Sweet Saboteur

by C A Phipps

  “I’ll speak to you later, Ruby,” he huffed.

  They watched him walk away, his fingers on his temples, and when he didn’t carry on with his rhetoric, Nate beckoned them through a hole in the crowd and led them to the doorway of the real estate office. He shook his head. “I’m sorry Arthur is so down on you girls and the café. I never realized it was so bad.”

  “We should be used to it, but he’s gone too far this time. By continuing to say outright that our cupcakes not only poisoned Mable, when he knows they didn’t, now he’s also spreading lies about Olivia being poisoned by us.” Scarlett couldn’t temper the frustration in her voice. “I need to talk to him about this. One on one.”

  “I think you need to calm down first. Leave it until tomorrow? Our mayor is not the easiest person to communicate with.” Sam gave her a wry smile.

  Nate nodded while Ruby, a horrified look on her face, stuttered.

  “Aunt O-O-Olivia is the one poisoned?”

  Scarlett pulled her into a hug. “She’s okay. For some reason, she passed out, but there’s no evidence to say she was poisoned. Olivia was downplaying things, but Sam insisted she visit the hospital as a precaution.”

  “She was looking much brighter by the time I left,” Sam added positively. “I had to get back here to take down the stalls, but I left her in good hands.”

  “We should go see her right away instead of talking about the mayor.”

  Ruby pulled away, but Scarlett stopped her.

  “We need to get back to Violet first. She’s been on her own most of the time and needs our help to pack up.”

  “Poor Violet. How did the sales go?” Ruby asked, looking guilty.

  “Pitiful, to be honest. We have so much leftover.” Scarlett turned to Nate. “Thanks to Arthur. Please tell me that you’ll help me do something about his harassment.”

  “I’ll do what I can. The truth is, the only way to stop him is to solve this case. Or arrest him. The latter won’t help convince people that your business is safe,” Nate said apologetically.

  Scarlett was frustrated, but it wasn’t Nate’s fault that Arthur was a bully. “Sorry to be a nag about this.”

  He smiled gently. “Naturally, you’re all upset. If I could, I’d do more, and I promise if he carries on the way he has done today, I will take more action against him.”

  Sam gave Nate one of his odd looks, then changed the subject. “How about dropping all your leftovers to the shelter?”

  Ruby brightened. “What a wonderful idea. We’ll take it straight there when we’ve packed up.”

  “What about Olivia?” Scarlett reminded her.

  “Oh, yes, how could I forget?”

  Scarlett smiled gently at Ruby’s dismay. “Because you want to please and help everyone. We’ll go there as soon as we get the cupcakes sorted. I promise.”

  “Now that everyone seems to be behaving, I could drop them there for you,” Nate said firmly.

  Sam frowned. “I was going to offer to do that.”

  “Thanks, guys. It’s much appreciated whoever takes them. Hopefully, Arthur is celebrating the damage he’s done elsewhere, and not moved on to other targets.”

  “I’m with you,” Nate agreed. “Plus, my car is closer to the stall.”

  “I’ll help you carry them,” Sam said stiffly.

  Did Scarlett imagine a case of one-upmanship? It was a little weird, whatever was going on. But then, life was pretty strange right now.

  Chapter Fifteen

  They walked back to Violet, who had everything ready to go. Scarlett explained the donation to her before showing the men what needed to be taken to the shelter. With one eye on Violet, Nate hefted several of the containers. Not to be outdone, Sam did the same. Was this rivalry between them new, or had it been brewing for some time? Whatever the answer, Scarlett hoped that it wouldn’t destroy the friendship the five of them had developed.

  The sisters managed to carry the rest, and they set off, walking along Main Street past the small convenience store, then across the road to the police station. Nate matched his step to Violet’s shooting glances her way. She was either pretending not to notice or was actually oblivious.

  Scarlett had her doubts about the latter, and when Nate unlocked his car, and they’d filled the trunk, Violet paid careful attention to his every movement. Scarlett found herself doing precisely the same thing when Sam’s turn came to place his boxes inside.

  “That was so much easier with Nate and Sam to help us,” Ruby noted with a knowing grin at Scarlett. “We would have had to make several trips back to the shop with them and then get someone to pick them up from there.

  Scarlett bit back a laugh. So, their baby sister was aware of the chemistry between the other two. At least Scarlett didn’t imagine it. And she should stop staring at Sam as if he was the next best thing to a chocolate brownie. (Which happened to be her favorite treat.)

  “It certainly was,” she agreed.

  “Glad I could help. Say, would you like a lift to the hospital? It’s on my way,” Nate offered.

  He’d directed the question to Violet, but Scarlett wasn’t about to let her say no. Except Sam got in ahead of her.

  “I’ll save you the bother, Nate. I’m heading back there so I can take the ladies.”

  “That would be wonderful,” Ruby said. “It will save us getting a taxi both ways.”

  “Still having car problems?” Sam asked.

  Ruby laughed. “Always. Only this time, the beast might not get back on the road.”

  Scarlett couldn’t deny that not having a reliable vehicle was a big deal, so she said nothing. Loving their hometown, but being permanently stuck in Cozy Hollow, was hard on her sisters, especially Ruby, who liked to travel and see other places. Yes, there were buses, but they only came a few times a week and on Saturdays. It wasn’t enough, and Ruby was right about their car. Kept alive by Dale and several doses of luck, it was probably beyond help. Even if they could afford to get, it fixed.

  Nate waved as he headed to the shelter, and they walked back to Sam’s pickup, which was parked around the corner.

  Ruby came to a halt with her hand in the air. “What about George?”

  “I haven’t seen him since we began to pack the cupcakes. I guess he would have headed home. He’s pretty independent.” Scarlett reminded her.

  “I’ll have to give him something extra tasty later,” Ruby informed them.

  She and Violet took the back seat, which meant Scarlett had to sit upfront. Still bothered about the car, anxious to see Olivia, and worried about that cupcake wrapper, she stared out the window while Ruby asked Sam how long Olivia would have to stay in hospital.

  The hospital was more like a large clinic and looked like a pleasant place to be, (if one wasn’t too ill), with its manicured gardens and ivy-laced trellises up each side of the double front doors. Housed in a two-storied heritage building near the edge of Cozy Hollow, it serviced all the small towns in the area.

  Sam drove up to the ambulance bay and opened the doors for them. “I’ll come by later and drop you home when you’re ready.”

  “Only if it’s no hassle,” Scarlett insisted.

  “I never mind helping you,” he smiled before disappearing into the ambulance entrance.

  “Sam’s hanging around for a reason,” Ruby nudged her as Scarlett led them around to the front doors.

  “He’s concerned, and he likes all of us.”

  Violet grinned. “But he likes you best.”

  Ignoring her sisters was always the best policy when they were acting childish. The nurse at reception directed them to Olivia’s room, where she lay on the bed looking decidedly put out. The girls rushed across the room to hug her.

  “Hey, no need for tears.” Olivia tutted. “I’m as fit as a fiddle.”

  Ruby sniffed. “What actually happened?”

  “They haven’t worked it out, but I’m sure it was nothing but low blood pressure.”

  Scarlett pulled up a cha
ir next to the bed on one side and Olivia the other while Ruby sat on the edge holding Olivia’s hand.

  “Did you maybe forget to eat?” Ruby asked.

  It was a good question. One Scarlett hadn’t thought of because of the cupcake wrapper.

  Olivia shrugged. “I’d been outside a long while before the parade. It was also particularly hot on that side of the street. Maybe I didn’t eat enough or was dehydrated? They’re checking my blood as well, to be doubly sure, so we should get a definitive answer then.”

  “Checking it for poison?” Violet asked.

  “Just as a precaution, so Arthur won’t have a leg to stand on with his accusations. When they find out that poison wasn’t the cause of this, then we’ll be able to tell the whole town he was wrong. Which will be very satisfying.”

  Olivia was clearly downplaying the situation, but Scarlett wasn’t about to let her. “In which case, if there is a simple explanation, then you need to take better care of yourself.”

  Olivia smiled at the familiar phrase. She’d said these very words time and again to Lilac Finch. “So, I hear you didn’t fare so well after I ruined the day.”

  News sure traveled fast, Scarlett mused, as she took Olivia’s other hand. “Don’t you worry about it. You’re okay, and that’s all we care about.”

  “Sweet of you to say, but I do worry about you three.” Olivia frowned. “Someone, apart from Arthur, is making life tougher for you—as if it wasn’t already. I don’t like it, and I’ve told Deputy Glasson exactly how I feel about the whole sorry mess.”

  “You made a statement?” Scarlett asked.

  Olivia nodded. “I insisted. The Deputy had to come to the hospital due to the suggestion of poisoning. With the doctors not being able to prove the contrary just yet, I felt it prudent.”

  “That means Nate will be back asking questions again,” Violet sighed.

  Scarlett wasn’t sure if Violet was glad or not about the prospect, but Olivia didn’t need to feel bad about anything. “None of this is your responsibility, so please don’t upset yourself.”

  Olivia gave a wry grin. “To be honest, I’m already bored silly. I took a nap, but it’s so noisy in here with all the coming and going, that I feel I need something to occupy me. What could be better than solving this mystery? After all, it does include me now.”

  Scarlett snorted. “So glad we can be of help in keeping you occupied. We have plenty of clues, but no real evidence.”

  “Arthur wants us out of town. He made that very clear,” Violet added thoughtfully.

  “But, someone made the cupcakes.” Scarlett pointed out. “Unless he’s suddenly learned how to bake, it can’t be Arthur.”

  Olivia’s eyes narrowed. “What if he has an accomplice?”

  Ruby screwed up her face. “He said he wants to talk to me alone, and I felt so weirded out by the way he looked at me.”

  Scarlett wasn’t happy about the idea, either. “Do you know what it’s about?”

  “Not a clue, and it gave me the creeps.” Ruby shivered.

  “I don’t care what he wants. You don’t have to be alone with him. If he has something to discuss, he can do it out in the open.” Scarlett was adamant, and when Ruby nodded, the relief in the room was palpable.

  Suddenly, Olivia threw back the bedding, her hospital gown fluttering about her like a butterfly about to take flight. “Girls, get my clothes from out of that cupboard and pull the curtains.”

  Scarlett held up her hands. “No way. You are not leaving until the doctor says so.”

  Olivia looked stunned by the words, and Scarlett smiled through her embarrassment. “Sorry. I don’t mean to tell you what to do. It’s just that it will help our cause like you said if they can rule out poison once and for all. If they need more samples and you’re not around. . ?”

  “Oh, very well. I guess I can wait a while longer.” Olivia sat back, primly pulling the sheet and blanket over her lower half. “But I’m warning you, as soon as I have the all-clear, I’m out of here.”

  Violet slumped in her chair. “How long do blood tests take?”

  Scarlett shrugged. “It depends on how many they do and what the process is for testing, I guess. Why?”

  “I wanted to get started on the house this afternoon. Naturally, I want to stay to make sure you’re okay,” Violet added hastily.

  “I’m fine, so you should go. All of you,” Olivia insisted.

  “Do you mean to get started on the painting?” Ruby interjected.

  “If so, you’re a little premature. We don’t even have the paint yet,” Scarlett reminded them, even as she wondered where she could find even a small amount of spare money after today.

  Violet gave her sisters a careful look of disbelief, snapping Scarlett out of her quandary and launching her into another.

  “You don’t seriously think we can paint the house as it is?”

  “What do you mean?” Ruby resumed her seat on the edge of the bed.

  Violet sighed. “Sometimes I worry about you two. Actually, a lot of the time. The house is covered in flaking paint, and there’s a couple of rotten boards. Painting over either would be a disaster and a waste of money.”

  Scarlett found the truth of this in the recess of her mind. They’d helped their mom paint the café a few years back because it was in a terrible state when they purchased it. Admittedly, not as bad as their house, but they’d simply washed the walls and painted over the cracks. It wasn’t perfect, but it was cleaner and fresh and, in her humble opinion, gave it character. Violet was right though, the outside of a house would require more to make it worth the effort.

  “So, what do we do about it?”

  “We change the rotten boards, then wash and sand the house,” Violet explained in a troubled way.

  Ruby was horrified. “Oh my goodness, that sounds like hard work—and it will take weeks.”

  Violet shook her head again. “Factoring in how much time we have to spare, I’m thinking more like months.”

  Scarlett drew in a long breath. Another labor-intensive project would detract from the business, but it couldn’t be helped. Although Arthur was bullying them into doing it far earlier than she’d planned, Scarlett didn’t want the house to fall down around their ears.

  “Well, there goes summer,” she said pragmatically. “I’m going for coffee. Does everyone want one?”

  The others nodded, and Scarlett noticed the look on Olivia’s face. She was up to something. And thinking of people with agendas, what did Arthur want with Ruby?

  Then there was the cupcake saga!

  Chapter Sixteen

  The hospital café was small and reasonably quiet. Sam, the only one waiting for coffee, looked delighted to see her.

  “Will you come and sit with me?” he asked as he collected his cup.

  “Sorry, I need to get coffees back to the family. They need it as much as I do.”

  “Of course. I don’t know what I was thinking.” He seemed disappointed but rallied quickly. “How’s Olivia doing?”

  “She really is fine.” Scarlett placed her order. “We’re still waiting on the results of those blood tests.”

  “Don’t look so worried. I’m pretty confident it wasn’t poison.”

  “How can you be so sure?” she asked hopefully.

  “I did a quick test in the ambulance. Olivia’s blood sugar was very low, despite eating a cake. But, it was her blood pressure that undoubtedly caused her to faint, along with the weather and dehydration.”

  Scarlett’s mind whirled. “But she’s not diabetic as far as I know.”

  He smiled patiently. “As far as I know, she’s not. That doesn’t mean we aren’t affected by what we eat or drink.”

  “I guess that’s better than poison,” she ventured. “Do you know how long before we get the results?”

  “The lab at the hospital should have already run them, and Olivia will be told as soon as a doctor’s free. At the most, I can’t imagine it will be more than a couple
of hours.”

  Nate arrived and grinned. “Seems like we all had the same idea.”

  Sam frowned. “About?”

  “Coffee.” Nate raised an eyebrow. “That’s why you’re both here, right?”

  Sam gave an awkward laugh. “Oh, yes. Coffee. Don’t mind me, it’s been quite a day.”

  Scarlett wasn’t sure what Sam’s on/off pleasantness with Nate was about and chose to ignore it for now. “Did you want to talk to me, Nate?”

  “I do. But let’s wait until we get our drinks.”

  “As I told Sam, I should get back to the others.”

  “Then I’ll walk you back. We can talk on the way, and I can help carry them.”

  “Well, I may as well go,” Sam huffed. “I’ve got another hour or so before my shift ends. Then I can take you home when you’re ready,” he repeated emphatically.

  “Thank you,” Scarlett replied automatically, wondering again what had gotten into him. She was positive that the two men were friends. In fact, they’d hit it off not long after Sam arrived in town and had never been awkward around each other before the last week or so.

  Anyway, she had other worries. Coffees in hand, they made their way back to Olivia’s room, where the three occupants stopped mid-conversation, varying degrees of what looked like guilt on their faces. Scarlett wasn’t sure if she was seeing things or if the world had gone mad.

  The doctor arrived, stopping any thought of confrontation as the tiny woman opened Olivia’s chart.

  “At the request of our diligent sheriff plus our paramedic,” she gave a pointed look to Sam, “I understood the urgency of these results and relayed that to the lab. Ms. Greene, there was a tiny trace of poison in your system—nothing that will affect you further. It’s more of a concern that your sugar levels and blood pressure were low, suggesting that you hadn’t eaten properly and that you probably forgot to take your medication?”

  “I was sure I had.” Olivia sounded confused. “Daisy was there, so she might know.”

  “You need to keep your own record if you are likely to forget again. But I feel confident in saying that, with a combination of all three things, we have the answer to your nausea and dizziness.”