Sweet Saboteur

by C A Phipps

  Scarlett was at once delighted and scared, and she had to confirm what she suspected right away, “You never forget anything. How would you not take your medication?”

  “I was busy.” Olivia waved her hand, dismissively. “Can I go home now that you have your results, Doctor Jones?”

  The doctor scanned the chart again. “We’ll retake your blood pressure, and do another finger prick. If they’re back to normal, I see no reason why not—if you feel well enough?”

  “I feel great. And I’ll be even more so when I get out of here, thank you.” Olivia smiled. “No offense intended.”

  Doctor Jones grinned and had barely gone through the door when Scarlett rounded on Olivia. “Should we check in with you each day? Just to make sure you’ve taken it?”

  “Scarlett, I’m a grown woman and old enough to be your mom. You do not need to ‘fix’ me. It was a mistake, is all.”

  “If it was anyone else, I’d agree wholeheartedly. But you’re the next best thing to a mom to us, and we need to know you’ll be okay. Right?” she looked at her sisters.

  Violet nodded. “Surely, you don’t want us to worry about you?”

  Olivia had a trapped look, then her eyebrow lifted at Nate.

  “I can leave if you’d like,” he offered.

  “It’s okay. You’ll only come back to ask me everything anyway. The thing is that I had my tablet ready to take this morning after my breakfast, as usual. When I couldn’t see it, I assumed I’d already taken it. Maybe I am getting old,” Olivia mused, unable to completely hide her annoyance.

  “Don’t be hard on yourself, Aunt Olivia. Things like this happen more than you know. Perhaps a medic bracelet would be a good idea?” Ruby suggested.

  “I am not branding myself with one of those,” Olivia said haughtily.

  “If it’s for your safety..?” Violet began.

  Olivia threw back the bedclothes, and Nate quickly turned his back.

  “I said, no. Now, let that be an end to it.”

  Scarlett wanted to question Olivia about her ever doing this before, but this wasn’t the time. She pulled a paper bag with Olivia’s effects from the small closet and handed it to her. “Okay, no bracelet or necklace, but what about a reminder on your phone?”

  “That’s a great idea. Violet could set it up for you,” Ruby pleaded.

  Olivia gave a dramatic sigh. “If it will get you to stop fussing, then alright. But you must all promise to keep this to yourselves.”

  “We promise,” Scarlett assured her, and the others nodded.

  The nurse came in with her trolley, so they left Olivia to have her tests and get dressed. Standing in the hall, they were all in a little shock.

  Ruby welled up. “She’s so naughty about looking after herself. What can we do?”

  “We’re doing it,” Scarlett reassured her. “Olivia has always wanted to protect us. For the shoe on the other foot is going to upset her. Look at how she was with Mom. How often did she say everything would be okay? We wanted to believe it, and perhaps she doesn’t want to admit that she needs help.”

  “She’s so stubborn.” Violet moaned.

  “It’s that family trait again,” Scarlett nudged her. “We’ll have to be sneaky about watching her, and then she’ll be fine. The poison is another matter.”

  “I’ve already spoken to the pathologist in Destiny, and she’ll push the results through,” Nate informed them.

  “I hope it’s soon and that you can trace where it came from. Whoever is targeting us, isn’t done.” Scarlett’s voice shook a little.

  Nate’s voice softened. “This feels more like a scare tactic than anything else.”

  “Except someone did die!” Violet looked around them as if the culprit was nearby.

  “Of a heart attack.” Nate reminded her, and she looked away.

  “Whoever did this today must have only wanted Olivia out of action,” Scarlett mused. “The real target was us, and conveniently Arthur was on hand to make sure of it.”

  “Exactly. I’d like you all to carry on as normal, but I’ll be watching to keep you safe.” Nate promised.

  Violet gasped. “You mean we’re to be some kind of bait?”

  He flinched. “I wouldn’t put it exactly like that.”

  “Well, I would!”

  “Violet, it could be anybody. We won’t find out who it is if you shut yourselves away.” Nate reasoned. “Then, they win. Is that what you want?”

  Violet chewed her bottom lip for a moment, then shook her head.

  Scarlett had to agree with Nate. “No way are we taking these attacks without doing something about it. So, we open tomorrow as usual?”

  “Absolutely.” He gave a tentative smile. “One more thing—I confess that I told the shelter to hold onto the food until I had the results before passing out the cupcakes.”

  Ruby made an agonized sound. “We should have thought of that.”

  “No harm was done, and it’s my job to be careful. If someone had found a way to tamper with the cupcakes, we could have had a disaster on our hands. I know how grateful the shelter operators were, and they’ll be delighted when I call, and they can hand out your donation.

  “At least they won’t have been wasted.” Scarlett smiled. “Plus, it explains why you were so adamant about being the one to take them.”

  He looked sheepish. “I can hang around a little longer and then give you all a ride home if Sam’s not available.”

  “Thanks, but Sam offered, so he’ll be around somewhere. Ruby, could you go find him and say we’re ready? He might be out front near the ambulance bay?”

  When she’d gone, Olivia joined them in the hall. Dressed immaculately, the handbag dangling from one arm looked like it weighed a ton. However, her aunt no longer appeared so frail, which was a massive relief.

  Suddenly deciding that she needed to glean more information while he was in a sharing mood, Scarlett turned back to Nate. “While Sam takes Ruby and Violet home, perhaps you could drive Olivia to her place? I’ll come to make sure she’s settled.”

  Her aunt made a rude noise. “That’s not necessary.”

  Scarlett shrugged. “Maybe not, but will you humor me?”

  “You are getting incredibly bossy, Scarlett Finch.”

  “I’ve heard that several times lately, but this is coming from a good place.” Scarlett held her hand out.

  “You may have today.” Olivia handed her bag to Scarlett with a sniff. “Tomorrow will be a different story.”

  When they arrived at Cozy Crafts, Olivia was the first one out of the car, not waiting on Nate to open the door. Once she was safely inside, Nate tipped his hat.

  “I’ll wait for you here, Scarlett. I have a couple of calls to make while you get your aunt settled. Good night, Olivia. I hope you’ll be 100% by tomorrow.”

  “Count on it. And thank you for your help today, Sheriff.” Olivia said, back to her polite self.

  Clearly happy to be home, Scarlett chose to ignore Olivia’s annoyance at being fussed over once they got upstairs.

  “What will you have for supper tonight?” Scarlett tucked a blanket around her aunt, who immediately peeled it off.

  “I’m not hungry at the moment, and I’m not cold.”

  To be fair, it was a warm evening. “But, you’ll need something later.”

  “And I’m more than capable of getting it. In fact, I have some leftover lasagna to heat up.”

  “Excellent.” Scarlett drew the line at checking the refrigerator but spied a bottle on the counter. “Are these the pills you’re supposed to take?”

  “That’s them.”

  “Do you need one?”

  Olivia sighed. “You’re as bad as Daisy. I take one in the morning, and they took care of that in the hospital. Now, please, go home.”

  Scarlett hesitated. “You’ll remember to take your pill tomorrow morning?”

  “I am not senile and one missed tablet, even though I’m sure I did take it, doesn’t make me
so.”

  “Sorry. Of course, you’re not.” She kissed her aunt and hugged her tight. “Call me if you need anything at all.”

  When she got downstairs and locked the door behind her with a spare key, Scarlett let her troubled mind roam free.

  Nate finished his call as she climbed in the car. “All settled?”

  She nodded. “Don’t you find it odd that Olivia was so definite about taking her medication this morning.”

  He shrugged. “She probably did forget. Or the poison somehow counteracted it. I’ll find out tomorrow for sure.”

  She nodded again. It seemed that she was always waiting for something, and just lately that something was likely to be something terrible. “I assume you’ve checked that both cupcake wrappers are the same—and the poison too?”

  He raised an eyebrow at her tone. “I’m looking into it. With two similar incidents, I’d say it was likely, but you didn’t hear that from me.”

  She nodded absently.

  Having pulled into her driveway, Nate took a moment to study her carefully.

  “What’s wrong now?” she asked.

  “I know that look.” He sighed deeply. “You’ve figured something out.”

  “Not yet, but I do have a nagging feeling that I should have.”

  After a few seconds, Nate nodded. “I’m a call away if you do.”

  “I’ll remember that,” she said as she got out. “Thanks for the ride. Good night.”

  It was as he drove away that she wondered about that darn wrapper. And she needed to catch up with Daisy about Olivia. Hadn’t Daisy told them that she’d go straight to the hospital?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Saturdays were dedicated to gardening for Ruby and Violet and cleaning as well as paperwork for Scarlett. Still, the house was already sparkling, so she decided it was a good time to do a stocktake at the café.

  It was nice to be out in the fresh air as she pondered the facts of the case. Or cases? But, no, the death and the poison was connected. How they were, was the thing that would lead them to the who. After sleepless nights dwelling on it, she was frustrated.

  A tap on her ankle stopped her mid-stride.

  “With all this walking, you should be skinny, George. We must be feeding you too much.”

  The cat pranced ahead, often checking to make sure she was following. Then, he waited on the doorstep until she finished the stocktake. It was amazing that he never came inside and how he’d slotted in so easily to their world. He’d been seen near the library and at Mable’s house every day, yet he didn’t appear to be suffering the loss badly.

  Thankfully it didn’t take as long as expected, and soon she was on her way home and looking forward to reading a book.

  With her bag slung over a shoulder, she meandered along the streets, keeping to the grass verge as well as possible when the path ran out. She hadn’t gone more than a few hundred yards down the first road with no concrete sidewalk when she heard an engine grumbling. Cars to and from town were hardly frequent down this road, and the locals were particularly careful to keep an eye out for pedestrians, so she didn’t do more than take a step further onto the grass.

  The car revved again. The whining sound wasn’t pleasant, and she took a peek over her shoulder. The sun made it difficult to see what type of vehicle it was. Something shiny hurtled towards her leaving Scarlett in no doubt that it wasn’t about to slow. Unless she was badly mistaken, it was also driving straight at her.

  Scarlett dived into the long grass to her left with barely a second to spare. Rolling to her side, she tucked her head between her knees, peering through her fingers. With a screech, the car sped on down the road. Sitting up, heart hammering, she spat out several leaves. With the breeze swirling around her, leaves fluttered from the sky.

  “What the heck?” she shouted into the afternoon. The car was already around the next bend, so there was no hope of getting a registration number. She thought it was dark gray but had no idea of the make.

  Her bag, with contents strewn everywhere, lay several feet from her. Grass stained her jeans as she scrambled around, trying to find everything, while dirt snuck under her fingernails. If she was a cussing sort, she might be able to conjure up a few adjectives to describe the kind of person who would scare a stranger this way.

  That thought stopped her.

  A stranger? Or was this deliberate? Surely it couldn’t be. Then again, someone had it in for the Finch family. And the café. She brushed her clothes as best she could, and as she did, Arthur sprang to mind—except for the fact that he drove a second-hand white Toyota. The mayor had plenty of money, but could never be classified as a spender—unless it was the community’s money.

  Brushing her jeans and blouse as best she could, mind racing as fast as that car, Scarlett continued her journey home. Never afraid to walk on the road before, she decided to stay on the verge. It was uneven, and an ankle could turn, yet it felt a great deal safer.

  When she turned down the next road on her left, she could see their letterbox a couple of hundred yards away, and she stopped. Said letterbox usually sported a list to the right. This one did not. She smiled. Violet must have gotten home early and given it a bit of TLC. She was talented that way.

  When she reached the drive, she also found a black pick-up in the driveway. It was Sam’s, and there he was, jeans and a t-shirt soaked, washing the house. Literally. Water rained down on him from a high-pressure compressor hose. She could only stare.

  Lately, life had felt like a roller coaster with the dips particularly terrifying. With this incredible act of kindness, her heart filled with joy. Then embarrassment. Had Violet put him up to it?

  Keeping out of his way, she went to the side of the house, the water hadn’t reached yet. She waved to get his attention. As soon as he noticed her, he switched off the noisy machine and grinned.

  “I hope you don’t mind. I had some time this afternoon, so I thought I’d make a start.”

  “Of course, I don’t mind. This is wonderful but totally unexpected.”

  “I’m so glad you’re not annoyed about me helping myself.” He looked around at the flaked paint and pools of water and grimaced. “I’d just been thinking with all the mess I’m making that perhaps I should have talked to you first.”

  Scarlett had to laugh. “Hey, I may be a little fussy around cleanliness—but I’m not stupid.”

  “No one’s disputing any of that,” he laughed too.

  It was a great sound. Deep, it sent little sparkles along her skin. “Can I get you something? Or can I help?” Her voice came out a little breathily.

  Sam laughed again. “Coffee would definitely help. A free meal wouldn’t hurt either. If you’re offering?”

  She shook her head, ruefully. “As long as you don’t expect anything fancy, a meal is the least I can do.”

  Scarlett was still smiling when she went inside until she thought about what this meant. Having promised him food, their simple fare of pasta and salad didn’t seem adequate. Plus, and more disturbingly, it meant he would have to come into the house.

  Sighing, she dropped her bag on the worn kitchen table, and George sauntered through the doorway.

  “What am I thinking, Georgie? Sam’s already been in here, so there’s no point in worrying twice, is there?”

  They both peered inside the fridge. There was a whole chicken and little else. Plenty of herbs and greens in the garden would make the salad tasty, and she’d stuff the chicken with lemon and homemade breadcrumbs. She could also whip up an orange cake for afters.

  But she’d make the coffee first. Having no idea how long he’d been working on the house, Sam surely deserved that and more for the amount already done.

  Without pondering too much on why she retied her hair before taking him his drink. He was looking out for her this time and climbed down that ladder, taking the mug gratefully.

  “Thanks.” He closed his eyes and downed a significant amount of the hot liquid. “Better already.
”

  Scarlett took in his soaked clothing. “Better than what?”

  “Better than having a mouthful of dirty water when I coughed at the wrong time.”

  She laughed at the silly face he pulled. “I’m glad you can see the funny side of this horrible job.”

  He shrugged. “Trust me, I’ve had a lot worse things to deal with.”

  Scarlett nodded, wondering about some of the awful things a paramedic might witness. She shivered as he handed back the mug.

  He tilted his head. “I don’t mean to be rude, but did you have a rough day?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “You have grass stains on your jeans and several small twigs in your hair.”

  Her hand shot to her head and, sure enough, found the offending greenery. “I probably look a mess because I ended up flinging myself on the verge when a car almost took me out.”

  The teasing look was replaced by disbelief. “Do you mean deliberately?”

  “It sure felt like it, but maybe they were distracted. To be honest, it was a little scary, but I’m fine. “

  “You should still tell Nate.”

  “I don’t like to trouble him when I wasn’t actually hurt—only my pride,” she joked.

  “If you’re sure? Anyway, I’m glad you’re okay, and I’d better keep going while there’s still light.” He turned back to the job with a determined look.

  Scarlett was well aware of his work ethic. Since he arrived in town, no one had a bad word to say about Sam, and the paramedic seemed invested in being a good community member. Today really solidified that in her mind, and the part of her that hadn’t been let out for a long time suddenly sprang to life. Like a flower after the rain, her heart expanded a little every time she saw him.

  Heading to the garden, she took a minute to smell the flowers her mom planted—and loved. Next, she collected a basket from the hook attached to the top of a low fence. She found herself humming, something she usually only did when baking on her own. Her mom had been a hummer. Unlatching the gate, with a lightness in her step, she walked along several cobbles and picked up a small trowel and fork. The first stop would be the potato patch.