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While the others have gone to stakeout the woodcarver's shop, Cirillo, Marco, Francesca and Eleanora are staying at the Acerbi household.

A few hours after sunset, you hear someone enter the front door with a key. When you go to see if the others have already returned from the stakeout instead you find Giacomo, followed by two men you don't recognize. Giacomo is not wearing his rapier but the two strangers are both wearing a steel breastplate, a sallet helmet with the visor open and are each holding a pollax and have a short sword on their belt.

Cirillo tries to see if the men have any markings on their clothing or armor that could be recognized as he takes his place at Marco's side. There he waits for Marco to speak.

"Giacomo? What's going on?"

The men don't have any immediately identifiable markings, but they are wearing matching clothing and armor.

Giacomo says "Stay calm Marco. I'm just taking precautions. These men are going to be standing guard outside our father's room each night. They will change out with their fellows in the morning so our father has complete protection. I've instructed them that nobody is to enter his room except for you and I. Atleast until Lucio arrives." He makes a point to look at Cirillo to emphasis that he wouldn't be allowed to enter.

Cirillo is both relieved and offended after hearing Giacomo's explanation.

"Sir, if you allow me to ask you why I am suddenly on this list? Is there something wrong?", Cirillo ask Giacomo looking offended although his voice sounds humble enough.

Giacomo replies to Cirillo. "I have reason to believe my father is being poisoned. For this to have gone unnoticed by you means you are either the poisoner yourself, or incompetent. In either case, my father should be able to survive a few days without your assistance. If Lucio can assure me that my suspicions are unfounded, you will be allowed to resume your duties doctor. In the meantime, I want as few people as possible seeing my father."

"What is the reason to think father is being poisoned? Blasio's talking?"

Giacomo tilts his head and gives Marco a sideways look. "No, actually."

He reaches inside his breast pocket and withdraws a piece of folded up parchment and hands it to Marco. "Three days ago I received this in the mail, with no signature or wax seal. I have no idea who sent it."

The letter reads:
------------------------------
DIGITALIS. FOXGLOVE

Nausea
Vertigo
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Fatigue
Malaise
Jaundiced
Weakness
Wight Loss
Loss of Appetite
Blurred Vision
Dilated pupils
Abnormal Heart Rate
Collapse
Cardiac Arrhythmia
Tremors
Seizures
Death
------------------------------


Giacomo says "Given the uncanny accuracy, either the warning is true or at the very least who ever is attempting to mislead me is close enough to our father to know his symptoms intimately." He pauses to allow Marco to understand the implications before continuing. "It didn't take me long at all to find out that Foxglove is commonly used as a medication for a weak heart. An ailment our father has never suffered, but a doctor would no doubt have access to. You, dear Marco, stand to gain the Acerbi estate upon our father's death, but I hadn't considered you a suspect... not until the two of you came into Saint Mark's asking questions that implicated me in Francesca's attack."

[OOC: Cirillo, Acumen + Medicine Check!]

"Giacomo... maybe I'm stupid, but you're much more to think I could poison our father to gain the estate and seize the power. How can you suspect me? I don't have the mind to run the business and the cold heart to kill my own father. That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard from you."

Cirillo has to take a few deep breaths to compose himself after this accusation.

"Frankly, poisons are not my strong point but I can assure you that I would never do anything to harm your father. Especially as he has always treated me well. I am certain that Lucio can help your father better than I do. Thank you for being frank with me, even though the sting of doubt hits hard. But even as you accuse me of a possible poisoning, I hope you give it a long and hard thinking. Who would gain on your father's death? Who knows about him enough so he can make me a scapegoat?"

When Giacomo mentions Foxglove, Cirillo recognizes the name. Although it would account for Claudio's symptoms, so would any number of other illnesses. Cirillo had ruled the plant out as the cause, since in order to produce this chronic effect on Claudio he would need to have been ingesting precisely sized doses regularly for many months. Too much and Claudio would die immediately or too little and he would recover. While there is no antidote, doses of Magnesium can prevent life threatening heart failure until the patient can recover slowly on their own, which may take months.

The two guards shift from one foot to the other and give each other sidelong looks. Overhearing so much of the families private affairs seems to have made them uncomfortable. Giacomo responds to the guard's body language and says to them "Claudio's room is at the end of this hall. Take your post." The men stand up straight, salute and then march towards Claudio's bedchambers.

Giacomo turns back to Cirillo and Marco. "Yes, there are too many question and too few answers. Anyone with the means has no motive, and anyone with motive doesn't have the means. Hiring these guards may be desperate, but I don't have many other options."

Cirillo waits for guards to leave before he answers.

"Sir, now that you mention it, it is true that Foxglove can cause similar symptoms to what your father has but it is rather delicate thing to administer just right dosage. If the amount is too little, nothing happens and if you give too much you risk of killing him. Of course, if the plan is to kill Claudio slowly this could be the way to do it. If you really believe that symptoms are caused by poisoning and not from any number of other ailments then I would suggest that you investigate his food and drink, too.".

Cirillo keeps a short break to give the information to sink in.

"Also, it might be beneficial to administer Claudio some Magnesium as it works as an antidote."

"Food and drink? So maybe we should ask our coo... Francesca! Giacomo, it was her testimony which led us to your fencing school! And she didn't drink the tancy tea - maybe there was no rape? And she probably knows much about our father's symptoms... What do you think?"

"That's true, my friend. It is a possibility but still the dosage is hard to gauge right. Do you remember if your father has a certain drink that he always drinks at a certain time? I would think it would be easier to put the poison to a cup of tea or some wine rather than to a food in this case.", Cirillo says.

"Perhaps we should check out the kitchen and Francesca's lodging for anything suspicious? Poor woman, I hope we are wrong about her. And if we are, I will feel very bad about it!".

"Maybe we should just talk to her?"