Proposals and Poison

by Rachelle J. Christensen

  “I’m going to tell you, as long as you promise to stay calm. Don’t go off on some hunt for the bad guy, okay?”

  I held up both of my hands. “I don’t go looking for trouble, remember?”

  “I know, I know.” She pointed at me. “Trouble finds you no matter where you hide.”

  “Something like that. Now, what is it?”

  “Well, remember how my sister, Terese, has been working for the newspaper?”

  “Oh, so that’s your angle. You want me to get involved so you can give Terese the big scoop.”

  Lorea swatted at me. “That’s a great idea, but no, that’s not my angle.” She put a hand on her hip. “I know you’ve been really upset that Tim was arrested. At first, I didn’t give it a second thought, but I know you and your gut, and it’s not often wrong—even if you don’t always listen to it.”

  “That’s fair.” Her reference to one of my former boyfriends was well documented, so I kept listening even though thinking of him still made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

  “Anyway, this may be something, or maybe not,” Lorea hedged.

  “Just tell me already.” I stomped my foot.

  “I really don’t know if I should. Maybe you should ask me some questions so I can honestly tell Tony that I didn’t encourage you.” Lorea scooted back in her chair.

  “Lorea! That’s not fair,” I protested, but she just folded her arms, prepared to wait me out. She leaned around my desk and opened the jar of fresh coconut lotion Jenna had made for me. Lorea scooped out a dab of the coconut oil mixture and rubbed it on a dry spot on her upper arm.

  I had plenty of questions, but I wasn’t sure what kind of information she thought she’d found. The lemongrass essential oil in the lotion reminded me of Jessie’s request to diffuse the same oil at their wedding. Then I remembered Drago and Boris. “Did Drago get arrested? Or maybe his brother Boris?”

  Lorea shook her head. “No, that I can tell you. Tony cited Boris, and he’ll be fine. It sounded like Drago had some pretty important information about Lily’s case. Tony got all excited and started flipping through his notepad when he told me that Drago hopefully wouldn’t get arrested anytime soon.”

  “Well, that’s a relief. I’m glad that they listened to Drago. Poor Jessie has had to deal with so much stress lately. I was afraid if they arrested Drago, she’d fall apart.”

  “I know. I think Drago will be okay. It was good of Luke to go and talk to him so that he wouldn’t be afraid to talk to the police.”

  “I’ll have to tell Luke. That’ll brighten his day.” I thought about how Luke had taken time out of his overloaded schedule to go and help someone he didn’t even know. He’d done that for me. Little goose bumps erupted on my arms. Because of Luke, Jessie and Drago could move forward with their wedding plans. There could still be a snag in their future, but hopefully the threat of Lost Trails had diminished enough to allow them peace of mind.

  “That wasn’t the right question,” Lorea stage-whispered.

  I realized that I’d completely gotten off track with Lorea’s guessing game. “Okay, it has something to do with the news because you mentioned Terese. Wait a minute.” I snapped my fingers. “What news story is about to come out relating to Lily’s murder?”

  “Aha!” Lorea leaned forward. “Now that is a good question.”

  I clapped my hands together. “What’s the answer?”

  “Well, most of my information came from Terese. She said the reporters get together and brainstorm ideas for articles—”

  “Wait, they brainstorm ideas on news articles?” I interrupted. “I thought Terese wanted to work in the current news department—as in breaking news.”

  “Well, that’s the thing. I guess sometimes news happens with a little coaxing.”

  My eyebrows rose up into my hairline. “Is someone doing something illegal?”

  Lorea pressed her lips together and hesitated. “I talked to Tony about it, and he said the department has their eye on someone. He didn’t say who, but he seemed interested when I mentioned a few of the freelancers’ names.”

  “Is someone blackmailing to make news happen?”

  “I’m not sure how it works, but Terese said that several things have been pushed into motion by a few key individuals. Politics plays the biggest role, of course, but as they say, money talks.”

  “Okay, my head is kind of spinning. How does all of this relate to Lily’s murder and Tim’s arrest?” I sat next to Lorea and stared at the computer screen.

  “Sorry, it’s convoluted, but I’m hoping you can make sense of it. There has to be a connection. I just can’t see it yet.” Lorea glanced at a notepad where she’d scribbled something down. She put her hand over the words and looked back at me.

  “You have my attention. I promise. Now tell me what’s going on,” I almost pleaded.

  Lorea blew out a breath. “Tim’s brother somehow leaked the info about the second life insurance policy.”

  “Wait, did you say second policy?”

  Lorea nodded. “Yep, and it’s worth almost as much as the first one. And get this: Tim is the sole beneficiary.”

  I thought of Tim in the orange jumpsuit; Tim at the funeral, crying for Lily; and Tim raking in a huge sum of money from her death. It didn’t match up. “But why would his brother ever do that? And how do we know it’s true?”

  “I’m betting it was inadvertent. He probably never really divulged the info but said something to someone, and that someone gave a guess that drew the bluff.”

  “Surely he’s smarter than that. And how did someone at the newspaper get this info?”

  Lorea rubbed her fingers together. “My sister says, money talks, money takes, and money kills.”

  I shivered. “Maybe your sister should write detective novels.”

  Lorea laughed. “Yes, she could just write your life story, right?”

  I rolled my eyes. “But where do all these cryptic hints get us if you’ve already told Tony?”

  “Someone is definitely trying to frame Tim Esplin. We just need to find out who.”

  “But why would Tim even have a policy on Lily? They weren’t even married yet.”

  The bell on the front door of my shop chimed, and I walked out to greet my patron, leaving the question hanging in the air. Lorea had uncovered a new angle to the murder—an angle that someone in my little town had murdered Lily Rowan for. And they were still walking the streets.

  MARRIAGE ADVICE

  Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, and half-shut afterwards. - Benjamin Franklin

  Courtesy of www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com

  Wednesday morning, I drove to Tim’s animal clinic before I went to work. I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing, because they would have all told me to stay away from the possible murder suspect. But I was too angry to care. If what Lorea said was true, then Tim had deliberately hidden the fact that he had a life insurance policy on Lily. No wonder he had paled when I’d brought up the rumor of the life insurance; he thought no one knew about it. I clenched my fist and banged the steering wheel. If Tim wasn’t truthful, the police wouldn’t be able to help him, and he would look even guiltier. The more I learned about Tim’s part in all this, the more I worried that he could be more than a suspect—he could be guilty.

  I pulled into the front parking lot, which was noticeably empty at nine in the morning. There were three vehicles parked at the side of the building, so I felt safe enough to go inside. I marched into the waiting area. “I need to speak with Tim for a few minutes. Tell him it’s Adri Pyper and it’s an emergency.”

  The secretary’s eyes widened, but thankfully she didn’t ask questions. She scurried through a door to the exam rooms. I folded my arms across my chest and tapped my fingers against my upper arm.

  A couple minutes later, the secretary returned through a different door. “He can see you now.” She held the door open for me, and I followed her down the too-bright hallway to an office wi
th a beat-up metal desk. The faint smell of dog lingered in the air around us; I wrinkled my nose, because it wasn’t a freshly shampooed dog smell. “Have a seat. He’ll be right in.”

  I sat down, studying the name placard: Dr. Timothy Esplin.

  “Hi, Adri,” Tim said as he entered the office. “What can I do for you? Is Tux okay?” He sat at his desk and leaned toward me.

  “Yes, he’s fine, thank you.” I waved my hand to dismiss his question. “I’m here because I want to know why you lied to me when I was trying to help you.”

  Tim leaned back. “What do you mean?”

  “The life insurance policy that you have on Lily.” I kept my tone even and my words clipped.

  Tim sighed and shook his head. “I still don’t understand how the press got wind of that. My brother is too trusting.”

  “So it’s true? You had a life insurance policy on Lily before you were married?”

  “Yes. I know it sounds ... well, terrible. I’ve talked to the police about it, and I’m trying to lie low.”

  “I can understand that. But wouldn’t it have been better to tell the police before they found out from someone else?”

  “I’m sorry that I didn’t say anything before,” Tim said. “My lawyer cautioned me not to reveal anything incriminating to anyone, so I didn’t tell the police. You really scared me when you brought up the other life insurance policy. I never imagined that someone would find out about that.”

  He still hadn’t answered my question, so I decided to be bold. “Why did you have a policy on Lily?”

  Tim seemed to shrink in his seat. He pressed his lips together. “This part hasn’t leaked out. Can I trust you?”

  “Of course,” I said.

  “Lily’s mother died of renal cancer when Lily was fourteen. Cancer of the kidneys was also the cause of death for her paternal grandmother. That type of cancer can be hereditary. A few years ago, Lily found out that there could be a very good chance that she carried the same genetic markers that upped her chances of getting cancer significantly.”

  “Oh dear.”

  “That was one of the reasons she was so hesitant to get married,” Tim continued. “Lily wanted to be a mother, but she didn’t want to leave her children alone. I finally convinced her to take a chance on life instead of living in fear.”

  Tim gripped the side of the table and pressed his lips together. “My brother does insurance. He helped us get a good deal on a life insurance policy for five hundred thousand dollars. Lily set it up and set up each of the beneficiaries. I know she listed me as one of them, but honestly, I hadn’t thought about any of this until the police arrested me.” He scratched his head. “Everyone knows the euthanizing chemical came from my office. I don’t know what proof the detectives found on how it was administered, but they’re using that as the main motive for murder.”

  “But can’t they see what an obvious setup that is? I mean, couldn’t someone have broken into your office and stolen the injection?”

  Tim took a deep breath. “There wasn’t any evidence of tampering with the safe. Either the person had a key, or they are a professional thief.”

  “Everything seems so neatly stacked against you.” I clenched my hands into fists and picked through the questions I’d prepared. Rose’s allegations seemed weak when I was sitting across from Tim’s innocent face, but I had to ask. “Can you tell me about your experience with Rose?”

  Tim furrowed his brow. “Rose is a selfish, spoiled brat who doesn’t want anyone to be happy, because she isn’t. She sabotaged the last relationship Lily was in, and when it didn’t work with me, she came at me with a vengeance.”

  “Sabotaged?”

  “Rose tried to seduce me out at the house.” Tim stared down at his desk, where he rolled a pencil back and forth. “She had it all planned, except for the part that I called Lily and put it on speaker phone when Rose wasn’t looking.”

  I put a hand over my mouth and gasped.

  “Yeah, Rose pretty much hated me after that. And I have to say that Lily didn’t hold much love for her, either. She looked up her old boyfriend and found out that Rose had instigated that affair as well.”

  “She sounds disturbed. Do you think she could have killed Lily?”

  Tim gripped the pencil and looked up. “It would make sense, but no. Even though Rose was crazy, she loved Lily, because her sister was all she had. And Rose never came to this clinic. She hates animals.”

  “That explains a lot.”

  “Agreed.” Tim actually smiled.

  “I’m sorry that word leaked out about the life insurance,” I said. “I wish there was something we could find to help you out.”

  “Me too,” Tim said. “It’s strange, but I could have sworn that I remembered Lily saying something about there being a stipulation that we would have to be married at the time of her death in order for me to get the money. It was a slap in the face at the time, but she said she’d seen enough divorce that she wasn’t going to chance her future children’s welfare.”

  “And what about if you were married, but she died before there were any children? Did the stipulation change?”

  “I’d have to ask my brother on those details. My lawyer is doing a lot of research to show that the motives the police thought I had are weak. That’s why he recommended that I mortgage my practice to get out on a bond.”

  “I’m glad that you don’t have to be in jail. Definitely ask your lawyer to look into beneficiary clauses on your life insurance. I’m sure Tony would want to know if there were other beneficiaries.”

  “I’ll do that,” Tim said.

  “I have one more question.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Well, before you had to mortgage your clinic, how were your finances?” I held my breath, because my question went beyond prying.

  Tim tipped his head slightly as if wondering where the question came from, but he leaned forward to answer. “I’ve been very successful here. I make all of my payments, and I was able to purchase some new equipment for the office last year. Why do you ask?”

  “It’s just that ... Did Lily think that you were financially stable?”

  Tim pulled back as if I’d slapped him.

  “I’m sorry. That was harsh. I’m only asking because I’d like to refute some statements that others have made.” It was my turn to squirm under his gaze.

  After a moment, he deflated with a sigh. “Lily didn’t like it when I did work for free. She thought people were taking advantage of me, and that I should at least set up a payment plan with them.” He licked his lips. “I did with some patients, but I love animals. That’s why I became a vet—not for the money, for the work.”

  “And Lily hadn’t caught that vision?”

  Tim looked down at his desk. “She was catching it. I think she was finally starting to see the wisdom of how I ran my business. It didn’t make sense on paper sometimes, but I know from experience that a good deed doesn’t go unrewarded. I’ve never had to worry about paying my bills, until now.”

  My eyes burned with moisture, and the room grew very quiet. Tim’s words echoed in the stillness, and I felt a confidence that I hadn’t that morning on my drive over. Tim didn’t kill Lily. He was a kind and gentle man. I didn’t want to be wrong about that. It felt impossible to think otherwise.

  “I’m so sorry, Tim. For what it’s worth, I believe that you would never harm Lily.”

  “Thanks, Adri. That means a lot.”

  He walked me out to the empty waiting area and I waved goodbye. Before I could leave the building, Vickie approached me from the other side of the waiting area. I hadn’t seen her before, and now I wished I’d hurried out before she could talk to me, because she didn’t look happy.

  “Why are you here?” Her tone was neither gentle nor encouraging.

  I hesitated, taken aback by her curt question. “I came to talk to Tim.”

  “You should leave him alone. It’s upsetting to him, talking to all these peo
ple with nosy questions. It’s none of your business,” she spat.

  I’m sure she saw my eyes widen, because there was no way I could hide how surprised I was at her attack. “Hey, I know it’s upsetting,” I said, trying to be non-confrontational. “The whole thing is terrible. I’m only here to help Tim.”

  “You’re not helping him. You’re hurting him. Just stop asking so many questions and go take care of your cat.” She pointed at the door.

  My brow furrowed. “I don’t appreciate your tone or your attitude. If Tim doesn’t want to talk to me, he’ll let me know,” I snapped. Maybe I should have held my tongue, but Vickie had a personality problem that needed adjusting. “He’s under a lot of stress, so I won’t tell him right now about this conversation, but in the future you would do well to remember that I am one of Tim’s customers.”

  Vickie glared at me. I stared her down until her eyes dropped to the floor, and then I hurried outside before she could say anything else.

  As I pulled away, I noticed the parking lot was still empty except my car. How many people had canceled their appointments when Tim was arrested? Maybe Vickie was scaring off just as many. I shrugged off her verbal assault and took five cleansing breaths to rid myself of her toxic influence.

  With that, I went to work and did my best to concentrate on the weddings I had coming up, but everything seemed dark and gloomy with all the questions and accusations circling in my head.

  DEEP BREATHING FOR STRESS RELIEF

  Take in a deep breath through the nose and when lungs are filled, pack in another breath. Hold for three seconds and exhale slowly. At the end of the exhale, push air out from the lungs three times. Repeat this process 20 times for rejuvenation and stress relief.