Fruit of the Poisoned Tree

went as news seeped out about what happened. They asked about the children, asked if they could do anything to help. Beth’s parents answered that they left the boys with family, their voices hushed and leaden. Everyone said they would pray for the family. No one said the word they were all thinking: suicide. The very thing Beth wanted so desperately to erase from Park’s name. When the doctor finally came out, everyone got to their feet, hands joined.

“I think she’s going to be all right. It was a close call, but I think you managed to find her in time. It’s going to take a while for her to recover.” He shook his head. “I realize the tragic circumstances behind this event. But I have no choice but to report any attempt at suicide to the authorities. She’ll have to spend some time in the psych ward. Obviously, she needs help.”

The family thanked him. He was leaving as Al and Jonas showed up. They spoke with the doctor briefly before returning to the family.

“I’m sorry about all this,” Al said to Beth’s parents.

“Like hell!” Her father turned away from his handshake. “You’ve persecuted my daughter. If anyone is responsible, it’s you and this police department.”

Jonas tried to smooth the waters. “We were only doing our job, sir. We did take the blame away from your daughter, too.”

“My daughter would never hurt another human being,” Beth’s mother sobbed. “Not even that evil old woman who loved to give her a hard time. You’ve had the wrong person since the beginning.”

“That appears to be true, ma’am,” Jonas replied. “I’m afraid we all make mistakes sometimes. We do the best we can.”

“Get out of here, you vultures,” Beth’s father demanded. “Leave my daughter alone!”

Al took Peggy to one side. “We actually came to see you. We’d like you to come to the precinct and take a look at Davis in a lineup. You said you saw him at the hotel in Philly and again here in Charlotte.”

“I thought you had him on videotape and you have his fingerprints in the hotel room.” Peggy shook her head. “You don’t need me.”

“Truth is, we need this case to be as strong as it can. We don’t have the boy touching the baskets. He walks right by them on the videotape. But that doesn’t mean the tape isn’t wrong or just didn’t catch him doing the deed. Come down to the precinct, Peggy. You always want to help. Now’s your chance.”

17

Thrift

Botanical: Armeria

Family: Plumbaginaceae

This widely spread carpet of colorful flowers blooms slowly in the spring for a short time. It is perennial and grows to cover a larger area each year. It was once believed that it could cure lead poisoning, hence the family name.

AFTER A QUICK CALL to Selena at the Potting Shed, Peggy got in Al’s car. He and Jonas sat in the front seat for the ride.

“I’m sorry about your friend, Peggy,” Jonas said when they were out of the hospital parking lot. “I hope you don’t feel like we were responsible for what happened to her.”

“Not at all.” She put on some cherry-flavored lip gloss and rubbed some cream on her hands. She was drained of all emotion. She couldn’t even summon up enough to be thrilled that Beth was still alive. “I was a detective’s wife for too long not to understand the process. Beth looked guilty. You did your job.”

“Well at least it looks like she’ll be okay,” Al added. “Once she gets through this, anyway. These things aren’t totally unexpected.”

“So now the theory is that this boy—” Peggy began.

“Fletcher Davis, the head of Tomorrow’s Children,” Jonas interrupted her. “He’s twenty-five. Not exactly a boy.”

“All right. Fletcher Davis is guilty of poisoning Park and the other lawyers to get back at them for helping pollute the bay they’re trying to save.”

“That’s right,” Al agreed. “They thought it was a good way to hold up the negotiations.”

Peggy thought about Nightflyer’s questions. “Why didn’t he poison all the lawyers’ baskets? If he had access to four of them, he had access to all of them. Have you asked him where he got the poisoned honey? Has he confessed?”

“We wouldn’t need you to ID him if he’d confessed,” Al told her. “This guy is too sharp for that.”

“We don’t have all the answers yet,” Jonas admitted. “That’s why we’re still working on the case.”

“But you’re comfortable with the idea that Alice Godwin killed Isabelle.” Peggy pulled her jacket closer and shivered. Why am I asking? Why aren’t I just happy that Beth will be cleared of all charges? I’m taking Nightflyer’s ideas too seriously. It’s all settled.

“Comfortable? What do you want from me? I thought you’d be happy we got the murder charges taken away from your friend.” Jonas cleared his throat and shook his head. “Some people are never satisfied.”

She didn’t answer. He was right, much as it disturbed her to admit it. Just because all the pieces didn’t add up for Nightflyer didn’t make it wrong.

“If you’re mad about us thinking she killed her husband in the first place for the insurance money,” Al said, “she wouldn’t be the first. And considering her state of mind, that wouldn’t be surprising.”

“What do you mean, ‘her state of mind’?” Peggy demanded.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Jonas snorted. “She tried to kill herself. She’s not capable of making rational decisions.”

Peggy nodded slowly, her thoughts taking her in another direction. “That means she won’t be able to control the money from the insurance policy or the Lamonte estate now. Someone will have to be appointed as executor, since Foxx and Reddman are too young.”

Al turned the car into the police parking lot. “That’s probably true. What are you thinking, Peggy?”

“The state will appoint a guardian ad litem.” Jonas waved his hand to dismiss the subject as he got out of the car. “Who knows who that will be? But since she knows so many lawyers . . .”

“What if that’s what someone has been after from the beginning?”

“What?” Jonas asked, opening her car door.

“Look,” she explained patiently. “Someone knows Park has this large insurance policy. He or she kills him with the poisoned honey. They poison a few other lawyers in Philadelphia to make it look like Tomorrow’s Children is responsible for it. Not everyone, because they don’t need to go that far. But Park doesn’t die there. He dies here going over the ramp. The insurance company jumps in and yells suicide. That would be bad for the killer. No money.”

“Peggy . . .” Jonas tried to stop her.

“So she, maybe Cindy Walker, passes on the information about the policy and her affair with Park to his mother. Isabelle calls in the police and raises questions about it being murder. The killer is confident enough to take it in stride. After all, murder still collects on the policy.”

“Can we just go inside?” Al asked as Jonas paced the parking lot.

But Peggy was on a roll. “But then the killer had to get messy. There’s no time for poison. He or she takes matters into their own hands and knocks Isabelle in the head with her walking stick, bless her poor old soul. It doesn’t stop the murder investigation, but that’s okay. With Beth in prison, now he or she can get at the insurance money plus Park’s and Isabelle’s estates.”

“If you’re still thinking about Ms. Walker,” Al said. “How would she get at the money? I’m sure she’s not in the will or on the Lamonte’s list to care for the children.”