by Wendy Tyson
“I know. I don’t know what to think. I really don’t know what to do with this.” She peered at Denver across the truck’s center console. “Eloise may not take this well.”
“I know.”
“Maybe we should wait until Bobby arrives. It took everything I had to convince him to let us do this. Maybe he was right.”
Denver shook his head. “We should tell her. I owe her that, at least. The question is whether she can be objective.”
“We have to trust that she can.”
Denver agreed, but Megan could tell by the expression in his eyes that the trust wasn’t in him.
“Did Bibi say anything? Hint at anything out of the ordinary?”
“No. But I didn’t want to press her.” Megan looked at Denver and wiped the tears from her eyes. “The damage could have been permanent. What you said about her having grit? Yeah, that’s what saved her.”
Megan turned into Eloise’s property and parked the truck. It was Sunday afternoon and the cheerful weather had continued. Eighties and sunny. Weather that demanded light-hearted fun—not introspection and suspicion. Eloise was outside waiting for them, and she had jogged to the truck before Megan even killed the ignition.
“Dillon’s watching a movie. We have fifteen minutes before it’s over. How about the barn? We should have some privacy there.” Eloise looked like a shell of the woman they knew. Her jeans were stained, her shirt untucked, and dark circles shadowed her eyes. Denver had called to say they needed to discuss something with her, and looking at her now, Megan could tell she’d immediately figured the worse.
Denver climbed out of the truck. He gave his aunt a hug, whispered something in her ear, and started for the barn. Megan stood by the truck for a few seconds, staring at the house. She swore she saw a curtain on the ground floor move, but she wasn’t sure. Could have been a trick of the sun.
“Bibi was poisoned.” Megan spoke softly, controlling her voice to hide the panic she felt rising up in her gut.
“I don’t understand.” Eloise moved a rake and sat down on a hay bale. Her face was pale, her hands shaking. “Poisoned?”
“The EMTs thought at first she’d had a stroke, but the tests didn’t back that up. After a lot of educated guesswork, they realized she’d overdosed on lithium.” Megan closed her eyes. “They thought she’d done it herself accidentally.”
“Does your grandmother even take lithium?” Eloise asked.
“No. That’s just it, she doesn’t. My grandmother takes brandy in her tea and the occasional pain reliever. Other than that, she refuses all medication, even vitamins.”
Eloise was silent for a moment. “Lithium is dangerous stuff. Even people who have a prescription have to be carefully monitored. There’s a fine line between therapeutic dose and toxic amount, and it can cause thyroid and other complications.”
Megan nodded. “I know. I’ve had a crash course.”
Eloise said, “Acute lithium poisoning…will Bonnie…will Bonnie be okay?”
Denver said, “She should be fine. Megan talked to the doctors today. The tremors and slurred speech are gone. There was some concern that the neurological effects could be long-lasting or even permanent, but that won’t be the case.” Denver’s eyes were moist, and he turned his head away toward the rear of the barn. “In fact, her age may have contributed to her symptoms. Someone may not have meant to cause lasting harm or really hurt her, but because of her age, they could have killed her.”
“Playing with lithium is like pharmaceutical Russian roulette.” Eloise glanced from Megan to Denver. “I assume the fact you’re here means you think Dillon may be the culprit.”
Megan didn’t wait for Denver to speak. “Not necessarily. The police will be here soon, and they can tell you more. But we were worried about you, and Denver wanted to get here as quickly as possible. Just in case. To give you time to digest the news.”
Denver interrupted, “And to give you time to decide if you want Dillon moved.”
Eloise shook her head. “He couldn’t have gotten it here.”
“Is Dillon on lithium?”
“A very low dose. They put him on it after his mother was killed. He’d always had bipolar disorder, but they were worried about suicide and wanted to curb the manic episodes. I keep it locked in a cabinet with his other medications. I saw it just this morning, though. Nothing appeared to be missing.” Eloise put her hand to her mouth. “Unless…unless he’s palming the medication. I never thought to check his mouth.”
That’s what Megan had been wondering: if Dillon was spitting the pills out when Eloise wasn’t looking.
“Surely his blood is tested regularly,” Megan said. “Wouldn’t it show up in his levels?”
“Not if he just started doing it,” Denver said.
Eloise agreed. “He gets tested every three months, and his last test was almost two months ago. Even a week’s worth of palmed medication may have been enough to hurt Bonnie.” She shook her head. “Why would he hurt Bonnie of all people? She was kind to him. He seemed to adore her.”
“Maybe Dillon slipped and told her something incriminating,” Denver said. “Something he regretted later.”
Eloise rocked back and forth on the hay bale. “I don’t know. It just doesn’t sound like him.”
Denver took his aunt’s hand. “Look, Bobby King will be here soon. We wanted to tell you ahead of time, but Megan promised Bobby we wouldn’t say anything to Dillon until he got here. Can you think of anything that happened Friday that could have led to this? Is it possible Bonnie somehow took this medication by accident?”
Eloise stood. As she talked, she paced around the room. “I met Bonnie at the café at ten. She was already there, and I found her talking to a group of people, including Merry Chance.”
“Was the café crowded?” Denver asked.
Megan held up a hand. Her phone was beeping with a text from King. “Bobby will be here in five minutes.” She looked at Eloise. “Don’t say anything else until he arrives. It may be important and should be fresh.”
Eloise nodded. “Dillon’s movie is almost over.”
“Why don’t I go in and check on him,” Denver said. “I’ll watch a new movie with him. This way you two can talk to King without distraction.”
Eloise thanked him.
“Don’t say a word about Bibi,” Megan warned.
Denver kissed her forehead. “I want to get to the bottom of this mess as badly as you do, Megs. Mum is the word. I’ll go bond with him and wait to be called.”
Twenty-Five
“Tell me again, Dr. Kent. Everything you remember about Friday.”
Eloise, Megan, Bobby King, and an officer were sitting in the barn. Megan and Denver had fetched folding chairs from the house before Denver returned to watching a movie with Dillon. The interior of the barn was cool, and Megan found the earthy smells of hay and horses comforting. She sat back in the chair, listening intently to Eloise’s recounting of Friday’s events.
Eloise cleared her throat. “I was to meet Bonnie at the café at ten in the morning. She was already—”
“Did anyone know you were going to meet her?”
Eloise looked surprised by the question. “It wasn’t a secret, if that’s what you mean, but nor did I broadcast it. Dillon knew because he requested it.”
King’s eyes widened. “He requested it?”
“Yes. Bonnie spent a lot of time with Dillon last week. She showed him great kindness.”
Which makes this all the more horrible, Megan thought.
“Megan, did Bonnie tell many people?”
“I have no idea,” Megan said. “But I doubt it. She didn’t tell me about it until that morning. She was—is—fond of the boy, and she would have respected his privacy.”
King nodded to Eloise. “Go on, please.”
“When we arriv
ed, Bonnie was already talking with a group of people. Merry Chance was one of them. Bonnie saw us and grabbed her bag and we left.”
“Who else was at the café? Do you recall?” King asked.
“A few people I didn’t recognize. A young woman in her twenties. An older man and what appeared to be his wife. Alvaro and Clover. And several people from BOLD.”
King perked up. “Do you remember who?”
Eloise shook her head. “I really wasn’t paying attention. I was thinking about what to say to Dr. Star.”
King made a motion and the officer wrote something in his book. “Was Bonnie eating or drinking anything when you arrived?”
Eloise closed her eyes. “I recall a cup in front of her. I don’t know if it was hers. After that, we left, and Bonnie drove with me to the school.”
“Did she sit near Dillon?”
“She sat in the front, he sat in the back. Before you asked, she had possession of her purse the whole time in the car. She never placed it in the back seat or anywhere near Dillon.”
The officer was taking notes, and he scribbled as Eloise spoke.
“Okay, now tell us about the visit with Dr. Star.”
“It wasn’t great. His receptionist alerted Benjamin—Dr. Star. He brought us to his office. I explained who Bonnie was. We discussed taking Dillon off some of his medications, especially the lithium. Dr. Star suggested we wait until this whole mess—” Eloise’s voice broke, but she quickly regained her composure. “Well, until this mess is over. He thought Dillon needed the extra time to adjust. I argued, he refused to budge. Threatened to get Dillon’s agency involved.”
“Did Dr. Star seem agitated or surprised to see Bonnie?” King asked.
“Come to think of it, no. Dillon may have mentioned something earlier in the week. Dr. Star is his therapist.”
King glanced at the officer. “How long were you there, Dr. Kent?”
“The meeting took about thirty minutes. We waited for ten minutes before then. Dillon wanted to give Bonnie a tour, and Benjamin agreed. We walked around for about an hour.”
“Did Bonnie eat or drink anything while you were there?”
“Not that I recall.”
“Did she seem ill at all?”
Again, Eloise closed her eyes. “Not really. At one point, she fell behind us on the tour, but when I looked back, she was watching out a window.” Eloise’s eyes snapped open. “She didn’t say she felt poorly, but she might have seemed a little less energetic than normal.”
“You got back to the café around what time?” King asked.
Eloise thought for a moment. “We arrived at the school at ten thirty. We were there until about twelve fifteen or twelve thirty. I think we were back in Winsome around one o’clock.” She glanced at Megan. “We went to the café afterwards. Dillon, Bonnie, and I had lunch, and then we left but Bonnie stayed.”
King, who’s expression had been unreadable during the whole process, sighed. “Eloise, think. Was Dillon alone with Bonnie at any point during lunch?”
“I used the bathroom. We’d ordered drinks, which had come by then, but not the food.”
“Then it is possible that Dillon could have put something in Bonnie’s beverage?”
Eloise looked like the next words cost her. “Yes, Bobby. It is possible.”
King sat back against the seat and placed his ankle over his knee. He was wearing khaki pants, a striped short-sleeved shirt, and a pair of brown leather loafers. He was too big for the chair and gave the impression of an adult in an elementary school seat.
“I’m almost done, Dr. Kent. I know this is unpleasant, but we need to figure out if somebody intentionally gave Bonnie lithium, or if she somehow ingested it by accident.”
“This was no accident,” Megan said. “Bibi doesn’t take medications.”
King held up a hand. “I just need to be thorough, Megan. You know that.” To Eloise, he said, “Who else was at the café when you returned?”
“It was the end of the lunch rush, and the café was crowded. I only recognized a handful of people. Clover and Emily. Alvaro, of course. A few townspeople.” She gave King their names. “Merry Chance.”
“Again?” the officer asked.
Eloise nodded. “It’s a testament to Alvaro’s cooking, but a lot of people go for multiple meals a day.”
Megan nodded. “We see Merry a lot.”
“Some of the BOLD people were there too. I don’t know them by name, but they were together.” Eloise sat up straighter. She slapped her hand against her thigh. “That reminds me, Bobby. There was someone from BOLD at the school. I know because I overheard that receptionist complaining about it.”
“Did you hear a name?” King asked.
“No, just the company.”
“Did you see anyone?” Megan asked. She knew it must have been Harriet, but she didn’t want to lead Eloise in any way.
“I’m afraid I have no idea. I’m sure Dr. Star can tell you.”
King told the officer to make a note of that. “I think this will do for now, Dr. Kent. Thank you for your time. I’d like to speak to Megan in private for a few moments. After that, I thought you and I could break the news to Dillon. See how he takes it.”
Eloise nodded.
“We may need to search your house. I can get a warrant, but it may be less upsetting if you give us permission.”
Eloise nodded again. “Whatever you need to do.”
Megan looked at Eloise, her heart aching because of the foster mom’s dilemma. “Do you think Dillon should stay here? I know Denver isn’t comfortable with it.”
“Dillon didn’t do this,” Eloise said. “I may have had concerns before, but they’re gone now.”
“Why is that?” King asked, sounding surprised.
“I really think Dillon likes Bonnie. He asked that she come on Friday. He wanted to show her around the school. He hasn’t shown me around the school, nor has he asked me to do anything. Unless Dillon is truly a sick child, he didn’t hurt Bonnie. And if he didn’t hurt Bonnie, someone else did.”
“Someone who may be trying to cover up another murder,” Megan said.
Eloise nodded. “Search away, Bobby. I don’t think you’ll find a thing.”
“Eloise is right,” King said when they were alone in the barn. “There is a much bigger picture here.”
Megan was closing the chairs, and King was petting one of Eloise’s cats who had wandered in.
King stood. He placed a hand on the chair Megan was closing. “Stop for a second, okay? This is important. We have the break-in at the inn, and now this with Bonnie. We know the boy didn’t break in to Dr. Mantra’s room, and although he could have done this, if he didn’t, someone else is out there—and dangerous.”
“I know, Bobby. We’ve been saying that all along.”
“My people are looking into each of the BOLD employees, including Harriet Mantra. We know that Harriet is a founding benefactor of the school, so my guess is that she’s the one who was at the school on Friday. We can confirm that.”
“Do you think she could have poisoned Bibi?” It sounded unlikely, but Megan felt like all possibilities had to be considered at this point.
“We’ll talk to her. I really don’t know.”
“Isn’t lithium a controlled substance? Shouldn’t you be able to track it?”
“Not that easy. It’s not a controlled substance, Megan, and I already have officers talking to the local pharmacies, but many people take psychiatric meds these days. Whoever did this could have gotten it from anywhere, including the school.”
Megan thought about Harriet at the school. The fact that she’d shown up after Chase’s murder made it impossible for her to have wielded the knife that killed Chase, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t somehow behind his murder. “Are you also looking into BOLD Pharmac
euticals?”
“We are, but are you wondering about a certain angle?”
“The FDA approval process. I’m curious, Bobby, did the papers Dr. Mantra claimed were missing have to do with the FDA results?”
“You know I can’t tell you that.”
Megan smiled. “You could deny it if they weren’t.”
No response. That was enough for Megan. “Martine told me that they’re waiting on the approvals for one of their drugs. Jatin seemed pretty certain that it was coming through, and if so, they would all soon be very rich. You and I both know greed is a strong incentive for murder. There could be a motive buried somewhere in there, Bobby.”
King gave a curt nod. “We’ll see what we have on that, but I really wanted to talk to you about safety: yours and Bonnie’s.” King’s face was a mask of concern. “I’m going to talk to Denver about staying with his aunt.”
“Eloise won’t agree.”
“Maybe not, but I’ll try. We’ll search the house. We don’t need a warrant if she consents, and if we come up empty and Eloise wants Dillon to stay, he can. It would be best if she wasn’t alone with him.”
“Understood. I’ll talk to Denver too.”
King moved a step closer. “Bonnie, though, may be in trouble. I have no idea why someone targeted her, but they did. I’m going to have a patrolman stay at the hospital, and when you return, I’ll have someone ride by the house regularly.”
“Appreciated, Bobby.”
As he turned to leave, Megan touched his arm.
“Yes?”
“What if the lithium wasn’t meant for Bibi?” she asked. “What if it was meant for Dillon? Or Eloise? Or even someone at BOLD? It feels like we’ve broadened the possibilities, not narrowed them.”
King met her gaze. He nodded again, and without another word, headed to the house.
Twenty-Six
Megan waited for Denver in the truck. She was thinking about what Eloise had said about who was at the café. Eloise didn’t remember—why would she—but Clover, someone, should remember which BOLD employees were there. She called Clover, got voicemail, and left a message. The café was still open, so she could just stop by.
