Poisoned Petals

added her veiled matching purple hat and gloves. She might as well do this thing in style. She might even be on the news if any of the television stations chose to cover the event. Luther had invited most of Charlotte and large portions of North Carolina, not to mention a few of Darmus’s friends from other parts of the nation and the world. She might be speaking to a packed audience when she told the world Darmus had lied to them.

As she turned to get into her truck, a Toyota Prius pulled abruptly into the parking lot beside her. Holles jumped out. “Dr. Lee, you have to change your mind about this.”

“I can’t.”

“They’ll be looking for Darmus like a dog! Is that what you want?”

“Calm down, Holles. It may not matter to the Council of Churches that you worked with him. You’ll probably be fine.”

His handsome face turned red beneath his ever-present tan. “I’m not thinking about myself.”

“Of course you are.” She put her hand on the truck to open the door, and he pushed against the door to stop her. A chill went down Peggy’s spine. Why did she tell Steve it was okay for him to leave?

She took a deep breath and considered her situation. She was alone in the alley behind the shop except for the occasional jogger or a car going by in the street. Holles was bigger and stronger than her. He was agitated. She could tell because for once, his clothes weren’t perfectly matched. There was even a button in the wrong hole on his brown shirt. He might feel she was a threat to him. Certainly she hadn’t sounded like she was willing to compromise.

She couldn’t outrun him. Her kung fu was a little rusty. There were no handy tools to hit him with. Her knees hurt too much to consider kicking him. The door to the truck was still locked, so she couldn’t open it quickly, hit him with it, and escape while he was lying on the ground nursing his wounds.

Whether he was capable of doing something rash they would both regret was a question she couldn’t answer staring into his angry face that was so close she could see the tiny red capillaries in his eyes. Her heart bumped a little.

She recalled the training they gave her freshman botany class when they went to Yellowstone Park to study the native plants. Don’t try to face any wild animal down. Act submissive or roll into a protective ball on the ground. Protect your face and eyes as much as you can. Stay quiet. She never had to use that advice when she was at the park, but it might come in handy now. She hunched her shoulders a little and looked away from his eyes.

“What do you plan on doing, Dr. Lee?”

“I plan on speaking at Darmus’s funeral service,” she hedged. “I—I guess I’ll have to see after that.”

Holles moved his hand. “I think that’s for the best. It’s a good decision. Thank you.”

She still didn’t look at him, but she was thinking, Just you wait until I’m in a better position to knock you flat, you big moose!

“I’ll see you at the memorial service then,” he said.

Not if I see you first!

A thousand things went through her brain as he got in his car and left. She got in her truck quickly and sagged over the steering wheel after she locked the doors behind her. If only she’d been able to threaten him with something. A shovel or a rake would have been nice. If she’d had her father’s gun . . .

Now that was too much! She started the engine and quickly drove out of the parking lot.

WHEN PEGGY FINISHED DRESSING and started down the marble staircase, she found her whole family waiting for her. When she got to the bottom, she looked at them. They were all dressed in black, except for Aunt Mayfield, who was wearing a yellow sundress that looked particularly bad on her. “I thought you were going to the lake today for a boat ride.”

“We were,” her father confessed. “But we suddenly had this yen to go to a funeral.”

“He was your friend, Margaret,” her mother said, “even if he is still alive.”

“I don’t know why we’re not going on the boat ride,” Cousin Melvin complained, looking uncomfortable in his suit and tie. The suit barely fit him, and the tie was too short. He looked more like he was ready for Halloween.

“And I don’t understand how you can bury a man who isn’t dead!” Aunt Mayfield protested. “Anything goes in this day and age, I swear!”

Steve had gone home and changed into a dark gray suit and tie with a white shirt that looked like it just came out of a box. His dark hair was nicely combed, and he appeared to have shaved recently. He shrugged when she looked at him, but didn’t offer any explanation.

The front door opened, and Paul ran into the house, still tying his striped tie and pulling on his black suit coat. “I’m glad you didn’t leave yet. I thought I might be too late.”

“Not at all.” His grandfather put his arm around his shoulders. “We were waiting for you.”

“You’re looking particularly handsome.” His grandmother kissed his cheek. “You remind me of your grandfather at your age. He was quite a looker, too!”

Ranson’s wicked eyebrows raised and lowered a few times, and Lilla giggled.

“It’s too hot for a suit!” Cousin Melvin complained. “How far is this place anyway?”

“Not far.” Peggy kissed her son’s cheek, too. “Thank you all for coming.”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Paul said.