Motherhood Is Murder

Margaret frowned. ?What adoption??

?Celia was helping Helene and Bruce coordinate an adoption from Costa Rica.?

Margaret?s face went blank. ?She was? Helene wanted to adopt? I never knew?she never said anything to me. I guess she was full of surprises . . .? Margaret?s lips puckered with bitterness. ?She never said a word.?

I watched Margaret carefully, not even certain what I was looking for.

She seemed very emotional and was continually wiping her eyes and nose with the back of her hand.

Could she have known about the affair all along?

How could she not know her best friend was sleeping with her husband? What if she had killed Helene out of retaliation and all this pacing around was just an act?

She was standing directly in front of me?practically on top of me. I realized my shoulders were hiked up to my ears.

Was I expecting her to pounce on me?

I forced my shoulders down and stood, reclaiming my personal space. Margaret took a step back.

She lumbered over to the other wing-back chair and rearranged it to face mine.

I seated myself again and crossed my hands in my lap, trying to look professional and unimposing. She was my client, after all.

After a moment, I said, ?These are the facts as I understand them. Helene was poisoned with fentanyl and died on the dinner cruise. Celia was given the same drug. It?s used for extreme chronic pain. It?s a class II narcotic. Do you know anything about this medicine??

She shook her head.

I watched her eyes. She didn?t fidget or glance around the room. She just stared at me straight on. She didn?t look nervous in the least, only sad.

Finally, I said, ?It?s mostly prescribed to terminally ill cancer patients.?

She nodded her understanding.

?Do you know anyone who could have been on fentanyl recently??

She turned her lips down and shook her head.

?We were all on the cruise, so everyone?you, me, Sara, Evelyn, and our husbands?had access to Helene, including her own husband, Bruce. But only a few people saw Celia on the day she was poisoned?you, me, Bruce, and Evelyn.?

Margaret?s eyes shifted almost imperceptibly. ?What about Alan??

?No. Not that I know of. He says he was at the office all day. So he didn?t have any contact with Celia and also he requested the toxicology screen for Helene from the medical examiner. If he had poisoned her, he wouldn?t have pushed for that.?

Margaret crossed her legs, leaned back into the chair, and contemplated what I?d said. ?I was so sure he had done something with those drinks.?

We sat in silence.

?So you say that leaves us with who? Evelyn and Bruce??

And you!

I watched her nervously swing her foot forward and back, but said nothing.

?Evelyn or Bruce, huh?? she repeated. ?It?s got to be Bruce. Evelyn had no reason to kill Helene. I mean, I know she was a little bitter about being kicked out of the group, but that?s no reason . . . she can?t be that petty, right??

?No. That kind of motive doesn?t make sense,? I said. ?And what about Celia? Why would Evelyn try to poison her own midwife??

Margaret nodded.

?I understand Bruce may have had access to the fentanyl. His grandmother passed away recently from cancer.?

Margaret dipped her head.

?Margaret, did you used to be addicted to pain meds?? I asked.

Her head shot up. ?Who told you that??

?Alan,? I admitted.

She jumped out of the chair. ?That no good . . . what else did he tell you??

I shrugged.

She began to pace again. ?So that?s it, huh? You think I killed her because I?m a recovered addict. I?m recovered, Kate. Recovered.?

She stormed out of the room, leaving me sitting in the chair waiting for her. She returned a few minutes later holding a frame that she clutched to her chest.

?I?m sorry for flipping out on you,? she said.

I nodded.