Prologue to Murder

by Lauren Elliott

  “I’ve become well versed in the manner in which Miss Greyborne theorizes an investigation,” Simon responded, his eyes narrowed. “Which has led me to become a true believer in her abilities to see what others often miss because they are far too focused on facts and the reality of what they think they see as opposed to what really is right in front of them.”

  “You’re a philosopher now, too?” Marc smirked.

  Simon took a step forward. “I don’t need to be to know what she is capable of. Do you know?”

  “Okay, let’s all take a break.” Addie stepped between the two men for the second time in two days. “A time-out for coffee, anyone?”

  Marc held his position, as did Simon. She shook her head and looked at a snickering Serena. “What?”

  “Nothing,” Serena chuckled.

  Marc puffed out his chest, adjusted his holster belt, and rocked back on his heels. Simon appeared ready to explode with laughter. Marc grunted and took a step past Simon toward the door. “Wait, Chief,” Simon said, “you might want to stay to hear what I found out this morning.” His eyes twinkled with the spark of a mischievous child.

  Marc’s face held a flat expression.

  “I’m curious,” said Addie.

  “Me, too,” echoed Serena.

  Simon turned his back on the unyielding human statue planted firmly by the doorway. “I made an early visit to your friend Zach.” He nodded at Serena, who broke out into a grin. “The restaurant told me he only worked the evenings and said I’d be able to find him at the wellness clinic most days, so I dropped in.”

  “And? How is he today? I haven’t spoken to him yet.”

  “He’s just fine and asked me to say hello from him, and that he’d catch you later.”

  Serena brought her hands to her heart and moaned.

  Addie couldn’t resist an eye roll.

  “He really is a very nice person. You’ve done well for yourself.” Simon winked at her.

  “Blah, blah, blah. What did he say about the tea?” Addie asked.

  “Really? No niceties? All work with you?”

  “Sorry, but the suspense is killing me.” Addie pouted.

  Simon sat down on a crate, casually examining her work on the blackboard.

  “Simon,” she growled.

  “Give me a minute.” He raised his hand. “It’s the scientist in me.” He glanced sideways at Marc, still looming by the door. “I’m studying your links here. Aha, there it is.”

  “There what is?” she cried in exasperation.

  “That gut feeling of yours.” He grinned up at her.

  She looked at the board, then back at him. “I don’t understand.”

  “Me, neither.” Serena slid onto the crate next to him.

  “See there, where you have Jeanie’s name and tea with a question mark.”

  “Yes.” Addie motioned with her hands.

  “Well, you can write tea beside June’s name, too. No question mark.”

  Addie clapped her hands. “You got the results back on the tea?”

  “Yes, once I found out what I was looking for. And we have Serena’s friend and his profession to thank for that.”

  Serena blushed and grinned.

  “Actually, Zach wasn’t positive when I handed him the baggie to smell. He thought it might contain valerian root, which is what gave it that foul, dirt-like aroma. So, he asked his mentor, Dr. Lee, to figure it out. Dr. Lee agreed with him, but he also taste-tested a small sample and said it had a slightly bitter, nutlike under-note to it and surmised it also contained ground Strychnos nux-vomica, which is a plant found commonly in India, Sri Lanka, and the East Indies, as well as Australia.”

  “And what does that mean?” Addie hovered over him.

  “Strychnine,” gasped Serena.

  “Bingo.” Simon pointed to her. “She gets a gold star.”

  Addie looked at Marc, who had edged closer to the group. “Did you rerun June’s autopsy blood sample?”

  “Yes. I’ve just concluded it contained valerian root, an herbal relaxant. The synthetic version of it is Valium, which has similar effects to those of the plant. There are also traces of strychnine.”

  “What about Jeanie’s blood work you took the other day?”

  “Not yet. I’ll run it again this afternoon.”

  Marc drew his notepad from his jacket pocket and began to write.

  Addie studied the board, tapping the chalk piece on her chin. Serena leapt up and wiped the chalk beard from her friend’s face. Addie pushed her hand away, laughing.

  Serena’s cell vibrated. “I don’t believe this.”

  “What?” Addie peered over her shoulder.

  “The nerve of her.” She looked at Addie, her eyes blazing. “It’s from Lacey. She’s just arrived and demands to know why SerenaTEA is closed at lunchtime, and then in all caps she writes, ‘WHERE ARE YOU? IS MARC WITH YOU? I SEE HIS CAR OUT FRONT!!! ’”

  Without looking up from his notepad, Marc grunted, “It sounds like you’ve got some explaining to do if you don’t want your cover blown.”

  “So do you, mister.” She shoved her phone back into her jeans pocket and stomped past him out the door.

  Simon looked questioningly at Addie.

  “I’ll explain it to you later,” she mouthed.

  He nodded.

  Marc snapped his notepad closed and put it in his pocket. “I’d better be off, too. Think I’ve got everything I need from you today.” He smiled at Addie.

  She liked the way the corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled, and that familiar flutter in her chest made her knees quiver. He stopped in the door, tapped his hand on the frame, and turned around. “I assume we’re still on for Founder’s Day Eve?”

  She felt Simon’s eyes bore into her.

  “I’ll catch you later.” He double tapped the frame, his lips turning up at the corners when he glanced at Simon, and then left.

  Simon sat silent, staring at the floor. Addie wanted to say something, to explain, but his body language told her no words could take away what he had just heard. He stood up and walked toward the door.

  “Simon, wait. Let me explain.”

  He waved his hands in the air without turning around. “No need. I got the message loud and clear.”

  “It’s not what you think.”

  “Isn’t it?” He spun toward her. “I asked you to give me a shot when you decided you were ready, and it seems you are. Guess I’ll just take a number and stand in line.”

  “No, don’t go!” Her words fell on the empty space between them as he walked out the door.

  She stamped her foot, fighting back tears. She knew there was something between her and Marc, something she couldn’t understand and never had. But there was something between Simon and her, too. What it was, she didn’t know. She only knew she couldn’t let it end like this. She bolted toward the door and slammed right into him.

  He grabbed her shoulders and steadied her. “We really have to quit meeting like this.”

  She struggled to fill her burning lungs. “You didn’t leave?” she gasped.

  He shook his head and tilted her chin up, his eyes as calming as a still summer morning sky, and her breathing came easier. “I decided that you were worth fighting for, and if I have to take a number and stand in line, I’m willing to wait out your rebound to Marc.”

  “What makes you think Marc’s a rebound?”

  “Let’s just say I’m banking on studied patterns of human behavior. If I’m wrong, then so be it. You’ll have made your choice, and all I want is for you to be truly happy. You deserve it.”

  “Simon. I’m sorry. None of this has gone the way I expected. I thought Marc and I were done, and then he said that about Founder’s Day Eve and . . . I just don’t know what’s going on anymore.” She gave a quivering smile. “But I guess you don’t want to hear that, do you?”

  “I will admit that the less I hear about him the better.”

  “Okay.” She nodded. “Y
ou and I have what we have, and that’s all that matters when we’re together. His name, in future, will be unmentionable.”

  “Considering the circumstances, with him being the chief of police and you working as a certified amateur sleuth, and, well, me being the county coroner, that might prove harder than it sounds.”

  “We’ll make it work. It has so far.” She smiled up at him. Her cheeks warmed with that familiar flush she couldn’t hide when she looked into his eyes.

  “That’s the Addie I know.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “But I have to run. I’m already late for my afternoon shift. Chat soon.” He dashed off, waving at her over his head.

  Addie watched his long strides take him out the door. The chimes over his head rang in her ears like a heavenly melody, and she smiled, sighing. She glanced at Paige, who quickly averted her eyes to the books in front of her on the counter. The undeniable smirk on her face told Addie she had witnessed the entire scene with Simon.

  Addie straightened her shoulders, held her head high, and did her best to impersonate a professional adult businesswoman while fighting the flip-flops her heart was doing in her chest. She took a deep breath and strode to the counter. “It’s past lunchtime. Did you eat?”

  “Yes, I dashed next door to grab a sandwich.”

  “From the bakery?”

  “Yeah, I didn’t want to close, since there were customers, but I was starving, so I just popped out. It was the fastest choice I could see. I hope that’s okay.”

  Addie thought for a moment, then nodded. “Sure, I guess. After all, I was here. It’s not like the store was left unattended or anything.”

  “I knew you were busy in the back, and I didn’t want to interrupt . . . especially when . . . well, the meeting size grew.” Her rosy cheeks darkened, and she grabbed a marking pen from under the counter.

  Addie pursed her lips and nodded. “Glad you managed to eat. By the looks of the empty shelves, you’ve been busier than I thought. You should have poked your head in and asked for help.”

  “I started to once, but it didn’t look like a good time to interrupt, so, well, I managed.”

  “Was your mother there? In the bakery when you popped in?”

  Paige nodded. “She started grilling me about you and why the police had been here all morning. Needless to say, I was back in minutes, but on the upside, my sandwich was free. So I have money to buy Emma a treat after dinner tonight.”

  “Who’s Emma?”

  Paige looked down at the book she held in her hand. “My daughter.”

  So it wasn’t a rumor. “You never told me you have a daughter.” Addie was completely taken aback, but more so, she was a little hurt. “Why wouldn’t you say something about that after all this time?”

  “I wasn’t sure you’d understand or approve because . . . I’m not married.”

  “I’m certainly not the one to judge anyone else. I live in a glass house, too, as most people do. How old is she?”

  “She’s just about two.”

  “A handful, I expect.”

  “You have no idea.” Paige laughed. “The day care tells me she’s a holy terror there, too.”

  “No wonder that some days you look like you haven’t had a wink of sleep. Now I know why.” Addie reached over and patted her hand. “If there’s anything I can do to help you and Emma out, let me know.”

  “I will, thanks.”

  “Good. Well, we do have some work in the back since there’s a lull in walk-in traffic. I found some books to fill all those empty shelves with when you get some time.”

  “Now would be a great time.” She grabbed an empty book cart from beside the counter and rolled it toward the back room.

  Addie watched her young assistant. She certainly was a go-getter, and it made her proud. After hearing she was also juggling the responsibilities of single parenting, her heart went out to her. She remembered how hard it had been on her father. She wished she could do more to help ease the burden. A raise was out of the question right now. Cash flow in the store had become too erratic lately. She turned toward the empty book display window, sure she’d come up with something.

  “Paige,” she called, “do we have an expected time of delivery for June’s books from the printer yet?”

  Paige’s head popped out the back room door. “The courier’s here now.”

  “Perfect, I’ll start working on this.” She went to the back of the sales counter and plucked the pirate flag from the bottom storage shelf. She shook out the creases and stood back. Her eye went immediately to the spear stabbing at the heart. A vision of what lay at the bottom of the box that had been left on her porch raced through her mind, and she dropped the flag on the counter.

  “Are you okay?”

  She took a deep breath and nodded at Paige. “Fine.”

  “Here’s six copies of the book. Do you think that’s enough for the window?”

  “It should be fine.” Addie glanced at the flag and shivered. “There’s some other books about pirate ghosts and hauntings in the crates. Grab a few of those, and we’ll piggyback them in the display with these.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “And here.” She handed Paige the flag. “Try to find a piece of cardboard or something to mount this on so I can stand it up behind the books.”

  Paige nodded, grabbed the flag, and headed to the back.

  Addie gripped the counter. She took a deep breath to calm the queasiness still churning in the pit of her stomach from seeing the flag again. Picking up the books Paige had brought up, she studied the empty window and tried to distract her mind from how the flag appeared to her in the box. She tapped her finger to her chin, refocusing on the ghostly pirate images she wanted to create with the books, but the fixed image of a death threat directed toward her was all that emerged.

  She gasped and leaned forward into the bay window. The black-haired man, Steven, stood across the street in front of the park. A silver sedan pulled up, a tall, blond-haired man jumped out, and the car pulled away. Steven looked at his watch and turned into the park. The fair-haired man checked both ways over his shoulders and followed behind him.

  “Here are the books you wanted.” Paige rolled the cart up beside Addie.

  “Paige, see that blond guy going into the park?”

  Paige stood on tiptoe and peered out. “Yes. Why?”

  “Do you know who he is?”

  She squinted. “It looks like Dean Davenport, why?”

  “Interesting.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Addie’s PI radar was running in overdrive. She glanced over her shoulder at Paige, who was busy restocking the empty historical fiction section, and looked back at the park. “While you’re doing that, I’m going to run out for a minute.” She dashed through the door and nearly knocked Gloria, from the book club, off her feet. “Sorry, sorry.” Addie gripped her shoulders, steadying her.

  Gloria patted her heaving chest, laughing.

  “Gloria! I’m just mortified, I hope you’re—”

  “Never mind. No harm done.” She waved off Addie. “I’m just glad I caught you, or you me,” she giggled, “before you were gone.”

  Addie glanced over Gloria’s head to the park, frowned, and then eyed the furry bundle in Gloria’s arms. “Is that your dog?”

  “Yes.” She gave the small dog tucked under her arm a poochy-smooch. “This is Pippi, my Yorkie-poo and best friend.”

  “Pippi? What a cute name, and such an adorable dog.” Addie raised her hand to pat its head and stopped. “Does it like strangers?”

  “Oh, yes, she goes everywhere with me, don’t you, Pippi?” She kissed the dog’s nose, and it licked her face. “I named her after my favorite book character from when I was a child. Pippi Longstocking.”

  “I loved that series, and you aren’t going to believe this, but we have the whole collection inside.”

  “You do? I’m afraid I still only have one or two, and I do miss reading them so much. I should buy som
e, and then I could read them to my own Pippi.” She snuggled the dog and kissed its head again.

  “Tell you what, why don’t I take Pippi for a short walk in the park? You go in and have a look at the collection, and I’ll be right back so you can see if Pippi agrees with your book choices.”

  “Wonderful idea. She’s in need of her constitutional anyway. Here, you’ll need this.” Gloria produced an unused doggy doo-doo bag from her pocket.

  Addie took Pippi from Gloria’s outstretched arms and dashed across the street to the park entrance. She set the little dog down and clasped the leash tight. “Okay, doggy, you look after your business, and I’ll look after mine.” With a yip from Pippi and a deep breath from Addie, they headed off in the same direction that the two men had gone in.

  Addie’s jaunt proved to be frustrating, to say the least. When she wanted to turn left, the dog became distracted by a scent and veered right. It became a constant battle of wills between the two alpha females, but finally Addie was successful. The two reached an understanding that she was in charge, and Pippi soon trotted along obediently at her side. After she could focus her attention on her mission, it didn’t take long for her to spot the two men standing shoulder to shoulder beside the utility shed at the rear of the library, deep in conversation.

  Addie quickly turned away and led Pippi to a tree trunk to investigate the new and wonderful scents that she might find at its base, all the while keeping an eye over her shoulder on the men. She fished her cell out of her jeans pocket. Stretchy skinny jeans might look and feel good, but they were too hard to dig a cell phone out of some days. She strained and then almost dropped it when it did come free. She eyed the men and snapped some photos over her shoulder before Pippi yanked on the leash, tangling it around the tree trunk.

  When she had untangled Pippi, she looked back just in time to see the men shake hands and the black-haired man head off toward the library. The fair-haired one who Paige identified as Dean Davenport turned and began walking in her direction. She pulled Pippi around the back side of the large maple tree, circling around it as he moved past them. When all was clear, she stepped out and hurried to the street to catch a glimpse of which direction he had headed in. Too late. Pippi had decided it was time for her constitutional and couldn’t be budged.