A Cup of Death

by K. J. Emrick

  “I agree. I thought about that very same thing this morning. Remember, Kyle overheard everyone at their table asking where Leon was, he obviously never made it there to drink out of that cup.”

  Sometimes it was the little things that they missed. “But,” she thought out loud, “why didn’t Bates die yesterday if he drank from that cup?”

  “Remember there was still residue in the cup? We’ll have to wait for the lab to run tests to be sure, but I’m guessing that we interrupted their little gathering before Bates could drink the full dose. It took longer to kill him that way.”

  Another thought hit Miranda like a sledgehammer. “Jack! That’s why Braydon was toying with us in the interview room. He wanted to keep you and me busy until Bates died. He knew this was going to happen!”

  “Did he say that?” Jack’s expression was immediately alert. “Because if he did, I’ll go and arrest him right now.”

  Miranda’s heart sank. It was just like before. What she knew Braydon Wise meant and what he said were two different things. No, he hadn’t actually said he poisoned Bates. He hadn’t even said he wanted Bates dead. It was clear to Miranda that Braydon had known of Bates’ imminent death by poisoning. That was why he’d been so unconcerned about everything.

  But she had no way of proving it. No one would believe her.

  Jack saw that uncomfortable truth written all over her face. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. He’s a slippery one. If I’m going to pin anything on him other than the destruction of my front door, then I’m going to have to work pretty hard at it.”

  “Yeah,” Miranda muttered. “That’s pretty much what he said.”

  “Oh, did he now?”

  “Yes.” She was beside herself. “Jack, how are we going to get him now? Josh Bates was our best chance. I’m sure he was a murdering bastard, but whatever connection he had to Connie was pushing him to tell the truth, I’m sure of it. Now that he’s gone…”

  Right there in the hallway in front of everyone, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s all right,” he said. “We’ll find out what happened to your aunt. Someday.”

  She felt a tingling along her skin as Kyle settled his hand on her shoulder. “He’s right. We won’t stop until we put that arrogant jerk behind bars. Janice Peniston too, for breaking into Ragged Rest.”

  Oh, that was right! She’d nearly forgotten about the break in with everything else. “Jack, I have to tell you this part yet.”

  She went through it with him, how Janice had unwittingly identified her bed at Ragged Rest, proving she’d been inside. He agreed, and told her that would be enough to arrest her and get a search warrant for her belongings to find the missing papers. They would have to act fast, though because Janice might be leaving town today, like she’d said.

  Good, Miranda thought to herself. At least they weren’t completely empty handed. Now that she had Janice Peniston in mind again, amidst the chaos of officers and paramedics around her, she realized something had been bothering her. She and Jack had been calling it a break in, but really there was no damage to Ragged Rest anywhere. Nothing had been “broken” in. No smashed windows. No busted doors. Not like with Jack’s house and Braydon Wise. The only thing amiss had been her belongings thrown everywhere.

  So, how did Janice get in?

  She was just about to voice that question to Jack when he said, “Don’t worry about Josh Bates too much. Besides. We’ve still got our other suspects. Janice Peniston. Hannah Smith. Braydon Wise. Jimmy Jones. Any one of them could have killed Leon Peniston, if Josh Bates didn’t. It will be a process of elimination. We think Braydon is guilty so if we can prove that each of our other living suspects didn’t do it, then we’ll be able to show it had to be Braydon.”

  She blinked up at him in surprise. “Wait a minute. You’re putting Jimmy Jones on that list of suspects?”

  “Well, sure. I mean, I no longer think Josh Bates killed Leon. I doubt he poisoned someone to death, and then poisoned himself. No. We’re looking for one person who poisoned them both. Bates had a lot to answer for—” With one hand he rubbed at the shoulder where Bates had shot him. “—and no one is sad that the man is dead, believe me. But in this case, Josh Bates wasn’t our killer. That’s why I’m still leaning toward Braydon Wise, but we have to rule out the other three first. Janice, Hannah, Jimmy.”

  Miranda couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Jack, you can’t honestly be listing Jimmy Jones as a suspect in any of this. He’s my new neighbor!”

  “Exactly. You have to admit, Miranda, the timing is very suspicious. He comes to town just as all of this is happening, but he isn’t involved? I think the odds are greater that he is involved.”

  “I agree,” Kyle said, raising his hand as if Jack had asked for a vote.

  “Well, I don’t,” she said to both of them. “We can’t suspect the man just because he moved into town, or,” she added sternly, “just because he’s showing an interest in me as a mentor.”

  “Miranda, this isn’t about that…” Jack started to say.

  “I’m beginning to think that’s exactly what it is,” Miranda cut him off. “All of this stuff is happening around us, Jack, and all of it is connected to me somehow, but you’re choosing to fret over the boy next door!”

  She kept her voice low when she said all of that, aware of the officers still running back and forth around them. She heard someone say that the senior sergeant had arrived. That sent everyone into an even greater sense of urgency and if anything, sped them up. They weren’t paying any attention to her conversation with Jack. Which was good, because even keeping her voice down like that, her irritation came through loud and clear.

  “Okay, okay,” Jack said to her, a smile on his face that was meant to be pacifying. “We’ll focus on Leon Peniston’s murder. For now. There’s enough other suspects to look into first.”

  “Oh, so you don’t think Jimmy might have killed Leon?”

  “Of course not, Miranda. That doesn’t mean he’s not involved in some way, though.”

  “Jack…”

  “Right. Okay. Let’s go back to the others. They were all together at the diner last night.”

  “And Jimmy wasn’t,” she said forcefully.

  “Fine, but that means any of the others might be our killer. Or, they could all be in on it. They could be working together. Braydon and Janice are having an affair, after all, and Hannah and Braydon are together as well. Wow. What a twisted-up love triangle those three make!”

  Miranda hadn’t looked at it that way. She had only meant that the four suspects—which for her meant Braydon Wise, Janice Peniston, Hannah Smith, and even the dead Josh Bates—had all been in that diner at the same time, and Jimmy Jones had not been among them. Could those four actually have been in on everything together?

  “If that’s true,” she speculated, “then something must have gone wrong, and they killed Josh Bates to… what? Keep him from talking to me?”

  “That’s what I was thinking. There’s a lot going on here and every step we take closer to the truth puts us three steps back. We’ve struck out interviewing Braydon Wise. Josh Bates is dead. So, if we’re going to solve this then we need to go and bring in another suspect to talk to. We’re down to Hannah and Janice. Which one do you think?”

  “Ooh, ooh,” Kyle sputtered, raising his hand again. “I vote for Hannah. She’s creepy, and she was upset when Braydon didn’t come home to her. Plus, this little conspiracy of theirs is what got Leon Peniston killed. Then again, he is Janice’s husband. Do you think she killed her own husband?”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time,” Miranda mumbled.

  “What’s that?” Jack asked, hearing only her side of the conversation.

  “Nothing,” she said. “Don’t worry about it. Kyle thinks we should start with Hannah. So. Do we know where to find her?”

  “Of course,” Jack said. “She’ll be easy to find as she has a local address. Aren’t you worried Janice wil
l slip away if we don’t go and get her now?”

  “She said she wasn’t leaving until she could make arrangements for her husband’s body, right?”

  “True. That will take a few hours yet, I’m sure. Still, I’m worried she’ll slip away on us, if she hasn’t already. I’ll have one of the patrols go around to her motel room and keep her there while we go and talk to Hannah.”

  “Okay, then let’s go.”

  “Excuse me?” His face got that look it had whenever he thought he needed to be the big, tough, protective boyfriend. “Miranda, you’re not coming with me.”

  Kyle actually laughed at him. “For a smart guy he’s kind of a slow learner. When’s he going to realize that he can’t tell Miranda Wylder what she can’t do?”

  “I agree, Kyle.” Miranda put her fists on her hips. “Jack, do you want to explain to us why, exactly, I can’t come with you while you go to question Hannah Smith?”

  He sighed. “I don’t suppose saying, ‘because you aren’t a police officer,’ is going to cut it?”

  “No,” she said. “It most certainly is not.”

  “Okay, look. You’re right that all of this is about you. From Josh Bates approaching you days ago, and then all this stuff about your Aunt Connie. And then a guy named Braydon Wise turning up at a table in a diner right here in Moonlight Bay after we read about him in the same newspaper that had that article about your aunt’s disappearance. Now we know that Bates definitely knew your aunt, and he was working for Braydon. It all connects, and yes, it is all about you. That means you’re in danger. Danger that I can protect you from, if you let me.”

  She continued to glare at him. “You mean, if I hide like a little puppy dog under the table, with my tail between my legs.”

  He sort of smiled at that. “Not the way I would put it, but yes.”

  “Yeah,” Kyle agreed. “That’s not the way I would’ve put it, either. How about, hiding like a roo in its mother’s pouch? Or like a needle in a haystack… no, wait. That one doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Miranda,” Jack said over Kyle’s continued prattling. “I’m just trying to keep you safe. Maybe you should sit this one out?”

  “Jack, I can’t just back away now. And if I try to hide, we might never get to the bottom of this. Besides, when has taking me off a case or asking me to sit on the sidelines ever kept me safe? I’m something of a trouble magnet, in case you haven’t noticed. I was safe and warm in your bed this morning, and the next thing you know I’ve got Braydon Wise breaking down the door.”

  “Well, there is that,” Jack said, obviously coming to the conclusion that there would be little point in arguing with her any further. Miranda’s mind was made up, and that was a thing her very smart boyfriend knew better than to mess with.

  “I’ll be careful,” she promised him. “Besides, you’ll be with me, and so will Kyle. Don’t you think I’ll be safer with my two men around me than I would be holed up in my room at Ragged Rest reading a book?”

  “Sure, but you like books.”

  “Of course I like books. That’s not the point. The point is, I want to find out who killed Leon Peniston, and Josh Bates. I want to make sure no one is going to poison me to death, either. We need to nail Braydon Wise to the wall before he slips out of everything. We’ll use process of elimination like you said. Starting with Hannah Smith.”

  “Good plan,” Jack agreed. “For now, we’ll keep Braydon Wise in custody on the damage charge, and I’m throwing in the threat on your life, too, no matter how much he might think he can skate away from that one.”

  Miranda beamed at him. “Aw. You do love me.”

  Leaning in close, he kissed her on the lips. “Of course I do.”

  “Travis!” came a bellowing voice from the front of the building. “Jack Travis! Get yourself into my office and explain why there’s a dead body in my station house!”

  Jack’s frown was one he’d had lots of practice with. “Coming, Sergeant! Listen, Miranda, I have to explain all this to the boss or I’m going to find myself on the unemployment line tomorrow. Won’t take long.”

  “Really? A man died on my doorstep, right after we came back from a murder at the Bed and Breakfast, and now there’s a dead man in the holding cell.” She laughed, but only at the irony of it all. That much death wasn’t ever funny. “You think it isn’t going to take long to explain all of that?”

  “Yeah, you might be right. Tell you what. Go down the street to the coffee house and wait for me there, okay? I mean it. Wait for me right there. Kyle,” he said, waving his finger around at the air all around them, “you watch her and make sure she stays put until I get there, all right?”

  “Right-O, boss,” Kyle joked, flitting back and forth like a deranged humming bird to keep himself in front of Jack’s stern finger. “You can count on me.”

  “I’ll be careful,” Miranda promised. “Besides, I’m in the middle of Moonlight Bay now. What could possibly—?”

  “Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” Jack cautioned. “That’s just inviting trouble. I’ll just take you at your word for now. Okay. Wish me luck with the Sergeant.”

  Then he was gone, Weaving through the other officers on his way to the senior sergeant’s office. Everyone gave him a wide leeway, and Miranda had to assume they knew where he was heading. They must have heard their Sergeant yelling for Jack just as she had. As the senior detective at the department everything that went wrong would fall on Jack’s shoulders, fair or not. She was also getting the distinct impression that no one here really liked their Senior Sergeant. Maybe she was wrong, but usually her extra senses were pretty keyed-in to stuff like this.

  Well, the opinion everyone did or didn’t have of their Sergeant was most definitely a mystery that would wait for another day. Between Leon Peniston’s murder, and the growing mystery of her aunt’s disappearance, and now Josh Bates’ murder as well, little things like interoffice politics would remain on the back burner.

  Chapter 11

  As much as she didn’t appreciate Jack sending her to sit at a coffee house, she could certainly use a nice cup of tea and maybe a bite to eat as well. Her stomach growled even as she was thinking about it, telling her that yes, it was definitely lunch time and she hadn’t had breakfast either. Some food would be nice. Maybe one of those blueberry muffins that she liked from this place.

  “Let’s be off then, Kyle. Be glad you don’t have to eat.”

  One of the officers looked at her strangely when she said that, assuming that had been meant for him. She tried to cover with a loud cough into her cupped hand. It mostly worked. At least, she hoped it did. Even so, she waited until she was outside before she said anything else.

  “Know what you should get?” Kyle suggested. “One of those Bluetooth earphone thingumajigs. You know, the little thing that goes in your ear, so you can talk on your phone without touching the phone?”

  “I know what they are,” she said, trying not to move her lips too much. There were only a few people out on the sidewalks going from store to store, but Miranda felt like every eye was on her. “Why on Earth would I need a Bluetooth?”

  “Because if you put it in your ear while we were talking, then people would just think you were on the phone.”

  He floated along beside her, smiling from ear to ear, very proud of himself for thinking of it. Miranda had to admit, that was an excellent idea. Maybe she could pick one up while she was out today. Moonlight Bay’s pharmacy sold phone accessories. They might have one.

  “Thanks, Kyle. I think I’ll try that. Wow. Wish I’d thought of that one ages ago.”

  “Well, that’s what your spirit guide is here for. I’m just full of good ideas like that. I was thinking maybe you could let me help you with your hair sometime. I’ve got lots of ideas for that.”

  Miranda stopped abruptly and turned on him. If he’d been alive, he would have run right into her. “What’s wrong with my hair?”

  She was facing the street. The screech of
tires was loud, but if she hadn’t been angry with Kyle and turned to argue with him, she never would have seen the car racing at her at full speed.

  Her mind told her that she should run. Jump out of the way. Move. Move! It was no use. Her feet were rooted to the sidewalk, temporarily immobilized with fear and the car was right there. It was a moment that would end her life if she didn’t get out of the way.

  The car came closer, closer, closer.

  Suddenly, she was flying. Her feet were off the ground and she was magically floating up and up and out of the way of the front bumper as the vehicle swerved over the curb, right at her, and then back on the street and away.

  The whole thing took maybe two seconds, she supposed, but in her mind’s eye time was slowed down and she could see everything in very minute detail.

  The car was a red four door. The windows were tinted black. She couldn’t see the driver. It got close enough to her that she could see the spot of rust on the right front fender. It amazed her how dirty it was. Didn’t these people care about their vehicle…

  Then everything sped up again and the car was screeching back onto the road and zipping away.

  Miranda landed more or less on her feet, and then fell to her knees, her hands flat against the grainy surface of the sidewalk. It had been just like flying, the way she whooshed out from the path of that speeding car. Only, she couldn’t fly. She might be a lot of things, but an angel definitely wasn’t one of them.

  It had been Kyle, she realized now. Somehow, he’d picked her up right off her feet, and moved her far enough away to save her life. The car had never touched her.

  But Kyle did.

  She got up quickly, dusting off her hands and her pants, looking around at her ghostly friend in amazement. “How did you…? Kyle, you can barely shove my mobile across the floor and now you’re throwing me around like a rag doll?”