Recipe for Trouble

by Jackie Griffey

  "Get your boots off, everything's ready. But you're not very far out of the dog house, remember." She gave him a searching look, "I'm not as bad about matchmaking as all of you are accusing me of, am I?"

  Cas was not dumb enough to comment, since there wasn't any right answer to that.

  Over dinner they talked about Fields and Cathy and the case against Eugene Austin in Georgia.

  "I wouldn't discuss it, except just between us, but, if Eugene had killed Mattie and gotten by with it," her eyes searched his face. "What do you think would have happened?"

  Cas shook his head, patting his lips with his napkin, his eyes serious as hers. "Katie would have been his next victim. It's the way he operates. He'd have stayed married to her for a few months. Certainly long enough to get the paperwork about the rights to Mattie's books done and everything else legal and taken care of. That's what he did before, then he would take out an insurance policy on his victim like he did that one in Georgia, probably others too, judging by the things that are showing up. Then she'd have some kind of an accident as soon as he could arrange it. He was out for money, not someone to share it with."

  "You really think he would have killed Katie?" She didn't want to believe it.

  "There were things that gave him away, looking back on it. You remember when that insurance adjuster called me? Al Pickens, who inspected the damage to Mattie's house?"

  Connie nodded. "I remember. He told you something about the controls on the stove, you said."

  "He said one of the firemen told him the controls were in the On position. Pickens figured it was the force of the explosion that did it. But in the statements he sent me, Katie said Eugene had come by that morning to get a book she picked up for him. He was there, he must have turned the gas on then, while Katie went to get him that book she got for him. He must have had in mind or figured he'd use whatever opportunity presented itself while he was there. The opportunity came when Katie went to get the book for him. But, he could have thought of something to get her out of the room, that just happened to work out. The only way I knew about it was it was on Katie's statement. It wasn't on Mattie's. She probably didn't think it was important."

  "But, Cas?"

  "According to the statement, Katie told him she was going to the store because there was only one sweet roll left and they would be out when Mattie came down for breakfast."

  "So he thought Katie would be gone and Mattie would be in the kitchen? So, Cas!" She gasped. "I guess he also knew Mattie couldn't smell the gas, he knew that!"

  "That's right. But back to Katie, something could have gone wrong. She might have waited or decided not to go to the store for some reason. Connie, you don't turn the gas on high and leave someone you care about in the house."

  "Goodness no, I see what you mean." Connie gave her head a brief, dismayed shake. "I just couldn't believe he would do it. Someone he was so close to, someone he knew cared for him."

  She looked up, still wondering. "You believe he really would have killed Katie, don't you?"

  "Yes. I do." There was no doubt in his voice. The tone was hard as granite.

  "He may have waited a while to do it, have been fond enough of her to let her live a few months. But, at the first indication the honeymoon might be over, or she criticized him for something, yes, I'm sure as rain in the spring, he would have killed her." His voice softened a little with compassion, but there was still no doubt. "It would just have been a matter of time."

  "And did they have the marriage annulled? I saw you look at Fields, but I certainly never asked about it. Poor Katie. The look on her face made me wish Eugene's PARENTS' marriage had been annulled!"

  "Maybe it was," Cas chortled. "He's a real son -"

  "Cas!"

  Cas pulled himself together, and managed to grin at her. "Stop this worrying about it and don't dwell on the bad side of it. Just remember Katie's better off and a whole lot wiser."

  "Poor Katie."

  "No. Lucky Katie. Eugene Austin stalked her like a predator when he learned her sister had written those books and had a little money with more on the way. He just plain smelled his opportunity there. He's not new at this game. And Mattie was right when she said he'd probably looked into the situation, too. He found out Katie was Mattie Carrington's sister, her cookbooks were making money, plus whatever else she had. He probably knows a lot more about that than we do. He'd found several gold nuggets, the money Mattie had, the cookbook royalties, and of course, the always available insurance policy. He always took out an insurance policy, nothing varied but the excuses."

  "I just never thought about anything like that ever happening to anyone we know. And Katie is such a sweet person."

  "There's no telling how many times he's done this, the thing I'm sorry about is he wasn't caught before this. He had a one-track mind when it came to money and was cold-blooded enough to stick to his plans. He knew with the poison from Rid-A-Pest in the three bottles of cola he left for Mattie to drink and the arsenic based poison he put in the two jars of cream, all he had to do was wait. You remember he's the one who suggested she use the cream on her arms as well as her face and neck."

  "That's right, I remember either Mattie or Katie mentioning it."

  "I think it was Mattie who said that was the only good idea she'd known him to come up with. That should have tipped her off!"

  "He certainly never fooled Mattie, but it's a good thing she had you to check on her, and people around her. It's scary to think of her up there alone and getting more of that poison in her system every day!"

  "He was counting on that, he knew it wouldn't take long. He kept up with Mattie's progress on her book through Katie and waited for a sign the poisons were taking effect."

  "But he couldn't know someone would go and check on Mattie in time to save her. That wasn't such a smart plan, it seems to me like he was taking a chance on that."

  He shook his head, "No, not him. He knew what he was doing. Remember when Katie first thought Mattie sounded a little under the weather? He immediately put his car in the shop so they couldn't go to see Mattie. He didn't want his plans upset."

  "But Katie was going on her own to see her." Connie argued, thinking back. "She told Miss Minnie and Miss Mayme she was going on her day off."

  "I know, but it didn't turn out that way. That's when she went out to get in her car and it wouldn't start."

  "Oh, yes, I do remember now. And she had to wait to get it into the shop."

  Cas nodded. "She took it to the shop where she usually had it serviced, it just took a few days to get it in. I found out the name of the shop, and after I arrested Eugene I made it a point to call on them. I went to Fort Craig and talked to the mechanic who worked on Katie's car. He did a couple of minor, inexpensive things, but what he found when they towed it in was the coil wire was off. That's why it wouldn't start. He didn't tell anyone that, for the simple reason no one asked."

  "Eugene! Eugene did it!"

  "Yeah, Eugene. He must have come the night before and made sure Katie wouldn't be able to go to the cabin."

  "I think she told them she was buying gas for a neighbor's son to ride to work with him while her car was being worked on," Connie said.

  "Knowing his grabby nature, he would have taken her to work if she hadn't," he said wryly, "Eugene would want her to get to work and keep the book store in a good humor. He just didn't want her going up there to check on Mattie."

  "You mean from what Katie said about how Mattie sounded he knew the poison was taking effect and he couldn't afford to have anyone find out and help her and mess up his plans or even delay them," Connie thought out loud.

  "That's it exactly. But his plans almost fell through. He stuck close to Katie, which was his plan anyway, then she told him Miss Minnie would go to the cabin after church that Sunday to check on Mattie. That was bad news. But it would be several days away. He figured it would be too late by then. Katie and the rest of the world would think Mattie pushed herself too hard and just
died. The way Katie fussed over her about not eating right and taking care of herself, and too, everybody knew she was pushing herself to get her book done."

  "He didn't count on Miss Minnie calling before that to check on Mattie and rushing up there like she did. That at least set his plans back."

  Cas nodded, "The cola he left for her to drink would have been enough to kill someone. And the cream, that was a new one on me."

  "I would never even thought about poison in a cream. Who would?" Connie grimaced, "And to think, he even had the brass to suggest she use it on her arms too, and pass himself off as concerned for her!"

  "That's what Fields said about con artists like him. The victims' families or people close to them can see what they are. And he was good at using every advantage that came his way. Anyone else would have smelled the poison in that cream."

  "Miss Minnie told me after she came back from taking care of Mattie she thought she was hungry and dehydrated looking, but she thought she smelled spaghetti. That would have been the garlic smell in all that poison, wouldn't it?"

  "Exactly. That's what I mean by taking advantage of everything that came his way. The fact that Mattie couldn't smell it was a flaw he could use in his plan this time."

  "This time!" Connie shuddered, hugging herself, "And there were no telling how many others! Oh, Cas, I'm so glad he's been stopped."

  "His greed played a big part in trapping him, the way he was stealing from the company he worked for and the nursery as well."

  Connie didn't comment, she had never encountered a creature like Eugene outside a horror movie.

  "Sooner or later, people like him get to thinking they're smarter than the law, the people they work for, and the people they're working on, and get careless. I'm hoping when he gets to the Georgia jury he will get the maximum sentence there in addition to this attempted murder count he's already been found guilty on here in Maryvale."

  "I think Katie will be all right. She and Mattie have more leisure time now that Mattie's finished her book. And Miss Mayme said Mattie told her Katie is dating again."

  "That's good. Katie is attractive, she should get out and enjoy herself more."

  "Speaking of dating and all that, I haven't seen much of Cathy Taylor lately, have you seen or talked to Laurence Fields?"

  "Here and there. He and Cathy still see each other, I think. And we saw them at the movies, remember?"

  "Um-hum. I remember thinking they reminded me of an old married couple instead of someone dating. Reminded me of us," she smiled. "Settled is pretty good if you've got the right someone to be settled with, and they don't seem to be any whirlwind romance item. What do you think?"

  "I think they are acting like Laurence Fields and Cathy Taylor, who are not spring chickens," his eyes met hers. "And not accountable to us for how they act."

  "Well," Connie set her coffee down, "Excuse me!"

  * * *

  As his stomach digested the Roadhouse barbecue he'd had, Gladys called Cas to tell him Laurence Fields was on the phone.

  He settled back in his chair and called back, "Put him through, I'm braced for anything."

  "Cas, have you heard from Bourgeois," Fields got right to the point without bothering with small talk.

  "Yes, he called right after I got back from lunch. I was going to call you before I leave this afternoon."

  "I guess they nailed Eugene Austin, from what you told me they had on him, they had to."

  "Yeah, he'll never be able to pursue and hurt any more women. There are so many Eugenes running around loose, I wish we could get more of the potential victims educated to recognize them. At least, this one will never kill another woman who's gullible enough to love him. They found him guilty and it didn't take them long to do it."

  "Murder one?"

  "Right."

  "Couldn't happen to a more deserving guy," Fields said with satisfaction. "I didn't see how it could be anything else, but I'm glad it's official. They have the death penalty for murder one in Georgia."

  "Yes. He's going to the chair."

  * * *

  Time marched on regardless of human plans, joys, or court calendars. It seemed to slow only in Eugene Austin's jail cell.

  As the grisly evidence piled up against him like nails in his coffin, an appalling number of witnesses came forward to testify against him. To date, there were more than four more women on whom he had collected insurance settlements in other states. Though outside of those four, there was not much in the way of concrete evidence, the sheer numbers emerging with his modus operandi were enough to show the near victims who contacted the police department how fortunate they were to have resisted Eugene's flattery.

  Eugene's already tilted off normal mental state had convinced him the prosecution was torturing him by bringing up names and events about which they had no proof. He was no longer alone in his cell. All those foolish, adoring women shared the cell with him and wandered along with him as he paced his small space.

  When dark fell outside the one narrow, barred window of his jail cell, the sweet faces smiled at him from the shadows. It was as if he'd forgotten the formula for sleep. Even when he managed to slip into a light sleep, the one he had tried to push off the cliff woke him regularly with her screams.

  His prison garb hung on his gaunt frame, his eyes peered over the dark bags under his eyes, and by the time he was scheduled to meet his doom, he looked like the monster he was.

  He walked that last hallway in the unbelieving daze that had settled over him at the Maryvale trial. He'd never been able to shake the cold disgust in her stance when Katie refused even to look at him, and the cold that settled around his backbone when he saw that nosy cousin and her husband walking toward Katie and her sister. He no longer felt alive anyway and he couldn't close his eyes without hearing again those terrible, terrified screams.

  When the prison lights dimmed it was an omen of hope for a brighter future and a warning for all the potential victims who had followed his story in the papers and television coverage.

  Epilogue

  The following month Mattie called to tell Miss Minnie and Miss Mayme Katie was getting married to a wonderful man she had met at church. They knew he was wonderful because Mattie approved, and Mattie's approval didn't come easy.

  All of them were invited and the ones who could get away went to the wedding and wished the young couple happiness. Cas even made arrangements with Rhodes to cover for him unless there was an earthquake. Connie laughed at his thinking he could do anything about an earthquake, but enjoyed the trip in spite of Cathy and Fields not being able to get away.

  Unfortunately, not long after that Mattie's health deteriorated. Everything seeming to have a shut down agenda going except her stubborn streak, which was as strong as ever.

  When she went to her reward peacefully in her sleep, Cas and Connie attended the funeral along with Miss Mayme and Miss Minnie, who stayed over for the reading of Mattie's will at Katie's request.

  "I guess it's just another sad and uncomfortable thing to endure," Miss Mayme glanced at her sister.

  "That's the only bad thing I know of about having a lot of money," Miss Minnie's bright grin flashed. "Mayme and I just have everything we've got in both our names and beneficiary forms to take care of the rest of it."

  "Wait a minute! You forgot our little notarized insert in case we shoot each other!" Connie laughed and Cas rolled his eyes at such attitudes about a thing as serious as death.

  "We've got to leave, call us as soon as you get back," Connie made them promise.

  * * *

  The day after Cas and Connie got back, the independent, do-it-yourself matchmakers had come to a decision about the calculated risk dilemma marriage posed.

  Cathy carefully locked her front door and looked back through the front window.

  "It will still be here when you get back," Laurence Fields assured her.

  "I know, habit, I guess." She started down the steps.

  Fields followed Ca
thy out to his car carrying her suitcase and overnight bag. With her luggage safely stowed beside his, he got in behind the wheel and grinned at her.

  "Well, here we are," Cathy grinned.

  "I was afraid you'd back out."

  "I figured YOU would!"

  "You feel safe about taking a calculated risk on me?"

  "No," Cathy answered honestly.

  "Let me rephrase that. Do you care enough about me to take a chance on me?"

  "I do," she smiled, positive of that and just as honest.

  "Fasten your seatbelt!"

  * * *

  At home the next day, the loud bell of the wall phone called Connie in from watering her squash plants. She dashed in, letting the door slam and grabbed the phone as if it needed CPR.

  "Hello?" She was breathless and leaned against the wall.

  "Hi, Mrs. Larkin," the young voice said.

  "Casey! What a nice surprise to hear from you." Then sudden panic gripped her. "Are you all right? Is Missy all right? She hasn't had an accident or anything has she?"

  Weakly, her imagination in high gear, she edged a kitchen chair over and collapsed into it, waiting to hear the worst she was always accusing Cas of being prepared for.

  Casey realized she hadn't heard his mom's news yet and assured her he and Missy and school were just fine before giving her the latest news.

  * * *

  The next day, Miss Mayme's call came as promised. "We just got back home and Katie sends her love. She made us promise to remember to thank you for coming to the funeral and the beautiful arrangement, for which I claimed credit, of course."

  "Of course," Miss Minnie's voice chimed in.

  "And Connie, there was a reason Katie wanted us to stay, it was because she knew what was in Mattie's will. She left me and Minnie a thousand dollars each for jelly doughnuts to have a good time and to remember her by. Isn't that a hoot?"

  "And doesn't it sound just like her?"

  "We'll have some next time you come over. And Connie, that's not all. She left us the cabin at the lake, too! I didn't know she had bought it!"