“I mean after several variables changed, including outside food
exposure.”
She would not give me certainty prematurely.
Eventually, toxicology produced more information.
The findings were concerning and inconsistent with my known
prescriptions and ordinary diet.
Investigators believed repeated exposure to a harmful substance required
serious examination.
The precise source, dose and timing still had to be established.
The thermos samples mattered.
So did samples from my home.
Police obtained proper legal authority before searching.
They did not simply enter because I was angry at my husband.
I consented where appropriate to access my own property, but
investigators still followed procedures for items relevant to a criminal
case.
In the kitchen, they found the familiar broth ingredients.
Chicken.
Carrots.
Celery.
Herbs.
They also found containers and materials requiring laboratory testing.
I did not receive a dramatic phone call saying:
We found the poison.
Life was slower.
More careful.
Weeks passed.
I went home only after doctors considered it safe.
