The Tainted Course

by Diane Weiner

  Within minutes, she had a picture on the screen.

  “That looks like Smyth Haven. It’s more rundown, and there’s no porch but I think that’s it. What’s the address?”

  Rebecca pointed to the screen.

  “That’s it.”

  “Were her parents living there up until they died?” asked Rebecca.

  “I heard she inherited the place so I imagine they did.”

  Rebecca pulled up obituaries. “Yes, it says they resided there with their daughter, Rona Smyth.” She continued her search. “She owned a restaurant before moving here. It burned to the ground.”

  “I heard.”

  “Hmmm.”

  “What?”

  “Did you know the police suspected arson? They never could prove it. I’ve got two different newspaper articles that mention it.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  Abby came in toting a camera bag. “Hi, Emily. How’s it going?”

  “I’ve been trying to comfort Coralee. She feels so guilty about Faith Maguire’s death, even though the police cleared her place.”

  “How’s Maddy? She was friends with the daughter, right?”

  “I think it’s hitting close to home. Maddy’s barely over the shock of losing her own mother. I feel bad for the daughters.”

  “How’s your book coming along?”

  “I sent in my revisions and now I need to figure out what I want to write about next. I’m at a loss.”

  Rebecca said, “This arson implication could be a story.”

  “It could. Where was the old restaurant?”

  “Only about a forty-five-minute drive from here.” She clicked a few more keys. “Here’s a list of the people who worked for her with their last known addresses. You could start there. I’ll print it off.”

  “Oh, and one more thing. There was a blizzard in the Southeast the day Faith Maguire’s body was discovered. Her ex-husband arrived that night and he lived in Georgia. All the flights from Georgia go through Atlanta, right?”

  “As far as I know.”

  “I’m not sure how he managed to get here that evening. From what I heard on the news, most flights were canceled.”

  “Give me a minute.” She clicked some keys while the list was printing. “Some? All flights were canceled for a twenty-four-hour period. After that, of course, there were major delays in rescheduling flights. Here’s a news clip from the Atlanta station.”

  Emily looked at the video. “People are sleeping on the floor of the airport.”

  “If Faith Maguire’s ex claimed he arrived that evening, he’s lying, or else he has his own private teleporter, like in Science Fiction.”

  “Rebecca, you’re a miracle worker. I’m going to get busy doing some interviews. I don’t suppose I could get the fire department’s report?”

  “Give me a little time. Right now, Abby and I are headed out to ski.”

  “Thanks. Have fun.”

  Emily went home and took a shower. Henry was delayed at the hospital, and Maddy went over to the cat café she’d founded over at the Outside Inn. She’d cleaned the house yesterday, and the lasagna wouldn’t take long to make. She decided to do a little preliminary investigating. The list of Rona’s past employees was still in her purse.

  Chester, their black cat, was curled on top of the comforter. “What do you think, Chester? Should I make a few calls? Meow? Does that mean yes?”

  The first few names on the list didn’t pick up Emily’s call. With caller ID, she didn’t blame them for ignoring a strange number. She managed to connect on the next try.

  “Hello, is this Shonda Riles?”

  “This is she. I’m not donating money…”

  Emily felt she was about to hang up. “No, I don’t want money. I’m an author, Emily Fox. I write true crime books. I was wondering if I could interview you about the fire that occurred in a place where you once worked. I’m working on a book and could use your help.”

  “A book? What did you say your name was?”

  “Emily Fox.”

  “I worked with Rona Smyth at her restaurant, The Silver Spoon. I could give you an earful.”

  “I heard the police suspected arson but couldn’t prove it. What’s your take on that?”

  “It was arson all right. The Silver Spoon was headed into bankruptcy. Rona would have had to close the doors within weeks. Just so happened there was the fire and Rona collected a nice sum of insurance money.”

  “You think she set the fire?”

  “The day it happened, she sent us all home early. She’d never done that before.”

  “In your opinion, was she the type of person who could torch her own restaurant?”

  “Cold hearted witch. We all hated her. We all thought she did it.”

  “You’ve been very helpful. Are there others who you’d recommend I interview?”

  “Yeah. Try Sue Simmons. She went to cooking school with Rona and Rona hired her as head chef. She’ll tell you tales.”

  Emily checked the list and saw the name. “I’ll try her. May I call you again if I need to?”

  “You’re writing a book exposing Rona? You bet you can call me.”

  Emily punched in the number she had for Sue Simmons. Disappointed at getting voicemail, she was about to hang up when someone picked up.

  “Hello?”

  “Ms. Simmons? This is Emily Fox. I’m an author doing research and was hoping to ask you a few questions regarding the fire at the Silver Spoon.”

  “Emily Fox? I saw you on a segment of The Morning Show. Ask away.”

  “Can you tell me about the night of the fire?”

  “Well, the restaurant was empty, as usual. Rona sent us all home. The busboy was upset about losing hours but Rona promised we’d all be paid for the entire shift. We all left. In the morning, the story about the fire was all over the news. Police asked me and the others a few questions, and that’s the last we heard. I assume Rona collected a hefty bundle of insurance money. More than the place was worth, which at that point was zero.”

  “Why was the restaurant in trouble?”

  “Well, it certainly wasn’t my cooking. The ambiance was dated. Rona hadn’t kept up with repairs. The place was a fixer upper when she bought it and she never had the resources to get it up to speed. When a new place opened down the block with comparable cuisine at lower prices and a nicer décor, that was the beginning of the end.”

  “Do you think it’s possible that Rona set the fire?”

  “She’d do anything to save herself. When we were in cooking school together…well, I’d better not say.”

  “Please, go on.”

  “You should call Mary Burke. She works at a bakery. It’s her story to tell. Gotta go, my husband’s calling on the other line.”

  “Thank…” The line went dead. Mary Burke. She was searching for the number when Henry came home.

  Chapter 10

  “Maddy, can you get the door?” Emily pulled the vegetable lasagna out of the oven and set it on the trivet. “Mike, can you bring the cheese and bruschetta out to the living room?”

  She followed him to the door a few minutes later.

  “Emily, whatever you made is making my mouth water,” said Megan. She handed her a bottle of wine, then looked at Maddy. “I’d have to check your ID before serving you.”

  Maddy giggled, which was a welcome sound to Emily. Since Faith’s death, Maddy had been quieter and sadder than she’d been in a while. Maddy and Megan had connected right away when Pat started dating her and bringing her to the house. Megan was a little closer to Maddy’s age, Emily guessed mid-thirties, and seemed to get the whole teenager thing better than she did.

  The doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” said Maddy, peeking through the peephole. “It’s Jessica.”

  Jessica Pratt was in her mid-twenties, with long blond hair pulled into a high ponytail. If she looked at a certain angle, Emily could see the resemblance between the half-sisters, though Maddy’s hair wa
s darker, and Jessica had freckles across her nose.

  Jessica introduced her friend. “This is Sam Benson. He teaches at my school.”

  Sam was older than Jessica––handsome, with lines across his forehead that crinkled when he smiled. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard so many nice things about your family. Jessica is so happy to have found you, Maddy.”

  “Same here. She’s the only family I have, other than my felon of a father, who I’d never expected to know.”

  Emily’s hurt must have shown on her face.

  Maddy looked at her and added, “By family, I mean blood relatives. Emily and Henry are my family. I’m lucky to have them.”

  Henry grabbed a corkscrew and wine glasses from the kitchen while Emily took the guests’ coats. Maddy invited them to try the cheeses and bruschetta.

  Emily said, “I hear you’re Mila Maguire’s teacher.”

  Jessica said, “Yes, such a sweet little girl. I was invited to the memorial service tomorrow. Her housekeeper said Mila wants to come back to school, but it’s too soon if you ask me.”

  Maddy said, “She wants to feel normal again. When my mother died, I was so out of sorts. I craved the rhythm of my routine so I’d have less time to think about what I’d lost.”

  Emily remembered how Maddy tried to kill herself by taking an overdose after her mother died. That’s when she and Henry made up their minds to accept guardianship and fly out to Chicago immediately. Maddy’s days were anything but routine following her mother’s sudden death.

  Henry poured the wine. “Mr. Maguire didn’t waste any time getting the body cremated and setting up the memorial service.”

  Pat added, “He kept calling the morgue, asking when the body could be released. The minute he got the go-ahead, the body was picked up. Even Megan thought it was unusual.”

  “Unusual, yes, but people deal with grief in their own ways. Maybe he thought it’d be best for the girls to have closure sooner than later.”

  “Closure? That’ll take forever,” said Sam. He looked down and shook his head.

  Megan said, “Sam, how long have you been working at the school?”

  “I moved here last summer and started this school year, just like Jessica.”

  “Where were you living before?”

  “Florida. Got sick of the never-ending heat. When Faith Maguire became superintendent, she added a technology special for the elementary students. I saw the advertisement and snatched it up.”

  Henry said, “A technology special? What’s that?”

  “The kids from each class come to the computer lab once a week and I teach them how to research, type––even how to code. This generation has a natural inclination toward technology.”

  “So it’s like taking art or music, right?” said Megan.

  “Yes, exactly. They have art, music, and PE weekly as well.”

  “Sounds like Faith Maguire was making positive changes,” said Megan. “What a shame she had so little time here.”

  Sam said, “I wonder who they’ll get to replace her, especially in the middle of the school year.”

  Emily got up and brought the food to the table. “Dinner’s ready. Come on in.”

  She and Henry served the vegetable lasagna and passed around the salad. “I made meatballs for us carnivores. Any takers?”

  Jessica said, “I’ve stopped eating meat after talking to Maddy.” She took a bite of her food. “This is fabulous. I’ll have to get the recipe.”

  “Gladly. You know, Coralee’s been adding vegetarian dishes to the menu at the inn. She’s come up with some delicious meals. You should talk to her.”

  “I will. I hope she wasn’t derailed by the murder.”

  “Coralee was upset, but she’ll bounce back. Always does. I’m glad the dining room was reopened. Megan, am I right in thinking the killer snuck in and poisoned the cheesecake the night of the murder? If the police didn’t find contaminated ingredients, it had to have happened after the cheesecake was made.”

  “We tested what was left of the cheesecake. It was all clear. The drug had to be concentrated just in that slice.”

  “So it happened between the time we ordered dessert and when it was served, right?”

  “That makes the most sense. Arturo Rivera and Summer Martin were both at the inn at that time.”

  “Megan, what about Rona Smyth? I think she was at the inn that night, too.”

  Megan put down her fork. “What makes you say that?”

  “One of the guests at Coralee’s said he saw someone sneaking around. He was supposed to call into the tip line.”

  “Why didn’t he come forward? We interviewed all the guests who were there that night.”

  “He had his reasons. Anyway, I saw ashes on the window ledge, and a cellophane wrapper. Rona Smyth smokes and she wasn’t at Smyth Haven that night. She says she was visiting a friend.”

  “Emily, I’m surprised you didn’t tell me.”

  “The guest was supposed to leave all the information. I guess he didn’t follow through. I’m sorry.”

  “It just moves Rona Smyth on to the shortlist of suspects if it checks out that she was there that night. I’ll go by and re-interview the guests in the morning.”

  Pat said, “Can you pass the meatballs? Did you make these, buddy?”

  “Sure did. My own secret recipe. Meat and breadcrumbs.”

  “This may not be appropriate dinner talk, but I did the autopsies on Rona Smyth’s parents after the accident.”

  “Accident?” said Jessica.

  “The Smyths were going out to dinner when their car wound up in the lake.”

  Emily said, “Were the roads slippery?”

  “No, as a matter of fact, it was summer and the roads were dry as a bone. I couldn’t figure out why they didn’t just swim to the surface. They both drowned.

  “Both?” said Henry. “Neither made it out of the car and to the surface?”

  “Nope.”

  “Really?” said Emily.

  “They both had water in their lungs.”

  “The passenger too?” said Henry. “Did carbon monoxide leak in? That can happen to cars, right? They could have been unconscious when they hit the water.”

  Pat said, “Not unless they were in a closed garage. I looked for signs of head wounds or drugs but couldn’t find any evidence to negate the cause of death being listed as drowning.”

  Megan said, “There weren’t any skid marks on the road, either. No witnesses. It always bothered me, but the family didn’t push for further investigation.”

  The glass window shattered. “What’s that?” screamed Maddy.

  “Everyone down,” said Megan. She gave it a minute, then found the source of the shatter. It was a rock, crudely painted with a message. Stay out of it. Megan grabbed a napkin and picked it up. “Is everyone okay? Emily, do you have a freezer bag?”

  Emily ran to the kitchen and returned with one. “Who did this? Who is the message meant for?”

  “I’m police, so I suspect it was for me.”

  Pat said, “Then why didn’t they throw it through your window. I think it’s a warning to Emily and Henry.”

  Maddy said, “Is someone trying to kill us?”

  Jessica put her arm around her. “It’s probably just kids playing a prank. The police will take care of them.” She looked at Megan. “She’s safe here, right?”

  Pat said, “I’ll help you board up the window. Whoever it was wanted to scare you. If they’d meant real harm, they would have been more discreet.”

  “Like sneaking in during the night and poisoning our breakfasts? Thanks a lot, Buddy.”

  “I didn’t mean…”

  “I’ll have a patrol car cruise the area tonight. Meanwhile, I’ll check with your neighbors and see if anyone saw whoever did this.”

  “It had to have been Rona Smyth. I started asking questions about her, exploring an idea for my next book.”

  Megan said, “We’ll run by Smyth Haven and see if s
he has an alibi. Meanwhile, did anyone hear a car pass by?”

  “No, and I was sitting right by the window,” said Sam.

  “I didn’t hear any car,” said Pat. Emily and Henry shook their heads.

  Megan picked up the rock. “This isn’t paint. It looks like it was written with a Sharpie marker. I’ll check outside.”

  Henry grabbed a flashlight. “I’ll come with you.” He followed Megan down the driveway, to the front of the cabin. “Throwing it from a car would have required incredible aim and strength.”

  Megan agreed. “Whoever threw it was close to the window. If they drove, they’d have had to have gotten out to throw it. Shine the light across from here to the window. See. Boot prints. I’ll have an officer get an impression.” Meanwhile, she took an unofficial picture with her phone. “Why don’t you spend the night elsewhere. I’d offer, but my place is pretty tiny.”

  “I’ll take them to Coralee’s.”

  “It was probably just kids, but just to be sure.”

  “Kids? One set of boot prints, not sneaker prints. I don’t see beer bottles on the ground. I didn’t hear motorcycles.”

  “A bit stereotypical, wouldn’t you say? Just to be safe, stay at the inn tonight. I’ll get a unit over here and see what we can come up with.”

  Chapter 11

  “Coralee, thanks for squeezing us in last night.” Emily sipped her coffee.

  “It’s not like we’re full. I’m glad you came here instead of Smyth Haven.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  Henry came into the dining room. “I just talked to Megan. They didn’t get any prints and none of our neighbors saw anything.”

  Coralee said, “You thought it was teenagers?”

  “Megan said there were no similar reports filed. I’m afraid I have to agree with Emily. This is personal, probably related to Emily asking questions.”

  “I’m sorry. I never thought…”

  “I didn’t mean to blame you, Em. It does make you wonder if Rona Smyth was involved in her parents’ deaths. Otherwise, why the warning?”

  Maddy came into the dining room. “Did they find anything?”