Magdalen smiled at Buster. “No, I think that’s a reasonable observation. Don’t you think so, Tubbs?”
Buster looked confused. “Tubbs?”
“My nickname for him,” Magdalen whispered, “but don’t try it.”
Hymn squirmed a bit. “Yeah, I suppose, but we don’t know because we’ve never talked to the man.”
Magdalen drew her face into a near scowl. Seeing this, Hannah attempted to divert a situation. Hymn’s brewing distrust over his sister’s budding romance with Buster was becoming clearer.
“Then that’s on the ‘things to do after the wedding’ list.”
Coming before one of the cabins, Hymn pulled the car to a stop. Hannah studied the list she held on a clipboard. “Let’s see. 1408. Oh, this is the Reverend’s party. I’ve got something special for him.”
Everyone exited the vehicle. Hymn removed four small baskets and a square, flat one.
“Four?” Buster inquired.
“Calvin, Susan, the Reverend, and Father Janus. There weren’t any more rooms available out here. This cabin has three rooms. It took some arranging, but it all worked out,” Hannah answered.
“What’s with the box?” Hymn further queried.
“Sugar free petit fours. I noticed at dinner that night that he wanted dessert, but now being diabetic, he held back. It’s not much, and it doesn’t work that way, but maybe it’s enough to make him feel welcome.”
Hymn smiled as he put his arm around Hannah and pulled her to him for a kiss on her head. “Thank you,” he half whispered. “Did you get them from Spur of the Moment?”
Hannah affirmed. “I ordered them and had them shipped up. Ms. Lindsay says the Reverend is partial to these in particular. She sends them to his office at least twice a month. Lemon cake layered with lemon ganache with bittersweet chocolate. Everything made sugar free.”
“Ooo, sounds so good,” Magdalen exclaimed. “Your wedding. Can’t wait for the reception food alone. When’s Will coming?”
“He’s already here. Gran, Papa Jay and he are in the main house doing prep work. Papa Jay’s in heaven just being in what he calls a real kitchen again.”
Hannah flipped through the master keys she received from the front desk. She found the right key, and all entered. She went to work arranging everything on the table for her soon to arrive guests. Placing the Reverend’s box down, a thought hit her and she went into contemplative mode. She drew her eyes in narrow. She held onto the box, letting the notion run through her mind. Something bothered her but she could not place it at the moment. The box, she thought. She had not paid it much attention before, but now, it weighed on her mind as much as it did in her hand.
“Everything okay?” Hymn asked as he placed his hand over hers and pushed downward until the box rested on the table. “You zoned out there, Sherlock.”
Hannah eyes widened as her mouth fell open and she tucked the corner of one side in. “I almost had a thought but now it’s gone.”
Buster half laughed. “You? Without a thought? I guess it’s true what they say. First time for everything.”
Hymn shot Buster a blank look, causing the young man to take on an apprehensive face. He glanced up to the harsh face his sister gave him. She walked away, throwing her hands in the air and exited the cabin. Hymn peered back at Hannah and Buster. “Can you give me a moment, please?” Both agreed. He let out a slow breath before he dared open the door and exited.
Both Buster and Hannah pulled out chairs and sat at the table.
“That’s about me, right?” Buster asked.
“Yup.”
“I didn’t mean to cause any problems.”
“You didn’t. My future husband is just being an overprotective jerk.”
Buster said nothing but stared at the door. Just outside, through the window and curtains, two shadowy figures held an animated discussion. Hannah reached over and put a hand on her friend’s shoulder.
“You like her, don’t you?”
Buster gave a deep smile. “Yeah, but not like usual. She’s different. Not like the women I hook up with. She’s something special, you know?”
“You should tell her.”
“I’m only good with other people’s words, not my own.”
“Then show her.”
“Like send her flowers?”
“Or something like that.”
“Maybe a box of chocolates like the Reverend gets. She seems to like those.”
Hannah stiffened. Her quirks presented themselves as her eyes narrowed. Box of chocolates like the Reverend gets, she inferred to herself. Her eyes shot open as her mouth fell agape. Just as quick, it turned into a one-cornered smirk.
“What?” Buster interrupted.
“That thought I lost. I got it back,” Hannah declared with enthusiasm. Two ideas hit her at once. The box drew her back to two instances where she had seen them before. The first was on Pepper Mothershed’s desk just before she died. The second was in Brother Wessel’s trashcan at his desk. Her mind began to make connections.
“Mrs. Lindsay,” Hannah said aloud.
“Who?”
“Mrs. Lindsay. The shop. The box. The medal. Pepper and Wessel.”
Buster stiffened. “You’re babbling... as usual.”
Hannah rose and ran toward the door. Buster followed. She pulled it open and found herself staring at Hymn and Magdalen. Both wore faces flushed with red. They turned to face the sleuth before lightening the intensity of their expressions.
“Oh, I’m sorry… I just…”
Hymn ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. “It’s alright. We were just… discussing something.” He gave a quick glance to Buster then back to her.
“What he’s trying to say is that Tubbs, and I were having a fight over boundaries,” Magdalen explained. She glared at her brother. “We’ll continue this later.”
Hymn blew out a breath. “No doubt. Anyway, what’s up?”
Hannah gave a quick recap of what she remembered and how she had seen the boxes at two of the death sites.
“No,” Magdalen decried. “That’s got to be coincidence.”
Hymn scratched at his chin. “I know you have a theory about why she would do this.”
“I do. Two as a matter of fact. Ms. Lindsay’s husband was suffering Behçet’s Disease. It’s painful, is it not?”
Magdalen affirmed as Hymn and Buster tried to keep up with Hannah’s thoughts.
“If the Reverend was there with her throughout his disease and sudden death, she might have fallen for him. Over time, she might have seen the other victims as rivals for his attention. One by one, she eliminates them.”
Magdalen, Buster, and Hymn stared but said nothing. Hannah sighed.
“Okay, a stretch, but it rolled through my head and I had to get it out. But second, I noticed she wore a St. Peregrine medallion.”
“The patron saint of those suffering,” Magdalen affirmed. “I see them all the time on the ward at work.”
“And we’ve established that her husband suffered before he died.”
Again, Magdalen affirmed.
“Maybe she’s trying to prevent others from suffering, like we considered with Calvin and Susan.”
“By giving them candy?” Buster said. “I don’t get it.”
“To deliver the poison,” Magdalen explained. “The strong taste would hide a lot flavor.”
“Like almond for arsenic?” Buster asked.
Magdalen grinned. “Bingo.”
Hymn stiffened and twisted his mouth. “Well then, we have a problem. We ordered a whole heck of a lot of fudge and petit fours for the wedding. The delivery comes this afternoon.”
Magdalen placed a hand on her chest. “She wouldn’t try and…”
Hymn looked to his sister. “I wouldn’t think so, but if she is, then she has murdered almost a dozen people. Who knows what triggers a person like that. And seeing as they all knew the Reverend…” He looked around to everyone. “She knows we went
to see him.”
“Look, it’s pretty clear that I’m not the smartest one here, but I’m going to play devil’s advocate as ever, and remind you that you don’t know, do you? You have to find out if this is a real threat. To do that, can’t you have the food tested?” Buster asked.
“It will take time to get back, I think,” Magdalen informed.
Again, Hymn scratched at his chin. The increased pace of the action told Hannah that her fiancé felt agitated. Everything was starting to weigh on him. Whipson’s illness. The investigation. Buster and Magdalen’s budding romance. Now the uncertainty of what was supposed to be the perfect day for his bride-to-be. She reached over and took hold of his hand. “It’s no big thing. We set the stuff aside for now. Cate and I know a researcher at Serling University. I’ll get him to do a rush job. He’s already invited to the wedding. I’m pretty sure it’s all going to turn out just fine. We just need to make certain. For now, let me get that box back from inside. We’ll finish up, and then you and I can head over to the campus.”
“I think I might head back,” Magdalen informed, taking hold of Buster’s hand. “I could use a walk back around the lake. You game?”
Buster smiled before he let if fall from his face. He glanced over to Hymn. “I’d like to have a word with Hymn first if he doesn’t mind.”
Hymn looked at Magdalen, then at Hannah, before coming back around to Buster. He bobbed his head once.
“Maybe you two can finish up and we can walk back instead. Meet us in kitchen,” suggested Buster.
Both Hannah and Magdalen agreed as the men headed back walking along the drive path they had been driving on. The nurse looked to the sleuth with a pensive expression.
“He won’t kill him, will he?”
“No, I love my Sweet Face, but Buster could charm the horns off a Billy goat and sell them back to him. By the time they reach the kitchen, Buster will have Hymn eating out of his hand.” Hannah smiled. “Then it’s up to you to charm the charmer.”
Magdalen looked back toward the disappearing figures of the men headed down the road. “Do you think I can?” she asked in a voice that struck Hannah as equal parts sincere and uncertain.
“Every Prince Charming has to have his princess. I’ve known that prince all his life. From what I’ve seen in just a few days, he’s carrying a glass slipper in his pocket just for you.”
Magdalen gave a broad grin. “Oh, is that what this is? How disappointing.”
Both women laughed as they got back into the car.
Chapter Eleven
After finishing the deliveries, Hannah and Magdalen made their way back to the main house of the resort. Upon entering the kitchen, they saw Gran, Papa Jay, and Will stirring and mixing various large bowls. Hymn and Buster were to the rear, standing over a table piled high with several boxes. Both women stopped as Buster held out something that Hymn was taking a bite of. After a second of taking in the sight, Magdalen turned to her soon-to-be sister-in-law.
“You weren’t kidding.”
Hannah’s eyes widened, and a horrified expression ran across her face. “No!” she screamed as everyone present turned to look at her. She ran toward Hymn and Buster, who remained frozen in their positions.
“Are you insane?” Hannah said, putting her hand between the object Buster held and Hymn’s mouth.
Hymn and Buster both stiffened and straightened up.
“It’s alright,” Buster said, “they tested it by accident.”
Hannah looked confused. She shot a look over to Hymn. He nodded and thumbed at Gran, Papa Jay, and Will. “It all got here early. Last night, in fact. They all ate some.”
“A lot to be honest,” Gran chimed in. “Sorry, dear. You know how I am about fudge.”
“Ha, fudge and just about any other sweet thing you can get your old teeth into,” Papa Jay added.
Gran waved a large spoon at the elder Starvling. “You’re not so sweet, but I’ll sink my teeth into you, you old grumpus.”
“Promises. Promises.” Papa Jay blew Gran a kiss which she caught and returned.
The interaction made Will, Hymn, Buster and Magdalen laugh, but Hannah held her ground as she shook her head. “That doesn’t mean…”
“It’s good. You had a theory, but it didn’t work out. It was improbable to begin with. You said so yourself.”
Hannah narrowed her eyes. “I still want it tested, just in case. I’ve already called. We’ll take samples over and a box in case it turns out okay. Joey said it won’t take long.” She turned to look at the mound of boxes marked Spur of the Moment on the side. Pointing to the stacks, she said, “No one eats anymore. Not until they’re tested.”
Gran glared at Hannah. “You’ve been holding out on me, young lady.”
Hannah closed her eyes. Cat’s out of the bag, ran through her mind. Now, on top of the wedding, her grandmother would insert herself into the investigation. The elder snoop was a good detective in her own right, but between the wedding and the investigation, Hannah wanted to keep her grandmother out of the case. It was an added element that stretched her abilities closer to her limits.
Hannah let out a quick breath. She moved over to stand in front of her grandmother. Placing her hands on the elder woman’s shoulders, she looked her straight in the eyes. “Sorry, Gran, but I need you focused on this. I can’t do this without you and Papa Jay. Will needs help. I trust you two. Between the wedding and what’s going on…”
The sleuth turned her eyes toward the ceiling, feigning frustration. She needed to think of a reason to keep Gran focused on the wedding and not interfere. After a moment, she brought her gaze back to her grandmother.
“I can’t keep up with everything. This takes the pressure off me some. Cate’s handling a lot.” Hannah looked over to Magdalen, who had moved over beside Buster. “Magdalen and Buster are helping out too. Hymn and I are doing this for the Reverend who’s marrying us. You have to trust me. It’s important. And what you and Papa Jay are doing is important.” She leaned and kissed her grandmother’s forehead. Doing so, she smiled and whispered. “The sooner I solve this, and get this wedding over with, the sooner Hymn and I can get on with that thing you want.”
Gran peered at her granddaughter, then over to Hymn. When her eyes came back to Hannah, she narrowed her own and frowned. “Okay, if it’ll help get me closer to great grandmother status, but you two better be solving this thing that’s going down before the honeymoon. You have to focus and not be worrying about anything but that.” She winked at Hannah. “Makes it more fun too.” She went back to stirring, but added in a half mumble, “I’m marking my calendar, and by the way, I was born at night, just not last night. The whole feigning frustration thing. I haven’t bought that since you were twelve. Go on now. Take those samples wherever you’re taking them, but I expect a full report later.”
Hannah agreed. Hymn and she headed out toward the university with Buster and Magdalen deciding to stick around to help in the kitchen.
Several hours later, the testing was complete. Dr. Joey Crown, an associate of Hannah, handled everything himself. Several years earlier, the sleuth had saved the chemist by deducing that his odd behavior was the result of a rival poisoning him. From that day forward, he remained in Hannah’s debt.
“Coming to the wedding?” Hannah asked.
“I am,” Crown said, handing the results over.
“Find anything?” Hannah inquired.
Crown opened the box Hannah brought. He picked up a petite four and popped it in his mouth.
“Answers that,” Hannah said as she twisted her mouth into one corner.
“You sound disappointed,” Crown suggested.
Hannah shook her head. “Relieved… and disturbed. It’s a far-fetched idea, I know.” She let out a slow breath. “I know someone poisoned these people somehow, but we’ve yet to establish how. I thought that maybe they’d be traces in these, something that has to build up in the system or something.” She shrugged. “I made a false connecti
on between a sweet old lady in a candy store to a psychotic killer. I think I’m losing it.”
Hymn put his arm around Hannah and squeezed her tight.
“Come on, Sherlock. The wedding and an investigation have had you all wrapped up. Besides, this is how that genius of yours works. Theorize. Test. Move on.”
Hannah gave a slow, albeit, disbelieving nod. “I don’t know. I was hoping to give the Reverend something before we left. You know, to ease his mind. To let him know it wasn’t Calvin or Susan. That’s all he wants, but I still can’t dismiss them. Every time I do rule someone else out, the pendulum swings back toward them, and the clock’s ticking on someone else.”
Hymn peered into her eyes. “You don’t know that. It could be over. Wessel’s dead. If it’s not him, then most of the other suspects will be here as our guests.”
Hannah glared at Hymn. “But not all.”
“Well,” Crown interjected, “what you do is not an exact science. Remember, you didn’t figure out Conroy was trying to kill me until after he got to Ben Sturka and then Ed Harrington.” He took up a piece of fudge from the box. “You’re not responsible for other people’s actions, and victims are just an unfortunate part of the murder game.” The chemist bit into the sweet bit, allowing a smile to run over his face. “Oh, and any time you have a case like this and want something tested, bring it on by. Samples are always welcome in my lab, as long as they are not the delivery system,” he added.
After leaving the lab, Hannah and Hymn made their way back to the car. Hannah settled in and pushed herself into the seat. She let the air flow out of her lungs and bit at the corner of her mouth. Hymn cranked the car, glancing over as he did so.
“Look, maybe it’s time we talked to the local authorities. I know the Reverend didn’t want them looking into things for Calvin and Susan’s sake, but I think this was a bad idea. It’s just too much for you at the moment.”
The Priest Who Ate A Poison Petit Fore Page 9
