Toxic Troubles (An East Pender Cozy Mystery Book 11) Read online

  “They sound like the words of a woman who knows she's in for a tough time. I bet you would like us to become friends, wouldn't you? Find a way for both our cafes to co-exist? But you only are suffering from the consequences of your actions. You began this conflict, Ellen, but I am going to finish it and there is nothing you can do or say that will stop me. And now, I would ask you to leave this establishment as you are not welcome here. I would hate to think that you are stealing ideas from my cafe.”

  Ellen was about to say something in response when Maggie twisted away and moved out of sight, swallowed by the crowd. Filled with much regret, Ellen steeled herself against sorrow, for it was clear Maggie was not open to repairing their relationship. While Ellen's actions had led to this disagreement, she had given Maggie ample opportunity to form a truce and anything that happened now was entirely her decision. Ellen simply had to prepare to fight for her customers. But still, she was happy to concede this night to Maggie, and backed out of the cafe as requested.

  She hurried back to her own cafe and through the window she saw Kelly and Ray laughing. As she opened the door she saw Ray's expression change to one of shock and he winced in pain, his hand cradling his stomach. His eyes widened and he stared at Ellen. He was about to say something but never got the chance. He slumped over, crashing down on the table. Kelly shrieked and the other customers turned around to see what had caused the commotion. Ellen ran to the table and placed her fingers against Ray's neck. She felt nothing.

  Chapter 2

  “Call an ambulance,” Ellen said as she pulled out the chair and laid Ray out on the floor, keeping him stable.

  “There's no pulse,” she said, leaning over his mouth to try hearing any sign of breathing.

  The other customers gathered around, peering down at her as she shook her head and pulled out her own cellphone, placing a direct call to Andy.

  “How could he just drop dead like that?” Kelly asked.

  “I don't know,” Ellen said, rising up from her knees and placing her hands on her hips.

  “There is a disorder called Sudden Death Syndrome, which causes people to drop dead unexpectedly, as the name would suggest. But from the way he gripped his stomach it would seem that he felt something inside.”

  “Could it have been a heart attack? He did mention how the physical labor was taking its toll,” Kelly suggested. Ellen pursed her lips.

  “We'll have to wait for the experts to arrive before we make any other judgments.”

  And they did not have to wait long. Soon enough they heard the sirens screaming through the streets as the police and medical teams arrived. Of course, this got the attention of the people in Maggie's cafe. They soon migrated toward the scene of the crime, much to Maggie's annoyance. Ellen waited patiently and described what had happened to Andy, also mentioning that she had left the cafe for a period of time.

  “And did anything happen in this space?” Andy asked Kelly.

  “Not at all, we were just chatting as normal. I was telling him about my honeymoon and he was telling me about his. He didn't even cough or anything, then Ellen came back and it happened exactly as she said.”

  “Were you distracted at any point? Could anything have happened if you had turned your head away?” Andy continued.

  “Not in the slightest. And you can ask the other customers. They'll tell you the same thing.”

  Indeed, they did. Andy ordered Iris to take down their reports. Iris stood about five feet four inches tall, a little shorter than Ellen, and had black hair that was tied into a ponytail, hanging down just below the base of her neck. She was so young, with all the world in front of her, and Ellen envied her for this. She also carried herself with a professional demeanor as she went over to talk to the other customers. Andy came over to Ellen, shaking his head.

  “Ray was a good man,” he said.

  Both of them watched as his body was gathered up and taken away by the coroner. The people looking on were stunned and anxious, but also curious as they tried to see what was happening. Andy's officers did their job well, though. They managed to keep everyone out of the cafe, although they had to part when Ray's body was taken out. The mood was somber and Ellen was quiet, only hearing Iris' soft voice as she questioned the other customers.

  When she was done, Iris came back and placed her hands behind her back as she delivered the report to Andy, also nodding at Ellen. This gave Ellen the opportunity to study her. She had big dark eyes, almost black, and milky skin. There was something about the way she looked as well, as though there was a fire burning inside her. Andy hadn't told Ellen too much about Iris but from what he had said she gathered Iris was an ambitious sort and Ellen watched her with interest. She was certainly different from Lister, who had entered the crime scene with no confidence at all and clearly didn't belong. That wasn't the case with Iris. She was meant to be here, born for this job.

  “Those two verified what Kelly said, sir,” she began, “Permission to speak freely?”

  “Always,” Andy said, inclining his head in an assenting nod.

  “I don't believe there's a mystery here, sir. The victim was an old man. It's natural that the years took their toll on him and it's just bad timing that it happened to be here. Why are we thinking anything else?”

  “Because nothing is ever that simple around here. And Ellen saw him reach for his stomach when he fell. Ray was a healthy man and didn't show any sign of being ill. I'm not saying that it's guaranteed but there's always something to be said for maintaining a healthy level of skepticism.”

  Iris pursed her lips and it was clear she didn't agree with Andy's judgment but she was smart enough to know not to press the issue any further.

  “Iris, would you go and try to calm them down?” Andy said, annoyance creeping into his voice.

  “I'll try, sir,” Iris said, and moved off to the doorway where she shouted at the people to keep calm and disperse, adding there was nothing for them to see. Kelly joined Andy and Ellen, who were standing over the empty plate on Ray's table.

  “What are you thinking, ladies?” Andy said.

  “Iris could be right. This all could be an unfortunate case of Ray falling prey to the stress he was putting his body under. Or it could be murder,” Ellen said.

  “But who-” Kelly began, but was interrupted by a loud exclamation from Iris.

  Their heads turned and saw that Maggie had barged through the police barrier and was looking accusingly at Ellen. Her eyes were wide with rage and her cheeks were flushed red as she jabbed a finger into the air. Scampy took up a defensive posture in front of Ellen and bared his teeth, but Maggie paid no notice to him or anything else. Her attention was focused solely on Ellen.

  “You! I can't believe you would stoop to these lengths! You'd really kill your own customer just to sabotage my opening night? I knew you were petty, Ellen, but this really takes it to another level,” she growled, glaring at Ellen.

  Ellen's mouth hung open in shock. “Are you crazy?!” she said, and, because nothing else made sense, she laughed in disbelief.

  “This is no laughing matter,” Maggie said, and Ellen's face suddenly turned serious.

  “You obviously don't know me at all if you think I ever would be capable of such a thing,” Ellen said, her voice rising steadily as she took a step closer to Maggie.

  Kelly and Andy glanced nervously at each other as Iris stepped into the doorway and looked apologetically at her superior officer. Before the situation could escalate Andy stepped in between the two women and held out his hands.

  “I think we all know Ellen isn't capable of doing this. Please, would you kindly leave the crime scene so we can do our job?” he said.

  “Oh yes, precious Ellen never could do anything bad because she's such a perfect little angel. She has you all fooled. You all think she's this kind, sweet lady but as soon as it suits her she'll stab you in the back. You all know it! She knew how successful my cafe was going to be so she had this happen to steal the attention back
to hers. I've been talking to people, you know. I've been talking to them about you and its very funny just how many crimes happen around this cafe and there's always one constant – Ellen Thatch. Frankly, I'm surprised she's never been questioned before, but I guess that's what happens when you're sleeping with the chief of police. Quite a cozy arrangement you have there,” she said, narrowing her eyes toward Ellen.

  Her voice was loud enough to carry outside and everyone watching murmured to themselves. Some people had entertained the same doubts over the years and, although rationally they knew Ellen wouldn't have done this, Maggie was so loud and aggressive that rationality was an easy thing to lose grip of.

  “That's enough!” Andy said, but it wasn't enough for Ellen.

  She stepped forward from behind Andy, mere feet away from Maggie, and yelled back, the anger surging through her body. Never had she met anyone who had managed to get under her skin as much as Maggie. Although Ellen always prided herself on her awareness of her own emotions while remaining calm under strenuous circumstances, this was different. Everything bubbled inside her and boiled over.

  “How dare you come into my cafe and accuse me of this! You really think I would be so petty as to be jealous of your little opening? I went over there to try making peace with you, Maggie. I hoped we could rekindle the friendship between us, but if you are really serious about this then there's no hope for us at all. And another thing, you really don't know how crimes work, do you? I hardly think it would be a good idea for me to kill one of my customers. That's not going to be good for business, is it? No, actually, someone who stands to benefit would be you. If my cafe closed you'd have no competition. Maybe that's been your plan from the start? Did you choose to kill Ray specifically, or was he just a means to an end for you?”

  “Oh, yes! You would try to shift the blame, wouldn't you? But it's not going to work, Ellen. You might be the one who works with the police all the time but I'm no fool. You think it's a coincidence that he died right after eating a meal you made for him? And funny how you chose that moment to come over to check out my cafe, a fine way to distance yourself from the crime. Maybe you wanted to come over to gloat. Don't try to frame me for this. I've been too busy trying to get my cafe ready to murder someone but you...you have all the time in the world. You already barely take care of your business as it is because you're so eager to interfere with the police.”

  “Ellen doesn't interfere, she helps. Now, if we could all calm down and stop this line of speculation--” Andy said, trying, but failing, to maintain some sort of order.

  Maggie was like a juggernaut, unstoppable now she had gotten going. She was striding around the cafe as though she was putting on a performance for all who were watching, and it made Ellen seethe the longer it went on.

  “Don't you think it's a conflict of interest for you to be here? I know this is a small town, but it's all rather incestuous. The chief of police going out with his consultant, investigating a crime that has happened on her doorstep and he hasn't even asked her any questions! She's the primary suspect! She had the motive, the means, and the opportunity, and I for one am not going to stand here and watch her get away with it. She needs to be taken in for questioning at least. Otherwise, I feel there is a severe lack of integrity here. And I shall be taking this matter to the mayor because I have no faith in a police force that can't look beyond emotional factors when they're investigating a crime.”

  Andy and Ellen glared at Maggie for they knew what she was trying to do, and the worst part was she was succeeding. They glanced outside toward all the inquisitive faces and knew something had to be done. Maggie stared relentlessly at them, waiting expectantly for an answer.

  “You are indulging in pure speculation. Ray was a friend, and if you really think I care so much about your cafe to murder a man...well, that is rather thin motivation.”

  “But it's motivation nonetheless!” Maggie shot back.

  Andy rolled his eyes and quickly considered his options. Over the years his mind had been trained to think on his feet and be decisive when he needed to be, to weigh situations and come up with the best outcome, but he was torn here. If he did take Ellen in for questioning, he was casting doubt on her character and throwing their whole professional and personal relationship into doubt. It also would show that if someone shouted loudly enough they could get the police to do whatever they wanted. If he didn't, however, people would start seeing him as incompetent and possibly even corrupt, not willing to look past his own feelings. Either way it felt like he was going to lose no matter what he chose, and he didn't have the luxury of deciding to do nothing.

  Eventually, he turned to Ellen with an apologetic, guilty look in his eyes.

  “Ellen, please accompany me to the station,” he said in a hollow voice.

  Ellen was aghast, and her face turned ashen at the shock. But Andy then spun and faced Maggie.

  “You too, Maggie,” he said, and Maggie looked equally as shocked as Ellen.

  “Why would I want to jeopardize my own opening night?” she asked.

  “Whatever motivation you ascribe to Ellen, the same could be said of you. She wants to harm a rival? So could you. Both of you, get down to the station now,” he said, and told his officers to make sure that both cafes were properly closed.

  Kelly squeezed Ellen's hand in support as she was led away by Iris and shown to the back of a police car. Scampy barked and tried to follow Ellen but she bent down and told him to stay with Kelly, then handed the dog to her. As she walked through the crowd she felt their stares on her, all the disappointment and suspicion, and she couldn't believe that she actually was being accused of this crime. A deep resentment toward Maggie began growing. At first, it just had been a professional rivalry between them but now it was something much, much more personal. Maggie had attacked Ellen in a way she never had experienced and Ellen was not going to forget it anytime soon.

  “Are you sure about this?” Kelly asked Andy in a soft voice.

  The two of them still were standing in the middle of the cafe. Kelly was attempting to keep Scampy in her arms. The little dog was squirming and wriggling, trying to escape and help Ellen.

  “No, not at all, but I had to do something, and while I don't like how Maggie went about it, she was right. As much as I'm loathe to admit it, Ellen is a suspect in this crime. Maybe Maggie intended it that way and she's framing her, maybe there's something else at play. I don't know, but I have to go by procedure and I have to take her in for questioning.”

  “You don't seriously believe she could have done it, do you?”

  “Of course not,” Andy said, giving Kelly a withering look.

  “But what would you have me do? I can't be seen to be giving preferential treatment to Ellen. Not when this disagreement between her and Maggie has been so public too. Everyone knows about the way they've been toward each other and it wouldn't be the first time a professional dispute has escalated into something like this. But all I know is Ellen is going to need both of us to figure out what's going on and to clear her name as quickly as possible.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Kelly asked.

  “Lock up here and have a look around for anything out of the ordinary. Then, ask around about Ray. See if there was anyone he had a problem with and maybe we can get to the bottom of it.” He reached out to pet Scampy on the head but the dog barked and snapped his sharp teeth at Andy, who withdrew his hand, disappointed.

  “It'll be okay; we'll sort everything out. And for what it's worth, I think there's a good chance you have the suspect with you. I don't trust that Maggie one bit.”

  * * *

  Ellen found herself sitting in a familiar place, the interview room, although usually she was on the other side. Iris had made it clear to her in the car that she was, in fact, under arrest, Andy just hadn't wanted to make a show of it in front of everyone else. Now Ellen was waiting for Andy to come in. Deep down she knew he just was doing his job but her emotions were raging. It was diff
icult for her to see that this needed to be done but she didn't blame Andy. All her ire was directed toward Maggie. The door opened, and Ellen breathed a sigh of relief, but then she furrowed her brow for it wasn't Andy questioning her, it was Iris.

  “Where's Andy?”

  “The chief is otherwise occupied. I'll be in charge of asking the questions here. Now, can you go over your statement again with me?” Iris said.

  “Are you serious? It's clear I didn't do it, Andy just had to bring me in to save face, and even you can see that. Come on, we can stop this now. I want to help catch Ray's killer. We're just wasting time here!”

  “With all due respect ma'am, you don't get to give me orders. I'm aware of your participation in certain cases before, but right now I'm concerned with this one. Now, you were the one who served Ray his last meal and the initial reports suggest poisoning. From what I can tell you made the meal, served it to him, and then left. When you came back he died. Is that correct?”

  “Yes but--”

  “Why did you leave after you served him his meal?” Iris asked.

  Ellen's eyes flickered, barely believing she was in this situation, but from the steely look in Iris' eyes Ellen knew it would serve her best to comply. She had heard so many people plead their innocence during her time helping Andy, but she never thought she would become one of them.

  “I wanted to go check out Maggie's opening. I was curious to see how she was doing.”

  “Curious, or worried? It seems her opening night was proving quite successful.”

  “And I was pleased for that. She'd put a lot of work into the cafe.”

  “That's a curious attitude for a business rival. Perhaps you were confident that something would happen to steal attention away from her?”

  “Look,” Ellen said, placing her hands flat on the table, “I know you're new here and you're probably quite eager to make an impression but you're going about it all wrong. I'm not the guilty party and this is just wasting time. You ask anyone, this isn't me. I'm not capable of killing anyone!”