Fruit of the Poisoned Tree

and donuts later.”

She shrugged. “It’s your life.” She looked back at the gloomy house that seemed to glower back at her. Only an old red camellia bush at one corner told a different story about happier times the house had seen. Had Isabelle planted it there when she was young and in love?

She hadn’t been inside the house for years, even though Beth and Park’s home was only a few blocks away. Since Park Senior died, Isabelle kept to herself. She let her world shrink around her until all that existed was her anger and fear. Is that what finally claimed her?

It made Peggy shiver to think she could have been the same as Isabelle after John’s death. She could’ve holed up in her house with her plants and her memories until they came and found her dead, too. She shook off the melancholy thought and pretended to examine an ice-glazed holly bush near the front door. The large bush would shrug off the ice as soon as the sun hit it. She knew that, but made a project out of trying to free some of its glossy green leaves from the cold.

Al and Jonas ignored her as they talked to officers who finished canvassing the neighborhood for anyone who might have seen a strange vehicle or person at the house before Isabelle died. Peggy listened to the reports intently without being noticed. No one saw or heard anything unusual. The neighbors were used to Isabelle’s house being quiet. They knew she lived alone and tried to keep an eye on her.

While they were engaged in asking questions and getting statements, Peggy made her way to the back of the house and slipped in through the porch. The door into the kitchen was open, so she let herself in the house. The fifties-style kitchen and dining room were spotless, almost appearing untouched.

The last time she was in Isabelle’s house it was the same way. Like a museum. That was on the occasion of Park Senior’s death. His death seemed to fit the house that was already like a tomb. She and John had left the crowd gathered there as quickly as possible after paying their respects.

Peggy looked for Mai Sato, Paul’s girlfriend, and a member of the crime scene team. She found her at the bottom of the long mahogany staircase. Her shoulder-length, straight black hair was covering the side of her face as she worked gathering samples from the red Turkish carpet.

Mai sat back on her heels and rubbed at a spot in her lower back. She looked up and saw Peggy’s inquisitive face. Startled, her large, black-rimmed glasses almost fell off her face. “Hi!” She glanced at the door. “How did you get in? I could’ve sworn Lieutenant Rimer would rather have an elephant step on him than get you involved in another case.”

“You’re probably right. He doesn’t know I’m in here.” Peggy nodded toward the kitchen at the end of the long, dark hallway. “I came in through the back door. He was too busy to notice. What have you found so far?”

The silky black hair swung back and forth as Mai shook her head. Her pretty mouth pursed, and her brown eyes narrowed. “I can’t tell you. You know that.”

“You can at least tell me why everyone doesn’t think this was an accident,” Peggy prompted. “Maybe she had a heart attack. Maybe she slipped on the stairs.”

“And maybe somebody pushed her.” Mai smiled at her. “All right. I know how you are. I’ll tell you what I know, then you better get out of here before somebody else sees you. Rimer is likely to put us both in jail!”

“Okay,” Peggy whispered. “Tell me fast.”

Mai explained that Isabelle’s housekeeper, Alice Godwin, called to make sure the woman was all right. “That was just after six. She was worried about Mrs. Lamonte getting upset about the snow.”

“Really? I wouldn’t have thought Isabelle got upset about a little snow.”

“Well, apparently she was okay at that point. Anyway, around ten o’clock last night, Mrs. Godwin came to check on her. When she got here, she found Mrs. Lamonte at the foot of the stairs. She wasn’t moving or breathing. Mrs. Godwin called 911.”

Peggy put her hand to her chest. “Poor Isabelle.” Does Beth know Alice was Isabelle’s housekeeper, too? That’s too much of a coincidence. No wonder Isabelle knew about the life insurance policy.

“The ambulance came, and the paramedics pronounced her at the scene, but they noticed a few suspicious things and called the police.”

“Like what?” Peggy tried to get to the heart of the matter.

“Ms. Godwin said Mrs. Lamonte never walked anywhere without her cane. We found it on that chair over there.”

Mai pointed to a heavy gold brocade chair that had been in the alcove beside the stairway for as long as Peggy could remember. She went to look at the carved stick without touching the plastic bag that covered it. “Alice is right. Since she hurt her hip in the seventies when she was thrown from her horse, Isabelle never walked without her cane. Why would she be upstairs without it? And where’s the dragon?”

“We think someone was in the house with her. Maybe she fell down, and the person took the cane and put it in the chair. It’s just a theory right now. What dragon?”

Peggy pointed to the top of the cane. “There’s a large ivory dragon’s head that belongs on the top of that stick.”

They searched the foyer and the stairs, but there was no sign of it. Mai shook her head. “I don’t know. But I saw some hair and blood on the side of the cane. Maybe the dragon’s head came off when someone hit her with it.”

“Whoever did this might have taken it with her.” Peggy couldn’t help but recall what John always said about the person who found the body.

“If you’re thinking about Ms. Godwin, don’t bother. She was at a Church function last night. But look at this.” Mai moved aside so Peggy could see the chalk outline of where Isabelle’s body had been at the base of the stairs. At the tip of the silhouette of one outstretched hand was a letter. “We think it may be written in her own blood.”

Peggy crouched down carefully beside the startling piece of evidence. Just between the stairs and the Turkish carpet was a thinly traced letter on the dark wood floor. It was clearly a B. Even though the hand that wrote it was shaking, there was no mistaking the intent. “Good God! I can’t believe this is happening.”

Mai put her hand on her shoulder. “I know you’re friends with Beth Lamonte. I don’t know what to say. Maybe the old lady knew what she was talking about when she accused her daughter-in-law of killing her son. And maybe the other Mrs. Lamonte thought she could put an end to the whole thing by trying to make this look like an accident. She didn’t realize the old lady was still alive when she left.”

Peggy carefully got to her feet. She looked down at the circled spot on the carpet. When had Isabelle ever called Beth by her given name? If she referred to her by any name, it was “that woman.” “Beth didn’t do this. I don’t know what’s going on, but someone is setting her up. We have to find out who.”

“I don’t know, Peggy.”

“Why is Cindy Walker here?”

Mai shuffled her paperwork, glancing through it. “She’s listed as an emergency contact after Park. Why?”

“She’s always tried to weasel her way into this family. She had plenty of reasons to hate Beth since she lost Park to her.”

Mai groaned. “I can’t help you this time. Not like last time. Paul really wants this house. I can’t afford to lose my job. You’ll have to let the investigation prove if your friend is guilty or innocent. Then there’s still the trial. Believe me, the system works if you let it.”

“The system also likes to make it simple,” Peggy argued. “If you find even the slightest DNA from Beth here, she’ll be charged. And what are the chances there won’t be a hair or something? She’s only been here when she had to be, but that was still plenty of times. No one can refuse a direct summons from the Dragon Queen. That won’t help her or her sons. There has to be another answer. Who’s responsible for this? And how did they kill Park if his death wasn’t an accident either?”

The sound of the heavy front door opening and closing preceded footsteps and voices coming their way. Mai opened the nearby coat closet and pushed Peggy inside. “Quick! We can’t let anyone see you. Be really quiet. In case I have to leave, wait until everyone’s gone to come out.”

“Will you help me prove Beth didn’t kill Isabelle or Park?”

“That’s blackmail!” Mai hissed. But the voices were getting louder. Al and Jonas were coming toward them.