate billionaire-"
"Oh shut up, Blanc, just SHUT UP! Shut up with that Kentucky Fried Foghorn Leghorn drawl!"
"You shut up!" shot back Flora. "Don't talk to him like that!"
"Why are you defending him, Flora? You think a guy like that would really be interested in you?"
SMACK!
She slapped him across the face.
He threw up his arms in a shrug. "Yeah I killed Fran, but I guess I didn't, so what do you have on me? Attempted murder? I get arson for the building and a few other charges, but with a good lawyer, which I have, I'll be out in no time. And then you'll see just how much hell I can wreak on your life you vicious little bitch," he spat at Marta.
Marta responded by pulling a face before throwing up - right in Ransom's face.
So intense! And we're almost at the end!
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)