Hanging my head, I thought about how true that statement was. There was nothing we could do for Gerald. This time, we couldn’t race through town or hold his hand and tell him everything thing would be okay.
“Poppy, look at me.”
I lifted my head and did as Alex commanded. “You don’t have to tell me. I know.”
He cupped my chin in his palm and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on the center of my lips. Smiling, he said, “I just wanted to say I love you and I’ll see you later.”
Surprised since I’d expected him to once again remind me that I had done all a person could to help Gerald Engels, I smiled at hearing him say those words I so loved. “Oh. I thought you were going to say something else.”
“What else is there to say after you wake up next to the woman you love?” he asked with a sexy grin. “But I don’t want you to worry about Gerald. You did a great thing for him. Don’t forget that.”
“I know. I just can’t believe he’s having a setback. I was so sure he’d be okay now.”
Opening his arms, Alex said, “Come here.”
I fell into his embrace, loving the feel of his arms around me once again. I rested my head against his chest and whispered, “Please tell me there will be some good news today. Just a tiny bit of good is all I ask.”
“I second that idea,” he said against the top of my head before he kissed me again. “I better get going. I’ll call you when I hear anything, Poppy.”
“Okay.” As he let me go, I hoped we’d both get our wish. “I’m going to be working from here today, so call me on my cell.”
“Will do,” he said with a smile and then disappeared down the stairs, leaving me standing in my bedroom debating whether I should drive two towns over to grab a coffee or make myself a cup at home.
The mere thought of getting ready for the world and having to drive that far for caffeine when I had some waiting for me one floor down made the choice easy. I was too loyal to Pam and Gerry at The Grounds anyway. If they weren’t open, then my kitchen would be where I got my morning go-go drink from.
An hour later, I had that much-needed caffeine coursing through my veins and energy to tackle my work for the day as I tried not to think about Gerald Engels a few miles away at Sunset Ridge Regional. What I didn’t have was any interest since I had to write a piece on the upcoming Founders’ Day celebration yet again. Year after year, I produced the same article because my boss had whittled down my options on what I could write about to one topic.
How wonderful the Founders’ Day celebration was for the town.
Any deviation from that very narrow idea and the dreaded red pen came out. I’d tried a few years ago to inject some journalistic attempts at changing the narrative slightly, but he’d sliced and diced that article until all that was left was the basic cheerleading piece he thought was appropriate.
I hadn’t even made the article realistic, never mind negative. I’d included some references to the history of the town’s founding, but Howard said the past bored people. I’d tried to show him how the entire event was indeed historic in nature, but my explanation fell on deaf ears.
“No history, Poppy. Live in the now,” he said, waving his arms for flair. As if empty platitudes meant anything to our discussion.
But I’d obeyed his orders, so now once again, my yearly Founders’ Day Is Coming! Are You Ready? piece was due and I had to fight every instinct in my soul to write something interesting for The Eagle’s readers.
Not that Howard actually expected me to change much of anything from years past. I suspected he’d be just fine with me submitting the exact same article from last year as long as I made sure to change the dates of the event. As he liked to say every chance he could, “Facts are what keeps our newspaper a vital part of this town.”
Facts. Clearly, my boss and I had different definitions of that word.
My fingers hovered over the letters on my keyboard, ready to do their job just as soon as my brain sent the signal for them to type the words. Nothing came to me, though, except the case of the antifreeze poisoning that had already killed one man and might result in the death of yet another soon.
Needing to know his condition, I called the hospital and asked for Dr. Carter. Thankfully, he remembered me, and even though I knew he legally couldn’t tell me much, I had to ask.
“I heard Mr. Engels had taken a turn for the worse this morning. I was just hoping to find out if he’s doing better, doctor.”
The phone fell silent for a long moment, and then he said, “I can’t really say anything about his condition since you aren’t technically the police and you aren’t family, but I know you were the one who was responsible for getting him here in time the other day, so I can say this. We’re still watching him and hoping for improvement. I hope you can understand.”
The news didn’t brighten my spirits like I’d hoped it would, but it could have been much worse. Dr. Carter had given me something to hope for, so I thanked him and said goodbye, even as I prayed his patient would begin to improve.
I hung my head in sadness at the thought that even after our attempt to save him, Gerald might still die. This case had gotten under my skin. Now I worried about him and my father, who at any moment could find out somehow antifreeze had gotten into one of the drinks at McGuire’s.
My phone rang, tearing me out of my thoughts, and I answered it to find my boss already talking when I said hello.
“…the garden party in April. I loved it! The readers loved it! Do you know I got four letters telling me how much we should include more of that kind of writing in the paper, Poppy?”
“Hi, Mr. Fleming. How are you?” I asked, feeling like I’d come in at the middle of our conversation.
“I’m a little worried, to be honest. Do you know why that is?”
I hated when he did that. Like he was a professor and he thought quizzing me was the way to talk to me.
“I’m not sure. You were talking when I answered my phone, so I’m wondering if I missed you saying what’s making you so worried.”
Yes, there was a touch of smart ass in that answer, but I knew he wouldn’t pick up on it. He’d already moved on to what he’d say next as soon as the last word of his question left his mouth.
“The police blotter, Poppy. Why didn’t you include anything about Marcus Tyne being found dead outside of your father’s bar? Eagle readers deserve to know, Poppy.”
He sounded like the drool was practically spilling out of his mouth at the mere thought of a salacious story for his beloved police blotter.
“It’s an active investigation, Mr. Fleming. I can’t release any information without the approval of the police while the case is still in progress. If I did, they wouldn’t let me know another thing and your police blotter would become a weekly list of parking violations, if I was even that lucky.”
A grunting noise came through the phone followed by Howard conceding I had a valid point. “I see what you mean. Okay, but as soon as that investigation is over, I want all the pertinent details in the blotter. The people of Sunset Ridge deserve to know the facts, and it isn’t enough to have a headline or two in the paper. The police blotter is the official record of this town, Poppy.”
Somehow I doubted that to be true, but there was no point in debating the issue with him. Better to just agree and hope to be left alone.
“Will I have your Founders’ Day lead-up piece on time?” he asked, switching topics as I’d hoped.
“Yes, sir. I just finished putting the final touches on it,” I lied.
“Is it as good as always?” he asked.
I knew what that really meant. Was it similar to the past articles he’d approved?
With as much enthusiasm as I could muster for selling out, I said, “Yes, it is. You’re going to love it. It’s just what you want.”
“Excellent. Just excellent. That’s good to hear, Poppy.”
The way he said that I couldn’t help but imagine him sitting behind his desk
and steepling his fingers as he spoke. Chuckling, I said, “I better go now, Mr. Fleming. I have some work to do and I want to catch up with the police chief today too.”
Howard loved to hear I spoke to Derek, as if that was some monumental achievement. I’d know the guy since grade school. I could likely just show up at his house in my bathrobe begging for a cup of sugar in the middle of the night and he wouldn’t blink an eye. But to my boss, speaking to the police chief meant something entirely different, apparently.
“Oh, okay,” he said reverently. “I won’t keep you then. Please tell him how wonderful we all think he’s doing.”
“I will, sir. I’m sure Chief Hampton will appreciate that.”
“Fine then. I’ll see you in your office soon?”
That was Howard’s passive-aggressive way of telling me he wanted me working in my office more often. I found it strange that someone who could be so unrelentingly aggressive on some issues turned into the kind of boss who didn’t feel comfortable telling me to come into the office.
I used it to my advantage, though, so I had no reason to complain.
“Absolutely. I’ll see you bright and early Monday, Mr. Fleming.”
His happiness came through the phone loud and clear. “Wonderful! And Poppy, I want you to think of some ideas for a piece on the antiquing craze in the area. That man’s death made me realize we really should do something on that. I think our readers will love it.”
And right then and there he returned to the unfeeling man I’d so gotten used to in the past few years. Nothing like capitalizing on another person’s untimely demise.
“Yes, sir. I’m on it.”
My boss’s phone call brought my mind back to the case, and I looked at the time to see only an hour had passed since the last time I checked. With every minute that ticked by, the chances that my father would be implicated in this crime became more and more likely, at least in my worried mind.
I couldn’t stay cooped up in my house all day waiting for Alex to call with the results of those tests or I’d go stir crazy. I needed to do something to take my mind off this case, but what?
Whenever my mother could, she liked to go on picnics. She claimed there was no way anyone could be in a bad mood sitting on a blanket spread out on the ground eating things like fried chicken and cole slaw. Looking out the window, I saw a perfect day for a picnic. I could grab some food, a thermos of iced tea, and a blanket and then all I’d have to do was convince Alex to join me.
I just hoped it worked and I could get my mind off waiting for those test results from the health department and news from the hospital.
Armed with all the fixings necessary for a picnic lunch, I grabbed my purse and headed out the back door only to find Jared waiting on my porch with two cups of coffee in his hands. With a smile, he extended his arm to give me one, but I shook my head.
“What are you doing here, Jared? Why are you lurking on my back porch in the middle of the day?” I asked sharply.
Giving me the puppy dog eyes that had always worked on me when we were together, he said, “I hoped you’d accept my apology.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong the other day that you have to apologize for. I really need to get going. I have plans.”
He stepped in front of me to block my path and smiled. “I meant I really wanted to apologize for what I did. You know, with Cicely. I’m sorry, Poppy. I was a fool and never should have left you.”
The picnic basket suddenly felt like a lead weight in my hand, so I rested it on the arm of an Adirondack chair and corrected him. “You didn’t just leave me. You cheated on me with some tart from the grocery store at the very bed and breakfast you were supposed to be checking out for our honeymoon and then ran off with that Savings King chick Cicely leaving me to cancel our wedding.”
He actually looked like hearing the laundry list of his offenses bothered him. With a sheepish look, he said, “I know. I was stupid. I want to make it up to you.”
Then before I could refuse, he touched my arm and looked into my eyes in that way that never failed to make me melt inside all those years ago. “Let me take you out to dinner tonight. It can be like old times. I know how much you like Diamanti’s.”
But that was then and this was now, and I wasn’t doing any melting as he tried to convince me to do what he wanted. I couldn’t deny Jared was still so very smooth and before Alex came along I might have fallen for his charm, but no more.
“I don’t think Alex would appreciate me going to dinner with my ex, but thanks. You don’t have to do anything, Jared. I’m happy now, so I wish you well. Right now, I need to go and meet my boyfriend for lunch, so have a good day.”
Jared stood staring at me with his mouth hanging open, likely shocked that I didn’t fall at his feet as I always had before. He didn’t get a chance to say another thing before I bounded down the stairs to my car. Throwing the picnic basket in the back seat, I sped out of there as quickly as possible so I didn’t have to deal with any more of his attempts to woo me back.
For the first time in days, a tiny part of me felt incredible. If it weren’t for the fact that my father remained in the middle of a murder investigation and the man I helped to save barely clung to life, it would have been a terrific day.
I found Alex hunched over his laptop scowling at what he saw on the screen. Flush from my personal victory and hoping to put the terrible events of the past few days out of my brain for at least a few minutes, I swung the picnic basket from my arm and tried to tempt my workaholic cop boyfriend to tear himself away from his desk.
“There’s a picnic waiting for us, Alex, so what do you say to lunch in the park near Candy’s Cuts?”
“I really should be doing work,” he said as he leaned away from his computer, looking exhausted at only noon.
Clearly, I’d have to put more effort into persuading him.
“It’s a beautiful day and a beautiful woman is dangling a picnic basket in front of you, so you have to give in and go with her. You need a break from all this as much as I do, so come on.”
Slowly, a smile spread across his lips. Nodding, he stood and came around his desk to take the basket from me. “I can’t say no to you, Poppy. You’re too convincing.”
Squeezing his forearm, I teased, “I am, so let’s go and for the next thirty to sixty minutes we’ll enjoy a nice lunch on a blanket on the ground on this beautiful May day and pretend everything’s perfectly fine.”
He looked down at me, arching one eyebrow skeptically. “Is everything okay, Poppy? You seem different.”
“I am different, but I’ll tell you about that at another time. Right now, that beautiful day is waiting, so let’s go.”
Alex didn’t press me for what had changed to make me different, thankfully. I’d give him all the details about how I’d finally seen karma at work with Jared later, but for now, I just wanted to enjoy lunch with the man I loved.
Chapter Eleven
Seated on the white and blue checkered tablecloth I’d spread out on the ground under a large oak tree, we enjoyed the warmth of the beautiful spring day as we ate our ham and cheese sandwiches I’d packed after a quick check of the refrigerator showed me I didn’t have any chicken to make my mother’s famous friend chicken recipe. A few yards away, a little boy pulled clumps of grass up and tossed them behind him as his mother watched.
“This was a good idea, Poppy,” Alex said. Pouring himself a paper cup of iced tea, he added, “Just what I needed after spending hours in the office.”
“When you aren’t even supposed to be working,” I said, giving him a look that conveyed I disapproved with how much time he spent at the station.
Alex leaned back on his hands and shook his head. “I didn’t feel right not doing something on this case, even though we’re stuck in a holding pattern until those damn test results come back.”
Although I wanted to remind him that actually being at the station meant he was, in fact, doing something, I sensed he wouldn’t
take my teasing well, so I asked, “Did you find anything that could help us understand what’s going on?”
“No,” he answered with a heavy sigh. “Other than that problem last year with Marcus Tyne, neither man seems to have been on the police radar or anyone else’s, for that matter. It’s like they suddenly appeared at McGuire’s Monday night just in time for everything to happen. I hate to say it, but I’m baffled.”
“And those test results aren’t going to solve that,” I said before taking a drink of tea.
“I know. All that will do is tell us where they may have ingested the antifreeze, although if it’s at your father’s bar, that’s going to make it twice as hard since he had all those people there that night.”
I liked that he used the word if when he referred to the bar. The possibility that the health department’s tests would likely show Marcus Tyne and Gerald Engels drank the poison at McGuire’s made my heart skip a beat every time I thought about it, but I knew it was just a matter of time before I may have to deal with that reality and what it would do to my father.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Derek walking toward us. He wore a stern expression, which made me wonder if Alex was about to be dressed down for spending time in the park when he should be back at the station working on the case. If Derek planned to give him a hard time, I planned to mention the fact that Alex wasn’t even scheduled this morning if he didn’t say it first.
“Enjoying the park, you two?” the chief said as he stopped at the edge of the tablecloth and looked down at us.
“Hi, Derek. Fancy meeting you here,” I said with a smile, ready to get serious if I needed to.
He smiled and shook his head like I’d said something crazy. “I hear you saw your ex since he’s back in town, Poppy. I would have mentioned something to you if I thought he planned to go anywhere near you. I hope you know that.”
Surprised at his admission that he’d spent time with Jared, I said without missing a beat, “I would hope so, Derek. I mean, the guy might be a good guy to you, but what he did to me, one of your friends, wasn’t okay at all.”
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