The heavy oak doors of the drawing room burst open, and six armed police officers rushed onto the balcony with their weapons raised.
Detective Vance: Police! Don't move! Hands where we can see them!
Margaret: Arrest her! She poisoned my son! She's a murderer!
Detective Vance: Shut up, Margaret. We heard the entire confession over the wire tapping system.
Detective Vance moved quickly, grabbing Margaret's hands and snapping heavy steel handcuffs around her wrists. She screamed and kicked, but the officers dragged her away from the railing toward the house.
Margaret: My family owns this city! You can't do this to me!
Detective Vance: Your family estate was seized by the federal court twenty minutes ago, ma'am. Move.
Victor lay weeping on the cold floor, his eyes fixed on the small vial in my hand.
Victor: The... the antidote, Elena... please... I confessed!
I pulled a small auto-injector from my jacket and pressed it firmly against his arm. The clear liquid emptied into his muscle, and within seconds, he let out a deep, shuddering gasp as control returned to his lungs.
Victor: Thank you... thank you...
Elena: Don't thank me, Victor. You're going to spend the next thirty years in a maximum-security prison.
Detective Vance knelt beside Victor, pulling his arms behind his back and clicking the second set of handcuffs onto his wrists.
Detective Vance: Stand up, Mr. Vance. You have the right to remain silent.
Victor: Elena, wait! We're still legally married! You can't testify against your husband!
Elena: Our marriage license was based on a fraudulent identity you created in Nevada. My divorce lawyer had it annulled two hours ago.
Victor's face collapsed into total ruin as two officers hauled him to his feet and led him down the hallway after his mother. I stood alone on the dark balcony, looking out over the mountain valley as the cool night air brushed past my face.
Detective Vance: Are you going to be okay, Elena?
Elena: I've never been better, Detective. My father's name is finally clean.
Detective Vance: We need you at the station to sign the formal statement once the paramedics check your cuts.
Elena: I'll be down in a minute. I just need a moment alone.
I looked down at the dark rocks below one last time, taking a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. The nightmare that had ruled my life for two long years was finally over.