Cordial Killing

by Vikki Walton

  She continued, “So now I’ve got to run into town to the store because some of the items I had planned to use for dinner are also gone. Plus, lots of the snack foods—chips, cookies.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I just thought I should, like, tell you.”

  “Yes, thanks for telling me this, Kandi. We will need to sit down with Hope and figure this out for the future. I’m with you that I don’t mind the guests fixing a snack, but we need to have some guidelines or something. Maybe a small refrigerator upstairs and locking the main kitchen at night,” Anne said, more to herself than to Kandi.

  Kandi got up. “I’m going to go on to the store while everyone’s in the kitchen.” She headed for the door as Anne rose from her seat and stretched her back. “Oh, also, one of the headlamps is also missing.”

  Anne frowned at that. “They could have forgotten to drop it in the basket on the way back in this morning. I’ll ask them about it.”

  Anne walked to the remodeled kitchen. It had been dark and cramped before, but the removal of the wall between the butler’s pantry and the kitchen had made it into a big, beautiful space. In the center of the room stood an attractive wood workstation that provided plenty of space for all to gather around it. She had to hand it to Stewart. He had taken her concept of a worktable and made it even better by creating storage in the middle, and places for stools all around it.

  Marie was pointing out the original shelving which now held jars of dried herbs and a combination of brown and blue bottles. “This is where you’ll put your cordial once you’re done.” She opened a cabinet and pointed.

  A small grin appeared on Anne’s face as she noticed how the women had all taken the same positions from when they sat in the dining room. It was funny how people were creatures of habit. They had all chosen the same seating arrangement. It was an idiosyncrasy she had seen more than once in her life.

  Beth and Liz sat on the left with the chair that Marie had vacated. On the right side sat Taylor and Anne who joined them in the last seat. Hope now occupied what would be considered the head of the table. She rose.

  “Okay, everyone. Normally we’d take this time to introduce ourselves but seeing as you all know each other, how about if someone from the group shares how you first met.” She sat back down on her stool and waited.

  “I’ll do it,” Beth replied cheerfully.

  Anne couldn’t help but notice the massive change from this morning’s outburst. Hmmm, I wonder if she couldn’t use some of Hope’s hormonal tea too. She giggled to herself.

  “It was our first day of class,” she said, “and the professor called out ‘Elizabeth.’ All of us said ‘Here!’ at the same time.”

  Liz took up the story. “Since there were others with the same last name as some of us, the professor would have the same issue, so he asked if we’d come up with nicknames or a way for him to distinguish us from one another.”

  “This was back before current technology, so there was no checking in that way,” Taylor interjected.

  Anne piped up. “That makes sense. But what about you, Taylor?”

  “Yep. Odd man out.” She grinned. “I was rooming with Lil, and so she invited everyone over to our dorm to talk about it.”

  Beth continued the story. “I think a television was on and a commercial came on. It was Elizabeth Taylor on some old commercial about some perfume.”

  “White Diamonds,” Lil replied.

  Liz joined in, “My mom always asked for that perfume for Christmas. I think the perfume came out in the late nineties. But they played that ad a lot over the years. I think I was around eight or nine the time I saw it, but my mom always pointed the commercial out to my dad, so I guess it stuck in my memory.” Liz laughed. “It’s funny what you remember.”

  Anne nodded her head. “That commercial was on for decades.”

  “Yes. It ran for years until 2017.” Taylor nodded. “Anyway, that’s when Liz had started laughing because we realized we were Elizabeth and Taylor.”

  Marie turned to Taylor. “You’re very sure of yourself.”

  Anne shot Hope a glance. The last thing they needed was Marie irritating their guests.

  “I am,” Taylor replied, “I read it one time.”

  “You read it?” Marie inquired.

  “Yes. I have a pretty good memory. Once it’s in here”—she pointed to her head—“it sticks.”

  Liz said, “That’s true. You don’t want to get on Taylor’s bad side. She has a long memory.”

  “I’m still upset you broke my favorite cup with the horses on it,” Taylor quipped.

  “See!” Liz pointed at Taylor. “Grudge-holder.”

  “Cup-breaker.”

  Liz stuck her tongue out at Taylor.

  Taylor held up her hands and turned back to the story. “Actually, as you know, my last name is Taylor and my first name is Christie. But in some ways, college was a bit like the military and people were often called by their last name, so it just stuck.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Before we knew it we were known as Elizabeth and Taylor. Kind of a joke around campus, but all in good fun.”

  “Those were such fun times,” Beth said, and the others nodded.

  “So how did you and Anne meet, Hope?” Lil motioned to where Anne sat.

  Hope looked at Anne, and Anne spoke, “When I first arrived, Hope helped me with some hormonal issues. It made a huge difference.”

  Hope winked at Anne. Much better to give that reason than say that Anne had found her father dead in his compost pile out back. When they started fixing up Ralph’s house and property to turn it into the Brandywine Inn, one of the first things they did was put in a water feature where the compost pile had been situated. Unknown to anyone but them, they also put in a memorial stone with etching to honor Ralph. You had to know it was there, as the memorial faced away from the house. They had added the gazebo close by so people could take in the heady lilac smell when they were in bloom.

  “Hope, you want to get us started?” Anne passed out notebooks to each lady.

  “Let’s start with the differences between a tincture, tisane, and tonic, ladies. An herbal tincture is a medicinal liquid often made by adding herbs to alcohol or, for a child’s preparation, glycerin can be substituted. On the other hand, a tisane is often referred to as a medicinal tea which is steeped for a short time, unlike an infusion which may be steeped overnight to pull the beneficial medicinal constituents from the roots and other parts of plants. Finally, a tonic is a medicinal drink that is often used to promote wellness, like Marie’s cordial. Over the weekend we’ll learn about and partake in all of these. For now, I’ll hand it over to Marie. Take it away, Marie.” Hope sat down, and Marie moved to the head of the table.

  “Ladies, as you can see, we have the ingredients lined up in front of you. For this class and due to the season, we’re using dried elderberries. For your canning jar, I prefer wide-mouth—”

  Anne shot Hope a look, and they both tried to hide their smirks with their hands. Only something that the town’s snoop and gossip would say could elicit that response. Hope coughed to mask the noise of Anne’s giggling.

  Marie looked up.

  “Sorry, I apologize. Anne’s not being serious, and it’s a private joke from earlier,” Hope announced to the group.

  Anne wadded up a napkin and threw it at Hope. “We’ll behave now.”

  Marie continued, “As I was saying, these are the jars I like to use for the cordial. The most important rule is always to label your jars. You always say that you’ll remember and come back and label them later, but trust me, you won’t. That’s why labeling is one of the most important habits to get into doing first thing.” She picked up a roll of masking tape and some black sharpies. “If everyone will write your name, the date, and the title, ‘elderberry cordial’ and tape to your bottle.”

  Anne glanced over at Hope. Maybe this could help them figure out who wrote the note.

  Marie poured some elderberries into a glass measuring cup. “F
or dried elderberries, you’ll need one and one-quarter cups.” Everyone poured the berries into their measuring cups and raised them, waiting for the next command. When Marie poured hers into her jar, they all followed suit.

  “If you use fresh berries, use two cups.”

  Taylor made a note on a pad.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll provide the complete recipe for when you leave so you won’t have to take notes now.”

  Hope said, “Elderberries are great for the body’s immune system and help with the prevention of colds and flu.”

  “If you don’t mind my saying so,” Beth interjected, “I’m surprised you gave up medicine for herbalism. I’d think that traditional medicine would be more profitable.”

  Anne saw Hope bristle a bit, but Hope was calm when she responded. “Technically, I didn’t give up allopathic medicine, but I wanted to focus more on prevention instead of treatment. I can still prescribe medicine or another course of treatment if I feel that it is in the best interest of the patient.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

  “No offense taken. I moved back here to care for my mom. Being here in this town, with so many great people, is the best compensation I could ever wish for.”

  She smiled. “Plus, look at all you lovely ladies. You all have extensive medical backgrounds, and yet here you are learning about tinctures.”

  “Agreed,” said Lil. “I studied—and continue to study—pharmaceutical drugs for years. I do believe they are of benefit, but I’m concerned with some of the contraindications and the serious side effects I’m seeing more often. I’m always wanting to learn about supplements and other items such as herbal remedies that interact with or complement allopathic medicine. I hope to apply for a research grant on the interactions between pharmaceutical methodologies and alternative treatments.”

  “True,” said Hope. “For instance, some studies are noting that astragalus root tincture can work with chemotherapy treatment to help build immunity and ease nausea. The more we learn to focus on prevention and treat the body holistically, the better the result for any patient. Best of luck on getting the grant.”

  Marie loudly cleared her throat.

  “Sorry.” Hope raised her hands in the air. “Rabbit trail. My bad.”

  Marie had the ladies add one-quarter cup of rose hips while Hope spoke of their high vitamin C content. Each woman then took up a plane and grated orange peel.

  “Now that you have the two tablespoons of peel, you’ll need the same amount of minced ginger.” She passed around a knob of fresh ginger. “When you’re done, shake the ingredients to disperse them a bit, and then drop in your cinnamon stick.” The ladies all followed her lead.

  Marie pulled bottles of brandy from the sideboard. “This cordial uses brandy as its base. Hope will tell you that depending on the tincture, most are usually made with vodka or Everclear. Tonics or elixirs will often use alcohol or water. For children or those who can’t have any alcohol, glycerin or an apple cider vinegar base is a good substitute. However, the alcohol helps to pull the medicinal components from the herbs and other ingredients, so that is why it is most commonly used.”

  She opened a bottle of brandy and poured three cups into a measuring container. “I like a touch of sweetness in my cordial, so I use some of Bill’s honey. I prefer a local source, as the honey comes from local pollens and nectars. This is what will make your cordial unique to your area and the taste may vary because of it. You can also use maple syrup if you can’t find any quality honey.” She went to the counter and returned with a jar full of glistening, golden honey. “I would start with one-eighth to one-quarter cup of honey and if you want it sweeter, go up from there.” She stirred the honey into the jar with a wooden spoon.

  “All right, ladies.” Marie placed her hands on the jar and raised it in the air. “You’ve just made your first batch of cordial. If you’ll wipe off any spills and cover the tops, we’ll be finished with this part.”

  Lil reached for a jar lid. “How long before it’s ready?”

  “You’ll store it in a cool, dry place and it should be ready in about three to four weeks. Then you’ll strain it and put it in a bottle of your choosing. If you make it in late October or early November, it makes a nice gift for the upcoming holiday season.”

  “Oh, that’s a great idea,” Taylor remarked as she stood and walked over to the cabinet.

  Hope gathered up the measuring cups and Taylor helped her with another tray. From the kitchen, Anne heard Taylor call out, “Hey Beth, I thought Edward was going into Denver for the day.”

  Beth went to the window, and Anne looked over her shoulder toward where they could see Dr. Nelson sitting in a chair in the gazebo, his head slumped. “That man. Probably out smoking again and fell asleep.”

  She grabbed her sweater from her chair as Liz said, “I’ll walk with you.”

  Anne began filling the sink with soapy water as she watched the two women head toward the gazebo. Beth bent down while touching Edward’s arm. She jolted back up. As she stepped back, Liz crouched down by the man and put her fingers to his neck.

  Oh no. That’s can’t be a good sign. “Hope, come here!” She called out and moved to the back door.

  Liz sprinted toward the house as Anne and the others came running from inside. Liz yelled, “Edward’s had a heart attack!”

  As Marie rushed to the phone, the rest of the group ran out to the gazebo.

  Anne reached Beth as Taylor bent over Dr. Nelson.

  Taylor turned to the group. “No need for an ambulance. He’s dead.”

  Chapter Ten

  “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it.” Beth moved to his right side with Liz following. Liz reached for Beth, but Beth shook off her arm and turned away. Beth took a step back. There was a loud pop. Liz reached down to the ground where Beth had stepped. In her hand, Liz held up Edward’s broken vape pen. Beth looked at it and said, “Oh, give me that. I wish Edward hadn’t had that nasty habit.” She stuck it in her pocket. She turned back to Edward and it was if an invisible force had connected with her. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

  Shock registered on her face as Beth allowed Liz’s second attempt to embrace her. The two women clung to each other and stepped back and away from Edward’s chair.

  Tears had sprung to Lil’s eyes.

  Anne felt helpless. She shoved her hands into her pockets, and her fingers hit on the crumpled note.

  Now it’s your turn to suffer.

  It dawned on Anne that this could be a crime scene and they’d just trampled over everything. She moved into action. “Everyone, we need to move out of the gazebo. We’ll need to allow some room for paramedics to get in there.”

  Marie had now joined the group and was bristling with excitement. If she told any of the women that this was the second death at the house, Anne would personally wring her neck.

  Hope sidled up next to Anne and motioned for her to step away from the pack. When they had moved a few yards back, Hope whispered, “What do you think?”

  “I’m not sure. Probably a heart attack. Dr. Nelson had serious heart issues and sounded like he switched his regular tobacco habit to the vape pen not too long ago. But—”

  “The note, right?”

  “Yes, that muddies the water. Plus, I have a bad feeling in my gut about all this. I’m not sure if the note was to Edward or to Beth, but it could be significant.” She quieted her voice to ensure no one overheard. “I know that people can go into shock. But don’t you think it’s strange that Beth hasn’t shed a tear?”

  “That could be shock. We each grieve differently.”

  They heard the arrival of the ambulance in the driveway. Hope jogged over to the driveway to direct the group to the backyard. Another EMT accompanied Sheriff Carson, who had also arrived. Carson strode toward the group, his robust manner exerting his authority.

  Hope and Anne walked over to the sheriff. He tipped his Stetson. “What do we have here?”
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  Hope nodded toward the gazebo. “Dr. Edward Nelson, one of our guests. His wife, Beth, is the lady with the streaked blonde hair. The woman with her arm around her is Beth’s friend, Liz. Of course, you know Marie.”

  “Yes.” He pulled out his pad and made notes of the names.

  “The other two ladies are Taylor, the, um, taller lady, and Lil is the petite one. They’re friends of the other ladies and attended college at the same time. When they first—”

  “Just the facts, Ms. Freemont.” He walked over to the group.

  Anne mimicked, “Just the facts, Ms. Freemont.”

  Without attracting attention from the group of mourners, Hope quietly grabbed her in a side hug and laughed. “I think thou doth protest too much.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” She crossed her arms.

  “Not for me to say.” Hope snickered and headed over to the group with a puzzled Anne trailing behind.

  Hope was making introductions. “Sheriff, this is Beth Nelson. Dr. Nelson, the decease—is in the gazebo.”

  “Missus Nelson, I think it would be good if we went into the house. I’ll need to ask everyone some questions.” It wasn’t framed as a request but an order.

  Beth and Liz clung to each other as Taylor and Hope followed. Anne turned back when she didn’t see Lil. The woman was facing toward the gazebo. Was Anne mistaken or had she heard a whispered ‘I’m sorry’ from Lil?

  When Kandi got out of her truck and spied the paramedics, she dropped the two bags she was carrying.

  “Not again,” Kandi cried out.

  Anne ran up to her and caught a shivering Kandi in her arms. It had been Kandi who had found poor Mr. Rogers not far from that same spot. Anne reached down and handed one bag to Kandi while she picked up the other one. “Nothing like last time. I assure you. Now, let’s go on into the house.”