Deadly Diet

by Kodi Heart

  “Okay, thanks.” I glanced at Mom and we seemed to agree that we had a visit to make after the meeting. At least she was still with me. We could work through the Kiki issue. I’d need Mom on my side to get through the rest.

  ◆◆◆

  We made some calls and found out Norris Stockton was at Valley Hospital which was only about twenty minutes from where our meeting was – at least the way I drove. Mom and I drove separate since we had to go home afterward. I waited in the parking lot for her to get there. I’d parked and my car almost cooled by the time she pulled in two spots down from me.

  Standing beside her car, she waited while I climbed from mine and approached her. Wrinkling my nose, I tried not to ask like a little kid, but it came out whiny anyway. “Do you think Grandma is mad at me?”

  Falling into step beside me, Mom stayed silent for a moment, long enough to let me start to get upset myself. She half-walked, half-ran across the ambulance thoroughfare. After we slowed down to a normal pace again, she spoke up. “I think everyone there had a reason to be upset. We’ve all been waiting for so long to hear from Kiki. You heard from her and you didn’t say anything.”

  I shook my head. “No. Everyone in there just bad mouths her. I’m the only one who ever expresses interest in her whereabouts, what she’s up to, or even if she’s safe. Everyone else – including you – just blames her for what she left behind. No one wonders why she actually left.” I clenched my jaw. “You didn’t want to know how she was, even though you say you did.”

  “Yes, actually, I do want to know that she’s okay. Other than that, you’re right. I don’t care. I don’t want that back in my life. But she’s my sister and I want to know she’s okay. If nothing else.” We stopped at the double-doors and faced each other.

  “If you talk like you do about her, you have to understand how easy it was to think everyone wouldn’t care that she had sent me that. No one says anything nice about her. Ever. You’re all rude to Nikki,” I held up my hand to stop her argument. “Never outright rude, but what about this whole thing with Debra’s murder? You should have wanted to help because she’s your niece not in spite of it, you know?” I hated admonishing my mother, but it was how I felt. I blinked back tears. “Did you know she was at Grandma’s for Easter, helped me dye all those eggs and then she and the kids didn’t even stay? She’s not comfortable around the family, because of Aunt Kiki. That’s not fair.”

  Nikki’s pain was my pain. I couldn’t imagine what she was feeling, but I could see whatever it was, it was enough to keep her away from family gatherings. I didn’t like that. I didn’t like it at all. And no one else in the family should like it either.

  Mom studied me and nodded slowly. “I hear what you’re saying. I need to think about it some more, but I do hear what you’re saying.” She stepped through the open doorway, leading the way into the hospital hallway.

  I’d have to take the win for what it was. No one in the Fleming family said anyone else was right, even if the facts were clear as unflavored gelatin. They just didn’t.

  We walked quietly, side by side, through the small hospital where my brother and I were born. Mom stopped at the receptionist’s desk and got Norris’s room number. He wasn’t in ICU so his condition must have been getting better. I wasn’t sure that was a good sign – if he’d only been poisoned a little bit, maybe that meant it was because he’d poisoned himself. If he’d been poisoned a lot, then we still had no idea who the killer was. Neither was ideal.

  The hallway had an air of sterility to it with its off-white walls and shiny linoleum flooring. Black grout separated the large sections of flooring. Gray rubber trim protected the bottom of the walls from rolling machinery which left it decorated with black streaks and marks.

  A scent of antiseptic rode the chilly air. I’d heard once that hospitals stay at a cool temperature to discourage the growth of germs on surfaces. I’m not sure if that’s true, but it was easier to justify the chill than just because they were cutting costs.

  As we got closer to his room number, Mom and I slowed. We hadn’t talked about what we were going to say or even what we actually suspected. I had a feeling Norris was closer to the situation than we’d previously given him credit for, but I couldn’t be certain.

  We paused outside his ajar door, glancing at each other. Obviously, speaking about Kiki wasn’t an option, but we could talk about this. We could figure out who had killed Debra. We had to try. We’d come this far.

  Honestly, deep down, I wasn’t sure I wanted to peg Norris with his wife’s murder. Not after the breakdown we’d witnessed in his car. At the same time, I would like to have it resolved before going after Nikki and figuring out what was going on with her.

  Maybe Norris thought he was protecting Debra, or maybe he was trying to help her. I had no idea what went through people’s minds to justify killing someone that they loved – or anyone for that matter.

  I reached out and rapped my knuckles on his door. We didn’t wait for him to call us in and instead, we pushed the door open and smiled as we entered the dim room. For it being mid-day, his room needed light. The curtains were pulled and the only light shone from underneath the en-suite closed bathroom door.

  Norris reclined in the hospital bed, his stubbled face pale and his eyes half-open. He weakly lifted his head, pasting on a half-smile as he saw us. I could tell he was having a hard time focusing as he tried to remember who we were. Someone had tried arranging his hair, but it was still mussed and the hospital gown did little to help his appearance.

  Coming to a stop at the foot of the bed, I glanced at Mom and then turned toward Norris with my friendliest smile. “Hi, Norris. We’re friends of Debra. We saw you at her funeral. We heard you were sick and we wanted to stop in and see if you were okay.” I could come across as nurturing, even though people in general irritated me. For some reason, I had a good bedside manner.

  He braced his arms on the mattress and shifted himself into a more upright position. “Right, thank you. Yes.” But his voice lacked the verve he’d had at the funeral, even in his nervous yet exhausted state.

  Mom and I moved closer to the bed, taking up the side opposite the bathroom door. I stood closer to Norris than Mom and we both studied the patient. He studied us back, his eyes growing wide as we all stayed silent in some kind of patience game.

  I was out of patience. I was also tired of the secrets and the playing around with all the half-truths. Sighing, I folded my arms. “You did it, didn’t you, Norris? You’re going to be a senator and you thought Debra was cheating or something, right? That’s why you poisoned her with arsenic?” I blinked back tears. It was awful that anyone could act that way toward their spouse.

  Turning towards Mom as she gasped, I nodded, sadly. “I know. Here’s why I think it’s Norris.” I held up my hand and ticked off on my fingers. “He’s the only one with access to her every day – which he would need to have to administer the arsenic by slipping it in her food or drink. He’s the only one with true motive – he’s jealous of her relationship with Don and he’s worried about her past smearing his plans to be a politician.”

  “Ah, okay. All good points. I’m sure there was a life insurance policy in there, as well.” We had no idea about a policy, but it didn’t hurt to throw something like that out there. Mom turned toward Norris, her expression sympathetic but decided. “Were you upset she was losing weight? Or maybe her history of drug use? Or was it something else? We really want to understand.”

  Norris’s mouth fell open, the haze faded more from his eyes. “You think I would do this to myself, too? Why? To hide her death?” He coughed, his red-rimmed eyes a testament to his mourning. “Her past wasn’t a big deal. I didn’t care about any of that. I knew she wasn’t cheating on me. I just didn’t like that she was hanging out with Don. He used to deal her drugs when she was younger. I thought if she was around him, she’d slip back into her old ways. She wasn’t happy like that. Neither of us were. I always tried to keep her clean
. I didn’t care if she was heavier or not. I just wanted her healthy.” He ended his depressed tirade on a sob, lifting his hand with the ID bracelet to rest his fingers against his temple.

  Mom pushed her lips to the side in a sympathetic frown. “The police won’t believe you. There’s too much stacked against you, Norris. I’m so sorry.” I believed she was sorry. Neither of us wanted anyone to suffer, but there was nothing else to be done. He’d killed his wife. No amount of tears would make it okay. Justice had to be served.

  Mom had no idea what the politics were willing to sweep under the rug, but maybe there would be enough evidence we could turn it in. I raised my phone and turned on the recorder. If we could just get him to confess, then maybe that would be enough for Uncle Tom to take to his superiors and they could help Nikki out with her job.

  I pressed the red start button and set the phone on the blanket, with the microphone pointed toward the ceiling. He had to give us something. We just wanted to be done with the whole matter.

  “I have no idea how this happened. I miss her so much.” Norris closed his eyes and leaned his head against the pillows. “I made myself a drink with her syrup. Usually I like mint, but I missed her… so much.” He licked his lips, opening his eyes. “Next thing I know, I’m here in the hospital. No one has any answers. Me least of all.” He shook his head, side to side, making a scratching sound on his crisp pillow.

  Her syrup. I cocked my head to the side. “What kind of a syrup did she drink?”

  “Sugar free almond. She started drinking it at the start of the year and has – I mean, had – it in everything. Cookies, everything. She even had my mom put it in things she baked for us. I think my mom even gave her a few bottles for gifts and stuff.” Norris blinked back tears, wiping at his cheeks as his silent tears streaked tracks down his skin.

  The door to the bathroom cracked open and the light turned off. Lavender crept into the room. Her chin out and shoulders back as she moved into the room. Her expression was cold but clear. She took a deep breath and crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at the three of us. “I did it.”

  Norris blinked fast and lifted his head. “What? Mom, no.” He swallowed, realization crossing his features. He hurriedly changed his story. “I did it. I should have known better. I just… I did it. Not my mom.”

  Lavender moved slowly toward her son, the purple polyester of her slacks darker in the dim lighting. A soft lavender blouse with a strand of white pearls completed the ensemble. She wrapped her fingers around his hand and looked on him with concern. “Your wife had too many liberties, Norris. Her past would just ruin your future. You didn’t need that baggage holding you back from bigger and better things. Someone had to protect you from your decisions.”

  Norris sniffed, studying his mother’s face as if he could find the truth she was hiding. He cleared his throat. “Mom, I was never going to run for office. I wasn’t interested. Debra and I had other plans. We were going to travel… and…” His voice trailed off in a whisper as his throat tightened. “How?”

  “I spiked her sugar free almond syrup. You constantly talked about how much you hated it. I thought it would be the only thing that was safe for you in the house.” She frowned, her anger and frustration evident as she slapped the side of his bed. “But, you… you and your sentiment. You couldn’t stay out of her syrup. You even had too big of an amount. How long have you been drinking her syrup?”

  “Mom… It was a joke between Debra and I. I actually loved the almond syrup and snuck little bits here and there to tease her. I… We told everyone it was just her flavoring.” He closed his eyes and turned his face from his mother. “She was the only thing that made me happy. Just her. And you took her from me.”

  “I… I was trying to help you. I thought…” Her shoulders slumped forward and she reached for his hand again, dropping hers to her side as she realized he wasn’t going to respond.

  Tears in Lavender’s eyes cemented Holly’s words in my mind. Moms will do anything for their children.

  I wasn’t surprised though. Norris had been too upset to have a huge involvement in her death. I blinked back my own tears. Family… There were more misunderstandings that led to hurt feelings than anything else. In this case, someone had ended up dead. “Oh, Lavender.” I glanced at Norris and shook my head. “I’m so sorry.” I held up the phone, pressing stop and saving the sound file. I sent the file to Uncle Tom and Nikki. There, they could do what they wanted with it. Lavender was an old woman. I wasn’t sure what they could do, but we’d done our part.

  She reached out toward the phone I tucked in my hind pocket and she whimpered. “I just wanted to protect my son.” She pressed her lips together, nodding short and fast, as if that was reason enough to kill his wife.

  “I know. You love your son. I’m a mom. I get it.” Mom reached out and grabbed my elbow, pulling me into a hug. “Moms.”

  I nodded, too. Lavender didn’t try running. She knew she’d been caught and judging by the relief on her face, she was glad to have it off her shoulders.

  Moms.

  Epilogue

  Clenching my fingers on the stiff paper cover of the month-old journal, I slapped it on the table by Tanya. “I’m done. I can’t do this. Most of the time I’m looking up stuff or tracking food when I just want to spend time with my kids.” Not to mention the guilt when I missed an entry was worse than Fleming Guilt. “Writing stuff down isn’t stopping me from eating donuts or potato casserole.” Or anything else. “I need something more. This just isn’t working.”

  I stood, glancing around the group staring at me for walking in late and having a mini-tantrum. Solving Debra’s murder had left me feeling empowered. There was a new spiciness to my boldness and I wasn’t backing down anymore. People pleasing was beginning to take a backseat to figuring out what made me tick, what made other people tick.

  The pressure since solving the case had only increased. Nikki was mad at me because of the postcard, and wouldn’t acknowledge the fact that I’d helped with the investigation.

  The police had my phone. I’d sent the voice file to my uncle and he’d confiscated my phone since it was the original evidence piece or something like that. I couldn’t even explain my annoyance with that one.

  My family hadn’t fully accepted my apology. It would take some time, but at least I’d learned.

  Penny and Holly approached the table and slapped their journals down on the laminated table surface beside mine. Holly winked at me. “We’re out, too. This was the worst way to diet. I’m exhausted!”

  “I agree. No one can exist on twelve-hundred calories a day! That’s ridiculous.” Penny hefted her pants tighter around her broad waist. She didn’t wink at me like her mom, but she didn’t ignore me either.

  I’d take it.

  Grandma grinned, approaching the table and Tanya’s chair with a smug bounce to her step. You’d never know she had double knee-replacements with how spry she was. She was the only one who hadn’t cold shouldered me after the postcard the week before. But then again, she wouldn’t do that to me. She’d just let everyone else punish me. It was how the Flemings worked.

  As if it was a trend, Grandma slid her journal on top of the growing stack and tapped the card stock covers. “Well, this is perfect. It’s my turn to choose our next diet and this one won’t require tracking.” She wiggled her eyebrows, this time painted on with a magenta brush. I had the suspicion she’d accidentally used lipliner.

  “I think we should try low carbs this next month. We’re bound to find a successful diet, if we give them each a month, right?” Grandma nodded approvingly at everyone within earshot.

  I’m not sure trying a diet for a month to see its efficacy was the best way to test them, but nothing else I’d tried had worked. So, I was along for the ride with the Foodie Fools – Flemings and all.

  Refusing to argue, I nodded and turned, claiming my seat by Mom. Nikki wasn’t there. I didn’t know what was going on with her, but maybe we’d get things
figured out. She’d have to forgive me sooner or later. At least, I hoped so. I’d helped save her job.

  “Did I hear her right? No carbs? Cinco de Mayo is all carbs. I’m married to a Mexican man. That’s all he cooks!” Mom whispered to me, keeping her gaze on Grandma in case she overheard our conversation.

  I kept my whisper low as well. “I’m already planning my cheat meals.” I didn’t crack a smile but hey, it’s all about finding balance, right?

  Debra didn’t need to be killed for Lavender to show that she cared for her son. But I got it, glancing around at my family who was at the diet club more for family time than anything else. My family knew how to support each other – moms or not.

  Lavender had taken it too far and she’d killed someone – someone important to her son.

  A little piece of me understood where she was coming from. She just wanted what was best for her son – even though her thoughts were skewed, she still loved her child.

  I’m not sure I could smother my empathy for that side of the situation. Not when I had six kids myself and who knew what was in their future.

  “Can you believe it was Debra’s mother-in-law? Wow, some people have crazy relatives.” Jessie’s comment to Jill sliced through the conversations in the room. Everyone turned to stare at the blonde as she giggled beside Jill whose face had turned a dark crimson. Jessie followed Jill’s gaze and took in the room of Flemings and other staring at them in disbelief.

  The realization of what she’d said moved across her face and she shook her head in denial. “No, I mean, other people have crazy in-laws. I have awesome ones.” She shifted on the chair, clearing her throat and clasping her hands over her knees. “So… Bonnie got a postcard and didn’t tell anyone.” She smiled weakly and stared at me.

  I grinned. It was too late. She’d already shifted the family’s irritation her way. I was off the hook. I could feel their frustration as she attempted to manipulate the rest of the room. They wouldn’t take kindly to her comment considering we were all her in-laws.