Proposals and Poison Read online

“Oh, that’s good if you have room for them.” He took a bite of his sandwich and leaned back against the bench as he chewed.

  “I don’t know if she’ll end up hiring me. Her name was Gladys Tiebold, marrying a Hank Shaffer. Do those names ring a bell?” Here was my lead-in to the question I wanted answered about Lily.

  Luke shook his head. “Haven’t heard of them. Why do you think they won’t go with you?”

  “They’re an older couple, and this is her fifth marriage. I’m not sure she wants to spend as much as I charge.”

  Luke choked on his sandwich, coughed for a minute, and wiped his eyes. “Did you say fifth marriage?”

  “Yes, don’t get all prideful about it.” I suppressed a laugh.

  “What? I didn’t perform any of her divorces.” He chuckled. “Five times? That’s insanity.”

  “Or expensive, depending how you look at it. But hey, she mentioned that she was a good friend of Lily Rowan and that Lily was preparing to testify in court against Rose in the custody case. Why didn’t you tell me about that?”

  Luke held out his hand. “Hasn’t anyone in this town heard about client-attorney privilege? How did that get out?”

  “What do you mean? And I should say beforehand, I wasn’t nosing around. This Gladys lady just jumped subjects, started talking about Lily, and then told me that.”

  Luke shook his head. “Lily hadn’t even told Tim she was going to testify because she knew he wouldn’t want her to. He thought it was better if she stayed out of it and instead kept up a good relationship with Rose where she could be a good influence in Jasmine’s life, or at least that’s what Lily told me.” He rubbed a hand over his forehead. “I wonder how that lady got that piece of information. Do you think Lily told her?”

  I shrugged. “I didn’t think to ask that, but I could.”

  “Man, people need to learn to keep their mouths shut.” He set the rest of his sandwich down and pulled out his phone.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I’m calling Tony. Don’t you see? You may have just uncovered a motive for murder.”

  The sounds of cars and people around us suddenly grew louder, buzzing in my ears. Had Lily been murdered because of a custody case over a six-year-old? Luke’s voice filtered through the noise, and I picked up bits and pieces of his conversation with Tony. I stared at the remains of my sandwich, and wrapped it up for later.

  “Sorry about that,” Luke said once he ended the call. “Tony has already talked to me about this case and asked if I thought of anything or heard anything to call him immediately. I get the feeling that they’re almost ready to make an arrest.”

  I jerked back. “But who?”

  “Rose has a few boyfriends that are unsavory characters, to say the least. She could have put one of them up to it if it meant keeping her daughter.”

  “But then why not just off her ex?”

  “True, but that’s pretty obvious, don’t you think?”

  “I don’t think she would kill her own sister just for testifying,” I said. Although I wasn’t really sure of what anyone would do, based on my own experiences. I had seen people do some pretty crazy things in the past few years.

  “Well, Javier’s mother, Tina, has been pushing for full custody the entire time. I’m not sure he would have gone for it without her prodding him.”

  “But she wouldn’t want to kill Lily then. That would help her case.”

  “Unless she didn’t know which side Lily would be testifying for.”

  I swallowed. The way Luke said it, several people could have been out to murder Lily. His statement hung in the air, and I wondered who had the most to gain by her death.

  BATH SALTS BY GLADYS

  2 cups Epsom salts, ½ cup baking soda, ¼ cup sea salt, 25 drops lavender essential oil, 10 drops of your favorite essential oil. Try lemongrass, bergamot, or peppermint.

  Mix all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Store in an air-tight jar and use ¼ cup per bath.

  Courtesy of www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com

  Friday morning was a time for me to get all the last-minute details done before the weekend. Lorea and I usually had orders to put in for a variety of items that we’d need for the weddings in coming days, and for some reason there were always several things that came up just before the weekend.

  I had just hung up the phone with the caterer when Gladys breezed in the doorway. She wore a purple muumuu with red hibiscus flowers. I guess red and purple do work together sometimes—at least the outfit suited Gladys.

  “Good morning,” I said.

  “It is a wonderful morning,” Gladys replied. “I’ve just stopped by to invite you to my wedding. I can’t believe I’m getting married today!”

  “Oh?” I tried to get the right intonation of surprise to show up in my voice. I was definitely surprised, but it looked like Gladys wanted me to be happily surprised, and excited for her.

  “Yes. Hank and I are just so in love, we decided, why wait?” She spread her arms out, and the purple muumuu fluttered with the movement.

  “Well, that’s wonderful. Where will you be married?”

  “At Hank’s place. He lives just outside of Hailey and his yard is lovely.”

  “Oh, backyard weddings are perfect this time of year.” I struggled to come up with something to say and quiet my inner wedding-planner voice from chanting what I’d learned while working at Bellissima, the premier wedding design boutique in San Francisco, California. Don’t be hasty with your dreams. Design your future in detail.

  “We’re inviting just a few close friends and family, but I wanted you to come since you gave us so many wonderful ideas.”

  I choked on the credit she’d given me. Hopefully word wouldn’t spread too far that I had helped with this impromptu wedding. “That’s very kind of you.”

  “So you’ll come?”

  “Uh, what time did you say?” Now to decide if I should go to the wedding or hope that I already had something planned. Luke would probably bail me out if I begged, but the eager look on Gladys’s face was hard to turn down. I also needed to find a way to ask Gladys a little question about the information she’d shared with me yesterday.

  “It’ll be at six-thirty. I’m so glad you can come. Make sure you bring a date.” She took both my hands in hers and gave them a little squeeze. “Here’s the address.” She handed me a purple index card with the details handwritten on the lines.

  I lifted my cheeks into an uber-fake smile. “I wouldn’t miss it. And, uh, I wondered if you could help me with something for Lily’s fiancé?”

  Gladys’s expression changed, and the keen look returned to her eye. She was a gossip; I could almost see her antennae go up. “Yes, that poor dear. I’d do anything to help.”

  I bit my bottom lip. Now how could I phrase the question so it wouldn’t look like I was the gossip? “Well, I’m trying not to step on any toes, but I wondered, when did you hear that Lily would be testifying in the custody case?”

  Gladys scrunched her brows together, probably wondering how her answer would help Tim. “It was just the other day. I took her over a bag of my homemade bath salts to congratulate her on her engagement.” She looked at me expectantly.

  “Oh, that was nice of you. Homemade gifts are the best.”

  “Yes, well, this bath salt recipe would work great on that Idaho-potatoes-and-crafts website you have.” Gladys put her hand to the side of her mouth. “It’s my own secret combination. Works like a charm every time and leaves you feeling delightfully refreshed.”

  I couldn’t be surprised anymore by Gladys. Not only was she having a shotgun wedding at the age of sixty-something, but she seemed savvy enough to understand the workings of my Mashed Potatoes and Crafts website. How in the world did she even find out about the site?

  Before I could think of a response, Gladys was handing me another index card, this one pale yellow. “Here’s the recipe. If you’d like to post it, I have the pictures ready, and maybe you could
link it to my Etsy shop?”

  “Well, that would be wonderful, I think,” I stammered.

  “Make sure you remember the combination of essential oils is what makes this recipe stand out.” She placed the card in my hand with a smile.

  “Okay, I’ll definitely try this out,” I tucked the card into my back pocket. “Now, you were saying you took the bath salts to Lily and that’s when she told you about testifying?”

  “Well, she was just so upset.” Gladys waved a hand in the air. “And I would be too, having to go against my own family, but it was the right thing for Jasmine, I suppose.”

  “And did she say for certain that her testimony would be against Rose?”

  “Hmm. Well, I thought that was why she was all worked up, but now that you mention it, I can’t be one hundred percent certain on that.” Gladys tapped her chin. “There was so much going on that day. I’d filled ten orders for my bath salts already. You might want to carry some in your store. Brides always need a little pampering.” She winked.

  “Thank you. Let’s start with this recipe. And I’ll plan on being to your wedding tonight,” I added before she could push any more of her wares on me or my store.

  “Wonderful! Oh, and I’ll be at the Ketchum Arts Festival too, booth number twenty-eight. You ought to stop by.” Gladys scurried out the door, her muumuu trailing behind her like some hideous nightmare, before I had a chance to tell her I’d be working my own booth.

  The wedding would definitely be interesting. Time to call Luke and invite him to yet another wedding, and give him the scoop on Gladys. Although the conversation had been so disjointed, I still didn’t know how Gladys had discovered Lily was testifying. Luckily, Luke had been promising me another date, so I was pretty certain he’d try his best to make it.

  I heard the door open and shut in the back of the store and poked my head around the corner to greet Lorea. “We have to make sure that everything is ready for the wedding tomorrow, because I’ve been invited to Gladys and Hank’s tonight.”

  “What? Where’s my invite?” Lorea put a hand over her heart as if she’d been wounded.

  I waved the purple index card at her. “I’m sure this would work for you, too.”

  “Ahem, what was I saying? Oh yes, I’m ready to check off every detail for Sadie’s wedding tomorrow.”

  “You mean Trixie, right? ‘Cause the dogs aren’t actually getting married.” I felt the distinction was important to bring up, since Lorea kept mixing up Trixie’s dog with the bride.

  Lorea burst out laughing. “Please help me if I make that mistake again tomorrow. I don’t know why I can’t keep it straight. I’ll go get to work right now. Mike should be here for his final fitting soon.”

  Twenty minutes later, Mike, Trixie, and Derek showed up for the final fittings.

  “I can’t wait for tomorrow. It’s going to be the best day, and guess what?” Trixie clapped her hands together as she spoke. “My mom found a basket that can clip to Sadie’s collar. We’re going to fill it with rose petals and the rings and let her bring them to us.”

  “Oh, that will be a nice touch,” I said, because Lorea was speechless as usual. I elbowed her, and she coughed.

  “Um, let’s try these on and get you on your way. I just went over the checklist, and I have to say, this is one of Adri’s most well-planned events. Everything has been arranged far enough in advance that we didn’t have to do a rush on anything.”

  “So you think it’s okay that we skipped the rehearsal dinner?” Derek asked. He was of average height with a wiry build and he wore his dark hair trimmed severely. It made his ears seem to jut out a bit, but the bushy sideburns he sported evened things out.

  “Definitely,” Lorea answered. “It’s your wedding; you get to choose.”

  Derek patted Mike’s head. “I don’t think that would have fit well with the dogs, anyway. Thanks for helping us come up with ideas to keep things running smoothly.”

  I nodded. The dog wedding wasn’t over yet, so I only hoped that things would run smoothly.

  Lorea helped Mike into the tux, and I think the boxer might have stolen her heart, she looked so proud when he strutted around in his tux. Lorea scratched behind his ears and patted his head. “That’s a good boy.”

  Trixie and Derek loaded Mike into the car. I’d only met Sadie once, because Trixie left her home after she’d knocked over my display of antique wedding invitations. Trixie said that Sadie was too excited for small spaces. Hopefully she would behave for the wedding tomorrow night.

  ANTIQUE WEDDING CARD RECIPE

  Fold 5 ½” x 8 ½” piece of ivory cardstock in half to make 4 ¼” x 5 ½” card base.

  Rip 1/8” from the outer edge of the card to create a distressed look. Using a sponge, press on a brown ink pad and then gently sponge the ripped edge of the card.

  Stamp desired image on coordinating colored cardstock scrap and rip the edges of the cardstock, sponging again with ink.

  Glue lace or ribbon across card and glue stamped image over the lace.

  Stamp a quote or write a wedding day message on the card below the image.

  Example: Forever and Forever Starts Today

  Courtesy of www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com

  I clicked send on another order of paper doilies and heard Lorea’s phone buzz with several texts in a row. Two seconds later, she ran past me and toggled my mouse to open another screen. “That was my sister. She said that there’s breaking news regarding Lily’s murder investigation.”

  “How’d she find out?”

  “Terese was watching TV and it said to stay tuned for the headline news at noon.” Lorea typed in the local news station website, and Lily’s face alongside a picture of Tim’s animal clinic came on screen. Within a few seconds, a video began with a reporter standing outside Tim’s clinic.

  “Tim Esplin was brought in for questioning in connection to the murder of his fiancée, Lily Rowan, today,” the reporter said. “It’s alleged that Lily died of poisoning with chemicals similar to those found in the euthanizing injections for animals. As a veterinarian, Tim is the prime suspect, and it’s rumored that the euthanizing agent may have come from his office. Toxicology reports will confirm the substance.”

  Lorea and I both gasped at the same time. “No, he couldn’t have,” Lorea said.

  “There’s no way,” I said. “Someone must have set him up.”

  The reporter continued. “There are strict guidelines regarding the use of euthanasia by the Board of Veterinary Medicine. It must be purchased and acquired through a veterinary license. All solutions have to be kept locked up, and only the vet and his assistant have access to the substance. Because there has been a rise in suicides recently from euthanizing agents, the rules are very specific about how it can be handled and administered.

  “All dosages are recorded, dated, and witnessed. Detective Anthony Ford from the Ketchum Police Department stated that arrests are not made without substantial evidence. Hopefully this will lead to full resolution of the murder case of Lily Rowan. Reporting live from Hailey, Idaho, this is Tracy Harper.”

  The video stopped, and Lorea scrolled through the website to see if she could find any more information on the case. “Do you think Tony can share any more info with us?” I asked.

  Lorea shrugged. “Only one way to find out.” She pulled out her phone and sent him a text.

  “Tim loved Lily. What reason would he have to kill her?” I asked, more to myself than Lorea.

  “If the evidence stacks up so neatly, the police will know it’s a frame job,” Lorea said. “I’m sure Tony is already looking at other angles.”

  We both tried to work, but it was hard to concentrate with so many unknown questions circling around us. Half an hour later, Tony texted Lorea back to tell her that he couldn’t share more info at this point, but Tim would be okay.

  “Hopefully that means he thinks that Tim isn’t guilty,” Lorea said.

  “Yes, but the damage will already be
done to his clinic,” I pointed out. “Can you imagine how many patients he lost today?” I clenched my fists when I thought about how bad publicity affected businesses like his and mine. Of course, I wouldn’t blame people for not wanting to bring their cat or dog in to see a potential murderer, but after the fact, when Tim was proven innocent, those people weren’t likely to return. “He didn’t kill her, did he?”

  Lorea shook her head slowly. “I don’t know.”

  I kept seeing Tim’s face from the news flash across my mind, and then I’d remember things about Lily—how she was always so sweet. She had brought me a plate of cookies when I’d first moved in, and we’d talked on the porch for twenty minutes. She fed my cat, Tux, when I visited my hometown of Rupert every few months. I had given her several hollyhock starts from my mom’s garden, and she’d cultivated them in her own little plot on the side of her condo. The mystery of her murder was too big for me to solve, and I told myself that I’d stay out of it.

  Luke picked me up at six o’clock and we headed out to Hank’s place west of Hailey. On the way, we discussed the murder investigation. “Tim didn’t kill her,” I said.

  “What makes you say that?” Luke asked. “The police must think he did it, or they wouldn’t have arrested him.”

  “Maybe they needed to make a move to appease the public or Lily’s father-in-law.” I had heard murmurs from a few different people that Phil Andrus was upset at the way the police were handling the investigation. Someone said he’d even hired his own private investigator to search for the truth.

  Luke rubbed his right thumb along the steering wheel. “I don’t know Tim well, but I heard some things that have me siding with the police on this one.”

  “What kind of things?”

  “Something about a life insurance policy he had on her.”

  “But, wait. How could Tim have a life insurance policy on her?” I asked. “And how come I keep hearing about life insurance? How do people even know these things?”

  “Well, I heard it had something to do with the policy that Phil had. Something like they were both beneficiaries.” Luke turned slowly onto a gravel drive that led up to Hank’s house.