The Priest Who Ate A Poison Petit Fore

by Kee Patterbee

  Hannah twisted her lip around. “She gave me this smile. Unnerving. Then she suggested I take some of the candies to Susan, like she wanted to taunt her or something.”

  Magdalen, who hung on every word, let out a breath. “That’s messed up. I mean, in a big time way.”

  The elder Starvling pulled her face in, a sign Hannah took as consideration. “Amend things. That sounds like she’s trying to fix things.”

  Amend. Hannah let the word tumble in her thoughts. Could be positive or negative, depending. She glanced up to her companions. “Maybe. It depends on how she sees amending. Does that mean she thinks she’s fixing thing by killing? Or is it something else?”

  Gran nodded in acknowledgement and consideration.

  Magdalen assumed an odd expression. “Something else? Like what?”

  “Revenge,” Gran interjected. “She could be talking about getting even. Amending a wrong.”

  Hannah agreed with a gesture. “One of the old motives.”

  Gran agreed, tumbling the words around in her mouth as though she was seeking to taste them. “When we’re not old... That’s when it hurts. To those we love.” After a moment’s contemplation, she added, “Bet you a cookie that’s a reference to Susan.”

  Magdalen shuffled on her feet for a moment. “And the Reverend? Right. To those we love. It’s aimed at him, isn’t it?”

  Hannah could tell her sister-in-law was attempting to work it out without someone telling her. The sleuth appreciated the effort.

  “Excellent, dear,” Gran interceded before Hannah could answer. “You’ve got a knack for this.”

  Magdalen smiled at the praise. “Don’t know about that. Every question ends in another.”

  “Nature of the beast,” Grans stated with some enthusiasm. “Makes you all tingly, doesn’t it?”

  Magdalen affirmed with a mischievous grin.

  Hannah agreed with both. “So it sounds like revenge… maybe. Question is the same old trope though. Why?” She stretched herself out as she further announced, “Like I said, we’re still missing something. A piece of the puzzle.”

  The sudden buzzing of her phone made her jump. Retrieving the device, she glanced at the number. “It’s Cate,” she notified Gran, as she stepped away to answer. “What’s up?”

  From the other end of the conversation, Hanna could tell her best friend was both frustrated and excited.

  “Hey, listen, that friend found Ingrid Larkin.”

  Hannah held the phone and waited for Cate to continue. Although efficient to no end, the librarian showed a fondness for dramatics. Sometimes, Hannah became frustrated with the display, but given her friend’s excitement, she decided just to wait her out.

  “You still there?”

  “Still here.”

  “Great, anyway, so she did marry and is now Ingrid Adams, a widower. But you were right about the affair, and the woman still has a thing for Janus all these years later. You can just tell. I almost couldn’t get her to shut up about that man.”

  “And?”

  “She did work in records and he was looking for information on his siblings, and she remembered every little detail.”

  “Because she was in love with him.”

  “Still is. That’s what I’m guessing. Anyway, he found out that they sent his two brothers to the same foster home.”

  “Do you have anything on them?”

  “I do, and some of their history, but it’s not good. She remembered the home the brother went to was problematic. The oldest died in their care just two years after being placed. Some sort of accident was the official ruling. After that, the younger became challenging over time. A mini rap sheet. Drugs for the most part. Possession. Dealing. Theft. That sort of thing. He died homeless in a shelter two years ago. That’s all unconfirmed. It came from her.”

  “Hmm, and the twin?”

  “The sister went to live with a local family living near the seminary in Bevis. She took on their last name though they never adopted her. Mary Beaumont became Mary Ridden. I’m still waiting for info on her, if the woman does indeed remember it right.”

  “It’s pretty detailed not to be. I don’t think most people would make up such specific details.”

  “Point taken.”

  Hannah’s quirk presented itself per usual.

  “I can hear it again,” Cate determined. “What have you found out that you’re not telling me?”

  “We’re not sure yet, but we have a suspect that turned up. Someone I hadn’t yet considered. The sheriff I was telling you about, he’s trying to track her down and bring her in for questioning. But you think you could---”

  “Just hit me with a name, girl. I’m on it.”

  “Ruth Wormwood. Her husband owned Pasithea Pharmaceutical. Gabriel was his name.”

  “Got it. So, all this with Janus. It was a waste of time?”

  Hannah considered the idea for the moment. Although her initial thought was to say yes, her instinct told her otherwise.

  “I’m not sure yet. There’s evidence linking this woman, but it’s all circumstantial and not in a strong way yet. I could be misreading the situation, but just for argument’s sake, I’d like to keep my options open until we find out for sure.”

  “Well, Al and I are heading out later. We’ll drop by the cabin and see if we can talk with him, just to cover bases. But I’ll get right on this.”

  “That’d be great. Couldn’t do this without you, you know that, right?”

  “Sure you could. It just wouldn’t be half as fun or half as interesting. Keep me informed. Love you.”

  “Do the same. Love you too. Bye.”

  Hannah clicked off her phone.

  “Now what?” Magdalen inquired.

  “Well, I, for one, need to check in with Hymn. I bet Buster wouldn’t mind seeing you as well. Maybe then we can catch up with Papa Jay.” A frown crept across Hannah’s face. “Then there’s the other thing. We’ve got to tell the Reverend about Mr. Rhoades.”

  A silence came across the three. After a few seconds, Magdalen let out a breath.

  “We might want to find out his condition first though. To be honest, it didn’t look good when I left. It’s a bad injury to his head. The leaking fluid came from his brain. It could be just a rupture, but he might have cracked or fractured his skull.” Magdalen paused. “Even under the best conditions, in a strong, young individual, it’s a tough road to recovery, but on a man in his seventies…” Her words faded before she continued. “Even if he comes out on the other side, he won’t be the same.”

  Both Hannah and Gran acknowledged with a silent nod.

  “I don’t understand this,” Whipson declared as tears rolled down his aged cheeks. With one hand, he held onto his crucifix. Calvin sat next to him, clutching the other.

  “They’ve taken him to surgery,” Hannah informed.

  The sleuth sat down in the chair next to her husband and leaned forward. Placing her elbows on her knees, she clasped her hands together and rested her head on them. Gran stepped up from behind and put a hand on her granddaughter’s shoulder. Magdalen did the same for her brother. Buster stood next to her, his hand holding hers. All looked over to the Reverend.

  “I’m not going to lie to you, sir. It doesn’t look good. It’s a bad injury, but I think you need to know. To prepare yourself, just in case.”

  “This is my fault. I asked him to look for evidence. I shouldn’t have---”

  “This is not on you,” Hymn interceded. “You didn’t do this.”

  Calvin reassured him with a squeeze of the hand. He then looked back to Hannah. “You said you think you have a lead on who did this?”

  “We do. Sheriff Borden is looking to bring her in for questioning.”

  “Her.”

  “Ruth Wormwood.”

  Whipson sat up and wiped the tears from his eyes. He adjusted his glasses and stared at Hannah. “Ruth?”

  Hannah said nothing, but acknowledged yes. Calvin too adjusted his pos
ition. “I’m assuming there’s a why included in this?”

  “That’s the one question that remains. The sheriff is going to let us know when he picks her up for questioning.”

  “That’s the woman from reception, right?” Hymn asked. “While you were gone, I stepped out to stretch my legs. I went down to the lobby and out front. I saw her headed out across the front lawn. I think she was leaving.” He looked over at Gran. “That’s how I knew you were here. I ran into Jayland with the dogs.”

  Gran smiled. “The old Grumpus spoils surprises even when he’s not around.”

  “Let the sheriff know,” Hannah said, pulling out her phone and dialing. She then handed it to Gran. Turning her attention back to the Reverend and Calvin, Hannah asked more questions.

  “So you both know Ms. Wormwood?”

  Both the men affirmed yes. Calvin was the first to respond.

  “Well, yeah. I think everyone here does. The community as a whole. Her husband founded this place and Happiness in general. But to put it out there, she’s one of our patients. She came to us through her husband, Gabriel. We met him at a geriatrics conference I was presenting at in Kansas. In fact, he’s the reason we came here. He recruited us. We even had dinner with Ruth and him. I always got the impression she was the real reason though.”

  “Reverend, can you think of a reason this woman might want to hurt you in some way? To get to you through your patients, Susan, or Mr. Rhoades?”

  Whipson’s face twisted up, and he looked around with uncertainty. Panicked, Hannah noted. Or unsure.

  “I… uh…No. I don’t know her. We’ve talked here upon occasion. Kind words. Greetings as such. But I don’t think I’ve ever had a real conversation with her.” Whipson coughed several times. “She always just smiled at me.” He raised then slammed his fist into the cushioned arm of his seat. “Why would she do this,” he blurted out in an angry tone. “She should have just come for me. Why make others suffer for my sins. My friends. Parishioners. Jackie… Susan.” Tears again began to flow down his face as he placed it down into his hands and sobbed.

  “It’s alright, Jonathan,” Calvin insisted. “Try to relax.” He looked up at the others. “I know it’s important, but I think he needs some time to himself, for now. Maybe we could do this later or tomorrow.”

  All agreed. Without saying a word, they shuffled out into the hallway, out of the Reverend’s line of sight.

  Hymn grimaced as he clutched his hands behind his head and pulled his elbows forward. “This is… wrong.” Letting go, he pointed back toward the waiting room. “That’s the kindest, the finest man I’ve ever known. Now someone is tormenting him and until we find her, there’s not going to be an answer.”

  “She’s making him suffer,” Hannah said in a cold voice. “All this is to make him suffer for something, some deed, she thinks he inflicted.”

  “We need to find her and put an end to this, right now.”

  Hannah looped her arm around Hymn’s and leaned her head onto his shoulder. “It’s alright. The sheriff will find her and we’ll get some answers.”

  “It’s alright, Sweet Face. The sheriff’s tracking her down as we speak. We’ll get answers soon enough. We just have to be patient.”

  Hymn relented, albeit with a downturn of the mouth.

  “He called his deputy in to help,” Gran informed, handing Hannah her phone back. “He’s gone himself to see if she’s at home. He’ll take her back to Tantalus when he has her. That’s the next city over, right?”

  Both Hannah and Hymn nodded.

  “It’s where we’re staying,” Hymn added.

  Buster shuffled a bit. “So, now it’s the waiting game? How long do you think this will take? To pick her up, I mean? She lives around here, right?”

  “I’d imagine so,” Hannah assured. “Unless she’s on the run, but somehow, I don’t see that happening.”

  “Why’s that?” Magdalen inquired.

  “Because she has no reason to believe we know anything. She slipped past us when we found Rhoades. We never paid attention to her otherwise, and she’s gotten away with more than a dozen incidents along the way. I imagine, no matter what her state of mind is, she’s feeling invincible.”

  “So what do we do until they catch her?” Buster asked.

  Hannah frowned hard. “Well, I think Calvin was right. The Reverend needs to be free of this for the moment. He’s not going to want us to be around for now. We should give him the night to recover.”

  “We’re not family, so we won’t get to see Susan tonight,” Hymn added.

  “We’re going to need a place to stay,” Magdalen informed, taking hold of Buster’s arm. “Where are you guys staying?”

  Hymn stiffened a bit. He looked over at Hannah, who just shrugged. “Yeah, it’s a hotel in Tantalus called Bate’s.”

  Buster blinked twice. “You have… got… to be kidding me.”

  “You can always bunk with Jay and me in the RV,” Gran informed.

  Buster cleared his throat. Magdalen interceded. “Thank you, but no. I think the hotel will be just fine for us.” She looked over at Hannah and Hymn. “If you guys don’t mind. I mean, it is your honeymoon, and all.”

  Hymn let out a slow breath. He looked at Buster and then at his sister. A look of acceptance crossed his face. “No, not at all. Why not? If you guys will be comfortable. The more the merrier.”

  Hannah squeezed her husband’s arm in appreciation.

  “Don’t worry, Tubbs. We’ll try not to interrupt you two,” Magdalen said with a grin.

  “There better not be any interrupting,” Gran stated, shaking a finger.

  Hannah pulled Hymn down and kissed his forehead.

  “You have to be able to start something before it can be interrupted,” Hymn whispered.

  “Soon, I promise,” she returned.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The rest of the night was uneventful. After meeting up with Papa Jay in the RV, Gran, Magdalen, Buster, and Hymn decided dinner was in order. They took the vehicle over to Tantalus and sat in The Nick of Time diner, discussing the case and recalling the wedding. Borden had called earlier to say that Wormwood was not at her house in Happiness. He issued a statewide law enforcement alert for the woman, but informed Hannah that would take some time. Hearing this, Hannah blew out a frustrated breath. To her, it meant more time in Happiness, and less time on her honeymoon. Her hope was the Sheriff would find her, question her, and elicit a confession. Thus, ending the case and letting her get on with her life, but this was not to be the case. Seeing Papa Jay sitting at the cluster of tables in the diner reminded Hannah of her promise to help Whipson and why she should keep it. It made her feel better, but guilty at the same time.

  Looking over at his wife, while everyone was chatting, Hymn kissed her forehead. “What’s got you down, Sherlock? It’s almost over.”

  “Yeah, but not soon enough. What if they can’t find her? What if she doesn’t confess?”

  “They will. She will. Besides, we have enough to tell the Reverend all is clear for Susan and Calvin. That was the promise, right? To find the truth and give him some relief? So technically, you’re done. One more night here, we talk to the Reverend, and then we get to move on.” Hymn glanced around the table, watching Magdalen chat with Papa Jay, and Buster with Gran. He gave a smile. “Besides, we’re with family.” He paused as Buster laughed and turned to wink at Magdalen. She returned the same. Hymn chuckled. “And future family I’m guessing. We’re all good here, Ms. Miles.”

  “But this whole mess. We should be wherever you were taking me by now. Doing what you’re supposed to do on a honeymoon.”

  Hymn half laughed. “You mean pigging out on food and staring into each other’s eyes while the sound of the ocean whips about? Lying in bed eating strange shaped cakes while some kind of doll watches over?”

  “Well, not so much lying in bed.” Suddenly, Hannah’s face lit up a bit. “Oh. A clue. The ocean? A cruise? Where too?”

>   Hymn cocked his head sideways and grinned. “Not saying another word, but this is where we are tonight. You made a promise. Tomorrow, you get to fulfill it.”

  “I made you one too.”

  “You’ll keep it. That’s my promise to you.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  Hannah leaned in for a kiss. The two did not notice the silence that fell across the table. When they pulled away and turned, all present were staring at them.

  Buster grinned and looked over to Gran. “Uh, is that offer for the RV still open.”

  “I think we have room,” the elder Starvling said with a smirk. “You’ll have to deal with old Grumpus here’s snoring, but I’ve dealt with it for an eternity. You’ll be fine.”

  “My snoring?” Papa Jay sounded off. “Just last week, nosy butt here was cutting logs so loud, the sheriff from two counties over knocked on the door and told her to pipe down.”

  “Oh, hush you. He’s eating garlic again. We all might have to sleep outside.”

  Everyone laughed at the exchange as Gran pulled Papa Jay in for a makeup smooch. It lightened the mood of the room.

  “It’s alright, guys. This is not our official honeymoon.”

  “Doesn’t mean nothing’s going to happen,” Gran insisted with a knowing look.

  Papa Jay crossed his arms. “Woman, leave the girl be. It’ll happen when it happens if it happens. You looming over like an old vulture ain’t gonna help nothing. You got a dog and a cat. Should be enough things to dote after.”

  “And you. It isn’t the same though, and you know it. Although, I do feed you and you do burp a lot.”

  As the exchange started up again to everyone’s amusement, Hannah’s phone rang again. She glanced over the name and answered.

  “Hey, did you see Janus?”

  “We’re on our way there now. Are you sitting down?”

  Hannah looked up. Everyone continued to listen to the elder Starvlings’ jibes toward one another. Seeing this, she turned back to the conversation. “I am.”