Ladle to the Grave (A Soup Lover's Mystery Book 4) (3 page)

L
UCKY SAW THE
stunned look on Jack’s face. She glanced at Nate, a question on the tip of her tongue.

“Poisoned?” Jack asked.

“Well, we don’t know for sure. It’s possible she had some sort of allergic reaction to whatever was in that drink they brewed,” Nate replied.

“What are you saying, Nate?” Lucky grasped Jack’s hand, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“Apparently, these ladies brewed their own wine. ‘May wine’ they called it. According to Cordelia Rank.” Nate sighed heavily. Lucky was sure Nate hadn’t had an easy time dealing with the prickly Cordelia. The woman was undoubtedly making his job more difficult than it already was.

“According to Cordelia, they mulled it with herbs that Jack had given them. That’s why I need to know exactly what was in that mix.” He turned back to Jack. “Do you remember what you gave them?”

Jack’s jaw dropped open. “Nate, I . . .” He shook his head. “Just what I grow in my back garden and some herbs I gathered near the woods. They asked me for woodruff and strawberry leaves and I made up a basket for them.”

“That’s all? Woodruff and strawberries?”

“That’s it. Both harmless. I had Sage double-check the recipe for me. Woodruff’s only harmful if you take it in huge amounts; then it might make somebody sick, but definitely not kill them. It’s just used for flavoring. And the strawberries that I grow, I eat myself. Nothing wrong with them.”

“What about the leaves of the plant? Are they edible?”

“Pretty sure they are. Of course, I don’t eat the leaves myself, but some people brew teas from them. I don’t think they’d harm anyone, certainly not cause anybody to die.” Jack rubbed his forehead distractedly. “You don’t think . . .” Jack trailed off.

“Is it possible you maybe made a mistake?” Nate questioned gently, but Jack had no response. “Maybe you thought you picked woodruff, but you picked something else?”

Jack shook his head. “I was real careful, Nate. I’m sure I was.” Lucky saw a fleeting moment of doubt cross Jack’s face.

She felt the need to step into the exchange. “I’m sure he’s right, Nate. Jack is very careful in his garden, and he certainly knows his plants. I doubt he’d make a mistake like that. Besides, could a poisonous plant cause someone to die so quickly?”

“Generally, no. Although I imagine some toxins could cause a fast reaction.” Nate turned to Jack. “You wouldn’t mind if I stopped by, maybe tomorrow or the next day, and had a look? And maybe you could show me where you found the woodruff?”

“No. Of course not. Happy to.”

Nate nodded. “Like I said, it’s possible Agnes had an allergic reaction to something. It’s also possible she had a heart attack or a stroke. We just don’t know at this point. I’ve got a call in to a plant specialist—and if there’s anything left over, I’ll have them check any leaves that weren’t used up. The morgue can examine her stomach contents and what we have of the wine and any substances in the containers or the bowls. Whatever caused her death acted pretty quick. I suppose it’s a good thing nobody else was hurt.”

Jack nodded but remained silent, his forehead furrowed in worry.

“What about Cordelia? Perhaps she added something she shouldn’t have. Have you questioned her carefully?”

“Yes, I have. I’m certain she didn’t get creative with her recipe. Her husband confirmed her story.” Nate stood. “I’ll be on my way, then.” He stopped at the door. “Jack, I’m sure you’re right. Whatever killed this lady coulda been anything. Who knows? I just had to ask. I don’t want you worrying yourself about it.”

Lucky turned in her chair. “Has Elias had a chance to examine her yet?” Elias Scott, the love of Lucky’s life, was the only doctor in Snowflake and also served as the town’s coroner. “Did he have anything to say?”

Nate scratched his head. “He couldn’t be definite, but he was leaning toward some form of poisoning or allergic reaction, given the vomiting. But he didn’t want to hazard an opinion until the pathologist completes an autopsy.”

“I see.” Lucky glanced at her grandfather. Jack still hadn’t said a word. “Thanks, Nate.”

“See you later.” Nate shut the door behind him.

Jack was staring at the floor.

“I’m sure it’s nothing, Jack. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the herbs you gave them.”

His face was pale. “What if I made a mistake?”

“Jack, you’ve been doing this for years. You didn’t. I’m sure you didn’t.” She squeezed his hand in encouragement.

“My eyesight isn’t so good these days.”

“That may be, but I doubt you’d have anything poisonous growing in your backyard. And whatever you gathered near the woods was fine too.”

“Lots of everyday plants and flowers are poisonous, you know, very dangerous.” He took a deep breath. Jack still didn’t seem convinced. “You better get back out front, my girl. You’ll have more customers by now. It’s just gone four bells.”

“I will, but I plan to talk to Cordelia myself as soon as possible.” She squeezed his hand one last time. Even in times of stress, Jack still told time by the bells. It was second nature for him. And she was one of the very few people who could interpret his references. Most of Jack’s life had been spent in the Navy and, for him, the walls were still the bulkhead and the floors, the deck. His health had improved a great deal over the past year when his symptoms had been diagnosed as a vitamin deficiency. But from his days in the Pacific in World War II, he suffered from a post-traumatic stress disorder generally set off by stress or, particularly, the sight of blood. The last thing she wanted was for any suspicions to linger about him or for him to worry he had played a part in anyone’s death.

Lucky returned to the counter. Janie and Meg, the Spoonful’s two young waitresses, were busy. Meg had covered the counter in Lucky’s absence, and Janie was taking orders from a few new arrivals. Horace had already gone on his way, and Barry and Hank were settling in for a game of chess at their table. She quelled an unsettled feeling in her chest. Jack couldn’t possibly have made a fatal mistake. She was sure of it.

L
UCKY PUSHED HER
way through the untrimmed bushes that threatened to block the drive. Sophie had rushed on ahead.

“Come on, slowpoke. Hurry up!” Sophie called gaily from the top of the hill.

A small twig struck Lucky’s face. She brushed it away, huffing the rest of the way to the clearing at the top of the dirt drive where Sophie’s childhood home stood.

When Lucky caught up with her, Sophie spun in a circle, her arms held straight out. “Here it is! Remember?”

Lucky laughed. “Of course I do. How could I forget? I always loved to come to your house.”

“Well, it’s pretty basic but it was home when we were all kids.”

Lucky was an only child and had always envied Sophie’s noisy family. Sophie was the baby of the brood, her three siblings years older, but all of them were welcoming and kind to Lucky when her mother would allow her to visit.

Sophie grabbed her hand and led her up the wooden stairway to the front porch and through the open doorway. “My grandfather built this. Isn’t it incredible?” She pointed to the huge stone fireplace in the front room, a fireplace that was large enough to grace a mansion.

“It sure is. We used to roast marshmallows in that when we were little kids.”

“And sleep in front of it in our sleeping bags too. He built it all by himself with river rock. It’s gorgeous and just as solid as the day he made it.” She spun on her heel and held her arms out. “This is what I wanted to show you.” Sophie’s expression grew serious. “Sage and I have decided we’re going to live right here. We’ll have our very own home right on the property.”

“Here?”

“Well, mostly. Structurally, what’s here is pretty sound. We can replace some of the wood that’s not so good. We’ll extend the porch and knock out a few walls inside. Sage is having a friend draw up some plans. New roof too. There are three tiny bedrooms. We want to open up the inside and add a kitchen and another bedroom toward the rear of the property. It’ll be a proper house. It’ll take a while ’cause we plan to do the work ourselves, but we can do it. It shouldn’t be that hard,” Sophie said hopefully.

“What about your brother?” Sophie’s father had abandoned the family years before. After that, her mother became sick and died after a long illness. Her older sister had taken the lead in raising Sophie, and then she in turn left home after Sophie graduated from high school. That sister died only a few years later. One brother had been killed in a car accident. Her remaining brother, Rick, at least twelve years Sophie’s senior, was the last of her siblings.

“I’ve written to Rick—e-mailed him, I should say. He’s over in New York State right now, or at least he was the last I heard. Sage and I have both been saving our money and I’ve asked Rick if we could buy him out. I know he doesn’t want to come back to Snowflake, so I don’t see why he’d care. We’d give him a fair price. It’s just him and me now—we’re the last of the family. I’m sure he has no interest in living here again, so hopefully, nothing will go wrong.” Sophie watched her friend’s face carefully. “What do you think, Lucky? Do you think it’s a crazy idea?”

“No. Not at all. I think it’s a fantastic idea.”

“Rick hates this place. Even more so after my mother died. But I don’t feel that way at all. Maybe I’m trying to re-create something I didn’t have as a kid—security, a feeling of safety. Maybe that’s why I’m so attached to this place. I look at this fireplace and I see everything that’s possible.”

“It’ll take a lot of work . . . and money.”

“I know, but we can stay where we are and work on the house in our spare time. It’ll take a year or two to get it livable, but it’s possible. I just can’t stand the thought of letting my grandfather’s chimney and fireplace go to waste. And I can just picture Sage and me cuddling up in front of a roaring fire in the winter.”

Lucky gazed silently at the five-foot-tall hearth surrounded by a wall of rounded gray rock. “What about your dad? Have you or Rick ever had any contact with him?”

Sophie shook her head. “Never. I can’t speak for Rick, but I’ve never heard from him.” She shrugged. “And nobody in the family would even mention his name after he left. I finally gave up asking. It was like I was the only one who cared. It’s funny you should ask, though. I’ve found myself thinking about him a lot lately. Or at least what I can remember about him. Maybe because my life is going through such a big change now. I was so young at the time, but I always felt like the heart went out of this place when he left. Do you think I’m crazy to take this on?”

“Not at all. I’d probably feel just the same if I were in your shoes.”

Sophie hesitated a moment. “There’s something else too.”

“What?”

Sophie took a deep breath. “I got a letter from a lawyer for the Resort. They’re interested in buying this property and the acreage we have on the other side of the hill. They want to extend a ski run, and the parcels on the other side of the hill are right in their way. I haven’t contacted them yet, but they want to meet with me.”

“Really? Would you want to sell to the Resort?”

Sophie shrugged. “It’s interesting, kind of, to know you own something your employer wants, isn’t it? But there’s no way I’ll sell the land that the house is on. If I did, the Resort would just mow everything down. Truth is, they don’t need this portion; it’s the parcels on the other side they need to expand that run.” During the winter months, Sophie worked as a ski instructor for the Snowflake Resort. Summer was on its way and she would have some part-time employment at the Resort giving swimming lessons, but during the warmer months she was much more able to set her own schedule.

“Would that interfere with your view?”

“Not really. Those parcels are hidden behind us. I doubt we’d even be able to see a run over there. And we’d still have plenty of land around the house for privacy.”

“If you sold that land, it would solve your money situation, wouldn’t it? You’d have the cash to remodel the house.”

“True.” Sophie picked up a stick from the hearth and poked at the ashes. “I’m just scared their lawyers have been in contact with Rick. They must have researched the title to know about me. They’ve probably contacted him by now too.” Sophie grimaced. “I’m just hoping they don’t want to buy the whole property. If that’s the case, they’d be able to offer Rick more than Sage and I ever could.”

“Sounds like you’re getting ahead of yourself. Why don’t you wait till you hear from your brother?”

“It’s been a few weeks since I e-mailed him. I’m really starting to worry that he hasn’t gotten back to me.”

“Have you heard much from him over the years?”

Sophie shrugged. “Rarely. Now and then. He’s a funny guy—kind of a lone wolf. Of all of them, he and I have probably been the least close. So I can’t really say I know my brother at all. He was gone before I hit junior high.”

Lucky checked her watch. “Hey, I better get back to the Spoonful.”

Sophie laughed. “How many bells is it?” she asked, referring to Jack’s method of telling time.

“Just gone six bells.” Lucky smiled.

Sophie looked down at the soot on her hands. “Give me a minute. I’ll rinse off my hands in the creek. No running water in here now.” She left by the back door and Lucky watched her from the window as she scurried down the slope to the creek that ran below the house.

Lucky shut the front door behind her and walked down the wooden steps at the front of the house. She perched on a large rock at the top of the drive to wait for Sophie’s return. She was thrilled that Sophie and Sage were getting married and had a chance at their very own home. She leaned back and breathed in the warm spring air. Wildflowers were blooming over the hillside. The setting was inexpressibly peaceful. She felt her shoulders relax and closed her eyes, letting the sun warm her face.

Sophie’s screams cut through the air.