Cat Me If You Can

by Miranda James

  After discussions with the ticket seller at the entrance to the estate, we decided to drive to the winery, where we could park. Once we were finished there we could catch a shuttle to the gardens, and then back again to pick up the car later. Our admission included complimentary wine-tasting.

  We had a beautiful, clear day for our exploration of the estate. The temperature was relatively mild, but we had come prepared with hats and sunscreen while we were out in the direct sunlight. Frederick Law Olmsted, considered the father of American landscape architecture, designed the gardens at Biltmore. Helen Louise and I enjoyed ourselves thoroughly as we took our time wandering through the different spaces. Biltmore boasted, variously, an Italian garden, a shrub garden, a walled garden, and a rose garden, among others. We didn’t tour everything because we were eager to move on to the winery, plus we’d had a surfeit of greenery after several hours.

  We decided we should eat, however, before we sampled the wines. I hadn’t even thought about making reservations at one of the restaurants that required them, so we ended up lunching in the Courtyard Market, where we had our choice of several eateries.

  Helen Louise was in her element at the winery. We took our time and enjoyed the wine-tasting. We ended up with a dozen bottles of wine to take home with us. By the time we finished our visit to Biltmore, it was nearly five o’clock. We loaded the wine in the car and headed wearily back to the hotel.

  “I’d love to come back sometime and stay in one of the hotels at the estate,” Helen Louise said.

  “That sounds like a great idea to me,” I said. “We haven’t been able to experience as much here in Asheville so far as we both wanted, and I wouldn’t mind revisiting Biltmore, perhaps in a different season.”

  “When it’s a little cooler outside,” Helen Louise said.

  “Yes, I got a bit sweaty by the time we got on the shuttle bus to the winery,” I said. “I think I’ll have a shower when we get back.”

  “Not if I get to it first,” Helen Louise said. “I’m feeling a bit grubby myself.”

  We wended our way out of the Biltmore grounds and back to the hotel. As we parked the car, Helen Louise said, “You know, I almost don’t want to go back inside.”

  I paused in the act of climbing out of the driver’s seat. “Would you like to go somewhere else?”

  Helen Louise shook her head. “Other than home, no. It’s that once we go back inside, we’re back in the midst of the murder investigation. I don’t know about you, but I get that closed-in feeling in the hotel.”

  “I know, love. I do, too,” I said. “Maybe Miss An’gel’s ploy worked, and the killer did try to run. There might be good news inside.”

  Helen Louise laughed. “You’d have received several text messages by now, and so would I, if that were the case.”

  “True,” I said. “We might as well not postpone it, though. Let’s get the wine out of the trunk. Can’t forget and leave it out here in the heat.”

  “No, we certainly can’t, not after what I spent today,” Helen Louise said.

  We managed to get the wine safely up to our suite by using the elevator rather than the stairs. I didn’t trust myself carrying things up the stairs, especially not expensive things like wine bottles. Helen Louise knocked on the door and called out to Miss Dickce, and moments later Miss Dickce opened the door.

  “Stay back, Diesel,” Miss Dickce said. “Don’t get under their feet now.”

  Thankfully for my balance, Diesel obeyed, and we conveyed the wine safely into the room.

  “My goodness, looks like you’re planning a party with all that wine,” Miss Dickce said. “Is it all from Biltmore?”

  “Yes, ma’am, it is,” I said. “Helen Louise really liked several of the wines we tasted today.” Before Miss Dickce could inquire further about the wines, I said, “Tell us, did anything happen today while we were out? For example, did anyone try to run away from Asheville?”

  Miss Dickce shook her head. “So far, no. I didn’t think An’gel’s bright idea would work, you know. There’s no use telling her that, though. You know how stubborn she is.” Miss Dickce rolled her eyes, and I was hard put not to chuckle at her. Helen Louise shot me a glance full of amusement. Diesel chirped and warbled.

  “See, Diesel knows I’m right,” Miss Dickce said with a fond glance at the cat. “Now, I’m sure you’re both tired after your day out and are ready to rest for a while.” She returned Helen Louise’s hotel key, and we thanked her profusely for allowing us to have some time away from the hotel.

  “It was my pleasure,” Miss Dickce said. “Spending quiet time with Diesel was exactly what I needed. My headache vanished within fifteen minutes of settling in here with him.” She grimaced. “I have a feeling it will come back soon, however.”

  “I hope not,” I said as I ushered her to the door. “We’ll see you later, I’m sure.”

  I turned to find that Helen Louise had left the room. I went immediately to the bedroom, and I heard the shower start up in the bathroom. “What do you think of that?” I asked Diesel, who had accompanied me. For once he had no comment.

  “I know a trick worth two of that,” I murmured as I began to disrobe. The quotation from Henry IV, Part I might have been somewhat out of context, but it would serve.

  Later on, feeling refreshed by the shower, we dressed and contemplated dinner.

  “I don’t really feel like going out,” Helen Louise said. “How about you?”

  “Fine with me,” I said. “We got our exercise today with all the walking.” My phone buzzed, alerting me that I had a new text message.

  The moment I saw that it was from Miss An’gel, my heart began to sink. It continued as I read the text.

  Please join us in the meeting room at seven for aperitifs and amuse-bouche before dinner.

  I showed Helen Louise the message, and she shrugged. “We can hardly decline,” she said. “We can go down for a while, and Diesel can come with us.”

  “You’re right.” I checked my watch. “That gives us about fifteen minutes before we need to leave the room. I can’t help but wonder, though, whether Miss An’gel has another ploy up her more than ample sleeve.”

  Helen Louise snorted with laughter. “Do you doubt she does?”

  I sighed. “No, not really.”

  We relaxed on the sofa with Diesel stretched out on the floor in front of us. I began to relax a bit too much, as I felt my head nodding. Helen Louise’s head already rested on my shoulder. My head lolled against hers, and then I dozed off.

  My phone rang and brought me awake. I gently removed Helen Louise’s head from my shoulder and woke her. She stared groggily while I answered the call. From Miss An’gel, as I had known it would be the moment I heard the phone.

  “Good evening, Charlie,” Miss An’gel said. “Did you receive my text? I hope you and Helen Louise are able to join us. And Diesel, too.”

  “Yes, ma’am, I did get your text, and we’re about to head downstairs. We’ll be with you in a few minutes.” I listened for a moment longer before I ended the call. “We have been summoned.”

  Helen Louise, awake now, smiled grimly. “Let’s get going, then.”

  I attached Diesel’s leash to his harness, and we left the suite. I checked the time when we reached the door to the meeting room. We were only twelve minutes late. I opened the door, and we entered.

  I noticed Kanesha immediately. She stood next to Miss An’gel, drink in hand, surveying the room. What was she hoping to spot? I wondered.

  Miss An’gel saw us and stepped forward in greeting. We passed a couple of minutes in small talk while I examined the room. Every member of the group was here. Ellie sat with Melba and Paul, chatting in what appeared to be a cheerful mood. Miss Dickce held court with Zac and Benjy, while Johnny Ray, Celia, and the Gregorys made up the final group. Everything appeared harmonious. No one seemed on edge
, no feeling of tension in the room. I began to relax. Maybe this was simply a party after all.

  Miss An’gel directed us to the aperitifs and amuse-bouche, on a table near the Gregorys and their group. I didn’t see anything that I could safely let Diesel have, so he was destined for disappointment. I would give him some extra treats later. I poured myself a glass of sherry, while Helen Louise chose pastis. She pointed out the amuse-bouche I was likely to enjoy, and I picked up several and added them to my plate.

  At the expense of my relaxed mood, I decided to ask Miss An’gel whether she had anything particular planned for this get-together. When I posed the question quietly, for her ears only, she regarded me with a bland expression.

  “Sister and I thought a small soiree before dinner would be a way to lift morale,” Miss An’gel said. “Sister got the idea from you and Helen Louise. She told me about the wine you brought home from the winery at Biltmore.”

  That was all she would say, and perhaps she told me the complete truth. I began to relax again and enjoy myself as I moved around to the different groups and chatted. People did the same, and the groups changed for the next half hour, and soon I had spoken to everyone in the room with the exception of Kanesha, who remained aloof.

  A loud “Excuse me. I’m so, so sorry” not far behind me caused me to turn around abruptly. Elmore was staring at food that had obviously just been deposited in Melba’s lap. “My arm got jostled,” Elmore said. “I couldn’t help it. Really I couldn’t. I’ll pay for cleaning your dress, of course.”

  “Yes, thank you,” Melba said. “I think I can get most of it off if someone will hand me some extra napkins.”

  Paul already had several in hand, and he gave them to Melba. We watched as she tried to clean the amuse-bouche from her lap.

  There came a sound of something large hitting the floor behind us, and I felt a tug as Diesel pulled hard against the leash looped on my arm. I called to him, but he didn’t stop. I pushed past Celia and Ellie with a hurried apology to follow the cat. He burrowed under the sofa, and I sat on the floor beside him to coax him out.

  From this vantage point I could see Zac Ryan prostrate on the floor. I thought at first he was out cold, but then he began to retch and groan.

  THIRTY

  Kanesha immediately went into action. She knelt beside Zac, and Benjy joined her. “I’ve had CPR training,” he said, and Kanesha nodded.

  “Someone call an ambulance,” she said.

  “I’m on it,” Paul Bowen said, his phone already to his ear.

  “Everyone move back and give them space,” Miss An’gel said in commanding tones. Everyone moved back immediately.

  I remained on the floor by the sofa, watching and praying that Zac would survive whatever had assailed him. I naturally suspected that he had been poisoned, but who in this room would have been bold enough to poison him in full sight of everyone else? That was a cold-blooded act, and the thought of it made me feel nauseated. Was any of us safe until the killer was caught?

  “I’m going to alert the hotel staff,” Melba said before she ran out of the room.

  Helen Louise huddled beside me on the floor. “I’m terrified, Charlie. This is crazy. Do you think somebody is trying to kill him?”

  I had no comforting answer for Helen Louise. I said simply, “I don’t know.” I slipped an arm around her and pulled her close. We stayed there and watched the drama in front of us. Celia and Ellie, along with Johnny Ray and Paul, had moved to a spot near the wall, leaving the way clear for Kanesha and Benjy to work on Zac. Miss An’gel and Miss Dickce stood by and watched the proceedings. Burdine and Elmore held each other, both looking ashen as they watched.

  I couldn’t spot the face of a murderer among them, no matter how hard I tried. Unless Zac had had a seizure of some sort totally unconnected to the two murders, then someone in this room had poisoned him right in front of all of us. But which one of them did it?

  I felt Diesel tug insistently at the leash as he attempted to move farther under the sofa. What was he doing?

  “Hang on a second,” I told Helen Louise. “This cat is about to yank my arm off. I don’t know what’s got into him.”

  Helen Louise obligingly moved away so I could turn and get on my hands and knees to peer under the sofa. Diesel appeared to be trying to bat at something. Now was not the time for him to find a new toy. I gave the leash to Helen Louise and asked her to hold on while I crawled around behind the sofa to see what had so excited the cat’s interest.

  I finally spotted it. A small plastic bottle with a label of some kind. I was about to reach for it to take it away from Diesel, but some sixth sense stopped me. I extracted a handkerchief from my pants pocket and used that to grab hold of the bottle.

  I was right to have done that, because when I examined the bottle it turned out to be a medicine bottle. I looked at it more closely and got a distinct shock. I almost dropped the bottle.

  The patient’s name on the bottle read Denis Kilbride, and the medication was something called Lisinopril. Had this been used to poison Zac?

  Balked of his prize, Diesel meowed plaintively, but he didn’t try to grab it back. I turned around and scuttled back to Helen Louise.

  “What was it?” she asked.

  I showed her but warned her not to touch it.

  “Oh my Lord,” she said. “Someone used that to poison Zac.”

  “I think so,” I replied in a grim tone.

  The EMS personnel arrived and took over from Kanesha and Benjy. I went immediately to Kanesha and gave her the pill bottle, along with my handkerchief. I explained where I’d found it. She nodded in dismissal, and I went back to Helen Louise and Diesel, now on the sofa.

  Kanesha conferred with the EMS team and showed them the bottle. I prayed that, if this was indeed what had been used to poison Zac, they would be able to use the information in his treatment and save him if at all possible.

  We all watched in tense silence as the EMS team continued to work on Zac, giving him oxygen and trying to stabilize him. One of the team conferred via cell phone, and a few minutes later they had Zac on the gurney and on the way to the hospital.

  Kanesha followed them out after giving strict instructions that we were not to touch anything in the room. Perhaps she was going to the hospital with Zac until Lieutenant Wesner or one of his team could get there. She had promised to let us know as soon as she had more information about Zac’s condition. Melba returned then and rejoined Paul. She was followed by the police officer on duty, who took up position right inside the door and watched us all.

  Helen Louise and I did not tell the others about the medicine bottle Diesel had found. I recalled now that I hadn’t heard any rattling sound, so the bottle must have been empty. The murderer had probably poured its contents into whatever Zac was drinking. Again I felt nauseated.

  Another realization hit me as I sat there in that silent room. The killer had taken Denis Kilbride’s medications after he or she had killed Denis. That explained why none were found in his room once the body had been discovered.

  Had the killer planned then to use the medication to kill someone else? Was Zac always the intended target?

  I hadn’t had a chance to confer with him over the timetable of movements he was working on. Had he turned up some clue during his work on that and attempted to figure it out on his own? Had he somehow alerted the murderer without realizing it?

  I had far too many questions incapable of being answered, at least for now. When Kanesha returned from the hospital, hopefully with good news about Zac’s condition, I could discuss my questions with her.

  Miss An’gel broke the silence by suggesting that we pray for Zac’s recovery. She then intoned a brief heartfelt prayer on Zac’s behalf, and we all said “Amen” at the conclusion.

  Now that the tension had been broken by the prayer, a low buzz of conversation arose. I though
t about going back upstairs to await word from Kanesha, but it appeared that everyone intended to stay here. Then I remembered the police officer on duty and realized that we were probably meant to stay put until Wesner or one of his team showed up.

  Wesner himself turned up about twenty minutes later. He strode into the room, his expression thunderous. I was afraid that meant Zac had died, but he quickly reassured us on that point.

  “Mr. Ryan is so far responding to treatment,” Wesner told the group after greeting Miss An’gel and Miss Dickce. “I have no assurance yet that he will survive, however. He is still in pretty bad shape. I will update you as soon as we have more information. In the meantime I will be questioning each of you to discover any information you might have that will help us determine what led to Mr. Ryan’s collapse.”

  Elmore stuck up a hand. Wesner acknowledged him, and Elmore said, “Any idea what he took?”

  “We aren’t aware that Mr. Ryan took anything himself,” Wesner said. “That remains to be determined. He could have been given something without his knowledge. Does anyone know what he was drinking?”

  “Vermouth, I think,” Benjy said.

  Wesner nodded. “Thanks. My team should be here any moment to bag and tag the evidence.” He indicated the drinks tray and the remains of the amuse-bouche.

  Elmore’s question puzzled me. Perhaps he subscribed to his wife’s theory that Zac was the killer. Did he think Zac had intended to kill himself in front of everyone to avoid being arrested?

  That didn’t make a lot of sense to me, but as I remembered all too well, killers in Golden Age detective fiction sometimes chose suicide as a way of avoiding being hanged for murder. I rather doubted that, if Zac were indeed the killer, he would choose that way out.

  I thought it much more likely that the real killer wanted everyone to think that, however. After Burdine’s outburst in which she accused Zac, the killer might have decided to make Zac the scapegoat. But I couldn’t figure how the killer expected that to work without a signed confession from Zac.