Chapter 7 7

The effects took twelve hours to manifest fully.

By the next afternoon, the Burris estate was buzzing. Elberta was hosting the D.C. Ladies' Charity Tea in the garden. It was the social event of the season, a pit of vipers in silk hats.

Gina circulated among the guests, wearing a modest grey dress, playing the role of the submissive daughter-in-law.

Elberta sat at the head table, looking pale. Her hand trembled as she reached for her water glass. The caffeine concentrate was interacting with her blood pressure medication, causing palpitations and heightened anxiety.

Clink.

Elberta's hand spasmed. The glass tipped over, soaking the tablecloth.

"Dammit!" Elberta shouted. The profanity was shocking coming from the matriarch.

Heads turned.

"Mother?" Gina rushed over, grabbing a napkin. "Are you alright?"

"Get away from me!" Elberta swatted at Gina. "You pushed the glass! I saw you!"

Gina was three feet away. Everyone had seen that.

"I didn't touch it, Mother," Gina said gently, loud enough for the table to hear. "You're shaking."

"I am not shaking!" Elberta held up her hand. It was vibrating visibly. "Stop doing this to me!"

Dr. Sayer, the family physician who was attending as a guest, stepped forward. "Elberta, calm down. Your heart rate is elevated."

"She's trying to poison me!" Elberta screamed, pointing a shaking finger at Gina. "She's a witch!"

Gina looked at Dr. Sayer, her eyes wide with concern. "Doctor... she's been like this all morning. Extreme paranoia, tremors, moments of intense confusion where she seems to be hallucinating... Is it... could it be something neurological? Like Lewy Body dementia?"

She used the medical terms precisely, planting the seed.

Dr. Sayer frowned, looking at Elberta's dilated pupils and erratic behavior. To a doctor not looking for poison, it looked exactly like a neurological break.

"I'm not crazy!" Elberta tried to stand up but stumbled. She grabbed the tablecloth, pulling plates and tiered cake stands crashing to the ground.

The garden went silent.

"I think we need to get her inside," Dr. Sayer said gravely. "Gina, you might be right. These are classic symptoms of aggression associated with cognitive decline."

"No!" Elberta shrieked as two waiters helped her up. "Let me go!"

As they dragged the screaming woman away, the guests whispered behind their fans. Poor Gina. Dealing with a senile mother-in-law. How tragic.

Gina stood amidst the broken china. She watched Elberta disappear into the house.

Vesper appeared at her elbow. "That was ruthless."

Gina picked up a white rose from a centerpiece. She crushed the petals in her fist.

"She called me a barren mule when I miscarried in my last life," Gina said, her voice devoid of emotion. "A little public embarrassment is mercy."

"Hansford is on his way home," Vesper warned.

"Good," Gina said. "I need to comfort my grieving husband. After all, his mother is 'sick.' Someone needs to take over the family accounts."