by Mary Maxwell
I smiled and motioned for her to come inside. “Yes, but it’s fine,” I said. “There’s another half hour before we start, so I was in the final stages of getting ready.”
“Well, run along then,” she suggested. “Mind if I help myself to a glass of water?”
“Of course,” I said, pointing down the hall. “There’s a pitcher of chilled water with lemons in the refrigerator. I’ll be back in a flash.”
I spun around and hurried back to the bedroom. Luckily, my outfit was arranged on the bed, so I quickly checked my makeup, dried my hair and slipped into the sweater, slacks and sandals that I’d picked out for the afternoon.
“Okay, sorry about that!” I called, hurrying toward the kitchen about ten minutes later. “I promised myself that I’d be ready before anyone arrived, but you know how it goes, right?”
I saw Rosemary’s purse on the counter beside a half-filled glass of water.
“Rosemary?”
Thinking that she’d gone back to the living room, I went down the hallway and peeked around the corner. Baxter was lounging contentedly in the middle of the room. When he saw me, his tail started its trademark counterclockwise sweep before he jumped to his feet.
“Hey, boy! Have you seen Mrs. Swanson?”
Baxter’s mouth opened and his tongue drooped out. He crossed the room and looked up at me through the two most adorable brown eyes on the planet.
“Well, I love you, too!” I said, scratching his ears. “But I’m looking for my friend Rosemary.”
Baxter licked my hand, barked once and headed for the kitchen. When he suddenly began barking and whining, I walked down the hallway again and through the door.
“Where are you, Bax?”
His head popped out from behind the island in the middle of the room. He ran over, pawed at my hand and then hurried back to the other side of the island. As I headed to join him, I noticed the paper bag from Olive Street Café on the counter by the refrigerator. The container of spinach dip was open and a few crackers that’d I’d arranged on a platter were piled beside it.
“That’s odd,” I muttered, following Baxter around the island. “Rosemary must’ve helped herself to—”
My heart thudded to a stop when I saw Rosemary sprawled on the floor beside the kitchen table. She was on her back, both arms and legs extended and rigid. Her eyes were unblinking and her entire body was convulsing uncontrollably. Her back and neck seemed to be arching and she was gasping for air.
“Oh my God!” I screamed and quickly knelt beside her. “Rosemary!”
Her unblinking eyes were fixed on the ceiling. I carefully pressed my fingers to the inside of her left wrist. A weak pulse quivered beneath her clammy skin, so I gently lowered her arm and jumped to my feet. With Baxter barking and whining at my heels, I raced into the bedroom to grab my phone and dial 911.
“Hurry up!” I gasped and pressed the phone to my ear. “Oh, please hurry—!”
A woman’s voice came on the line.
“It’s my friend!” I screamed after she asked me to describe the emergency. “She collapsed in the kitchen!”
The woman asked me a few questions and assured me that an ambulance was on the way. As I walked back through the house to the kitchen, she told me to take a deep breath and stay calm.
But when I knelt next to Rosemary, I didn’t have any idea how that was possible. Her head had rolled to one side and her entire body was still and lifeless.
“Our EMTs will be there in less than two minutes,” said the 911 operator. “Can someone meet them at the front door?”
“Yes,” I said, as my heart skittered wildly in my chest. “Just hurry, please!
Chapter 4
The hour that followed seemed airless and frozen. It was like I’d been plucked from my real life and dropped into the middle of a slow-motion movie sequence. I crouched on the kitchen floor, holding Rosemary’s hand and listening as her breathing became more labored. At some point, one of the EMTs asked me to move so they could check for her vital signs and assess the situation.
While they carefully moved her from the floor to a gurney, I heard my name drifting through the air. It was Vanessa and Susie, two book club members, huddled in the kitchen door with drawn faces and furrowed brows. They’d guided me to the living room, where I sat in shock as Eve and Dora came in the front door. Two uniformed officers arrived, a tall man with buzzed brown hair and a short woman wearing glasses. They took me aside and asked a few preliminary questions, but I couldn’t tell them anything more than the basic facts: Rosemary arrived; I went to get dressed; Rosemary collapsed after tasting the spinach dip that she found in the refrigerator.
As the EMTs wheeled our friend out of my house and loaded her into the ambulance, I sat slumped on the living room sofa. Susie came in from the kitchen with a bottle of wine, the pitcher of lemon water and a few plastic tumblers. She offered something to me first, but I wasn’t thirsty.
“Are you sure you don’t want a glass of water?” asked Vanessa.
I nodded.
“How about something stronger?” Miriam said. “Just to calm your nerves.”
“No, I’m fine,” I said. “I don’t think anything can calm my nerves at this point.”
We sat quietly and contemplated the dreadful turn of events. One minute Rosemary was asking for something to drink; the next thing I knew she was unconscious on the kitchen floor. It had been a couple of days since we talked, but I remembered an email she sent last week about her most recent checkup with the doctor. “He said I have the body of a teenager for someone in her 40s,” she’d boasted in the note. “All of the vitals were normal and my cholesterol was down in the healthy range again!”
Listening to the other girls speculate about what might have happened, I couldn’t shake the sound of Sonja’s voice in my head. “Have you ever thought about killing anyone? If you could actually get away with it?”
“Jana?”
I pushed the memory out of my mind.
“Where’s Sonja?” Vanessa asked.
I glanced around the room. In the chaos that ensued after I discovered Rosemary on the kitchen floor, I hadn’t realized that all of the book club members had arrived except Sonja.
“I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “Maybe something came up unexpectedly. I ran into her at the store last night, and it seemed like she was planning on being here.”
Susie sipped her wine. “Can you tell us what happened, Jana?” she asked. “I mean, did Rosemary say anything about not feeling well when she arrived?”
I’d been dreading the questions, but I knew it would be best to provide at least a brief account of the afternoon’s inexplicable events. When I finished describing as much as I could recall, the other women nodded silently and traded puzzled glances.
“I hate to gossip,” Susie said. “But do you think Sonja was involved?”
The question hit me like a roundhouse punch. I hadn’t mentioned a word to anyone about Sonja’s teasing comments the night before. “Why on earth would you say that?” I demanded. “Sonja’s one of our closest friends. How could you suspect her of…” I didn’t want to say the word, so I let the sentence fade.
“Murder?” Susie offered, clearly comfortable accusing Sonja of the despicable act.
Vanessa cleared her throat and sat forward in her chair. “It kind of makes sense,” she said slowly. “I was talking to Sonja last week at a school function. She kept going on and on about how much she detested Rosemary. She even went so far as to say the book club would be a better place without her. I figured she just meant if Rosemary left the group. I didn’t realize she was thinking about doing something terrible so she’d leave!”
“That’s nonsense!” I blurted. “Do you really think that someone who works in the medical field could commit murder?”
Susie frowned. “She’s a dental hygienist, Jana. Not a neurosurgeon.”
“You know what I mean,” I said. “She’s kind and thoughtful. And she helps peopl
e.”
Vanessa sighed. “Well, I remember one time when she helped herself—to Erica Jordan’s husband.”
Susie and Vanessa giggled derisively. “That’s right,” Susie sneered. “Sonja broke up that marriage and stole Brian right out from under Erica’s nose.”
“That’s not true,” I offered. “Erica and Brian had been having trouble for over a year before they separated. The fact that he and Sonja hit it off so well has nothing to do with—”
“What about changing the subject?” Dora suggested. “We could talk about the book. Or the weather. But I don’t think guessing about what just happened to our friend is appropriate.”
“I don’t really feel like having book group,” Vanessa said. “This whole thing with Rosemary has put a damper on my mood.”
“I agree,” Susie said. “Maybe we could have a glass of wine and chill?”
After everyone agreed with Susie’s suggestion, I went to the kitchen for another bottle of pinot. A million thoughts and questions were zinging through my mind. Maybe if I stayed busy refilling glasses and serving snacks, the afternoon would pass quickly. I was just about ready to return to the living room when the doorbell chimed.
“Do you want me to get that?” Susie called from the front of the house.
I scurried to the living room with the wine, a selection of cheeses and some crackers on a tray. “I’ve got it, but thanks, Susie!”
I put the tray on the coffee table and rushed to the entry hall. A man wearing a dark suit and mirrored aviator sunglasses was standing on the porch when I opened the door.
“Mrs. Sullivan?”
I nodded.
“I’m Detective Max Ford.” He removed the sunglasses and revealed a gold badge pinned to his belt. “With the Metropolitan Police.”
“You’re here about Rosemary?”
He nodded slightly. “Yes, ma’am,” he answered. “Do you mind if I come in and ask you a few questions?”
I’d already given a statement to the two uniformed officers who arrived along with the ambulance. But I’d watched enough crime shows and movies to know that official investigations generally involved detectives and ongoing sleuthing following an event as baffling as the apparent attempt to take Rosemary’s life.
“Please come right in, Detective Ford.” I opened the door and stood to one side. “Our book club group is still here. We were getting together for our monthly meeting until…” My voice cracked and tears suddenly tumbled down my cheeks. “I’m so sorry,” I said, wiping my face with one hand. “It’s just been a really difficult day.”
“I understand, ma’am. And I’m sorry about what you’re going through.”
Before I could say another word, Susie appeared in the entryway.
“Are you from the police?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m Detective Ford,” the man answered. “I’m investigating the situation involving Rosemary Swanson.”
Susie lifted her chin and raised one eyebrow. “Well, come right in and have a seat,” she said. “Because we know who tried to kill her.”
Chapter 5
Once Detective Ford had introduced himself to everyone in the living room, he briefly explained that he would be conducting the official investigation. Then he dropped a bombshell that left me feeling numb and speechless.
“There’s one more thing I need to tell you,” the detective said in a calm, steady tone. “This is now a murder case. I’m very sorry to share such distressing news with you, but the emergency team at the hospital was unable to revive your friend.”
My heart shuddered in my chest as Vanessa gasped and covered her face.
“This is horrible!” Susie draped one arm around Dora’s shoulders for support. “Why would anyone want to kill such a wonderful person?”
The room plunged into silence as we contemplated the terrible news. I’d known Rosemary for years, and the cruel twist of fate seemed incomprehensible. She’d been so alive and vivacious; always telling a joke, offering help to anyone in need, volunteering each week at one of the city’s soup kitchens.
Detective Ford stood quietly, respectfully giving us time to process the upsetting announcement. After a few minutes, he cleared his throat and stepped into the middle of the room.
“I’m truly sorry for your loss,” he said. “And I hope you’ll understand that I’m simply doing my job by asking a few questions.”
Dora blinked at him. “Why are you questioning us?” she asked in a delicate voice.
“It’s standard procedure,” Ford said. “Your friend Rosemary was coming to Mrs. Sullivan’s house today for your book club. We suspect the dip she ate here may have been poisoned, so it’s customary to interview anyone who was a witness or may have been known to the deceased.”
“Did you say she was poisoned?” I asked.
The detective nodded. “That’s what the medical examiner suspects, based on the symptoms that Mrs. Swanson was experiencing before she succumbed in the ambulance.”
“What happened?” Susie asked.
“Respiratory failure,” Ford said. “The EMTs were able to revive her once, but the spasms became increasingly violent as she struggled to breathe.”
The news left us stunned into silence again. I glanced around the room, but the others were deep in thought. Dora was shaking her head as tears streamed down her face. Eve stared blankly at her fingers as they fiddled nervously in her lap. Susie leaned forward, dropping her head into her hands. And Vanessa was mindlessly flipping through the book we’d gathered to discuss.
“When was the last time any of you spoke with Rosemary?” Detective Ford asked. “I mean, besides you, Jana.”
“Last night,” Susie said. “I called to ask if she wanted a ride to book club, but she told me she had an appointment before this so she’d drive herself.”
Vanessa sniffled and shook her head. “We exchanged emails a couple of weeks ago, but I haven’t actually talked to her since the last time our group met.”
Ford nodded. “What about you, Miss Anderson?” he said, turning to Dora. “Have you talked with Rosemary recently?”
Dora smiled at the handsome detective. “I haven’t talked to Rosemary since the last book club meeting.” She lowered her chin and fluttered her lashes. “And you can call me Dora,” she added. “I’m not one to stand on formality or tradition.”
Vanessa scoffed. “Or common decency,” she said. “This isn’t the time or place to flirt, Miss Anderson.”
Despite the obvious tension between Vanessa and Dora, Detective Ford nodded and moved on to Eve.
“Mrs. Walker?”
“I had lunch with Rosemary yesterday,” she said.
“Did she seem troubled by anything?” Ford asked. “Did she mention any disagreements with friends, family members or coworkers?”
Eve shot a quick glance at Dora before looking back at the detective. “Not at lunch,” she said. “But someone had been sending her strange letters.” She frowned and shuddered. “You know—like to intimidate her or scare her into paying some money.”
Dora narrowed her eyes and glared at Eve. “Well, it wasn’t me,” she snapped.
“I didn’t say that it was,” said Eve. “Rosemary thought it might have been related to something that happened with a man who was painting their house.”
“What did she tell you?” Ford asked.
Eve shrugged. “Not much more than that,” she said. “I guess some money went missing one day when the man was working at Rosemary’s. Since no one else had been there, she asked the painter if he’d taken it. I guess the man got really angry and aggressive, so Rosemary told him to pack up his things and go. Her husband followed up with a phone call later, but the man still denied taking the money and threatened to cause trouble if they didn’t pay him for the full job.”
Dora smirked. “That sounds like her,” she said. “Always blaming other people for her own shortcomings.”
I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. “Dora?”
&
nbsp; “Yes?” Her eyes flashed with anger. “What is it, Jana?”
“Could you please be more respectful?” I said slowly. “Rosemary just died. I know that we all react to upsetting news in different ways, but I think—”
“You’re right,” Dora said, slumping against the back of the sofa. “I’m so…” She put one hand over her mouth. “I’m just so embarrassed,” she continued after a brief pause. “Rosemary and I didn’t get along all that well, but I shouldn’t have said those things.”
Vanessa reached over and patted her arm. “Don’t worry about it, sweetie. It’s like Jana said—we all handle things like this differently. You’re in shock.” She glanced at the detective. “We’re all in shock, Mr. Ford. Do you think that maybe we could talk to you some other time?”
The detective’s jaw tightened. “Of course,” he said, reaching into his pocket. “I’ll give you my card. I know the officers who arrived with the ambulance got contact information for all of you, so I’ll be in touch to schedule follow-up conversations. In the meantime, if you think of anything that might be helpful, please call me as soon as you can.”
Chapter 6
After the detective left and the girls helped me put away the snacks and sweets, everyone agreed to meet again the next day when the shock had softened. Dora suggested that we go to Rosemary’s house as a group to pay our respects and offer to help her husband with the difficult road ahead. I was curled up under a blanket on the living room sofa when my husband called a couple of hours later.
“Are you okay?” Ben asked excitedly.
“As okay as I can be,” I said.
“We just got out of the movie,” he said. “I’m so sorry that my phone was off when you tried to reach me. How’s Rosemary doing?”
I sighed and pressed back against the cushions. “She didn’t make it,” I said in a hushed tone.
