Page 77 of Little Empty Promises

“I was hoping I could ask you and your husband a few questions.”

“I’m happy to speak with you, but I’m afraid my husband won’t be joining us.He died last year, you see.”

“I’m sorry.I didn’t know.”

“Oh, it’s all right, honey.He gave me the best sixty years of my life.I know I’ll see him again, and when I do, we have all eternity to be together.Would you like to come inside?”

“I would.”

“Wonderful.It just so happens I baked a tray of blueberry muffins not fifteen minutes ago.I like to take treats to some of my neighbors when I can.Most are not as agile as me in their old age.I’d like to think a sweet treat makes their day.”

She’d said it with a wink, full of pride, as she should have been.

I’d never been a fan of muffins of any kind.When I did have one, I sliced it in half, eating the muffin top and discarding the rest, which was wasteful and why I didn’t eat them often.But since I’d been offered a muffin by such a kind woman, saying no was out of the question.

Lorena plated a muffin for each of us, and we walked to her sitting room.A beautiful, pink-floral teapot rested on a table with four teacups next to it.

“I’ve just brewed a pot of Lady Grey,” she said.“I’ll pour us both some, and you can tell me more about why you’re here.”

She poured the tea and sat it on a side table next to me.

“The reason I wanted to speak to you is because I was in your old shed yesterday,” I said.“On one of the shelves, it looked like something had been removed not too long ago.Did you leave anything behind when you moved out?”

“If we did, I wouldn’t know.The shed was my husband’s domain.I never much cared to go in there.”

“Do you know whether your husband kept anything containing thallium in the shed at one time?”

“I’m not even sure what thallium is, if I’m being honest.”

“It’s a poison, and it was banned in the 60s.Before then, it was one of the ingredients in rat poison.”

Lorena crossed one leg over the other, sipped a bit of tea, and said, “Rat poison, you say?Well then, yes, it’s possible.If I remember right, we did have a big rat problem one year.My husband went to the store and brought back a large tin of Reeds Rat Killer.I remember it well because the label on the front was a cartoonish rat in a coffin.I have no idea if it contained thallium, but it may have.All I can tell you is it worked.We were free of rats after that.”

I sent Hunter a text, giving her the name of the rat poison, and I asked her to see what she could find out about it.Then I returned my attention to Lorena.We chatted for a while longer while I finished my tea and muffin.Then I thanked her for her time.As I was heading out, she stopped me, saying, “Might I ask why you were inquiring about the rat poison?”

I considered what response I wanted to give and landed on one of honesty.“I’m sorry to say that Eddy Westwood was found dead last night.Since his death is being investigated, I can’t go into all the details, but it’s possible he was poisoned.”

“I would hate to think something we bought contributed to another’s death, but I thank you for telling me.”

“One last question before I go,” I said.“Were you friends with Cordelia?”

“Good friends, yes.”

“Do you know if she was ever in your shed while you lived there?”

Lorena considered the question.“She was, yes.Marlon and Cordelia would come over from time to time, asking to borrow some of my husband’s tools.”

“You’ve been a great help to me, Lorena,” I said.

She opened the front door, and as she wished me a good day, she said, “Are you getting close to finding Cordelia’s killer?”

I looked at her, smiling as I said, “Yes, I believe I am.”

33

I was with Silas, in Eddy and Rosalyn’s backyard.

“A dead body can last three to four weeks in a refrigerator,” Silas said.

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