Poisoned Petals

“Have you considered that whoever killed Luther might have been trying to get his hands on the group? If you take over, you could be next.”

He laughed. “I’m not really worried about that. Someone will have to head up the organization. It might as well be me.”

Might as well be a skunk as a snake, the old phrase repeated in her mind as she looked at his oily smile. “Well, you certainly have the credentials. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Is that all? I’m hoping to see Darmus today. He’s out on bond, you know.”

“I heard. Thank you, Holles.”

Peggy’s father came around a corner as she walked out of the office. “How did it go?”

“It might be pointless.” She took the cottonseed out of her pocket. “But I found this under his desk.”

“A cottonseed.” He nodded. “It’s not something you see much in a city. Could be it’s significant. It’s about time to head to that lawyer’s office. Maybe you can tell him about the cottonseeds. Maybe he’ll be able to do something with the information.” He glanced at his watch. “Remember? You gave me this for my sixtieth birthday.”

“I remember.” She smiled. “Want me to drop you at home before I go over there? It’s likely to be pretty boring.”

“No, that’s okay. I’d rather go with you. This is kind of exciting!”

“It would be a lot more exciting if I actually found something that made sense.” She sighed as she got into her truck.

Her father agreed. “It’s possible no one from Feed America had anything to do with what happened to Luther. Maybe it was someone from his church. They were bound to know he was asthmatic, too, right?”

She grinned at her father. “Right. You’re good at this, Dad.”

“I love mystery novels. Mind you, I don’t always know who did it, but I like trying to figure it out. Perry Mason was my one of my favorites. But I like The Thin Man, too. And that 007 fella. Some of the new ones are good, too. Like your sheriff friend.”

Parking was congested at the deck for the lawyer’s office. Peggy wasn’t sure they were going to get a place until a man in a gold Cadillac left, and they swooped in to take his spot. She was careful to notice where they parked before they took the elevator into Founders Hall. It was too easy to get turned around when you came back out into the deck.

While they were there, they might as well check and see if there was already a spot set up for the Smith & Hawken store. She hoped it was only rumor. It was nice having the market to herself. But what were the chances someone wouldn’t see the growth in the uptown area and want to get their share?

She stopped and introduced her father to David and Kathy Friese at the Bookmark Bookstore as they walked through the crowded shopping and business center.

“Sorry to hear about that Smith & Hawken store,” David said to Peggy. “I wouldn’t want to have to share our business with another bookstore.”

“Smith & Hawken isn’t exactly the same as the Potting Shed,” Peggy replied. “But I agree. I’d rather them not come into town.”

“It seems odd, since they’re already at Phillips Place,” Kathy said. “Maybe it’s just a rumor.”

“Let’s hope so,” Peggy agreed.

They left the couple at the bookstore and walked toward the address on the lawyer’s business card. The office suite was expensive and tastefully decorated with recessed lighting and black marble floors. Long, low sofas looked uncomfortable next to plastic plants and tall lights with tentacles like octopi.

“No wonder the lawyer looked like that when he visited the Potting Shed,” Peggy murmured to her father. “He was probably uncomfortable with so many living things.”

“There’s definitely not enough plastic or metal in the Potting Shed for his tastes.”

“Can I help you?” A young, sharp-faced woman whose thick black hair had pale blue highlights, faced them across a huge glass desk.

“We’re here to see Erasmus Smith,” Peggy explained.

She didn’t see the woman move a finger, but a second later, the flashy lawyer stood in the doorway. “Dr. Lee, please come in.”

With her father trailing behind her, they both walked carefully into the back, moving like the dead descending into Hades. The wide doors closed behind them, and Peggy smiled, her eyes filming with tears as she saw her old friend. “Darmus!”

“Peggy . . .”

Peggy launched herself into his arms, hugging him tightly to her. He felt thinner inside his yellow and red African robe, but the pleasure of finding him alive and so much different than the last time she saw him made her incredibly happy. “I heard you were out on bail. I never dreamed you’d be here.”

“I sent Erasmus for you.” Darmus hugged her back with passion. “There’s so much to explain. I wanted to see you, but I don’t dare leave here right now.”

“Why?” Peggy wiped tears from her eyes as she introduced her father, and Darmus shook his hand. “What’s wrong?”

“Someone was drugging me.” He sat down on one of the low sofas and invited her to do the same. “I think it might be someone who wants Feed America. I think it might be the same person who killed Luther. As long as he continues to think I’m out of commission and harmless, it will be fine. I have to give him a chance to show himself.”