by Carol Cox
“It’s over here. I called Renee this morning, and she doesn’t know anything about it either.” Kate led Livvy to the kitchen table and handed her the magnifying glass, then reached for the phone. “Paul asked me to let him know when you got here,” she explained.
She made the call, then waited while Livvy studied the photo. Finally she looked up at Kate with her forehead crinkled. “I’ve never seen this one before, but it’s very interesting. You say you found it in your case notebook?”
Kate nodded and pointed to the lettering on the window behind Lawton. “That travel agency is in Chattanooga. I called them before you came. They told me Lawton Briddle was in there on Monday and purchased two tickets to Acapulco.”
Livvy pursed her lips. “Between that and this photo, I’d say that was pretty incriminating evidence, except for one thing. This photo has been doctored.”
“What do you mean?” Kate leaned over Livvy’s shoulder for a closer look.
“I took a class in Photoshop a while back,” Livvy said. “It’s amazing what you can do to enhance and restore photos, but part of our classwork also involved taking people from one photo and putting them into another.”
Kate’s interest quickened. “And you think that’s what happened here?”
“I’m certain of it.” Livvy pointed at the photo. “Look at the edges around Lawton’s image.”
Kate studied the portion Livvy indicated. “Now that you mention it, that’s a very sharp outline.”
“Exactly.” Livvy beamed at Kate like a teacher smiling at a prize pupil. “Those edges are just a little too perfect. That happens sometimes when you’re selecting the part of a photo you want to cut out digitally.”
Kate caught her breath and nodded. “I see what you mean.”
“Besides that, the light source is all wrong. See how the right side of Lawton’s face is highlighted, while the left side is in shadow? But the shadows on the building show that the sun is hitting it from a different direction.”
Kate snapped her fingers. “I knew there was something that bothered me. I just couldn’t pinpoint what it was.”
Livvy tapped the photo. “From the intensity of the light source, I’d say he’s obviously standing outside, but there’s no way of knowing where he was when that photo was taken. I’ll tell you one thing, though; somebody wanted to make you believe that Lawton had been to that travel agency. Coupled with what you found out about those tickets to Acapulco, this is really looking bad for him.”
“No,” Kate said. “It’s just the opposite. This is the thing that shows me beyond a doubt that Lawton is innocent. That picture didn’t get into my notebook all by itself. I didn’t put it there; neither did you or Paul or Renee. Who does that leave?”
Livvy stared at Kate, then her eyes widened. “You don’t mean...?”
Kate bobbed her head. “That had to be what the intruder came for yesterday. He was leaving something, all right, but it had nothing to do with our food. He was putting this in my notebook so I’d find it and use it as a clue to track down those tickets.”
She folded her arms. “Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to set up Lawton.” Unbidden, the memory of her spilled handbag and her missing keys popped into Kate’s mind.
Paul walked in, a solemn expression on his face. Without any preamble, he joined the women at the table and looked at Livvy. “Tell me what you saw at Clayton Miller’s house last night.”
“Just what I told Kate. Ruby was walking up to the front door.”
“Are you sure it was her?”
Livvy nodded. “His porch light was on. I saw her plain as day.”
“Any idea why she’d be going to his house that late in the evening?” Paul continued.
“I haven’t a clue.” Livvy’s lips formed an O. “Do you think this all ties together with the poisoning somehow?”
Paul’s lips tightened. “That’s what I’m wondering.”
“Maybe she was there to look at his plants,” Livvy suggested. “Or to sell some to him, like she does to the nursery in Pine Ridge.”
“Or to pilfer one of his plants,” Kate said, smiling.
Livvy snickered. “That sounds like a really lame mystery title: The Case of the Pilfered Plant.”
“You mean The Case of the Poisonous Pilfered Plant,” Kate countered.
Livvy grinned. “Or The Case of the Professor’s Poisonous Pilfered Plant.”
“Or...” Kate caught sight of Paul’s face, and her voice trailed off. Clearly, he was in no mood for levity.
“Do you happen to know where Ruby Merton lives?” Paul asked Livvy.
“I know the general area, but I couldn’t tell you how to get there.”
“Then I’m going down to the Mercantile and see if Sam can give me directions. I think I need to have a talk with her myself.”
Livvy glanced at her watch. “It’s time I got back to work.” She gave Kate a quick hug. “It’s starting to come together, isn’t it?”
“I think so. I feel like we’re almost there.”
Paul held the door open and waited while Livvy opened her umbrella; then he followed her out into the rain.
THE HOUSE SEEMED QUIET after they left. Kate picked up the photo again. Now that Livvy had pointed out the discrepancies, they seemed all too obvious. Someone had taken the time to photograph both Lawton and the front of the travel agency in order to form this composite photo.
That was a lot of trouble to go to just to make Lawton look guilty. But so was breaking and entering. The edginess she’d felt the day before returned, and all of a sudden, Kate felt very much alone.
How had the masked intruder gotten into the house? Kate couldn’t get her missing keys out of her mind. Her apprehension ratcheted up a notch. If he had her house key, there was nothing to stop him from using it again.
She got up and paced the floor, wishing she had gone with Paul. Though feeling somewhat better now, she hadn’t recovered her full strength. But surely she could have sat in the truck and ridden out to Ruby Merton’s place.
Kate looked at the kitchen clock. She had no idea how long it would take for him to get there, talk to Ruby, and come back. He might be gone for quite some time. Knowing she could call him on his cell phone should have made her feel safer, but it didn’t.
She went through the house, checking every door and window. All the locks were in place, but she still didn’t feel secure. In her weakened condition, she would never be able to fend off or outrun an assailant if someone broke into the house.
The memory of her childhood booby trap sprang into her mind. Kate laughed at her sudden wish that she could re-create the complicated device now. After all, she was a grown woman, supposedly past such childish fancies. But she was a grown woman who needed an added measure of security to quell her fears.
She played with the idea. She would never be able to replicate her original design, but maybe she could improvise. Kate found a spool of nylon cord on Paul’s workbench in the garage. Rummaging through the drawers in her studio closet, she turned up a handful of cup hooks and pulled a pair of pliers from her worktable. Then she went to the kitchen to get the last item she needed.
Thirty minutes later, she viewed the results with satisfaction. It was doubtful that her brainchild would ever be put to the test, but the energy she’d expended in putting it together had taken the edge off her anxiety. That had to count for something. She was ready to tend to business again.
Kate picked up the photo and walked over to the couch to get her notebook. Some online research was in order, and it would help to fill in the empty time until Paul returned.
On her way to the bedroom, Kate caught sight of something lying on the floor, nearly hidden by the piano. Stooping to pick it up, she realized it was her key ring. She took a quick inventory and found that all the keys were in place, including the house key.
Kate hefted the bunch of keys in her hand and studied them thoughtfully. How did they wind up out by the piano? She wrapped her finge
rs around them and decided it didn’t matter how they got there. The main thing was that the intruder wouldn’t be able to use them to gain entrance a second time.
She could hear the rain on the roof as she walked into her room. Settling herself on the bed, she picked up her laptop. While she waited for it to boot up, she glanced at the ring of keys she had set on the nightstand. Was that literally the key to unlocking the mystery? When her browser opened, Kate typed Camille Sheppard’s name into the search engine.
The details she pieced together over the next half hour didn’t show anything to suggest a criminal bent. Kate clicked on one link after another, then caught her breath when she read a brief biographical sketch that mentioned Camille’s years working at Buds and Blooms, the business her parents owned in Pennsylvania. That would certainly give her a background knowledge in plants—perhaps even poisonous ones. Kate read on, becoming more excited as her certainty grew.
She leaned back against the pillow. “That’s it. It has to be.” She now had the who and the how. All she needed was the why.
The rain continued to drizzle down, and the steady patter on the windows lulled her senses. Kate stretched and yawned and felt her eyelids grow heavy.
THE LAPTOP SLIPPING OFF her knees roused her from her light doze. Kate closed the lid and set the computer back on the nightstand, then snuggled down under the blanket.
Her body stiffened. Had she heard a noise?
She lay still, listening intently. Only the steady spatter of raindrops against the window met her ears. She burrowed deeper under the blanket, chiding herself for her overactive imagination. She was keyed up and on edge, that was all.
She heard a soft clinking sound and sat bolt upright, telling herself she was blowing things out of proportion. But that didn’t quiet her pounding heart or the roaring in her ears.
Settle down! she commanded herself. You’re being ridiculous.
Another noise, a different one this time. Kate leaned forward and strained to hear. A soft humming came from somewhere beyond the bedroom door.
She wasn’t alone.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Not again! For the second time in as many days, Kate slid out of the bed and crept across the floor. Leaning against the wall for support, she peered out through the open door but saw nothing.
“Please let this just be a dream,” she whispered. But she’d been fully awake when she heard the noises.
She took one cautious step into the living room, then another. Had the kitchen light been on when Paul and Livvy left? Kate couldn’t remember.
She took another step. The humming continued, a soft tuneless melody. Another step brought the doorway leading to the kitchen into view. To her astonishment, she saw Camille Sheppard standing at the sink, stirring something in a glass. Kate gasped.
Camille turned around and smiled. “Did I wake you?”
“What...what are you doing here?”
“I decided to stop by and see how you were doing. I knocked, but nobody answered, so I tried the knob. The door was open, so I let myself in. I hope you don’t mind.”
Warning bells went off in Kate’s head. She knew Paul had locked the door when he and Livvy left.
As if sensing the direction Kate’s thoughts had taken, Camille tilted her head. “Is Paul home?”
The hairs on the back of Kate’s neck stood up.
“I didn’t think so,” Camille said softly. She moved forward, holding the glass.
Kate shot a quick glance toward the front door and knew she’d never make it. Camille could block her way before she could reach it.
Camille stepped forward again. “I’ve brought you something. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this.” A clear liquid shimmered in the glass when she raised it.
Kate took a step back and tried to keep her voice steady. “So it was you.”
“It took you longer than I expected to figure it out.” Camille’s tinkling laugh set Kate’s teeth on edge.
Kate fought down the panic that threatened to consume her. She had to play for time. “What would have happened if no one had discovered the fraud? How long were you going to let that money build up until you took it and ran?”
Camille looked mildly offended. “You don’t think we were doing that for ourselves, do you? It was only intended as a means to an end.”
“That end being...?”
Camille’s upper lip curled. “You’re so clever, I thought you’d have figured that out by now. All we ever wanted was to get Lawton Briddle out of office and give Evan a chance to take his place.”
Kate stared, openmouthed. “Evan wanted to be mayor?”
“Of course. I told you before, Copper Mill means the world to him. He’s a brilliant thinker; look how well he did setting up this bogus fund. It all went smooth as silk. If he could use his organizational skills as mayor, just think of all the great things he could have done for this town!”
“That’s quite a plan,” Kate said.
“Yes.” Camille swirled the glass and gave Kate a steely stare. “And it was going along quite nicely until you stuck your nose into it.”
The final pieces started falling into place. “You put the berries on top of that custard last Sunday?”
Camille smirked. “Evan isn’t the only thinker in our household. I wasn’t sure how I was going to slip them to you, but that opportunity was too good to pass up. When Paul started shooing everyone out of the house, all I had to do was hand the doctored custard to Livvy on my way out and tell her I was sure poor Kate must be famished.”
Kate swallowed. “What about the diner? I don’t remember seeing you there that day.”
“But I saw you.” Camille’s smile reminded Kate of a cat about to pounce on a mouse. “I was sitting with a group of friends at a booth in the back corner. Remember how the tables were decorated with flowers that day? The jar on your table held lilies of the valley. Amazing little flowers—beautiful but highly toxic. Did you know the cut stems can poison the water in a vase?
“While everyone’s attention was on that woman who fell, it was the easiest thing in the world to stop at your table on my way to the cash register, just long enough to tip some of that water from the jelly jar into your glass of iced tea. No one ever noticed me doctor your tea...or slip your notebook out of your purse.”
With an effort, Kate held the other woman’s gaze. “I spent part of my afternoon researching you. You must have picked up a lot of knowledge from working in your family’s flower shop.”
Camille blinked rapidly. “You really have done your homework, haven’t you?”
Kate nodded, choking back the fear that clawed at her. “I only wish I’d thought to check into your background and Evan’s earlier.”
The other woman chuckled. “I did learn a lot while working in the family business. I never expected to use it in this way, but I believe in seizing opportunities when they come along.”
“Like when you saw the opportunity to take my keys?”
Camille nodded approvingly. “That’s one more point in your column. I made a copy and had Evan leave the key ring here when he slipped in to pay his little visit yesterday afternoon. I was hoping you would think you’d misplaced them.”
She clicked her tongue and gave Kate a reproving look. “Poor Evan! You gave him quite a fright when you woke up and saw him in your living room while he was putting that photo of Lawton in your notebook.”
Kate’s mind whirled. Focus! She had to keep her wits about her if she hoped to get out of this. “So what are you going to do now?”
Camille’s features tightened. “I’m afraid we’ve had to alter our plans. We never intended to leave Copper Mill, but your meddling has changed everything. There’s no way we can stay here now that you’ve figured out what really happened. As soon as you start blabbing to the authorities, they’ll be after us in a heartbeat.”
Camille’s voice broke, then she lifted her chin. “But like I told you, Evan is a brilliant man. He’s already figured out our
next move. We’ll be all right as soon as we get out of the country. We’ve found a lovely little island in the Caribbean, where extradition won’t be a problem. But we need a head start before you stir up any more fuss.”
She moved forward again, holding out the glass. “I want you to drink this. Don’t worry, it’ll only put you to sleep for a couple of days, but then you’ll be fine. You can tell the story to anyone you want then. It won’t matter anymore, because we’ll be long gone.”
The only way out of this was to let Camille think she had the advantage. Kate needed to convince the other woman she was afraid. She moved away, keeping a space of several feet between them, until she thudded up against the wall with a jolt. She could feel the edge of the door frame digging into her back. Kate stepped to one side and backed into the bedroom.
Camille pressed forward. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused?” The smiling facade was gone now. “Or how much money you’ve cost us?”
Kate’s head jerked back. “What are you talking about?”
“Those tickets to Acapulco weren’t cheap, you know.”
“Oh yes, the tickets. Did you really think slipping that altered photo into my notebook was going to clinch the case against Lawton?”
Camille’s lip curled. “Don’t be ridiculous. We knew it wouldn’t hold up under major scrutiny. We only wanted to make him look like a flight risk long enough for the authorities to lock him up and think they’d solved the case.”
Her eyes glittered as she glared at Kate. “It was only meant as a diversion to give us a little more time to slip away, but it cost us dearly. We had to take that money out of Evan’s retirement fund. That’s all we’ll have to live on now, and we need every cent we can get.”
Kate gave up any hope of being able to reason with Camille. She looked down and saw she had reached a spot two feet in front of the bed. Stepping to the left, she moved along the edge of the mattress toward the headboard.