Toxic Troubles (An East Pender Cozy Mystery Book 11)

by Leona Fox

  When she reached The Chrome Cafe she found Ellen looking over some forms. Scampy greeted her joyfully and she petted the young dog. She also was glad to see more than a few customers sitting around, but it was not as busy as Maggie's cafe, unfortunately.

  “I know you were going to come to the mill anyway, but I really needed to get out of there. It's horrible. They won't listen to me and I've tried telling them I need a certain level of conduct but they're so used to acting a certain way that I can't seem to get through to them. They just think I'm going to go back to the city and they can do whatever they like,” Emily said, her voice trembling with worry. Ellen came from behind the counter and stood beside her friend.

  “Let's sit down. Why don't you tell me all about it? In what way are they acting?” she asked.

  Emily proceeded to tell her all about the conversations she had had with Billy and the others, and how nothing had resulted from them. Ellen looked thoughtful.

  “You do have to be strong because it is your business, after all, and you are in charge. I suppose, as forward-thinking as we like to think we are, it is still hard to shake off some prejudices. This Billy fellow, is he going to take over the mill?”

  “Probably, I don't know. I was thinking of advertising it so anyone could apply but right now I think it'll be easier to leave him in charge. He's basically been doing that ever since Ray died. The workers all look up to him and he knows how to lead them. They always look to him for confirmation whenever I tell them to do something.”

  “And what's your opinion of him?” Ellen asked pointedly. Emily squirmed in her seat.

  “My mom always said that if you didn't have anything nice to say then you shouldn't say anything at all...” she replied with a cheeky smile.

  “I'm sure your mother wouldn't mind on this occasion, and I promise not to tell anybody,” Ellen said in a light tone.

  “I don't like him,” Emily said bluntly, so much so that it almost made Ellen burst out in laughter. “When I first saw him he was acting as though he owned the place. He had his feet up on the desk and was so laid back about everything. He didn't even seem shocked that Ray had died...although I suppose by that point he'd had a few days to come to terms with it. But since then, I don't know, there's something off about him. You know when you meet someone and they just rub you the wrong way? That's the feeling I get from him, like he's always hiding something from me. And in every conversation we’ve had he's asked me when I'm going back to the city like he can't wait to get rid of me. He's unreliable as well. I'll ask him to relay something to the other workers and I'll find he hasn't done it. To be honest, I get the feeling he thinks he's already in charge and I'm just there to get in his way.”

  “And this is the man you want to leave in charge of the mill?”

  Emily shrugged helplessly. Ellen looked at her and sighed, then glanced around the cafe. She was going to go to the mill anyway a little later, but she thought it would be a good thing to talk to this Billy Noon. If there was one man at the mill who could have killed Ray, it seemed like it would be him since he was the one who had taken control. It was possible, of course, that he just was making the most of this opportunity but Ellen had a feeling about him, and her feelings were usually right. Every urge in her body wanted to go and question him but she was torn between going and staying at the cafe, being a warm host to her customers and making them feel welcome. For what seemed like an eternity Ellen's mind danced between the two possibilities, fighting her natural instincts. Then she remembered the point Andy had been making, that she shouldn't have to change herself. This is who she was and to stay at the cafe instead of trying to find a murderer wasn't in her character.

  “Let's go,” Ellen said abruptly, rising from her seat.

  She was almost out the door by the time Emily had reacted, but soon enough they were driving off to the mill and Ellen had an excited smile on her face. It had been a while since she had been out in the field. It felt like this was where she belonged, as though this was her existential purpose in life and anything else was a waste of resources. They left the heart of East Pender in a blitz and the mill soon loomed before them. Ellen slammed the door behind her and clipped the leash onto Scampy's collar. This time the men snapped to attention when they saw Emily arrive, and quickly resumed work. The two women walked into the mill and up the stairs to the office, where they heard laughter emanating from the room. Emily and Ellen glanced worriedly at each other, for they had the feeling they were interrupting a private club. Indeed, when they stepped in they saw Billy was standing with a number of other men, all doubled over in laughter.

  “This is an office, not a social club,” Emily said in a clipped tone. The men, other than Billy, all left like naughty schoolboys.

  “I thought we talked about this, Mister Noon. This is not acceptable behavior,” she said, and Billy once again apologized but she was getting tired of his apologies.

  Ellen intervened and asked if she could have a word with Billy. Emily folded her arms and excused herself, her loud footsteps audible as she stomped down the stairs. Ellen sized up Billy. He stood there, smirking, and she could tell he thought he was smarter than he actually was. Ellen asked him a few questions and his answers seemed very rote, as though he had rehearsed them many times over. She observed his body language and the way his eyes darted to the side whenever she mentioned Ray. She noticed how he tried to be as diplomatic as possible but was unable to hide his underlying feelings from her, the truth that he hated Ray. Ellen thanked him for his time and then went back to Emily, convinced Billy was the killer.

  “I wonder if you would consent to being part of a trap?” Ellen asked. Emily's eyes opened wide, and then she began nodding.

  Chapter 9

  Ellen spent the evening getting the plan into place. She called on Andy and Kelly to help, and Andy brought along Iris. Ellen hadn't had much opportunity to talk with Andy's new protégé but from what Andy had said she was a bright young officer and had a good future in the force. So Ellen was inclined to trust his judgment. She had gathered all of them, including Emily, at the cafe where they discussed the plan. For once she was glad it was quiet since it meant they could discuss things in secret, for she didn't want to risk word getting out. After telling them the plan, Iris and Andy looked shocked, but it was Iris who spoke up first.

  “You can't do this!” she said, and looked at Andy for support. Again, Andy was torn between his relationship and his job, but Ellen replied before he could say anything.

  “Why not?”

  “Because there's no evidence to suggest he's the killer. All we have is speculation and that's not enough to trap people.”

  “I spoke with him. Trust me, he killed Ray and the only way we're going to catch him is if we trap him. Or do you want to leave him to run the mill?”

  “This isn't right. Just because you have a feeling about something doesn't justify you doing something like this. We need evidence. We need proof. You're really not going to let this go ahead, are you?” she asked Andy.

  A silence descended over them and all eyes were on the chief of police as they waited expectantly for an answer. Andy licked his lips and took a slow, deep breath before he answered.

  “Iris, I understand your concerns, and a long time ago I would have raised the same issues. Even now I am not fully condoning this course of action, but you have to understand that Ellen has worked with us for a long time. I have come to trust, and even rely on her judgment. If she is convinced Billy is the culprit, then that's as good as evidence in my book. It would serve you well to learn from Ellen. Sometimes you have to open yourself up to unorthodox ideas. Let's go with Ellen's plan and if it fails miserably then I will take full responsibility and make sure that none of this goes on your record,” he said. With that settled they disbanded and waited for the following day.

  “Thank you for sticking up for me back there,” Ellen said to Andy when they were alone.

  “It was just the truth.”

 
“She reminds me of you when we first met, always so guided by the book.”

  “Maybe that's why I decided to take her under my wing. She's a good kid and she could be a great cop if she manages to open her eyes and her mind.”

  “Give her time. It can't be an easy thing, to go against everything she's been taught.”

  “No, it can't. You really think this plan will work?”

  “I sure hope so. It just depends on Billy going for the bait, but I think he's stupid enough to do so.”

  * * *

  Ellen, Andy, Iris, and Kelly were sitting in the car outside the mill, waiting for the signal, while Emily was inside. Each of them was nervous in their own way. Ellen noticed that Iris still was uncomfortable around her but she was glad the young officer had joined them. It showed she was willing to accept guidance.

  “I wanted to thank you for everything you've done,” Ellen said, leaning over and speaking to Kelly in a low voice.

  “Me? I didn't really do anything. I spent most of my time thinking it was Maggie!”

  “I just mean looking after Scampy and being there to take over the responsibility. It was a comfort to me knowing you were out here working the case. And sometimes it's just as important to eliminate leads as it is to confirm them.”

  “That's sweet. So you're welcome, but I really don't think I helped too much. I'm definitely not like you, I couldn't solve these crimes on my own. I think I'm best at just giving you someone to talk to now and then.”

  “I hope Matthew wasn't too upset that you were working on the case. I know it can take up a lot of time.”

  “I think he finds it interesting, to be honest. He's changed a lot. You remember how he was at the beginning, so worried about me being so close to all these crimes, but he kept asking me questions. I think if you hadn't been freed he would have started helping me. In fact, I think he would have been here right now if there was space in the car!” Kelly said.

  * * *

  Emily was standing in the office, noticing the car outside. Anxiety was rushing through her because she trusted Ellen's judgment just as much as Andy, but that meant she was standing in front of a murderer. She had called everyone into the mill to tell them she would be holding staff appraisals to see who would be staying on, as she wanted to re-structure the staff. She also said she was going to be taking a more hands-on approach, which was met with mixed reactions from the sea of people. Her eyes darted toward Billy, and his displeasure was evident. He was the first one to be shown into her office and now they were sitting opposite each other. Emily was sitting forward, while Billy was slouching in his chair, looking like he didn't give a damn about this whole thing.

  “Now then, what do you think you bring to this mill?” Emily began.

  “Come off it Emily, do we really have to do this? You know what I can do. You've been seeing it for the past few days. They practically voted me in as the new boss, so I should be sitting there with you doing all the other appraisals.”

  “That may be, but I'd rather do them all myself so I can familiarize myself with every employee here. I would appreciate it if you just would humor me and answer the questions posed to you.” Billy huffed and sat up, mirroring Emily's posture.

  “And who is going to do your appraisal?” Billy asked, his tone slightly threatening, or was Emily just imagining it?

  “I'm the owner. I don't need an appraisal.”

  “In my opinion, if I'm allowed to speak freely, you do if you're going to be spending more time here. And what did you mean by that, exactly? Surely you can't mean you're going to stay here all the time. It's like I said, your place is in the city and my place is here. You can leave the mill in my capable hands and I'll take care of it. I assure you of that. Besides, if you are going to run the mill then, really, I have to protest because you don't have any experience at it.”

  “I'm a quick learner,” Emily said sternly, “but we are not here to talk about me. We're here to talk about you.”

  “And the thing you lack,” he continued, as though she had not said anything, “is experience working with the guys. You don't know how they tick. You have no common ground. I know the way they think and I know how to keep them happy. Come on, you know you don't really want to be here either. You don't fit in. It's fine, okay? I get it. You want to prove yourself and live up to your legacy or whatever. Nobody is going to think less of you for going back to the city. You made a mistake in picking Ray but you can rectify that by letting me have control.”

  “Ah, so you lied before about your respect for Ray?”

  Billy's eye flickered for a moment. “No...I did respect Ray, as a person. But I'm sure you've seen what people thought of him as a manager. He was too old, and stuck in his ways. We just need some fresh blood.”

  “Like mine?” she said, challenging him. Billy pressed his lips together and leaned even closer to her, his menacing eyes staring at her.

  “Look, what happened to Ray was a tragedy but it was the best thing for the mill. He wasn't working out. None of us thought so. The smart thing for you to do is to get back to the city where you belong and leave us alone.”

  His voice was almost a growl and Emily felt a shiver run down her spine, for she now was convinced she was staring into the eyes of a killer. She wondered if Ray had known that Billy was responsible as he took his last breath. Summoning all her courage, she remained composed and matched his icy stare.

  “I am the owner of this mill and I am not going anywhere. We are going to sit here and finish this appraisal and if you do not meet the required standard I will have no problem in finding a replacement for you,” she said through gritted teeth. Billy rocked back and had a dark look in his eyes, then a smile crept over his face.

  “I apologize. How about we start over? Would you like a drink? I'll go make us a couple of coffees and then we'll come back and start over,” he said. Emily was sure that whatever drink he made would have an extra ingredient.

  As soon as he had left the office Emily grabbed a flashlight from the desk and shone it out the window, turning it on and off. The people in the car rushed out and came into the mill. Emily ran down the stairs to meet them and told them what had happened. As they strode through the mill everyone looked at them with surprise. Ellen wondered if any of them knew what was happening, if they had been aware of Billy's plan. They reached the kitchen and caught him red-handed, pouring some poison into the coffee.

  “Hold it right there,” Andy said as he walked up to Billy and examined the concoction he was making.

  The ingredients were exactly the same as the ones used to poison Ray. To everyone's surprise Billy didn't look shocked or even try to plead his innocence as he was led away.

  Epilogue

  Ellen sighed as she stared at the quiet cafe around her, still worried about the future. Emily was sitting opposite her, and Andy just had come in.

  “What are your plans now?” Ellen asked.

  “I think I'll stick around for a while longer. I need to make sure the mill is stable and, well, I kinda like it around here,” she said, smiling. “I do have to wonder if anyone else was working with Billy, though. I don't like the idea of having to be afraid of a cup of coffee at work.”

  At this point Andy joined them. “As far as I can tell Billy was working alone. He confessed fully and said he did it all for the sake of the mill. He claims you and Ray were running it into the ground and nobody was happy working there. I think you coming back to the mill really threw him off. He expected just to take over Ray's role with no questions asked.”

  “So it was just a coincidence that Ray died while he was here at the cafe?” Ellen asked.

  “It seems that way. I did ask Billy about it and he said it was just lucky for him since it drew suspicion away from him. I think that's why he was so confident about threatening Emily, but yes, it seems Maggie is completely innocent.”

  Ellen wasn't sure how to feel about that. It somehow felt unfair that just because of a random coincidence her c
afe had suffered and Maggie's was able to get a head start. For the rest of the afternoon Ellen was despondent as she saw how quiet it was. However, toward the evening more people began trickling in, even some of the younger crowd like Ryan, the farmer's son. The place was lively and Ellen was filled with happiness as it gave her hope that the two cafes could at least coexist. Many people came and asked her about the latest crime.

  Andy's eyes twinkled as he walked out of the cafe and allowed Ellen to enjoy playing host as she told them the latest story, even pointing to the table where Ray had died. It became something of a monument and people crowded around the table, wanting to sit where he had. The event also became a memorial as people began talking about Ray. Even some of the workers from the mill came into the cafe to thank Ellen for finding out the truth. It turned out they had been sincere when they expressed respect for Ray. Although they had had issues with his management style they still were sorry to hear he had died because, as they had said before, he was like a father to them.

  When the cafe was at its busiest the door was flung open dramatically and everyone turned to see what was happening. A man in a long purple cloak stepped inside. He held in his hand a cane, and wore a large top hat. Ellen noticed he was wearing mascara to give his eyes an exotic look, and he had a pencil mustache. His shoes were shining and the cloak billowed around him. He wore a shirt underneath with a red bow tie. He stopped as he entered and looked around carefully, his sharp eyes examining everything. Then, he flung his head back and laughed heartily. Everyone in the cafe stared at each other, not sure what to make of this mysterious man. Ellen took it upon herself to approach him, and interrupted his laughter.