by Diane Weiner
“Yes. Yesterday as a matter of fact.”
“Can we find out if any of the guests take that medication or are missing some?”
“How? Asking is an invasion of privacy, don’t you think?”
Emily tried to come up with a plan. “Maybe you can say there have been thefts and you are asking if anything’s gone missing.”
“Oh, great. First a murder, then burglaries. I’ll be out of business in a heartbeat.”
Emily figured guests wouldn’t bat an eye over burglary after hearing about a potential murder, but she put herself in Coralee’s shoes. There had to be a way to find out if Summer Martin had access to the drug. Summer seemed genuinely surprised to see Faith at the inn last night. She would have had to swipe the medication during the dinner window.
“Summer doesn’t have diabetes, does she?”
“Not that I know of. She eats a lot of salads and she is far from overweight.”
“It’s still possible, though unlikely.” She’d ask Henry if he could find out through his hospital contacts. On second thought, he’d say it was unethical.
“Coralee, do you know which guests were eating in the dining room last night and which ones stayed in their rooms?”
“I’ve got a list of reservations, but I’m not the only restaurant in town. Just because someone didn’t eat in my dining room, it doesn’t mean they stayed in their room.”
“Keep your eyes and ears open. Does Summer live here at the inn?”
“Yes. She gets the employee discount rate. Can’t find cheaper rent in this town.”
“And what about Arturo? Does he live here too?”
“Yeah. He was living with his sister before she was deported. Moved out of his cabin after he spent every cent he had trying to keep his sister in the country.”
“How come his sister was deported but not him?”
“He was born here, she wasn’t. She came on a student visa and just never went back home.”
“Could he have spiked Faith’s cheesecake?”
“I don’t know. He was here but I can’t see him as a murderer. When he isn’t busy, he goes into the cat café and talks to the cats. They love him.”
An elderly couple rang the front desk bell. “New guests? Emily, I’ve got to go.”
“See, not everyone is scared away. I’ve got to head to class.” She kissed her on the cheek. “It’s going to be okay.”
Emily headed to work. On the way, she passed a sign for the new bed and breakfast. Perhaps some coffee to go would be a good idea. She checked her watch. She had a few minutes to spare.
Smyth Haven was a renovated farm house. When the elderly owners died, their daughter inherited it and turned it into an inn. It had just opened last fall and was now catering to skiers. The parking lot wasn’t huge, but it was full. Coralee had vacancies even before last night which was unusual at this time of year. Emily walked into the lobby.
“I’m sorry, we have no rooms available right now. I could get you in the end of March.”
“Hi, I’m not actually here about a room. I was wondering if I could get two cups of coffee to-go? And some sort of muffins or donuts.” She extended her hand. “Emily Fox. I teach at St. Edwards College.”
“Rona Smyth. Emily Fox? There’s an author named Emily Fox. I love her true crime books.”
“That would be me.”
“I’m honored to meet you,” said the fortyish woman with the butterfly tattoo on her wrist. She wiped her hands on her apron before shaking Emily’s hand. Her clothing smelled of smoke and irritated Emily’s throat. “The dining room is closed until lunch, but we always have fresh coffee and sweets for the guests. I’ll get you some.”
Emily looked around. The lobby was papered with sepia toned trees and vintage horse drawn carriages on a cream colored background. Dull compared to Coralee’s cheery lobby. The guest book was splayed open on the front counter. Brochures on the desk advertised Smyth Haven, the newest oldest inn in Sugarbury Falls. She browsed at the prices. Wow, it was quite a bit cheaper to stay here than at the Outside Inn. She wondered if the food was nearly as good.
The owner emerged from around the corner carrying take-out coffee and a small white bag.
You have no idea how hard it is to resist the aroma of donuts. My doctor warned me about watching my sugar. If the guests didn’t like them so much, I wouldn’t torture myself.”
“I’ve got a sweet tooth as well.”
She handed Emily a brochure. “Do you live locally?”
“Yes. I teach part time at St. Edwards. I’m headed there now. Looks like your business is booming.”
“We’ve been blessed. Had a rush this morning. Apparently there was a murder over at the competition.”
“It wasn’t a murder per say. No one died on the premises.” If that didn’t sound like a desperate defense…
“But the dessert came from their kitchen. Something like this happened where I used to live. Food poisoning, not even murder. Put the competition out of business.”
“Have you been in the industry long?”
“Yes. Spent years working in hotels and restaurants. Always dreamed of having my own hotel one day. What a better tribute to my parents than to make my dream come true right in the house in which I grew up.”
“Must have been tough drumming up business with the Outside Inn and the Ramada down the road.”
“The Ramada Inn is a chain hotel, a totally different experience. The Outside Inn was our real competitor but we’ve managed to draw customers. With the bad press they’re getting now, it won’t be long until they’re out of business.”
Emily felt her blood boiling, but didn’t want to tip her hand. “Do you work every night?”
“Of course. I’m the owner. Occasionally I get away for a few hours.”
“Were you here last night? It was storming pretty bad later on. My poor cat wouldn’t come out from under the bed.”
“I’d been at a friend’s place for dinner. Got in before the storm.”
“Thanks for the coffee and treats. What do I owe you?”
“It’s on the house. Take some brochures and spread them out around your office if you don’t mind.”
“Thank you, I will.” On the way out, Emily noticed a pair of galoshes next to the umbrella stand. They were caked with red-brown dirt.
As soon as she got out the front door, Emily tossed the brochures in the trash. Undercutting Coralee? Did Megan and Ron check her alibi? If they hadn’t yet, she was sure they would shortly. Was Rona Smyth really with a friend, or did she sneak into Coralee’s kitchen and poison dessert to eliminate the competition?
Emily got back in the car, the aroma of fresh donuts tugging at her from the passenger seat. No, these were for her colleagues. Maybe just one…
As her hand reached into the bag, a call came over the Bluetooth. Her doctor’s office? Why would they be calling?
“Hello, yes, this is Emily Fox.”
“Mrs. Fox, we received the results of your mammogram. The breast center would like you to return for a more detailed follow-up and an ultrasound as soon as possible.”
The words rattled between her ears. “Follow-up?” She’d been having routine mammograms for the past twenty years and was never asked to return. “Did they find cancer?” The C word stuck in her throat.
“They simply need a clearer view of one area. It happens more often than you’d think. Don’t worry, just get it scheduled.”
Emily jammed on her brakes, about to go through one of two traffic lights in the town. Breast cancer? She shook thinking about it. She was only fifty-five. Maybe this office had less sophisticated equipment than…than in the other small town she lived in before moving here? She’d had a mammogram here last year and it was fine. This year’s technician seemed awfully tired. She’d even told her she’d been up all night with her new baby. She probably didn’t set it up properly.
She pulled in behind her office at St. Edwards. She started to call Henry, then decide
d against it. She didn’t want him to worry, and certainly didn’t want anything to slip which would alarm Maddy. Maddy already lost her biological mother. The last thing she needed was to worry about losing her new mother, too.
Chapter 5
Henry put on his white coat and hit the ground running. His first patient was an elderly man experiencing abdominal pain. He went from there to a teen suffering an asthma attack. For a small town, the emergency room was disproportionately busy. The winter brought recreational snow enthusiasts who inevitably overdid it; the summer brought insect bites, broken bones, and heat related emergencies. Although he’d planned to retire early and live the life of leisure when they inherited his parents’ cabin, he’d grown a bit bored rather quickly, and couldn’t ignore how desperate the hospital was for help.
“Who’s next?” asked Henry. The nurse pointed him toward a cubicle. He thought he recognized the man, but with the swollen nose and black eye, he wasn’t certain.
“I think my nose is broke. I’m supposed to work this afternoon. Can you fix it by then?”
Henry looked at the paperwork. Arturo Rivera, age 29. He was at Coralee’s last night and accused Faith of having his sister deported! “Tell me what happened.” He put on his gloves and gently examined Arturo’s nose.
“It was a bar fight.”
“Looks like it was quite a fight.”
“You should see the other guy.”
Henry noticed him flinching when he attempted to laugh. “Does your chest hurt, too?”
“Yeah, when I cough or laugh…or move.”
“We’ll get some x-rays. A bar fight?”
“A gringo wearing a flag t-shirt called me amigo. I told him I was not his amigo. He did it again and I swung at him.”
“Bar fights are rare in Sugarbury Falls. The nose looks broken, and I suspect you’ve got a few injured ribs as well. They’ll take you to radiology and when the films come back, we’ll see what we’re dealing with.”
“Gracias, doctor.”
Shortly after noon, Pat stopped by.
“Ready for lunch, Buddy?”
“Yeah. Chez Cafeteria?”
“Cafeteria it is. I can smell the grease already.”
“Just treated a guy who was in a bar fight.”
“Ah, I was with Megan last night and she got an emergency call to Andy’s bar. Apparently, it was pretty bad.”
“The guy says it was racial. Someone called him amigo.”
“So? Amigo means friend, right?”
“He said it in a derogatory way.”
“Yeah, but according to Megan, he came in heated and took the first swing. Not saying the first guy didn’t deserve it.”
“It must have been after he finished at Coralee’s. He was working last night.”
“It was pretty late when Megan got the call. Speaking of Megan, I’m trying to plan the perfect proposal. Something a little unusual, but romantic.”
“You mean like renting a billboard, or getting down on one knee at a Patriots game?”
“Yeah, but not so public. Her birthday is coming up.”
“Take her away for the weekend and take her for a romantic dinner. You already have the ring.”
“She doesn’t have a full weekend off until after Easter.”
“I’ll ask Emily. She’s creative.”
“Only if she promises not to let the cat out of the bag. I want this to be a surprise.”
“You got it.” He grabbed a tray and picked up a veggie burger. His wife and daughter were beginning to rub off on him.
Pat took a cheeseburger and fries, then at the register, added a bag of M&Ms.
“Better cut back on the junk food if you want to look good in a tux.”
“Megan says I look good in anything. Or nothing.”
“TMI, buddy. Too much information.”
Detective Megan and her partner, Ron Wooster, walked into the cafeteria. When they came to the table, Pat gave Megan a kiss on the cheek.
“What are you two doing here? The food isn’t all that great.”
Ron said, “We didn’t come for the food. Henry, we know you treated a patient named Arturo Rivera this morning. We wanted to ask a few questions.”
“I don’t know what help I’ll be, but shoot.”
Ron said, “He was in a bar fight last night. The person he got into it with wants to press charges. He claims he barely pushed Arturo Rivera, then Arturo went postal on him. What are the extent of Rivera’s wounds? Does it look as if the other guy fought back?”
“I’ll say. Arturo Rivera was sent for imaging, but I’m almost positive he has a broken nose and at least one cracked rib.”
“Then they share responsibility.”
“Arturo said the man called him amigo and provoked him.”
“Amigo? That’s it?” Ron Wooster added the information on his iPad. “We tried to question him but he must have been getting his tests done. We’ll go back up. Are you admitting him?”
“No, we’ll fix him up best we can and send him home with painkillers. He’s probably back in the ER by now.”
“Thanks for the info. Say hi to Emily and Maddy.”
“Will do.”
Pat said, “Megan, I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“Looking forward to it.” She followed her partner out of the cafeteria.
Henry took a sip of his coffee. “If Arturo Rivera has that quick of a trigger, I can’t imagine him having the patience to steal the diabetes drug and spike Faith’s dessert. I’d think he’d more likely run her over with a car or hit her over the head.”
“You never know. If he was enraged by seeing the person who sent his sister out of the country, he may have gotten into a mode.”
“Not to speak ill of the dead, but I imagine Faith Maguire rubbed many people the wrong way. I only met her once and took an instant dislike to her.”
“You? You like everyone.”
“That’s what I mean.”
“I’d better head back upstairs. Arturo’s results should be back by now.”
“We still on for Saturday night?”
“Of course.”
“What time?”
“I don’t know—whatever Emily told you.” Henry went to the emergency department and checked for Arturo’s X-ray report. Sure enough, broken nose and two broken ribs. No way the other guy wasn’t just as guilty. Detectives Megan and Ron came out from Arturo’s cubicle.
Megan said, “That must have been quite the fight. Anyhow, Rivera admits to taking the first swing, but frankly, we interviewed the guy in the flag t-shirt and he had nothing but a scratch over his eye. Nothing like your patient in there.”
Detective Ron Wooster said, “And t-shirt guy is twice the size of your patient.”
“I just got back the imaging report. He’s got a broken nose and two broken ribs, just as I suspected.”
“Are you keeping him here?” asked Megan.
“No, there isn’t much we can do here for him. He needs to rest and give his body time to heal. He can do that at home.”
After the detectives left, Henry checked in on Arturo. Looking at him with his slight build and short stature, he couldn’t imagine what he was thinking taking a swing at some brute in a bar.
“Doctor, did you find out the damage?”
“Just like I suspected. The nurse will show you how to tape those two broken ribs, and she’ll give you instructions on caring for the broken nose. Basically, you’ll be icing it on and off, sleep with your head elevated, and follow up in a few days. Once the swelling subsides we’ll be able to tell if you need further treatment. I’ll write you a script for extra-strength Tylenol. No aspirin or it may start bleeding again.”
“Thanks, Doctor. Am I going to be arrested?”
“That’s not my department.”
“I never drink on a week night, you know? If that witch hadn’t been at the Outside Inn last night, I’d have never gone to the bar.”
“You said something about her getti
ng your sister thrown out of the country. How did Faith Maguire know your sister?”
“When the witch moved here with her kids she needed a nanny. She hired my sister. My sister loved the kids and never had a problem until around Christmas time.”
“What happened around Christmas time?”
“Maria Luz suspected something funny going on with the little girl. The witch was forever dragging the kid to the emergency room.”
“She thought Ms. Maguire was abusing the kids?”
“She didn’t say in so many words, just that things didn’t seem right.”
“Did she confront Ms. Maguire about it?”
“Not directly. She spoke to someone at the Department of Children and Families, and Faith Maguire found out. Next thing we know, Maria Luz is picked up and sent back to Mexico, just like that. She was taking classes at the university. She wanted to be a lawyer.”
“I’m sorry. Did she speak to an attorney about staying here?”
“She never had the chance, not to mention the money.”
“Did she go back to your parents?”
“My parents died in the earthquake last year. Maria Luz found a cousin to stay with for now and she’s cleaning houses to make money.”
“I’m sorry. They aren’t coming after you, are they?”
“No. My parents moved here to study. I was born while they were here so I have citizenship. Maria Luz was born after we moved back to Mexico.”
“But you came back?”
“My parents wanted us both to study here. Maria Luz had a visa but it had expired.”
“She should talk to a lawyer. There are lawyers who work pro bono—for free.”
The nurse came into the cubicle. “We need you in room 6.”
“Okay. Arturo, someone will be in with the instructions. Take care of yourself.”
Henry went next door and helped a patient having a seizure. When he was finished, he had a few minutes to himself. Seizures—Mila Maguire. He grabbed a computer and typed in her name. Arturo’s sister was right. Mila Maguire had been brought to the ER six times since last September.
“Dr. Fox, a patient is asking for you. He doesn’t understand the follow up instructions.”
Henry returned to the elderly man he’d seen this morning and clarified the discharge instructions. By the time he finished up, his shift was over and he headed back home.