Chapter 4 - THE PHARMACY AUDIT
Late that afternoon, Detective Teresa Morales stood inside the back office of Prescott’s flagship pharmacy in downtown Minneapolis. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a harsh glare over rows of stainless-steel shelving filled with amber medication bottles and sterile packaging supplies.
Two forensic accountants from the state board of pharmacy sat at a central computer terminal, their fingers flying across the keyboards.
"Detective," one of them called out, standing up with a printed ledger in his hand. "You're going to want to see this."
Teresa walked over quickly, taking the paper. "Talk to me."
"Warren Prescott didn't just divert Dexopraline from his regular inventory," the auditor explained, pointing to a highlighted row of data. "He created a dummy wholesale account three months ago under a shell corporation registered in Delaware. He used his personal credentials as master pharmacist to authorize emergency shipments of restricted cardiovascular agents, claiming they were for an experimental trial at a private clinic."
"Which clinic?" Teresa asked sharply.
"There is no clinic," the auditor replied grimly. "The address listed on the shipping manifest is an abandoned warehouse in the industrial district."
Teresa felt a cold thrill of realization. "He didn't just prepare to poison her last night. He’s been planning this for months. He tested dosages, acquisition methods, and cover stories."
"There's more," the second auditor chimed in, spinning the monitor around. "Look at his personal financial records. Over the last six months, Warren transferred nearly two million dollars into offshore accounts in the Isle of Man."
Teresa leaned closer to the screen. "Offshore accounts? Is Lillian a beneficiary?"
"No," the auditor said grimly. "The sole beneficiary of the holding company is a woman named Claire Higgins."
Teresa straightened up, her eyes narrowing. "Claire Higgins? Who is she?"
"According to our preliminary background check," the auditor said, tapping a few keys, "she’s a thirty-two-year-old pharmaceutical sales representative who supplies specialty drugs to regional distributors. She’s also been listed as a frequent companion of Warren Prescott at upscale hotels across Chicago and Milwaukee for over a year."
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The mystery of the affair was solved, but the motive for murder had just deepened into something far more calculated. It wasn't just a midlife crisis or an accidental entanglement; it was a premeditated liquidation. Warren wanted his wealthy wife out of the picture to claim her share of the family real estate empire and secure his offshore fortune with his younger mistress.
Teresa grabbed her radio. "All units, this is Detective Morales. I want an all-points bulletin issued for Warren Prescott immediately. Charge him with attempted murder, financial fraud, and conspiracy. Move on his residence and his known associates now."
