Tea and Sympathy

by Carol Cox

  “How long would that take?”

  “That handwritin’ specialist usually has quite a backlog. I wouldn’t expect to get an answer from him for a month, at least. If he’s swamped, it could take a lot longer.”

  Kate thanked him and ended the call. A month? If her theory was right, that would be a long time for Lawton to wait to have his name cleared.

  More important, it would mean that the poisoner would be on the loose all that time. Kate shuddered. They had taken steps to ensure her protection while she recovered at home, but what then? Would she have to remain in seclusion until the poisoner was caught? Or would he manage to find another means to keep her from investigating?

  They needed to find the answers and find them quickly.

  Livvy and Renee returned a few minutes after noon.

  “Did you have a fruitful morning?” Kate asked.

  “I learned something very interesting,”—Livvy set her handbag next to Renee’s near the front door—“but let’s eat first. What can I fix for lunch?”

  “No need.” Kate gestured toward the kitchen, where Paul was setting out plates and containers of food on the counter.

  “I picked up an order of pulled pork and coleslaw at the Smokeshack,” he said. “Does that sound okay?”

  Livvy turned to Kate. “You have a good man here.”

  “I know.” Kate beamed and winked at Paul. “I think I’ll keep him.”

  Livvy, Renee, and Paul filled their plates. Paul dished up smaller portions for Kate and set her plate at her usual place at the table. “What do you think, hon?”

  Kate looked at the take-out lunch, and her mouth watered. “I think it looks downright scrumptious.”

  They ate in silence for a few minutes, then Kate said, “I can’t stand it any longer. What did you two find out?”

  Renee took the floor. “I had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Reading that body-language book gave me the background I needed to tell whether the people I talked to were being truthful or deceptive.”

  Kate stifled a smile. “So what did you learn?”

  Renee retrieved her notepad from her handbag and came back to the table, all business. “I started at the bank. I made a small withdrawal, as though that was my only reason for being there. Then I sauntered over to Melvin McKinney and talked to him for a while. He doesn’t think the chamber members do much but sit around and enjoy each other’s company, but I didn’t detect any animosity.”

  She wet her thumb and flipped to a new page. “John Sharpe wasn’t available. I’ll have to get back to him later. But”—she looked up at Kate and smiled—“I had to run an errand in Pine Ridge, and I picked up some interesting information.”

  “Oh?” Kate’s pulse quickened.

  “I stopped at Jenkins Nursery to pick up some bedding plants. While I was there, I spoke to Floyd Jenkins, and you’ll never guess what I found out.”

  “We won’t know until you tell us,” Paul said with an obvious attempt at patience.

  “Since it’s a nursery, it was easy to steer the conversation around to talk about plants and local gardeners.”

  “And?” Exasperation edged Kate’s voice.

  “He didn’t seem to have the slightest interest in plant uses other than landscaping. But when I veered into the topic of medicinal plants, Ruby Merton’s name came up.”

  Renee leaned back and fixed them all with a triumphant gaze, playing the moment for all it was worth. “It seems that Ruby Merton and Lawton Briddle are distantly related.”

  It took a moment for Kate to find her voice. “Are you sure?”

  Renee looked like a cat about to purr. “He was quite certain about it. Apparently, Ruby brings native plants there to sell from time to time. She and Floyd have gotten to know each other fairly well, and at some point she mentioned to him that her grandmother and Lawton’s were cousins.”

  Paul frowned. “That would make them what...third cousins? That’s not exactly close kin.”

  “Around here it is,” Livvy said.

  Kate’s mind filled with stories she’d heard about backwoods clans and feuds that lasted for generations. Livvy was right. In this part of the country, family ties ran deep.

  Livvy’s forehead puckered. “Wait a minute. Help me think this through and see if I’m right. That would seem to clear Ruby, wouldn’t it?”

  Renee whipped her head around, then her face fell. “I suppose it does. If the two of them are related, she would hardly want to see him found guilty. She’d be supporting Kate’s investigation, not trying to hinder it.”

  “Maybe that was why she brought the elixir over in the first place,” Livvy said.

  Kate cleared her throat. She didn’t want to be reminded of how foolish she’d been for downing some unidentified potion.

  Livvy folded her napkin and set it beside her plate. “I learned something that might be important.”

  Paul rested his forearms on the table and leaned forward. “Okay, shoot.”

  Livvy took a sip of her iced tea. “I didn’t get much from Fred Cowan. Steve Smith was busy with customers, so he didn’t have time to talk. But one of the names on my list was Clayton Miller, so I stopped by his house.

  “We talked for a while about his tax-preparation business. He mentioned that it was a second career, one he’d started after he retired. So I asked him what he’d done before that.” Livvy’s eyes lit up. “He was a botany professor at the University of Memphis.”

  Kate froze, digesting this information. “So he’d know all about plants and their chemical makeup. He’d know exactly what they’re capable of doing.”

  “I would certainly assume so,” Livvy said. “But wait, there’s more. He said he had to leave. He had an appointment with a client. As I was walking to my car, I looked back to the house and caught sight of something in the backyard I hadn’t noticed before.” Livvy’s eyes gleamed. “He has a greenhouse!”

  “You don’t say.” Paul’s face grew still in a way Kate knew meant that his mind had gone into high gear. “I wonder what he grows in there.”

  “A botanist could grow all kinds of exotic plants,” Renee said. “They wouldn’t have to be native to this area.”

  Kate sat stunned. She felt certain that the elderberries she’d eaten the previous Sunday had caused her most recent bout of illness. But this opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for whatever might have been used in the first poisoning. But Clayton hadn’t been at the diner on that first Sunday, or at their house the second. What did that mean, then? Some kind of conspiracy?

  “That’s only speculation,” she said, more to herself than the others. “We don’t know for sure what he raises.”

  “I think I’m going to find out.” Paul shoved his chair back and headed toward the door.

  “It’s only been an hour since I left,” Livvy said. “He may not be back from his appointment yet.”

  “Doesn’t matter.” Paul didn’t break his stride. “When he comes back, I’ll be waiting for him.”

  After he left, Livvy and Renee washed up the lunch dishes and set out on their next round of visits.

  Learning about Ruby Merton and Clayton Miller had sent Kate’s adrenaline soaring. Now she felt herself coming back down with a crash. The letdown, coupled with her lack of sleep the night before, left her feeling exhausted.

  She considered going over her notes one more time but decided against it. She needed to be able to think clearly, and a nap would be the best way she knew to clear the cobwebs from her mind.

  She made sure the door was locked and stretched out on the bed and pulled the covers over her, luxuriating in the soft comfort of the mattress. She curled up on her side, wondering if she’d be able to sleep or if her racing thoughts would keep her awake again.

  She had hardly formed the question in her mind when fatigue overtook her and she fell fast asleep.

  KATE WOKE WITH A START. What time was it? What day was it? She raised herself on one elbow, feeling utterly disoriented. The light ins
ide the house had faded. Pushing her hair back from her eyes, she took a look at the bedside clock, surprised to see that it was still early afternoon. A glance at the window told her that a bank of clouds had rolled in, obscuring the sunshine.

  Kate took a deep breath, trying to focus. Oh yes, Livvy and Renee were out conducting further interviews, and Paul had gone to check out Clayton Miller and his greenhouse. The tension seeped out of her shoulders.

  But something had awakened her. Kate pushed herself to a sitting position. Had Paul returned without her knowing it?

  A flutter of motion from the direction of the living room caught her eye. Kate pressed her hand to her mouth to hold back a cry. Paul moved smoothly, with a purposeful stride. He didn’t dart around from place to place.

  Kate tried to swallow but found that her throat had suddenly gone dry. Someone was in the house with her. She sat rigid, scarcely daring to breathe. Her hands knotted on the blanket. Again she caught the edge of motion, and a dark shape crossed the living room. Kate followed its progress, taking in the figure clad head to toe in black, blending into the shadows in the house.

  While she watched, the figure turned and appeared to look straight at her. Involuntarily, Kate squeezed her eyes shut. A faint sound reached her ears, and she forced her eyes open again. She had to be ready to defend herself against whatever would come next.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Kate blinked. The menacing figure was no longer there.

  With every ounce of willpower she could muster, she forced herself to swing her legs over the side of the bed and crept over to the doorway. Her heart pounded so rapidly, she could feel the pulse beat in her throat. Stealthily, she flattened herself against the wall and eased her head around the door frame.

  Not seeing anyone, she pushed her head out farther into the living room, a fraction of an inch at a time, then swung it from left to right, panning the length of the room.

  It was empty. Or at least it looked empty. Putting one foot in front of the other, Kate stepped across the moss green shag carpet, taking care not to make a sound. She crossed the living room and peered into the kitchen. No one there.

  She checked her studio and Paul’s study in quick succession. Both were vacant. Dizziness swept over her, and Kate braced herself against the nearest wall. It wouldn’t do to faint now.

  The doors! She had to check them, make sure they were locked. Kate went to the sliding-glass door, then the kitchen door and the one that led to the garage, and finally to the front door. Each one of them was locked.

  Kate walked back to the center of the living room and stood facing the rock fireplace with her hands pressed against her chest. Where had he gone?

  The front door opened, and Kate screamed.

  Footsteps rushed across the floor, and Kate whirled, her knees giving way when she realized it was Paul.

  “Honey, what’s wrong?” His face wore a mask of concern.

  Kate clung to him, grateful when his arms wrapped around her and held her close.

  “What happened?” he asked again. “Your heart’s racing a mile a minute. Here, let’s get you over to the couch so you can sit down.”

  He sat next to her, holding her hands tight in his and peering into her face. “What’s going on?”

  Kate drew in a ragged breath and struggled to find her voice. “There was someone in here.”

  Paul shot to his feet. “Where?”

  Kate pointed toward the middle of the living room. Paul threw her a quick look, then made a quick circuit of the house, checking every room just as Kate had done only moments before.

  She heard him opening and closing closets in her studio and his study. Why hadn’t she thought of that? She had only peeked into the rooms, not investigated potential hiding places. Was the intruder still in the house? She sat with her hands clenched and every muscle taut, breathing a prayer for their safety.

  Paul emerged from his study and checked all the doors. Kate saw him make sure the front door was securely locked before he returned to the couch and gathered her in his arms. She melted against him, feeling a shiver run through her whole body.

  “There’s nobody here now.”

  Kate let out a long shuddering sigh. “Thank heavens. I haven’t been that scared in a long time.”

  “Tell me what happened.”

  “I decided to take a nap after everyone left. I’m not sure why I woke up. I may have heard a noise; I don’t know. But I saw someone out here in the living room. It startled me, so I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, he was gone.”

  “He?” Paul said. “Can you describe him?”

  Kate searched her memory, then shook her head. “He was all in black.”

  “But his face...Did you get a look at it?”

  “I couldn’t see it. He was wearing a mask that covered his head, a black one like the rest of his outfit.”

  “Then how do you know it was a man?”

  Kate opened her mouth and closed it again. “I’m not sure. The way he moved, maybe?” She leaned her head against Paul’s chest and felt his heart beating at a speed to match her own.

  He looked around the room. “Was anything taken?”

  Kate tried to collect her wits. “I haven’t had time to look yet. I’d just finished checking the doors when you came in.” She gave a shaky laugh. “Sorry I screamed at you.”

  “After a fright like that, I’m just glad you didn’t come at me with your fists flailing. Come on.” He helped her to her feet. “Let’s check around and see if anything’s missing.” He flipped on the lights as they moved through the house.

  “It’s so dark in here,” Kate said. “I thought it was much later when I first woke up.”

  Paul nodded. “The clouds started rolling in about the time I left. From the way they’re gathering overhead, it looks like there’s a storm brewing.”

  Together they walked through the house. Everything seemed to be in place, including her laptop and notebook. Kate turned to Paul. “I don’t understand. What was he doing here, and how did he get in?”

  “You said you looked through the house and checked the doors before I came?” When Kate nodded, Paul frowned. “Were any of the doors open?”

  “No, they were all locked.”

  The confusion in Paul’s face mirrored her own. “Think hard. Are you sure you didn’t leave any of them unlocked earlier?”

  “I’m positive. I’d just finished checking them when you walked in.”

  “And you’re certain the front door was locked in the first place?”

  “Absolutely. I made sure of it after Livvy and Renee left, before I went to lie down.”

  “How about the windows?”

  Kate nibbled her lip. “I didn’t think about those.”

  “Wait here.” Paul settled Kate on the couch and went outside.

  Kate looked around her, wishing she had some more substantial means of defense than her notebook and the throw pillows. She clutched one of the brightly colored pillows to her chest and waited until Paul walked back inside, shaking his head.

  “I checked all the windows and looked for footprints around the sides of the house. I also examined the doors for any sign of forced entry.” He flopped down beside her on the couch. “There’s nothing to indicate that anyone was here at all.”

  “But I saw him!”

  Paul stroked her hair back from her face and cradled her cheek in his palm. He looked down for a moment, then met Kate’s gaze. “You said you’d been sound asleep. Is there any chance this was all part of a dream?”

  Kate pulled back. “I know what I saw.”

  Paul traced her jawline with his thumb. “I’m not discounting that. I’m just saying that sometimes when we’re first waking up, especially if something startles us awake, it’s easy to imagine things that aren’t really there. Our minds can play some crazy tricks on us.”

  Kate bit back a retort. Could he be right? She could still picture that dark, masked figure in her mind. Had it been a
figment of her imagination all along?

  PAUL SLID HIS ARM around Kate’s shoulders and pulled her close, resting his cheek against the top of her head. She had truly been scared, no doubt about it. And hearing that he suspected the intruder had been an illusion rather than reality hadn’t calmed her one bit. If anything, she seemed more convinced than ever that she’d really seen somebody in their living room.

  Paul drew a slow breath and let it out in a long sigh. Were hallucinations another by-product of the poison? Or could Kate’s sighting of a masked prowler be real? And which of those possibilities bothered him more?

  He focused on listening to her breathing. It seemed steadier now, and her muscles had begun to relax. Whatever had happened, the past few days had put Kate through the wringer emotionally. She was one resilient lady, but he wasn’t sure how much more she could take.

  One thing he did know: whether the incident with the housebreaker was real or not, he would be there to support her. She needed him...and he needed her to get back to being herself again.

  KATE FELT PAUL’S SIGH against her cheek. After all he’d gone through taking care of her in recent days, had her stubborn insistence that she’d actually seen a person darting through their living room caused him further worry?

  She sat up straight and squeezed his hand to show him she wasn’t upset with his suggestion that she might have imagined the intruder. “Tell me what happened at Clayton Miller’s house. Did you get a chance to talk to him?” She caught the flicker of relief in Paul’s eyes and knew he was glad she had changed the subject.

  A crooked grin curved his lips. “Just for the record, I cooled off considerably on my way over there. We’ve talked about folks being innocent until proven guilty, and I decided I’d better live up to that and give him the benefit of the doubt.”

  “So how did you approach him?”

  “He pulled into his driveway just as I was arriving. I got out and told him I was the pastor of Faith Briar and wanted to stop by and get acquainted.”

  “Did he seem hesitant at all when he found out who you were?”