CHAPTER 17
The next morning, Blaine went into work early to tie up some loose ends before he was going to take some time off to help Lacie and Tyler. He planned on taking two weeks off, although he’d still be working from home.
Kat went back to the hospital to spend some time with Lacie, Tyler (who’d stayed overnight in the private room), and baby Florence. All was well with both mother and baby, but the doctor wanted Lacie to stay in the hospital for a couple more days before being discharged. She’d managed to take a shower, but that was about all she could do.
Afterwards, Kat went home and fixed herself a tuna sandwich for lunch with salad on the side, and started looking at the book covers she was considering for her new manuscript. Jazz and Rudy ate in the corner, then wandered into the great room to get on their respective dog beds so they could enjoy a nice afternoon nap.
She was interrupted by a knock on the front door. She frowned, wondering who it was. She wasn’t expecting anybody. Perhaps it was Mitzi with a surprise gift for Florence, she thought and smiled.
But it wasn’t.
It was a courier. “Delivery for Kat Denham,” he said, when she opened the door.
“That’s me,” she said, wondering what on earth it could be.
He handed her a flat manila package, the kind documents were sent in. “Sign here, please,” he said, passing her a little machine.
She tucked the package under her arm and used the little virtual pen to make her signature on the screen. “Thank you.”
As soon as she closed the door, she opened the package, not knowing what to expect. Inside, there was a single sheet of paper. There were typed words on it in large capital letters which read:
DON’T PURSUE THE CASE IF YOU WANT TO STAY ALIVE
Kat felt her heart rate speed up. Immediately she called Blaine. “I’m coming home right now,” he said. “Lock all the doors and keep the dogs with you.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” she said shakily.
“Yes, I think you will be, too,” Blaine said. “But I want you to take every precaution we have available.”
“Okay. Yes. I’m also going to try to get through to the courier company and see if I can find out who the sender was or at the very least, the location it came from.”
“Good idea. I’ll be home in twenty minutes. Be safe, Kat.”
“I will, love.”
“All right, see you soon.”
Kat called Rudy and Jazz and sat in the kitchen with them. She double checked the doors that opened onto the patio, as well as the back door. They were all locked. She used the bolts at the top and bottom to secure the doors, something she usually never did.
She tried to remain calm and collected, but couldn’t help feeling rattled. She jumped and flinched at every little noise, a car passing by outside, someone slamming a car door in the next-door driveway, the whoosh of the hot water system. It was quite exhausting being so on edge. She didn’t even feel comfortable sitting at her usual spot at the kitchen table, because her back would be exposed to the door from the hallway, and she kept having horrible visions of someone creeping up behind her.
Kat looked on the back of the envelope and saw there was no marking to indicate what courier company had delivered the package. She’d have expected a sticker, at the very least, but there was nothing.
Unfortunately, the courier hadn’t been wearing a uniform of any kind, and he’d been driving an ordinary car, as opposed to a van or truck with a logo or a company name. A shiver went down her spine as she thought of a new possibility. What if he hadn’t been a courier at all? What if he was some kind of goon sent by the person who’d sent the threatening letter?
She bit her lip and flicked the corner of the envelope nervously. She hated feeling like this, but all of a sudden, she remembered Marie. “I’ll do this for you,” she said out loud. “I’ll get justice for you, I promise. Whatever it takes.”
When Blaine arrived home, Kat’s heart stopped as she heard the sound of a key in the lock. She had an awful feeling it may not be him at all, but someone who wished her harm. When she saw him come in the front door, she breathed a huge sigh of relief.
“Kat,” he said, rushing to her and giving her a big hug. “I’m so glad you’re all right. I called Chief Moore on the way over here, and he’s going to station a couple of cops in front of the house for a few days.”
“Thank goodness for that,” Kat said. “Because I was thinking our plans for having Lacie and Tyler and Florence here for a couple weeks was not going to work. I have to let them know what’s going on, so they can make their own decision on whether or not they want to come and stay with us. But at least with police presence here, they may feel a little more comfortable.”
“Yes, hopefully.”
“If they decide to stay at their apartment, it’ll be horribly cramped with the four of us, plus little Florence, staying there. It’s unlikely it’ll work, what with only one bedroom and bathroom.”
“You’re right,” Blaine said. “That really isn’t feasible. Hopefully they’ll feel relaxed enough to come here.”
Thankfully, they did. Kat was very transparent and let them know exactly what was going on. They were concerned for Kat, but relieved by the police presence, and agreed to come live there for the first two weeks of Florence’s life, as soon as Lacie was discharged from the hospital. She was hospitalized a total of three days, and then sent home with strong painkilling drugs for her caesarean procedure.
Kat was overjoyed to be having them home. The day they returned was a rainy, cozy day, a welcome relief from the relentless summer heat. Tyler was driving them back from the hospital, while Blaine’s job was to go to the supermarket and pick up the ingredients for dinner.
Kat stayed home, and couldn’t resist another peek at the beautiful bassinet they’d put in Lacie’s old bedroom. It was a normal sized bassinet, but seemed so incredibly tiny to Kat. How could a human be that small? Of course, she had a pretty detailed knowledge of the concept of babies, especially having had one, but she couldn’t help thinking thoughts like that.
She’d lovingly laid out baby clothes and diapers on the bed, and had done the same with towels and toiletries for Lacie and Tyler. She’d also bought them both new slippers and light summer robes so they could pad around the house when they had to get up with Florence.
She went downstairs and began to start the preparations for their welcome home dinner, using the few ingredients she had on hand. Since they’d already had Lacie’s celebration dinner during her pregnancy, Kat thought she’d do something a little different. She’d decided to have chicken breasts in a cheese sauce with cauliflower and broccoli, and a side of roasted potatoes. For dessert they were having one of Lacie’s childhood favorites, crazy cookies, something which Kat enjoyed making and they all loved.
Kat knew hospital food was generally dreadful, and Lacie and Tyler had probably been surviving on a lot of snacks, so she sincerely hoped they’d enjoy the meal. For this reason, she’d planned ahead to make more than double what was needed. That way, anyone could have seconds if they wanted, and there’d be some leftovers for the refrigerator.
When Blaine returned home, he offered to help Kat in the kitchen. “No, thanks, darling,” she said. “I’ve got it all under control. You’d just be underfoot.”
“Well, thanks very much,” Blaine said in an offended voice, but she knew he was kidding from the grin on his face.
She returned his grin. “You’re more than welcome to do the washing up, though. I’m using the best plates from my mother’s English tea set, and over my dead body are they going in the dishwasher to be ruined.”
“Terrific. I’m sure I got the best job of all,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I’m kidding. I’d be more than happy to do it. What are we having?”
Kat laughed. “You just bought the ingredients!”
“Yes, but…” He looked a little sheepish. “I confess, my mind wandered, and I did most of it on autopil
ot. I do remember some chicken breasts, though, so I guess it won’t be a steak.”
Kat swatted at him with a dishcloth. “Get out of here, you big dope.”
Kat managed to time the cooking perfectly, and just as the chicken had five more minutes in the oven, there was a knock at the door.
She rushed to open it and saw Lacie and Tyler, who was holding the baby carrier with little Florence in it. Kat smiled, feeling so incredibly happy.
The evening passed quickly, and everyone enjoyed the food immensely. Florence cried once during dinner, between the main course and dessert. Lacie took her out to feed her and was back within ten minutes, the tiny girl sleeping in her arms, her limbs splayed out and floppy.
Lacie giggled. “She’s milk drunk.”
They all chatted happily for the rest of the evening. It was as if there was some unspoken agreement that they wouldn’t talk about the threatening letter. None of them mentioned it all night, despite the police car being stationed outside. No one wanted to taint Florence’s first night home from the hospital.
It really was a magical evening. They watched a cozy family movie after dinner, Lacie feeding Florence again, and then they went to bed. Kat assured Lacie she didn’t want to be overbearing or meddling, so she wouldn’t interfere, but she wanted Lacie to know she could call her if she needed anything.
Lacie put Florence in her hand-crafted Moses basket bassinet and turned around, wrapping Kat in a hug. “Thanks, Mom,” she said.
“You look tired,” Kat said. “Try to get some sleep while you can.”
Lacie yawned. “I am tired,” she said. “As soon as my head hits that pillow, I’m going to be out, trust me.”
Kat laughed and rubbed her on the back. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”
Kat was tired, and fell asleep instantly only to be awakened in the darkness at 11:59 p.m. by her cell phone ringing. She thought that was very strange. No one called her at that hour.
Blaine jumped awake just after she did. He worriedly looked at her, and she knew what he was thinking. He was concerned that it might be a threatening call.
But then Kat picked up the phone and saw the word “Marie.” For one sleep-addled moment, she jumped, thinking Marie was calling from beyond the grave. Then she laughed at herself. It was obvious it was either Julia or Auberon calling from the house.
“Hello?”
“It’s Auberon. Sorry to call you at this hour.”
“It’s all right. What’s up?”
“You were right,” he said. “My mother was murdered. The pathologist I hired says she died from something called a tremetol coma.”
“What’s that?”
“Tremetol is an extract from a plant called white snakeroot,” he said. “It’s very poisonous and can cause death. She said it took a while for her to identify, since it’s very rare. There were no puncture sites on her body, so it looks like she ingested it.”
“Okay,” Kat said, her mind racing. “That confirms what I’d originally thought. I have some ideas on who might have done it, but I need to piece things together. I’ll be in touch as soon as I do.”
“Thank you again, Kat.”
“We’ll get justice for your mother, Auberon. We will.”
CHAPTER 18
The next morning, Kat awoke at 7:00 a.m. She quietly got out of bed, hoping she wouldn’t disturb Blaine, so he could sleep in for a little while longer. It was rare he ever took time off from work to do as he pleased, so she wasn’t going to rain on his parade by acting as his personal alarm clock.
The door to the guest room was closed, and she assumed Tyler, Lacie, and Florence were sleeping, too. She wondered what their night had been like, although she hadn’t heard them.
She padded downstairs in her slippers and got a morning nuzzle from Jazz and Rudy. She bent down and said, “Hello, my two favorite dogs.” She walked over to where their food bowls were kept and prepared their breakfast as well as refreshing the water in their bowls.
Then she walked over to the coffee machine to make herself a cappuccino. She paused, thinking about what she’d do for the day. She knew she should be working on promoting her new book, but she also knew she wouldn’t be able to focus on the project until she’d spent some time thinking about Marie and getting justice for her.
A poisonous plant extract…
It had to be James Strauhan, given his extensive knowledge of medicinal plants from his time in South America.
But how to prove it…
She decided she’d go back through the manuscript she’d written for Marie, and see if she could pick up anything there. Maybe it held some clues she’d missed. She also wanted to talk to someone who’d been at the launch party.
Of course, Julia had been there. Why hadn’t she thought of her earlier?
She made up her mind to call Julia later in the morning and discuss it with her. Perhaps she’d seen something that she didn’t realize was significant. After all, Julia thought Marie’s death was the result of natural causes, so why would she spend time thinking back to the party? Kat thought maybe, just maybe, Julia might have some evidence to contribute.
Kat had a little time to kill before it would be an acceptable hour to call Julia. She made a big breakfast of sausages, eggs, fried tomatoes, and biscuits and gravy, to keep Lacie’s strength up for the breastfeeding, and ate her own portion with her coffee. Then she managed to squeeze in a half hour of arranging book promotions for her new mystery book.
She quickly showered and dressed, tiptoeing around so she wouldn’t wake Blaine, then headed out with Jazz and Rudy for a walk. She waved at the police car parked in front of the house, feeling glad for their presence. It freed up her mind from worrying and made it easier to focus on everything else.
It was finally late enough on the West Coast that she felt she could call Julia.
“You’re reached the residence of Marie Moorhead,” Julia answered the phone, then stuttered. “Well, I guess, the late Marie…”
“Hi Julia. It’s Kat.”
“Oh,” she said. “I think we must have some kind of a psychic connection.”
Kat smiled. “Why’s that?”
“I was about to call you.” There was none of the usual joy in Julia’s voice. “Auberon has just been arrested.”
“What? You’re kidding? What was he arrested for?”
“They said it was for killing Marie,” she said. “They want to question him about it.”
Kat was shocked. “I can’t believe it.”
“I know,” Julia said. “I’d just set out his pancakes when they came knocking at the door, then they took him away.”
“How did he react?”
“He didn’t eat anything, and he looked confused, but he didn’t say much.”
“I can’t believe it.” Kat paused. “Are you okay?”
“I’m not sure,” Julia said in a wobbly voice. “It’s a big old house to be in all by myself, and I’ve cleaned everything already. I have nothing to do.”
“Maybe you should go home?” Kat suggested.
“I don’t know…”
“Well, I’ll leave it up to you,” Kat said. “Do what you feel is right. You’ve been through a lot, so take care of yourself.”
“Thanks, Kat,” Julia said. “You’re a really kind person. It’s rare that I meet someone like you, especially here in Beverly Hills.”
“I like to think of it as common kindness and decency,” Kat said.
“It would be a much nicer world if they really were common.”
“Yes.” There was a long stretch of silence.
“Julia, are you still there?”
“Yes, I am.” Julia paused for a moment, like she wanted to say something. “Uh…” Kat had a mental image of her wrapping the vintage telephone cord around her fingers, biting her lip.
“What is it, Julia?” Kat asked gently.
“Do you, do you think Auberon really killed Marie? I thought she’d died of natural causes. That’s what the po
lice said.”
“Looks like they changed their mind,” Kat said. “Honestly, Julia, I don’t think she died of natural causes. But I don’t know whether Auberon’s the guilty party or not. My first reaction is to say he’s innocent, but I can’t really be sure.”
“I don’t know either,” Julia said. “This is all freaking me out. I don’t want to lose my job, just in case he is innocent and wants to keep me on. And I don’t want to just walk out on him. That wouldn’t be right.”
“I’m sure he’d understand.”
“And if he is guilty, then that means I’m in a big house alone with the evil man who killed my boss. And my friend.”
“You’re going to drive yourself crazy with those kinds of thoughts,” Kat said. “Please consider going home. If Auberon turns out to be innocent and wants to employ you, he wouldn’t hold your walking out at this time against you. I’m sure of that.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I do.”
Julia breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, that’s great. I’ll just pack up my things and go to my parents for a while.”
“I think that’s a good idea. Now, before you go, I want to ask you something.”
“Shoot.”
“You were at the house the night of the launch party, right?”
“Uh-huh. I helped make loads of posh canapes. They came out really good, even though I’d never done them before.” She paused for a moment, then decided to add a little modesty. “If I do say so myself.”
“Good for you. Julia, was there anyone who got near Marie’s drinks or food that night? Someone who could have tampered with them?”
“Sure. There were loads of waiters and waitresses that came with the catering company,” Julia said. “Any one of them could have done whatever they wanted to with the food.”
“Do you remember who the catering company was? Do you remember the names of the people?”
“No, there were too many of them. The catering company was Nova Catering. I remember that because it reminded me of a Chevy Nova, but Marie said it was some kind of imploding star or something like that. She got a little impatient with me for not knowing about it. She tried to teach me a lot of things like that, you know, culture types of things. But I can’t lie to you, Kat, I’ve got a brain like a colander.”
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