Bring Your Own Poison Read online

  “Did he insult you?” T.J. asked, his voice becoming heated. “That bastard.”

  “No, not me,” Wanda Nell said. “And I’d rather not dwell on it anymore, okay? It’s over and done with.” She realized, however, that it wasn’t. Maybe her defense of Tuck, and his defiance of Warren last night had caused Bill to retaliate by cutting Tuck’s brake lines, or having them cut.

  She hoped she did see Bill Warren again, and soon. She was going to tell him a thing or two, and by the time she finished with him, he was going to wish he had never come back to Tullahoma.

  “Make sure you tell Elmer Lee about this latest thing,” Wanda Nell said. “This is getting more serious, and maybe he can put a stop to it.”

  “We’ll talk to him,” T.J. said. “Tuck’s going back to the jail this morning to check on Gerald anyway.”

  “Did they arrest him?”

  “No, but they kept him overnight for questioning. You know they can hold him awhile without charging him with anything.”

  “Did Tuck say anything about it?”

  “Not really,” T.J. said. “He doesn’t think they have much of a case, even if they find Gerald’s fingerprints on that glass tube. They’d still have to prove it contained poison, if that’s what really killed Travis, and they’d have to prove Gerald had access to it, or bought it somewhere.”

  “But if it wasn’t Gerald, who could it have been?” Wanda Nell said. “It had to be somebody in the room last night.”

  “Yeah, that’s what Tuck thinks, too,” T.J. said. “We’re going to start looking into just who was at that party and who might have a reason to want Travis Blakeley dead.”

  Wanda Nell heard him yawn again. “Look, honey, you get some rest, and you both be careful, you hear?”

  “We will,” T.J. said. “I think I am going back to bed for a while.”

  They said good-bye, and Wanda Nell hung up the phone.

  It rang, startling her out of her reverie. She answered. “Hello.”

  “Wanda Nell, who have you been talking to all this time? When you didn’t call back right away, I got even more worried. I’ve been calling and calling, but the line was busy.”

  Wanda Nell winced as Mrs. Culpepper’s voice battered at her ear. “I’m sorry, Miz Culpepper, I was talking to T.J.”

  “Is he okay? And what about Tuck? Why did they leave that car out in front of my house?”

  “Now, Lucretia, calm down, dear. If you don’t, I’m going to have to give you an extra dose of your heart medicine, and you know you hate that.” Belle Meriwether spoke in what she thought were soothing tones.

  “Oh hush, woman,” Mrs. Culpepper said. “I’m perfectly fine. I just need answers to my questions.”

  Wanda Nell looked around for something to snap in two with her free hand. Mrs. Culpepper was the most aggravating person she had ever known. “Both T.J. and Tuck are just fine. It was like I told you earlier, Tuck had some trouble with his car. He just happened to stop in front of your house. He’d been down at the jail with a client, and he was on his way home. They couldn’t do anything about the car last night because it was so late, so he just called T.J. to come and get him. I’m sure they’ll take care of the car sometime this morning if they can.”

  Amazed that she had been able to get in that many words without being interrupted by either Mrs. Culpepper or Belle, Wanda Nell paused for a deep breath.

  Mrs. Culpepper sniffed into the phone. “Well, they should have called me first thing this morning to let me know what was going on. I wouldn’t have worried so.”

  “Now, Lucretia,” Belle said, “you heard Wanda Nell. It was real late last night when all this happened, and those poor boys were probably worn out. I’m sure T.J. would have called you otherwise, but they need their rest, just like you and me.”

  “When I was their age, I could dance at a party till three in the morning and still be up in time for breakfast with my daddy before he went to work,” Mrs. Culpepper said, apparently still miffed.

  Wanda Nell couldn’t think of a thing to say. She was trying too hard to imagine Mrs. Culpepper as a young woman partying until the wee hours of the morning.

  Belle chuckled. “Oh, Lucretia, you truly are something. They’re only men, honey, and you know men don’t have the stamina us women do.”

  “Well, that’s true,” Mrs. Culpepper said. “When I remember the things I used to do at that age, well, they couldn’t keep up with me, I know that for a fact.”

  Wanda Nell seized her chance. “Ladies, it’s been a pleasure chatting with you, but I need to see about some breakfast here. Y’all have a good day.” She hung up the phone before either of the older women could start chattering again.

  “Lord have mercy,” Wanda Nell muttered. She finished getting the coffee on and then went to the refrigerator, intent on fixing breakfast for herself, Miranda, and Lavon. She glanced at the clock and frowned. It was almost eight-thirty. Miranda and Lavon were both usually up by now. She shut the refrigerator and went to check on them.

  She found Miranda in the bathroom, on her knees, throwing up in the toilet.

  “Honey, what on earth is wrong?” Wanda Nell soaked a washcloth in cold water, wrung it out, and held it to Miranda’s forehead when she sat back from the toilet.

  “I ate too much chocolate last night at the movies,” Miranda said, looking away from her mother. “I knew better, but I just couldn’t help myself.”

  “Oh, dear,” Wanda Nell said. Miranda loved chocolate, but it sure didn’t love her back. If she ate very much, she got sick to her stomach. “You must have really eaten a lot to make you throw up like this.” Wanda Nell reached for the toilet handle and pulled it.

  “I know,” Miranda said, her voice weak. “I’ll be more careful from now on.”

  Wanda Nell wiped her forehead and her mouth, just as she had done when Miranda was a child. “Can you get up now, sweetie?”

  Miranda nodded. Putting her hands on the toilet seat, she braced herself and got up from the floor. “I think I’m done.” She took a couple steps and leaned against the sink. “Maybe I ought to lie down for a few minutes.”

  “Sounds like a good idea,” Wanda Nell said. She rinsed out the washcloth again and gave it to Miranda. “Take this with you, put it across your forehead, okay?”

  Wanda Nell followed Miranda into her bedroom. Lavon was awake, playing happily in his crib with his toys. The minute he saw Wanda Nell, though, he started talking and demanding to be picked up.

  Wanda Nell gave him a kiss and a hug, then picked him up and set him down on the floor. “Come on, sugar, let’s go in the kitchen and we’ll have some breakfast.”

  “I changed him before I got sick, Mama,” Miranda said from the bed.

  “Okay, honey. You call me if you need me,” Wanda Nell said. She turned off the light and pulled the door halfway shut.

  She followed Lavon back to the kitchen and gave him some milk to drink while she made his oatmeal. Once she had fed him, she prepared her own breakfast, some scrambled eggs and toast. Miranda appeared about half an hour later, and Wanda Nell gave her some ginger ale and a few crackers. That was all Miranda wanted.

  The rest of the morning passed quietly. Juliet stayed in her room, sleeping thanks to the sinus medicine. Miranda eventually felt good enough to start getting herself and Lavon ready for church. Teddy arrived to pick them up, and Wanda Nell complimented him on his suit and tie. With all those tattoos covered up, he looked like a nice, clean-cut young man. She wondered if any of the people at Mrs. Culpepper’s church had ever seen the ink on him.

  “You’re coming back here for lunch, aren’t you?” Wanda Nell asked.

  “I’m sorry, we promised to have lunch with my sister and her family today,” Teddy said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  “That’s okay,” Wanda Nell said. “Give your sister my best, and I’ll see y’all sometime this afternoon.” She stood at the door, waving as they drove away.

  She had better get started on lunch so
on, she thought. Juliet probably wouldn’t want to eat much, but she was expecting Jack. He would have a healthy appetite for sure.

  She ought to invite Mayrene and Lisa over, too, she decided. She picked up the phone and punched in Mayrene’s number.

  “Good morning,” she said when her friend answered. “Why don’t you and Lisa come over and have lunch with me and Jack today?”

  “Why that’s terrible, honey,” Mayrene said, and Wanda Nell almost dropped the phone in surprise. “I’ll be right over to help you. You just hang on a minute.” The phone clicked in her ear. She hung it up. What on earth was going on?

  Moments later Mayrene knocked on her door. Wanda Nell had forgotten to lock it, and Mayrene opened it and walked in before Wanda Nell could get there.

  Mayrene shut the door behind her and locked it.

  “What is wrong with you?” Wanda Nell asked. “That was about the craziest talk I’ve ever heard. Did you even hear what I said?”

  Mayrene glared at her. “You wanna talk crazy, honey? That girl over there is crazy as a Betsy bug, and I’m about to go nuts myself.”

  Nine

  Wanda Nell couldn’t remember a time when she had seen Mayrene this agitated. She took her friend by the arm and led her over to the couch.

  “Sit down there, and tell me what on earth is going on,” Wanda Nell said.

  Mayrene stared at her. “That girl just won’t stop talking. She follows me around everywhere. Last night I thought she was going to climb in bed with me and keep on talking. I finally had to practically shove her in the guest room and lock the door to make her leave me alone. And this morning, well, I heard her up about five o’clock, rambling around. She kept coming to my bedroom door, but I acted like I was sound asleep. She’s like to drove me completely off my rocker.”

  She finally had to pause for breath, and Wanda Nell said, “Honey, I’m so sorry about all this. It’s my fault, because I asked you to take her in. I had no idea she would act like that.”

  Her outburst over, Mayrene sat back on the couch and seemed to relax a little. She shook her head. “It’s not your fault that girl has diarrhea of the mouth, Wanda Nell. I reckon she spends too much time alone, or something, and she’s making up for it. And after I said I’d help out, I couldn’t just shove her out the front door and lock it, no matter how tempted I was.”

  Wanda Nell shook her head in puzzlement. “I just don’t get it. I’ve never heard her talk that much. The times I’ve been around her, it was the other way around. It’s usually like pulling teeth to get her to say much.”

  “That’s what I thought, too,” Mayrene said. “I was expecting her to be real quiet, but something flipped her switch. I can’t find a way to turn it off.”

  “I don’t want you to have to put up with all that,” Wanda Nell said. “Why don’t you bring her over here, and maybe I can talk to her, get her to quiet down.”

  Mayrene sighed. “Thank you, honey. I appreciate it. I was just about to call you anyway when you called me. I spoke to Dixon this morning, and he’s coming over in a little while to talk to her about this stalking thing. I thought maybe he could help her.” She shook her head. “She’s been talking at me so much I ain’t even told her he’s coming yet.”

  “Why don’t you go get her, and you and me will try to calm her down until Mr. Vance gets here. He can talk to her here, and you can get some peace and quiet while he’s doing it.”

  “Sounds like a good plan to me,” Mayrene said, pushing herself up and off the couch.

  “Wait a minute,” Wanda Nell said. “Before I forget, did you hear about what happened last night?”

  Mayrene nodded. “Dixon told me about it this morning.” She frowned. “I can’t say as I’m really sorry. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. But I sure hate that you had to see it.”

  “Yeah, it wasn’t very nice,” Wanda Nell said.

  “You okay?” Mayrene asked.

  Wanda Nell nodded. “I’ll tell you about it later.” She stood. “Just give me five minutes to get dressed,” she said, glancing down at her housecoat. “I can’t talk to a policeman dressed like this.”

  “I think I’ll wait here while you’re changing,” Mayrene said. “Then I’ll go get her.”

  Wanda Nell tried not to laugh. She had never seen Mayrene like this. Usually nothing fazed her. Wanda Nell knew it wasn’t that funny, though, and Mayrene sure wouldn’t appreciate it if she laughed at her.

  She just nodded and went to her bedroom to change. A few minutes later she was back, dressed in jeans and a loose-fitting T-shirt.

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” Mayrene said, heading out the door.

  Wanda Nell went to the kitchen for some coffee. Her head ached a little, and she knew some caffeine would help that. She had made a full pot of coffee without intending to, so there would be enough if anyone else wanted any. She poured herself a cup, added some milk and sugar, and went back to the living room.

  She had just sat down when the door opened, and Lisa Pemberton walked in, followed by Mayrene.

  “Good morning, Lisa,” Wanda Nell said, standing up. “How are you this morning?” She eyed the younger woman closely for signs of stress and was faintly surprised to see that Lisa appeared perfectly calm and happy.

  “I’m doing fine, Wanda Nell,” Lisa said with a friendly smile. “Mayrene is just the nicest, kindest person. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you and your friend looking after me.” She turned to Mayrene and startled her by wrapping her arms around her for a quick hug.

  Mayrene, who was both heavier and taller than the petite Lisa, patted her awkwardly on the back. “Glad I could help out, honey.”

  “Would either of you like some coffee?” Wanda Nell asked. “Or something else?”

  “I’m fine,” Lisa said. “Mayrene fixed us a very nice breakfast.”

  “I’m okay, too,” Mayrene said.

  “Y’all sit down,” Wanda Nell said, waving at the couch.

  Lisa sat on the end of the couch nearest Wanda Nell’s chair while Mayrene perched on the other end, as far away from Lisa as she could get.

  “Mayrene’s been telling me all about herself,” Lisa said. “We’ve had a great time getting to know each other better.” She beamed at her hostess.

  Wanda Nell noted the odd expression on Mayrene’s face as she gazed back at Lisa. From what Wanda Nell could tell, Mayrene was having trouble agreeing with Lisa’s description of their time together. She was way too polite to say anything and contradict Lisa, however.

  When Lisa turned back to face Wanda Nell, Mayrene rolled her eyes and shrugged. Wanda Nell tried not to laugh. This whole situation was getting odder by the minute.

  “Mayrene just told me that her friend, Officer Vance, is coming over to talk to you about your situation,” Wanda Nell said. She had almost used the word stalker, but she didn’t want to upset Lisa if she didn’t have to.

  Lisa’s pretty face clouded over. “I really hate talking about it, but I guess I have to.”

  Wanda Nell couldn’t help but notice that Mayrene rolled her eyes once again.

  Wanda Nell reached over and patted Lisa’s arm. “I know, honey, it must be really scary for you. But we’re going to have to put an end to it somehow. You can’t live your life this way, always afraid.”

  Lisa hung her head. “No, I can’t. It’s awful.” She was crying now.

  “We’ll figure something out,” Wanda Nell said in bracing tones. “You’ll see. Somehow we’ll make sure you’re safe and don’t have to worry about this guy ever again.”

  Lisa raised a tear-stained face to Wanda Nell. “That would be so wonderful. It’s been so long since I’ve had a sound night’s sleep, I can’t tell you.”

  Wanda Nell decided it was time to change the subject, at least until the policeman arrived. “How would you and Mayrene like to stay and have lunch with me and Jack? He’ll be coming over in a couple of hours, and I know he’ll be anxious to see you. And I’d love to have you b
oth eat with us.”

  “Thank you,” Lisa said, wiping her face with the back of one hand. “But I have to go to work a little later. I’m on the eleven-to-seven shift right now. Mayrene said she would take me and maybe Jack can pick me up later.”

  “I’m sorry you can’t stay and eat with us, but maybe being at work will help take your mind off things.” Wanda Nell picked up her coffee cup and sipped.

  “Working does help,” Lisa said. “And I feel pretty safe at the hospital, because there are always people around. Especially on a Sunday. Lots of people visit on Sundays.”

  “That’s good,” Wanda Nell replied.

  They heard a car pulling up, and a moment later a door slamming.

  “That’s probably Dixon,” Mayrene said, pushing up from the couch. “I’ll go get him and bring him over here.” She was out the door before Wanda Nell even had time to respond.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind him talking to me here?” Lisa had an anxious look on her face. “I’m sure you’ve got things to do, what with having to cook and everything.”

  “It’s fine,” Wanda Nell assured her. “I’ve got plenty of time. Besides, when Jack gets here, I’ll just put him to work, too. He’s pretty good in the kitchen.” She smiled.

  Lisa didn’t say anything. Instead she sighed and stared down at her hands.

  Mayrene came back in then, followed by Dixon Vance. Wanda Nell was a little surprised to see him in uniform. She had figured this would be a more informal talk. She stood up and extended her hand as the officer came forward.

  “Good morning, Officer Vance,” Wanda Nell said. “Thank you for coming this morning. I’m Wanda Nell Culpepper.”

  Vance grasped her hand and gave it a firm shake. “I’m glad to do it, Miz Culpepper.” His eyes narrowed briefly. “You work at the Kountry Kitchen. You were there last night.”

  “Yes,” Wanda Nell said. “It was a terrible thing.”

  “What happened last night?” Lisa asked, a puzzled look on her face.