The Priest Who Ate a Poison Petit Four

by Kee Patterbee

  Chapter Ten

  Although the wedding was still two days out, Hannah and Hym’s guests began to arrive. Given the size of the event, the couple chose Twilight’s Falster Mansion Resort Spa as the location for the wedding. The facility included an 18th century main house. There was an expansive ballroom, vast cooking facilities, and luxury rooms. Additions to the primary structure over the years increased its size. The outlying areas beyond contained a multitude of cabins built around Schemerzone Lake. All existed on the resort’s land holdings. Downtown Twilight's historic Finchely Hotel housed all other guests. A four story brick facility, it survived the test of time and became a calling card for the small town itself. Though she did not want her nuptials to be a social event, Hannah’s guests included an impressive list of names. Noted celebrity chefs, dignitaries she had encountered, and top culinary figures would be attending. For the small town of Twilight, this was a near once in a lifetime event, and one which they would make the most of.

  Amid the arriving guests, Hannah’s mind continued to wander back to Whipson’s case. She waited with anticipation for Hym to return from Alabama. Magdalen, Buster, and he went to view old inmate records from Whipson’’s time in Draper Correctional. Hym’s contact also managed to get hold of Jackie Rhoade’s files from his time there. After making it back, all four traveled around the Falster Resort grounds. They delivered the small welcome baskets that Cate and Hannah had devised to each of the guests rooms and guests who had arrived. Doing so, they went over the information in the files.

  “They were there at the same time,” Hym informed Hannah. “But they housed them in different areas. They considered the Reverend as a minimum-community custody inmate. Meaning he was not seen as risk to himself or others. That’d put him in community based facilities, but not a cell, just a dormitory, thereby no particular cellmate.”

  Hannah produced her quirk for a second as Hym watched. She gave a hard frown before asking, “Did he have any altercations there?”

  “None that went so far as to warrant disciplinary action. And with him housed in the dorms, it suggests that he kept quiet and just muddled through. But Rhoades was at times in medium to close custody. The latter because he had a history of fights, escape attempts, and bucking the rules. Over time, he had quite a few cellmates. I’’ve made a list. We’ll go over it later.”

  Magdalen interjected. “But this is only for Draper. He didn’t spend his entire time here. After a while, they transferred him out to other facilities. From what the Reverend said, Rhoades pulled more than one stint somewhere.””

  Hannah gave her fiancé a quizzical look. “Question is, was he vindictive about his time inside? Did he blame the Reverend for his incarceration?”

  “This guy doesn’t sound that smart to me,” Buster said. “I mean, the prison thing I can kind of get, but the more he was in, the worse he made it for himself. That doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who can plan a bunch of deaths and pin them on the preacher man. He doesn’t think that far ahead.”” He stood with a nervous expression before adding, “Or is that just me?”

  Magdalen smiled at Buster. “No, I think that’s a reasonable observation. Don’t you think so, Tubbs?””

  Buster looked confused. “Tubbs?”

  “My nickname for him,” Magdalen whispered, “but don’t try it.”

  Hym squirmed a bit. “Yeah, I suppose, but we don’t know because we’ve never talked to the man.””

  Magdalen drew her face into a near scowl. Seeing this, Hannah attempted to divert a situation. Hym's brewing distrust over his sister’s budding romance with Buster was becoming clearer.

  “Then that’s on the ‘things to do after the wedding’ list.”

  Coming before one of the cabins, Hym pulled the car to a stop. Hannah studied the list she held on a clipboard. “Let’s see. 1408. Oh, this is the Reverend’s party. I’ve got something special for him.”

  Everyone exited the vehicle. Hym removed four small baskets and a square, flat one.

  “Four?” Buster inquired.

  “Calvin, Susan, the Reverend, and Father Janus. There weren’t any more rooms available out here. This cabin has three rooms. It took some arranging but it all worked out,” Hannah answered.

  “What’s with the box?” Hym further queried.

  “Sugar free petit fours. I noticed at dinner that night that he wanted dessert, but now being diabetic, he held back. It’s not much and it doesn’t work that way, but maybe it’s enough to make him feel welcome.”

  Hym smiled as he put his arm around Hannah and pulled her to him for a kiss on her head. “Thank you,” he half whispered. “Did you get them from Spur of the Moment?”

  Hannah affirmed. “I ordered them and had them shipped up. Ms. Lindsay says the Reverend is partial to these in particular. She sends them to his office at least twice a month. Lemon cake layered with lemon ganache with bittersweet chocolate. All made sugar free.””

  “Ooo, sounds so good,” Magdalen exclaimed. “Your wedding. Can’t wait for the reception food alone. When’s Will coming?”

  “He’s already here. Gran, Papa Jay and he are in the main house doing prep work. Papa Jay’s in heaven just being in what he calls a real kitchen again.””

  Hannah flipped through the master keys she received from the front desk. She found the right key and all entered. She went to work arranging everything on the table for her soon to arrive guests. Placing the Reverend’s box down, a thought hit her and she went into contemplative mode. She drew her eyes in narrow. She held onto the box, letting the notion run through her mind. Something bothered her but she could not place it at the moment. The box, she thought. She had not paid it much attention before, but now, it weighed on her mind as much as it did in her hand.

  “Everything okay?” Hym asked as he placed his hand over hers and pushed downward until the box rested on the table. “You zoned out there, Sherlock.””

  Hannah eyes widened as her mouth fell open and she tucked the corner of one side in. “I almost had a thought but now it’s gone.”

  Buster half laughed. “You? Without a thought? I guess it’s true what they say. First time for everything.”

  Hym shot Buster a blank look, causing the young man to take on an apprehensive face. He glanced up to the harsh face his sister gave him. She walked away, throwing her hands in the air and exited the cabin. Hym peered back at Hannah and Buster. “Can you give me a moment, please?” Both agreed. He let out a slow breath before he dared open the door and exited.

  Both Buster and Hannah pulled out chairs and sat at the table.

  “That’s about me, right?” Buster asked.

  “Yup.”

  “I didn’t mean to cause any problems.”

  “You didn’t. My future husband is just being an overprotective jerk.”

  Buster said nothing but stared at the door. Just outside, through the window and curtains, two shadowy figures held an animated discussion. Hannah reached over and put a hand on her friend’s shoulder.

  “You like her, don’t you?”

  Buster gave a deep smile. “Yeah, but not like usual. She’s different. Not like the women I hook up with. She’s something special, you know?””

  “You should tell her.”

  “I’m only good with other people’s words, not my own.”

  “Then show her.”

  “Like send her flowers?”

  “Or something like that.”

  “Maybe a box of chocolates like the Reverend gets. She seems to like those.”

  Hannah stiffened. Her quirks presented themselves as her eyes narrowed. Box of chocolates like the Reverend gets, she inferred to herself. Her eyes shot open as her mouth fell agape. Just as quick, it turned into a one-cornered smirk.

  “What?” Buster interrupted.

  “That thought I lost. I got it back,” Hannah declared with enthusiasm. Two ideas hit her at once. The box drew her back to two instances where she had seen them before. The first was o
n Pepper Mothershed’s desk just before she died. The second was in Brother Wessel’s trashcan at his desk. Her mind began to make connections.

  “Mrs. Lindsay,” Hannah said aloud.

  “Who?”

  “Mrs. Lindsay. The shop. The box. The medal. Pepper and Wessel.”

  Buster stiffened. “You’re babbling...as usual.”

  Hannah rose and ran toward the door. Buster followed. She pulled it open, and found herself staring at Hym and Magdalen. Both wore faces flushed with red. They turned to face the sleuth before lightening the intensity of their expressions.

  “Oh, I’m sorry… I just…”

  Hym ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. “It’s alright. We were just… discussing something.” He gave a quick glance to Buster then back to her.

  “What he’s trying to say is that Tubbs and I were having a fight over boundaries,” Magdalen explained. She glared at her brother. ““We’ll continue this later.”

  Hym blew out a breath. “No doubt. Anyway, what’s up?”

  Hannah gave a quick recap of what she remembered and how she had seen the boxes at two of the death sites.

  “No,” Magdalen decried. “That’s got to be coincidence.””

  Hym scratched at his chin. “I know you have a theory about why she would do this.”

  “I do. Two as a matter of fact. Ms. Lindsay’s husband was suffering Behçet’s Disease. It’’s painful, is it not?”

  Magdalen affirmed as Hym and Buster tried to keep up with Hannah’s thoughts.

  “If the Reverend was there with her throughout his disease and sudden death, she might have fallen for him. Over time, she might have seen the other victims as rivals for his attention. One by one, she eliminates them.”

  Magdalen, Buster, and Hym stared but said nothing. Hannah sighed.

  “Okay, a stretch, but it rolled through my head and I had to get it out. But second, I noticed she wore a St. Peregrine medallion.”

  “The patron saint of those suffering,” Magdalen affirmed. “I see them all the time on the ward at work.”

  “And we’ve established that her husband suffered before he died.”

  Again, Magdalen affirmed.

  “Maybe she’s trying to prevent others from suffering, like we considered with Calvin and Susan.”

  “By giving them candy?” Buster said. “I don’t get it.”

  “To deliver the poison,” Magdalen explained. “The strong taste would hide a lot flavor.”

  “Like almond for arsenic?” Buster asked.

  Magdalen grinned. “Bingo.”

  Hym stiffened and twisted his mouth. “Well then, we have a problem. We ordered a whole heck of a lot of fudge and petit fours for the wedding. The delivery comes this afternoon.”

  Magdalen placed a hand on her chest. “She wouldn’t try and…”

  Hym looked to his sister. “I wouldn’t think so, but if she is, then she has murdered almost a dozen people. Who knows what triggers a person like that. And seeing as they all knew the Reverend…” He looked around to everyone. “She knows we went to see him.”

  “Look, it’s pretty clear that I’m not the smartest one here, but I’m going to play devil’s advocate as ever, and remind you that you don’t know, do you? You have to find out if this is a real threat. To do that, can’t you have the food tested?” Buster asked.

  “It will take time to get back, I think,” Magdalen informed.

  Again, Hym scratched at his chin. The increased pace of the action told Hannah that her fiancé felt agitated. Everything was starting to weigh on him. Whipson’s illness. The investigation. Buster and Magdalen’s budding romance. Now the uncertainty of what was supposed to be the perfect day for his bride-to-be. She reached over and took hold of his hand. “It’s no big thing. We set the stuff aside for now. Cate and I know a researcher at Serling University. I’ll get him to do a rush job. He’s already invited to the wedding. I’m pretty sure it’s all going to turn out just fine. We just need to make certain. For now, let me get that box back from inside. We’ll finish up, and then you and I can head over to the campus.”

  “I think I might head back,” Magdalen informed, taking hold of Buster’s hand. “I could use a walk back around the lake. You game?”

  Buster smiled before he let if fall from his face. He glanced over to Hym. “I’d like to have a word with Hym first if he doesn’t mind.””

  Hym looked at Magdalen, then at Hannah, before coming back around to Buster. He bobbed his head once.

  “Maybe you two can finish up and we can walk back instead. Meet us in kitchen,” suggested Buster.

  Both Hannah and Magdalen agreed as the men headed back walking along the drive path they had been driving on. The nurse looked to the sleuth with a pensive expression.

  “He won’t kill him, will he?”

  “No, I love my Sweet Face, but Buster could charm the horns off a Billy goat and sell them back to him. By the time they reach the kitchen, Buster will have Hym eating out of his hand.” Hannah smiled. “Then it’s up to you to charm the charmer.”

  Magdalen looked back toward the disappearing figures of the men headed down the road. “Do you think I can?” she asked in a voice that struck Hannah as equal parts sincere and uncertain.

  “Every Prince Charming has to have his princess. I’ve known that prince all his life. From what I’ve seen in just a few days, he’’s carrying a glass slipper in his pocket just for you.”

  Magdalen gave a broad grin. “Oh, is that what that is? How disappointing.”

  Both women laughed as they got back into the car.

  *****

  Chapter Eleven

  After finishing the deliveries, Hannah and Magdalen made their way back to the main house of the resort. Upon entering the kitchen, they saw Gran, Papa Jay, and Will stirring and mixing various large bowls. Hym and Buster were to the rear, standing over a table piled high with several boxes. Both women stopped as Buster held out something that Hym was taking a bite of. After a second of taking in the sight, Magdalen turned to her soon-to-be sister-in-law.

  “You weren’t kidding.”

  Hannah’s eyes widened and a horrified expression ran across her face. “No!” she screamed as everyone present turned to look at her. She ran toward Hym and Buster, who remained frozen in their positions.

  “Are you insane?” Hannah said, putting her hand between the object Buster held and Hym’s mouth.

  Hym and Buster both stiffened and straightened up.

  “It’s alright,” Buster said, “they tested it by accident.”

  Hannah looked confused. She shot a look over to Hym. He nodded and thumbed at Gran, Papa Jay, and Will. “It all got here early. Last night, in fact. They all ate some.”

  “A lot to be honest,” Gran chimed in. “Sorry, dear. You know how I am about fudge.”

  “Ha, fudge and just about any other sweet thing you can get your old teeth into,” Papa Jay added.

  Gran waved a large spoon at the elder Starvling. “You’re not so sweet, but I’ll sink my teeth into you, you old grumpus.””

  “Promises. Promises.” Papa Jay blew Gran a kiss, which she caught and returned.

  The interaction made Will, Hym, Buster and Magdalen laugh, but Hannah held her ground as she shook her head. “That doesn’t mean…”

  “It’s good. You had a theory, but it didn’t work out. It was improbable to begin with. You said so yourself.””

  Hannah narrowed her eyes. “I still want it tested, just in case. I’ve already called. We’ll take samples over and a box in case it turns out okay. Joey said it won’t take long.” She turned to look at the mound of boxes marked Spur of the Moment on the side. Pointing to the stacks, she said, “No one eats anymore. Not until they’re tested.”

  Gran glared at Hannah. “You’ve been holding out on me, young lady.”

  Hannah closed her eyes. Cat’s out of the bag, ran through her mind. Now, on top of the wedding, her grandmother would insert hers
elf into the investigation. The elder snoop was a good detective in her own right, but between the wedding and the investigation, Hannah wanted to keep her grandmother out of the case. It was an added element that stretched her abilities closer to her limits.

  Hannah let out a quick breath. She moved over to stand in front of her grandmother. Placing her hands on the elder woman’s shoulders, she looked her straight in the eyes. “Sorry, Gran, but I need you focused on this. I can’’t do this without you and Papa Jay. Will needs help. I trust you two. Between the wedding and what’s going on…”

  The sleuth turned her eyes toward the ceiling, feigning frustration. She needed to think of a reason to keep Gran focused on the wedding and not interfere. After a moment, she brought her gaze back to her grandmother.

  “I can’t keep up with everything. This takes the pressure off me some. Cate’s handling a lot.”” Hannah looked over to Magdalen, who had moved over beside Buster. “Magdalen and Buster are helping out too. Hym and I are doing this for the Reverend who’s marrying us. You have to trust me. It’’s important. And what you and Papa Jay are doing is important.” She leaned and kissed her grandmother’s forehead. Doing so, she smiled and whispered. ““The sooner I solve this, and get this wedding over with, the sooner Hym and I can get on with that thing you want.”

  Gran peered at her granddaughter, then over to Hym. When her eyes came back to Hannah, she narrowed her own and frowned. “Okay, if it’ll help get me closer to great grandmother status, but you two better be solving this thing that’’s going down before the honeymoon. You have to focus and not be worrying about anything but that.” She winked at Hannah. “Makes it more fun too.” She went back to stirring, but added in a half mumble, “I’m marking my calendar, and by the way, I was born at night, just not last night. The whole feigning frustration thing. I haven’t bought that since you were twelve. Go on now. Take those samples wherever you’re taking them, but I expect a full report later.”

  Hannah agreed. Hym and she headed out toward the university with Buster and Magdalen deciding to stick around to help in the kitchen.