A Taste of Death (Maggie Olenski Series) by Mary Ellen Hughes Page B
Authors: Mary Ellen Hughes
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rose from the table to leave.
As they paused in the empty foyer to zip jackets, Maggie looked down at the greenery that hugged the antique spinning wheel. "Does any of that look like what was in Leslie's sun room?" she asked Dyna.
"I don't know. It all looks the same to me. Are you going to pinch some of this too?"
Maggie glanced around. Vickie was across the room, engaged in conversation. Diners were occupied with their meals or with each other, not paying attention to them. She bent to reach for a twig when the outer door suddenly pushed open , and the Mayor and Susan Larson stepped in, Susan, at sight of them immediately singing out, "Well, hello! How nice to see you again."
Maggie straightened up and snapped h er hands behind her back. "Hi ," she said, knowing her face probably said, "I wasn't doing anything", and she struggled to neutralize it. She recalled having spoken with Susan Larson at the town meeting, just before Jack W arwick had slumped to the floor and tried to remember what they had talked about. She was spared having to come up with a conversation opener, however, when Susan and Tom alternately congratulated them on having chosen this fine restaurant, asked how they had enjoyed their din ner, and launched into a listing of their own favorites. Vickie appeared with menus and the older couple followed her, still talking amiably, but now directing most of it to the seated diners they encountered as they progressed. By then more new customers had arrived and Maggie reluctantly gave up on finger-pruning Dan Morgan's plants that night.
"Maybe we'll hear from our plant expert and at least find out what's growing in Leslie's indoor garden," she said, following Dyna out the door. She pulled her coll ar up against the chilling wind and hurried toward the car.
CHAPTER 10
T he cabin looked forbidding to Maggie for the first time, as she pulled up in its driveway, the unlit windows looking down at her with ominous gloom. Maggie felt a shiver go down her back, but told herself it was the cold, the short ride from the restaurant not having been enough time to warm up her car. D yna's car was tucked coz ily in the small garage, but hers had to remain outside. After she and Dyna climbed out, she locked her car for the first time since she had come there, something she always did back in Baltimore, but had felt unnecessary, until now, in Cedar Hill.
The uneasy feeling dissipated once she was inside the cabin, and Dyna flicked on the switch, flooding the downstairs with light and chasing away the goblins. The first thing Maggie spotted was the blinking light on the answering mac hine.
"I hope that's our plant expert," she said, tucking her gloves into the pocket of her jacket and hanging it up. The warmth of the cabin was comforting. She pulled off her boots and padded in to the phone. There were two messages, the first , she soon learned, had come at 5:36 P.M.
"Oh, ah, Miss Olenski. This is Dave Fortier. I'm calling about the plant specimens you left with my daughter. Most of them are just fine, but I'd get rid of the oleander if there'll be small children around. It's extremely poisonous. All parts of it. That's the one has narrow leathery leaves with big, white or pink flowers. You can call me back here until 6:00 if you want more details. Or tomorrow will be fine."
Maggie looked at Dyna, who hovered over the other side of the answering machine.
"Wow," Dyna said. "Leslie could have done it then."
"If Jack Warwick was poisoned by oleander. We don't know that yet. But we can talk to John, tell him what we found, and maybe he will have gotten the toxicology results."
"I bet it will be oleander. It has to be. Leslie has a whole slew of motives to kill her husband. And you saw how guilty she was acting. And she has this poisonous plant right there in her house. Nothing could be more convenient."
"I agree there seems to be a lot pointing to her right now. But let's wait for the final report before we jump to
As they paused in the empty foyer to zip jackets, Maggie looked down at the greenery that hugged the antique spinning wheel. "Does any of that look like what was in Leslie's sun room?" she asked Dyna.
"I don't know. It all looks the same to me. Are you going to pinch some of this too?"
Maggie glanced around. Vickie was across the room, engaged in conversation. Diners were occupied with their meals or with each other, not paying attention to them. She bent to reach for a twig when the outer door suddenly pushed open , and the Mayor and Susan Larson stepped in, Susan, at sight of them immediately singing out, "Well, hello! How nice to see you again."
Maggie straightened up and snapped h er hands behind her back. "Hi ," she said, knowing her face probably said, "I wasn't doing anything", and she struggled to neutralize it. She recalled having spoken with Susan Larson at the town meeting, just before Jack W arwick had slumped to the floor and tried to remember what they had talked about. She was spared having to come up with a conversation opener, however, when Susan and Tom alternately congratulated them on having chosen this fine restaurant, asked how they had enjoyed their din ner, and launched into a listing of their own favorites. Vickie appeared with menus and the older couple followed her, still talking amiably, but now directing most of it to the seated diners they encountered as they progressed. By then more new customers had arrived and Maggie reluctantly gave up on finger-pruning Dan Morgan's plants that night.
"Maybe we'll hear from our plant expert and at least find out what's growing in Leslie's indoor garden," she said, following Dyna out the door. She pulled her coll ar up against the chilling wind and hurried toward the car.
CHAPTER 10
T he cabin looked forbidding to Maggie for the first time, as she pulled up in its driveway, the unlit windows looking down at her with ominous gloom. Maggie felt a shiver go down her back, but told herself it was the cold, the short ride from the restaurant not having been enough time to warm up her car. D yna's car was tucked coz ily in the small garage, but hers had to remain outside. After she and Dyna climbed out, she locked her car for the first time since she had come there, something she always did back in Baltimore, but had felt unnecessary, until now, in Cedar Hill.
The uneasy feeling dissipated once she was inside the cabin, and Dyna flicked on the switch, flooding the downstairs with light and chasing away the goblins. The first thing Maggie spotted was the blinking light on the answering mac hine.
"I hope that's our plant expert," she said, tucking her gloves into the pocket of her jacket and hanging it up. The warmth of the cabin was comforting. She pulled off her boots and padded in to the phone. There were two messages, the first , she soon learned, had come at 5:36 P.M.
"Oh, ah, Miss Olenski. This is Dave Fortier. I'm calling about the plant specimens you left with my daughter. Most of them are just fine, but I'd get rid of the oleander if there'll be small children around. It's extremely poisonous. All parts of it. That's the one has narrow leathery leaves with big, white or pink flowers. You can call me back here until 6:00 if you want more details. Or tomorrow will be fine."
Maggie looked at Dyna, who hovered over the other side of the answering machine.
"Wow," Dyna said. "Leslie could have done it then."
"If Jack Warwick was poisoned by oleander. We don't know that yet. But we can talk to John, tell him what we found, and maybe he will have gotten the toxicology results."
"I bet it will be oleander. It has to be. Leslie has a whole slew of motives to kill her husband. And you saw how guilty she was acting. And she has this poisonous plant right there in her house. Nothing could be more convenient."
"I agree there seems to be a lot pointing to her right now. But let's wait for the final report before we jump to
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