Sweet Ginger Poison

He cleared his throat, and tried to sound authoritative. “It’s not really a case. It was probably just an accident.”

“I don’t know, Chief. When Reverend Bideman and I dropped by to tell Kayla Hanker about Navy, she was acting strangely.”

“Well, I imagine so—after you told her that her boyfriend was dead.”

“But that’s just it. She didn’t seem very upset about it. She told us she’d just gotten out of bed, yet she was wearing tennis shoes. And her car engine was still warm. She’d apparently just come home from somewhere.”

“Maybe she made a quick trip to a convenience store for a pack of cigarettes.”

“And she was embarrassed for us to find out that she smokes? I don’t think she’s the type of person that cares what people think about her.”

“Who knows? It could be anything. And I certainly don’t see how any of this is relevant to Navy’s death.”

“But—”

“—I appreciate you trying to help, but this is my job. So, please—just let me do it.”

“I didn’t mean to imply…I’m sorry. But please let me know what you find out. Navy was delivering cakes for me when he died. I want to know what happened to him.”

“I’ll let you know. And thanks again, Mrs. Lightley. Goodbye.”

That was all he needed—some amateur crime dog sniffing around for clues. Hewas the chief of police. Hewas in charge.

Sure—every other man on the Coreyville police force had more years of experience than he did. But his Masters in Criminal Justice had given him the advantage. Nobody else had a masters. It didn’t matter that he had graduated near the bottom of his class.

The chief leaned back in the plush leather chair and admired his wall of educational accomplishments. The massive walnut frames made even his Coreyville High School diploma look like something from Harvard.

The phone rang.

It better not be Mrs. Lightley calling back with another ‘clue.’

“Chief Foenapper.”

“Daniel, come up to my office.” The mayor hung up.

What was he upset about today?The mayor had called Daniel to his office every day this week.

The first floor of the courthouse was occupied by the Justice of the Peace Courtroom, the water department, and various other offices. The police department was located on the second floor. The mayor’s office and other city administrator offices were on the third floor. The entire fourth floor was the city jail.

Daniel pushed the elevator button, and immediately became impatient. He took the stairs, two at a time, up to the third floor and walked quickly to the mayor’s office. He knocked timidly.

“Come in, Daniel.” said the mayor.

Daniel walked in and shut the door behind him.

“What’s going on, Daniel? I understand you may have a murder on your hands.”

“Murder? No, I don’t think so. And how did you find out? It just happened a couple of hours ago.”

“Murder is big news in a small town, Chief.”

“But I don’t believe it was murder. I think he just tripped and fell.”

“Well, whatever it is, I want this thing put to bed in a hurry. That’s the way we do it here in Coreyville now, right? Now that we’rein charge.”

“Right, Kip.”

The mayor jumped to his feet, and was instantly in Daniel’s face. “Don’t you EVER call me that again. My name is HoustonKassle. There is no Kipford, Kip, or Kippy anymore. You knowthat.”

Yes. And Daniel also knew that his old buddy would like him to quit being two inches taller than Kip. But at five-foot-seven, almost every man in town was taller than the mayor. That really irked him. He didn’t seem to mind tall women. Probably because he felt most of them would love to go out with him.

The two twenty-seven year olds had been best friends since elementary school. Even back then, Kip was shorter than everybody else in his class. It was actually the thing that brought the two boys together.

One day during recess, three bullies pinned Kip against a wall. They took turns punching him in the stomach and laughing. Daniel saw what was happening and went over to stop it. Kip was not even defending himself. The only thing he was fighting off was his own tears.

Daniel grabbed one of the boys by the shoulders and pulled him backward and tripped him. He dared the boy to get up and fight him. But the kid was afraid of the taller, stronger Daniel. He crawled away on hands and knees. Daniel spun around to dispense with the other two boys, but they were already gone. That was the beginning of Kip and Daniel’s long friendship.

Later that year, after watching The Karate Kid,Kip begged his mother to let him enroll in karate lessons. She was worried that her undersized son would get hurt, but she finally relented. Coreyville’s version of Mr. Miyagitaught his pupil well. The only thing that Kip had a problem with was controlling his aggression. Even now it seemed like Kip was on the verge of taking Daniel’s head off.

After a few months of training, Kip didn’t need Daniel’s protection anymore. But he still valued his friendship. And he never forgot about the way Daniel had stood up for him when he needed it most.

The mayor took a deep breath, and then walked back around his desk and sat down. “What’s the status?”

“The Justice of the Peace agrees with me. We think Navy just fell and hit his head on the concrete.”

“Then why the autopsy?”

Typical, thought Daniel. Kip already knows everything. He just likes to hear me fumble around trying to explain it.

Like the time in high school when Kip broke up with Sara Sue. Daniel had wanted to date her, but hadn’t yet worked up the nerve to ask her out. And before he could, Kip did.

They dated for three months. It was killing Daniel every time he saw her with Kip.

Then Kip dumped her one night at a party, and left her crying. Daniel went over to comfort her.

The next day Kip confronted his friend.

“How’d you like the party last night?”

“It was okay.”

“What did you do after I left? I figured you’d come by the house.”

“No. I was kinda tired after the party.”

“So, you just went straight home?”

Daniel just stared at Kip. Not again.

“You didn’t give anybody a ride home?”

“Well…yeah.”

“One of the guys?”

Daniel blew up. “You know what I did, so why are you asking me all these questions?”

“I heardabout it. But I couldn’t believethat my best friend would betray me like that.”

“I didn’t betray you. You broke her heart, Man. I just tried to make her feel better.”

“Really? So, just how good did you make her feel, huh, Buddy? How good?”

“Shut up! I just held her in my arms. That’s all.”

“You didn’t even give her a nighty-night kiss at the door?”

“That’s none of your business.”

They beat each other up pretty good that time.

Daniel never did ask Sara Sue for a date.

“Boot ordered the autopsy—just to be sure.”

“Good idea. We’ve got to get it right.”