Poison Hearts

by Brenda Thomas; Shirley Dicks

  "Mother." Lauren screamed. She ran over to the bed and could see her mother's still form lying as if in sleep. The monitors had just been taken off and the doctor turned to her.

  "I'm sorry, Miss McCall. You're mothers heart just couldn't stand anymore. She just died a few minutes ago. We tried to call you sooner, but your mother said to let you sleep, that she'd be fine in a little while. By the time we knew it was all over, she was gone. I'm sorry."

  Lauren flung her body down on the bed and hugged her mother. "Nooooo, fix her up, I know you can do it. Make her breath again...you can't let her die. Do something." She lifted her tear filled eyes to the doctor and he felt helpless as he looked on. Getting up she screamed, her breathing was labored and she could not get her breath. She felt as if she was going to die along with her mother and she leaned over. Leonard grabbed her and held her up, letting her cry her grief out. The nurse looked on sympathetically for a few minutes then laid her hand on Lauren's shoulder.

  "I'm sorry Miss, but we have to take her away now."

  "No...you can't take her anywhere. Give her some oxygen and make her breath." By this time Lauren began to fight the nurse, screaming and smashing everything in sight. The doctor yelled for a needle to calm her down. Leonard looked on as he watched his beloved fighting and screaming with everything that was in her. She had finally flipped out with the loss of her mother and he watched as they gave her a needle and in a few minutes she sunk to the floor.

  "We have to take her to the psychiatric ward. I'm afraid she's having a nervous breakdown...and it's not just the grief. I'm sorry." The doctor told the nurses to put her on the stretcher and take her to the psychiatric ward. She would be locked in a room for her own safety. That way she couldn't try to commit suicide when she came too.

  Leonard felt tears behind his eyes and wiped them away. "When can I see her," he asked.

  "I'm not sure. It all depends on how she reacts to treatment. I've seen cases like this before that took months for the patient to come out of it, then others come right out of it in a few days."

  Detective Dowling entered the room quietly. He finally had the evidence he needed, the cup Lauren poured out in the sink had traces of arsenic and when they searched Lauren's apartment they found the container of poison in the bottom of her closet. He had come to place her under arrest not knowing her mother had died and that she had gone berserk.

  "Well, she'll have to be transferred to the State Mental institution for the criminally insane as soon as possible," he told the doctor. "I have a warrant charging her with attempted murder."

  "We've given her a sedative. If you'll make the arrangements for transportation there we'll see to it she stays heavily sedated until she arrives there. Just have me paged when you’re ready to transport her," the doctor answered as he finished writing in the chart.

  Leonard was sitting in the chair trying to sort out everything that had happened. Detective Dowling walked over beside him.

  "Excuse me but are you a friend of Lauren's?" he asked curiously.

  "Yeah. What's it to you?" he asked angrily.

  "I'd like to ask you a few questions," he replied.

  Leonard just sat there staring out the window as if he was the only one in the room.

  "Are you and Lauren good friends?" he began, trying to be understanding. Leonard nodded. "Did she ever talk about the lady she works for, Christina Willowbee?" he continued.

  "We didn't talk much about her work. All I know is that she is a hard worker. She's spent every last penny she has taking care of her mother. She didn't spend any on herself. She wanted to make her mother's life as comfortable as possible. She even quit dating, spending all her time and energy with her mom. Now does that sound like someone who would try and kill somebody?" he lashed out at the detective.

  The detective could understand his hostility and even sympathize with the boy but that was beside the point. The evidence proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Lauren had been slowly poisoning Christina.

  "Take it easy son. I know this isn't a very pleasant situation for you. I don't like it any better than you but I need to know if Lauren ever told you about her plans or why she would want to poison someone like Christina. After all, she did help Lauren when she first showed up at her door. Now why would Lauren want her dead?" he persisted. Leonard showed no signs of relenting.

  "Was Christina going to leave her money in her will or something?" the detective continued with increased annoyance. "That might explain it."

  "That money and fine home shouldn't be Christina's alone. By rights Lauren should have half of everything Christina has," Leonard blurted out without thinking.

  "And why's that son?" the detective probed.

  "Because she's entitled to it, that's why. Old man Tyler was her father." Leonard stopped in midsentence as Christina stood silently behind the detective, stunned by what she just heard.

  "You’re lying," Christina shouted as she threw down her purse indignantly. "You’re just trying to ruin Tyler's good name. Why you don't even know him. How can you say such awful things about him?" She stared at him boldly.

  "Because it's the truth. Lauren told me all about her mother's affair with Tyler. It was long before you came into the picture. Tyler's first wife hired Carol as a cook. In addition, when Carol became pregnant he sent her away and told her never tell anyone. Not even after Lauren was born. He refused to see her. But Lauren fixed him."

  "What do you mean by that?" Detective Dowling said.

  "Nothing. I didn't mean nothing...and if you want to know anything else you'll have to ask Lauren." Leonard started walking past him and out the door while Christina stood speechless.

  "Well, guess I'll have to make arrangements to question Lauren tomorrow as soon as she's able to talk. There are a lot of unanswered questions to be asked."

  Christina just looked at Detective Dowling and ran from the room. She had to get out of there before she fell apart.

  The ride home was a blur for Christina. The car screeched to a halt in the driveway. Christina ran inside, the tears streaming down her face.

  "What's wrong?" Andrew asked as he pulled her into his arms letting her sob hysterically.

  "It's Lauren. She's...she's Tyler's daughter."

  "Are you out of your mind?" Andrew asked as he led her to the living room and fixed her a strong drink. "What do you mean she's Tyler's daughter."

  "Leonard said that her mother Carol was Tyler's cook before he and I were married. I never knew her but I'd seen a few pictures of her in the family album. "

  "So how does that make Lauren Tyler's daughter?" he continued.

  "Tyler must have had an affair with Carol and when she got pregnant, she left or he sent her away. That would explain why Lauren never wanted me to meet her mother and why she never moved her into the quest house. She knew I'd recognize her from the pictures in the album and put two and two together." Christina's tears continued to fall.

  "So Lauren found out who her father was and then blamed both of you for her mother's unhappiness," Andrew said. "That's why she wanted you dead I bet." He stopped for a moment. "Then maybe Tyler's death wasn't just a heart attack."

  Christina stared in disbelief. It was all so crazy, something you'd see on TV. but not in real life. Not in hers. Why didn't she see through Lauren before now? Why didn't Lauren just tell her and ask her for the money. She would have gladly given it to her. How was she supposed to know that Lauren was a heir to Tyler's fortune. If she really was, that is. But in her heart she knew it was probably true. Christina was exhausted both physically and mentally. She leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes wanting to shut out the world completely.

  She must have fallen asleep. When she woke it was morning. She was still lying on the sofa, the rose colored afghan covered her. Then it was all a dream, a bad dream she thought as she headed for the kitchen.

  "Your awake?" Andrew asked surprised. "The way you tossed and turned all night it's a wonder you slept at all."

>   "It was all just a bad dream, wasn't it?" she asked hesitantly. "Please tell me it was."

  "You wouldn't want me to lie. No, it wasn't just a dream. I'm sorry Christina. I know this must be tearing you apart. I wished you'd forget it all and marry me. You'd never have to come back here to this town again."

  Maybe he was right. Maybe she should marry him and get away from here once and for all. Away from all the bad memories that now left a sour taste in her mouth and heart.

  "I'm sorry sis," Maureen put her arms around Christina. Andrew told me what happened.

  "I always knew that Lauren was a bad person...I tried to tell you but you're so trusting and loving. I wish I had her here right now. I'd kill her with my bare hands."

  "That's all right Maureen. I should have seen something in the way she never let me get close to her. I guess I can't really blame her. After all from what I know of her life it hasn't been easy. Then with a mother who was dying and she felt she was entitled to the money, probably to help her mother to live comfortable since she was ill. I don't know....perhaps something like that poisoned her mind against everyone. She wasn't a happy person. I wish I could have helped her out."

  "Don't' go feeling sorry for that little" Maureen stopped at the look in Christina's face. "I'm sorry sis, I get so mad when someone hurts you...and I know how much this is killing you right now, but look at it from my point of view. She could have killed you...or me and perhaps she was responsible for Tyler's death. Do you remember my saying I heard her when I called Tyler that day to see if you were still there. She swore that she hadn't been at the house that whole day, but I know I heard her voice."

  "Don't say that Maureen. I don’t think that she would kill her own father. No matter what he did to her and her mother, I don't want to believe she could do something like that."

  "You're not going to forgive her are you?" Maureen stared at Christina waiting for her answer.

  "I don't know Maureen. It’s going to take some time."

  “Well don't go feeling sorry for her because she lost her mother, that doesn't make what she did right. She's evil. Anyone who could cold heartedly plan to poison someone who was as good to her as you've been, is evil."

  The doorbell rang and Rusty jumped to answer it.

  "Could I see Christina?" asked Detective Dowling.

  "Sure. She's in the living room. Right this way." Detective Dowling followed Rusty. Christina looked surprised.

  "I wanted to let you know that Lauren gave us a full confession this afternoon. Although she is emotionally disturbed her confession should hold up. She also broke down and admitted she was there the day Tyler died. She was begging him for money to take her mom to Hawaii before she died but he still wouldn't acknowledge her as his child. She tried to get him to admit on tape that he was her father so she could get what she was entitled to. But he died before uttering another word. She got scared and ran out of the house." He paused for a moment.

  "So she did murder Tyler after all," Maureen said shocked by the entire story.

  "Did she intend to kill Maureen?" Christina asked.

  "No. She said the tea was meant for you. She didn't even think Maureen would drink it. She did ask me to tell you she's so sorry. She just couldn't cope with everything and she thought if you died she could announce that she was the only living heir of Tyler's left. Then she could have the best for her mother before she died. That's all she really wanted was for her mother to live comfortably until the end. She said she understands if you can't forgive her, but that she truly is sorry."

  Christina hung her head in dismay. "What will happen to her now?" she asked worriedly.

  "Well, with a good attorney, she might get off with fifteen years and most of that would be served in the state mental institution for the criminally insane."

  "Fifteen years," Christina exclaimed. "Isn't that an awful long time?" she asked.

  "Not really. She could be out in 1/3 of that, maybe five to eight years with good behavior. I’ll be on my way. "

  “Thanks for coming by,” Christina said as she sank back on the couch. “Its just so hard to believe that Lauren would do that to me. I truly cared for that girl and would have done anything to help her. If I’d of known she was Tyler’s daughter, I would have given her half of the money, all she had to so was ask.”

  “I guess that was not enough for her. She wanted the whole thing, the house and all. She may have been thinking of her mother, but normal people do not go around killing someone for their money.” It was quiet for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts.

  “I guess we’ll be leaving also Christina,” Andrew said. “But we will be back soon. You take care of yourself.” Andrew and Rusty got up to leave taking their things with them. As they got to the car, Christina smiled. She knew that Andrew would be back for her and they would start their own life.

  "Are you sure you'll be all right?" Andrew asked as he kissed Christina one more time.

  "I'll be fine. Don't worry. As soon as the house is sold and we get everything packed we'll join you guys. Then we can work on the wedding plans," Christina said with a smile.

  "I'm holding you to it," Andrew replied.

  Rusty gave Maureen a final kiss before jumping into the car.

  "Oh by the way Maureen. That cabin on the lake. It's yours sweetheart."

  "Mine. What do you mean," she stammered.

  "I forgot to tell you. I own that cabin. I hadn't been totally honest with you about my finances. I had to see if you loved me for myself, not for my money. You see I have more than enough money to last you a lifetime….as well as a big house. Every bit as big as this one."

  "Why Rusty, you devil you. I've finally fallen in love and to top it off he's rich. What more could a girl ask for. I should be mad at you, but I’m not. I guess I came across as a woman who was only interested in the money…and I guess I was. However, I’ve changed now, thanks to you. " She smiled lovingly as he kissed her once more before leaving.

  Maureen turned to Christina. "Did you know he was wealthy all this time?" she asked.

  "No. Not really. But I kind of suspected something," she winked. They turned and walked back inside arm in arm, sure of the happiness the future held for them.

  "Maureen, what do you think about a double wedding?”

  “Christina, that’s great. We’re going to be so happy…..I can hardly wait.”

  Table of Contents

  Chapter Two