Fresh Ice

by Sarah J. Bradley

Izzy smiled for the first time in hours. “You can get into his apartment? I’d go, but I don’t want to leave.”

  Benny nodded. “His doorman knows me.”

  “I’ll go with you, Mr. Jensen.”

  “Please, call me Benny, Miss Jenna.”

  “Jenna, text me when you find anything, okay? I can’t have my cell on in the room, but I’ll check as often as I can.”

  “Okay.” Jenna hugged her and followed Benny out the door.

  Izzy returned to Quinn’s room where nothing looked better. She inched the chair closer to the bed and slipped her hand through the bedrails. His skin was chilled, warming only where the heat of her trembling fingers brushed him. She covered his cold hand with hers and closed her eyes.

  She didn’t remember falling asleep, but Izzy woke to numerous alarms. Nurses raced in and shoved her to the edge of the room, where she watched, horrified and helpless, and Quinn convulsed and vomited blood. Izzy buried her face in her hands and prayed for the anguish to end. Dr. Passavant strode in, concern tightening her face. She caught Izzy’s eye, but the calm empathy was gone. “Get her out of here!”

  Without further word, Nurse Callen hustled her out. As the door hissed behind her, Izzy wandered down the corridor, to the waiting room. She stood, unable to focus on any point in the room.

  “Miss Izzy?” It was Benny, holding a hand out to her.

  “Benny. Jenna.”

  “Mom, what’s happened?”

  Izzy shook her head. “It’s bad. He’s convulsed again. He’s vomiting blood.”

  Benny sank into a nearby chair. Jenna bit her lip and put an arm around Izzy’s shoulders. “Mom, I don’t know if this going to help, but Benny and I found this at Quinn’s apartment.” She held up her phone.

  Izzy studied the picture for a moment. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it before. What is it?”

  “We aren’t sure. Benny thought some kind of mushroom, since we found a few in a sauté pan. You know how Quinn is about eggs and mushrooms.”

  Izzy squared her shoulders. “I have to go back in there and show the doctor this. “

  “Are you sure, Mom? Can you go back in there?”

  “I have to.” She put a hand on the door just as Grace Callen pushed it open. “Oh, Sorry, Miss Marks. I came out to give you an update on Mr. Murray.”

  Izzy swallowed the lump in her throat. “Okay.”

  “We’ve stabilized him, but he’s unconscious.”

  Izzy’s knees weakened, but Benny and Jenna were there on either side of her, before she fell. “Okay.”

  “Miss Marks, we’re doing everything possible right now. It would help if we knew what he ingested.”

  Izzy held up the cell phone. “Do you know what this is?”

  Grace frowned at the picture. “I haven’t seen those since I was a girl. They’re morel mushrooms.” She squinted at the picture more closely. “No. They’re false morels.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Does Mr. Murray go mushroom hunting?”

  Izzy shot at glance at Benny who shook his head vehemently. “No.”

  “I’ll be right back.” She left the three of them staring at the closing doors in stunned silence.

  Jenna and Benny returned to the chairs while Izzy paced in front of them. “This has to be an accident, right? Who would want to hurt Quinn?”

  The same person who carried a grudge for twenty years. “You guys didn’t touch anything at Quinn’s, did you?” Izzy pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed.

  “No, just took pictures. Looked like it was breakfast for two, which is very weird.” Benny shook his head.

  Izzy dialed her cell and waved a hand to quiet them. “Detective Emerson? This is Izzy Marks. I think someone tried to poison Quinn Murray, and I think it’s connected to what happened to me. There’s evidence in his kitchen, something I think the police should handle. The doorman will let you in. Thank you. I’ll be there soon.”

  She ended the phone call and looked at her watch. “Jenna, you have practice.”

  “Mom, you cannot be serious. I mean, it’s Quinn.”

  Izzy gave her daughter a hug. Yes, it’s Quinn. It’s someone you’ve attached to. Someone you think of as a father maybe. Of course you don’t want to go. I don’t either. “Go to practice. Fill Mikayla in on what’s going on. Collier’s at the police station right now, answering some questions, and they want to question me.”

  “Do you really have to go to the police station?”

  She nodded to Benny. “If I promise you the best cup of coffee and cinnamon roll you’ve ever had, could you give me a lift?”

  ***

  Detective Emerson and her partner ran out of questions for Izzy two hours later. As Izzy left the station, two very confused officers arrived carrying a large bag of kitchen garbage. Stepping into the clear evening air, Izzy glanced around the parking lot.

  “I’m over here, Miss Izzy.”

  Benny was clearly the product of a Southern upbringing. He opened the car door for her, and waited until she was safely buckled up before closing. Just like Quinn. “Did the police have a lot of questions for you, Benny?”

  “They wanted to know about Quinn’s relationship with Boss Lady.”

  “What did you tell them?”

  “Only what I knew for sure, which wasn’t much. I did tell them about Sally, though. That interested them.”

  Izzy put a hand on his shoulder. “Benny, I think we have time now for the long version of the story. How about if you tell me while we go to Silver Screen Coffee? I’d like to get everyone up to speed on what’s happening.”

  “I’ve heard of that place. Any good?”

  “I promised you great coffee and a cinnamon roll.” She gave him the address to the coffee shop. “And they’ve got the best of both.”

  Benny eased the car away from the curb. “Miss Izzy, I don’t want you to feel obliged to me. I’d give you a ride anyplace, because Quinn thought so much of you.”

  Izzy shook her head. “Don’t do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Don’t talk about him like he’s gone.”

  Benny nodded, and cleared his throat. “You’re right. Of course he’s going to pull through. He’s ‘Monster Mash’ Murray.”

  “Right.”

  “Toughest hockey player ever. Nothing slows him down.”

  “Well,” Izzy patted his arm, “this time he may need just a little bit of help from his friends. Now tell me about Sally.”

  THIRTY-ONE

  Cat closed the place early, shooing out the last of the regulars with the promise of free cinnamon rolls the next day. With everyone gathered around, Izzy had Benny tell everyone about Sally. While they were digesting that, Izzy laid out her suspicions about how Serena might have poisoned Quinn.

  “The woman is loaded. She could buy anything or anyone she wants. Why get all hissy about you, Aunt Iz?” Mikayla stared at her coffee. “It makes zero sense.”

  “It’s possible.” Collier shook his head. “When you want something so bad and you don’t get it.” He shot Izzy an apologetic look. “When some idiot talks about Isabella Landry making a comeback, if you’re Serena Shipley, you lose your mind.”

  “Wait…what?” Benny looked up from his coffee. “You’re Isabella Landry?”

  “You know that name?” Cat studied the newcomer.

  “Isabella Landry stole Serena Shipley’s partner and made Serena the laughingstock of the skating world. Best internet video ever, those two minutes of her singles routine.” Benny took a large bite of cinnamon roll. “Boss Lady never got over it.”

  Cat leaned closer. “You like figure skating?”

  Benny smiled through a mouthful of crumbs. “Not as much as I like this roll.”

  “Movies? Do you like movies?”

  Benny directed a grin toward Cat. “I love movies.”

  Mikayla shook her head. “Holy effin’ carp you two! Can we have a singles mixer when one of ou
r friends isn’t dying?”

  Benny cleared his throat. “Right, okay. I’ve worked at the station nine years, and every single day for nine years, Boss Lady said she hated Isabella Landry.”

  “Every day, for nine years?” Jenna frowned. “Isn’t that a little…crazy?”

  “You don’t understand skating.” Izzy was more surprised by her sharp tone than anyone else.

  “Your mother’s right.” Collier’s soft drawl soothed the sudden tension in the room. “Skating at that high of a level, that’s not a long span of time, especially for a woman. One day you’re thirteen, skating in juniors and everyone thinks you’re adorable. The next day, you’re twenty-two and everyone is wondering how you manage a sit spin without a walker.” He tapped a pen to his lips.

  “Does Quinn know you’re Isabella Landry?”

  “Yes, Benny, he does.” Izzy struggled to keep her voice calm. “Focus. Is Serena capable of murder?”

  “She’d be capable of murdering you.”

  Cat stared at him. “New Guy has some insight.”

  “I also have a name.”

  “Yeah, well let’s hear the insight and I’ll decide if I’m going to use your name.”

  “Is she always this mean?”

  Collier chuckled. “Not once you get through the shell.”

  “I’ll take your word for it. Yeah, Boss Lady wants revenge. I’m betting Quinn tried to protect you from her, you know, by trying to make you believe he’s responsible for your husband’s death.”

  Everyone froze and stared at Benny, who continued chewing his cinnamon roll as if he hadn’t spoken. His blue eyes twinkled. “You’ll remember my name now, won’t you Coffee Girl?”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “Quinn was never a one woman man back then, so when he and Boss Lady went exclusive, I knew something wasn’t right. This morning it clicked, when that story about Sally came out. Quinn’s been operating under the impression he was driving the car the night she died and that he was the father of her baby. Who would have kept him thinking that?”

  Cat jumped out of her chair. “I knew it! She had something on him. She wrapped Quinn up in this scandal so tight he couldn’t get away.”

  Quinn has been my hero the entire time and I didn’t know it.

  The shop phone rang, startling them all. Cat hopped up to answer it. “Silver Screen Coffee? Yeah, this is Izzy Marks. Got it. Okay, thank you Detective.” Cat returned and sat next to Benny as if the phone call never happened.

  “Hey, Cat?’

  “Yeah, Izzy?”

  “What did the police just tell me?”

  “Well, it turns out that tiny bit of skin under your fingernails matched that of one Serena Shipley Chapman. The mushrooms found in Quinn’s garbage were false morels, a particularly poisonous and hard to identify little ‘shroom. Oh, and Serena’s fingerprints were all over the sauté pan and spatula.”

  “So she really did it. She really tried to kill the two of you?” Jenna put an arm around Izzy’s shoulders.

  “What are the cops going to do?”

  “Well, Collier, some of them are going try and find Serena because they want to arrest her, but apparently she doesn’t want to be arrested. No one’s seen her today. They’ve started a statewide manhunt. Some are going to post guard at Quinn’s hospital room. And some…” she looked out the window, “are here now to guard you, Izzy.”

  If Quinn dies, none of this will matter. “Guys, I hope you don’t mind, I’m going to go back to the hospital.”

  “You want me to drive you?”

  Izzy gave Collier a weary smile. “Thanks, but don’t you have to leave for a fair in Baton Rouge tomorrow?”

  “The guys can cover for me.” Collier hugged her. “I’m not going anywhere.” He shrugged. “I’ve got a lot of misunderstanding to atone for.”

  Izzy forced a weak smile for her oldest friend. “No, you don’t. I should have listened to you.”

  Collier leaned close, his stubble tickling her ear. “About Jason, yeah. But I was way wrong about Quinn.”

  Izzy knew no one else in the room heard Collier’s words, but it didn’t matter. A weight lifted off her heart and she kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

  “Miss Izzy, would you like me to go with you?”

  “No, thanks. My brand new body guard is here.” She nodded to the flashing lights outside the front window. “But I think Cat could use some help cleaning up.”

  Benny’s smile was a ray of sunlight. “I’d love to help out.”

  “Cat?”

  Cat’s blush belied her feigned indifference. “Sure, I can always use an extra pair of hands.”

  “Mom, you’re going to be okay?”

  “Jens, Mike, you two get home and get some sleep. I’ll keep you posted.” She hugged the girls and watched as they left through the back door.

  I’ll be fine as long as Quinn recovers.

  ***

  Izzy caught Grace Callen in the corridor as the nurse was finishing her shift.

  “Great piece of detective work there, Miss Marks.”

  “Thanks, Grace, but you’re the one who identified the mushrooms.”

  “Well, you can go on in. There doesn’t seem to be long term damage to his kidneys and liver. He’s still in a coma, but Dr. Passavant is hopeful.”

  Quinn’s room was silent and dark except for the bank of lights above his head. A respirator pumped his lungs. Izzy thought about the report Grace gave her. His kidneys and liver aren’t damaged. Izzy marveled at the irony, recalling Quinn’s comment about his efforts to destroy his liver.

  Izzy pulled a chair as close as she could get it, and rested her head on the bed next to him. She covered his hand with hers, closing out the beeps and clicks of the equipment surrounding them, she strained to feel the faint tempo of his pulse.

  “Don’t you leave me,” she whispered. “You can’t let me fall. I’m depending on you.” She put a hand on his chest, reassuring herself. “You have to come back to me.”

  The monotonous rhythm of the respirator lulled her. Exhausted, her eyes drooped. “I love you too much to let you go.”

  ***

  Quinn emerged from the fog, everything immobile, frozen. Far away, from a place deep within him, a phrase played over and over, leading him out of the fog.

  You have to come back to me. I love you too much to let you go.

  He struggled against the fog, willing his eyes open. Adjusting to the semi darkness of the room, he studied his surroundings without understanding.

  Nothing seemed familiar. Worse, no part of his body responded to his mental commands to move. Something filled his throat. He struggled against his gag reflex. He closed his eyes, and opened them again, this time recognizing that he was in the hospital, and the tube was meant to help him. He stopped struggling and relaxed, allowing the tube to help his exhausted body take in oxygen.

  I am in the hospital. Clearly, something happened.

  I was at the station. I was talking to Benny.

  And then…I don’t remember anything.

  Exhaustion took over and he floated back into the fog.

  Don’t you leave me.

  I love you too much to let you go.

  Quinn opened his eyes again. I have to wake up. I have to…

  He opened his eyes and looked down. Blonde locks spread on the bed next to his elbow, a delicate hand covering his. I have to…

  He tensed against the tube in his throat again, this time to break away from it, to breath for himself. I have to protect Izzy.

  ***

  “Izzy?”

  Izzy stirred and woke. The first thing she saw was Quinn’s eyes smiling at her. “You’re awake?”

  “Ah, Miss Marks.” Dr. Passavant strode in. “You’re awake.”

  “You’re not…you’re okay?”

  “They unhooked me half an hour ago.” His voice was a dry whisper.

  “He’s not out of the woods yet.” The doctor made a note in her char
t.

  “Kill joy,” Quinn whispered, his eyes snapping mischievously.

  “But you, Mr. Murray, have a great support system around you, and that’s key.” The doctor patted Izzy’s arm. “Your sister saved your life.”

  “Sister?” Quinn whispered.

  “Yes, I’m your sister.”

  Dr. Passavant wrote a few more notes in his chart, and left the room. The door floated closed behind her and Quinn smiled at Izzy. “You saved my life.”

  Izzy stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips softly. “You saved mine first.”

  Quinn shuddered. “What about Serena?”

  “They’re still trying to find her. But Quinn, we have each other now. It’s all going to be okay.”

  “It will be. We’re just going to have to keep each other safe.” Quinn wrapped his arms around her and knew, for the first time in a long time, he spoke the truth.

  THIRTY-TWO

  “Izzy, you need to get some rest. You’re exhausted.”

  Izzy opened her eyes and stared at Benny. “The event is tomorrow. Tomorrow. There are just too many last minute things to deal with.”

  “Benny’s right. Go get some sleep.” Quinn looked at her over a stack of papers.

  “Oh yeah, I’m the one you’re all ordering to get some rest. Meanwhile, you almost died three weeks ago, and you get to stay up late?”

  Benny shrugged. “He’s the Boss Man.”

  “Don’t start, Benny.” Quinn smiled in spite of his stern tone. “This is a team effort. I couldn’t have gotten this together without the two of you.” He nodded to Benny and Cat. The two had been nearly as inseparable as he and Izzy. Although I’m sure they’re having far more fun than we are. It wasn’t the first time he silently cursed the doctor’s orders that he not exert himself.

  “Izzy is the gold star secret celebrity you’ve been promising everyone.” Cat turned off a lap top and leaned against the couch. “She needs her beauty sleep.”

  “Yes, but given the headlines lately, people are going to be far more interested in Quinn than in me.”

  “Then a lot of people will be disappointed, since the doctors don’t want me to do anything. It was all I could do to get them to let me be in the building.” Quinn frowned. He hated the idea of not skating at his own charity event.