Chapter 6 - The Butcher’s Ledger
On Tuesday morning, Detective Miller came by the house to inspect the crime scene and collect the original, unbroken pieces of the ceramic bowl as evidence. He also took the spoiled rack of lamb, which Ethan had sealed in double airtight bags in the garage freezer immediately after the incident.
“We’re submitting the meat to the municipal health board just to document the spoiled condition,” Detective Miller said, jotting down notes on his clipboard. “It establishes motive and context for the domestic dispute. But honestly, Mrs. Vance, that video alone is an open-and-shut case for second-degree assault.”
After the detective left, Ethan received an unexpected phone call from Arthur Pendelton, the owner of *Pendelton Meats*, the premier private butchery on the north side of the county. Arthur was an old friend of Ethan’s late father.
“Ethan,” Arthur’s booming voice sounded troubled over the speakerphone. “I just saw the local gossip floating around about your mother and that spoiled lamb. I need to clear my name. Patricia didn’t buy that meat on Friday.”
Ethan frowned. “What do you mean, Arthur?”
“She bought that rack of lamb two weeks ago,” Arthur revealed. “She ordered it for a dinner party she canceled. I told her specifically to freeze it if she wasn’t cooking it that weekend. But yesterday, she came into my shop raising hell, demanding I write her a receipt backdated to Friday afternoon saying the meat was fresh-cut when she picked it up.”
My jaw dropped. Ethan’s expression darkened into absolute disgust.
“She tried to bribe you to forge a receipt?” Ethan asked.
“She offered me two hundred bucks under the table,” Arthur snorted. “Said she needed to prove to the police that her daughter-in-law ‘lied about the meat being bad.’ I told her to get the hell out of my butcher shop before I called the health inspector myself. I’ve got her on my store’s security camera waving cash in my face.”
“Arthur,” I interjected, “would you be willing to give a written statement to Detective Miller?”
“Damn right I will,” Arthur replied without hesitation. “Bob Vance was an honest man, God rest his soul. Patricia has been cutting corners and lying to people since Bob died, but trying to frame you for poisoning her kid? That’s crossing a line into evil. I’ll send the security tapes to the station this afternoon.”
When the call disconnected, Ethan slumped into an armchair, burying his face in his hands.
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“She knew,” Ethan whispered, his voice trembling with sheer disbelief. “She knew that meat was two weeks old. She didn't just leave it in the car for six hours. It was rotten before she even brought it into the house. She wanted you to cook it so if Nicole got sick, she could blame you. And if you refused, she had an excuse to blow up the house.”
“She didn't just want an argument, Ethan,” I said, looking down at my stitches. “She wanted a war. But she didn't realize we have all the ammunition.”
