Chapter 13 #2
Sara Lee remembered Barb's pride in her father's success, her gratitude for his investment in her dream. If that money had come from something shady and if Raymond had known about it...
She pushed the thought away. They were just gathering information. Not making accusations.
They continued researching, pulling up articles about Helena’s accounting practice.
She'd worked for multiple local businesses over the years, including Bob's lumber company.
Jerry and Ivy's restaurant had weathered various economic challenges but always managed to stay afloat.
They read about Judge Melton's career and his mother's death two years ago.
Mister Smee had moved from the bookshelf to one of the reading tables, where he'd curled up on top of a book someone had left there. Sara Lee went over to move him off the library materials, but stopped when she saw the title.
"Nana June," she called quietly. "Look at this."
Her grandmother came over and read the book's spine. "The Secret History. Hmmm…it’s about hidden crimes coming to light years later." She looked down at the cat with an expression of wonder that Sara Lee was getting used to. "Thank you, Mister Smee. Very helpful."
Sara Lee stroked the cat's soft fur, feeling the rumble of his purr. "Do you really think he understands what he's doing?"
"I think," Nana June said carefully, "there are many things in life that we can’t explain. But I also think there is an element of Mister Smee simply looking for a comfortable place, and, in doing so, it turns my thoughts and focus to something I might not have thought of. A way to look at our evidence in a different way.”
“So… just a coincidence?”
Nana June chuckled. “Perhaps. Whether by design or coincidence, he sometimes helps me connect the dots. And in this instance, we need to realize that everyone in Meadowlark Creek is hiding something. The question is which secret might have been worth killing for."
They returned to their research, compiling information, making lists, and comparing notes.
Multiple people had financial vulnerabilities that Raymond could have exploited.
Lucy's mysterious missing year in high school many years ago.
Bob's unexplained business recovery. Helena's access to various companies' accounting books. Even Horace’s inheritance hung in the balance. And, of course, Diane… or Diana.
"In so many books, the way to kill someone is with poison," Sara Lee said quietly. "Anyone could have accessed poison. Rat poison from the hardware store. Garden chemicals. Cleaning supplies. It's not like you need special access."
Nana June nodded grimly. "Which suggests opportunity, means, and motive are all widespread. We're looking for something more specific. Something that narrows the field."
Sara Lee was about to respond when the library's front door opened. She looked up to see Ted entering, his expression serious. He spotted them immediately and walked over, glancing around to make sure they had relative privacy.
"Thought I'd find you here," he said.
"Ted. What's wrong?"
He pulled out a chair and sat down heavily. "I ran into Sheriff Gordon outside the station. He told me the initial autopsy report came back from Dr. Ward."
Sara Lee's pulse quickened. "And?"
"They've sent samples to the state lab for more detailed analysis.
But Dr. Ward noted enough suspicious elements that he's officially calling it a questionable death.
" Ted's voice was troubled. "Gordon's being pushed to investigate it as a potential homicide, even though he's still resisting the idea. "
"What kind of suspicious elements?" Nana June asked.
Ted glanced around again, then lowered his voice. "I’m assuming poisons in the blood or stomach."
Sara Lee felt cold. Poison. So, it wasn't accidental. His death was deliberate. And premeditated.
"There's more," Ted continued. "The torn paper they found in his pocket. Gordon said it was a corner of an old newspaper. Nothing he could tell about it, though. No words, no date. Just a corner.”
"The newspaper must have been important, but without any identifying information, it’s not going to help the sheriff," Nana June said quietly.
"Yes. That’s the problem… there's no way to trace where it came from since it's just a corner. It was well-worn, so not new. But there’s no way to know who it was meant for. Raymond could have found something in an old newspaper that was important, but why only the corner ended up in his pocket, we don’t know. " Ted rubbed his face tiredly.
“One way or the other, Sheriff Gordon will have to begin an official investigation.” Nana June tapped her forefinger on her chin.
Ted’s eyes widened, then he continued, "Gordon's going to have to interview everyone Raymond interacted with at the festival. Everyone who had a confrontation with him."
Sara Lee thought about their growing list of suspects. The Judge. Bob. Lucy. Jerry. Helena. Diane. Barb. And me! I talked to him, too. All would be questioned now. All of them would have to account for their whereabouts, their access to poison, their motives.
"How's Horace handling everything?" Nana June asked.
"Not well. He knows he's going to be a prime suspect because of the inheritance and the years of bad blood. He's already retained a criminal attorney, just in case." Ted's expression was pained.
"I know you believe he’s innocent, Ted. But believing and knowing aren't the same thing."
They sat in heavy silence for a moment. Pippi, who'd been sleeping under the table at Sara Lee's feet, lifted her head and whined softly, as if sensing the tension.
"Be careful," Ted said finally, standing. "Both of you. If this really is murder, if someone in Meadowlark Creek killed Raymond. They've already proven they're willing to kill to protect their secrets." His expression held genuine concern. "Please don't do anything reckless."
After he left, Sara Lee and her grandmother gathered their notes and materials. Mister Smee went back into his carrier without protest, and Pippi stretched before taking her position at June's side.
They walked home in the fading afternoon light, neither speaking. Sara Lee's mind was churning with everything they'd learned. The torn corner of an old newspaper. The poison in his system. The state lab tests that would eventually prove what poison had been used.
Someone in their small town… very possibly someone they knew…
someone they'd probably smiled at dozens of times, had poisoned Raymond.
They expected him to drink from that flask, knowing it would kill him.
They let him sit there in the park, dying slowly, in the place where the town had celebrated just hours before.
The thought made her feel sick.
At home, they released Pippi into the backyard and let Mister Smee out of his carrier. The cat immediately went to his food bowl, crunching kibble with his usual dignified air, as if he hadn't just spent the afternoon helping investigate a murder investigation.
June made tea, and they settled in the study for their tea-time clue review, updating their notes with everything they'd discovered.
Sara Lee had to admit that, as gruesome as the task was, she loved the special time spent with her grandmother, both using their minds to sift through everything they were learning.
"Multiple people with secrets Raymond could expose," Sara Lee said, leaning forward to review their list. "Anyone could have obtained poison, but until we know what the poison was, that doesn’t help us much. Multiple people at the festival could have tampered with his flask, although access to his flask wouldn’t have been easy. "
"And a newspaper article that could have been meant for any of them," Nana June added. "We need to narrow this down somehow. Find the thread that connects everything."
Sara Lee looked at their suspect list with names, motives, opportunities, and secrets. It was overwhelming. Too many possibilities. Too many people with reasons to want Raymond dead.
"How do we do this?" she asked, hearing the frustration in her own voice. "How do we figure out which secret was the killing one?"
Nana June was quiet for a long moment, sipping her tea, her gaze distant and thoughtful.
Finally, she said, "We look for the pattern. The connection between all these secrets. Raymond came back to Meadowlark Creek for a reason. Not just for the festival. He was here to collect on something. Money, revenge, power… something he wanted badly enough to come back to a place he never wanted to call home.”
"Trust money," Sara Lee said. "He was going to get his inheritance next month."
"Yes. But I don't think that was all of it. For some reason, he didn’t think he could wait for his payday. I just don’t know.
His motives for coming here are so unclear.
" June's expression was troubled. "Perhaps he pushed too hard.
Threatened the wrong person. And they decided silence was worth more than his life. "
Sara Lee thought about that as she headed upstairs to bed that night, Mister Smee following her with his usual proprietary air. Tonight, the cat curled up at the foot of her bed, purring contentedly, while Sara Lee lay in the darkness thinking about secrets and blackmail and murder.
Somewhere in Meadowlark Creek, someone was sleeping with the knowledge of what they'd done. Someone was lying awake, worrying that the investigation would expose them. Someone was planning their next move, their alibi, their defense.
And she hoped no one else would end up in their crosshairs.