“I think that sounds a little lame.”
“You’re still not convinced? You’d rather believe a stranger on the Internet than your own friends?”
Peggy put a hand to her forehead where she felt a headache starting. She wished she could tell him the truth. But she didn’t want a citywide manhunt for Darmus to happen. She wanted to know the official results. Now she knew. “I believe you, Al. I’d just like this to make sense!”
“Everything doesn’t always make sense, Peggy. Not the kind you’re looking for! You’re a woman of science. Science tells us Darmus died
“Thanks.” They were all going to feel ridiculous when they learned the truth, but she couldn’t help that. She didn’t want to push Al any further. At least not about Darmus. “What about Luther? What did he die from?”
“Uh . . . looks like he had a severe asthma attack. ME says combined with Luther’s deteriorated state of health due to chemotherapy and cancer, the asthma attack did him in.”
“I knew he had asthma.” She puzzled over her words while she stared at a new shipment of pink and white potted hyacinths she was about to add price stickers to. The hyacinth in Luther’s Feed America T-shirt pocket jumped up and down in her brain. “Al! I think I know what might have caused that attack!”
“Something he was allergic to?” he suggested sarcastically. “I mean, really, Peggy, what triggers asthma attacks? What difference does it make? The man died of natural causes!”
“Maybe not! Hyacinths can cause fatal asthma attacks in susceptible people. There was a hyacinth in Luther’s shirt pocket!”
“I don’t see mention of that here.”
“He wasn’t dead when they took him to the hospital. They probably took his clothes when they tried to revive him. An orderly gave them to me and Holles in a bag.”
“Did you get rid of them?”
“No. The bag is still in my closet.”
“Not that it will exactly be in the chain of evidence it should be, but let me take a look at that, Peggy. Even if it caused his death, picking a hyacinth and putting it into his pocket might not mean anything questionable. I didn’t know a hyacinth could cause asthma attacks. Luther probably didn’t, either. If it had been Darmus, it would be different.”
Peggy didn’t like the way that sounded. What would happen when the police learned Darmus was alive if there was a suggestion of foul play in Luther’s death? There would already be a question of how that man got into his house. Not that Darmus had any reason to hurt Luther. But then, nothing he’d done recently made sense. And if Luther knew Darmus was alive as suggested by the wedding ring in his hand . . .
“I’m sorry, Peggy. I didn’t mean to say it that way.” Al took a deep breath. “Look, I’ll tell Captain Rimer about this thing with Luther. He might want to look into it.”
“Thanks.”
“I don’t see how that’s going to make you feel better about all this.”
“I want to know the truth, Al. I want to know what
“We’ll see, Peggy. I’ll stop by later for Luther’s shirt.”
Peggy put the phone down and puttered nervously around the shop, waiting for Steve and her parents to get back. The scent of the hyacinths perfumed the air around her as she finished pricing them and set them in the wide window facing the courtyard.
She was going to have to think of some way to find Darmus. The house fire was probably a cover so people wouldn’t look for him. Darmus was a botanist, not a detective. He probably didn’t think about things like the arson squad sifting through the ashes of what was left of his house to ID his body. He might have thought they’d just assume he was in the house because his car was outside and they couldn’t find him afterward.
Peggy realized she was an odd part of the equation. She shouldn’t have been there to find the man in the kitchen. Darmus didn’t expect her to be there that day. The house should have burned quickly after the explosion. Instead, she was on the scene to call 911. The explosion was bad, but the fire department kept the fire from destroying the entire house and obliterating the evidence.
She took a deep breath, rocked back on her heels from the seed display she was working on, and thought about Luther for a moment. The purple hyacinth in his T-shirt meant sorrow. But did the perfume really kill him? Al was right. Having the flower in his pocket didn’t constitute murder. Luther could have picked it himself and put it into his pocket without realizing what it could do.
The bell rang at the front door, announcing another customer. Peggy put down the phone and walked out of the storage area in the back of the shop. A young black woman in a drab brown dress was standing in the middle of the floor looking out the window at the courtyard.
“Can I help you?” Peggy asked her when she didn’t appear to be browsing.
The woman turned around quickly and flashed a small smile. Her shiny black hair was coiled against her neck, and she wore no makeup. “I’m looking for Margaret Lee.”
“That’s me.” Peggy extended her hand to the woman. “Can I help you?”
“I have something I’m supposed to give you if—if something h-happens.”
Peggy had no idea what the woman was talking about, but she was obviously agitated, and close to tears. “Please sit down. I have some peppermint tea that will perk you right up.”
For a moment, Peggy thought she was going to refuse. She clutched the large manila envelope she carried close to her chest and looked at the front door as though she wanted to run away. Then her shoulders sagged, and she dropped the envelope on the floor. She put her hands to her face and started crying, great whooping sobs that shook her thin form.
