Death Drops (30 page)

I hesitated, but Stephen came up behind me and nudged me with the shotgun and we all started walking toward the open door of the greenhouse, Stephen and Helen a few paces behind us. Outside, the rain continued unabated, making the ground a muddy mess. Ahead were the beehives and, beyond that, the fields that stretched all the way to the Sound, where I was sure Stephen planned to dispose of our bodies. I shivered with fear. But Jackson had a look of fierce determination on his face. When we got near the door, he whispered to me, “Get ready.”

“Hey, no talking,” Stephen said, gesturing with the shotgun. “Move.”

We went through the door together, and in the split second before Stephen followed, Jackson pushed me out of the way.

“Go!” he said as I hit the wet ground with a crash. I rolled onto my sprained left arm and groaned in pain. But I was out of the line of fire.

“What the hell?” Stephen stepped through the door and Jackson tackled him to the ground. The gun skittered across the slick ground and lodged underneath a tractor.

Helen lunged for the gun, but I knocked her down and pushed her face into the mud. “How’s that for a natural remedy? Mud is great for the skin.” She sputtered, but I kept a firm hold on her.

Stephen and Jackson wrestled on the ground for a few moments before Jackson got the upper hand and punched Stephen in the face. He went down only momentarily. Jackson reached for a large yellow flowerpot on the ground and brought
it down on Stephen’s skull. It split open and blood oozed out of his skull, bright red against his blond hair. Stephen groaned and staggered.

Helen raised her head from the mud and cried, “Stop being such a wuss! Get the gun!”

Blood running down his face, Stephen made a dash for the gun but didn’t get very far. Qigong grabbed onto the leg of his jeans and he toppled to the ground. Jackson staggered over toward the tractor and the gun, but after a few steps he fell, hard, onto the ground. I could see that the wound on his shoulder had opened. His T-shirt was now soaked with blood.

I knew I had to get that gun. I rolled off Helen’s back at the same time Stephen managed to shake off Qigong, and we both raced toward the tractor. Scampering over the slick ground as fast as I could, I picked my steps carefully, not wanting to go down. But Stephen was right behind me. I had just reached the tractor when I heard a loud groan, and when I looked behind me, Stephen was on the ground with Jackson on top of him. Helen had pulled herself off the ground and was sprinting toward me, her face full of mud, looking like a crazy woman.

“Get the gun, McQuade!” Jackson yelled.

Helen slammed into me, ramming my injured left arm. It hurt, yes, but not enough to distract me. Using all my strength, I elbowed her out of the way, reached next to the wheel base, and plucked out the muddy shotgun, training it on her and Stephen. Rain streamed down my face, but I felt satisfied all the same. “Got it.” Jackson gave me a thumbs-up and Qigong barked, both in their own way saying well done.

Once Koren and Coyle arrived
at the scene, things moved pretty fast. After taking Helen and Stephen into custody, they confiscated the ingredients for the Fresh Face formula, and yes, they found cyanide in the greenhouse, too. Detective Koren was sure that testing would confirm that it was the same cyanide that he’d found in the vial in my office. All the evidence was there. Add that to my and Jackson’s eye-witness report and a conviction would stick.

As soon as I could, I rushed Jackson to the ER. Yes, the doctor said, the wound had opened, but after he stitched it back up and gave Jackson more antibiotics, he said he was good to go. The doctor attending to me x-rayed my arm and told me it was not broken, but he replaced the muddy, ruined cast. When we checked out of the ER, the sun was rising over the bay.

When we got home, I put a note on the door that we were closed, left messages for Merrily, Allie, Nick, my mother, and my sister, and the two of us crawled into Aunt Claire’s bed with Qigong, Ginger, and Ginkgo and slept until noon.

When we woke up, feeling
battered and bruised, and made our way downstairs, we were greeted by Merrily, Allie, and Hector, who of course wanted to know absolutely everything. During a scrummy breakfast, as Aunt Claire would say, of fresh fruit salad with melon, strawberries, kiwi fruit, and blueberries and whole wheat pancakes that Merrily had made, we told them the entire story.

As we were finishing up, my cell phone rang. It was my sister, telling me that Mother had had her checkup yesterday and everything went well. I didn’t even know she was scheduled for one or I would have been there, but I let it go. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“Oh, and Willow?”

“Yes, Natasha?”

“We got your message about last night. You were very brave to do what you did. Mother and I have talked, and we’ve decided that you were right about the whole situation with Aunt Claire’s death and your ownership of Nature’s Way. I’m sorry we doubted you.”

Wow, an apology from my sister. This was a first. I decided to accept it. Who knew when it would happen again? “Thanks, Nat, I appreciate it,” I replied as there was a knock on the shop door. “I’ve got to go now, okay?”

“I’ll have you over for dinner next week. Wednesday? Put it on your calendar.”

“Will do.” I ended the call. Whoever it was knocked again.

Merrily looked at me. “But you put the sign up that says we’re closed.” She gulped down her energy drink. Her sugar addiction was something we’d have to work on, in baby steps. First, she needed to get off energy drinks and switch to soda or vitamin water made with Truvia, not sugar. To boost energy, I knew she’d benefit from a special sugar called ribose that had zero impact on blood glucose levels. That, along with a good vitamin powder to build up her immunity, ought to provide a good start.

Whoever it was knocked a third time, jolting me out of my prescriptive thoughts. “I’ll get it,” I said, and went to the door. I looked through the panes and saw Simon. Oh, boy. I opened the door. “Simon? What can I do for you?”

He pulled me into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I heard all about it. It’s big news in town.”

I stepped away. “I couldn’t have done it without Jackson.”

“Oh, right. Hey, man,” he said, and threw Jackson a wave. “Listen, I also wanted to tell you that I’m headed back to the left coast, but I’ll be back in August.” He motioned to
himself and then to me. “To be continued,” he said, and left.

I gave Jackson a look. “He’s a slow learner.”

“I can teach him real good,” Jackson said, smiling. “Don’t worry about Simon.”

I was about to close the door when Nick came in and also pulled me into a hug. “Thank God you’re okay.”

I hugged him back. For the first time in over a week there was no smell of liquor on his breath.

He looked at me with kind eyes. “I was sleeping and then at my meeting. My phone was off, but when I heard the news I came right over.”

“Your meeting? You mean . . .”

“You are looking at the newest member of AA. I did a meeting last night in Mattituck and one this morning. I’ve even got a sponsor.”

I hugged him again. “That’s wonderful news.” I looked at Jackson, who nodded. “Come join us for breakfast.”

We’d just tucked back into the pancakes when there was another knock on the door. I motioned to Merrily to stay put. “For all we know it’s Janice, spoiling our good time.” But when I looked out, I saw it was Mr. Matthews, Aunt Claire’s lawyer, who stood on the front steps. I let him in and he sat down at the table.

“Would you like something to eat?” I asked. “There’s plenty.”

“No, I’m fine. I just wanted to stop by to tell you what’s happened. I heard about the arrest in Claire’s murder, so I called the judge about Janice’s action on the will. He said in light of what happened and because of Claire’s letter to you, Janice had no grounds to contest it. He’s dismissed the case.”

A huge load lifted off my shoulders. I would be able to keep Nature’s Way open and continue Aunt Claire’s mission.
“Thank you so much. We’re still in business!” I exclaimed as Jackson hugged me.

“That means I still have a job?” Merrily said. “I was getting worried.”

“Yes, Merrily. We all still have jobs to do,” I said. “You too, Nick.”

“I’m ready,” he said. “Let’s do it.”

“Merrily, turn around the sign. We’re open for business!”

“If that’s the case,” Mr. Matthews said, “could you direct me to the products you mentioned, the tongue scraper and the chlorophyll tablets? I’ve been to the dentist but I’m still having problems.”

I thought of the letter Aunt Claire had left for me:
I want you to carry on my life’s work here by helping the community you and I both love.

“Happy to be of service, Mr. Matthews. This way,” I said, throwing a wink at the group still seated at the table while I led him over to the wall of supplements.

I knew that, somewhere, Aunt Claire was smiling.

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