Toxic Troubles (An East Pender Cozy Mystery Book 11)

by Leona Fox

  “With all due respect, ma'am, this isn't the first time I've heard someone in here say that. If you just could answer the questions, please,” Iris said. So Ellen had to sit there, feeling no better than a common criminal.

  All the while her anger burned toward Maggie. She soon became more and more convinced this was just a ploy to sabotage Ellen's standing in the town. She was thinking about her next meeting with Andy, because after all this it would not be pleasant for him.

  Chapter 3

  “Come on, boy,” Kelly said to Scampy, locking up the cafe behind her as she walked home.

  A few people still were milling about outside but she ignored their looks, and made her way back home, where Matthew was waiting for her.

  “I came as soon as I heard,” he said, and hugged her. “Are you okay?”

  “I'm fine. I'm worried for Ellen, though. And it was strange. I mean...I was just talking to Ray like normal, and then he had this look on his face and he was dead, just like that,” she said, snapping her fingers.

  “And they really think Ellen did it?” Matthew said, hugging his wife before he went to the kitchen and brought her some water while Kelly continued talking.

  “No, not at all, well, Maggie probably does. But Ellen was there and it happened at her cafe. Andy couldn't do anything but take her with him, although I think it's pretty flimsy at the moment. There's no evidence to suggest she was involved, only that she served him his last meal. God...when I think of it like that it's just so...so sad. He was still so full of life, you know? We were having a conversation and then he was just...just gone.”

  A somber mood filled the room as she cast her head downward. Her long blonde hair hung around her face, which Matthew pushed back when he returned, and he looked deep into her eyes.

  “Hey, it's all going to be okay,” he said, and held her close to him. Scampy nuzzled into her as well and she smiled at the affection shown to her.

  “I know. I just...I kinda wish the timing had been different, that I could have been here when Ellen needed me. I'm her best friend and I put myself before her. If I had been here when Maggie had come into town maybe I could have helped Ellen and she wouldn't have felt so alone.”

  “You can't blame yourself for that. Ellen wanted you to go, and I don't think she'd have been pleased if you had put your concern for her well-being before your own honeymoon. This is just something we all are going to have to work through and it's going to be a matter of time. Everyone knows Ellen didn't do it, so all we have to do is find the real culprit and clear her name.”

  “The problem with that is Ellen usually was the one doing the detective work. Now she's behind bars so our chances are much worse.”

  “You're doing yourself a disservice. You've been doing this with Ellen from the start and I know you're not just a cheerleader. I know you can do this, and if you need help then I'm here, and you have Scampy as well. All you need to do is have faith in yourself,” he said in a sincere and warm tone.

  Kelly was enveloped in the love she felt for him and nestled into his strong, warm frame, able to forget about the tensions rising through her body. They stayed like this for a while until she eventually extricated herself and got to work. The first thing she did was open her laptop and do a quick search for Maggie. What she found was a trace to a social media page that was open, and from this Kelly could see the path of Maggie's recent life. She saw her with a husband and then, pictures alone, with posts about making a new start and embarking on a new adventure.

  Kelly could tell she had been through a rough time, but from her posts she saw a determined woman who wasn't going to let life get her down. Then the posts changed to a far more positive tone as she spoke of her plans to open a cafe in East Pender. Many people in the comments expressed doubt about whether she could fulfill her dream, but Maggie responded in a very hard-headed manner and seemed set on going down this new path no matter what.

  Kelly shook her head since, on the surface, it seemed as though Maggie and Ellen should have been friends rather than enemies. Perhaps it was the case that they were too similar and rubbed each other the wrong way, but nonetheless it was a shame. From what she could tell, Maggie had lived a clean life and there was nothing that indicated any deviant behavior, aside from a few questionable drunken pictures.

  Later on, Andy e-mailed Kelly a copy of the report from the coroner. Up until now there hadn't been any certainty this was a murder. Secretly, Kelly was hoping it was just a freak accident and Ray had died of natural causes because it meant the case would be closed and Ellen would be freed. After Kelly read the findings from the report it was clear to her that poison had been used to kill Ray, and it had been made up of common elements that could have been found in a cafe.

  While Kelly had been helping Ellen solve crimes she always had been told to look at all the angles and keep her mind open to every possibility. Yet Kelly couldn't believe this. She just couldn't believe Ellen was responsible. The amount of time for the poison to take effect was a large window as well. So it was possible it had acted quickly. It was not enough to clear Ellen's name, and Kelly felt as though she was banging her head against a brick wall. Her thoughts turned to her friend, sitting in a cell, and so she decided to pay her a visit, taking Scampy along in the hopes that it would lift Ellen's spirits.

  When Kelly arrived, she found Ellen looking weary but she perked up when she saw Scampy, and greeted Kelly with a tired smile.

  “It's funny, I've been around these things so much but the perspective is totally different when you're on the other side,” she said.

  “Has Andy seen you yet?” Kelly asked.

  “I imagine he has his hands full with Maggie,” Ellen said bitterly, “but no, he's probably too scared right now.”

  “I can't blame him, really. Not with everyone talking about him compromising his integrity. He is worried about you, though, that much I can say for sure. We're both working hard to get this sorted out as quickly as possible. I'm not going to rest until I figure out what's going on. Anyway, I thought I'd tell you what I have found so far--”

  “I appreciate that Kelly, but you probably shouldn't be talking about the case with me,” Ellen said, interrupting Kelly by holding up her hand.

  “But I'm not police...”

  “I know, but anything you do can be used in court and they may not look too kindly on you discussing specifics of the case with a suspect, even if that suspect is me.”

  Kelly exhaled deeply and leaned back in her chair, looking around the room as if searching for some sort of hope. The walls were bland and there was absolutely nothing to provide her with inspiration. Then, she was struck by a sudden thought and leaned forward again, resting her elbows on the table and looking at Ellen with her bright eyes.

  “Okay, so you can't help me with this specific case but what about just general tips? Give me some guidance on what I should do,” she asked eagerly. Ellen's mouth flickered into a smile.

  “I think I probably could handle that. I'm a little different than Andy in that I tend to go with my instincts more, whereas he likes looking at the evidence and letting that speak for itself. I, on the other hand, firmly believe you have to trust your gut. The other thing is your duty is not to me or anyone else, it's to the victim and the truth. You have to find out who killed Ray and why they did it. Look at who would benefit, and who had the ability to poison him.”

  “Means, motive, and opportunity,” Kelly, said nodding along. Ellen chuckled a little.

  “That phrase is bandied about by a lot of people but it really should be just the starting point. For example, say there was a banana bought from the store. I had the means to buy a banana, you know, I had the money. I like bananas, so there's motive, and I walked by the store; I had the opportunity. But even though those three things could apply to me it doesn't necessarily mean that I did buy the banana. Do you see what I'm saying?”

  “I think so...”

  “But like I said, it's a good way to guide you
. Use the other people as well. This town, you know as well as I do that people like to gossip. Someone may have heard something. If there's one thing I'm always sure of it's that the truth always will come out. Someone wanted Ray dead and we--” she stopped herself, “you have to find out who.”

  “I did check on...you know who,” Kelly said, dancing around the particulars of the case, “and I didn't really find much, but I'll keep looking.”

  “Don't get locked onto one suspect. Keep your mind open and pursue all avenues until you can narrow down things. You'll be fine, though. You've helped me often enough and there have been times when I never would have made the breakthrough in the case if it wasn't for you.”

  “I hope your faith in me is justified,” Kelly said, trying to keep her voice steady for she did not feel confident in her abilities as a detective.

  She was an artist whose mind was filled with thoughts that whirled around in a constant state of flux. She always had taken a passing interest, well, more than a passing interest, in Ellen's amateur sleuthing but she never had been as passionate about it as Ellen. So she was worried this flaw would be detrimental to the case.

  “Have you seen Andy yet?” Kelly asked. Ellen scowled at the mention of the police chief's name.

  “No, but we will have words soon.”

  “You know he was just doing his job, right?” Kelly said tentatively.

  “I know that, and I know it couldn’t have been easy for him but I'm still in here and I do not like it. I don't think there was enough that warranted my arrest. I think Maggie just managed to create enough chaos that Andy had to do this or risk a public spectacle. I don't think he should have caved to that pressure. I should be out there helping him find Ray's killer but I'm just so...so helpless in here. I'm not used to it.”

  “Well, you always did say you could use a vacation,” Kelly said, but it wasn't the place for humor and the joke had no strength to carry it.

  “How are you and Matthew finding it now that you're home? You miss being on your honeymoon?” Ellen said, trying to inject a sense of normalcy into the situation. However, like Kelly, she wasn't very successful.

  “No, I think too much paradise can be a bad thing. We were there for the right amount of time. And anyway, I couldn't have stayed there knowing you were in here anyway,” she said. They spoke a little more and then their time was up so Kelly had to drag Scampy away from Ellen.

  As she left, Kelly's mind was filled with questions. She tried thinking of who would have benefitted from killing Ray. There was still the chance that Maggie would have but it was looking more and more unlikely she was the culprit, which was a reluctant admission. On the way out of the police station Kelly saw Andy and Iris deep in conversation. She caught Andy's eye and summoned him over. Scampy still hadn't forgiven him for taking Ellen away, and the small dog assumed a defensive posture.

  “I can't believe you haven't seen her yet,” Kelly said in a harsh whisper, glancing around carefully to make sure their conversation was not overheard by anyone.

  Over Andy's shoulder she could see Iris was looking on intently, but the new deputy was not making any moves to encroach on them.

  “I can't let my personal life affect this case. It would be unseemly for me to talk with a suspect.”

  “Oh, come off it Andy,” Kelly said, rolling her eyes, “you know as well as I do that Ellen didn't do it.”

  “Of course I do, but I have to go with the evidence and right now it's pointing to her. What am I supposed to do? Go in there and hug her, kiss her? That's going to look good on the reports. I'm a cop, and sometimes it's easy to forget procedure here, especially when I give you and Ellen a lot of leeway but I need to maintain some sense of professional distance. Trust me, it's not easy, but I have a job to do and--”

  “--And it comes before Ellen?” Kelly said, interrupting him with a challenging look. Andy glared at her, but his gaze softened, as did his voice.

  “You and Ellen both know I love her more than almost anything in the world but this is more than a job. It's a duty, a responsibility, and I need to hold myself to a high standard so that I can set an example for the rest of my officers. Ellen understands that and I would hope you would too.”

  “It doesn't mean you can't go and see her, just to talk with her. Or is it simply that you can't handle going into that room and seeing her imprisoned? I’ll tell you what, we both know Ellen can handle anything, but right now she's sitting in there with nothing to occupy her time. Even though she's looking like she just is waiting out her time I know she's struggling. She needs you Andy, and if you can't compromise one little bit then maybe you don't deserve to be with her at all. You don't just have a duty to your job, you have a duty to the woman you love as well.” With that Kelly turned on her heels and stormed out of the station, leaving Andy with much on his mind.

  “Are you okay, sir?” Iris said, walking over to him.

  “I'm fine, just fine,” he replied, then walked away from her and went back to his office.

  He threw a file on the desk and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes, wishing the stress would go away. He hadn't liked what he had done with Ellen but he had had no choice. There was a procedure in place and he couldn't let his personal feelings cloud his judgment...but now that it was over and he had had some time to reflect he wondered if he had overcompensated. Was throwing Ellen in jail really necessary, or had he done it just to make sure nobody could accuse him of being biased? And was that why he hadn't seen her yet? He took a deep breath, then straightened his tie and walked through to the holding cells, where he found Ellen laying on her back, staring up at the ceiling with her arms folded across her stomach.

  “Ellen,” he said. She turned her head to face him, slowly, then rose to sit up on the bed.

  “Hello Andy,” she said.

  An awkward silence followed as neither of them were sure what to say. They had been a team for so long. First, working together to solve crimes, and then in love. It felt wrong for them to be on either side of the divide.

  “I'm sorry, but you know I didn't have a choice,” he said.

  Ellen smiled wryly. “Your problem is you go by the book too much. You know I shouldn't be in here. I should be out there with you, trying to catch the person who did this.”

  “You don't think I want that? It's not that simple. Trust me, there's nothing I want more than to see you out of here. That's why I'm working my hardest to get you out. I'm just...I have to keep a balance between my personal life and my job. I guess this is why so many cops end up bitter and alone. How much do I have to sacrifice to this career? How much more is it going to take? You think it doesn't kill me to see you in here?” He moved closer to the bars and curled his fingers around them, his knuckles turning white as he squeezed the metal.

  “I miss having you by my side. My place feels so empty without you and at night...” he trailed off, not having to finish the sentence for Ellen to know his pain.

  “But when I started this job I took an oath and I can't betray that, not for anything in the world. Maybe this is all a mistake and I never should have arrested you in the first place but I can't go back on that until you've been cleared. I'm sorry, Ellen. I'm just so...so sorry,” he said, his voice cracking, choking on his words.

  Ellen rose from her bed and walked over to him. His head was bowed, but it lifted as he felt her fingers run across his as their hands linked through the bars. The gap between the bars was too narrow for them to kiss but they could at least rest each other’s forehead against one another, and in this way they drew strength from their love.

  “I don't hold this against you. I'm just angered at the situation that led to this. I love you Andy, and I love that you are so devoted to your job. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with you in the first place and I wouldn't want to change you, not for anything,” she said. They both wished so badly they could kiss each other, but they would have to wait for that particular delight.

  As they strained agai
nst their emotions and the forces that kept them apart, they remained standing against the cell door for a while, before Andy breathed in deeply and the trance was broken. They stepped away from each other, and instead of lovers, they became suspect and police officer once more, but with a better understanding of their emotional states. Andy nodded and smiled at her, then walked away, determined to solve the crime and get the woman he loved out of that cell.

  Chapter 4

  While East Pender was a small town with a lazy, hazy feeling around it, the nearby city was bustling with business and life. The streets were filled with masses of people, most of whom did not know each other and were strangers, even though they were cooped up together. And most of them never had heard of East Pender.

  However, in one office building Emily Bright was sitting at her desk when she received a phone call. At the time she had been dwelling on her position as the descendant of Michael van De Lay, a wealthy man who had been the driving force behind much of what made East Pender special. For a long time, she had thought of herself as an ordinary girl, when in fact she had been connected with a privileged family and her life had changed since she had found out. At first it had been a difficult transition, for she was a quiet woman who kept to herself.

  As soon as Emily’s lineage had been discovered there were many people who wanted to invite her into their social circle, but she suddenly had the responsibility of a mill to run. Thankfully, there had been a lovely man called Ray who had worked at the mill practically his entire life and she was happy to entrust the day-to-day running of it to him. Since then she had returned to East Pender only a few times, since she had built a life in the city and wanted to keep that. So most of her communication with Ray happened over the phone. Thus, when the phone rang she expected it to be him, even though he had called recently.