Fruit of the Poisoned Tree

other plants.”

“I drink a lot of it and thought it might be good to grow,” the young woman explained. “If I keep it in a pot away from the garden and cut it back regularly, do you think I could manage it?”

“I think that could work,” Peggy agreed. “The worst that might happen is you’ll begin to see sprouts of it in your garden. You can always pull them up right away.”

“Good. I’d like to get some plants though. I’m hopeless with seeds.”

Peggy ordered three plants for the woman and a half-dozen Jerusalem artichokes. She also ordered some faux antique gardening implements and a Charleston bench. “If you have any other questions, just let me know. I’m online at this address, or you can call.” Peggy gave her a business card. The woman thanked her, smiled at Sam, and left after writing a check for her deposit.

Mai came into the shop a little after two. The crowd was gone, and Sam was leaving for afternoon classes. “Can you talk for a few minutes?” she asked Peggy after they said good-bye to Sam.

“Of course.” Peggy didn’t like the look on Mai’s face. She gave her a cup of dandelion tea and sat her down in the rocking chair. “What’s wrong?”

“Paul and I decided to break up. It just happened. One minute we were talking about the house, and the next minute, I told him it wasn’t going to work.” Mai held her bright yellow cup with both hands and stared into the pale tea inside of it. “Don’t they say you can read a person’s future in tea leaves? I wonder what mine would say right now.”

Peggy scooted her chair from behind the counter so she could be closer to Mai. “I don’t think this kind of tea would work for that. I’m sorry about you and Paul. But he’s been such a butthead about your feelings on the house, maybe it’s for the best.”

“He hasn’t been that bad,” Mai defended. “He just wants us to have a stronger relationship.”

“A relationship you aren’t ready for,” Peggy reminded her. “He should’ve been happy with what you were willing to offer.”

“But how would we ever progress from dating to anything else?” Mai argued. “If neither one of us ever wanted more, we’d be the oldest dating couple in America.”

Peggy sighed. “I’m sure you won’t have any trouble finding someone else.”

Mai got to her feet. “But what if I don’t want someone else? What if I made a terrible mistake?”

“Give it some time,” Peggy advised. “Paul isn’t going anywhere. Maybe a short break will be exactly what both of you need to clear your heads.”

“I hope so. I care a lot about Paul. Maybe I even love him. I’m not really sure.” Mai shrugged her thin shoulders. “I guess that’s part of the problem, huh? Were you sure about your husband when you got married?”

“No. Not at all. I had all these dreams and goals for my life,” Peggy admitted. “I was afraid if I got married I’d lose them all.”

“And did you?”

“No.” Peggy smiled at her. “At least not all of them. I had to give up my aspiration to sing on the Broadway stage, but I think I managed everything else.”

Mai’s eyes opened wide, and she laughed. “Did you really want to sing?”

“From the time I was five and my grandmother told me I had a voice like an angel.”

“Did anyone agree with her?”

“Is that the polite way to ask if I can carry a tune? If so, then yes. I can carry a tune in the shower. That’s about all. But I think I’ve accomplished all the real things I ever wanted. John was never an obstacle. He was always my biggest fan for whatever I wanted to do.”

Mai drank her tea and put her cup on the counter. “Thanks, Peggy. I hope you’re right, and time is the answer for my problem with Paul. I appreciate you listening to me.”

“You’re always welcome.”

“I have to get back to work.” Mai picked up her pocketbook. “Oh yeah. I thought you might be interested. Officers found the ivory dragon’s head at Alice Godwin’s home. It’s clean. She claims she cleaned it because it was ‘dirty.’ Whatever she used did a good job. Not a trace of blood or anything else. It matches the wound in Mrs. Lamonte’s head. So we know it was the murder weapon. There were some other personal effects that belonged to Mrs. Lamonte there, too.”

“What about Cindy?”

“Ms. Walker has an airtight alibi for the period the ME established for the time of death. She was in Raleigh at a fund-raiser. So with Mrs. Godwin’s impromptu confession and all the other evidence against her, the DA is filing charges against her for the murder.”

Peggy took a deep breath. “So Beth is clear.”

“It looks that way to me.”

16

Rabbit’s Foot Fern

Botanical: Davallia fejeensis

Family: Davalliaceae

This plant gets its common name from the stiff, hairy rhizomes that grow on it. It is native to Fiji but named botanically for Swiss botanist, Edmond Davall. Avoid direct sun! This plant is nonflowering. Popular as a houseplant worldwide.

IT WAS WEDNESDAY MORNING. Time for Peggy’s weekly garden club meeting at the Kozy Kettle. It was originally held on Thursday mornings, but Emil insisted Wednesdays were better for him. Peggy changed the day rather than move the group. With a smile on her face and a small knife in one hand, she faced her garden club members.

“The thing we all love about the rabbit’s foot fern are the fuzzy rhizomes that trail over the sides of the pot or basket that holds it. Early spring is really the best time of year to cut this plant back, but as you can see, Gerda has a problem with this one that won’t wait that long.”

Gerda Laint smiled and nodded in the audience. She’d brought Peggy her overgrown fern, wondering what to do with it.

“Naturally, we’re going to spread out some newspaper first to try to contain as much of the mess as we can. Then we’re going to take the plant out of the pot.” The fern stubbornly refused to budge from the plastic pot that held it. “Shaking it a little might be necessary.” Peggy demonstrated what she meant, and the plant finally came out. “Go ahead while you’re holding it and give the plant another good shake to get rid of any dead leaves or other debris that might be stuck to it.”

The fifteen women in the garden club watched intently as Peggy cleared away the old leaves and set the pot to one side. She put the plant down in the middle of the newspaper, then held up her knife. “Make sure you have a good sharp knife so you aren’t sawing at the plant. Separation is traumatic enough for the poor thing.”

“Carefully cut between rhizomes and make sure you get the roots.” Peggy cut the first furry tentacle that gave the plant its name. “Try to cut so you keep some leaves. You should end up with a smaller but complete plant with each cutting. The leaves should be at the top, rhizome in the middle, and roots at the bottom. Put each separate plant in its own pot of new soil. Water them thoroughly.” She demonstrated. “Don’t fertilize them until midsummer or so. And don’t expect to see new growth until the roots begin to develop.”

After scribbling down notes on what Peggy was saying, the women rushed to ask questions. One woman even took pictures. Peggy answered patiently and held up the plant for a picture.

“We’ve got some fresh buns ready,” Sofia said, noticing that the group was about to break up. “I know you all want those, right?”

After the garden club, the women were always thirsty and took home some fresh baked bread or cinnamon rolls. That’s why Emil graciously allowed Peggy to hold her meetings there. Wednesday mornings were quiet at