“I should say it would have been equally hard to imagine Judith murdering anyone,” Alexandra added.
“Mmm,” Nicholas said, nodding. “Not to mention poisoning Zack. Who would have thought she could do that?”
“She didn’t poison him,” Alexandra said. “He did that to himself.”
“Oh, come, now, you know as well as I that Nancy made up that preposterous story about his eating rhododendrons in your garden just to get Mrs. Fontaine talking.”
“That was clever of you,” Alexandra said, turning to Nancy.
“Thank you, Miss Alex,” Nancy said with a smile. “Zack’s poisoning came from tulip bulbs,” she added. “He dug them up in Mrs. Fontaine’s garden on his own.”
“And how did you determine that?” Nicholas asked.
“Miss Alex told me,” Nancy said.
“I saw him digging in her garden,” Alexandra said. “I was embarrassed, of course, but it never occurred to me at first what exactly he’d dug up. Not until I remembered that was the area where she always had tulips growing.”
“Fortunate they didn’t kill him,” Nicholas said.
“They’re not as lethal to pets as, say, rhododendrons,” Alexandra said. “I found that interesting fact in one of my father’s books. Reading that text and digging into the pathology of poison in dogs is what got me thinking about poison in all those human victims, so I did even more research in those medical texts, just as I told you. And you’re right, I am fortunate. What would I have done if Zack had not been well enough to help rescue me when I was in the ravine?”
“Yes, you’re as lucky as Zack. And so is Nancy,” he added. “If Judith poisoned you, Nancy, as she did all those men, you’re incredibly lucky you didn’t die as they did.”
“Judith never meant for Nancy or me to die,” Alexandra said. “She wanted to frighten us, yes, but I have concluded that Nancy was merely given a rather strong dose of codeine. Not enough to be lethal, but enough to leave her addled for a while. Nancy and I came to that conclusion by discussing her symptoms.”
“You’re too kind,” Alexandra said, trying not be embarrassed. “And speaking of remarkable, I must say, you deserve that accolade as much as anyone. It is truly wonderful how you and the boys persevered in trying to find me as well as how you rescued me. How can I ever thank you?”
“Well, my dear,” Nicholas said, “speaking for myself, I can only say you’ve already given me a most remarkable and cherished thank-you when you were in Dr. Abercrombie’s surgery.”
“I’m afraid I don’t remember,” Alexandra said.
“Oh, but you must remember. You called me darling.”
Alexandra felt her face grow warm. “I called you…? Surely I didn’t say—”
“Your exact words were Yes, my darling.”
Alexandra blushed even deeper and stammered a few incomprehensible words before she finally managed to ask the question she detested when it was asked of her.
“Are you quite sure?”
At the same time, Zack raised himself from his favorite position in front of the hearth and took a step toward Nicholas, a menacing growl rumbling from his throat.
For Tim and Kristen
Acknowledgments
My thanks to my editor, Dana Isaacson, for his hard work and patience.
Alexandra Gladstone Mysteries
Symptoms of Death
An Improper Death
Half a Mind to Murder
Medium Dead
For Dead Men Only
PHOTO: LAUREN ASHLEY CREATIVE GROUP, INC.
Award-winning novelist PAULA PAUL was born on her grandparents’ cotton farm near Shallowater, Texas, and graduated from a country high school near Maple, Texas. She earned a B.A. in journalism and has worked as a reporter for newspapers in both Texas and New Mexico. She’s been the recipient of state and national awards for her work as a journalist as well as a novelist. Her previous novels featuring Dr. Alexandra Gladstone include Medium Dead and Symptoms of Death. She is also the author of the “Mystery by Design” series, which she wrote as Paula Carter. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
paulapaul.net
@paulapaul4
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