by Joyce
He laughed. “I never found your lectures boring. It amazed me the stuff people don’t know about plants. We take them for granted, don’t we? They can kill or heal. I’ve been fascinated by them since I took your class.”
“Thank you, Tanner. I’m glad that I helped inspire your love of plants. Do you garden at home?”
“No. Not really. I don’t have a big yard like yours. I play around with some indoor plants. I wish I had a farm to work with. That would be great.”
“Maybe someday you will.”
He accompanied her to her office for her laptop. Peggy enjoyed talking to a kindred spirit even if they’d chosen different paths in life. There wasn’t much use for plant lore in police work.
“I remember now that you were an exceptional student,” she told him as she packed up her laptop. “I could tell you stayed awake through my lectures.”
“My parents thought I was crazy taking botany. I told them one day it would make a difference, even though I always wanted to be a cop.”
Peggy and Tanner went into the lecture hall together. He set up her laptop so that the information from her program would be on the big screen behind her.
A large crowd had already gathered. Free lectures were popular for both students and interested visitors from the community. Poison plants were something people never seemed to get enough of.
She’d sometimes wondered if her lectures on this subject were inspiring people to take another look at poison plants or using them for the wrong purposes.
Seeing Dr. Bellows face in the crowd made that all the more apparent. Of course, he probably already had all the expertise he’d needed to kill those three people. He’d used her as a focus for his crimes, but she would be wrong to believe she’d provoked him.
The lights went dark and her first slide came up on the screen.
“Good afternoon. I’m Dr. Margaret Lee. I teach botany here at Queen’s. My specialty field is botanical poisons. Today I’ll be showing you some familiar plants, some of which are deadly poisonous. I’ll be taking questions at the end of the lecture. Please bear in mind that this information is to acquaint yourselves with plants that you might not want to have around children or pets. It is not intended for any other purpose. Thank you for coming.”
The first plant was anemone. The bulb was deadly poison. “Anemone is a common bulb. You see plenty of the white flowers here in the spring. There are many bulbs that are poisonous including hyacinth and daffodil. Tulips aren’t poisonous, and in fact, the Dutch survived a famine many years ago by eating tulip bulbs.”
The next plant was the bleeding heart. “This is another common plant. I’m sure many of you recognize the delicate, heart-shaped flowers. They are a gardener’s delight.”
She saw heads nodding in the audience. The light from the screen illuminated the people closest to her.
“The leaves and roots of this plant have been known to be fatal to animals and humans when eaten in large quantities. How much is that? It all depends on the size of the animal or person who eats it. It would take far less to poison a small child or animal than one with more weight.”
The next plant was chrysanthemum. “Gardeners call these mums for short but this is their correct name. They were brought here from Asia where they are considered the queen of flowering plants.”
She pointed to the plant on the screen. “The stalks and leaves are poisonous. They are a frequent problem for those who work in the floral industry as they cause contact dermatitis. They are also poisonous to ingest, although probably not deadly. Again, the amount would determine that. The Chinese drink a tea made from the flowers.”
There were some whispers that rippled through the group in the audience. Some people were scribbling down the information. She could always tell when people were engaged by what she was saying.
Peggy made it through the entire alphabet, pointing out various types of poisons and the plants that contained them.
“And I conclude with Z.” She smiled at her audience. “I also admit to cheating a little when it comes to this last plant—zantedeschia aethiopica. It was the only way I could find a plant that started with Z.”
Her audience laughed, as they always did.
“Really, this is another plant you’ll recognize, calla lily. They’re very beautiful and very deadly. Their beauty inspires people to get careless with them, placing them in vases on the dining room table and even using them to adorn plates of food as a garnish. You would be better off taking photos from a distance, believe me.”
When her lecture was over, there was spontaneous applause, followed by dozens of questions. Most of these questions never bothered her.
It was the inevitable question—how to use plants to kill people—that sometimes worried her.
Normally, she tried not to let it bother her. She’d never known anyone from a lecture or class she’d given that had tried to kill a person with a poisonous plant.
That day, she was a little more on edge.
A man came up and identified himself as a mystery writer and told her he was interested in learning about how the poisons worked. “How quickly does someone die from this type of poison? How much does it take?”
It wasn’t that she was worried that he might be the killer. Knowing this basic information had killed three people made her more sensitive to the subject.
“I’m afraid I can’t discuss specifics,” she told the man. “Some things should be learned after years of study. Perhaps you should consider that before you kill someone in a book with a poisonous plant!”
Tanner was putting away her laptop. He smiled at her when the man frowned and left the lecture hall. “You never used to say things like that to people who asked those questions.”
“It seems different now,” she confessed.
“Don’t let the killer get you down, Professor. I’m sure you’re his equal on this subject. He’s only trying to play mind games with you. Are you gonna let him beat you?”
For now, at least, she admitted that the killer was showing her an ugly way of looking at her profession. She didn’t want to talk about poison plants or discuss how they worked. She wanted to go home with Dr. Bellows and find out if he could be the killer. She wanted all of it to end.
“That was a very interesting lecture, Dr. Lee.” Walter Bellows was at the end of the group of excited audience members who’d wanted to speak to Peggy. “I knew all of that already, but you did it with such finesse. Are you still game to show me your experiments?”
“I am if you are.” Peggy thought this would be the best way to expose him as the killer. As soon as she saw what he was working on, she’d be able to tell Tanner to arrest him. “Let’s start with your experiments.”
He raised one dark brow in question. “No, Madame. We should begin with your work.”
Peggy wasn’t sure what to say about that. She wanted to get this over with. Taking him to her house wasn’t going to do that.
On the other hand, what were a few more minutes? She could walk him through the basement then they could go to his house. Tanner would be there—with police backup somewhere behind them. What could it hurt?
Chapter Eight
Horsenettle – Nightshade - The genus of horsenettle includes black nightshade and potatoes. Grows wild along roadsides and in yards. Small purple flowers on plant that resemble flowers on potatoes. Glycoalkaloid poison, solanine. Berries are more toxic than leaves. Poison content higher in fall. Ingestion can be followed by death in a few days. Lab detection: not routinely available.
Queen’s University was only a few minutes from Peggy’s home. She and Tanner drove back together. He helped her take her bicycle out of the trunk.
She looked around her quiet yard where a few red and yellow mums were still blooming. Squirrels and birds played along the moss-lined pathways between the oak trees and the large azalea bushes.
“The police backup is very well hidden,” she whispered to Tanner.
He glanced over his
shoulder. “Not to worry. They’re out there. They train us to be able to blend in.”
Peggy knew that was true—to a certain extent. Being the wife of a police detective made her acutely aware of such things. She could usually pick out unmarked cars in traffic. She’d expected to see some sign of Tanner’s backup in her yard or the yard next door.
She could hear Shakespeare barking. That was a good sign. She went to the kitchen door, turned off the alarm, and went inside. He was very happy to see her. She patted his head and gave him a treat.
“I’m going to have to put you outside. I don’t want you unsettling Dr. Bellows before he has a chance to confess.”
That was fine with Shakespeare. He lived to play outside on fine autumn days.
“Is it okay to come in now?” Tanner looked inside the kitchen door. “That’s a big dog you’ve got there, Professor.”
“I know. There are many times I wished I’d found a nice cat to rescue instead of Shakespeare.” She smiled to lighten her words. “But he’s mine now and I love him. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Dr. Bellows isn’t here yet. Maybe we should take a look in the basement and make sure we’re set up in case he has something else in mind besides looking at your plants.”
“Good idea, Tanner. It’s a little dark and maze-like down there. It would probably be good for you to have the lay of the land, so to speak, before he gets here.”
Peggy took him into the basement. She switched on all the lights available. Even with those, it was still dark. On sunny days, she got a lot of natural light through the French doors going into the backyard. Not today.
“Wow!” Tanner looked around at her work. “You really have a lot going on down here, Professor. I can’t believe Dr. Bellows has as much.”
“Thanks. And you know, I’ve been thinking all afternoon about you, Tanner.” She switched on the lamp in her small office area that was in the original spot for a washer and dryer. “I think I might have your last essay from my class. It was so good that I kept it all these years. I’d forgotten until now.”
“Really?” He looked surprised, even embarrassed. “I did okay in your class. I wouldn’t call my work exceptional.”
Peggy rummaged through her file cabinet and located the file she’d kept with some of her students’ work. At the time, he’d seemed to be very talented and she’d thought he would advance in the field.
“I was really surprised when you chose to become a police officer.” She pulled out the essay and looked at it. “I wouldn’t even have known except John was still alive when you graduated from the police academy. We always attended those graduations.”
As she looked at the essay—it was handwritten—not done on a computer as essays were today—she realized that she recognized the handwriting. It was the same as the handwriting on the note that had been left in her door.
Her heart skipped a beat. For a moment, it was hard to breathe.
Dr. Bellows was the wrong person.
She was in her basement, alone, with a killer.
That had been why she hadn’t seen any backup outside. There was none. Tanner obviously had something planned for her. Maybe for Dr. Bellows too.
“Professor?” Tanner looked around the corner into her office area. “You were saying?”
Peggy collected herself. She had to think what to do. She had to play along with Tanner until she could get help. She couldn’t let him know what she had seen.
“I was saying that you were a very good student.” She smiled at him and handed him his essay. “I was so sure you’d go on to become a great botanist.”
He shrugged as he looked at the essay. “I really had bad handwriting back then, didn’t I?”
“I think that’s why they invented word processing,” she said. “Everyone has bad handwriting. Take it from someone who has graded thousands of papers in her lifetime.”
“I guess.”
“What made you become a police officer, Tanner?”
She had to keep him talking.
“I wanted more action, I guess. I still enjoy working with plants. You’d be surprised by what I’ve learned since I graduated from Queen’s.”
I’m sure I would. “Well, you can see what it looks like down here. I wonder what’s keeping Dr. Bellows? Maybe I’ll go upstairs and make some tea.”
If she could get upstairs without him getting suspicious, she could excuse herself, go to the bathroom, and use her cell phone. She could call Al or Paul and help would be there quickly. She had to keep Tanner calm.
She had to keep herself calm too.
“You know, don’t you?” Tanner asked in the same tone of voice he always used.
“Know what?” she asked, heart pounding in her chest.
“You saw this.” He held out the essay. “You recognized my handwriting, didn’t you? I guess it hasn’t gotten any better since I took your classes.”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about. What’s wrong?”
He frowned and balled up the essay, shoving it into his jacket pocket. “I didn’t want this to be over so soon. I’ve enjoyed our game, Professor.”
The door upstairs opened. Dr. Bellows called down to them. “Hello? Dr. Lee? Are you down there?”
“Perfect timing.” Tanner smiled and pulled a syringe from his pocket. He quickly grabbed Peggy and held her against him with his hand over her mouth. “I was going to use this on him. Believe me, I don’t want to hurt you. I’ve always admired you. I guess this works just as well though. Everyone will think your new friend killed you and those other people.”
Peggy went very still. It was something John had told her to do if she was ever in this kind of situation. At the time, it had seemed laughable to even talk about it. Why would she be in a life or death struggle?
She had to wait for the right moment.
She couldn’t panic because she knew he was holding that syringe very near to her throat, even though she knew it was full of poison. She had to be ready to move quickly when the time was right.
Tanner was very strong. She could feel it in the way he easily held her in place. She wanted to scream and run for help. She had to fight her instincts.
Peggy closed her eyes and prayed for the strength to save herself. She couldn’t die this way. Paul and Steve would be furious.
She heard Dr. Bellows’ footsteps on the stairs. Was Tanner waiting until the other man was in the basement too?
She knew he was right—the police would blame her neighbor. Tanner would see to that. He might even kill Dr. Bellows and say he’d been trying to save her.
“Dr. Lee?” Dr. Bellows called out again as he cautiously came down the stairs. “Are you down here? Is this some game you’re playing?”
Peggy realized she and Tanner were standing very close to the large pond filled with miniature cattails, a new strain of rice, and water lilies. It was deep, four feet, with rocks on the bottom, and ten feet wide. She’d had it put in years ago when she’d begun working with water plants.
She remembered John joking with her about it one sunny summer afternoon. He’d smiled at her and suggested they could swim naked in the pond. Peggy could still see his face as clearly in her mind at that moment as if it had happened hours ago.
As she remembered how much she’d loved his smile, she forced herself to do what John had told her—go completely limp.
“Professor?” Tanner whispered. “Did you faint on me? I thought you were tougher.”
He moved, sliding his hand from her mouth, as he tried to peer into her face. His foot had moved one step closer to the edge of the pond.
With all her strength, Peggy brought her head up hard into his jaw. Surprise put him even more off balance. She used that opportunity to push him into the pond.
She didn’t wait to see what came next. By the time she’d heard the splash, she was already opening the French doors. Shakespeare ran past her, back into the house. Peggy ignored him and ran into the backyard.
; You need a place to hide. You need to press speed dial and call Paul or Al.
A thousand thoughts flew through her mind.
Shakespeare ran back out of the basement and started jumping at her, thinking this was a new type of game. He was always ready to play whatever Peggy wanted to play.
Peggy heard Tanner’s shout of rage as she was trying to make it to a stand of red tip bushes near the end of her property line. They were thick and would make good cover.
The grass underfoot was wet from the rain, the ground muddy and slippery. Shakespeare jumping at her made her lose her balance.
Tanner was on her in an instant.
“You can’t get away that easy.” He ground the words out hoarsely as he tipped her head to the right. “You and I have unfinished business. Let’s get this over with.”
Shakespeare, thinking he had encountered another playmate, bounded against both of them. Tanner dropped the syringe and lost his hold on Peggy.
Peggy crawled away from him, trying to get to her feet, when a shot rang out in the backyard behind them.
“This isn’t what I had in mind, Dr. Lee.” Walter Bellows was holding a nine millimeter pistol, staring at her and Tanner. He’d followed them out of the basement. “I heard the splash in the pool. Are you in need of assistance?”
“Dr. Bellows,” Peggy yelled. “This man is trying to kill me.”
“Oh! Well, why didn’t you say so, my dear? I always carry my weapon with me. Can’t be too careful in the city. Hold still, you ruffian. My pistol is trained on your head and I’m quite a good shot with it. Cease and desist.”
Peggy managed to press Al’s number on speed dial. She scrambled to her feet, breathing hard, covered in mud.
Tanner had turned around to face Dr. Bellows. “Take it easy.” His hands were in the air. “There’s no reason to get crazy. Dr. Lee and I were having a disagreement. That’s all.”
Shakespeare was disappointed. No one was moving. He lunged back and forth between Peggy and Tanner. Finally, he gave up and ran back into the basement.