Delia tried to livestream herself from the courthouse lot the next morning, sobbing that her rich, controlling father-in-law had torn her family apart over an inheritance — until she tried to pay her cab with one revoked corporate card, then another, both declined on camera, and the internet stopped feeling sorry for her.

A search warrant at the house turned up unlabeled vials, syringes, and shotgun shells in Irving’s bag.

The withered poinsettia gave up soil samples that matched exactly what was in my son’s blood — which meant the drink Delia had handed me was now evidence of attempted murder.

And two days later, a warrant on Delia’s phone produced the last piece: a chain of messages between her and a Heartland rival named Bradford Pennington.

Together they had planned to ruin Levi, seize the company, hand its shipping contracts to Bradford’s firm, and stage a fatal overdose at the end of it.

They had even discussed paying Delia’s police cousin to slow any emergency call to the house.