The Mushroom Mystery

by Agnes Lester Brown

  Justus’ face was as white as a sheet. ”I… I… was hoping you wouldn’t recognize me, Fae. It was a long time ago,“ Justus mumbled.

  ”Well goddamn you for having the gall to come back here after more than forty years! Leave now before I cast you into forever darkness with a spell! Fae pointed a quivering finger at him as let Lori wipe her tears away.

  Lori had never seen her granny this upset before but knew her well enough to realize that it was time to go. Things could only go from bad to worse. Her temper sometimes knew no boundaries. Justus’ reluctance to come to Whitewood Manor suddenly made sense.

  Lori put her cup down and stood up. ”Well, I guess you two have a lot to discuss before the convention, so let me drop you off at the Inn,“ she said. Without further ado, she bundled Justus and Matt out the door and drove to the Misty Hills Inn. Justus sat in the front seat, looking forlorn and humbled. They drove in silence for a minute or two, before Justus spoke.

  ”I must apologize, Lori. I was hoping this wouldn’t happen. Yes, I knew your grandmother many, many years ago when I was a student. We visited Fennelmoore on a field trip, and she fell in love with me.“ He gave a deep sigh, looking out the car window at the neat, quaint houses that lined Saffron Lane.

  ”Did you cheat on her?“ Matt was still trying to understand what had happened.

  ”I suppose so. I got engaged a short while after and…“

  Lori exploded. ”Suppose so?! You broke her heart and you suppose so? Does your wife even know about this?”

  “She died a year ago after a long illness. We had a happy marriage. And no, I never told her. It was water under the bridge, Lori.”

  Matt spoke up. “That photo in the book. That’s of the two of you, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it is,” Justus said in a broken voice.

  Lori felt a tinge of empathy as her anger subsided. It’s human to make mistakes in love. Everyone has romantic ups and downs. But he’d hurt someone close to her, and that was difficult to deal with. Time would tell, but for the moment she’d lost all respect for Professor Justus Sproutley.

  Chapter Six

  The days leading up to the convention were filled with an overload of things to do in preparation for the event. Lori and Matt spent long hours together working on organizing the convention. Justus left to go back to his university and would only return to deliver his highly anticipated opening address at the convention. Rumors had been circulating that he had an important announcement to make, which caused great interest in the convention.

  Delegates were registering in droves, filling up the Misty Hills Inn and the town’s bed and breakfast establishments. Back home, Fae never spoke of the incident with Justus again, and though she was burning with curiosity, Lori decided to give her granny space to process the shock of seeing her lost lover after so many decades. When Lori asked Hazel whether she knew about the two of them, she shook her head. “Your grandmother had a string of lovers when she was young. She was a wild thing,” she said. But after seeing her granny’s emotional outburst Lori was sure this hadn’t just been just any old love affair.

  Hazel, the girls, and Lori were sitting around the dinner table one evening discussing the convention when there was a knock on the door. Lori opened the door to see Matt holding a sleek black cat with sharp green eyes and a long, curly tail in his arms. Before Matt could speak, the cat let out a cute, high pitched meow. “Hi Matt, and hi…?” She looked at the cat, puzzled and surprised.

  “This is Picatrix, but you can call her Trixi,” said Matt as he stroked the cat. “I know you’re allergic to chocolate, but I’m sincerely hoping that’s not the case with cats.” He glanced at her hopefully and relaxed when Lori shook her head. “I found her wandering about and asked around, but no one had seen her before or knew her owner. I was hoping you could take her in. I even bought her a cute little necklace,” he said, pointing to the thin, shiny silver band around her neck.

  He handed the cat to Lori, and Trixi immediately made herself comfortable in Lori’s arms, purring. Lori’s heart melted. “It’s also a thank you for the great work you’ve been doing with the convention,” Matt said. “Everything’s just working out so smoothly, beyond my expectations.”

  “Must be my magic touch,” Lori said and winked at him. “Come on in.”

  “I’d love to but I need to get some work done.” He looked genuinely disappointed. Together they walked to the garden gate.

  “I’m still not sure why you did this so out of the blue, but thank you,” Lori said.

  “You’re welcome. You guys never had a cat?”

  Lori swallowed hard before she spoke. “We did have one, some years ago, but she ran away. It was also a black one, like Trixi.” She wondered for a moment whether Matt suspected that she and her family were witches. Or maybe he had witches in his family he wasn’t telling her about, at least not yet.

  As Lori watched Matt disappear around the corner, Trixi stirred in her arms, still purring contendedly. “He’s a great guy, but this is business, okay? You must be starving. Let’s go inside and find you something to eat.”

  The rest of the family had heard Trixi’s meow and waited for Lori at the door. Everyone started fawning over Trixi. As Lori walked into the lounge, laughter erupted behind her. Fae, who’d just seen Trixi, was suddenly her old self again, smiling from ear to ear. She beamed as Lori introduced her to Trixi. “Ooh, kitty, kitty, yes, yes, I need a kitty to ride on the back of my broom.” Fae smiled while scratching the feline behind the ears. “You and I are going to get up to some tricks,” she said, and everyone laughed. Trixi was clearly enjoying the attention, purring loudly. Lori was relieved to see her granny smile again after the shock of seeing her old lover again.

  Lori arrived at the Misty Hills Inn just after seven. Nick and his team were busy putting up a huge street banner that read “Fennelmoore Welcomes The Mushroom Convention.” Inside in the reception area, a guy dressed up as a mushroom was walking about, welcoming and directing newly arrived delegates. At the registration desk, Rosie and Jasmine were hard at work handing out badges and bags to the delegates. Lori shivered with nervous excitement as she listened to the buzz in the reception area. Everything was in place to ensure the program ran smoothly. No doubt the convention would be a fantastic success.

  Lori already had a few ideas how to turn Fennelmoore into a convention destination. Then she reminded herself that doing that would be someone else’s job. She stroked down her two-piece suit. She’d be in college by that time, working hard on her law degree. There was no doubt in her mind she was going to be accepted. As she watched the girls working the registration desk, Justus touched Lori’s arm. He was accompanied by two men who, judging by their name tags, were convention delegates. One was a plumpish, serious-looking thirty-something with a round face, a trimmed goatee and horn-rimmed spectacles. The other was a tall, thin man with a crooked nose and unkempt black hair wearing a rumpled pinstripe suit.

  “Lori, let me introduce you to my colleagues,” Justus said. He pointed to the thin man. “This is Dr. Istvan Deklev, visiting us from Europe.” He put his hand on the other man’s arm. “And this is my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Austin Pearce." Both men greeted her courteously and shook hands with her. As Justus and his colleagues walked away she noticed a heavy, peculiar smell in the air. She sniffed once or twice and then dismissed it as just her imagination. When she was much younger, her sense of smell was extremely sharp, to the point of being a nuisance. It was one of the supernatural talents she was born with, but it had faded with the years. A few minutes later, Justus returned and proceeded to introduce her a number of other delegates. Lori wondered how she was going to remember the names of all the people she would meet during the convention. She made a mental note to ask Jasmine for a list of delegates she could carry around on her phone.

  She ran into Nick in the smart-looking banquet hall as he was busy issuing last minute instructions to his staff. “Everything in order?” she asked, althoug
h she knew it was. Nick wiped his brow with his handkerchief. There were dark rings below his eyes. He hadn’t had much sleep lately but managed to smile.

  “Absolutely. All the delegates have been registered. The prof is due to speak in about fifteen minutes,” he said as he pointed to the stage where Mayor Riley, other guests of honor, and the speakers were taking their seats. Lori sat down in an empty seat just as Matt walked up to the podium. He was MC for the duration of the convention and looked relaxed and confident. Working with him had been fun, even though it had been hard work. For a few moments, she sat transfixed, watching him. He looked smart in a perfect-fitting Hugo Boss jacket and designer label tie she’d helped him select during a shopping spree a few days before. He’s clearly very comfortable doing this.

  “And now, ladies and gentleman, I have great pleasure in welcoming Professor Justus Sproutley!” Matt shook his mentor’s hand and took a seat behind him as the audience clapped.

  Justus cleared his throat and took a drink from a bottle of water beside him on the podium. Lori tried to follow his speech, but it was peppered with scientific terminology she didn’t understand. She craned her neck and looked around. Everyone seemed to be listening intently or feverishly making notes on their laptops and notebooks. His speech was clearly well-received.

  All of a sudden, Justus stopped speaking in mid-sentence. Everyone paused writing and typing and looked up at the stage. Then, as if in slow motion, Justus fell backward and landed behind the podium with a thump. A murmur arose from the audience as Matt jumped up and rushed forward. Lori rose and watched as Matt helped Justus to his feet and assisted him offstage.

  * * *

  When she reached the speaker waiting area, Justus was sitting in a plastic chair with Hazel beside him. “Justus! Are you all right?” she asked as she reached his side, out of breath from running.

  Justus gazed up at Lori, his expression confused. “What happened? Where are my speaker notes?” Then he saw the dark purple file he was clutching, and relief spread over his face.

  “You were giving your speech and must’ve blacked out for a moment. Are you hurt? Should we get a doctor?”

  Justus shook his head and refused a glass of water Matt offered him. “No, no. Let me get back out there.” He struggled to his feet, grimaced, and then slumped back again while clutching his file to his stomach. Lori and Hazel caught him just in time before he could fall over again.

  “I think it’s best we get you to your room and call a doctor,” Hazel said. She looked at Lori. “I hope he didn’t eat something I prepared that didn’t agree with him,” she whispered. Rosie and Jasmine arrived with a wheelchair, helped the protesting professor into it, and gave him his briefcase to hold on his lap.

  “You’re in no condition to go back onstage,” Hazel admonished him while she wheeled him to his room with the girls and Lori trailing behind.

  Judging from the appearance of his hotel room, Justus Sproutley was a well-organized and tidy man. Lori was expecting dirty clothes, half-eaten takeout food containers, and litter strewn all all over—the hallmarks of a busy man. Instead his clothes were all packed away and his documents were neatly stacked on the writing table. Two black cases stood against the wall. One was clearly his suitcase while the other looked much sturdier and had a large, red label. “This way up. Handle with care. Plant specimens.” Justus held his speaker note file out to Lori. “Please put that on the table underneath the other files.” She nodded as she scanned the file’s label.

  CONFIDENTIAL

  Species Report

  Psalliota Campiscus (Halo mushroom)

  * * *

  Author: Justus Sproutley PhD

  * * *

  She gently pushed the folder into the pile and straightened it up. When she looked at Justus again, he’d closed his eyes and seemed to be drifting off.

  Nick entered the room, accompanied by Dr. Crutchley, Fennelmoore’s only remaining physician. Lori had known him even since she was a little girl and trusted him as a kind and caring man. He instantly recognized her, smiling kindly. “Hello Lori, my child,” he said warmly. Then he turned his attention to the bed where Justus was lying. “And here’s our patient, fast asleep.” Dr. Crutchley set down his satchel on an adjacent chair. He glanced over his shoulder at the others in the room. “Mind giving me a few minutes while I examine him?”

  Everyone filed out of the room. Lori went backstage to find Matt talking to a group of speakers. She managed to catch his eye and beckoned him over. He was with her in a second. “Please tell me he’ll be okay enough to continue his speech?” Matt asked, wringing his hands.

  “I don’t know, Matt. He’s asleep now and the doctor’s with him, so let’s hope and pray he’s able to return soon,” Lori replied. “Does he have any sort of heart condition or other ailment?”

  Matt thought for a minute and then shook his head. “In all the time I’ve known him he’s always been healthy and never complained.”

  “Perhaps he’s eaten something that caused the stomach cramps,” Lori said, thinking about her clients who regularly came into the Wholesome complaining of upset tummies.

  Matt shook his head again. “Unlikely. He’s a health food nut and only eats special foods that he carries with him when he travels. I saw him eat his usual packaged muesli this morning at breakfast, and nothing else. And he only drinks bottled water.”

  Fifteen anxious minutes passed. At last, Lori saw Dr. Crutchley coming towards them, a stethoscope still dangling around his neck. The doctor smiled, sensing their anxiety. “Nothing too serious. Just a bad case of stomach cramps and dizziness. Must have been something he’d eaten that didn’t go down well. I gave him a shot for the pain and a pill to settle his stomach. He should be up and fit as a fiddle in no time.” He turned to leave. “Call me if he still feels ill later in the day. All the best with your convention.”

  “I feel sort of deflated. I guess I was hoping that through some miracle he’d bounce back immediately,” Matt said. He looked around to see if anyone could hear them. ”There’s a lot of academic rivalry in the community, and this doesn’t look good.“

  Just then Lori saw Austin Pearce strutting towards Matt. ”Shh. Here comes Dr. Pearce, and he’s on a mission,“ she warned. Matt groaned softly.

  ”Ah, Matthew. I was wondering where you were.“ Dr. Pearce nodded at Lori. ”How’s Justus doing?“

  ”He has some sort of stomach bug and is resting. He should be fine in no time,“ Matt replied.

  ”Well, that’s too bad,“ Austin said. ”I think we should continue with the program. I’m next up and would like to deliver my presentation now. We’re already running late.“ He spoke forcefully, like a man used to having things his way.

  “I should go check on Professor Sproutley. He might be ready to continue in just a moment.” Matt replied firmly.

  ”I saw a doctor here, so that might be improbable. I’d like to present now, please.“ Pearce didn’t back down.

  Was this the rivalry Matt spoke of? Lori looked Dr. Pearce up and down. Or is this just a massive inferiority complex?

  ”Matt, why don’t you head to Professor Sproutley’s room and double check that he’s still planning to be down any minute now,“ Lori said, smiling sweetly at Dr. Pearce. Matt took the opportunity Lori offered him to escape the tense situation and headed to his professor’s room.

  Dr. Pearce was clearly getting frustrated. He waved his wad of speaker notes in the air. ”I’m about to deliver a ground-breaking paper, but with these delays, I’m losing the moment.“

  Lori was disgusted by his lack of empathy with his colleague’s illness, but decided to try a soft approach with the obstreperous Dr. Pearce.

  ”How do you like Fennelmoore so far?“ she said, sounding like a tour guide.

  ”It’s okay I suppose.” Pearce said while keeping an eye on the other speakers in the room. Then he seemed to perk up. ”I hear your town has several types of scarce mushrooms growing in the forests around here? Perhaps
you’ll take us on an excursion to see where they grow?“

  Lori nodded. ”We have that on the program, yes. I have no doubt you’ll enjoy it." She managed to make a few more minutes of small talk with him, trying to buy time for Matt to report back. A few of the other speakers came over to introduce themselves to her, but none spoke to Pearce. Strange. Why are they ignoring him? Just then Matt burst through the door, his face ashen. Seeing Dr. Pearce with her, he waved her over frantically. Suddenly the lights in the room blacked out, leaving the room in total darkness.

  Pandemonium broke out. While Lori fumbled for her phone she couldn’t help thinking of Randolph’s prediction of darkness. That’s silly, she admonished herself and turned on the phone screen. She shone the pale blue light around her, saw Matt and rushed toward him, Dr. Pearce calling after her.

  Chapter Seven

  As Lori reached Matt, the lights came on, dim for the first two seconds, and then lighting up the room. Matt sounded out of breath—as if he’d run all the way from Justus’ room. “He’s dead. I tried to wake him, but he wouldn’t respond. He doesn’t have a pulse or heartbeat, nothing.”

  Nick joined them as they ducked into a small, empty meeting room. “I have first aid training. Let’s go double-check before we call anyone.” They all rushed to Justus’ room. Justus was lying on his back under a blanket, his arms by his sides and his eyes closed. He seemed to be totally at peace. Lori had never seen a dead body before. The closest she’d been to death had been at her parents’ funeral when she was ten years old, and she hardly remembered any of that. Her life up to now had been uncomplicated, thanks to the wonderful family she had. She looked at the window that framed a picture of pedestrians, shoppers and people in cars peacefully passing by outside. For a moment she wished to be part of that. Bringing herself back into the room, she shivered briefly as she stood beside Justus’ bed, feeling helpless and slightly nauseous.