Fruit of the Poisoned Tree

had it been since they left Cindy’s condo? Thirty minutes? An hour?

“That’s right,” he agreed. “My girl in the kitchen didn’t do a good job on that, did she? Alice had it all along. But I did have a helluva time going through that screwball place of yours, Peggy! Thanks for leaving it wide open for me.”

“Not that it did you much good,” Peggy yelled as he started to walk toward the basement door. “You’ve done a lot of tail chasing.”

He paused and smiled at her. “That’s true. But it all ends here. Good-bye, ladies!”

As soon as the door closed behind him, Hunter fell sideways across Peggy, who thought she must be sick. “Hunter, it’s going to be fine. We’ll make it through this.”

Hunter spat out a mouthful of silver duct tape. “I’m trying to get us free. Keep still. I don’t want to bite you. But I hope that gun is still in the kitchen. I want to shoot him right between the eyes!”

“Good idea!” Peggy noticed the sound of his footsteps on the stairs after a few minutes. “He’s coming back!”

Hunter sat upright quickly and spat out another piece of tape. “What do they make that stuff out of anyway? I mean, what is it supposed to be used for really?”

“I started a little fire in the basement so you won’t get too cold waiting around here for help.” David grinned at them, madness lurking in the depths of his gray eyes. “Maybe the fire department will even get here in time. But with all the fresh paint and floor sealers, I doubt it.”

Peggy could already smell the smoke, hear the popping of fire in the walls and floors beneath her. He was right. Even if they weren’t caught in the fire itself, the smoke would kill them. There was probably enough polyurethane in the house to choke a horse!

David started to walk by her on his way to the front door. Without really thinking about what she was doing, Peggy put out her feet and tripped him. He fell hard and knocked his head on the corner of the table. He came up slowly, blood starting to run down his face. “What did you do, Peggy?”

He put up his hand to stop the bleeding, and Hunter kicked him hard in the face. Without a word, he fell back down on the floor. This time he didn’t get up. Hunter didn’t wait to see what was going to happen. She growled and kicked him savagely again.

Smoke was starting to fill the room. “Forget him! We have to get out of here.” Peggy coughed on the noxious fumes.

Hunter leaned down and started biting at the tape that held her. “I can’t reach mine. I can try to bite yours again.” But she coughed, choking, and couldn’t manage to break through the tough tape. “It’s no use.”

Peggy heard a new sound. Not the one she wanted to hear, sirens, but a good sound anyway. “Do you hear that? It’s Shakespeare! Come on, boy! We’re in here! Steve? Is that you?”

“Peggy!” Steve yelled back through the dense gray smoke.

“Mom!” Paul added his voice to Steve’s as they ran into the room. “We have to get you out of here!”

“Cindy Walker,” Peggy choked out her name, eyes streaming from smoke. “She’s in the kitchen. She might be unconscious. Or dead. I don’t know.”

“I’ll find her. The fire department is on its way,” Paul yelled over the noise of groaning wood and burning plaster. “Get them out, Steve.

Steve used his pocketknife to cut through the duct tape that held them. Hunter and Peggy staggered from the house as the first fire truck pulled into the drive. Steve dragged David across the floor and out into the yard.

He started to go back in to check on Paul, but the fire chief pushed him back. “No one’s going back in there, son.”

“There’s a police officer,” Steve coughed as he tried to explain, “and another woman.”

“We’ll get them out. You all stay right here.”

Peggy saw Paul come out of the backyard with Cindy in his arms. He collapsed on his knees in the wet, brown grass, and firefighters rushed to his side. Paramedics held oxygen masks for Peggy, Hunter, and Steve.

Another paramedic started toward David, but Hunter stopped him. “Don’t bother. You’ll save the state some money.”

Peggy laughed until she choked, and the paramedic cautioned her. She smiled at Paul, and he nodded. Probably angry at her. But it was all right. They were alive. Everything else was manageable.

“HOW DID STEVE KNOW where to find you?” Sam wanted to hear every detail the next day.

“He was smart and called Paul. They tracked my cell phone. Lucky for me Cindy brought it with us,” Peggy answered.

“I still can’t believe David killed Park and Isabelle. Little weasel. I knew there was a reason I didn’t like him.” Sam stood behind the counter at the Potting Shed, pruning a tea rose for a customer.

Hunter smacked him in the arm. “You were just jealous.”

“Of a boyfriend who murders people? Yeah, right!”

“Of any boyfriend.”

“What happens with Beth now?” Sam asked Peggy. “Will she still have to be in the hospital for observation?”

“No,” Peggy answered. “She’s home with Foxx and Reddman. She’s talking about moving to Salisbury with her parents.”

“With that kind of money, she could live anywhere.” Sam shook his head. “Why live in Salisbury?”

“It’s where she grew up. Having her family close by will be good for her and the boys.”

“What about David?”

Hunter crossed her arms protectively in front of her. “He goes away for a long time. And I give up Tae Bo for karate.”

“And always carry a pocketknife,” Peggy finished.

“In my boot!” Hunter laughed. “And I’m thinking about buying one of those garter belts that hold knives.”

“Too much information!” Sam put his hands over his ears, lowering then slowly as Al and Jonas joined them in the shop.

“Peggy,” Al said with a nod at the other two. “If we could have a minute?”

Sam and Hunter went back into the storeroom, closing the door behind them. Peggy felt sure they were listening at the crack. She smiled as she said, “What can I do for you?”

“Dr. Ramsey has suggested,” Jonas cleared his throat, “suggested we hire you to work with the CMPD on certain cases.”

“Really?’ Peggy took up Sam’s pruning shears. “What kind of cases?”

“Peggy!” Al shook his head.

“That’s okay.” Jonas put out his hand. “She wants her pound of flesh. I can handle it.”

She stopped pruning. “Not really. I’m joking. I understand what you’re offering. And I’m flattered, really. But I’m afraid I can’t help you. At least not yet. It’s all I can do to keep up with what I have going on now.”

“The job would pay,” Al added. “It’s not a lot, but it’s decent.”

“I’m thinking about giving up my place at Queens in May,” she compromised, looking out at the rainswept Saturday afternoon in Brevard Court. “Who knows what might come after that? Let’s talk about it in the spring. In the meantime, gentlemen, I’m late for an obedience course for my dog. Try not to get into any trouble while I’m gone.”

RUE, STEVE, AND PEGGY sat down in the hard plastic chairs after Shakespeare’s obedience lesson was over, defeat etched on their faces. Shakespeare wagged his tail and looked at them like he was wondering what was wrong.

“Maybe there’s boot camp for wayward dogs like they have for teenagers,” Steve suggested.

“I’m sure he’ll catch on,” Rue assured Peggy. “He needs a few more lessons.”

Another woman came into the shop. She was in her fifties or early sixties. She carried a large orange tabby cat who eyed them all suspiciously. The woman was dressed in clothes that almost matched the color of her cat. Her streaked blond hair blended into the whole look.

Shakespeare immediately stood at attention with his tail stuck straight out behind him. He stared at the