“Your friend probably would’ve joined me out there too,” Ivy said firmly. “You want to know why? Because you can’t do anything for her while you’re sitting there. You’re doing more good by finding the killer than just sitting by her side hoping for the best. And let me tell you something. I may not know you that well, but I know that you can’t sit around and do nothing. Zasha, this is a setback, but you can’t let this knock you out. This is exactly what the killer wants.”
“A setback?” Zasha asked, her voice low and dangerous. “You’re calling this a setback?”
Ivy realized her mistake, but it was too late. Her eyes widened, and she held out her hand to try and stop Zasha but the younger woman wasn’t going to allow herself to be stopped.
“My best friend is dying!” Zasha said. “I’m sorry if that’s an inconvenience for you, but this is the worst possible thing that could happen! I’ve known her my whole life. She’s not just some friend. If she dies, my life will never be the same. I can’t risk running around causing trouble, because I don’t want to face those consequences. I can’t face those consequences. The price is too high, and I don’t want to pay it. I can’t be like you, Ivy. These people matter to me, they’re my whole life.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Ivy said softly, “it’s not just an inconvenience. I hate that this is happening. I wish we could’ve stopped the killer before all this happened.”
“Yeah, but we didn’t,” Zasha said bitterly. “And now Evie might die, and that’s on us.”
“It’s not on us,” Ivy said angrily. “We didn’t choose to kill anyone. We can’t let the killer win this. It’s not on us.”
“It’s not a competition,” Zasha said, glaring at Ivy. “These are real lives. Once this is all over, you get to leave town and forget about us. This is going to stay with this town for a very long time, we don’t get to move on and forget. We have to fight to protect what we have.”
“Do you think I forget?” Ivy asked, narrowing her eyes at Zasha. “I never forget, I never move on. I do the best I can, and I keep moving forward. I’m not careless, I just have perspective. You’re not the one to blame, so don’t do it. Don’t blame yourself.”
“I can’t do this anymore,” Zasha insisted, shaking her head firmly. “You’re on your own from here on out. I don’t want any part in this. First, we lost Mrs. Bleeker, and now we’re about to lose Evelyn. I can’t …”
“Wait,” Ivy said, holding up her hand to stop Zasha. “What did you say?”
“I don’t…” Zasha’s voice trailed off when she realized that Ivy wasn’t really listening to her.
“Mrs. Bleeker was poisoned,” Ivy realized, her eyes widening. “If we’re right about the murders being connected, then I bet that the killer used the exact same poison.”
“That’s a gamble,” Zasha hissed, narrowing her eyes. “What if they try and treat that poison but it’s the wrong poison? Evie won’t be strong enough to fight off the effects. We could be killing her faster.”
“Do you know what poison killed Mrs. Bleeker?” Ivy asked, she turned to Mr. Turner to include him in the conversation. “We think that it might be the poison that was used on Evelyn.”
Mr. Turner’s eyes widened, and he shook his head as he thought. The doctor walked out of the room and everyone looked up at him expectantly.
“It’s not going well,” he said grimly. “We’re sure that she was poisoned, but unless we can determine which poison was used, we can only treat the symptoms. My staff is trying to work it out.”
“I have a theory,” Ivy said, stepping forward, causing the doctor to look at her in surprise. She quickly explained, and he watched her carefully. “I just need to know what poison was used.”
“Do you know?” the doctor asked, looking up at Mr. Turner.
“The papers mentioned the name,” Mr. Turner said, tapping his forehead. “I can’t remember. I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t pay much attention. Phon… Phon… something. I’m sorry, I can’t remember.”
“Phonasin,” Zasha said, shaking her head. “I don’t think we should do it. We’re risking Evie’s life. What if we get it wrong?”
“We can try and see if the symptoms match,” the doctor said, looking conflicted, “but we can’t be a hundred percent certain. Mr. Turner, it’s up to you. We’re running out of time. If we don’t act now, then we’re going to lose her.”
“How sure are you about your theory?” Mr. Turner asked Ivy, his face becoming pale.
“I’m sure,” Ivy said, squaring her shoulders and looking Mr. Turner right in the eye. “I know that if we do nothing, she’s going to die. You might regret it for the rest of your life if you don’t make this choice.”
“Don’t do it,” Zasha pleaded, tears streaming down her face. “If we make the wrong choice, she’ll die. There must be something else we can do. We can’t gamble with Evie’s life like this.”
“It’s not our decision,” Mr. Turner said heavily. “It’s mine. I have to do what’s best for Evie. She fought so hard to get here, I can’t let that go to waste. I know my daughter better than anyone, and I know what she’d say.”
Zasha clenched her eyes shut and looked away. The pressure was unbearable, and she didn’t know what to do with herself. She wished that she could scream and rage, but she had to hold it back.
“I’ve made my decision,” Mr. Turner said, his eyes glittering with unshed tears. “Give her the antidote for Phonasin.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The next two hours were the longest of Zasha’s life. She paced up and down the hall, dodging nurses as she went. Mr. Turner seemed to have turned into a statue and wasn’t budging, while Ivy sat on a chair and stared ahead, her leg jumping up and down.
Eventually, after what seemed like years, the doctor walked out of Evelyn’s room with a tired expression. Everyone immediately swarmed around him to hear the news.
“Well?” Ivy prompted impatiently. The doctor looked at her in surprise but let it go.
“We managed to stabilize her,” he explained, a little smile quirking the corner of his lips. “It’s still too early to tell, but it looks like she’ll recover.”
Mr. Turner let out a stifled sob, and Zasha immediately put a hand on his arm. She felt relief flood through her and make her knees weak. The doctor smiled at them, and his eyes lit up as he watched them.
“We’ve arranged that two policemen will be outside of her room at all times,” the doctor explained, “and the local department has decided to reach out to a bigger precinct to request that they send out experienced detectives to solve the case.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Mr. Turner said in a strangled tone. He turned to Ivy and gave her a grateful smile. “We’ve got all the help we need.”
Zasha found that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t look Ivy in the eyes. She wasn’t angry anymore, but she was still disturbed by how willing Ivy had been to gamble Evelyn’s life on a theory.
“I suppose that’s my cue to get back to work,” Ivy said with a shrug.
She put her hands in her pockets and walked off. Before she turned the corner, she looked back at Zasha with a meaningful expression. Zasha looked away deliberately and held her breath. When she looked up, Ivy was gone.
“I’m sure you’re eager to see Evelyn,” the doctor said, breaking the heavy silence.
“Yes, please,” Zasha said eagerly.
Evelyn was still pale and small, but Zasha liked to imagine that she looked a little stronger. She knew it was just her imagination. If anything, Evelyn was probably worse off because of the attack. However, Zasha’s relief was so acute that she decided to look on the positive side of things, even if it was inaccurate.
Zasha’s first instinct was to rush to her friend’s side and hug her, but she held back. Mr. Turner approached Evelyn carefully, as if he were afraid that she might slip away.
“She’s a real fighter,” the doctor commented as he watched Mr. Tu
rner place a kiss on Evelyn’s forehead.
“Evie never was one to give up easily,” Zasha said proudly.
“She’s like your friend out there,” the doctor said, gesturing over his shoulder. “Who is she? She looks like a real spitfire.”
“I guess you could describe her that way,” Zasha said stiffly, forcing a shrug. There was still a simmering resentment toward Ivy beneath the surface, and Zasha dreaded meeting up with her again.
“There’s no other way,” the doctor said with a chuckle. “The world needs more people like that.”
“What?” Zasha asked in shock. “We need more people who’ll risk people’s lives on a hunch?”
“She was right, wasn’t she?” the doctor asked, gesturing at Evelyn. “If it weren’t for your friend, we might’ve lost Evelyn.”
“You’d be singing a different tune if Ivy had been wrong,” Zasha grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I prefer not to think about that,” the doctor said simply. “She wasn’t wrong. She had the guts to make a decision that no one else would. I wouldn’t recommend making uninformed decisions, but Ivy made an educated guess.”
“Yes, I suppose so,” Zasha said.
She walked away from the doctor, deciding that the conversation was over. She didn’t agree with him but was tired of discussing it. All she wanted was for Evelyn to wake up.
“You’re still here,” Mr. Turner said in surprise when she walked up to Evelyn and put a hand on her shoulder. “I thought you’d be off with Ivy.”
“I don’t think that’s going to work anymore,” Zasha said slowly. “I’m not cut out for that sort of thing.”
“Rubbish,” Mr. Turner said, causing Zasha to look at him in confusion. “You’re telling me that you’re going to give up on Evie?”
“What?” Zasha asked, her voice rising in pitch. “No. I’m doing this for Evie.”
“How could that possibly be true?” Mr. Turner asked carefully. “You’re giving up. I get that you’re scared, but the best thing that you could do for my little girl is to get out there and help Ivy.”
“Mr. Turner,” Zasha said softly. “I’m not trained for this. And look what we did. We caused this. If we weren’t digging around, then maybe the killer wouldn’t have done this.”
“Maybe,” Mr. Turner scoffed. “But then no one would be out there getting justice for Evie. We’d still be waiting on the police department to send some detectives. It’s my fault for leaving Evelyn alone. You can be sure that won’t happen again. Now, get out there and find who did this. You and I both know that Ivy can’t do this without you.”
Zasha pursed her lips and looked down at Evelyn. She tried to imagine what Evelyn would say, but her friend stayed maddeningly quiet.
“I don’t know who did this, or why, but I do know that they don’t deserve to walk around freely after what they did.”
“No,” Zasha said, shaking her head firmly.
“Then go get them,” Mr. Turner said, looking up at Zasha. “Find out why they did this. I need you to help me, Zasha. Help me to understand all of this. I need answers for when Evelyn wakes up. She’s going to wake up to a terrible new reality, and we’ll need to help her make sense of it all.”
This struck a chord with Zasha, and she quickly left the hospital after bidding Mr. Turner goodbye. It took her about an hour and a half, but she finally reached the Turners’ farm. The place looked eerie, and Zasha had to force herself not to get spooked. When she opened the front door, she was surprised to find that it opened without resistance. She frowned at the handle. Why hadn’t anyone locked it?
When she stepped into the kitchen, she had to swallow down her rising nausea. This was where Mrs. Turner and Clara had been killed. A cold shiver rushed over Zasha’s skin and she had to run out of the room before she lost her nerve. As she entered the living room, she was startled by a noise up above. She didn’t notice the chair behind her, and when she took a step back, the chair knocked loudly against the table.
“No, no,” Zasha whispered.
She shushed the table quickly and hid behind the door, her heart beating quickly. A whimper nearly escaped her lips when she heard a pair of footsteps coming down the hall. Zasha clenched her eyes shut as the person walked into the room. She tried to think of a way out, but nothing came to mind. She held her breath, in case the sound gave her away.
The footsteps stopped in the middle of the room, then retreated. Zasha felt relief flood through her for the second time that day, but before she could make a break for it, the door swung away and Zasha knew that she had been caught.
“Oh,” a familiar voice said in surprise. “It’s you.”
Zasha slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Ivy, she let out all her breath in a rush and smiled sheepishly.
“What are you doing here?” Ivy asked suspiciously.
“I had a hunch,” Zasha said, looking down at the floor and wringing her hands.
“I thought you had given up,” Ivy said, raising an eyebrow.
“It turns out I haven’t,” Zasha said with a shrug. “Besides, what are you doing here?”
Ivy snorted and looked at Zasha in amusement. Zasha felt uncomfortable under Ivy’s scrutiny, but she squared her shoulders. She wasn’t going to run away. Mr. Turner was right, Ivy couldn’t do this without Zasha.
“I had a hunch,” Ivy said with a casual shrug.
“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours,” Zasha offered with a wry smile.
“You first,” Ivy prompted, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the doorpost.
“I thought it was strange that the whole family was attacked,” Zasha said in a rush. “This whole attack was obviously planned. Why would anyone want to kill the girls? Maybe Mary had enemies, but what reason did they have to kill Evelyn and Clara? I thought I might find a clue around here somewhere.”
Ivy let out a humorless chuckle and shook her head.
“What?” Zasha asked defensively. “It’s not the best theory, but it’s all I have.”
“I’m laughing because I had the exact same thought,” Ivy said, shaking her head at Zasha. “I thought that if there was one secret drawer, then there might be more. Mary was a shrewd woman, and I figured that she might have more secrets to share with us.”
“Oh,” Zasha said, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment. “I’m sorry for being so sensitive.”
“Come on,” Ivy said, watching Zasha carefully. “Let’s get looking. You know this house almost as well as the family does.”
Zasha nodded quickly. It was nice of Ivy not to mention their argument. Zasha realized that she had been too harsh on the private investigator, but that Ivy hadn’t even asked for an apology. This made Zasha wonder what kind of life Ivy had lived up until that moment. Was she used to this sort of thing? Zasha was ashamed that she had treated Ivy that way and was determined to give her friend the benefit of the doubt from that moment on.
“Are you going to stand there forever, or are you going to do something eventually?” Ivy called.
Zasha let out an embarrassed squeak and immediately started looking around. As she did, her mind was working quickly. If she were Mary, where would she hide something important?
A thought struck her, and she headed into Mr. and Mrs. Turner’s bedroom. She hesitated at the threshold. It had been the only room in the house that had been off limits to her. When she stepped into their bedroom, it felt like she was somehow betraying their trust.
“Don’t be silly,” Zasha admonished herself.
It was a simple bedroom with two single beds, a chest of drawers and a vanity table. The beds were on beautiful carved frames with a bedside table separating them.
Zasha started at the vanity table. She felt around and under the table, looking for a latch or switch that would reveal a secret drawer. When she didn’t find anything, she turned to the beds. This took a little more effort, especially since Zasha wasn’t sure which side belonged to Mary. Just as she wa
s about to give up, she felt something give way as she pressed against the side of the headboard.
“Ivy!” Zasha called as she took hold of an envelope that had been hidden in the secret cavity.
“What is it?” Ivy asked, her voice coming closer as she walked down the hall.
“I found something,” Zasha said eagerly, pressing the envelope into Ivy’s hands. “I don’t know what it is.”
Ivy frowned as she opened it. There was a folded-up piece of paper inside along with a few ten-dollar bills. They looked at each other in surprise, and Ivy unfolded it to reveal a careful list of figures.
“What is this?” Zasha asked, frowning as she tried to make sense of the numbers. “It looks like there’s a hundred dollars here. Why would Mrs. Turner hide this kind of money? Surely they’d need it.”
“It looks like financial records,” Ivy said in confusion. “Look at the date.”
“This is for November nineteen-sixteen,” Zasha said. “Why would Mrs. Turner want to hide this?”
“Well, if she didn’t hide it, then she would have to explain where she got five-hundred dollars just when she needed it most.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Zasha kept quiet as she digested Ivy’s words. She tried to reconcile the Mrs. Turner she knew with the person who hid financial records in secret drawers. It didn’t add up, and Zasha felt a headache brewing behind her temples.
“I don’t get it,” Zasha said eventually. “Where would anyone get that kind of money? Would the bank give her such a large loan?”
“Banks don’t make a habit of loaning money to failing farms in the middle of a war,” Ivy said grimly. “It’s a massive sum. How would she even begin to pay something like that back? Especially when the bank put interest on it. She’d still be paying it off, and Mr. Turner would certainly know about it.”
“I don’t know anyone who would give her this money,” Zasha said with a frown. “This is a small rural town, the richest person for miles was Mrs. Bleeker and she lived a simple life. You’d never know she had money from looking at her. Maybe some people pooled some money to lend to her?”
Sins of the Mother Page 15
