A Taste of Death Read online

  “I’ll try, but she’s pretty upset.”

  “Kathy, I’m sure Cindy has had about all she can stand of the Southeast Florida chapter. Maybe it would be best if you got her out of the room. Buy her lunch or a drink in the bar and see she gets to the airport.”

  “Good idea. She looks pretty bewildered.”

  “Ellie, Rose, and I will go from table to table saying soothing things to members. The police should be here soon.”

  They had no sooner broken ranks when the ambulance crew arrived complete with a gurney. Out of respect, Anne asked those sitting at nearby tables to move farther back and partially pulled one of the sliding panels dividing the rooms into place, blocking the view from attendees.

  Fran’s body was placed in a body bag and loaded onto the cart.

  “Umm, gentlemen, where are you taking her?” she asked.

  “To the morgue. ME will perform an autopsy as soon as possible. Uh, doctor, would you meet us at the hospital to sign off on all this?”

  “Yes, of course.” The woman retrieved her purse from where she’d been sitting and left.

  Anne watched as the ambulance crew wheeled the macabre cargo out of the room, then reopened the divider before heading to one of the tables.

  She had barely begun to speak when two police officers walked into the room. A moment later they were followed by Detective Gil Collins, Anne’s boyfriend. She hurried over to the group.

  “Gil, what are you doing here?”

  “I heard the call come in, knew you were here today, and then called the hotel. When I learned a death had occurred at your meeting, I came to see if I could help. There’s nothing suspicious about this, is there?”

  “I doubt it. One of our new members is a doctor and she said it may have been an allergic reaction to something like an insect bite or food. She left with the paramedics to meet them at the hospital.”

  “In that case, I’ll let the officers do their job.”

  One of the men stepped forward. “Ma’am, could you tell me the victim’s name?”

  “Frances Harrison. I don’t know her address or anything like that offhand.”

  “And she was part of this group?”

  “Yes, we’re all authors.”

  The policeman wrote in his notebook, and then looked up. “Is this some kind of Halloween party?”

  “This was our regular monthly meeting, but since it’s so close to the holiday some members like to dress up.” She paused. “I guess someone should notify Fran’s husband.”

  Susan chose that moment to come forward.

  “Ah, Ms. Lynch, we meet again under tragic circumstances,” Gil said.

  Susan glared at him before turning her attention to the other two officers.

  “My best friend, and our beloved former President, was poisoned,” she said, her voice dripping with drama.

  Anne drew in a deep breath. “Oh, for God’s sake, Susan…”

  “Poisoned?” Gil interrupted. “By whom and why?”

  “By the new president, Anne Jamieson. She and Fran had been arguing all meeting long. Fran was so upset she had to leave the room. I was with her. When we returned, Fran started eating. Within a couple of minutes, she was gasping for air and turning blue. I think that while we were gone, Anne dumped poison in her food.”

  “And exactly how was I supposed to do that with at least five other people sitting at the table? And if I’m not mistaken, I was with the two of you in the hallway,” Anne said in a furious tone.

  “I have no idea, but you did it.”

  Gil sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

  “Ms. Lynch, do you have any proof Ms. Harrison was poisoned?”

  “Uh…Ah…Of course she was,” Susan snapped as she shifted from foot to foot.

  “Just as I thought. Might I suggest you stop making accusations? It could get you sued.”

  Susan sniffed and curled her lip. “Oh sure, you’d some to her defense. You’re sleeping with her.”

  The tips of Gil’s ears reddened, while Anne’s face burned, a sure sign she was also flushed.

  “Perhaps it would be a good idea to talk to the others at the table,” the second cop, silent until now, said. “I notice the food is still on the table. Where was the victim sitting?”

  Susan pointed with a flourish to Fran’s chair. “Right there.”

  “I see. Would you happen to know the deceased’s address and if she had a landline or not?”

  Susan nodded and gave the desired information.

  The first officer looked at Gil. “Detective, would you like to take over?”

  He shook his head. “No, you men continue. There’s no reason for homicide to get involved—yet.”

  The policeman nodded and turned to Susan. “In that case, ma’am, why don’t you ask the ladies sitting at the table to meet me at the back of the room. Bill, why don’t you bag any food left on Ms. Harrison’s plate? See if the staff can provide containers for the iced tea and water, too. As soon as we’re finished here, we’ll go break the news to the husband.”

  “It also might be a good idea to talk to the wait staff. See if they noticed anything unusual,” the second officer said. “By the way, Ms. Jamieson, what was the doctor’s name who assisted the paramedics?”

  “Ah, Mary Smith. I believe she said she was in practice up in Highcrest. I don’t have her address or phone number, but I’m sure Kathy Samuels, our Vice-President can get it for you. She’s off right now dealing with our guest speaker.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Anne and I will go with Ms. Lynch.” Gil removed a small notebook from his pocket.

  Susan turned away and strode to the back of the room.

  “Gil, I swear to God, I didn’t poison Fran.”

  “Of course you didn’t, but now that the accusation as been tossed out, we have to see if it has legs.”

  Anne weaved through the tables. Her heart pounded and her face still burned. Only good breeding had kept her from punching her former critique partner in the mouth. Anger was a useless emotion—one she tried to stifle—but in this case, she felt justified. She was tired of being accused of murder every time a body popped up.

  She and Gil found the group that had sat at Fran’s table standing near the back wall. Susan and Ellie glared at each other. Jane wrung her hands and bit her lip. The other four ladies looked both afraid and apprehensive, their gazes darting from person to person as if trying to ascertain if one of them was a killer. No doubt Susan had already let them know how she felt.

  A moment later the first officer joined them.

  “Good afternoon, ladies. I am Officer Winters. If you don’t mind, I have a few questions to ask.” He gave a soothing smile, his pen and notebook in hand, then nodded toward Jane. “Let’s begin with you, ma’am. What is your name and can you tell me what happened at your table during lunch?”

  Both the officer and Gil had pens poised to write. Anne decided Gil was being proactive in case this wasn’t an accident.

  Jane wet her lips and gave her name. “I…I don’t think anything out of the ordinary occurred—other than Fran dying, of course.”

  “Anne here began harassing both Fran and me from the moment she stepped into the room,” Susan interrupted. “And Barb Hamilton had some very nasty words with Fran, too.”

  “Barb Hamilton? Which one is she?”

  One of the other ladies pointed to a nearby table. “She’s the woman wearing the yellow blouse.”

  “And what was the argument about?” Gil sent the policeman an apologetic look.

  “Barb was in charge of our recent elections. Fran suspected the votes weren’t counted correctly,” another of the women explained.

  Officer Winters eyebrows rose. “And were they?”

  “Of course they were.” Ellie continued to glare at Susan. “My name is Ellie Campion, and for the record, Fran and Susan were the ones making derogatory remarks about Anne.”

  “What was your reaction, M
s. Jamieson?”

  Anne took a deep breath and told them about the conversation in the hallway and its aftermath.

  “Ms. Whittaker, will you please ask Ms. Hamilton to join us?”

  Jane nodded and scurried off to whisper in Barb’s ear. The woman immediately rose and walked up to the group.

  “I’m Barb Hamilton, officer. What can I do for you?”

  “I understand you had an argument with the deceased. Could you tell me about it?”

  Barb cast her gaze at the rest of the group, and then frowned. “Why? What has that got to do with anything?”

  “The lady died under strange circumstances. We just want to get a picture of what happened. Routine, that’s all.”

  Barb shrugged and described her confrontation with Fran.

  “Did you talk to her again?” Gil asked.

  “Certainly not. Why should I? I returned to my table and ate my salad.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Did anybody else approach Ms. Harrison or the table in general during this period?” the officer inquired.

  Another lady wrinkled her brow before replying. “There were a lot of people milling around, especially before the food was served.”

  “I mean during the actual lunch.”

  “Several.”

  Gil gave her a sharp look. “Any in costume?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t pay much attention. I was talking to others or eating my salad.”

  Gil tapped his finger against his lips. “Anne, when you and the three women were in the hall, did you all return at the same time?”

  “No. Susan and Fran remained behind for a few minutes.”

  His attention turned to Susan. “Why, Ms. Lynch?”

  Susan shifted her weight from foot to foot. “Fran was very upset at the hateful things Barb and Anne had said. She knew they’d colluded to rig the election.”

  Gil waved his hand. “Yes, but what else was said?”

  “I don’t know. Fran said she’d get even with both of them, along with Nancy, Rose, and Jen. They all campaigned against her.”

  “And what did you say?”

  “She was my best friend. I told her I’d do anything I could to help.”

  “And then?” Officer Winters asked as he and Gil wrote in their notebooks.

  “I came back inside just as Barb walked away from the podium, sat down, and ate. Fran came in a few minutes later.”

  “And how long after that did Ms. Harrison get sick?”

  “Ten minutes, maybe a little longer. She finished her salad and started on her salmon.”

  “Do you need us for anything else?” one of the other ladies asked with a sick expression. “My appetite is totally gone. I want to go home.”

  Officer Winters glanced at Gil who nodded.

  “In a minute, but I will need a list of who attended today’s meeting for the record.”

  “Jane is our treasurer and has the list. I’m sure she can make a copy and give it to you,” Anne told him.

  Jane nodded. “Yes, of course. I’ll take a photo of it and send it to you immediately.”

  Jane got the e-mail address from Officer Winters, who then made the announcement that people could leave. Most of those assembled did so rapidly. Others lingered a few moments longer and whispered among themselves. Ellie stayed.

  The police officers spoke briefly with Gil, and then also left.

  Ellie shuddered. “Anne, if there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know. I’ve never seen anyone turn blue before. I mean it was awful. She was almost purple.”

  She patted Ellie on the arm. “I know. And we had at least five new people attending. Not a very good way to pump up the chapter.”

  “I see you, Ms. Bennett, and Ms. Carlyle here, but where’s Ms. Swanson?” Gil asked.

  “Jen’s up in Atlanta for a few weeks. Her mother had some minor surgery and she’s keeping house for a while.” Anne shook her head. “She’s not going to believe this one when I tell her.”

  Rose and Nancy joined them. “How do I write up the minutes for this meeting? ‘New President welcomed guests. Former President dropped dead. Meeting was adjourned. Respectfully submitted by Rose Bennett.’”

  “I wouldn’t even bother,” Ellie said. “The meeting was never officially called to order.”

  “Ellie’s right,” Nancy concurred. “I’m thinking the chapter is about to take a mammoth financial hit this month.”

  “How so?” Anne asked.

  “We have to pay the hotel for the food, but will also have to refund everyone’s money because most lunches hadn’t been served.”

  “Oh God, I never thought of that,” she groaned.

  “And I need those minutes from the last couple of months, too, so I can bring myself up to date on what went on. I missed the July and August meetings. Fran also did the minutes for September. She had them all,” Rose reminded her.

  “If you’d like, I can drop by her house on Monday and pick them up. I’m sure her husband or someone will be there,” Ellie offered.

  “Thanks, Ellie, but I don’t think that’s a priority now. We can deal with them later. She also had some papers from board meetings and such that I needed,” Anne said. “She kept them on her computer, but told me she had the hard copy backups in a couple of large boxes in her office.”

  Gil eyed Ellie and smiled. “I know Anne, Ms. Bennett, and Ms. Carlyle, but I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting you. I’m Gil Collins.”

  “Ellie Campion. I’m the board member-at-large—elected last year.”

  “Gil, I think that by now you can call me, Rose.”

  “And I’m Nancy. Ms. Carlyle sounds so formal, and we’ve been through a lot together in the past year.”

  “That we have. I just hope we aren’t going through it again.”

  Anne cast a sharp glance at him. “You think there’s something…strange about this?”

  He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. “It just seems odd, that’s all. The food looks pretty average to me. And Ms. Harrison wouldn’t be likely to order something she’s allergic to, but a bee sting is even stranger. Normally, people react to a sting.”

  “That’s right,” Rose said with a thoughtful expression. “They jump, wince, yell ‘ouch’ or something.”

  “Plus, a bee buzzing around here would have been noticed by someone else,” Nancy added. “Could it have been a spider or some other insect?”

  Anne sighed. “I have no idea. Somebody suggested a brown recluse, but I don’t know if they cause allergic reactions. They are toxic, however. I wonder about fire ants. They pack a pretty powerful bite.”

  “I’ve also heard some medications can cause serious allergic reactions,” Rose added. “My cousin is allergic to penicillin.”

  “If she was allergic to a medication, then her doctor wouldn’t have prescribed it,” Gil said.

  “Then that leaves the food,” Nancy stated.

  “Good grief.” Ellie frowned. “You don’t suppose Susan was right and someone poisoned her, do you?”

  They all looked at each other.

  Allergies—food. Why does that sound familiar?

  The thought hovered on the edges of Anne’s mind like a moth advancing and retreating from a teasing flame. She drew a deep breath and concentrated. Finally, she remembered.

  “Peanuts!”

  “What?” Gil asked.

  “Peanuts! Fran was allergic to peanuts. I don’t recall the exact circumstances, but I remember her saying that once.”

  “I do, too,” Gil said. “It was at the conference. We were eating breakfast. Ms. Harrison stopped by the table and you offered her a bagel.”

  “With peanut butter on it! That’s when she said she was highly allergic to peanuts.”

  Nancy nodded. “I also remember someone offering her peanuts in the bar. She backed away fast.”

  Gil pulled out his cell phone and walked several steps away.

  Rose’s forehead wrinkled. “I wonder if she wa
s allergic to just peanuts or to any kind of nut?”

  “Peanut allergies are well-documented,” Ellie commented. “I was once on a flight where the attendants didn’t serve the usual peanut packages because someone had an extreme allergy to them. I guess even the smell can bring on a reaction.”

  “So, I doubt a hotel would take a chance and use any kind of nut on a topping or crust without declaring it on the menu,” Nancy told them. “Ellie, you were at her table. Did someone stop by to chat?”

  Gil returned to the group.

  “I left that table when Susan and I had a spat about the critique group. The food hadn’t been served yet.”

  “That means we’ll have to talk to those seated at the table again,” Gil said with a deep sigh.

  Anne noticed Susan, Jane, and another lady from earlier still in the room. Gil moved toward them. She and the others followed.

  “Ladies, if you don’t mind, I have a couple of questions.” He withdrew the notebook from his pocket. “Can you recall who stopped by the table to chat with Ms. Harrison?”

  “You mean other than Anne?” Susan said in a snotty tone.

  “Yes.”

  “Well, there was Barb, of course,” Jane added. She then rattled off several names. “And someone in a ghost costume. She just kind of paused near us.”

  “Any idea who it was?”

  She shook her head. “She never spoke to us and I didn’t pay any attention.”

  “I remember the ghost,” Ellie said. “She came and sat at my table for a while.”

  “What do you mean ‘for a while?’” Gil inquired.

  “I remember being served my salad and by the time I’d put the dressing on, she was gone.”

  “Did you recognize her?”

  “No, the costume totally covered her. Even the eye slits were tiny.”

  “It could have been a man,” Anne added. “We have several men who are members.”

  “Good point,” Nancy concurred.

  “You know, now that I think about it, I saw the ghost lift the lid on one of the dishes in the hallway. Didn’t seem like any big deal at the time,” Anne said.

  Gil continued writing. “What about after the entrée was served? Anyone stop by to chat?”