A Taste of Sin

by Jennifer L. Jennings

  After monitoring the morning surveillance, there was still no sign Paul had tampered with Emily’s food or drinks; and Martha, the tracking device system on his car, proved he hadn’t gone anywhere other than work, the gym and a grocery store.

  It appeared as though Paul was nothing more than a devoted husband.

  At ten o’clock, I was about to go for a quick run when my cell rang.

  It was Linda.

  “Sarah, I have some news,” she said. “I think I found him.”

  “Found who?”

  “Who do you think? Emily’s brother.”

  I shut my eyes and tried to sound enthused. “Wow. How did you manage that?”

  “I can’t believe how many Internet sites cater to people looking for long lost relatives. Anyway, there’s a Benjamin Andrew Bradshaw that works at a restaurant in Cambridge.”

  “Where in Cambridge?”

  “A place called Francine’s. I checked out the website. Looks like a fancy French restaurant.”

  “Did you call the place?”

  “Yes. Ben is a waiter and the hostess said he’s working tonight. I made reservations and requested him.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Sooner the better, right?”

  If I didn’t go along with it, Linda would certainly know something was wrong. I had to pretend I was delighted at the opportunity. “Wow, Linda. You’re good and apparently a better sleuth than me.”

  “Nonsense. I just got lucky.”

  I paused to consider a way out of it. “It might not be Emily’s brother. Why don’t I do a little more research? No point in going all the way to Cambridge if it’s not him.”

  “Oh, come on,” she said, sounding a bit disappointed. “It will be fun to do this together.”

  “Even if it is him, we have to assume he won’t want to talk to Emily.”

  “His sister is dying,” she said. “He’d have to be a cold-hearted son of a bitch to snub her now. Whatever happened in the past, it’s over. He can put aside his pride and do the right thing.”

  “Let’s hope so.” I didn’t mention the fact that Emily was the one who held the grudge and declared never to speak to her brother again.

  “Our reservation is for six-thirty,” Linda said. “I’ll pick you up at five and don’t worry. It’s my treat.”

  “Okay, I guess I’ll have to find something to wear.”

  * * *

  “You look scrumptious in that dress,” Max said as he watched me apply my make-up. It was five minutes till five, and I was running behind schedule.

  “I’d rather not be going at all,” I said, rummaging through the make-up bag for the right color lipstick. “This could be a highly awkward situation. I spent all afternoon trying to think of an excuse to back out.”

  Max came up behind me and kissed my neck. His soft lips made my skin tingle. “You could have told Linda to stay out of it.”

  “What could I say? She’s Emily’s best friend. Of course she wants to help. She thinks Benjamin is Emily’s only chance of survival.”

  “What will you say if it really is him?”

  “I’ll tell him his sister is dying and needs him.”

  Max shook his head, doubtful. “Don’t you think he already knows about her condition? He must have heard it from their parents at some point.”

  I let out a sigh. “This whole thing is going to blow up in my face, isn’t it?”

  Max spun me around and caressed my neck. “Think of it this way. If you get a chance to meet him, maybe he’ll tell you the real reason he pissed all over the wedding cake. I’m sure that will make for some entertaining conversation.”

  “Paul is the one I need to be focused on, not the brother,” I said. “I should stay here and watch the surveillance.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I’ll keep an eye on Paul.”

  I gave him a hug. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem.”

  Chapter 15

  Francine’s was like walking into a Parisian bistro.

  Linda took it all in with wide eyes. “Fancy-shmancy,” she said softly, nudging my arm.

  A female hostess smiled at us from behind her podium, her blonde bangs almost covering her eyes. “Welcome,” she said. “Name on the reservation?”

  “Barrett.”

  “Right this way,” she said, leading us to a table for two near the back.

  She handed us menus. “Benjamin will be with you in a moment.”

  Miss Bangs drifted back toward her post as Linda leaned in. “This is so exciting.”

  A few moments later a handsome thirty-something African-American set a basket of bread on our table. “Good evening, ladies. I’m Benjamin, your waiter for this evening. Can I start you off with something from the bar?”

  Linda looked at me, her eyes bulging. She looked back at our waiter and smiled. “Oh, you’re Benjamin?”

  He nodded. “Is … there a problem?”

  “No. Of course not. Everything is perfect. Sarah, what do you think? Should we order some wine?”

  “Yes, is there a house wine you might suggest?” I asked Benjamin.

  He suggested a French wine that neither of us had heard of. We ordered two glasses and he headed toward the bar.

  Once he was gone, Linda leaned toward me and with a lowered voice said, “That is definitely not her brother.”

  I nodded. “Well, since we’re here, we might as well enjoy ourselves.”

  Linda’s shoulders slumped. “I feel so guilty. Emily is sick and here we are dining like movie stars. It’s not fair.”

  “We’re here because we want to help her. Let’s not lose sight of that fact.”

  Her features softened. “You’re right.”

  Benjamin returned with our wine, took our dinner order and said he’d return with our salads.

  I got right to work with the bread. “By the way, did Emily ever tell you her brother was gay?”

  “She didn’t have to. It was obvious at the wedding. Benjamin was very theatrical. Why is that important?”

  “It’s not, I guess. Speaking of the wedding, how did Emily and Paul meet?”

  Linda tried the wine, made a sour face, and set it down. “The story is very entertaining from Emily’s point of view. She belonged to an Internet dating site and was supposed to meet a guy for lunch. She had only seen the guy’s photo on the website. So she walked into the restaurant and saw this guy sitting alone. He sort of resembled the picture. She walked up and introduced herself. Wrong guy. She apologized, waited another ten minutes, but her date never showed. She was about to leave the restaurant when the single guy she thought was her date approached her. They ended up having a conversation and, next thing she knew, she had a date for dinner that night.”

  “So, I take it the date went well?”

  “It was horrible. The guy ended up being a complete jerk. He was rude to the waiter, kept texting on his cell phone throughout dinner and then suggested they go Dutch when the bill came. Emily paid her half then headed home, crying her eyes out. To top it all off, she got a flat tire on the highway and had to pull over. The battery in her cell phone had died, so she couldn’t call for help. Then, like an angel from heaven, someone pulled over and offered to change the tire for her.”

  “Please tell me it was Paul.”

  “You bet it was but, the most amazing thing of all, he’d never changed a tire before.”

  “Never?”

  “At first Emily thought he was crazy. He was wearing a crisp white button down shirt with a purple tie and shiny shoes that looked like they’d just been polished. But wouldn’t you know, he managed to change that damn tire and Emily fell in love that night.”

  “Paul seems like quite a guy.” My comment must have sounded sarcastic because Linda narrowed her eyes at me.

  “Why do you say it like that?”

  “What did I say?”

  “You don’t like Paul very much, do you?”

  I opened my mouth t
o speak, but nothing came out. Finally, I said, “I don’t know him well enough to make a determination.”

  Linda rested her elbows on the table and leaned forward. “Sarah, something is going on. What are you not telling me?”

  I looked away, my cheeks getting hot. Linda knew me too well, even after all these years. “Shit.”

  “What does that mean?” she asked. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  “Emily asked me not to say anything to you. She didn’t want you to worry.”

  Linda looked at me as if I’d just shot her in the leg. “Is Emily in trouble?”

  “Maybe. But if I tell you, you have to promise me you won’t say anything to Paul.”

  “Fine, I won’t say anything.”

  I took a deep breath and let it out. “She thinks Paul is putting something in her tea.”

  It took a few seconds. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  “What do you think I’m saying?”

  She leaned in and lowered her voice. “That he’s trying to kill her faster?”

  When I didn’t object, Linda covered her face with trembling hands. “Oh, no. I think I’m gonna be sick.”

  I caught Benjamin’s attention from across the room and signaled for our check.

  He returned a minute later to find Linda’s face still buried in her hands. I handed him a credit card. “My friend isn’t feeling well. Can we take our entrée’s to go, please?”

  He bowed as if he understood and walked away.

  Linda wiped her eyes and composed herself. “I refuse to believe it. Paul would never do that. He loves Emily more than anything in the world.”

  “I know it’s hard to believe.”

  “Why would he do such a thing?”

  “Money. He’ll get two million in life insurance when she’s gone. Did you know they’ve been struggling financially?”

  “I thought Emily got a huge severance package when she left work.”

  “It’s gone,” I said. “They’re in jeopardy of losing their house.”

  “They never said a word to me about any of this but, even so, Paul wouldn’t do it. Do you have any proof he’s trying to hurt her?”

  “Not yet. But Emily told me there’s eight hundred dollars missing from their joint bank account.”

  “I just can’t believe Emily hired you to spy on her husband. She suspects him of poisoning her which, by the way, doesn’t make any sense. Poison her with what?”

  I explained the acetaminophen situation, but Linda dismissed the idea.

  “Look,” I said. “I know this must come as a shock, but you have to look at it from Emily’s point of view.”

  Linda closed her eyes. “If Paul had any idea what you guys were up to, it would crush him.” When she opened her eyes, they were red and teary. “Even if I could, I wouldn’t have the heart to tell him.”

  I let out a breath of relief. “Thank you.”

  “No wonder you kept asking questions about Paul the other night. I knew something was up, but could never have guessed it was this bad.”

  “I asked those questions because Paul was your patient. I was looking for some insight.”

  “I’m bound by an oath. My livelihood depends on it.”

  “What about the life of a dear friend? Is it worth that?”

  Linda’s eyes narrowed. “If I really thought Paul was capable of hurting someone, I’d tell you; but, since I believe in his innocence, I refuse to break that pledge.”

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten you involved by asking questions.”

  “So Benjamin was just a big lie to throw me off track?”

  “Like I said, Emily didn’t want you to worry. Please don’t be upset with her. She’s probably going to fire me when she finds out I told you.”

  “I feel like a complete fool. No wonder you hadn’t found her brother … it was because you were never looking for him to begin with and here I thought I was helping.”

  “Emily hates her brother. I’m not exactly sure why, but she’d rather die than see his face. I, on the other hand, was kind of curious to meet him tonight.”

  “This sucks. How will Emily get better? Benjamin was her last chance.”

  “She’s still on the donor list. You can’t give up hope.”

  A few minutes later, Benjamin returned with the receipt. “Thank you, ladies. Please come again.”

  Linda barely said a word on the ride home. When we got to my apartment, she pulled up to the curb, but didn’t look at me when I opened the door. “Linda, I’m so sorry. I really hope Paul is not hurting Emily, but who else can you think of? Who else has anything to gain by her death?”

  Her expression was solemn. “I just need time to process this. I’m not mad at you, Sarah. I just don’t know what to think right now.”

  I gave her a hug. “I just want to do the right thing for Emily and I know you do, too.”

  “I hope you can prove Paul is innocent. There must be a reasonable explanation. Have you been in touch with Emily’s doctor, yet?”

  “No. I doubt he’d be able to discuss Emily’s condition with me. Maybe I’ll give it a shot, anyway.”

  Linda nodded. “Good. Because I’ve been thinking that maybe Emily is simply being paranoid for no reason. All her medications might be messing with her brain chemistry. This poisoning could be a figment of her imagination.”

  “Didn’t she tell you? She told me that as nothing was working she had stopped taking all her medications.” I said. “So it sounds as though I definitely need to contact her doctor and see if lasting paranoia is a side effect of anything he prescribed for her.”

  Linda seemed relieved. “Call me as soon as you speak to him, okay?’

  “Sure, provided he’ll tell me anything without Emily’s approval. I have serious doubts.”

  When I walked into my apartment, Max was on the couch with the laptop in front of him. He glanced at his watch, then back at me. “You’re home earlier than I expected. By that look on your face, things didn’t go so well.”

  I kicked off my shoes and joined him. “Benjamin wasn’t the brother. Long story short, Linda knew something was up so I told her the truth.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She thinks the idea of Paul hurting Emily is complete bullshit.”

  “According to our surveillance, I tend to agree with her,” Max said. “I’ve been going over the footage, watching every move he makes and, I’m positive he’s not adding anything to her tea or water. Granted, he could have tampered with the tea bags weeks ago. He could have cut the top of the pouch, inserted the acetaminophen powder, and sealed it back up. But I get the sense that this guy is not that cunning.”

  “I’ll call Emily first thing in the morning and arrange to go over there and inspect the tea. If we open one up and find some white powder in there, we’ll have our proof.”

  Chapter 16

  I called Emily around eight the next morning, but she didn’t answer. I left a message for her to call me back.

  She was going to flip when I explained the situation with Linda.

  Max climbed out of the shower, his toned body glistening with moisture. “Did you get a hold of Emily?” he asked, eyeing the cell phone in my hand.

  “She didn’t answer. If she doesn’t get back to me in a few hours, I’ll try her again.”

  “I’ll be busy most of the day but, if she wants us to remove the cameras tomorrow, that would work for me.”

  “Thanks. I’ll find out and let you know.”

  “Don’t worry, Sarah. You’re very close to figuring things out. If there’s one thing you’re good at, it’s deductive reasoning.”

  “It appears the only thing I’m good at is knowing how to botch an assignment.”

  “Look, I gotta run.” He slipped a cotton t-shirt over his head and zipped up his jeans. He kissed my cheek as he slipped past me. “I’ll see you tonight, okay? Don’t worry about Emily. She’ll understand.”

  When Max lef
t, I decided to go for a run to kill some time, carrying my cell phone with me in case Emily called back. Fort-five minutes later, she still hadn’t called.

  I tried to convince myself she was just sleeping late. If she’d left the house, she would have had to walk through the kitchen to get to the garage door. The surveillance confirmed she hadn’t.

  By 9:45, I was officially worried.

  I decided to drive to her house.

  * * *

  Hector’s red pick-up truck was parked in front of Emily’s house again. I drove past the house to get a glimpse of the backyard. No Hector. I circled the neighborhood once, came back, and parked across the street.

  I checked my phone again: 10:13 a.m. and still no call from Emily.

  I lowered my car window and examined the property, searching for the elusive landscaper.

  Was he inside using the facilities?

  Should I sit in my car and wait, or go knock on the door?

  I was going to dial her number when I heard a sound and looked up. Emily’s front door opened and Hector walked out, yet I didn’t see Emily at the door. I sunk down in my seat as Hector continued up the walkway and hopped into his truck.

  I had the good sense to take a few snapshots of his license plate as he drove off.

  As soon as his truck was out of site, I rushed to the front door and depressed the doorbell.

  I waited.

  Then I knocked.

  I reached down to try the doorknob. It was unlocked so I opened the door and peeked inside.

  “Emily? Are you here? It’s Sarah.” I waited a few seconds with no reply. “Emily? Hello?”

  I heard a sound. Emily’s face came into view and I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Sarah?” She walked toward me, a look of confusion as she wrapped the robe around her.

  “I’m sorry to barge in like this,” I said. “The door was unlocked.”

  Emily motioned me into the house, but I sensed her annoyance. “Paul must have forgotten to lock up when he left for work this morning.”

  “You just woke up?”

  “Just now, when I heard you yelling my name,” she said. “I was still in bed.”