Shadowed-Death by Design

Chapter Nine - Reds?

                      

Prosecutor Duvet interrogated Monsieur Leon. "Did your pharmacy ever fill for Marcel a prescription for any type of sedatives or sleeping pills, specifically an older drug, sodium seconol, commonly known as ‘reds?' to help him sleep while wearing the CPAP mask? Also provide the court with information about the drug pertinent to this case."

“No, none were prescribed for Marcel by any doctor through my pharmacy. Sodium seconol is manufactured in solid tablet form, so thick as to not be cut in half. Marcel had no problem swallowing large, whole pills, tablets, capsules and gel capsules."

"Monsieur Leon, would a solution of seconol have to be premeditatedly prepared ahead of time?”  

“Yes, a mortar and pestle would be necessary to crush it into a fine enough powder. It seems peculiar, extremely unusual! And the perpetrator would have found it necessary to heat water in order to dissolve the crushed pills." 

“Let the record reflect that the witness has indicated that it was with considerable effort and with malice of forethought that the exhibit I drug was placed in all three containers, the CPAP tank, water glass, and humidifier reservoir." There was another dramatic pause. It was Duvet's intentional ploy to allow the concept of premeditated murder to sink in, for all those present in court. As soon as Jacques Leon was dismissed, he rushed out of the courthouse. Lucy followed him out, wishing to ask him the name of the actress of whom she reminded him. But he hopped into a waiting cab. Lucy returned to her seat, disappointed. Prosecutor Duvet was sorting through papers at his counsel table. Sounding the gavel, Judge Nouveau inquired, “Defense Attorney Sebastian, where are your four clients who were subpoenaed to be present here today?" Remy indicated that he had no idea. "Bailiff, issue bench warrants for their arrests." 

Prosecutor Duvet had turned around to confer with Lucy in hushed whispers. “I had no idea the four would skip town or perhaps flee the country! Any of them could be dangerous, even desperate! They must be jailed and held without bail, because they all have enough resources to post any amount of bail." 

The prosecution continued. "The CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure, humidifier was still operating when Marcel’s body was discovered wearing the mask. Three sources of water were tainted by the exhibit I drug, the sexual prowess enhancement drug, the water glass, CPAP tank, and the water in the usual room humidifier. The device delivered the drug, dissolved in the regular humidifier water and present in the bedroom air, as well as in the clear CPAP reservoir, to the mask and then to the many surface veins inside Marcel’s nose, where the medication was absorbed by the blood. The glass of water on Marcel’s night stand was spiked with the exhibit I drug. It was the final finishing touch, a chaser for swallowing sleeping pills, their origin unknown.   

Pharmacist Jacques Leon has testified that Marcel had no prescription for sleeping pills. The question is, who was the source of the sleeping pills used in the process of murdering Marcel? From the evidence of medications found in the body, confirmed by the autopsy, I will reconstruct the crime. The CPAP mask was placed on Marcel’s face when he was too groggy, rendered helpless from multiple sleeping pills, to do anything about it. The exhibit I drug ultimately and successfully reached its target, Marcel’s reproductive system, with fatal consequences for his heart. Means, motive, and opportunity, Your Honor. The means equaled exhibit I’s fatal drug interaction with three of  Marcel’s legally prescribed medications. The opportunity to plant it was during Marcel’s party. The motive could very well have been political, with Marcel next in line---" An objection from Remy Sebastian interrupted Prosecutor Duvet. When it was over ruled, Duvet continued, "The exhibit I drug was found dissolved in three different sources of water in Marcel’s bedroom. One, his humidifier. Two, the CPAP device reservoir. And three, his bedside drinking glass. There is laboratory evidence that all three water samples were tainted with exhibit I drug. The question is, who planted the drug in the liquids?”