Ladle to the Grave (A Soup Lover's Mystery Book 4)

by Connie Archer

  Lucky grimaced. “Sophie, I really didn’t know what to say to any of them.”

  Sophie groaned. “We’re doing it this way so it’s inexpensive. I can’t afford to rent a hall and hire caterers for tons of people.”

  “I know. I understand. What do you want me to tell them?”

  “It’s not your problem, Lucky. You shouldn’t have to tell them anything.” Sophie sighed. “Let me talk to Sage and see what he thinks. If a few more people want to come, and Jack doesn’t mind, maybe he can prepare a little extra food.” She looked down, doing her best not to move her legs. “Are we done yet?” she asked impatiently.

  “Almost. Just one more touch.” Lucky stood and marked a spot slightly below Sophie’s waist. “I want to take it in just a bit right here.”

  Sophie groaned.

  “Hush. This will make the line from the waist flow better.” She made a mark with tailor’s chalk and then checked the other side of the dress. “There,” she said, finally satisfied with her work.

  “Now are we done?”

  “Just a sec,” Lucky replied, quickly checking the hem once again. “Stop fidgeting!”

  Sophie stood still.

  “And stand up straight, please.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Lucky moved two of the pins down a sixteenth of an inch on either side of the dress. She breathed a sigh of relief as she placed the last pin. “Okay, now we’re done.”

  “Thank heavens!” Sophie slumped. “Get me out of this beautiful creation of yours, please, before I scream.”

  “I’m sorry it’s taking so long. I’m really not an expert dressmaker, but I do want you to look gorgeous and perfect.”

  Sophie raised her arms as Lucky lifted the long dress over her head. She hung it carefully on a padded hanger and hooked the hanger over the door. “I need to find some ribbon or make some piping to lace up the back. That will be the finishing touch, Cinderella.”

  Sophie laughed. “Right. Actually, I should probably wear one of my ski outfits and Sage could wear his white jacket. That would really be appropriate.”

  “Nah. It’s fun to make a big deal over a wedding. It’s something you hopefully only do once in your life.” Lucky frowned. “By the way, what would you like for a wedding present? You still haven’t told me.”

  “We don’t want you to buy us anything. I told you that. You’re making my dress and Jack’s volunteered his garden. That’s so much already.”

  “Yes, but I do want to get you and Sage something that’s sentimental, that you’ll remember as a wedding present from me,” Lucky replied. “Isn’t there something you’d love to have?”

  “Well . . .” Sophie thought for a moment.

  Lucky was sure something definite had occurred to her friend. “Tell me.”

  “No.”

  “No? What do you mean, no?”

  “I don’t think it’s something you could get.”

  “Sophie! What?”

  “I absolutely adore the blue pottery you have. I know it was your mother’s and knowing you, you’d give us the shirt off your back. And if you tried to give us that, I’d never, ever accept it.”

  “Oh,” Lucky replied. “I’m not sure exactly where my mother found those dishes. I think they were made by a local potter.”

  “They’re so beautiful. If you ever remember where she found them, could you let me know? I wouldn’t get the exact same kind, but I just think they’re so charming and quaint. I’d love to find that artist.”

  “You’ve got it. Maybe I can figure it out.”

  “But I don’t want you to buy us anything, okay?” Sophie was adamant.

  “Okay. I hear you. But I will try to find out who made them.” Lucky squeezed her eyes shut.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Oh, nothing. I’m just trying to remember what’s stored at Horace’s house. I brought bunches of material over here to the apartment when I moved in, but there’s more boxes in the attic. I plan on picking them up and going through them. I’m pretty sure at least one of those boxes has lots of notions. I hope so, anyway. It’ll save me a trip to Lincoln Falls.” Lucky placed the pincushion on the coffee table. “Come sit down and have a glass of wine with me before Sage comes by.”

  Sage had insisted on walking over to meet Sophie. He had been anxious about Sophie’s emotional state since Nate’s news that morning.

  “How are you feeling about everything?” Lucky asked as she poured two glasses of a white wine that Sage had recommended.

  Sophie rested her arm on a sofa cushion. “You mean the . . . the man we found?” Sophie sighed. “I feel bad that I really don’t feel anything—at least not yet. Maybe you all think I’m in a state of denial but I don’t think I am. First of all, we don’t know that the . . . body in the creek really is Rick. And there’s no way to identify him by his face.” Sophie shuddered involuntarily.

  “What about dental records?”

  Sophie shrugged. “You know how poor we were. I don’t ever remember even seeing a dentist when we were kids. I guess we were lucky; we had real strong teeth. I have no idea if Rick saw anyone when he was younger, and who knows what dentists he might have seen since he moved away. Nate’s contacted authorities in New York, but until we hear back, we just won’t know.” Sophie swirled the wine around in her glass. “To tell you the truth, I’ve been thinking more about my dad than anything else these days.”

  Lucky raised her eyebrows, surprised. This was the second time her friend had brought up the subject of her father. Over the years, Lucky could never remember Sophie speaking so openly about him. Lucky had never met the man. He had abandoned the family years before she and Sophie met at school. It was the unspoken event in Sophie’s household. Sophie’s mother, older sister and brothers were always friendly and welcoming to her when she would visit as a young girl, but no one had ever spoken about the man who had deserted them.

  “Do you think that’s strange?”

  “No. Not at all. Getting married is a big transition. It’s pretty normal that you’d think a lot about your parents or childhood, I guess.”

  “I’ve been hoping for weeks now that my brother would get in touch. And now”—she shook her head as if to drive away the thought—“we don’t even know if he’s still alive. What if Nate’s right, Lucky? What if that was my brother’s body in the creek? Oh.” Sophie groaned. “I can’t even wrap my head around it all. Wouldn’t I have known instinctively if that man was my own flesh and blood?”

  Lucky reached across and grasped Sophie’s hand. “I wish I had an answer for you, but I simply don’t know. And it’ll take a little time to find out for sure anyway. It’s just something you have no control over.”

  “You know it wasn’t just the property that I wanted to talk to Rick about.”

  “No?”

  “Remember I said he was working for a private investigator at one time. I don’t know if he still is, but I thought . . .” Sophie trailed off.

  “What?”

  “I wanted to talk to him about trying to locate my father . . . our father.”

  Lucky nodded. “I’m sure he would do that for you; wouldn’t he?”

  Sophie shook her head. “I don’t know. He was always pretty weird and angry on the subject. Now? I have no idea what his reaction would be. What am I saying? I don’t even know my brother at all. I’ve seen him once in the last twelve years and that was only for a few hours. I have no idea what he’d say.”

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself. First we need to find out who that man is that we found in the creek. Nate mentioned a DNA swab, didn’t he? When are you planning to do that?”

  “Tomorrow. Actually, Nate arranged for a tech to come to the police station here. I’m supposed to meet them tomorrow morning.”

  “That’s good,” Lucky replied.

  �
��I was wondering . . . do you think you could take a break and come with me? I know it’s silly, but it kind of freaks me out.”

  “Sure, I don’t mind. If you want me there,” Lucky answered.

  “They won’t have results right away. Nate says it’ll still take a few days to confirm. That’s why I don’t want to even consider postponing our wedding because of this. It could all be for nothing. That man could be a total stranger. And if it is Rick, why would he come back to Snowflake and not contact me?”

  “Does he know you work at the Resort?”

  “Yes, I told him—a few years ago. It was just an e-mail but I think he’d remember.” Sophie took a sip of her wine. “By the way, you were supposed to let me know how much you’ve spent on all the material and stuff.”

  Lucky shook her head. “No way. Don’t even ask. I’m paying for it.”

  “But you’re doing all the work,” Sophie yelped.

  “Yes, and I’m paying for it too, so I don’t want to hear any more about it, okay?”

  Sophie opened her mouth to argue but the doorbell interrupted her. Lucky placed her wineglass on the coffee table but before she could rise, Sophie jumped up. “There’s Sage now. We’ll discuss this later.” She narrowed her eyes in a mock threat.

  “No, we won’t. I’m gonna win,” Lucky replied, smiling.

  Sophie walked to the front door of Lucky’s second-floor apartment and opened it. She was leaning over the banister to watch Sage as he climbed the stairs.

  Lucky grabbed the dress from the door and rushed it down the hall to her bedroom. It was a silly superstition that the bridegroom should never see the wedding dress before the ceremony but she wasn’t going to take any chances. She didn’t want to risk anything going wrong on Sophie’s big day.

  Sage stood in the hallway, a puzzled look on his face. “Something wrong?”

  Lucky smiled as she walked back down the hallway toward him. “You know it’s bad luck to see the bride’s dress before the wedding.”

  “I thought it was bad luck to see the bride.”

  “Both! Glass of wine before you go, Sage?”

  Sophie threw her arms around Sage’s neck and kissed his cheek. “My knight in shining armor.” She laughed.

  “Your worn-out knight. But here to escort you home, miss.” Sage turned to Lucky. “Thanks, but no, Lucky. No wine for me. I’d rather just head home.” He followed Sophie into the living room as she pulled on her sweater. “By the way, who’s your nosy neighbor downstairs?”

  “Huh?”

  “When I came in, I saw the door in the rear apartment open a crack.” He laughed. “Every building has one, I guess.”

  “Oh, that must have been Greta. She’s in the first-floor apartment in the rear, just under me. She seems nice, but a little skittish. Why do you ask? Did she say something to you?”

  Sage shook his head. “No, she just peeked out and stared at me for a second. Neighborhood watch, I guess. I said hello, but she scurried back in.”

  “Maybe she was expecting someone. Or maybe she’s just checking on who’s in the building.”

  “I guess it’s a good thing to have someone keeping an eye out. By the way, you should make sure that front door lock catches. It wasn’t closed all the way tonight.”

  “Ah. Good. I’ll check it at night. There’s a man in the front apartment downstairs who’s a little careless. It’s just the three of us right now. The second-floor front is vacant and Elizabeth is looking to rent it. If you know anyone you’d recommend, can you put them in touch with Elizabeth?”

  “Sure, we will,” Sophie answered. She grabbed her purse and headed out the door with Sage.

  Lucky locked the door behind them and kicked off her shoes in the hallway. She returned to the living room and picked up the wineglasses. She had no sooner lifted the glasses from the table than one of the legs gave way and the table tipped to the floor. Lucky groaned. She had glued the thick maple leg back into the slot underneath, but obviously the glue hadn’t held. She carried the wineglasses back to the kitchen and dug the wood glue out of the drawer.

  So annoying, she thought. Why won’t this leg stay in place? She turned the table over and squirted glue into the wood slot, maneuvering the table leg back into place. As she got to her feet, she heard a shout from the street below. She rushed out of the apartment and peeked out to the street from the hallway window. Sophie was standing at the bottom of the outside stairway. Sage was crossing the street, heading back toward Sophie.

  Lucky opened the window and leaned out. “What’s going on?” she called down to them.

  Sage shook his head and shrugged. Sophie turned and looked up at the window.

  “Hang on.” Lucky slammed the window shut and ran down the stairs. She pulled open the front door. “Was that you I heard?” she asked Sage.

  He nodded. “There was a guy lurking on the other side of the street. Something about him . . . He was definitely watching us. I told Sophie to wait and I turned back to walk over to him. As soon as I did, he took off.”

  “Strange.”

  “I saw him too,” Sophie said.

  “Did you get a good look at him?” Lucky asked.

  “Nah,” Sage replied. “And he’s gone now. Go back inside, Lucky. Make sure that front door’s locked, okay?”

  “I will.” She waved good night and climbed the stairs to her building, glancing around at the street. She usually never worried about her personal safety. Snowflake was such a quiet village where everyone knew one another. Everyday crime was almost unheard of here. Granted, there had been murders in the past, but there had been reasons for those. She shuddered as she climbed the stairs, remembering that two people had died under suspicious circumstances within the past two days.

  Chapter 12

  NATE PULLED THE cruiser to the side of the road and turned to Jack. “Is this where you were?” They had driven about half a mile from town along the Old Colonial Road.

  “This is it.” Jack nodded. “There’s a path down to the pond from here. Near the water is a good place to find certain plants.”

  A newer-model sedan pulled up behind them. A botanist from the University, Professor Lois Hightower, had followed Nate’s cruiser in her own car. She climbed out and waited for the two men. Jack nodded to her and started down the path. Nate and the Professor followed him.

  The day had grown quite warm, and the first sweet fragrances of summer filled the air. Bees swarmed over flowering bushes and insects flitted in the air. The woods felt as if everything had come alive. When they reached the pond, Jack turned and followed a well-worn path to a shady area. “Here we are,” he said, pointing to a hearty clump of sweet woodruff. “I picked those leaves right here, Professor.”

  “Please, call me Lois.” She smiled and knelt down. “Well, this is definitely our sweet woodruff, Galium odoratum. I’m sure you know, Jack, that it’s an herbaceous perennial.” She picked a small leaf and held it to her nose. “If this was all you picked, then I can’t see how this could have caused a problem for anyone.” She stood and surveyed the area, then walked in a circle around the tree, studying the ground and nearby vegetation.

  “You see anything interesting?” Nate asked.

  Professor Hightower looked up and smiled. She was a tall blonde with a ruddy complexion that betrayed the time she spent outdoors. “I’m just checking the area. There are lots of everyday plants that are terribly poisonous, even some houseplants. People die or become sick every year because they pick the wrong kind of leaf or the wrong type of berry, particularly children who like to put anything they find in their mouths. Sometimes it’s all parts of the plant that are poisonous and sometimes just the leaves or seeds. Even everyday foods can cause harm—uncooked potatoes, things like that.”

  Nate nodded in agreement.

  The Professor continued. “Elderberries contain high levels
of cyanide, just like apple seeds. Jimson weed is a member of the nightshade family. Foxglove can cause convulsions and heart problems. Hydrangeas, even tulip bulbs; the list goes on and on. Be careful what you eat or touch, and let the experts do the food harvesting.” She turned and moved closer to the water. “I’ll just have a look around.”

  Jack turned to Nate. “Well, even this woodruff, if you ate enough of it, could cause some people to be sick, even though it’s not poisonous. That’s why I picked it now before the plant starts to bloom, and I didn’t give the ladies too much of it.”

  Professor Hightower turned back. “He’s right. Good thing you picked the young leaves. It’s considered safe to use as a flavoring in alcoholic drinks, but there have been instances where ingesting it in large amounts has brought on paralysis and even coma and death.” The Professor moved to the other side of the patch of woodruff and knelt down. She was suddenly quiet.

  Nate approached closer. “Anything wrong?”

  She pointed to a cluster of plants with thick stems colored with purple blotches. “Yes. Something rather bad, actually. This is water hemlock, also known as false parsley or cowbane. A very dangerous plant.”

  Nate looked at Jack. “Do you recognize this, Jack?” The men approached the spot where the Professor knelt.

  “Sure, I do. I know better than to pick something like that. Nate . . . you don’t think I’d ever . . .”

  “I’m sure you didn’t, Jack,” Nate reassured him.

  The Professor smiled. “You seem pretty knowledgeable, Mr. Jamieson. I’m sure you were very careful.” She turned to look at the patch of plants and shook her head. “Water hemlock grows all over North America, usually near ponds but in meadows too. It’s such a dangerous plant because people mistake it for coriander or parsnips. Kids have made blow darts out of the stems and died just from that. The roots taste sweet and have even been known to kill large cattle. Horribly dangerous plant.”