SSM01 - School Lunch is Murder

by Zelenka, Cheryl

  Trusting her inner voice, she mustered up the courage to speak about the death.

  “Mandy, I have something difficult to share and I want you to stay as calm as possible. It will be somewhat of a shock, but for your baby’s sake, you need to resist the urge to freak out.”

  That certainly got Mandy’s attention. She put down her half eaten slice of salami and took a big breath. Sadie continued, “This morning, I stopped by Room four to introduce myself to Miss Quiche.”

  “Uh, huh.”

  “She was on the floor in her classroom reading corner.”

  “Was she meditating? She sometimes does that before picking up her students. In fact, she often gets to school several hours early so she can meditate in a quiet spot. She likes getting to work before everyone else. Her apartment is under construction and the noisy chaos really bothers her.”

  “She was on her back, out cold.”

  Mandy looked alarmed. “What? Oh dear! You mean she was drunk; or, do you mean sleeping, as in a catnap?”

  “Well, Mandy, you could say she was sleeping, but not how you think. She was sleeping eternally.”

  It took a minute for the meaning behind her words to register. Slowly, Mandy’s eyes grew as big as saucers and filled with tears. Sadie could tell she was trying very hard to keep her emotions in check, but Penny’s death was obviously a shock.

  Sadie held her friend’s hand as she shared the rest of the details from that morning. Mandy remained silent, but nodded her head a few times and accepted the tissue she was offered. Together, they sat in silence for nearly five minutes.

  Then Mandy surprised her by saying, “As far as I know, which isn’t a whole bunch, Penny didn’t have any serious health problems. So, why she’s dead is beyond me! But Sadie, I liked her and we were starting to get real close. You know, being my grade partner and all.

  Well, anyway, we’d often ditch the staff room and have lunch together in my room. She was always eating a salad. It made me a bit self-conscious when I ate a big meatball sandwich in front of her, but she never lectured me about my cravings for meat. Yep, forget pickles and jelly beans. I’ve been craving protein throughout my pregnancy. Weird, huh?”

  Sadie grinned as she scanned the Genoa salami and large cheese ball that had nearly disappeared over their two cups of coffee. The mention of pregnancy cravings sent a painful twinge to her heart.

  “At least I didn’t have to deal with cravings when I adopted my son, Luke.”

  Mandy recalled the trying time her friend endured when her son’s biological aunt changed her mind late in the adoption process, deciding she wanted to adopt Luke after all. It was a real time of testing for Sadie. Thankfully, the aunt changed her mind again and agreed to let Sadie have full custody. Mandy re-directed her attention to the matter at hand. “Well now, let’s see. One day Penny confided she was suffering from acute anxiety. Her holistic doctor prescribed a sprinkle of dried hemlock on her morning salad. Well, my jaw must have dropped clear down to the floor because she then did her best to reassure me of how safe it was, in small doses.

  Penny said dried Hemlock lost much of its poisonous properties. She showed me a bottle filled with the stuff. It kind of looked like dried parsley to me. Furthermore, she said hemlock was an effective cure for many ailments. It was not only prescribed for acute anxiety, but epilepsy, bronchitis, migraines, asthma, whooping cough, and Parkinson’s disease. Go figure! I still think playing with poison is dangerous, but she liked her doctor and trusted her advice.”

  “Mandy, I know Hemlock is used as a medicine by some holistic doctors but I agree, I would hesitate to use it. All parts of the plant are toxic. In fact, I’ve heard that the poisons in hemlock are so deadly people have died after eating game birds that consumed hemlock seeds! and, Miss Quiche had it on school grounds. That was careless and irresponsible! What if a student had opened the bottle and downed a tablespoon of the stuff. Scary to imagine, right?

  I’ll have to share this information with Officer Flores. Maybe she can interview her doctor and find out who was supplying the hemlock. I know it resembles Queen Anne’s Lace or carrot tops, so it might be growing in several of our community gardens, possibly unintentionally.”

  Sadie stood up and gave her friend a hug. She said good-bye; thankful the awful news had not pushed Mandy over the edge. As she stepped out into the cool autumn air she encouraged Mandy to get some rest and make her husband Teddy finish the baby’s nursery. She knew it would be a challenge for Mandy to let go of the project, but Ted really did have a knack for interior design.

  “He’ll make your baby’s room an amazing place for all of you to enjoy. Trust him, he won’t disappoint you!” With that, Sadie climbed into her silver Kia Sorento and headed off to E Street.

  CHAPTER SIX: Pizza Dinner

  “I sure hope Dora finished her interviews at Fort Follyfield and is back at the police station. A pizza from Wild River Pizza sounds really good, so I think I’ll pick one up and take it over to the station. I bet she didn’t have time for lunch and is pretty much starving by now.”

  Dora and Sadie both shared a love for wood-fired pizzas, especially the Hog Creek from Wild River, which was covered in Canadian style bacon and pineapple. She decided to order an extra large when her stomach grumbled, reminding her she hadn’t had lunch either. The phosphate from that afternoon was but a distant memory.

  As she waited in the restaurant lobby, Sadie reflected on how much she loved living in the small city of Rogue Valley. Neighbors were friendly and helpful. When walking her dogs around the neighborhood, she often left her front door unlocked. Everything was close by, so little time was wasted driving from one place to the next. There were only two main streets running through the town and they were both one-ways. If you missed your mark, you had to go around the block to get back to your destination. The Rogue River ran through the center of town and was always busy in the summer with rafting excursions and jet boats.

  In just 20 minutes, Sadie was back in her car with a freshly made pizza. The cheesy pie filled her Sorento with a delicious aroma. She seriously considered grabbing a slice and eating it in her car. However, after a second thought, she let the idea pass since the police station was just two minutes away.

  When she drove up to the police station, she found a parking spot right by the front door. Grabbing the pizza and her keys, she locked the car door and went inside. Sure enough, Dora was at her computer still dressed in uniform. She was adding some last minute details to her report before heading home. Not much happened at night in Rogue Valley, so the city only kept two officers on duty during the evening shift.

  Smelling the pizza, Dora looked up. While Sadie continued walking towards her friend, Dora grabbed her belly and groaned out loud. “Please tell me that’s a Hog Creek with a ton of Canadian bacon. You’re gonna share that beast with your best friend, right?” Dora put on her most pitiful face and waited for an answer, pretending to be in agony.

  “Well, I did order an extra -large, so there might be a slice I can throw your way.”

  Dora snickered then pressed save and send on her computer. “What a day! I was so busy I didn’t have time for lunch, so you’ve really made my day by bringing that masterpiece of taste perfection to the station.”

  Dora looked over at the night shift and yelled, “Sorry boys, all ours!” laughing at the dejected faces of her fellow officers, Dora stood up.

  “Can we go to the staff lounge to eat this, Dora? I just had an interesting conversation with Mandy Golden and I want to know what you think.”

  “If it’s about the suspicious death of Miss Quiche, I definitely want to hear about it. In fact, I had some very interesting interviews with the Fort Follyfield staff today. I’d like to run them past you. Are you up for it? Oh, and the autopsy report should be on my desk tomorrow morning.”

  Dora didn’t hesitate to grab a slice of pizza the minute Sadie laid the box on the coffee table. The lounge was small but quiet. There was a second-hand so
fa and two armchairs by the only window in the room. The walls were beige and in need of a new coat of paint. A tiny kitchen area boasted a small fridge with a coffee pot sitting on the counter.

  “Ok, shoot.” Dora took a huge bite of the pizza and looked directly at her friend.

  “Hey, I’m hungry too, ya know.” Sadie grabbed a slice of the pizza and took an even bigger bite.

  “Why don’t you start? Tell me what you discovered when you interviewed da staff dis mornin’?” Sadie had so much pizza in her mouth she could hardly speak.

  Fearing her friend would choke, Dora said, “Fine! But I’m also gonna talk with my mouth full, so don’t complain about my bad manners. Geesh!” Dora wiped her greasy fingers on her pants, not bothering to locate a napkin.

  Sadie smiled, swallowed, nodded, and took another giant bite.

  “First I interviewed your office manager, Fanny. She confided that she was a recovered gambling addict and regularly attended Gambler’s Anonymous meetings in Medford. Furthermore, she shared she was Penny Quiche’s sponsor. I predict that bad habit Penny mentioned to Principal Pardon was her compulsive gambling habit.”

  “Ouch! Compulsive gambling can be devastating.” Sadie replied between bites.

  “Yes, especially if you’ve lost your entire inheritance because of it.”

  “What? Oh, that’s so sad, Dora! I can’t imagine losing my entire nest egg due to a gambling problem. At least she was trying to get some help.”

  Dora nodded and grabbed another large slice, taking a bite from the crust end she closed her eyes and smiled with pleasure. Any man observing the two ladies, as they wolfed down the pizza, would have smiled and appreciated their healthy appetites. After taking a minute to chew and swallow a few more bites, Dora continued.

  ”Okay, so now on to the self-absorbed, Mr. Blahart. Did you know he was dating Penny and she dumped him last month for Dustin Ferril, your custodian? I had an interesting conversation with Mr. Blahart’s mom after I left Fort Follyfield. I guess Dustin and Penny both liked to gamble and would frequently head off to the Seven Feathers Casino Resort in Canyonville.”

  “Gee, Dora, I had no idea Dustin and Penny were dating. In fact, I thought Edith and Dustin were a couple. I saw them this afternoon at the Pharmacy, arm-in-arm. In all honesty, I don’t consider either man much of a catch.”

  Sadie was still looking for her knight in shining armor and wouldn’t settle for anything less than a perfect match, even if that meant she had to look under some rock in Timbuktu and embrace a gentleman sporting a bad comb-over.

  “Mr. Blahart purchased an engagement ring from Hart’s Jewelers, the shop on 6th Street. He actually proposed to Penny at our favorite Italian restaurant, The Bistro. I located the waitress who served them after I left Mrs. Blahart’s home. The server remembers the night because he asked her to put the engagement ring in a glass of Chardonnay.” Dora picked at the pineapple on her pizza.

  “Not very original, but I guess it’s better than asking the chef to hide the ring in a slice of lasagna or some of their awesome minestrone soup!” Dora and Sadie both smirked.

  “Well, according to Mrs. Blahart, Penny had second thoughts just a few days after the proposal and called the whole thing off!”

  Biting her lip, Sadie blurted, “Ouch, that had to hurt! Hey, wait a minute. Did you happen to notice Penny’s right hand? She was wearing a ring that looked a lot like an engagement ring. Weird. Do you think she forgot to give back Mr. Blahart’s ring?”

  “Yep, I did observe the ring and nope on forgetting to give it back. Mrs. Blahart said Penny returned the ring just a day later during their lunch break. Her son wasted no time in returning it to Hart’s. They gave him a full refund. Good thing he didn’t stick the ring in some greasy lasagna after all, right? Heh, Heh. Anyway, all this information is in my report, but I still need to investigate a bit further. I want to know the details behind that diamond ring.” Cocking her head to see if Sadie was still listening, Dora continued.

  “You know, I totally agree with your comment about both men lacking charm. Neither one can boast of having blue ribbons in gallantry or knighthood. You see, Mr. Blahart has a reputation for being a rude son-of-a-gun and for cheating on his ladies while Mr. Ferril has a police record. Dustin was just a teen when he got into trouble, but Judge Lindy did sentence him to a six-month stay at juvenile hall for his part in a robbery at Blind George’s Popcorn Stand. I guess he had a concealed weapon.”

  Sadie shook her head. “My, my, the secrets tucked away in our small city! Anything else to share, or can I tell you about my conversation with Mandy?”

  “Yes, I do have one more tidbit. Did you know the cafeteria’s head cook, Kathy Crispman, is Dustin Ferril’s mother? She divorced a few years ago and changed back to her maiden name.”

  “No, I didn’t know they were related, but is it important?” Sadie queried. “Our School District allows family members to work at the same location.”

  “That isn’t my concern. What I’m curious about is why Kathy and Dustin kept their relationship a secret.

  When I interviewed Ms. Crispman this afternoon, I discovered the reason she applied for the head cook position at Fort Follyfield. It turns out she was very lonely when her son moved out a year ago, and he wasn’t coming by to visit her. She took the job to be near her son.” Dora gazed at Sadie and waited for her reaction.

  “Huh, well she just sounds like a helicopter mom who never learned to stop hovering.” Sadie was on her fourth slice of pizza and showed no sign of slowing down. She still had two more slices left.

  “I know, but I’ll bet you anything Dustin was annoyed when she crossed that work boundary and invaded his space.” Dora stood up and walked into the small kitchen. She took a bottled water from the fridge.

  “Maybe, but how does this information help in determining the cause of Penny’s death?” Sadie started in on her fifth slice and eyed the last piece on her side of the pizza.

  “It doesn’t. I just find it interesting that the staff at Fort Follyfield don’t know they’re related. It could be nothing.” Dora took a swig from her water.

  “Maybe Dustin asked his mom to keep it under her hat. It could be that he was afraid of getting harangued, or called a mama’s boy by our dear Mr. Blahart. That man can be so insensitive and tactless. I can’t understand how he gets dates. I’ll admit he’s easy on the eyes, but his personality is sorely lacking.”

  Sadie fished inside her purse for a dollar and bought a Coke from the soda dispenser. Gliding back to the sofa she jeered,

  “Do you have any more secrets to unveil or are you finished with your disclosure, Officer Flores?”

  Charmed by Sadie’s physical comedy, her gliding had looked like a kid sliding across the floor in socks, Dora beamed, “Nope, that’s it. But we certainly have a few suspects to investigate, if we find Miss Quiche didn’t die of natural causes.”

  “Let’s hope it was natural causes! But seriously, it’s my turn to talk. Mandy shared some information you really need to hear.”

  Her friend’s sudden need for a serious moment tickled Dora, “Okay, so now she wants to gab. The pizza’s just about gone. There may be a carb coma in her near future so I guess I should let her speak.” Dora still had two meaty slices on her plate. She made a reference to a “cerdo” in the lounge, but Sadie just oinked and picked up her last slice.

  “You’ve got to hear what Mandy told me about Penny’s anxiety problem and what her holistic doctor prescribed.”

  Taking one last bite, Sadie patted her tummy. It only took a few minutes for her to relay the entire conversation. It left Dora vexed and nearly speechless. Nearly.

  “You’re kidding! Doctors actually prescribe hemlock for anxiety? That’s just too much. She didn’t say who this holistic doctor was by any chance?”

  “No, sorry. She just referred to the doctor as she, so, at least, we know the doc’s a female. But that’s all Mandy could tell me. You’ll have to do your own sleuthing tomorro
w. I can’t do both of our jobs and remain as glamorous as this.” Sadie struck a pose and shook her hips.

  “Bwah-ha-ha. So funny. Oh, wait! Did I forget notto laugh?” Dora pointed out a big tomato stain on Sadie’s chest or ‘shelf’ as her well-endowed friend liked to say when referring to her bosom.

  “Oh shoot! I thought I got through the day without a mishap.”

  Dora giggled until she made Sadie laugh too.

  Both ladies were tired and it took a minute for them to regain their composure. Dora finished her last slice of the pizza and proceeded. “Well, all kidding aside, we don’t have many holistic doctors in River Valley, or in the surrounding cities for that matter. It’ll be a short list and a quick search, especially when I eliminate all male doctors. You know, I’m not against holistic medicine, but it really disturbs me that a doctor is prescribing poison as a means to treat acute anxiety.”

  “And other ailments, including migraines and asthma, for goodness sakes. Do you think Penny’s death was due to an accidental overdose of hemlock?” Sadie’s question was the same one Dora had in the back of her mind.

  “I’m not gonna make any predictions just yet. I’ll know more tomorrow morning after I read through the autopsy report. I’ll let you know what they found in the morning. You’ll be back at school tomorrow, so I’ll try calling you around 10 am when your kids are at recess. And…”

  Dora had a glint in her eye,

  “Chica, you’re going to love this bit of news. Principal Dan mentioned you were teaching Miss Quiche’s kids, along with Mandy’s tomorrow. He didn’t think it would be fair to bring in a sub. He said they would be overwhelmed with trying to teach and comfort the little guys still crying over their dead teacher. Like you wouldn’t be either, right? Ha! I’ll say an extra prayer for you tonight.”

  “Thanks, dearie. I know you just loved unloading that one on me. I hope your tomorrow is full of rainbows and unicorns too.”