Fruit of the Poisoned Tree

owner, the 140-pound dog almost dragged her into oncoming street traffic. She pulled him back but lost her footing and sat down hard on her butt right on Queens Road.

Shakespeare looked back at her with a goofy grin, his floppy, unclipped ears framing his massive face and black muzzle. He paused long enough to lick her face, then started back toward the house. The leash went with him. Fortunately, he sat down by the front door and waited for her, tail thumping the frosty ground.

Angry and bruised, suffering from several drivers’ vented rage as cars swarmed around her, Peggy wasn’t in the mood to be lenient or moved by his cute face. “You’ve become a monster. We’re going to have to do something about this before you kill me.”

“Are you okay?” Steve reached her side.

Sam hid a smile behind his hand as he grabbed the dog’s leash to keep him from running any farther.

“I’m fine, thanks.” Peggy brushed herself off while Sam opened the door and took the dog in the house. She didn’t want to admit how bruised she already was from her long night in jail as she walked slowly into the house behind them.

Shakespeare galloped through the house to the kitchen and slid across the hardwood floors, waiting to be fed. She followed him past the thirty-foot blue spruce that grew in her foyer. “I have to do something with him.”

“I’m not surprised. What did you have in mind?” Steve asked. “I know a man who works on a freighter who would be glad to have him. Or we could volunteer him to be the first Great Dane in space.”

Peggy frowned. “That’s not what I mean. I like having him here. I just don’t want him to kill me. You’ve been preaching the gospel of obedience classes almost since I got him. I’m ready now. Where do I sign up?”

“I have a friend who gives classes. She’s really good. You’ll like her. She has a grooming salon over in the Ballantyne area, unless that’s too far for you. I’m sure she could find time to help you with Shakespeare.” He gave her the phone number. “Want me to go with you?”

“Thanks. But I think I can handle this. Selena will be at the shop in the morning. I’ll give Rue Baker a call.”

“You’re not teaching tomorrow?”

“Not until the afternoon.” She yawned. “Oh, sorry. I’m just exhausted.”

“No wonder, after you had to elude the police and save the world.” Sam laughed.

Steve glanced at her, then took a seat at the kitchen table. “I was wondering why you were late. Anything you’d care to share?”

“Sure.” Sam drew up a chair. “Picture these headlines: ‘Peggy vs. the Police.’ ”

“Don’t you have something to plant?” she asked him.

“Oh.” He looked at the two of them. “I suppose you’d like some time alone, huh? Three days apart. That’s a pretty long time. Even for you old folks.”

“Sam!”

“Okay! Okay! I’m going. I’ll see you later, Steve. I’ll talk to you in the morning, Peggy.”

Steve waited until Sam was gone, then got slowly to his feet. “How about some dinner?”

“I’m too tired to go out,” she said. “Maybe tomorrow night.”

He moved to the fridge and took out a covered tray of cheese and veggies. “I thought you might be. I have this, some salad, bread, and an excellent bottle of sauvignon blanc. I thought we could take it into the basement and picnic beside the pond while you work on your plants. I know you’re not going to ignore them for a whole night after you’ve been gone.”

“You think of everything.” She smiled as she kissed him.

“And you can tell me what Sam was talking about.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Oh, I think you’ll talk.” He opened a tray of mini eclairs.

“Brute!” She reached to grab one.

“Uh-uh. Start talking.” He re-covered the dessert. “I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

THE NEXT MORNING, PEGGY ate her breakfast and read the paper while Shakespeare ate in another corner of the kitchen. She was just pouring herself another cup of coffee when her son knocked on the kitchen door. “Come in, Paul. I’ve got a cup of coffee left. Have you had breakfast?”

“You know me.” He took off his regulation blue police jacket and hat, his thin frame appearing even narrower in the navy blue uniform. “I’m always hungry.” He chafed his hands together. “It’s cold out there. I thought it was supposed to be warming up.”

“We still have some cold weather left. You need some gloves.” She poured him the coffee and fished some powdered sugar donuts from the bread box. “Are you about to go on duty or just coming off?”

He sat down at the scrubbed wood table, tracing the tiny initials he’d carved into it as a child with his long, narrow fingers. Peggy gave him piano lessons when he was four with dreams of him being a concert pianist with those supple fingers. But Paul had other ideas. “About to go in. I thought I’d stop by and see how things are going. I would’ve stopped last night, but I thought Steve would probably want some time alone with you.”

Peggy sat down opposite him. “You aren’t still having trouble with the idea of Steve and me being together, are you?”

He shook his head as he sipped his coffee. “No. I like him, Mom. It was weird to begin with, but I’m handling it. I was trying to be considerate.”

Her cinnamon-colored brow raised above one clear, green eye so like her son’s. “Thank you. But you’re always welcome here. I’m glad you came this morning.”

He shoved a whole miniature donut into his mouth and kept talking. “I’ve been moonlighting. Mai and I have been seeing each other for a few months. We’re thinking about getting a place together. We need some extra cash. I’ve been doing some side jobs they offered at the precinct. You know, directing the Bojangles’ customers into the parking lot, doing some security work. That kind of thing.”

“That’s wonderful about you and Mai!” Since Peggy was the one who saw the initial attraction between Mai Sato, the young medical examiner’s assistant, and her son, she was especially gratified. Not many people she thought should be together ended up together. She squeezed his cold hand across the table. “But you don’t have to moonlight. I have some money. I’ll be glad to help.”

“We’re almost set, Mom. Thanks anyway. I want to show Mai how important this is to me. I’ve had a tough time convincing her to give up that little packing crate she calls an apartment.”

Peggy was very proud of his attitude but didn’t say so. She didn’t want to sound too lofty. She was only recently on secure footing with her only son who had her fiery hair, temper, and independent spirit. After his father’s death, they had some bad times together. Paul suddenly wanted to join the police department after studying to be an architect. She didn’t want him to get hurt, especially since she suspected he was only interested in finding John’s killer. “I just wanted to let you know I’m here if you need me.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Paul sipped his coffee with an awkward expression on his freckled face. “Anyway, we found a place on Providence Road. It’s a little bungalow house. We’re going to rent with an option to buy. Mai isn’t so sure about the buying part. I asked her to marry me. She turned me down. She said she might reconsider after we live together and share stuff for a while.”

Peggy nodded. Smart girl. “What kind of stuff?”

“Money. Dishes. Garbage. Dirty clothes. That kind of thing.” He shrugged his shoulders under the Charlotte PD uniform and ran his hand across his short, spiky red hair. “I don’t know why she doesn’t trust me. I’m really in love with her. I don’t think she feels the same about me, or she’d trust me, right?”

“Maybe she does.” Peggy played devil’s advocate. “Maybe she just wants to make sure there’s more to it than that. There’s a lot more than saying ‘I love you’ that goes into a relationship. Mai’s smart to try it out before she buys it.”

He looked stunned. “Most mothers don’t want their sons to live with a woman without marrying her.”

She waved her hand at him dismissively. “I’m not most mothers. And that was a hundred years ago! Things have changed since I was a girl. Just don’t tell your grandparents. We’ll never hear the end of it.”