Malpractice Makes Perfect

Epilogue

          With Malik discharged from the hospital with a mild concussion and Robert rotting away at the county jail, I only had one more task to finish.

          When I got to Dupont Manor the next morning, I had intended to hand over the necklace to Alexis and collect my pay. Unfortunately, it was Destiny that answered the door.

         "Evie," she said looking down at me. "Here to see Alexis?"

         "Yeah. She home?"

          "Yeah."

          She opened the door with a flourish and gestured me inside. I watched her slinky runway walk from behind, admiring her ability to flawlessly match her blouses and slacks.

          By the time we made it to the living room, Alexis was passing through from the outer hall.

          "Evie," she said. "You have news?"

          "I do." Alexis walked toward the love seat while Destiny turned to leave without a word to her sister. "Actually, I need to speak with both of you."

          Both sisters stopped in their tracks and exchanged a look but neither argued with me. Instead, they each sat down on the loveseat. As far apart as possible.

          I followed suit and sat in the lush armchair across from it, then dug through my purse until I retrieved the necklace. I set it with a thud onto the glass coffee table.

          "You found my necklace!" Alexis exclaimed with glee.

          Destiny sprung forward and grabbed at it. "You mean my necklace!"

          Alexis grabbed at a free string of pearl and diamond and yanked gently to keep her sister from whisking it away. "No, I don't. Mom wanted me to have it."

          "That's a lie! She wanted me to have it."

          "I was her favorite!"

          "I gave her grandchildren!"

          "So?"

          "So, I'm passing on her legacy!"

          Alexis's voice took on a mocking tone. "Is that why you had them? I thought you did it to try and save your sorry marriage!"

          Destiny slit her eyes and hmphed, but never loosened her grip. "At least I had a man. All your lesbian ass has is a string of disasters!"

          "Whoa, whoa! Low blow, bitch!"

          "Ain't nothing low about you being a shitty girlfriend just like you're a shitty sister!"

          "All of this is your fault!"

          "My fault?"

         "If you weren't so shallow and self-centered—"

          "Self-centered? I have two children! How can I be self-centered?"

           I'd heard enough. They were so busy fighting they hadn't even noticed the envelope I'd pulled out full of evidence for their upcoming case. "Be quiet! Both of you!" I grabbed my phone and found the audio file from the night I confronted Robert. I sat it on the coffee table and pushed play. "Listen to this."

         Robert's voice boomed through the speakers. "...Corrine pushed in just enough morphine to keep her loose. I drew up the new will. And Malik talked to her—tried to coax her to sign..."