Pelicans, Piers and Poison

by Cindy Bell

  “Maybe, but Ginger said the medication she was working on was targeted to treat women. One thing Cody is not, is a woman.” Suzie took a drink from her coffee cup, then set it down. “However, maybe he has access to the medication. Maybe he knows someone that uses it.”

  “That’s possible.” Mary nodded. “Does he have a girlfriend?”

  “I’m not sure. But if he does, I imagine he’s going to have to replace the medicine he used, or the person it belongs to is going to notice it’s missing. Of course, it is possible that the same chemical is used in other medication. Cody gets released soon. I say we stake out the pharmacies.” Suzie pulled out her phone. “There’s only one in Garber and a bigger one in Parish, near the border. I’ll bet that when he gets released, he’ll want to replace that medicine fast, so that the cops don’t make the connection.”

  “That is if there is even a connection.” Mary stood up from the table. “I think this is a good way to find out. You take one pharmacy, and I’ll take the other.”

  “Good plan.” Suzie caught her by the hand and pulled her gently back down into her chair. “After we eat.”

  “Better plan.” Mary grinned, then took a bite of a cracker.

  After they finished their food, the two split off in different directions.

  Chapter 13

  Mary drove her SUV towards the pharmacy at the edge of Parish. After double-checking the information she had about Cody, she saw that his address was nearby. If he did have a girlfriend who needed medication, it was likely that this was the pharmacy she would use. She parked and walked inside. She waved hello to Mick, the pharmacist, then walked down one of the aisles.

  As Mary pretended to browse through different bottles of vitamins, she kept an eye on the pharmacy. It wasn’t very busy. One teenage boy, one older gentleman, and a woman who appeared to be in her sixties, each took a turn at the pick-up window. No one that she thought might be in a relationship with Cody. As she continued to watch, her cell phone rang. Wes’ name flashed across the screen.

  “Hi Wes.” Mary smiled. It seemed to be a habit when she said his name, to smile.

  “Mary, I just went by Dune House to see you, but no one was there. Where are you?”

  “I’m at a pharmacy.” Mary turned away from the pick-up window and lowered her voice. “I’m on a stakeout.”

  “A what? Where are you? Which pharmacy?” Wes sighed.

  “Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious. Suzie had a theory and we are trying to see if it will play out. But this place is so quiet, I doubt that I’m going to spot the person we are looking for. What are you up to?” Mary glanced over at the pick-up window just in time to see the pharmacist flip the sign on the window to closed. “Oh, and it just closed.”

  “Perfect. Where can I meet you?”

  “I’m on the other side of town. I can meet you at Dune House if you want.” Mary smiled at the thought of seeing him.

  “Sounds good, I’ll wait for you here. It looks like your guests just pulled in.”

  “Be there soon.” Mary ended the call. As she left the store, she noticed Travis walk up to the dispensing window. He stood beside the closed window for a moment, shook his head, then turned and walked the other way.

  Mary trailed behind him as he walked through the store to the front register.

  “Why is the prescription counter closed?” He rested his hands on the front counter and stared at the clerk.

  “It closes at five today.” The young woman stared at him.

  “It’s not five, yet. Not for five more minutes.” Travis smacked one hand against the counter. “I needed to pick up some medication.”

  “I’m sorry, I can’t do anything about that. Would you like the number to our corporate office?” She picked up a pen.

  “No thank you.” Travis scowled at her. “But you can tell them, they just lost a customer.”

  As Travis stalked out of the pharmacy, Mary wondered what kind of medication he was picking up. As far as she knew he wasn’t in the restaurant at the time of Jerome’s death, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t have paid someone to do his dirty work.

  Suzie glanced at her watch. If Jason’s prediction was right, then Cody had been a free man for about an hour. He certainly hadn’t hit the pharmacy right away. Nor had she seen any women approach the pharmacy to pick up medication. She began to search on her phone for any information about Cody and a potential girlfriend. As she tried to narrow down his social profiles, she heard a familiar voice.

  “Picking up for Mildred Spenna.”

  Suzie looked up to see Sean at the pick-up window.

  Suzie watched as the pharmacist handed him a white paper bag. From previous research she knew that Mildred was his mother.

  As Suzie watched him walk away her heart pounded harder. She didn’t want to think it, and she didn’t want to believe it. But she couldn’t avoid it.

  “You’re probably jumping to conclusions, Suzie,” she muttered to herself as she shook her head and left the pharmacy.

  A quick glance at her watch told her she might make it to the medical examiner’s office in time to catch Summer. On the drive there she listed reasons why Sean couldn’t possibly be the killer. He was too young to do something like that. He was barely an adult. Why would he want to murder someone? Of course, that was a ridiculous reason not to be a killer. He had no history with Jerome that she knew of, no motive. Of course, that didn’t mean that he didn’t do it. Could she have missed the fact that he was a murderer? She slammed on her brakes as she reached the medical examiner’s office, then jumped out of the car. She’d just pushed the car door shut behind her when she spotted Summer on her way out the door.

  “Summer.” Suzie waved to her as she ran up to her.

  “Suzie, is everything okay?” Summer frowned. “You look stressed.”

  “I am stressed. A little. Summer, you said that the poison can be used in some medications. What kind of medications would they be?” Suzie tried to catch her breath.

  “Heart medications mostly.” Summer narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

  “Could the medicine be used to poison someone, instead of just the chemical itself?” Suzie raised an eyebrow. “I mean, would it have come up the same way in the tests you did?”

  “I would say so, yes in high doses. But it’s not a common medication. It’s used for specific heart conditions. According to Jason none of his suspects are on the medication.” Summer shifted her purse on her shoulder and began to walk towards her car. “Why? Did you find something?”

  Suzie’s heart pounded against her chest. She couldn’t be certain that Sean’s mother was on the specific medication that Summer mentioned, but she knew that it was a possible link. She’d grown to like Sean, and the last thing she wanted to do was get him into trouble. But what if he was the killer? What if he had taken some of his mother’s medication, and that was why he picked up a new prescription for her? She had to be sure before she sent Jason straight to Sean’s front door.

  “Thanks for the information, Summer.” Suzie turned and hurried back to her car.

  “Suzie?” Summer called after her.

  Suzie climbed into her car and left the parking lot before Summer could catch up to her. As she drove in the direction of Sean’s house, she wondered how she would find out the truth. It wasn’t as if he would just volunteer the information. He wouldn’t spontaneously confess to being a killer. But she still felt as if being able to be face to face with him would tell her something. As she stepped onto the porch, she took a deep breath, and focused on trying not to tip him off about what she knew. Her knuckles struck the hard wood twice before the door swung open. Sean peered out at her his brows knitted.

  “Hi Sean.” Suzie offered him a warm smile. “I just wanted to see how you and your mom are doing with everything that’s happened.”

  “I’m okay, I guess. My mom’s okay so far. I’ve been keeping the television off so she can’t see the news. But I’m not sure how long that wi
ll last.” Sean opened the door farther for her. “You can come inside.”

  “Thanks.” Suzie stepped in and looked around the living room in search of his mother. The furniture was sparse and older, but in good shape.

  “She’s in her room, resting. But we need to keep our voices down.” Sean glanced down a short hallway.

  “Sean. Did you get my pills?” A frail voice called out from a room down the hall.

  “Oh yeah, Mom, I did.” Sean grabbed the paper bag from the side table and hurried towards the bedroom.

  Suzie followed him but paused at a respectful distance as he stepped inside.

  “Did you tell the police what happened? Are they going to do anything about it?” Mildred’s voice shook with each word she spoke.

  “No Mom, I told you. They won’t do anything about it. I’m just glad the doctor let us get a new prescription. I have a guest, Mom, I’ll bring you some juice in just a minute.” Sean stepped back out of her room and turned back to face Suzie. “Sorry about that, she gets a little anxious about her medicine.”

  “I understand, it’s important to her.” Suzie looked up at him as he passed her to step back into the living room. “What did she mean about telling the police? What happened?”

  “Oh.” Sean shoved his hands into his pockets. “When I picked up her last prescription, I got mugged on the way home from the pharmacy. Luckily, the doctor was willing to give her a new prescription.”

  “Mugged?” Suzie’s eyes widened. “Here in Garber?”

  “Yeah, I was down by the docks because I needed to pick up something from one of the boats I’ve been working on, and it was dark. The guy came out of nowhere. Knocked me out, took the pharmacy bag. I guess he must have thought I had something that he could use to get high.” Sean shook his head. “My mom was upset, but you know the police aren’t going to be able to do anything about it.”

  “You could at least make a report, give them a description of the man.” Suzie watched as he sat down on the couch.

  “I didn’t see him. At all. He sucker-punched me and knocked me down. Next thing I knew, he was running off with the medication. I was more concerned about getting her a new prescription than I was with him.” Sean shrugged. “With no description the cops would never catch him. There aren’t any cameras in that area. Nothing I could have done. So, I decided to just focus on talking to her doctor and getting her a new prescription. I’m just really glad he did one.” He frowned. “Sorry, she isn’t up for visitors. I appreciate you coming by, though.”

  “You have so much to handle.” Suzie swept her gaze around the living room, which she guessed was kept tidy by Sean. “Do you ever have any help with your mom?”

  “Not really.” Sean looked towards the front window that overlooked the porch. “Sometimes the neighbors will come by just to visit her. She likes that. But she can’t talk for too long, it takes a lot out of her.”

  “Maybe you could let me know when she’s feeling up to it, and I could come by to visit. I’d love to tell her what a great job you did when you worked with Paul. I didn’t realize you were working with another fisherman.” Suzie perched on the edge of the couch and watched his expression. Could he be lying about everything?

  “Yeah, I do now and then, when I have time. I’m basically just trying to learn as much as I can. If I ever have enough money to get my own boat, I think I would like to make a living that way. The thing is, I can’t be away from my mother for long trips. So, it’s really just a dream of mine right now.” Sean met her eyes. “Have you heard any updates on the investigation? Do they know who killed that guy, yet?”

  “Not yet. In fact, Cody has been released.” Suzie stood up from the couch. “They weren’t able to prove that he put the poison in the potatoes.”

  “If not him, then who?” Sean sat back against the couch and closed his eyes. “I hope they figure it out soon. Keeping this from my mom hasn’t been easy.”

  “I’m sure it hasn’t.” Suzie edged towards the door. “Thanks for your time, Sean.”

  “Sure, no problem.” Sean smiled at her as she opened the door. “I’ll let you know when my mom is up for a visit.”

  “Good.” Suzie smiled at him in return, then stepped out onto the porch. Her chest tightened as she realized what she had to do. Sean had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, but his story didn’t make sense. Why wouldn’t he report a mugging? She guessed that he had lied about losing the medication, so that he could get his mother a new bottle. Which meant he had an entire bottle of medication that might contain the same substance that poisoned Jerome.

  Suzie glanced back over her shoulder and through the front window, into the house. She caught sight of Sean carrying a glass of juice to his mother’s bedroom. What would happen to her if Jason decided to arrest Sean?

  Suzie pushed the thought from her mind as she walked back to her car. As she opened the driver’s side door, her cell phone rang. Mary’s name flashed across the screen. She brushed her finger across the answer option and put the phone to her ear.

  “Mary? How is it going over there?”

  “No sign of Cody, or anyone that might be dating him. At least, from what I can tell. Wes is at the house waiting for me.”

  “Great, I might need to pick his brain. See you there soon.” Suzie took one last look in the direction of Sean’s house, then started the car. As she drove back to Dune House, she tried to convince herself that turning Sean in was the right thing to do. However, by the time she parked, she still didn’t think she could do it.

  Chapter 14

  Mary’s eyes narrowed as she ended the call. A slight waver in Suzie’s voice made her wonder if there was something that her friend wasn’t telling her. She tucked her phone into her purse then headed back to Dune House. From Suzie’s account, Travis’ presence and behavior in the restaurant hung in her mind. He certainly did seem volatile. Had Jerome’s interference in his life made such an impact that he wanted revenge enough to kill him? She pulled into the parking lot of Dune House. She spotted Wes on the porch. He leaned against the railing and waved to her.

  Mary felt a faint flutter in her chest as she parked the SUV. Although she and Wes had been dating for some time, it still surprised her when she found him eager to see her. She walked up the steps and into his open arms.

  “Hey there,” Wes murmured in her ear as he embraced her. “It feels like it’s been far too long since the last time I saw you.”

  “So much has happened.” Mary frowned as she pulled away from him.

  “Yes, I know it has. I’m sorry that you’re in the middle of all of this.” Wes looked into her eyes. “You’re stressed, I can tell.”

  “I’m just worried.” Mary shook her head as she crossed her arms. “It’s unsettling to think that someone could be running around Garber poisoning people.”

  “It is.” Wes nodded, then glanced towards the parking lot as a car pulled in. “It looks like Suzie is back.”

  “She has something she wants to ask you, I think.” Mary turned to face the parking lot. “She sounded odd when I spoke to her on the phone.”

  “So did you.” Wes wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. “What’s Suzie got you up to?”

  “It’s always my fault, huh?” Suzie smiled as she joined them on the porch.

  “Did I say that?” Wes’ eyes widened as he smiled.

  “You’re not wrong.” Suzie sighed as she perched on one of the rocking chairs beside the front door. “Are Sam and Ginger here?”

  “I saw them pull in a little while ago.” Wes gazed at Suzie. “Are you doing okay? You don’t look so good.”

  “I’m okay.” Suzie forced a smile. “Just trying to figure something out.”

  “Suzie, what’s going on?” Mary sat down in the rocking chair beside her. Pilot greeted Suzie then went to Wes for a pat. “Do you have a new lead?”

  “I’m not sure exactly. I guess, I’m hoping that I don’t. But I can’t deny that evidence i
s stacking up against him.” Suzie closed her eyes.

  “Against who? Cody?” Mary leaned forward to look at her.

  “No, not Cody. Sean.” Suzie looked up at Mary. “I don’t want to believe it, but I think his mother is on the same medication that may have been used to poison Jerome. Also, he had to pick up a new prescription because he claimed the other one was stolen. It just seems like too much of a coincidence to me.”

  “That is some pretty important evidence.” Wes leaned against the railing in front of them. “Have you told Jason, yet?”

  “No, I haven’t.” Suzie took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

  “Suzie.” Mary met her eyes. “You know that you have to tell him.”

  “I know I do, but Sean is so young, and he takes care of his sick mother. There’s no one else to help him. Besides, what could his motive possibly be to do this?” Suzie frowned. “There may be evidence there, a good reason to suspect him, but without a motive I don’t think that means much.”

  “No offense intended, Suzie, but I don’t really think that’s for you to decide. Jason is the one with the experience, and the knowledge to decide who is a good suspect and who isn’t.” Wes frowned as he looked at her. “It’s never easy to suspect someone who appears to be a good person on the surface, but Jerome deserves to have his murder solved.”

  “I know, I know.” Suzie rubbed her hands across her face. “I am going to call him. I just wanted to take a minute to think things through. Why would Sean tell me about Jerome ordering a separate serve of mashed potatoes if he had put the poison in there?”

  “Maybe, so he didn’t look suspicious.” Mary suggested. “Maybe he had time to think about it after he spoke to the police and he knew he had to say something so he wouldn’t look suspicious if it came out.”

  “Maybe. But I still don’t believe he did this. I mean realistically we have another good suspect right here under our roof.” She glanced towards the closed front door.