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❝ CHAPTER 3 ──
NOT AGAIN ❞
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      ━━━━━ IRIS HAD MOVED passed the sickness, she was still sitting with Marta. For whatever reason she still hasn't figured out why she hadn't been called in yet. She wondered if Fred had even showed up to the house, or if her brother had showed up.

Right now all she knew is that she didn't want to see Fred, not after what had happened. Iris picked up her head looking over at Marta as she picked herself up from the seat and walked over to the window staying low to the ground.

"Marta." Iris called out, watching Marta looking back at her.

"Come over here." Marta spoke, waving her hand.

Iris exhaled, picking herself up from the chair, she walked over to Marta lowering herself to the ground. She then proceeded to follow behind her until she came to a stop against the window. Marta placed her ear close to the window.

Iris watched her waiting for something to happen. Both Marta and Iris gasped upon seeing the eye of someone they didn't know. Marta looked back at Iris, holding out her hand at which Iris accepted. The two walked over to the door, as the older man opened the door for the two of them.

"Harlan Thrombey's nurse." He said, looking at Marta. "Marta..." He paused, unsure of her last name.

"Cabrera." She said, looking at him.

"Marta Cabrera." He repeated after getting her name. He then looked over at Iris, while examining the way the two interacted with each other. "And Harlan's granddaughter, Iris Drysdale."

Iris nodded her head briefly looking down at her hand that was still connected to Marta's. She felt happy and complete when she was around Marta and she wasn't sure if Marta felt the same thing.

"Please." Benoit said, pulling Iris out of her thoughts. "Miss Cabrera, Miss Drysdale you can just wait inside and we'll be with in-"

"Miss Cabrera. I've been doin' a little pokin'. You were hired on a part-time basis as a registered nurse, yes?" Benoit questioned her. Marta briefly looked at Iris who gave her a soft smile.

"Uh, yes. I don't work for a VNA. Harlan and Iris hired me directly." Marta said, giving Iris another look.

"Take a seat, please." Benoit said, looking between Marta and Iris.

The two disconnected their hands, turning away from Benoit walking over to the chair and sitting down next to each other. Iris still had no idea why she was here and why she hadn't been questioned yet. Benoit sat down in the chair across from them.

"And you're paid a flat rate for how many hours a week?" Benoit asked her. Iris watched him closely, waiting for something to happen to explain why she was here.

"Well, I started at 15, and then he... He needed more help." Marta informed Benoit.

"Medical help?" He proceeded to question trying to get the answer he needed.

"He needed another friend." Marta said, placing her eyes on Iris for a brief moment.

"Does having a kind heart make you a good nurse?" Benoit asked her, staring at Marta. Iris moved her hand over to Marta's giving her a comforting squeeze, Marta sent her a smile.

Elliott walked towards Benoit, "all right, Blanc, I mean, this is..." Elliott went on to tell him.

"Yeah, yeah. Marta, Iris? We were just discussing possible motives in the family. I suspect that Harlan had told the both of you much unfiltered truth about each of 'em. And a little bird has told me, how shall I put this delicately... You have a regurgitative reaction to mistruthin'." Benoit said, chuckling soon after.

Iris lowered her head, disappointment clearly evident on her face. "Who told you that?" Marta asked him. "It couldn't have been Iris because she hasn't been called in." Marta proceeded to tell him.

"Is it true?" He asked her, wanting to really know.

"Uh... Yes." Marta said, breathing heavily

"Oh." Benoit whispered.

"It's something I've had since I was a kid. It's a physical thing that I..." Marta shuddered, at the thought of it. "Just the thought of lying... Yeah, it makes me puke." Marta informed them.

Iris went over the words that Benoit had said, something still didn't make sense to her. She lifted her head slightly when Elliott and Wagner chuckled a little.

"Wait, hold up, you think one of us is responsible for my grandfather's death?" Iris asked, changing the subject. Benoit looked over at her, as did Marta. Benoit seemed to ignore the question and proceeded to change it once again.

"Is Richard havin' an affair?" He asked Marta.

Iris remembered back to that day, she was on the same chair that her and Marta were sitting on. She had some notes placed on the table, as well as some shades of color as she had been planning her next make-up palette. Marta sat in a chair reading a book, Harlan sat across from her looking at the laptop that sat on the table; a blanket resting on his legs.

"Why do men instinctively pull at loose threads on their parachutes?" Harlan questioned, both his nurse and his granddaughter.

"What?" The two asked at the same time looking up from what they were doing.

Iris picked herself up from the chair and walked over to Marta. Harlan turned the computer so they could take a look at the screen. Iris closed her eyes for a brief moment, coming back to reality.

"Richard?" Marta questioned him.

"Mmm-hmm." Benoit shook his head, looking between the two waiting for some kind of answer.

"An affair?" Marta shot back trying to play it like she didn't know anything.

"Yeah." Iris looked at Marta knowing that she wouldn't be able to keep it down. "A yes or no will do." Benoit said, switching his gaze between the two.

"Mmm... No." Marta told him.

She exchanged a look with Iris once again and Benoit picked up on it. Iris shook her head hoping that Marta wouldn't throw up, she knew very well that if she did Iris would surely follow behind her. Iris heard the gag come from Marta, and she knew it was over. Marta picked herself up from the chair running over to the pig statue throwing up in it.

"Oh, shit!" Elliott spoke, watching the scene unfold. Iris on que felt the same thing happen though it wasn't for the same reason.

"Oh, no." Iris breathed out.

The brunette quickly picked her hand covering her mouth and the three officer's watched as she stood up from the chair running for the steps. Heading down the steps she threw up in the grass.

"Not again." Iris said, waiting for the last wave of sickness to pass.

Elliott walked over to the side of the porch checking to see if Iris was okay. Iris threw up once more, holding her head low. She needed to go to the store after this to get something and she only hoped that Marta would come with her.

Wiping her mouth up she stood up from the ground, walking back up the steps. Elliott had moved away from the end of the porch and was now in front of Marta handing her a glass of water.

Iris walked past them sitting down in the chair holding her hand on the side of her face. Benoit briefly looked at her, "that's quite somethin'. But I was obviously right. Richard is having an affair. His father-in-law found out and confronted him. "You tell her or I will." Benoit said, walking away from the two. Iris just wanted everything to be over, she just wanted to go to sleep.

"Okay, but even if that were the case, he..." Marta gagged, causing Elliott to look at her.

"You all right?" He questioned her.

"Yeah," she replied, nodding her head.

"Even if that were the case, I mean, protecting a relationship as a motive, that's weak sauce. You know that." Elliott said.

"Well, then there is Joni." Benoit told them, causing Iris to lift her head slightly.

"Joni?" The two questioned him.

"Lifestyle guru Joni? No, Harlan was supporting her and her daughter and that's the opposite of a motive." Wagner told him.

Iris rolled her eyes, she watched as Marta moved backwards towards the door. Iris stood up from the chair, following behind her.

"And if that support was threatened... Miss Cabrera, Miss Drysdale, one moment, please." Benoit said, turning back to look at the two.

"Yes, I just wanna get some Scope." Marta informed him

Iris moved close to her as Benoit came up to them, shutting the door clearly not allowing either of them to get into the house.

"Was Harlan plannin' on cutting off Joni's allowance?" Iris remembered back to that day, it had been a few days after finding out that her father had been having an affair, and since then she sort of stopped talking to him except for family dinners.

"Oh, Joni." Harlan said, causing Marta and Iris to look up from what they had been doing.

"What's up?" Marta asked him.

Harlan turned the green papers around showing both Marta and Iris the information. Iris was once again pulled out of another memory, upon hearing Marta make a noise.

"Oh, my God." She spoke, trying to hold everything down.

"All right, don't answer that if you're gonna puke again, please." Elliot said, holding his hand in the air.

"Meg said he paid the school directly. Joni said he sent the money to her. Both were true. She was pocketing the double payment. Harlan found out, and cut her off without a cent. Yes?" Benoit questioned looking over at Iris and Marta. She placed her eyes on him, as he seemed to place everything together.

"So she bumps him off for the inheritance? Come on, no, have you seen her Insta? She's an influencer." Wagner told him.

"No, allowance as a motive? Again, more weak sauce. You're just dumpin' that vat of weak sauce on me." Elliott said, earning a weird look from the brunette.

"Granted. But she lied to me. All three of them did." Benoit said, as he walked around to sit down in the chair.

"Well, that's my family for ya." Iris said, lowering her head.

"Three?" Elliott questioned him.

"Walter." He informed them.

"Ah. I see where you're going with this." Iris exhaled, wanting to understand what was really going on.

She then wondered if this was her way of being questioned, separated from the family and with someone she was so close too.

"Harlan had turned Walter down before regarding film rights, but that night, somethin' Harlan said shook him. Now we look at the pattern. Harlan was cleanin' house. No wonder." Benoit paused, then he looked over at Marta and Iris.

"Did he plan to fire Walter?" Benoit asked the two of them.

"Can we just wait inside?" Marta asked, looking at Benoit.

"I feel like I shouldn't be here." Marta said, while Iris nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, please just wait inside. Stay close, all right?" Elliott told them. Iris sighed walking in after Marta.