Proposals and Poison

by Rachelle J. Christensen

  My mom tucked a card in with the purchase. She’d printed up five hundred business cards with our website and details of her services. We made sure that everyone who stopped by received a card. I wondered if we’d run out before the festival ended on Sunday.

  “You have quite an assortment at this booth,” the woman said. “Very talented.”

  I turned to my mother, who had overheard and was beaming. “Yes, my mom is the heart and brains behind this business.” I motioned to the Mashed Potatoes and Crafts logo behind us.

  “I’m going to find my friend and make sure she stops by,” the woman said.

  “Thank you.” I smiled at her as she turned to go

  “Only one more hour to go,” my dad announced.

  “Wow, the day has gone by fast.” I surveyed our work space and the pile of wrappers, bags, tags, and other garbage under one of the tables. “I’m going to throw this trash away.”

  The large bins were situated behind Gladys’s booth, so I waved at her on my way to dispose of the bags. In response, she called, “Adri, come over here and look what I have for you.”

  I stopped, holding the trash bag at my side. “What is it?”

  “I mixed your bath salts with bergamot and a hint of lavender. See?” She pointed at a blue glass bottle that contained the mixture of salts. My name was printed neatly on the label.

  “That looks lovely,” I said. “I can’t wait to try them out.”

  “All I need to do is give it one more good stir and check the consistency, and it’ll be ready.”

  “Okay. Let me throw this trash away, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.” I left before she could continue talking my ear off. The trash bins were nearly overflowing, so I walked to the next set and dumped my bags in.

  I heard someone shout right after the lid of the garbage slammed shut. When I walked around the corner of Gladys’s tent, there was a commotion. I edged past someone and saw Gladys clutching at her throat and coughing, or choking, or what looked like a painful combination of both. Someone else was near her, asking if she was okay.

  Pushing back my shock, I approached to see if I could help, but before I could even pat her on the back, she collapsed. Someone screamed as I knelt beside Gladys. She wasn’t moving anymore, and I couldn’t tell if she was breathing.

  “Gladys!” I yelled and shook her arm, but she didn’t move. I looked up. “Someone call for help!”

  “They have already, but let me take a look at her.” The artist from the next booth over felt for a pulse, and leaned closer to her. “She’s still alive, so maybe not a heart attack.”

  “She was choking or coughing, and then just collapsed.”

  A couple minutes later, the paramedics arrived and immediately began mouth to mouth. Horrified, I stepped back. I hadn’t even realized that she wasn’t breathing. I heard one of them say something about her airway and possible blockage.

  One of the paramedics was a woman, and she turned to me. “Did you notice if she was eating anything?”

  “No, she said she was mixing up some bath salts for me.”

  The table Gladys had been standing behind when I’d last seen her was filled with her bath salts. In the center stood my bottle. The lid was off and a wooden spoon poked out, with bits of salt spilled around the table. I gasped and covered my mouth. The paramedic gave me an odd look before returning her attention to the other male paramedic, who was performing mouth to mouth.

  I took another step back, and then another, until I bumped into the frame of our booth.

  “Oh, Adri, there you are?” Lorea grabbed my arm. “Did you see what happened to Gladys?”

  “Call Tony,” I said. “Tell him we need to inspect Gladys’s bath salts. I think someone may have been trying to poison me.”

  “I’m not sure what’s in this that could have caused a problem,” Tony said. “But I got word that Gladys had some sort of reaction to something and went into anaphylactic shock.”

  “So she ate something that she was allergic to?” I asked.

  “Well, that’s what it looks like.”

  “Or maybe, that’s what it’s supposed to look like. What kinds of poison mimic a severe allergic reaction?”

  Tony bagged another sample. “A lot of them. But tell me again why you think someone was trying to poison you?”

  By now the festival hours were officially closed for the day, but there were still plenty of people moving about, cleaning up booths and prepping for tomorrow. The police had cordoned off the area around Gladys’s booth and the two booths next to her while they investigated. Hamilton had peppered me with questions when he first arrived, and now it was Tony’s turn.

  “Gladys told me that Vickie had said something mildly threatening about me—you know, relating to my visit to Tim.”

  Tony nodded. “When was that?”

  “That’s the thing. I don’t know. Gladys was all flustered about it this morning, so maybe it happened yesterday? She doesn’t seem like the type to want to wait on a piece of gossip. She searched me out first thing today so she could tell me all about it.” I chewed on my bottom lip as I surveyed the remains of Gladys’s booth. “I didn’t take her seriously.”

  “So what changed your mind?”

  “I talked to Gladys just before she had her reaction. She was mixing up my bath salts. Maybe ten minutes before that, I saw Vickie standing in front of her booth. She wasn’t talking or buying anything when I saw her—just standing there, watching. I thought it was strange at the time, considering Gladys had said how ornery Vickie was.”

  “Did Vickie handle any of the bath salts?” Tony asked.

  “I wasn’t close enough to see. And it was only for a minute; then I got sidetracked with another customer. Sorry, I know that isn’t much to go on.”

  Hamilton walked up next to Tony. “I haven’t been able to locate the woman Adri’s talking about. Tim Esplin said the clinic’s closed today. An officer went by her house, and Vickie isn’t home.”

  Tony glanced at me, and then back at Hamilton. “Have we figured out if Gladys is allergic to anything?”

  Hamilton shook his head. “Her husband didn’t know of anything.”

  “Let’s get these samples sent off to the lab.” Tony handed off a few of the bags to Hamilton. “Adri, don’t go off snooping, okay?”

  “Okay, but I wasn’t snooping. Give me some credit,” I protested. “And you’d better not tell Luke that I was involved in this, because I wasn’t. I didn’t even order the bath salts. Gladys was mixing them up when I got here.”

  “That’s true. Any other orders?” Tony gave me a mock salute.

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re still invited for ice cream later if you think you can make it. Wes and Jenna are coming into town tonight with their kids.”

  “Depends on what happens with Gladys’s condition, but probably not,” Tony said. He frowned and lifted the sample bags in his hands. “It’ll take a while to get this entered in, and then I’ll have more paperwork to fill out, but tell Wes I’ll try to catch up with him tomorrow if I don’t make it tonight.”

  “Sounds good.” I ducked under the police tape and headed back to the booth, where my parents and Lorea were packing up some of the items. We finished up, and my dad pulled the flaps of the tent down and tied it securely.

  “Everything should be safe until tomorrow morning,” Mom said. “The police will be here all night, I’m sure.”

  “Yes, poor Gladys,” Lorea said.

  “All kinds of crazy things are happening in this town,” my dad mused. “We heard about the murder of that young lady. Lorea told us she was your neighbor.”

  “And your client,” Mom added. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “I didn’t want you to worry. I hoped they would have figured things out by now, but nothing is happening.”

  “Odd that they arrested her fiancé and then let him out on bail,” Dad said.

  “Yes, it was terrible. I feel so bad for him.”

  “W
ell, let’s get this load of stuff down to the car,” Mom said. “Wes texted me a half hour ago to say they were ten minutes away. Those kids will be going through the roof waiting on their ice cream.”

  “I’ll be coming right after you,” I said. “Let me help you with your stuff, Lorea.” I picked up a box and followed Lorea to her car.

  After we loaded it up, Lorea looked as if she wanted to say something, but then she swallowed and opened her car door.

  “Wait, what’s the matter?” I asked.

  Lorea pursed her lips and swallowed again.

  “Are you upset about something with the festival?” I asked.

  “No, no, it’s not that at all,” she replied. “This was definitely a smart move for our business.”

  “Well, what is it, then?” I prodded.

  “I think I discovered something important, but I wasn’t supposed to figure it out.”

  “Okay, that’s cryptic and unhelpful. Do you want to play a game of Clue later on?”

  She swatted at me. “I’m trying to keep my promise to Tony not to get you any more involved than you already are.”

  “That’s not fair,” I said. “I didn’t have anything to do with Gladys. I think it might have been an accident . . . hopefully.”

  “See?” Lorea wagged her finger at me. “You’re already coming up with ideas, and I bet you have a plan to go ask more questions.”

  I shook my head, even though I did want to talk to Hank and see if he could provide a clue to what might have happened. “What is this about?”

  Lorea took my non-answer as some kind of proof, because she ignored my question and pulled out her cell and pushed a button.

  “Who are you calling?”

  “Tony,” she said. “I’m pretty sure that Phil and Vickie are related.”

  I sucked in a breath as every cop drama I’d ever watched came to mind. Two criminal masterminds with a joint cause of gaining Lily’s life insurance money? “But wait, how are they related?”

  “They’re first cousins.”

  “But how did you find that out? And why would it be a secret?”

  Lorea ended the call, obviously unable to reach Tony at the moment. She tapped out a text and slid the phone into her back pocket. “I bumped into Javier Benavidez today when I was looking at some jewelry.”

  I frowned. “I bet that was pleasant.”

  “Actually, he was really friendly. He had a necklace for his daughter, and started talking about how he was going to make a bracelet to go with it using stones he got from Phil’s friend Vickie.”

  My eyebrows shot up into my hairline. “Phil’s friend?”

  “Yeah, I didn’t pay much attention until later with Gladys. Then I heard Tony talking to Hamilton. He said they needed to find Vickie Larson.”

  “And?” I was trying to follow Lorea’s train of thought, but I was getting derailed.

  “Phil’s mother was a Larson. I remembered reading about Lily’s step-grandmother in her obituary. She was related to tons of people in the valley, and her sister Meredith Larson is still living.”

  “And who is she?”

  “I had to do a little checking, but Meredith is Vickie’s mother.” Lorea looked triumphant after her revelation.

  But I still wasn’t following it. “I don’t see why that’s important.”

  “The important part is that Phil claimed not to know Vickie when Tony questioned him tonight,” Lorea said.

  “Wait, Tony questioned Phil tonight?”

  “Yes, he was in the vicinity when Gladys had her attack. I heard him ask Phil if he’d seen Vickie near the table, and Phil said he didn’t know who she was.”

  “That’s really strange, but I’m not sure that it proves anything.”

  “Besides my theory that Tim and Phil were working together?” Lorea asked. “And maybe it means Vickie was involved too. She had access to the euthanizing agent, right?”

  “I already covered that angle. Tony said she has an alibi corroborated by several people. She was getting her hair done.”

  “I still think she was involved somehow,” Lorea said.

  It was a lot of information to digest, and my stomach was grumbling with hunger again. “I’m not sure, but you’re right. I’ll stay out of things and let Tony handle it.”

  Lorea’s shoulders slumped. “You still don’t think I’m on to anything?”

  I chuckled. “Hey, I’m supposed to be the detective. Sounds like you’ve been working this case overtime to come up with that many connections.”

  “Well, maybe something will help Tony so he can get off work early one night this week.”

  “Hopefully. Are you still coming for ice cream?”

  “Let me call Tony again, but yeah, I’ll probably be there.”

  “I’d better run. My family’s waiting.”

  Lorea waved goodbye and pulled out of the parking lot. I hurried to stash the rest of my bags in the Mountaineer. I guzzled another water bottle on my way out of the resort. It was nearly seven o’clock by the time I left the festival meadows and headed down to Frozen Tundra Treats. Part of me wanted to go home and put on my pajamas, but my brother was already waiting with his little family.

  I called Luke on the way, and he said he’d be there. “I might be a few minutes late, though,” he said. “Do you want to order me a hot-fudge-and-caramel sundae?”

  “Sure, that’s a good idea. See you there.”

  After I hung up, I wondered if he was nervous at all to meet the entire family and hang out tonight. He seemed okay, though, and that made me happy.

  My family filled half of the little diner, and we made a lot of noise greeting each other and reporting about the happenings of the Ketchum Arts Festival.

  “Hey, sis, did you have to go and get involved in another crime? I was looking forward to seeing Tony tonight.” Wes gave me a hug.

  “It wasn’t my fault. And hello to you too.”

  “Where’s Lorea?” he asked.

  “I thought she’d be here by now, but she did say something about checking at the station to see if Tony could come.”

  We got in line, and I received big hugs from my niece, Bryn, and my nephew, Ethan. “I’m glad you could make it, Jenna.” I hugged my sister-in-law. “The kids look like they’re happy to be here. Did they sleep on the way?”

  “They did for part of the way, so with a late nap and sugar, I’m sure they’ll be up late.”

  “Maybe they’ll surprise us and crash early. If not, we’ll have to keep them busy.”

  “I’ve been using this treat as a bribe all day.” Jenna smiled ruefully. “Sort of sad to see my tactics come to an end.”

  We squeezed a few of the red and white tables together, and the waitress filled them with several kinds of ice cream, brownie sundaes, and milkshakes. My blackberry malt with pecans was a little piece of heaven, and the sugar would probably keep me from passing out too early tonight. We all laughed when Bryn balanced a giant scoop of ice cream on her spoon and licked it.

  Luke arrived just as I was taking the third bite of my milkshake. I swallowed fast and had a brain freeze, but I managed to stand up so that I could introduce him to the rest of my family.

  “Thanks for coming,” I said. “I saved you a seat.”

  He put his arm around me and smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  “Luke, this is my brother, Wesley, and his wife, Jenna.” I raised my voice a bit. “And their darling kiddos, Bryn and Ethan.”

  Bryn waved an ice-cream-covered spoon at Luke. “Hello,” she said.

  “Hi there, cutie,” Luke replied. Bryn gave him a big smile and returned her attention to her ice cream.

  Wes stood and shook hands with Luke. “It’s great to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.” He winked in my direction, and I blushed like a schoolgirl. How did my brother still do that to me?

  “All good things,” Jenna assured him. “It’s great that you could come tonight. Adri said you’ve been so busy at work this summer
.”

  “Yeah, we hardly saw each other during June. But I’m hoping to have a reprieve soon.”

  Luke sat down, and we continued to eat and chat over ice cream. The conversation flowed comfortably, and Luke talked about his work, his Harley, and several other things with Wes and my dad. When he finished his ice cream, he leaned back and put his arm around me. I loved how that simple movement said that I was his. I leaned in closer to him, enjoying the feeling that he was mine.

  Everything felt right, like the pieces of my puzzle were finally coming together. Luke was my missing piece. I watched him, how easily he conversed with my parents and Wes and Jenna. His laugh was quick and bright. Ethan kept smiling at him every time Luke waggled his fingers in the direction of the ice-cream-covered baby.

  Luke turned and held me tighter. He bent his head toward mine. “How am I doing?”

  “Perfect,” I said.

  “Just like you.”

  A little thrill went through me as I gazed at Luke. Then my phone rang, breaking the magic of the moment. Tony’s number came up on my screen, and I groaned. “I hope I don’t have to fill out any more statements today.” I flashed the phone at Luke, and he nodded.

  “Hey, Tony,” I said.

  “Adri, did Lorea make it over there to have ice cream with you guys?”

  “No. I thought she was coming to pick you up?”

  “Dang, I must have missed her. I’ll try calling her cell again. She wasn’t picking up, so I thought maybe it was too loud in the diner for her to hear and I’d try someone else.”

  “She was kind of iffy on coming, so maybe she went home to bed. I know that’s kind of where I want to be right now,” I said.

  Tony chuckled. “Don’t we all. Well, if you see her before I do, tell her to give me a ring.”

  “Will do.” I hung up the phone. “Tony was just looking for Lorea,” I explained.

  Luke nodded, and then he leaned back and patted his stomach. “That hit the spot. So what’s the plan for tomorrow?”