Prelude to Poison

by Morgan W. Silver

  “Okay, stand back.” He peered through the window. “Her scarf looks very tight around her neck,” he said.

  I let out a whimper.

  He opened the door and checked her pulse. “She’s gone. I’ll make the call.”

  “Are you sure we can’t help her? Maybe it’s not too late.”

  “It is, I’m sorry.” He moved towards me and gave me a hug.

  Eleanor showed up when the police rushed through the street with blaring sirens. She took me inside her home so I could calm down and Alistair could do his work. Harold had gone over to the crime scene to pray for Mrs Field.

  I was mostly shaky and frustrated. She must have been killed right after she rang me. Had the killer been with her? Was it a set up for her, disguised as a set-up for me? Had she seen it coming? Had she suffered? I groaned and stared into my tea cup.

  “I can’t believe three people are dead within a week,” Eleanor said. “This is supposed to be a quiet, peaceful village.”

  “Pandora is supposed to be the only homicidal maniac,” I said, mustering a weak smile.

  Eleanor squeezed my hand, then frowned. “But if she let the killer in her car, then it means she knew the killer.”

  “She was trying to be close to Patricia. She was there during one of the bridge nights. Patricia had joked about poisoning Victor.”

  Eleanor shook her head. “She’s said distasteful things like that before, but do you really think she’d actually do something like that?”

  “I know that you can’t judge a book by its cover.”

  “Right.”

  A short while later Alistair showed up, followed by DC Daniels. Alistair sat down while his partner remained standing.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “Okay, I guess.”

  “Listen, I phoned my boss,” Alistair said, the expression on his face pained, “and he wants me to take you in. He says he’s not too happy with your name popping up every time, and he wants to scare you by taking you in. I’m telling you so that you know there’s nothing to be worried about. We have nothing on you, because you did nothing. I’ve already called an old friend of mine who will be at the station shortly. He owes me a favour. You just have to do what he says, and you’ll be out of there in no time.”

  Eleanor, usually composed and calm, slammed her cup on the table. “This is absurd. Maggie’s been putting herself at risk trying to find the killer. I mean, that could have easily been her in that car, and you want to bring her in to scare her. She’s already scared enough, I reckon.” She had put on her stern voice.

  Alistair looked at his hands. “I know it is absurd, but he’s my boss, and if I don’t do it, he’ll just think it’s suspicious. I don’t want Maggie to have any more problems. This is the only way. Besides, my boss knows she’s the local sleuth, he’s heard the stories. Deep down I’m sure he knows she’s not involved.”

  “But what if he thinks it’s an easy solution? To arrest me, I mean,” I said.

  “I won’t let that happen,” Alistair said.

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Eleanor muttered. Then she turned to me. “Do you want me to come along to the police station?”

  I shook my head. “No, if Alistair has arranged for someone to help me, then it will be fine.”

  “You better bring her back in one piece,” Eleanor said to Alistair. “Or I’ll send a certain chicken your way.”

  The corners of Alistair’s mouth quivered, but he maintained his composure. “Understood.”

  The drive to the police station was a silent one. DC Daniels was in the front, and I was in the back. Occasionally I exchanged a look with Alistair through the rearview mirror. I wondered what Alistair was thinking. He really should be interviewing Patricia and scaring her. Perhaps he had already spoken to her. She didn’t seem like the type to let the police snow her under. Once I was out again, I had to do something. I was done being careful.

  Alistair got me a hot chocolate, and with his hand on my lower back, he escorted me into the same interrogation room I’d been in earlier. Soon it would become my second home. If they’d give me my laptop, maybe I’d get some work done.

  Again I had to wait for a while before someone came in. This time it was a man I didn’t recognise. He was dressed in a sharp suit with light-blond hair, and he had a dazzling smile. He looked like he could convince a vampire to sunbathe, if they existed.

  “I’m Miles Mortimer, and I’ll be representing you today.” I held out my hand as he sat down next to me. “Alistair didn’t tell me you’d be so lovely.” He kissed the back of my hand.

  I instinctively touched my hair, but realised how stupid that was and yanked my hand back. “If you could make sure that I don’t get charged with murder today, that would be great.” I have a murderer to catch.

  Chapter 20

  Even if the interview was supposed to scare me, I was nothing more than annoyed. They were supposed to be grilling Patricia, not me. Alistair kept asking questions that made me seem like some cheating, scheming murderer who liked to be the centre of attention. I figured his boss was watching through the two-way mirror. Miles Mortimer was not phased, though. Every time I opened my mouth to defend myself, he answered for me. And all of those answers weren’t really answers at all. He kept telling them they had no evidence, and that I was not obligated to answer.

  I loved it. Perhaps I could arrange to have a lawyer at my side every day.

  “Any other questions?” Miles said in a syrupy voice.

  “No, that was all.” Alistair closed the file and pretended to be annoyed.

  Finally the charade was over, so I could confront Patricia.

  Miles held back my chair and then walked me out of the interrogation room. “That went swimmingly, don’t you think?” he said with a self-satisfied smile on his face.

  “Sure, you did great. Can you give me a ride?” I asked. The sooner I could be at Patricia’s, the better.

  “I’d be delighted. Follow me.” He headed over to an expensive-looking BMW. Then again, don’t they all look expensive?

  “Hop in,” he said. “It has seat warmers.”

  “How impressive,” I said with the dryness of the Sahara desert.

  Miles chuckled. “You’re not like other women, are you?”

  “I’m a writer. I’m weird. Now step to it.” I got in.

  “What’s the rush?” he asked as he took place behind the steering wheel and started the engine.

  “The rush is that someone who contacted me was murdered, and I think I know who the killer is. So if you could drop me off at her house that would be great.”

  Miles paused. “And then what are you planning to do, dear girl?” he asked, even though he was just a few years older than me.

  “I don’t know. Hit her with a plant. Hoover her hair until her wig comes off.”

  “Miss Matthews,” he started.

  “Okay, she probably doesn’t have a wig, but still. And call me Maggie; we’re about the same age.”

  “Maggie,” he said and his eyes twinkled as he leaned in. “Please don’t assault people you suspect of murder. If everybody did that, the ER would be busier than it already is. Now, I’m going to drop you off at your bookshop. Alistair said that The Wicked Bookworm belongs to you.”

  “How do you know Alistair? Are you from here?”

  “We used to be childhood friends. When I turned ten, we moved away, but we always kept in touch. I am now contemplating moving here, actually. But we will see how it goes.”

  “He said you owed him a favour.”

  “Not anymore.” He grinned, and I sensed that was all I was going to find out about it. For now.

  When we arrived at the bookshop, Miles gave me one last warning. “There is no point. It will just get you into trouble. Let the police do their work.” With a fluid gesture he produced a business card from his breast pocket and handed it to me. “If you ever need anything. Or want anything.”

  I pretende
d to gag, and he laughed.

  “I’ll see you around, Maggie.”

  “See you.” I got out of the car and bent down. “And thank you.”

  He nodded, and after I slammed the door shut, he drove off in his shiny car.

  Christina showed up next to me. “Who was that?”

  “Some lawyer Alistair knows.”

  “How did it go? Eleanor showed up and told us what happened. Someone died again?”

  I sighed. “Mrs Field this time, yeah.”

  Christina patted my back. “Nick’s inside. I’m sure he can cheer you up.”

  I smiled. “I hope so.”

  After I had filled in Eddie with the highlights, Nick and I went upstairs. I didn’t want to repeat the story to anybody who stopped by for details.

  Nick hugged me on the sofa, and he kept rubbing my arms even though I wasn’t shivering. Anymore. I really didn’t want to make finding bodies a new thing.

  “I’m just so frustrated. I really think Patricia did it, and she’s getting away with it. I want to do something and confront her, but I’m not sure if that will work, and it would be just my luck if it backfired and I got arrested.” I grunted. “This killer is crazy and needs to be put behind bars.”

  “And you really think Patricia did it?”

  “She had the poison in her shed, she cares about what things look like on the outside, she made a joke about killing him in front of Mrs Field. She couldn’t bear to be a divorcee, and so she killed him. Mr Field probably knew because he was spying on Victor and his wife, and then Mrs Field was going to tell me about it and so she killed her too.”

  Nick inhaled. “When you put it like that—” his voice trailed off.

  “But there’s not enough evidence, that’s the problem.”

  “Maybe I should talk to Alistair. There must be something we can do.”

  I shook my head. “I honestly doubt it. This is the real world, and things don’t work like they do in stories. If it did, someone would come up right now and give us a new clue.”

  The door slammed downstairs and by the footsteps I could tell that it was Nancy. She reached the landing and stared at us.

  We stared back, not breathing.

  “Let’s go to the pub,” she said.

  “See?” I said to Nick.

  Nick sighed. “You read our minds. We could definitely use a drink.”

  “This entire village can use a drink. It’s times like these that I wish I’d opened up a pub,” Nancy said.

  “You’re such a sweetheart.” I got up and put my arm around her.

  “It’s not my job to be a sweetheart. It’s my job to be me.” She squeezed my cheek.

  “That’s actually very wise,” Nick said.

  “I have my moments.”

  THE ROSE WAS PACKED and it could have been my imagination, but everyone looked up and got quiet when I walked in, even if it was just for a split second. They were probably hoping that I’d caught the killer by now, instead someone else died. They had relied on me, and I had failed them. Nancy and Eddie nudged me in the direction of the corner where there was still a table free. We sat down as chatter filled the pub, even if it wasn’t as lively as always. Mrs Field hadn’t been a local, people barely knew her, but it was the combination of the earlier events that had their impact. To know that someone in our village was doing these heinous things was awful.

  The rest of the book club ladies started trickling in and joined us. People actually gave up their seats so we could sit near each other and communicate. This time there was no gossip, this time I told them about the case and everything I’d found, heard, and seen. I left out few details and told them I believed Patricia to be responsible. Normally they wouldn’t have believed it, because Patricia is so popular, but after everything they’d heard, their postures changed. They had frowns on their faces and clenched their jaws.

  “Well, that is just utterly unfair and ridiculous,” Poppy said.

  “Yes, you’ve done all this hard work and practically solved the case, and the police won’t do anything to actually close it,” Ava said, her Scottish accent becoming heavier as she got angry.

  “We should do something.” Phoebe stood up. “We should all go to her house right now and tell her we know what she’s done and bring her to the police. That way she can’t deny it. Not with all of us there.”

  “I’m not sure—” I started.

  “I’ve always wanted to put that stuck-up cow in her place,” Nancy said and also got up.

  That did it. All the women rose to their feet except for Eleanor and me.

  “We better go and make sure they don’t do anything they’ll regret,” Eleanor said.

  “Or to make sure that they do.” They looked pretty excited to put Patricia to justice. Even Nick did.

  I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, but I was desperate to get somewhere. And so the local book club, a mystery author and a ghost hunter went on a warpath.

  Just a regular Tuesday evening.

  “We’re going to catch a killer,” Poppy said with great enthusiasm to every person we encountered in the street. Which probably meant that Alistair would find out about it soon, if not Patricia as well. She could potentially be waiting with a hatchet.

  We reached her house and the lights were clearly on in the front room, even if the drapes were closed. Nancy rang her doorbell, and when nothing happened, she knocked loudly.

  “Are you holding a broom?” I asked incredulously.

  “Yes,” Nancy said.

  “Where did that come from? You didn’t have that with you in the pub.” I would have noticed.

  “I have my ways.”

  “Let’s go around the back,” Poppy said with a glint in her eyes. The door to the gate was open, and we followed her through to the back of the house, which was darker than the front.

  “Maybe she’s stepped out,” Jessica said, clutching her bright orange scarf that made her look paler.

  “Or she’s on the lam,” Ava said. “Okay, lassies, let’s fan out. We should check the nearest bus stop and the train station.”

  Before I could say anything, the women dashed off, chatting about what they would do when they found her. They left me and Nick behind, and we stared at each other, then giggled.

  “I bet this isn’t what you expected when you came here.”

  Nick smiled. “I wouldn’t trade any of this for the world. Although if I could have spared you from seeing dead bodies, then obviously I would have.”

  “Thanks.” I looked down at my shoes. “When will you go home?”

  He sighed. “I guess I should go back soon. I just don’t want to leave you with a killer on the loose. Actually, I don’t like leaving you, full stop.”

  I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tight. We stood like that for a while.

  He planted a kiss on my temple. “Come with me,” he whispered.

  “Stay,” I whispered back.

  He held me tighter. “I’m sorry.”

  “Me too.” I pulled back and smiled at him.

  “If you could stop batting your eyelids,” Detective Black said, “you’d notice that sound.”

  I tilted my head and listened.

  “What?” Nick asked.

  “Do you hear that?”

  He closed his eyes and listened as well. “Is it a banging?”

  We both looked at the shed where the sound was coming from.

  “There better not be any more dead bodies,” I said.

  “I don’t think they make noises.” Nick squeezed my hand. “Unless they’re ghosts.”

  “You’re the expert.”

  We etched closer towards the shed, still holding hands. My heart rate was increasing.

  Nick placed his hand on the door handle and after a pause, he yanked the door open. It took us both a moment to adjust to the darkness, but it was clear that someone was lying on the ground.

  “Susan?” I said and rushed to her side while Nick took out his phone and
used it as a torch. Susan’s ankles were tied with rope, and there was also rope coiled around her wrists, as well as tape on her mouth.

  I carefully helped her sit up and took the tape off first.

  She winced. “Ouch.”

  “Who did this to you? Are you okay?” I asked and was about to untie her hands when she moved them away.

  “I’ve almost got this one, start on my ankles, please.” She gave me a weak smile and then struggled with her hands. “She’s a psycho.”

  I untied her ankles with some difficulty while Susan got the rope around her wrists undone. “Patricia? She did this to you?”

  “Yeah, she pushed me and when I fell, she tied me up and put me here. I think she was going to bury me.”

  Nick swore under his breath. “At least we can go to the police now and end this madness.”

  I helped Susan to her feet, and we stepped out into the fresh air.

  “What are you doing on my property?” a familiar voice asked.

  Susan shrieked as we turned to Patricia. If looks could kill, we’d all be dead now.

  “You are done now,” Nick said. “Stay where you are.”

  I already had my phone out and messaged Alistair.

  “I have no idea what you are on about, but I want you all off my property. I’ve suffered enough harassment from you, young lady,” she said to me.

  “There she is,” Poppy shouted. Poppy, Nancy and Olivia had come back. They all rushed to stand between us and Patricia as if to protect us. Not that we needed it. Patricia wasn’t going to do anything that bold with all of us here.

  “This is utterly insane,” Patricia said. “I don’t know why you think it’s okay to trespass.”

  “Because you’re a murderer,” Poppy said. “You killed poor Victor.”

  “Please, why would I kill my own husband?”

  “Because he was going to leave you for me, you already joked about killing him,” Susan said.

  “As if he’d ever be interested in you, child.” Patricia smirked.

  “He was!” Susan shouted, and I had to hold her back. That fire I had seen in her when she’d attacked me was back. I’d have never guessed that about her.