A Taste of Death (Maggie Olenski Series)

by Hughes, Mary Ellen

  She stood up and went through a couple of boxes on the floor. No power adapter. Her suitcase? No, she had unpacked that thoroughly and knew it hadn't been there. Shoot! She hadn't brought it!

  Maggie looked back at the screen. A warning sign had popped up. Her laptop would be useless in about two minutes, and remain so until she could get hold of a power adapter. She sank into her chair and ran her hands through her hair in frustration.

  Her evening was now shot, and instead of spending the whole day tomorrow as she had intended, inside, working hard, she'd have to go out shopping. Who knew if there was even a store in Cedar Hill that carried computer stuff? She might have to go searching from town to town for one. And with her luck she'd probably stumble over another dead body on the way!

  "Aaarrrggghhhh." Dyna's groan floated from her room as her body stretched for some yoga move.

  "My feelings exactly!" Maggie called back. "Double!"

  CHAPTER 5

  Maggie pulled on her boots and looked around the small foyer of the cabin for her hat.

  "You're sure you don't mind if I go out to Big Bear without you?" Dyna asked, for probably the fourth time that morning. They had risen early and fixed a sumptuous breakfast of poached eggs with hollandaise sauce over English muffins. While washing up, Dyna noticed that a gentle snow had begun to fall and declared how it was her most favorite of all conditions in which to ski.

  "No, honestly, Dyna. I want you to go," Maggie said. Besides, she knew sending Dyna off to the slopes would leave her with that much more quiet time at the cabin. Maggie saw the hat hiding on the floor behind Dyna's boots, grabbed it and pulled it on.

  "At least I could drive you there, couldn't I?" Dyna said, looking torn. "I don't want you to get lost."

  "Don't worry, I had a sashful of badges in Girl Scouts. And these are my most favorite of all conditions for taking a walk through the woods. See you later."

  Maggie pulled open the side door and trotted down the steps before Dyna could say anything more.

  At the end of the driveway Maggie turned left to hike the few yards down the road to the footpath that wound through the woods. Dyna had pointed it out as they drove past it yesterday afternoon, explaining that it was a short cut to Main Street. She could have taken her own car, but Maggie felt a need to work off some of the frustrated energy still with her from last night after her laptop went dead.

  When she stepped into the woods Maggie was immediately enveloped in the perfect silence of tall trees and softly falling snow, and she felt her tension lessen. Thanks to snowmobilers packing down the snow. the path was walkable, but, happily, there was no sign of the noisy vehicles at the moment. It was so quiet she could almost hear the flakes land, and she was transported to another world.

  After walking a while, since she was all alone, she tilted up her head and stuck out her tongue to catch a few flakes. They were cold and delicious, just as they had been when she was ten years old. Although she had said it lightly, Maggie realized what she said was true. These conditions were her favorite for taking walks.

  She noticed no signs of any wildlife as she went along - no squirrels, chipmunks, or birds twittering around, which caused her to picture small creatures peeking out from their cozy nooks, shaking their heads in amazement at this foolish, two-legged creature, outside in the cold and damp instead of sensibly tucked away like them. She grinned. A little snowfall certainly seemed to bring out the child in her. Before long she'd find herself plopped on her back making snow angels as she had loved to do in kindergarten.

  Maggie grabbed a long stick lying in her way and carried it with her as she walked. She tried swinging it as a tennis racquet, remembering the lesson Rob had given her last summer on her backhand, but decided the slim branch made a better golf club or hockey stick, and batted at a pine cone or two. She walked on in this manner, enjoying her isolated world until the path took her over a small rise and back into civilization.

  She stepped out onto the sidewalk of Main Street and shook her mind back to the real world. Time to get down to business. She remembered Dyna's directions to the shop she thought was most likely to carry a power adapter and turned left, picking up her pace, not sure how far to go but taking the opportunity to check out a little more of the Cedar Hill shopping area close up. With the predominance of huge malls back home, where you left your car in a multi-level garage, Maggie was still getting used to the novelty of stores that people could actually walk to, or park in front of.

  A horn beeped, and she turned to see the mayor's wife, Susan Larson, drive by, waving. She waved back, smiling, and found herself thinking how really nice this little town was, in so many ways. If only people didn't happen to get murdered there.

  Maggie looked into the windows of a gift shop as she walked by, passed a small bakery, a dress shop and a pharmacy, and eventually came to the office supply store Dyna had directed her to. A large CLOSED sign hung at the door. Her stomach dropped, and she stood frozen to the spot, staring at the dreadful sign. Now what?

  Maggie could have kicked herself for not calling first, for not having at least made a back-up plan. She looked around helplessly, and her gaze fell on the shop across the street, "The Book Nook," quite possibly the book shop Elizabeth managed.

  Maggie remembered Paul Dekens' request that they check on Elizabeth, and Dyna's offer to stop in on her yesterday, both forgotten in their après ski lethargy. Why not do it now, she thought, and possibly get directions to another computer place at the same time? She climbed over the snow bank at the side of the road and crossed the street.

  The bell over the door tinkled lightly when Maggie walked in, and Elizabeth looked up from the rear of the small shop and smiled. She stood at a table of books, clipboard in hand, wearing a soft looking peach-colored sweater and brown skirt that complimented her coloring. Her light brown hair curled gently onto her shoulders.

  "You're Dyna's friend, Maggie, aren't you? Welcome to my little shop," she said.

  "Thank you. I was so glad to see you open this early," Maggie said. She loosened her jacket and shivered as a few snowflakes slid from her collar onto her neck.

  "It's a beautiful day to be out if you like snow,” Elizabeth said, “but still cold. Come over here and warm up with some tea." Elizabeth indicated a small table in the corner with two chairs and a large tea pot, evidently kept there for the comfort of her customers. She poured out a delicious-smelling spicy tea for Maggie, then a cup for herself, and sat down with her in the second chair.

  "Business is slow at this time of day, but I've been doing inventory. I'm glad to take a break."

  Maggie looked around. It was a small shop, but it made the most of its space. Besides the welcoming aroma of the tea, there were quaint touches here and there, such as a stuffed Peter Rabbit sitting on top of the children's books section, and a bowl of wooden vegetables tucked in the middle of the cookbooks. A black cat peeked out from the shelves of the mysteries. Maggie had to look twice to be sure it wasn't real.

  "Dyna told me about the book you're writing. How is it going?"

  Maggie winced. "It's not, I'm afraid. I seem to be setting myself up for ways to postpone starting on it." She told Elizabeth about her laptop's missing power adapter and her futile search so far to find another one.

  "If you keep going up Main Street and take a right onto Hudson, you'll find O'Connell's. If they don't have what you need, I'm sure they can help you to get it."

  "Terrific! Once I finally begin working, it shouldn't take me too long to put the manuscript together. It's mostly a matter of putting all my notes and ideas into plain English."

  "When it's published I'll display your book prominently in the window."

  "I'd like that. Perhaps with a compass or calculator next to it?"

  "How about notepaper and pencils?"

  "That would be even better. Maybe the book should come with them, to encourage working out the puzzles."

  Elizabeth smiled. "I'll be eager to try them."

 
; Maggie looked at her. "You know, you're the first woman I've talked to in a long while who hasn't claimed to be just terrible at math."

  Elizabeth laughed. "I guess that's going out of fashion, finally. Even the talking Barbie dolls aren't allowed to say they hate math. I never got higher than high school trig, but I always enjoyed math, liked the challenge of it." She looked pensive for a moment. "Maybe I would have majored in it, or at least minored, if I'd gone to college."

  Maggie sensed a tone of wistfulness. "Something kept you from going?"

  "Well, yes." Elizabeth smiled. "My mother wasn't well by the time I finished high school. She had raised me alone after my dad died when I was three, and she had a bad heart. I couldn't see letting her keep on working so that I could go on to school, and nobody was offering me full scholarships, so I got a job, and eventually became manager of this store. There are living quarters attached, and it was a good arrangement, especially as Mom got worse. I could run over whenever she needed me. She died last June."

  "I'm so sorry."

  Elizabeth smiled her thanks, but her eyes looked tired and sad. It would be a while yet, Maggie saw, before she was over her mother's death.

  "I love the way you've fixed up the shop," Maggie said to change to a more cheerful subject.

  "Thanks. I try to switch the stuffed toys and things every once in a while. It gives the place a new look, and I notice the regular customers glance around a bit more, move to sections other than their usual ones."

  "That cat tucked among the mysteries caught me off guard. I thought he was going to leap out any second."

  Elizabeth laughed. "Some day I plan to get a real one. Won't that wake up the mystery readers, when old Blackie there winks at them?"

  "Speaking of mysteries, it sounds like Sheriff Severin will have quite a time finding Jack Warwick's murderer."

  Elizabeth's face suddenly flushed, and she tried to hide it by taking a sip of tea, managing only to look uncomfortable. This surprised Maggie until she remembered Annette's cryptic comment in front of the supermarket. "Poor Mrs. Warwick and poor Elizabeth", she had said. Maggie regretted bringing the subject up. There was something about Elizabeth that made one feel very protective.

  The phone rang, and Elizabeth jumped up, clearly grateful for the interruption. "Hello? Oh, Paul, hi. No, it's okay."

  Maggie got up and wandered over to the children's book section to browse. With the size of the shop, though, she couldn't help overhearing most of what Elizabeth said. Paul was obviously asking about her well-being, and Elizabeth responded with distantly polite gratitude, as she might have answered the casual inquiries of an acquaintance on the street. Maggie hadn't seen much distance in Paul's concern when he talked about Elizabeth to her and Dyna in the ski lodge, or when he had watched Elizabeth at the town meeting.

  "Dinner? Tonight?" Maggie heard her say. "Thank you, Paul, but I'm really pretty busy doing inventory now. I'll probably be working late for several nights."

  Elizabeth apparently didn't return the strong feelings Paul clearly had for her. She probably wasn't even aware of them, as the neutrally friendly tone of voice implied. That must cut Paul worse than outright dislike and rejection, Maggie thought.

  Elizabeth hung up, and Maggie turned back to her. "Thanks so much for the tea. I won't hold you up from your work any more. I should get back to mine."

  "Stop in any time," Elizabeth smiled, picking up her clipboard and pencil. She seemed to mean that sincerely.

  "I will." Maggie realized she still held the slim book she had pulled off the shelf and leaned back to return it to its slot. A small spider ran out of the space and onto her hand.

  "Oh!" Maggie cried, startled. She shook the spider off and was ready to step on it when Elizabeth stopped her.

  "Wait, let me." Elizabeth scooped the insect onto her clipboard and carried it over to a tall potted fern near the window. "It’s too cold to put him outside," she explained without a trace of embarrassment. "Maybe he'll be okay there until Spring."

  Maggie watched, and as she did something clicked in her memory bank, something that had been stored there a long time ago.

  "Betsy?" she said.

  Elizabeth turned and looked at her. "Nobody's called me that for a long time," she said.

  "Since summer camp?" Maggie asked.

  Elizabeth stared at her. "You're not that Maggie, are you?

  Maggie grinned. "I think I am. Camp, oh, what was it called, Camp Kitty...."

  "Kittiwake!"

  "Yes, that's it!"

  "Girl Scout camp, down in southern Maryland."

  "Right. We were in sixth grade, I think."

  "The summer before sixth," Elizabeth corrected. "And we shared a cabin."

  "With two other girls, Jennifer and...."

  "Stacey." Elizabeth's eyes were dancing.

  "And Stacey found a Daddy Longlegs on her bed once and went berserk and would have squashed it, but you rescued it and put it safely outside."

  "Did I?" Elizabeth asked, smiling. "I don't remember that, but I guess I might have."

  Maggie smiled back. "I wouldn't have recognized you except for the spider. You've grown up."

  "As have you. That was a good two weeks, that I do remember."

  "Did you stay in Girl Scouts?" Maggie asked.

  "A couple more years. Then we moved, and my mother started getting sick, and...." Elizabeth shrugged. "What about you?"

  Maggie would have answered, but a man and woman walked in the store, the bell tinkling, and the man immediately called to Elizabeth for help in locating a particular book. Elizabeth excused herself, saying, "We'll have to talk."

  "Yes," Maggie agreed, and as she zipped up her jacket, she watched Elizabeth become once more the conscientious book professional. She looked up, though, as Maggie opened the door and waved farewell, and Maggie caught a glimpse of the eleven year-old she remembered in her smile.

  Maggie continued up Main Street three more blocks, fragments of the Camp Kittiwake camp song running through her head, then turned onto Hudson, as Elizabeth had directed. Her thoughts returned to the urgency of finding the power adapter she needed, and she scanned the block anxiously for O'Connell's. It was there, halfway down the block, open for business, and, miraculously, as she quickly found out, had what she needed. She was so relieved she could have kissed the clerk who handed the power adapter to her. Instead, she gave him her credit card, and was soon happily retracing her steps down Main.

  As she passed the bookshop, she glanced in. Elizabeth was busy with another customer, but Maggie tapped on the window and held up her package triumphantly. Elizabeth grinned and did a congratulatory thumbs-up, the elderly woman in front of the counter looking up with blinking, bewildered eyes.

  Maggie continued on down the street to the footpath and re-entered her snowy wonderland, thinking, as she walked along, about how fun it was to run into someone she had known, if only briefly, in childhood. Elizabeth - rather, Betsy - must had made an impression on the eleven year-old Maggie, because Maggie found she had many clear memories of her, mixed in with the busy-ness of the camp activities. They would really have to get together sometime soon and have a good laugh over it all.

  <><><>

  When Maggie reached the cabin it was gloriously empty. Dyna, she assumed, was happily swooshing down the slopes. Maggie immediately hooked up her adapter, turned on her laptop, and spread her notes out on the round table in the living room once more. Before too long she had left Elizabeth and Cedar Hill behind and had entered a world of her own making, one that consisted of words and numbers, and in which she was supremely contented.

  She had been working diligently for several hours when she heard Dyna's car pull into the driveway. Good, she thought, she was ready for a break. She leaned back from the computer, stretching, and waited, listening for the usual shufflings of skis and boots being transferred from car to porch. Instead she heard the car door slam and footsteps pound up the steps. Maggie looked up as the door flew open, expec
ting an enthusiastic description of Dyna's day. But Dyna stood at the door, her mouth working soundlessly, her face a picture of disbelieving shock.

  "They've been searching Elizabeth's place," she finally managed to squeak out. "They think she did it!"

  CHAPTER 6

  Maggie hovered over Dyna, who had staggered to the couch and collapsed on it, pulling off her hat to fan her flushed face.

  "Tell me what's happened!" Maggie pleaded.

  "I just can't believe it," Dyna said, shaking her head back and forth.

  Maggie wanted to grab her shoulders and shake the words out of her. She controlled her impulse, though, chewing at her lips, and waited, giving Dyna time to come to grips with her emotions, willing that to happen swiftly. Finally Dyna sat up straight and took a deep breath.

  "I was coming off the slopes, just racking up my skis and thinking I'd take a break indoors for a while, when I overheard these guys talking. One was telling the other he just came in from town and saw "the SWAT team", as he put it, moving up Main Street. He said they were closing in on the book store. Maggie, this was a guy about fifteen, sixteen years old, so I figured he'd just been watching too much television." Dyna got up to throw off her jacket. She started pacing.

  "Anyway, I went inside, and as I walked around I picked up a couple of whispers that sounded like Jack Warwick's name, and Elizabeth's. And that, with what I heard the guy outside say, got me plenty worried, so I threw my things in the car and drove to town.

  "The Book Nook had a big CLOSED sign on it, so I went into the insurance place next door. The old guy there told me he saw John and a deputy go into the book shop - no SWAT team of course - but they stayed a pretty long time, poking around. Then he saw John drive Elizabeth away in his car and that's so awful I just can't stand it!"

  Dyna stopped her pacing and looked at Maggie with a face full of distress. Maggie was sure hers looked the same. Elizabeth! That couldn't be!

  "Did they find something? Is she being charged?"