After a few moments, there’s a beep. We all lean in, and Madge reads the screen. “Death by native blow dart gun? Seriously? In northern California?”
I have to refrain from rolling my eyes. “That thing is worthless.” I pick up the book again just as the bell tinkles over the front door. It’s Brittany’s science teacher and the flower-switching judge, Emily.
She sticks her head inside. “Is this the infamous murder mystery book club I’ve heard so much about?”
“Yes. And we’re always looking for new members. Come in.” I wave her inside as I stand and cover the murder board. Wouldn’t want her to see her name on it.
“I can’t stay.” Emily joins us but doesn’t sit. “I was walking by, and it reminded me that I wanted to tell Brittany to do the end-of-chapter quiz as well. And I hope I didn’t cause any trouble for your father, Sawyer. I thought it best Dylan has all the facts.”
I nod. “My father explained what happened, so it’s all good.” I hope.
“Great.” Emily’s eyes drift to the book. “Researching poisons tonight? For which book?”
Madge says, “We’re actually discussing Tina’s death.”
“Really?” Emily sinks into a chair. “I thought she fell and hit her head.” She turns to the Admiral for explanation. “You were with her, right?”
The Admiral nods. “Something happened to her just before she fell.”
A frown line creases Emily’s forehead. “What does Dylan think, Sawyer?”
Probably that we should butt out of the investigation. “He hasn’t shared any of his theories with me.”
“Well, it’s a tragic mystery, that’s for sure.” Emily stands and pushes her chair under the table. “If there’s a murderer on the loose, you might want to lock the door, Sawyer. He or she might kill again if they think you guys have cracked the case. Night, all.”
That thought sends a shiver up my spine.
After Emily is gone, I say, “Maybe she’s right. There is a murderer on the loose.” I hop up and lock the front door. “Okay, so let’s get back to it.” I pick up the book and thumb to the marked pages. “There’s a section in here about common poisons. Let’s see if anything causes the symptoms Tina had.”
“Before we start…” Madge takes a deep drink from her mug. “Are we still on for our little girls’ trip to Monterey tomorrow?” Madge slips her eyes in the Admiral’s direction as if reminding me that our excursion is supposed to be a secret.
“Absolutely.” I appreciate Madge keeping what I learned about Pattie to herself, but her exaggerated eye movements almost make me laugh. “Okay, here we go. This is interesting. Do you know what they used to call inheritance powder back in the day?”
They both shake their heads.
“Arsenic. It easily dissolves in warm liquid and was often slipped into teas and coffee to kill off old but wealthy men so their heirs could collect their fortune.”
“Wow. That’s cold,” Madge says, and then quickly sets her mug down. “I don’t think I’ll ever look at the coffee my hubs makes for me every morning quite the same again.”
The Admiral grabs Madge’s hand. “Let me see your nails. If you were being poisoned with arsenic, you’d have horizontal white lines.” He leans closer to inspect her bare nails. “Nope. You’re good.”
“Well, I should hope so.” Madge picks up her mug, but quickly puts it down again. “I’m going to bust open some wine. Be right back.”
The Admiral must have been quite the walking encyclopedia when he was young. He’s still exceptionally good at figuring out the “who dunnit” in the books they all read.
“Wait.” I hold up a hand as I read the symptoms of the drug. “Arsenic causes an upset stomach, not paralysis like Tina had. So that’s out.”
I dig further, amazed at how many plants and even fruits can be poisonous. Even ground cherry pits? Who knew?
As I continue reading through the extensive list, a wineglass appears beside me. What the heck, one glass won’t hurt. I take a sip and then find what I’m after.
“Here it is. Poisons that cause paralysis. Nightshade, hemlock, and strychnine. Another poison found in birds, amphibians, and beetles called batrachotoxin causes similar respiratory system paralysis. The victim can’t move but is aware of the surroundings because the mind is unaffected. It says here that Socrates was found guilty of heresy and forced to drink hemlock while his students watched and took notes.” Imagining that sends a shiver up my spine. “Now that’s really cold!”
The Admiral says, “I recall a story a few years back about some horses eating beetle-infected hay and dying like that.”
Madge says, “Remind me to avoid beetles from now on too.” She holds up her phone. “Found it. Hemlock grows wild around here. Let me see about the other plants.”
I turn to the Admiral. “Does my mother have any of these plants growing in her greenhouse?”
“No. She gave up growing all but her roses years ago. It became too much work.”
Madge calls out, “Yep. All three grow in California. It also says hemlock roots can be mistaken for parsnips and the leaves for parsley. I wonder what Tina ate for lunch before the show?”
“Good question,” I say. “We know she had a to-go cup from the diner. There’s a good chance she ate something there too. We’ll add checking that out at the top of our to-do list tomorrow.” I’m excited we might finally be making some progress. “But how long does hemlock take to kick in? Tina died so suddenly.”
“Give me one sec.” Madge taps away on her phone. “Anywhere from thirty minutes to hours.”
I blow out a breath. “Okay. Maybe we’re on to something here. Admiral, will you please be in charge of checking out strychnine and nightshade, or belladonna, as it’s commonly known? And about the animals that carry that toxin, but that seems less likely.”
He nods. “I’ll get on it as soon as morning inspection of the troops is complete.”
Whoops. And now he’s back to his old self. Maybe he’s just tired. Best to
