Bring Your Own Poison Read online

  “Oh honey,” Wanda Nell said. “I’m so sorry she’s put you through this.”

  “She can’t help herself, I guess,” Jack said, his tone becoming slightly defensive. “She’s so terrified of what this guy might do to her, she’s just not herself.”

  When Wanda Nell didn’t say anything for a moment, Jack looked at her oddly. “What is it?” he said. “What is it you’re not telling me?”

  He really did know her, Wanda Nell thought. He could tell she was holding something back. She couldn’t put it off any longer. She had to tell him.

  “It’s about Lisa,” she said. “There are some things I think you should know.”

  “Like what?” Jack sat back, his arms crossed over his chest.

  Wanda Nell took a deep breath. “I don’t think she’s really being stalked by anybody. I think she’s making all this up because she wants your attention.”

  She waited for an explosion, but Jack sat there, a stunned expression on his face. Why wouldn’t he say anything?

  Twenty-two

  “Jack, honey, say something. Please.” The longer Jack went without responding, the more uneasy Wanda Nell grew.

  “Tell me why you think she’s making all this up,” he finally said. He uncrossed his arms and lowered them.

  At least he wasn’t telling her she was crazy, Wanda Nell thought with relief. She exhaled a shaky breath.

  “There’s a few things,” she said. “First, you remember Dixon Vance? Mayrene’s cop friend.”

  Jack nodded.

  “Well, he did some checking with the Meridian police, and told Mayrene what he found out, and she told me,” Wanda Nell said. “And I’ve been waiting for the right moment to tell you.”

  “Okay,” Jack said. “What did he find out?”

  “According to him, the Meridian police don’t have any record of Lisa making a complaint against somebody stalking her,” Wanda Nell said. “And you remember how she gave us a name? Lester Biggs, she said his name was.”

  “Right,” Jack said, nodding.

  “The Meridian police say there’s no cop by that name on their force, and there hasn’t ever been,” Wanda Nell said. She paused, watching for Jack’s reaction.

  His expression softened, to her relief. “Go on,” he said. “What else?”

  “The other night, when you asked me to marry you,” Wanda Nell said, “you remember Lisa came over and said this guy had called her at Mayrene’s?”

  Again, Jack nodded.

  “Mayrene saw the number on her caller ID that night,” Wanda Nell went on, “but she didn’t write it down. The next morning, she looked on her caller ID so she could. It was gone. Somebody deleted it.”

  “That could have been an accident,” Jack said.

  “Yes, it could have,” Wanda Nell admitted. “But just think about this. It wasn’t long after you proposed and Miranda called Mayrene to come over, when Lisa burst in and told us she’d gotten a call.”

  Jack’s eyes narrowed. “If you’re saying what I think you’re saying, Lisa didn’t know I proposed to you. How would she have known? I didn’t tell her I was planning to propose to you.”

  “I said that to Mayrene,” Wanda Nell said. “She told me she was so excited she didn’t think about telling Lisa before she rushed over to see us.” She paused. “But she did say she was pretty sure she heard somebody else on the line. She thinks Lisa was listening in when Miranda called her.”

  “I see,” Jack said.

  “And the other thing,” Wanda Nell said, to press home the point, “you just told me yourself.”

  “The last thing Lisa and I talked about before I found her,” Jack said, “was the wedding. Me marrying you.” He closed his eyes, his head shaking back and forth.

  “Yes,” Wanda Nell said. She felt so sorry for him. This had to be so hard to hear and to think about, but he had to know the truth. “And let me ask you this.”

  “What?” Jack said, his eyes opening.

  “Have you seen anything that could be proof that this stalker really exists? If you have, then maybe Mayrene and I are wrong.”

  Jack stared at her, and it was obvious to Wanda Nell that he was searching his memory for anything, some shred of proof that Lisa wasn’t lying.

  Finally, he shook his head. “No, nothing. All I’ve got to go on is what Lisa has told me herself. Every time this guy was supposed to have called her, it was while she was by herself somewhere.”

  Wanda Nell didn’t say anything for a moment.

  “Lord, how blind could I be?” Jack said, shaking his head. “I just felt so sorry for her, I didn’t even think about the possibility she might be making it up.”

  “I know, honey,” Wanda Nell said, reaching out a hand to him. He grasped it as she continued. “She’s your cousin, and you love her. None of us wants to think anything bad about her. She’s obviously very lonely. She needs help.”

  “She does,” Jack said. “And I should have seen it myself.”

  “How?”

  “Because I should have remembered what Lisa was like when we were kids,” Jack said. He massaged her hand as he spoke. “Things were always happening to her, whenever everybody’s attention was somewhere else. You know, her parents were in their late forties when she was born, and they hadn’t planned on having any children.”

  “Let me guess,” Wanda Nell said. “They didn’t really want her.”

  “No, they didn’t,” Jack said. “They made sure she had all the material things she could want, and they sent her to good schools and all that, but that was it. Not at all like my parents,” Jack said. “In fact, I had a hard time believing my dad and hers were really brothers. They weren’t anything alike.”

  “That’s so sad,” Wanda Nell said. “That poor girl.”

  Jack nodded. “She’s always been insecure, but I guess I thought maybe she had grown out of some of it. She did really well in nursing school, and I know they really liked her at the hospital in Meridian.

  “But underneath it all, she was lonely, really lonely, I guess,” Jack said. “And she never talked about doing much outside of work, now that I think about it.”

  “I was afraid you were going to be angry with me,” Wanda Nell said. “With me saying such things about your cousin.”

  Jack smiled at her. “Honey, I know you well enough by now to know you’d never say something like that unless you had a good reason for doing it. I’ll admit I was shocked, but the more you talked, I began to realize you were right.”

  Wanda Nell smiled back at him. She loved him even more then. “Believe me, I almost wish I had been wrong. But the thought of her being stalked by some maniac may be even worse.”

  “Yeah,” Jack said. “This way she’s really only in danger from herself.” He rubbed his forehead. “But what am I going to do about her? I’m the only family she has.”

  “What are we going to do about her, you mean,” Wanda Nell said gently. “We’re going to see that she gets the help she needs. The people at the hospital will know what to do, and I’m sure they can recommend somebody who can help her.”

  “You’re right,” Jack said, squeezing her hand. “But you realize this means we might have to put off our wedding just a little while longer.” He shrugged. “Until she’s stronger, I don’t think it would be a good idea. If she’s so attached to me that she would do these things, well…” His voice trailed off unhappily.

  “I know, honey,” Wanda Nell said. She wondered whether she should bring up Miranda’s situation now. She decided she would wait, give Jack a little time to deal with the present situation first. “We need time to plan things, anyway.”

  Jack opened his arms, and Wanda Nell moved into them. He held her close, stroking her hair. She could hear his heart beating.

  “Stay with me tonight,” he said softly. “Please.”

  Wanda Nell pulled back so she could look into his face. He was hurting, she knew, and she didn’t want to leave him, she realized. She wanted to stay with him, be
cause she needed him right now as much as he needed her.

  She nodded, and Jack pulled her close again. They sat that way for a little while longer.

  Wanda Nell was the first to break the silence. “I need to make a phone call, honey,” she said.

  Jack nodded. Wanda Nell reached for her purse and pulled out her cell phone, since it was closer than Jack’s phone. She punched in Mayrene’s number.

  Mayrene answered after a couple of rings. “Hello,” she said, and Wanda Nell could hear her yawning. She felt bad about waking her friend, but she knew Mayrene would understand.

  She told Mayrene she was spending the night with Jack. Mayrene didn’t say anything except, “I’ll go over and spend the night at your place, honey. Don’t you worry about a thing.”

  Wanda Nell thanked her and ended the call. She put the cell phone in her purse and set the purse down on the coffee table.

  She and Jack sat, looking at each other for a long moment. Jack rose from the couch and held out a hand. Wanda Nell grasped it, and he pulled her up.

  Still holding his hand, Wanda Nell followed him to his bedroom.

  Wanda Nell stirred a couple of times during the night, and each time she did, she felt the heat of Jack’s body next to hers. It sure was different, being in bed with somebody else, because she was so used to sleeping alone.

  But she liked it, she decided. The second time she woke, Jack turned over on his stomach, mumbling in his sleep. He put his arm around her and drew her closer to him. She snuggled against him, and soon drifted to sleep again.

  When Jack’s alarm went off at six, Wanda Nell struggled up out of a deep sleep. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Jack, smiling down at her, his hair tousled.

  For a moment she was disoriented, wondering what the heck Jack was doing in her bed. Then the memories came flooding back, and she smiled, too.

  “Good morning, love,” Jack said. He leaned in to kiss her, pulling her against him.

  Wanda Nell kissed him back, her body responding to his. Some time later, both breathless and sweaty, they sat up in bed. Wanda Nell held the sheet around her upper body, feeling suddenly modest.

  “What time is it?” she asked.

  Jack put on his glasses and consulted his alarm clock. “Almost six-thirty,” he said. “I wish we could stay here all day.”

  “Me too, honey,” Wanda Nell said. “But I’ve got to get home, make sure Miranda’s up and ready for work. And Juliet’s going back to school today.”

  “I know,” Jack said. “And I need to go by the hospital and check on Lisa.” He sighed. “Talk about coming back to reality.”

  Wanda Nell reached out and stroked his cheek. “Yeah, and it’s hard. But remember, we’ll get through this. She’ll get the help she needs, and we’ll all be able to get on with our lives.”

  Jack captured her hand in his and held it against his face. Then he turned her palm toward him and kissed it. Wanda Nell could feel the tingling along her spine.

  “If I don’t leave now,” she told him, her voice husky, “well, I’ve got to go.”

  Jack released her hand with a smile. He threw back the covers and stood up. Wanda Nell’s breath caught in her throat as she looked at him. He bent to pick up his robe from the old cedar chest at the foot of his bed. Slipping it on, his back to her, he tied it closed before turning in her direction.

  “I’ll go get some coffee on while you get dressed, love,” he said.

  Wanda Nell nodded. She was grateful he understood her sudden shyness. When he left the room, she got out of bed and gathered up her clothes from where she had dumped them on top of his chest of drawers last night.

  A few minutes later, she was dressed. She ran her hands through her hair, trying to get it to look halfway decent. She finally gave up. She definitely had to have a shower when she got home.

  Oh Lord, what would the girls think, her coming home this time of the morning? She had never done this before, but she didn’t regret it, not for a moment. She smiled at herself in the mirror, feeling like purring, she was so happy. Any last, lingering doubts she might have had about Jack were gone now. They certainly were physically compatible. She blushed again.

  In the kitchen the coffee had just finished brewing and Jack poured them both a cup. Wanda Nell took hers black. She needed it strong to help her clear her head and keep it that way.

  She was afraid there might be some awkwardness between them this morning, but there wasn’t. She hadn’t anticipated that their first time together would happen this way, but it had. So be it.

  Jack smiled at her. “I think I love you even more, if that’s possible.”

  “I could say the same thing,” Wanda Nell said, grinning at him before she sipped at her coffee.

  “I’m going to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much I love you,” Jack said. “You’re an amazing woman, you know that?”

  Wanda Nell shook her head. “Thank you, honey, for saying that. But I’m just me. I think you’re pretty amazing, too.”

  Jack came to her and kissed her.

  “Don’t try to sidetrack me,” Wanda Nell said in a teasing voice. “I’ve got to get moving, and so do you.” She set her coffee cup down on the kitchen counter.

  Jack laughed. “Yes, we both do.” He followed her to the living room, where she retrieved her purse, and then to the front door. “You be careful.”

  “You too.” One last kiss, and she was out the door. Head held high, she walked to her car. Jack watched from just inside his front door. Wanda Nell cranked the car and started backing out of the driveway. She paused long enough to wave one last time at Jack before pointing her car toward home.

  She drove a bit more carefully this morning, but traffic was still light. She made it home in about ten minutes. As she drove, all she could think about was her night with Jack. And thank goodness both of them had been prepared, because she certainly didn’t want to end up pregnant like Miranda.

  Juliet was in the kitchen eating breakfast when Wanda Nell let herself in. “Good morning, honey,” Wanda Nell said, dropping her purse on the counter. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  “I’m fine, Mama,” Juliet said with an impish smile. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  Wanda Nell did her best not to blush but wasn’t sure she succeeded. “I’m fine, too.”

  “Good,” Juliet said. “I’m really glad, Mama.”

  “Uh, thank you,” Wanda Nell said, taken somewhat aback. “I guess Mayrene explained the situation to you.”

  Juliet nodded. “Yes’m, she said Jack’s cousin, Lisa, had tried to hurt herself and was in the hospital.” Her face clouded. “Why would she do something like that, Mama?”

  “She’s very confused, sweetie, and we’re going to have to help her get better,” Wanda Nell said. “Jack’s very worried about her.”

  “I’m sure he is,” Juliet said. She dropped her spoon into the empty bowl. She got up and put both of them in the sink before turning back to face her mother. “Have you told Jack about Miranda yet?”

  “What?” Wanda Nell said, surprised. “What about Miranda?”

  “Oh, Mama, I know what’s going on,” Juliet said. “You don’t think Miranda can keep something like that from me, do you?” She shook her head. “I feel so sorry for her.”

  Wanda Nell shrugged. “I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised, and I suppose I’m relieved that you know. Is she up and getting ready for work?”

  “Yeah, I think she’s done throwing up by now,” Juliet said, rolling her eyes. “If being pregnant makes you that sick, I don’t think I want to ever have any kids.”

  “It can be pretty awful,” Wanda Nell said, laughing, “but believe me, sweetie, the results are worth it.”

  “Uh-huh,” Juliet said, appearing unconvinced.

  “I’d better go check on Miranda,” Wanda Nell said, wisely deciding not to debate the point any further.

  Miranda was putting the finishing touches to her makeup
when Wanda Nell found her in the bathroom.

  “Morning, Mama,” she said. She cut her eyes toward her mother’s face before focusing on the image in the mirror again. “And how was your night?”

  “It was just fine,” Wanda Nell said in a firm tone. She was not about to start answering questions, though she could see Miranda was bursting to ask them. “And Jack is fine, too. He’s going to check on Lisa at the hospital this morning.”

  Miranda put her eyeliner down and turned to face her mother. “That girl is nuts,” she said, frowning. “I mean, I’ve been upset a few times, but I’d never do nothing like that.”

  “I’m glad to hear it, honey,” Wanda Nell said, and she meant it. No matter how much of a trial Miranda could be, she didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. “Now, is Lavon ready?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Miranda said. “I got him ready before I got sick, and Juliet helped.”

  “Good,” Wanda Nell said. “I’m going to need the car today, so I’m going to take you to work and drop Lavon off at day care. I’ll pick you up this afternoon, and I should have just enough time to take you and Lavon home before I have to be at the Kountry Kitchen.”

  “Okay,” Miranda said. “I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes.”

  Wanda Nell went back to the kitchen. She would wait to see Lavon until Miranda brought him out, ready to go. She didn’t want to slow them down. She had a quick bowl of cereal while she waited. She was really hungry this morning and would have liked something more substantial, but she didn’t have time.

  Juliet left to wait for the school bus before Miranda and Lavon appeared. Wanda Nell took her grandson, kissing and hugging him, and he talked a mile a minute. She did her best to respond, but he didn’t really require much response. He was quite happy to talk all by himself.

  By the time she got Miranda and Lavon in the car, the school bus had come and gone. She drove straight to the day care place, and she waited in the car while Miranda took Lavon inside.

  She was back a few minutes later. As she buckled her seat belt, Miranda said, “I sure hate leaving him there, but he really does have fun. He likes playing with the other kids.”