Poisoned Petals (15 page)

These condominium dwellers, some of them living in million-dollar condos, were what kept the Potting Shed alive. They were the new lifeblood of Charlotte’s design to build up the inner city. Well-heeled businesspeople who called the banking district home from nine to five now found new, high-rise perches to entertain and view the lights of the fast-growing city around them.

Peggy was glad to oblige the new owners. Doubtless, she’d be able to sell some plants and garden supplies to their tenants for their balconies and interiors while she was at it. Every week, there were new signs that went up around Charlotte announcing. ANOTHER POTTING SHED PROJECT and marking another spot they were maintaining and beautifying.

The new projects should have made her more confident about the idea of leaving her job at Queens. And sometimes they did. Still, it was hard to know what to do.

It was the same thing with Darmus. She wanted to come right out and tell Al that the man in the coffin wasn’t Darmus. And she’d do that before she let the poor stranger be buried as someone else. There were so many things to take into consideration.

But it was easy to know what to do with the new condominium contract. She had the deal signed
and
sold the men on a new fountain for their atrium before Steve called to tell her they would be on their way back from the mall soon. She wished everything in her life was so simple.

She glanced at her watch. It was almost six thirty. Traffic was always slow this time of day. It was easy to start brooding. She couldn’t imagine a worse time for her relatives to visit her. The store was busy. She had questions about Luther’s death. Darmus was alive somewhere. She had to find him before the police started looking for him.

She needed some time and space to think about whether or not she should give up her place at Queens. But time would be at a premium for the next two weeks. After Italian food tonight, it would be an all-night gabfest with Paul. Every day and night was filled for the time her parents were there. She’d wanted to be sure they were entertained. There was no way to know all this would be going on when she made her plans.

The phone rang a little after seven. It was Al calling her with information about Darmus and Luther. “I’m looking at Darmus’s death certificate. The official cause of death was liver failure, Peggy. The ME says he had advanced liver disease. There was no smoke in his lungs. He was probably dead before the explosion. Maybe even for an hour or two, and that’s why he felt cold to you. There’s no mystery.”

“Except for the explosion. If he was dead for an hour or two, how could he have been the one to cause it?”

“The ME’s theory is that he slumped over the stove while he was trying to light it. The gas was leaking. A spark ignited it. It could have been a hundred different things that caused that spark. Anyway, Darmus’s death was from natural causes. He died because it was his time to die.”

“I think that sounds a little lame.”

“You’re still not convinced? You’d rather believe a stranger on the Internet than your own friends?”

Peggy put a hand to her forehead where she felt a headache starting. She wished she could tell him the truth. But she didn’t want a citywide manhunt for Darmus to happen. She wanted to know the official results. Now she knew. “I believe you, Al. I’d just like this to make sense!”

“Everything doesn’t always make sense, Peggy. Not the kind you’re looking for! You’re a woman of science. Science tells us Darmus died
before
the explosion. The ME signed off on it. So did the fire chief. They both say there are cases just like this that have happened before. I hope that helps.”

“Thanks.” They were all going to feel ridiculous when they learned the truth, but she couldn’t help that. She didn’t want to push Al any further. At least not about Darmus. “What about Luther? What did he die from?”

“Uh . . . looks like he had a severe asthma attack. ME says combined with Luther’s deteriorated state of health due to chemotherapy and cancer, the asthma attack did him in.”

“I knew he had asthma.” She puzzled over her words while she stared at a new shipment of pink and white potted hyacinths she was about to add price stickers to. The hyacinth in Luther’s Feed America T-shirt pocket jumped up and down in her brain. “Al! I think I know what might have caused that attack!”

“Something he was allergic to?” he suggested sarcastically. “I mean, really, Peggy, what triggers asthma attacks? What difference does it make? The man died of natural causes!”

“Maybe not! Hyacinths can cause fatal asthma attacks in susceptible people. There was a hyacinth in Luther’s shirt pocket!”

“I don’t see mention of that here.”

“He wasn’t dead when they took him to the hospital. They probably took his clothes when they tried to revive him. An orderly gave them to me and Holles in a bag.”

“Did you get rid of them?”

“No. The bag is still in my closet.”

“Not that it will exactly be in the chain of evidence it should be, but let me take a look at that, Peggy. Even if it caused his death, picking a hyacinth and putting it into his pocket might not mean anything questionable. I didn’t know a hyacinth could cause asthma attacks. Luther probably didn’t, either. If it had been Darmus, it would be different.”

Peggy didn’t like the way that sounded. What would happen when the police learned Darmus was alive if there was a suggestion of foul play in Luther’s death? There would already be a question of how that man got into his house. Not that Darmus had any reason to hurt Luther. But then, nothing he’d done recently made sense. And if Luther knew Darmus was alive as suggested by the wedding ring in his hand . . .

“I’m sorry, Peggy. I didn’t mean to say it that way.” Al took a deep breath. “Look, I’ll tell Captain Rimer about this thing with Luther. He might want to look into it.”

“Thanks.”

“I don’t see how that’s going to make you feel better about all this.”

“I want to know the truth, Al. I want to know what
really
happened. Maybe it’s the scientist in me.”

“We’ll see, Peggy. I’ll stop by later for Luther’s shirt.”

Peggy put the phone down and puttered nervously around the shop, waiting for Steve and her parents to get back. The scent of the hyacinths perfumed the air around her as she finished pricing them and set them in the wide window facing the courtyard.

She was going to have to think of some way to find Darmus. The house fire was probably a cover so people wouldn’t look for him. Darmus was a botanist, not a detective. He probably didn’t think about things like the arson squad sifting through the ashes of what was left of his house to ID his body. He might have thought they’d just assume he was in the house because his car was outside and they couldn’t find him afterward.

Peggy realized she was an odd part of the equation. She shouldn’t have been there to find the man in the kitchen. Darmus didn’t expect her to be there that day. The house should have burned quickly after the explosion. Instead, she was on the scene to call 911. The explosion was bad, but the fire department kept the fire from destroying the entire house and obliterating the evidence.

She took a deep breath, rocked back on her heels from the seed display she was working on, and thought about Luther for a moment. The purple hyacinth in his T-shirt meant sorrow. But did the perfume really kill him? Al was right. Having the flower in his pocket didn’t constitute murder. Luther could have picked it himself and put it into his pocket without realizing what it could do.

The bell rang at the front door, announcing another customer. Peggy put down the phone and walked out of the storage area in the back of the shop. A young black woman in a drab brown dress was standing in the middle of the floor looking out the window at the courtyard.

“Can I help you?” Peggy asked her when she didn’t appear to be browsing.

The woman turned around quickly and flashed a small smile. Her shiny black hair was coiled against her neck, and she wore no makeup. “I’m looking for Margaret Lee.”

“That’s me.” Peggy extended her hand to the woman. “Can I help you?”

“I have something I’m supposed to give you if—if something h-happens.”

Peggy had no idea what the woman was talking about, but she was obviously agitated, and close to tears. “Please sit down. I have some peppermint tea that will perk you right up.”

For a moment, Peggy thought she was going to refuse. She clutched the large manila envelope she carried close to her chest and looked at the front door as though she wanted to run away. Then her shoulders sagged, and she dropped the envelope on the floor. She put her hands to her face and started crying, great whooping sobs that shook her thin form.

“There now.” Peggy put her arms around her. “Whatever it is has some answer. Please let me help you. Sit down.” She pulled the old wood rocker out of the spring promotion scene. “I’ll make some tea, and you can tell me about it.”

The woman continued to cry as Peggy put the kettle on the hot plate to boil and spooned peppermint leaves into two cups. As though it were a response to her profound sorrow, the sky outside got darker, shading the courtyard from the shadowed sun. No rain fell, but the sky grew heavy with deep clouds.

“I-I’m sorry.” The woman finally stopped sobbing. “I feel really stupid.”

“You don’t look a bit stupid to me. Just distressed. What’s your name?”

“Naomi Bates. I am—
was
Reverend Appleby’s assistant at the church.”

Peggy smiled at the girl. “And Luther wanted you to give me that envelope?”

“Yes. He said it was a matter of life and death.”

The smell of peppermint floated in the air around them as Peggy poured hot water over the dried leaves. She handed the woman a cup with a daffodil painted on it. Naomi sounded a little melodramatic, but she was young and obviously deeply touched by Luther’s death. “I’m sure you can safely drink some tea first. How long did you work with Luther?”

“Since I was sixteen. My parents died, and the church adopted me and my aunt. Reverend Appleby was like a father to me. I stepped in to help out when he got sick.” Naomi picked up the envelope and handed it to Peggy. “Before he came to Charlotte, he gave me instructions to give this to you if
anything
happened to him.”

Peggy wanted to rip open the envelope, but she also wanted to talk to Naomi. “Why didn’t you come with him to Charlotte?”

“I stayed behind to see to the church. I was ordained last year when I turned eighteen.”

“Luther was very ill. I’m glad you were there to help him.”

Naomi’s lips trembled, but she sipped her tea and didn’t start crying again. “He was very strong. Not physically, but spiritually. He believed he was doing the right thing coming here to tend to his brother’s work.”

Peggy couldn’t wait any longer to open the envelope. “Let’s take a look at this. Luther gave it to you before he left the church?”

“Yes. He was very specific. He gave me your name and the address of your house and shop. He told me to bring it to you as quickly as possible. I heard about his death on TV.”

Not knowing what to expect, Peggy poured out the contents of the envelope on the counter next to her. Inside was a hodgepodge of items: a cell phone, a bank receipt for $10,000, an address, and a letter addressed to her, sealed in an envelope.

The cell phone only had one phone number programmed into it. It had been called a few times. The bank receipt was for a cash withdrawal of $10,000. The address, hastily scrawled, was in uptown Charlotte.

“Let’s take a look at the letter,” she said to Naomi. “Maybe that will shed some light on this.”

Peggy used her Potting Shed letter opener on it and unfolded the pages. The sheets of paper were stationery from Luther’s church.

“What does it say?” Naomi asked anxiously as Peggy read the letter.

 
“No!” Peggy said out loud, grabbing the side of the counter. “I can’t believe Nightflyer was right.”

“What is it? What does it say?”

Peggy couldn’t answer her. She was horrified and disillusioned by what she read.

The letter continued:

 
“Peggy.” Naomi grasped her arm. “Tell me what it says.”

Looking up from the letter, Peggy put her hand on Naomi’s. “I don’t know how to explain this, but Luther helped Darmus fake his own death. It’s unbelievable, but the truth is right here.”

Luther’s letter was damning. He’d attended a sick church member who had no family, no friends in the community. He already knew of Darmus’s wish to get away. He didn’t say how much he wanted to get his hands on Feed America, but Peggy could read
that
between the lines.

The church member was dying. He was a black man about the same size as Darmus. Luther even knew their blood types were the same since he had access to the man’s medical records. It was perfect.

 
When the man finally died, Luther called Darmus, and they set up the rest of it. They put the dead man into Darmus’s house, and opened a gas line by shaking the stove to make it appear real. It was Darmus’s idea, according to Luther, to put the man close to the stove so his fingerprints and face wouldn’t be identified.

But it was Luther who changed the dental records so the dead man’s records were in Darmus’s file. He didn’t say how he did it, but Peggy supposed money was involved.