Pelicans, Piers and Poison
Page 3
“That does sound nice.” Suzie grinned as she gathered two coffee mugs to put on the table. “I had a nice time at Cheney’s last night, too. At least until all the drama hit.” She rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I think people are just so quick to create a confrontation these days.”
“A confrontation?” Mary looked up at her as she buttered the toast. “What kind of confrontation?”
“Nothing too extreme, though it was loud. We were sharing our meal, and out of the blue Travis Parker stood up and began shouting at a diner at another table.”
“Travis? The guy that runs the hardware store?” Mary shook her head. “He’s never anything but nice to me.”
“Me, too.” Suzie narrowed her eyes. “But he has been through some trouble lately. I’d heard that he’d recently divorced, but I had no idea why. I found out last night, that’s for sure.”
“I didn’t even know that.” Mary sighed. “I’m always behind on the town gossip. Poor guy, divorce is never easy.” She carried the tray towards the dining room table.
“Don’t feel bad for him just yet.” Suzie followed after her with the coffee mugs. “It turns out that the man he yelled at was apparently a private investigator, who Travis’ wife hired to investigate Travis. I guess the investigator did a good job and that’s what led to the divorce.” She set the coffee mugs down on the table. “No wonder Sarah moved out of town. I guess she didn’t want to deal with the scandal.”
“Wow, I never would have expected that from Travis, he seems like such a nice guy.” Mary headed back to the kitchen. “I guess he had a few things to say to the investigator.”
“He certainly did. It wasn’t until Jason showed up that things finally calmed down and he agreed to leave.” Suzie shook her head as she took two plates from Mary to carry to the table. “It wouldn’t have surprised me if it had turned into a fist fight, luckily the men restrained themselves. I managed to get Paul to stay out of it, but I’m sure that would have changed if someone had thrown a punch.”
“Yes, you’re probably right.” Mary carried a platter of fresh fruit and yogurt to the table, along with a basket of applesauce muffins. “That should do it for breakfast. I prepared enough for four just in case.” She glanced up at the clock. “Though I’m not sure the lovebirds are ever going to come downstairs.”
“It’s good to see them so involved with each other.” Suzie smiled and plucked a strawberry from the platter. As she did, footsteps on the stairs drew her attention to the entrance of the kitchen.
“Good morning.” Ginger smiled as she stepped down into the kitchen. “Oh, it smells good in here, and that food looks delicious.”
“We’ll go out for breakfast.” Sam stepped down beside her and caught her elbow. “Let’s go get our day started.”
Mary’s cheeks prickled with a faint sting. She watched as Sam pointedly looked everywhere, but the dining room table.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like an applesauce muffin and some coffee?” Mary got to her feet. “I can get you a cup if you’d like.”
“No, thank you.” Sam’s eyes flicked towards Ginger. “Let’s go, we are wasting time.”
“He’s so eager to get out and explore the town.” Ginger smiled and gave his arm a light pat. “We need to get some breakfast in you, so you’ll cheer up.”
“Enjoy your day.” Mary called out to them as they hurried towards the door.
“That was odd, don’t you think?” Suzie frowned as she stood up and joined Mary near the kitchen.
“He did say he wanted to handle their meals.” Mary shrugged and tore her eyes from the door. “I just thought they would at least want some coffee. Oh well, more for us.” She flashed a grin at Suzie. “Up for that trip to the antique store?”
“Sounds good to me.” Suzie nodded, then sat back down at the dining room table. “Right after I polish off some of this fruit and yogurt.”
“Good idea.” Mary eased down into the chair beside Suzie and grabbed a handful of blueberries. As she popped one into her mouth she sat back in her chair and closed her eyes. “So, are you going to try out Pelicans on the Pier?”
“I’m not so sure about it.” Suzie shook her head. “It just isn’t my style. I’ll have to check it out sometime, but I’m not in any rush. I’ll clean up, do you want to take Pilot for a walk before we head out?”
“Sure, I can do that.” Mary smiled as she finished off the blueberries, then drained her cup of coffee. “Pilot! Walk?”
The Yellow Labrador bolted across the dining room towards Mary.
Mary guided the eager pup towards the sliding glass doors. She clipped on his leash as they stepped outside. At times she let him run free on the beach, but that morning she felt she needed him close by her side. She intended to walk into town. She was curious about where Sam and Ginger might have gone for breakfast. The local café? Or had they gone into Parish in search of a fancy coffee shop?
Pilot tugged her along down the road until he reached a small garden that grew in front of the library. He sniffed at the plants and the grass.
Mary’s attention passed between the cars in the parking lot of the library, the nearby diner, and the kids that played on the sidewalk in front of a group of houses. A pang of nostalgia rippled through her as she watched them jump from square to square. Her own children would spend hours playing a similar game. Their laughter still sounded just as fresh in her memory as it did then. A soft bark from Pilot drew her attention back to him.
“Oh, sorry boy, I wandered off in my mind there for a minute, didn’t I?” She smiled as she crouched down to pet him. “Let’s go to the bakery and get one of those dog cookies. Sound good?”
Pilot’s tail flicked back and forth, and he barked again. “I thought so.” She grinned and led him towards the bakery. The owner set up a stand outside every morning to give people the opportunity to stop for coffee and a pastry without even having to step into the shop. They also made sure there were plenty of dog treats available for those that walked their dogs in the morning.
“Hello Stacey.” Mary smiled at the young woman who stood behind the stand. The owner’s daughter, she was barely nineteen, and always had a smile on her face.
“Good morning, Mary, and Pilot.” She offered him one of the dog cookies.
“Thanks.” Mary handed over a few dollars to pay for the cookie. “He’s always so excited to see you.”
“Me, too.” Stacey gazed at the dog with a warm smile.
“Excuse me.” A man stepped up to the stand, his face half-hidden by a baseball cap, but his blond hair peeked out the bottom. “Can I get a coffee, please?”
“Sure. Coming right up.” Stacey began to prepare the coffee.
Pilot sniffed at the man’s shoes.
“Back off.” The man grunted.
“Sorry about that.” Mary tugged Pilot away from the man. “He probably smells the fish. Are you a fisherman?”
“I’m just here for a coffee.” He shot a brief glance at Mary, then took the coffee from Stacey. He handed her a few dollars, then turned and walked away.
“Do you know him?” Mary looked back at Stacey.
“Not really, no. The past couple of days he shows up, buys a coffee, and goes back to the docks. I tried to chat with him a bit, but he’s all business. I don’t think he lives around here, though.” Stacey shrugged. “Did you hear about what happened at Cheney’s last night?” She raised an eyebrow as she smiled. “Crazy, isn’t it?”
“I’m not sure what to think of it.” Mary frowned. “I’m just glad that things calmed down.”
“For the moment. We’d all better hope that Travis doesn’t run into that private investigator on the street somewhere.” Stacey turned her attention to another customer that stepped up to the cart.
Mary guided Pilot along the sidewalk back towards Dune House. She didn’t want to run into Travis, after what she’d learned about him. She did her best not to judge people, but it was hard not to feel that he had betrayed Sarah.
“Sorry we were gone so long, buddy.” Mary leaned down to pet him. “But we made some great finds.”
“We sure did.” Suzie grinned as she toted the bags inside the house.
“I’ll get us some dinner going.” Mary stepped inside the house and headed straight for the kitchen. As she turned on the oven to preheat it, Pilot sprawled out on the floor just outside the kitchen. Mary hummed to herself as she began to put together a small casserole. Just enough for the two of them, since she guessed that their guests already had dinner plans.
Suddenly, Pilot jumped up to his feet. His toenails clicked against the wood floor as he lunged towards the front door. Sharp barks bounced off the walls of the foyer.
“What is it, Pilot?” Mary’s stomach lurched as each of Pilot’s barks jolted her senses.
“Something’s definitely wrong.” Suzie hurried into the kitchen at the sound of Pilot’s barks.
Mary followed Pilot to the door as her heart pounded. He leaned down and growled, then barked at the door again.
Suzie paused beside Mary. “What is he barking at?”
“I don’t know.” Mary took a deep breath. Even though she was curious about what might be on the other side of the door, dread also bubbled up into her chest as she reached for the doorknob. The moment she opened the door, the blare of a siren struck her ears.
Chapter 5
“Wow, what are all the sirens for?” Suzie stepped out onto the porch and watched as a police car zoomed past, followed by an ambulance.
“Not sure.” Mary reached down to pat Pilot’s head as he shifted nervously beside her. “Hopefully, it’s nothing too serious.” She frowned as another police car whipped by.
“It looks like they’re headed to the pier, to the new restaurant.” Suzie looked over at Mary. “I suggested our guests go there tonight for dinner after your glowing recommendation. I hope they’re okay.” Suzie clasped her hands together and leaned forward. “Maybe we should take a walk down there and see what’s happening.”
“Let’s take Pilot with. I prefer having him with us in case he gets upset because of the sirens.” Mary grabbed Pilot’s leash from inside the house. She crouched down and smiled at him as she put it on. “Let’s go, buddy. We should check on things.” She gave him a light kiss on the top of his head, then stood up.
“I think every police officer in Garber must be there.” Suzie started down the front steps. “It must be something major.”
“Oh dear.” Mary’s heart began to pound as she held Pilot’s leash tightly. “I hope no one is hurt.”
“It’s hard to believe that no one is, after that kind of parade of emergency vehicles. But maybe it’s some kind of false alarm.” Suzie matched her pace as they neared the gathering of emergency vehicles. The bright lights flashed across the sign for Pelicans on the Pier. Several people were gathered outside the restaurant, though corralled within the confines of bright yellow tape that extended out to the edge of the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.
“I don’t think it’s a false alarm.” Mary frowned as she pointed to the coroner’s van that was parked not far from the ambulance. “I wonder what happened?”
“I see Ginger and Sam.” Suzie pointed at the couple in the middle of the crowd of people. They clung to each other as they shivered. The night was fairly warm, but many people in the crowd trembled.
“There’s Louis, too.” Mary pointed out the librarian that they had become good friends with since they had moved to Garber.
With Pilot close behind them, the pair picked their way through the crowd of onlookers towards Louis.
“Louis, what’s going on?” Suzie paused beside him, just outside of the tape.
“Suzie, don’t get too close.” Louis took a step back. “They don’t know what caused it yet.”
“Caused what?” Suzie’s heart skipped a beat as she took the step back that Louis recommended.
“Someone died in the restaurant.” Louis shuddered. “He just stood up from the table and started foaming at the mouth. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve read about it of course. It could be a sign of poisoning.” He frowned as he looked in the direction of the ambulance. “We all have to wait here until we’ve been evaluated, and then we’ll be interviewed by the police. It’s going to be a long night.”
Mary’s eyes swept over the crowd of people. If someone had been poisoned in the family-style dining restaurant, it was likely that many other people had eaten the same tainted food. Yet everyone in the crowd appeared to be healthy, shaken, but healthy.
“I’m so sorry that you witnessed that, Louis.” Suzie frowned as she met his eyes. “Is there anything I can do to help.”
“Just tell me it’s crazy to think that I’ll be next.” Louis ran his hand back through his hair as he took a deep breath. “I’m trying not to lose my mind over this.”
“It’s all right, Louis.” Suzie looked straight into his eyes. “If you were poisoned, you would be showing signs of it already. You would already be at the hospital if the paramedics suspected that others might have been poisoned. I think what happened to the diner was something that happened only to him.” She reached across the yellow tape and offered him her hand. “You’re going to be just fine. I promise.”
Louis blinked back tears as he took her hand. “Thank you, Suzie.” He took another deep breath. “That’s what I needed to hear. Logically, I know it’s true, but after seeing what I did, I think I’m just being paranoid.”
“Do you know who it was?” Mary stepped closer to the tape as well. “Was it a local?”
“No, it wasn’t. It was someone from out of town. I wasn’t sitting too close to him, but it was a man, in his late twenties or early thirties. Way too young to die.” Louis grimaced. “Not that there is ever a right age. I just wish we could all go home. Keeping us roped up like this is even more panic-inducing.”
“Let me see if I can find Jason.” Suzie gave his hand a squeeze. “Maybe we can get things moving along.”
“Do you think I should go say something to Ginger and Sam?” Mary looked in their direction. They seemed isolated from the other people gathered together, who were mostly locals.
“Let me talk to Jason first.” Suzie pointed to a group of police officers that surrounded one man in particular. “I’m sure he’ll give me an update on the situation, then we’ll at least have something to tell them.”
“Good idea.” Mary followed along behind her as Suzie approached the crowd of officers. Most wore Garber Police Department uniforms, but Mary noticed that some wore Parish Police Department uniforms. “They must have called in help from Parish.” Mary skimmed the group in search of one particular face. If Wes was present, he wasn’t in the tangle of officers.
Jason stood in the middle of the group, his head bent over a clipboard in his hand.
“We need to get these people processed so that they can be on their way. Make sure that each one has been checked by a medic. I’ve been told they have, but I want a second confirmation from each of them before they are questioned.” Jason looked up at the officers. “Understand that? I don’t want anyone questioned until they have been medically cleared. Once you interview them, if there’s anyone you think I need to speak with, pass that information on to me, if not, make sure you have their correct contact information and you can release them.” He tapped his fingertip on the clipboard. “We have a lot of people here, and one mistake could mean life or death in this case. Do not cut any corners. Any problems, report them to me immediately.” He nodded to the officers. “Go ahead and get started.”
As the officers beg
an to filter through the crowd of people waiting, Suzie walked up to Jason.
“Excuse me, Jason, I know you’re busy, but my guests are part of your group that you’re questioning. Do you think you could give me an idea of what’s going on?” She met his eyes as he glanced up at her.
“Suzie.” Jason looked past her, then nodded to Mary. As he looked back at Suzie his eyes narrowed. “I don’t have much time to spare. As it looks now, a man was poisoned while eating at the restaurant. However, at this point we can’t be certain of that. He may have not been poisoned and died from something else. He may have been poisoned before he ever arrived. So far there haven’t been any signs of anyone else being poisoned, which is both a good thing and a puzzling thing, since they were all sharing the same food. We’re working on finding out what he ingested that was poisoned. Summer suspects that the poison was ingested, but it’s just a suspicion until she can complete tests and an autopsy. As of now, we’re asking everyone who was present to submit to a medical exam and an interview. After that, they will be free to go.” He lowered his clipboard to his side. “This is a big mess, Suzie, they’re just going to have to be patient.”
“I understand.” Suzie frowned as she peered through the front door of the restaurant. “Do you know who the victim was? Louis said it was someone from out of town.”
Jason lowered his voice. “It was the man from Cheney’s last night. Jerome Poole.”
“Seriously?” Suzie’s eyes widened. “The private investigator?”
“We’re still looking into that.” Jason wiped his hand across his forehead. “I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of pieces to this puzzle.” He glanced up as an officer called to him. “I’m sorry, I have to go.”
Mary watched Jason walk away. She stepped closer to Suzie.
“If it was Jerome, do you think that Travis had something to do with it? You said they fought last night, right?” She bit into her bottom lip.
“I hate to think it, but yes it’s certainly possible.” Suzie scanned the crowd of people gathered behind the police tape. “I don’t see him, though. If he was in the restaurant, he wasn’t a diner.”