Liz Marvin - Betty Crawford 03 - Too Long at the Fair (11 page)

“Addie do you know how to treat the poisoning?”

Addie let go and was pacing again.  “My mama said they used to make a poultice with the leaves to treat rheumatism.  Never said there was much anyone could do for poisoning except not get it.  She wouldn’t even let us eat pigeons if they fed on pokeberries.”

“Gladys was giving everyone activated charcoal when I left.  You sure nobody will die?

Addie nodded.  “Except maybe me from embarrassment.”  

“You’ll be fine and this purse is a wonderful clue. Now we just have to - “

“This is the state police!  The house is surrounded!” An authoritative amplified voice terrified both women.  “Release the hostage and come out with your hands up!”

These clowns sound like they think they’re on television thought Betty.  “Which one of us gets to be the hostage?” She asked and Addie giggled. “Come on,” Betty continued lightly “let’s just get this over with.”

Holding hands they went to the front door.  Betty opened the door a crack.  There was a large dark blue armored van of some sort and a half dozen state and county patrol cars with officers crouched behind them.  Everyone had weapons drawn. 

“Bill did you call the state police?”

Bill stepped out from behind his car.  He wasn’t armed.

“Yes I did.  You’re running late.”

“Well darn it I’m sorry.  I’m always late.  You know that.  We had to figure out how those blamed fools at the fair managed to get themselves poisoned.  Addie figured it out and we would be more than happy to share that information with you all if you’ll just get your friends to lower their weapons a little bit.”

A nod from Bill and the police relaxed; but just a bit.  A few of them straightened up and put away their weapons.  Betty opened the door and, holding Addie’s hand, stepped outside. 

Both women were immediately tackled, separated and thrown to the ground.

“Bill!”

Bill was there in an instant, lifting her to her feet and hugging her tight.  “Elizabeth Crawford if you ever charge into gunfire again I - just please please don’t do that again.”

Betty hugged him back and for once said nothing.

14. Chapter 13

“Oh no. Not by myself anyway.”

“You wouldn’t know who’s behind the pick-pocketing or Marlee May’s murder?”

Thelma looked away, her grief washing across her face.  “No.” Her voice was barely audible, her lips barely moved.

“I’m sorry.” Was all Betty could say.

“You find them, Betty.”

“Bill and the state police -”

“They’ll try but you, Elizabeth Crawford, will do.  Promise me you will.”

Betty nodded.  Thelma closed her eyes and sank back into her bed.  “Good.  Good.” The state policewoman who interviewed Betty had been half sympathetic and half accusing.  She was about Betty’s age with a deliberately emotionless but pretty face and close cropped black hair.  Her crisp blue uniform did nothing to hide her trim and athletic figure.  She was eating a donut and drinking coffee from a Styrofoam cup.  She had offered one to Betty and it had taken all her willpower to decline politely.

Despite the policewoman’s best efforts Betty could read people well.  The woman didn’t believe she was either trustworthy or important but was going through the motions as a formality.  That was fine with Betty; the sooner the charade was finished the better.

She was in a small room with a single small table and two chairs, a door and a window onto the hall.  Through the window Betty could see Wes pacing back and forth.  Clarise had been allowed in to talk to Addie.  Betty didn’t know why for certain but she could guess; Addie had been crying when she was loaded into the state patrol and she was probably still crying.

If anyone could calm her down it was Clarise. 

“Is there anything you would like to add?”

“What – I’m sorry?”

The policewoman pursed her lips. Impatience tinged with condescension.  “Is there anything else you remember from the event that you would like to add?”

“Well golly let me think.  You didn’t ask how the gun went off, didn’t ask if there was any information that might help the several dozen people who were inadvertently poisoned and you haven’t asked a thing about Marlee May’s purse.”

The woman studied her notepad carefully.  “How did the gun go off?” 

Betty leaned back.  This was going to be fun.  “Accidental discharge when I hit the door.”

The policewoman put down her pen “Bill said -”

“You mean police Chief Owens?  And please stop studying that notepad. It hasn’t changed in the last ten seconds.  Look me in the eye or get on with asking questions and take notes.”

She carefully printed ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE all in capital letters. 

Betty made no effort to hide her smile.  “Bill – police chief Owens, brought me to Addie’s house to speak with her. She was agitated because some of the cooking contestants had used some of her cooking materials which, when used incorrectly, can be toxic.  She was unaware of the use and they were unaware of the dangers.  Simple miscommunication but a lot of life’s troubles can be laid to the failure to ask the right questions don’t you think?”

Betty didn’t wait for an answer. “Anyway she asked us to leave and normally, as she wasn’t under any suspicion of a crime Bill would have insisted we leave but I knew that she knew what was ailing the contestants and had to try and help them -”

The policewoman stood up. “Then you should get whatever information the suspect gave you to the appropriate medical personnel as quickly as possible.  I’ve taken enough of your time. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Normally Betty would have continued needling and baiting the obnoxious woman and she would have enjoyed every minute of it but she didn’t have time. Instead she bolted for the door and then for Wes.

“What’s going on?”  She whispered.  Police stations, churches, hospitals and theaters always brought out the whisper in Betty. 

Wes spoke up.  “Not a thing. Addie won’t stop crying long enough for us to process her and take her mug shots.  Clarise has been in there for half an hour and even she can’t help.”

“Can you do me a favor?  Could you take my fingerprints and mug shot too?”

Wes did a double take.  “What?  Do I look like I have a death wish?  If Clarise doesn’t kill me Bill will and I don’t know which is worse?”

“Do you want Addie to calm down and stop crying or not?”

Wes rubbed his chin then ran both hands through his hair. “What do you want me to do?”

“Take my arm just above the elbow and lead me inside and follow my lead.”

Wes reluctantly did as instructed. “If this blows up in my face I’m blaming you.”

“They won’t believe you.”  She grinned.

“I don’t even believe this myself.” 

A guard let them into the conference room.  The last time Betty had been in this room she was visiting Clarice when she had been arrested for murder.  Now Clarise was seated next to Addie who was sobbing uncontrollably.

“Hi Addie are they done questioning you yet?”

Clarise eyed the pair suspiciously but answered for Addie.  “They haven’t even started yet.  Addie’s still pretty upset.  Seems nobody in her family has ever been arrested before.”

“Oh phooey it’s just a bunch of procedural stuff.  They’re not clapping you in irons or anything. I’ve got to go through the same thing and they said we could do it together.”

Addie bawled even louder. “Now I’ve gone and dragged you down with me!”

Betty shook free from Wes and pulled Addie to her feet. “You did no such thing.  These chuckle heads have just spent half an hour asking me about the wallpaper in your dining room and never once asked about how I slammed into the door and knocked the gun over and set it off.”

“But that’s - “

“Now they’ve promised me that we can go through processing together and it looks like that’s fouled up too.”

Addie wiped her eyes.  “What do we - they have to do?”

“Well I am not entirely sure but Wes has promised it’s painless.  Didn’t you process Clarise when she was here?”

Both Wes and Clarise found something else to look at.  Betty really was on a roll and she had no intention of letting up.

“You’ll probably have to stay here tonight but don’t worry.  Clarise is bound to have some clothes that’ll fit you at the theater. We’ll pick some up on the way in tomorrow morning.”

Clarise was fairly apoplectic.  “Umm Betty we’ve gotten rid of most of our old - “

“Oh don’t.  The place is swamped with clothes.  All those stores that sent over last year’s underwear and dresses that you will never ever use in a theatrical production. You’ll have to get rid of them somehow!”

Clarise was doing her best to give Betty the evil eye.  Betty ignored her. 

“Come on, Addie. I want to get my picture taken and I don’t want to go alone.”

Betty offered Addie her hand and she took it. Betty offered her arm to Wes and they left the holding room behind.

Betty kept the conversation light and kept it going. “Do you think fingerprints will make my hands look fat?” jokes led into debates about how to pose for “portraits” (not mug shots) and in this fashion Betty’s sweet William got the necessary fingerprints and photographs  without having Addie crying her eyes out while the pictures were taken.  For the last photo she actually smiled.

“Now I’ll have my picture to go with great great grandma Addie’s!”  She said and Betty finagled a promise from Bill that she would get a print.

By the end of their time together Addie was laughing and Betty was promising to return in the morning with fresh clothes and all the other necessities a woman needs to wake up to.  The state and county officers watched with disdain but kept their distance and kept their mouths shut.  Bill stayed back too until Wes and Clarise escorted Addie to her cell.

Clarise was explaining all about the layout and how it was still nicer than her first apartment.

Bill gave Betty a hug and whispered “I could have sworn the gun went off before you were on the steps.”

“I’ll swear she didn’t intend to fire the gun and it was me charging up the steps that made it go off and it helps that I really do believe it”.  She whispered back.

Bill looked her in the eye. “And I believe you. Now do you need a ride over to the hospital?”

“Can you deputize Clarise for the night?  We need to pick up some clothes and whatnot for Addie.” 

The left corner of Bill’s mouth threatened a smile. “So there aren’t leftover costumes and donated clothes at the theater?”

“Oh sure there’s tons of costumes and whatnot but nothing really appropriate unless – Bill you are a genius!”

She threw her arms around and kissed him and ran out the door.  The gathered police men and women tittered.  Bill glared at them.  “I want her mug shot and fingerprints.”

Clarise and Wes came in. Bill spoke to both of them. “Betty’s in her car.  She has a plan and says I’m a genius.  Find out what it is and let me know precisely how and why I am so smart but get her over to the hospital first.  I want to know who she talks to and what they say.  Any questions?”

Clarise raised her hand tentatively. “Why is there ink all over the back of your collar?”

Bill’s face reddened. The other cops in the room quickly found something to do and somewhere else to do it while Wes pulled Clarise toward the door.

~

The hospital was chaotic.  Betty recognized some of the men and women as contestants and they appeared weak and shaken but otherwise okay and the hospital was sending them home.  Friends and family members either surrounded the admissions desk demanding answers or they surrounded the patients who were being discharged. 

Clarise tugged at Betty’s arm and pointed to a corner where Gladys, dressed in her nurse whites, was talking to a family picking up a barbecue chef and the trio headed for her.

“So just rest and drink plenty of fluids and you’ll be symptom free in a few days.”  Gladys promised.

“I’ll miss the cooking competition.” The chef grumbled. “People shouldn’t be allowed to cook with toxic ingredients.”

“And people shouldn’t use other contestant’s supplies without asking first.”  Betty said brightly “As for the competition there’s only one contestant left standing and she’s spending the night in jail.”

“Where she belongs if you ask me!”  The man fairly shouted.

Betty never stopped smiling but she raised her voice in answering. “Oh I’m sure you don’t mean that just as I’m sure she won’t be pressing charges against anyone who took her ingredients without asking and poisoned people with them.”

The whole room fell silent.  Betty didn’t dare look around.  She was certain all eyes were on her.  She turned to Gladys.  “Who told you about the pokeberries?”

“Bill called me.  Said you’d talked to Addie and explained about the water.  We had the devil’s own time finding anyone who knew anything about it.  Even called the C D C in Atlanta.”

“Addie says everyone should be okay if they only drank water from the second boil.”

“Only three cases are spending the night.  Thelma and Edna are older and weaker and neither one has family to care for them.  Mr. O’Rielly is staying too.  Apparently he was tasting everything.”

A commotion at the entrance as Walter burst in calling “Henry!  Henry!  Oh where is the poor boy?” 

Betty looked to Clarise who simply rolled her eyes.  She turned to Gladys who shook her head. “He never checked in.”