Violets and Venom:: Book Two in the Black Orchid Mystery Series

by Pyper James

  Polly laughed heartily remembering back to that time.

  “They all tried to play coy, like their intention wasn’t their intention. But they didn’t fool ole Polly, huh, no they did not. I saw them, each and everyone of them, doing their best to cater to a man that didn’t know who he was anymore because he’d lost his best half. But there was one. One who was keener than the others in her pursuit. She didn’t push herself on Princeton; instead letting the other women make fools of themselves and then coming quietly in with a listening ear and a gentle smile.”

  “Who was it?” This was like a real love story. Vivica had to know who this stealthy silver-haired vixen was.

  “Her name is Pearl Nicholson and she lives right down the road.”

  Vivica shot a look at Johnathan and he slightly nodded his head. This Pearl Nicholson became more interesting. Having gotten more than they thought they would, Sheriff Harper stood to his feet. Vivica stood as well.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Ripkin. This has been most enlightening.”

  The two prepared to leave.

  “Hold on,” Polly said. “There’s more.”

  Vivica and Sheriff Harper turned to face Mrs. Ripkin.

  “Every love story has a twist, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Vivica’s eyes widened and she stole a quick look at Johnathan who was equally as interested in what Polly would say next.

  “A twist, Polly,” Vivica implored.

  “A twist, Ms. Meadows.”

  “And that would be?” Vivica encouraged.

  “That, my dear girl, would be a Mr. Simon Spruce.”

  “Simon Spruce?” Johnathan was dumbfounded by her response.

  “Yes, Simon Spruce. He wasn’t going to sit idly by and let Princeton steal the woman he’d loved from afar for far too long.”

  They were both stunned and their collective mouths falling agape was evidence of that. Johnathan was the first to respond.

  “Mrs. Ripkin, you have been very helpful. We appreciate that.”

  “Anytime, Sheriff Harper. And don’t forget, true love will not be denied.”

  As Vivica and Johnathan descended the stairs, they both did their best to disregard Polly’s last comment. They wouldn’t soon forget it though, no matter how hard they tried.

  “So, who do we visit first,” Vivica asked, feeling more energized than ever.

  “I say we pay Pearl Nicholson a visit. Agreed?”

  “Agreed!”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Pearl’s house was only a half a block away, so it didn’t take Sheriff Harper and Vivica long to get there. They didn’t have a game plan per say. They would approach Mrs. Nicholson just as they had Polly. Neither figured it would take long for Pearl to say something that would allow them to ask the questions they needed the answers to. Vivica and Johnathan played off each other naturally. It was almost instinctual when it worked best for one to take the lead versus the other. It was unspoken, and yet, very telling.

  Once again, it was Johnathan who knocked on the door. Vivica stood slightly behind. The neighborhood was still fairly quiet. After a few moments, they could hear noise on the other side of the door.

  “Coming!”

  One lock then two were undone and then the front door swung open. Vivica stepped from behind Johnathan, getting her first look at Pearl Nicholson.

  “Yes, may I help you?”

  “Good morning, Mrs. Nicholson.”

  “Pearl, call me Pearl, sheriff.”

  “You know who I am,” Johnathan asked.

  “Well, it says Sheriff on your badge, so I just assumed you were him.”

  These older ladies had a way of embarrassing Johnathan. He shook his head and smiled.

  “Do you mind if we come in? We have a few follow-up questions.”

  “I don’t mind at all,” Pearl replied. “But first, who is the pretty young lady you have with you?”

  “This is Vivica Meadows, my assistant.”

  Vivica could tell Johnathan wasn’t sure how to describe her. Assistant would do.

  “Well, come in Vivica, sheriff,” Pearl said as she turned and walked further into the entryway.

  Pearl made sure that her guests were seated before she disappeared into the kitchen returning with a small pot of coffee and cups. The fixings to personalize the coffee were also on the silver tray. Pearl was a gracious host and Johnathan and Vivica helped themselves to a cup of the hot brew.

  “Now that that is settled, you mentioned follow-up questions?”

  Johnathan wasn’t quite sure how to go about it. He didn’t want to offend Pearl. At the same time, if there was any truth to what Polly said, he had to verify it.

  “Pearl,” how well did you know Mr. Wyatt?”

  “Very well. Very well, indeed,” Pearl replied with a smile. “Many of us did,” she added.

  “And do you also know Simon Spruce,” Vivica continued.

  Pearl turned her head in Vivica’s direction.

  “Yes, I know him as well.”

  Pearl didn’t seem shaken by the questions. But there was a look in her eye like somehow, she enjoyed the two dancing around what they really wanted to know.

  “Let me make this easy for you. I may be an old woman, but I can tell when you’re trying to be delicate. There’s no need, I have nothing to hide.”

  They waited until Pearl was ready to speak again.

  “It is true that I knew Princeton well. After his wife died, we started to spend time together, as friends,” Pearl clarified. “Just because you get old doesn’t mean your insides are dead. We developed feelings for each other. We were respectful. We took things slow as to not offend the memory of his wife. He felt deeply for me and I for him. It was natural.”

  “How did Mr. Spruce fit into that,” Vivica asked.

  “Well, Simon is as much a gentleman as any man I’ve ever known. I didn’t know for sure he had feelings for me. He didn’t say so. He was kind, but he was kind to everyone.”

  Vivica thought back to her conversation with Mr. Spruce. He never gave any inclination that there was any strife between he and Princeton.

  “Did the two have a confrontation, a falling out of some sort?”

  “No, I wouldn’t say that. Both were men, honorable men. They wouldn’t come to blows over a thing like that. They didn’t fight over me. It would have been gallant, though, wouldn’t you say, Vivica? To have men fighting over you?”

  “I guess,” Vivica replied. “I haven’t been that fortunate.”

  “You will dear. You’re a beautiful young girl. I’m sure you’ve broken a few hearts along the way.”

  Once again, Vivica found her face flushing because of something these older women said. They had an uncanny, unfiltered way of saying just what they thought. They reminded Vivica of her aunt.

  “Who do you think killed Mr. Wyatt,” Johnathan asked, curious as to what her response would be.

  Pearl sighed heavily, and her eyes were sorrowful.

  “I wish I knew,” she answered, looking into Johnathan’s eyes.

  “Whoever did it broke my heart. I wasn’t sure that could happen again.”

  Pearl dropped her head as tears began to flow from her eyes. Moved by her emotion, Vivica went to her and held her hand, consoling her. Pearl appreciated Vivica’s gesture and thanked her when Pearl felt up to speaking again.

  “I’m sorry,” Pearl began. “Losing Princeton has been harder than I ever imagined.”

  “No need to apologize ma’am,” Johnathan replied.

  “Did you have anything else you wanted to ask? Suddenly, I’m feeling tired. I think I should lie down.”

  “No, ma’am. You’ve been most helpful,” Vivica added.

  The two stood to their feet and prepared to leave. Pearl followed them to the doorway.

  “If there is anything else I can do, you know where to find me.”

  The door to the Nicholson home closed gently behind them.

  Back on the sidewalk, Vivica paused.
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  “Should we go to see Mr. Spruce next?”

  “I’m not sure that’s the wisest thing to do right now. We may already have enough for probable cause which would mean enough to arrest him.”

  “You think?”

  “Yeah, but I want to run it by the State’s Attorney before we proceed.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  The ride back to the station was equally as quiet, yet this time the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. Both Johnathan and Vivica stirred on the information that had been shared by Pearl and Polly.

  Once back at the station, Bo had news of his own.

  “I spoke with poison control.” Bo got up and walked to the fax machine, returning with a piece of paper in his hand that he handed to the sheriff.

  “Nice work, Gathright,” Johnathan said.

  “Thanks boss,” Bo replied, feeling proud of himself.

  “What does it say,” Vivica asked, feeling out of the loop.

  “It says, Ms. Meadows, that with 99.9999 percent probability, that the plant you found, and we duplicated, produced the poison that killed Mr. Wyatt.”

  “And they can say that with such accuracy?”

  “Apparently,” Johnathan replied. “I did some more research once you found the first sample, Vivica. It seems that although there is multiple strain of oleander that produce assorted color and size, there are specific markers each plant produces that separates it from the others. It is all scientific and stuff, but it is best described as the plant having its own fingerprint.”

  “That should be enough, right, to arrest Mr. Spruce,” Vivica asked.

  “Simon Spruce? You think he did it,” Bo asked.

  “Boy do we have a story to tell you” Johnathan laughed. “But first, I need to put a call into the assistant district attorney to see if we can get an arrest warrant drawn up.”

  While Johnathan was on the phone with the ADA, Vivica called Winifred to bring her up to speed. She didn’t want her bestie to feel left out, especially when they were so close to capturing the culprit and clearing Vivica’s name for good.

  “And then, Polly dropped the bomb,” Vivica said excitedly into the telephone.

  Winifred was on the edge of her seat. This was better than the soap opera that played in the background. But she wasn’t the only one on edge. Bo had been eavesdropping on the conversation. He couldn’t help it. The office was small with little privacy. That would be his excuse if he were busted. Bo didn’t have the full story either since he was working from the office when Johnathan and Vivica were out canvassing. He wanted to know what he missed.

  “I need popcorn this is so good! What did she say?” Winifred asked.

  “She said that Pearl and Princeton were in a relationship. And, now this is the kicker, Simon Spruce wanted her too!”

  “An old folks love triangle,” Bo muttered, and then immediately turned his head as Vivica’s head whipped in his direction. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was wide open as well. He was listening, and she caught him. He turned back to her and shrugged his shoulders.

  “I couldn’t help it,” Bo offered.

  Vivica howled with laughter. When she told Winifred what he said, Winifred screamed with laughter too. It was the same thing she was thinking.

  “We got it!” Johnathan announced.

  “Okay, Winnie, prop your feet up and take it easy. I will let you know when Spruce has been arrested.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Deputy Gathright followed behind the sheriff in his car. The sirens were quiet but the red and blue lights that sat atop the police cars swirled, announcing their arrival. Sheriff Harper didn’t see any point in questioning Spruce in his home. With the search warrant in hand, he had every intention of going to Simon’s home, laying out the foundation for the warrant and placing handcuffs on Mr. Spruce. There would be plenty time for questions after the suspect was back at the police station. Vivica was anxious. This was the defining moment that could clear her name for good. She wanted that more than anything. But she also wanted Princeton Wyatt’s killer brought to justice. Princeton deserved that much. Vivica would never be able to forget how frightening it was to find him dead in his kitchen. The person that created that memory for her needed to pay for his crimes. All the evidence pointed to Simon Spruce as the person responsible for it, and now it was time to answer for what he had done.

  The officer’s eased their vehicles in front of the Spruce home. Gathright and Harper walked boldly to the front door. The knock was not polite. It was insistent. Vivica stood at the bottom of the stairs, not wanting to be in the way. Her preference would have been to stand right there alongside the officers. But they had come too far for any action by her to compromise what they were doing.

  Mr. Spruce came to the door. Vivica could see him clearly from where she stood.

  “Mr. Simon Spruce,” Johnathan said directly. “Would you please step outside.

  “Whatever for? What is the meaning of this?”

  Simon’s eyes scanned the people standing in front of his home.

  “Please step outside, Mr. Spruce,” Johnathan insisted. “I won’t ask again.”

  Further protestation was poised on Simon’s lips. But he was a smart man. He knew even before the Miranda Rights that anything he might say; the cops would find a way to use it to his detriment. Reluctantly, Simon stepped onto the landing in front of his home. Sheriff Harper gave his deputy the nod and Bo stepped forward, pulling his cuffs from his waistband.

  “Mr. Simon Spruce, you are under arrest for the murder of Princeton Wyatt.”

  “This is preposterous and a violation of my rights. What evidence do you have that suggests I am the killer?”

  “We can discuss that at the police station,” Sheriff Harper said.

  Deputy Gathright closed the cuffs on Simon’s aged wrists and led him down the stairs, being careful not to rush the older man. Vivica stood aside. When her eyes met with Simon’s he looked at her disappointedly as though she had done something to betray him by not speaking up on his behalf. Not wanting to leave Mr. Spruce’s home open, Johnathan moved towards the door. When he reached for the door handle, he was startled when the door swung open.

  “You’re making a mistake, sheriff.”

  Harper stepped back startled.

  “Mrs. Nicholson?”

  Pearl stepped out of the shadows. She’d been standing just shy of the entry since the police arrived. Pearl heard everything.

  “Yes, sheriff, it’s me.”

  “What do you mean we’re making a mistake?”

  Vivica was stunned to see Pearl standing in Mr. Spruce’s doorway. When Bo heard the commotion behind him, he stopped, and he and Simon turned toward the door.

  “Simon didn’t kill Princeton,” Pearl said. She didn’t scream. Pearl spoke in an even tone. She barely looked ruffled by the whole ordeal.

  “Pearl don’t, please,” Simon said pleadingly.

  Pearl stepped out of the doorway and onto the landing. Her small frame dwarfed as she stood in front of Johnathan.

  “I refuse to allow them to proceed any further, Simon. I won’t see you hurt, not anymore.”

  “Ms. Nicholson, I can understand you wanting to protect your friend,” Johnathan started. “But all the evidence points to Mr. Spruce. We have no choice but to arrest him.”

  “But you do have a choice, sheriff. Because I will tell you who the real killer is. Then, you won’t have a choice but to let him go.”

  “How do you know who did it?” Vivica asked.

  “I know who did it because it was me, dear. I killed Princeton Wyatt.”

  “Pearl, please. It’s okay. You don’t have to try and protect me. Don’t! Don’t do this.” Simon broke down. He was pained by her confession. He loved her and didn’t want to see her hurt.

  “Place me under arrest, sheriff. It’s your obligation. I will give a full confession. I have nothing to hide.”

  Pearl was forthright and direct. She gave Harper little
choice but to do exactly what she said. Bo placed Spruce in the back of his squad car and once she was handcuffed, Harper placed Pearl in the back of his. They had both been read their Miranda rights before being placed in the cars.

  The shock of the development rendered Vivica speechless. Nothing about the case made sense. The evidence so clearly pointed to Simon, yet Pearl confessed to it. It didn’t make sense?

  It didn’t take long for the group to arrive at the police station. Each of the suspects were taking to a holding cell. Sheriff Harper wasted no time updating the district attorney and then taking Pearl Nicholson into the interrogation room.

  She sat there just as dignified as the first time Vivica met her. Vivica couldn’t sit in on the interview, even though she would have liked to. But she had to be satisfied with watching and listening through the adjoining room. It was just like in Law and Order. She watched through one-way glass as Sheriff Harper turned on the tape recorder.

  “Mrs. Pearl Nicholson, you have confessed to the murder of Princeton Wyatt. Would you care to make a statement or invoke counsel?”

  “I don’t need an attorney,” Pearl replied. A smile teetered on the edge of her lips. She wasn’t frantic or upset. Pearl looked cool, calm and collected.

  “I just want to be assured of one thing,” Pearl began.

  “What is that?”

  “Once you have my full confession, Simon will be released. He had nothing to do with it.”

  Harper nodded his head.

  “Fine. Then I will tell you what happened.”

  Vivica couldn’t get any closer to the glass than she already was.

  “As you know, Princeton and I were in a relationship some time after his wife passed away. I realized that being with Princeton was a mistake. Maybe I had been alone too long and the prospect of having someone to love me and for me to take care of appealed to me. Simon and I had been friends, good friends. He made me laugh and treated me well, but he never told me his heart; not until after I was involved with Princeton. I tried to tell Princeton that we could no longer be together; that being with him was a mistake and that I discovered my true feelings for Simon. I didn’t realize when it started, that I had a soft spot for Simon all along. He had been scared to approach me before Princeton and I got involved, and too respectful to say anything afterwards. But I felt it. The heart knows, sheriff. And my heart knew that I had made a grievous error.”