Lettie awakened in her queen-sized bed and turned over to look at her bedside clock radio. The display blinked eight o'clock. She had overslept, and church started at ten. Jumping out of bed made her momentarily light headed. After showering, she dressed in a pair of jeans and a light blue cotton sweater and padded barefoot down the stairs and into her kitchen. She started coffee, toasted a bagel, spread it with cream cheese and lowered herself into a kitchen chair. Guiltily she decided not to attend church, but felt comforted by the knowledge that she rarely missed Sunday services.
She phoned Sophie to tell her about what Amelia had said at the funeral home. Hanging up after a lengthy discourse, Lettie became preoccupied with the Gloria and Jeff situation. She didn't really want to ask Jeff or Gloria directly what had happened in their relationship because she didn't want them to know she was nosing in their business. She, however, had a profound need to discover the truth regarding who dumped whom. After several minutes of deliberation, she committed to her latest scheme. Lettie would call the Downey house and see if either or both of the Downey women would talk to her about Gloria and Jeff's love affair. Thinking it wouldn't be mannerly to call before noon on Sunday since most people would be at church, she distracted herself with knitting on the sleeves of her sweater.
The phone rang and Lettie sprang to answer it. It was Renee.
"How are you doing, Mom? I've been thinking about you since you called on Thursday."
"I'm doing all right considering. I even made it through the visitation at the funeral home last night." She didn't tell Renee about her little episode.
"That's great, Mom. I wondered what time the funeral is tomorrow and if you want me to drive down." "Oh, honey, that's such a long trip, I don't think it's necessary. Anyway you'll be here in another week. Besides, Sophie, Harold, and Mitch will be there for moral support."
Lettie told Renee of her activities of the week since she had talked with her last. Renee was truly thrilled that her mother was dating. She understood that her mom was lonely on occasion. Of course, Lettie couldn't resist telling Renee of the Gloria and Jeff dilemma. They hung up with the understanding that Lettie would call if she discovered anything of note.
Lettie returned to her knitting and watching the clock. Her stomach started growling, and she put down her knitting and headed for the kitchen for leftover pizza. Tomorrow she was starting a serious diet. Cowardice kept her from stepping on her scales this week. So far her clothes still fit her, but if she didn't do something soon they wouldn't.
After lunch she called the Downey house. She decided to make up a story tailored to whomever answered the phone. Melanie answered on the second ring. Lettie reintroduced herself and asked Melanie if she and Mrs. Downey needed anything. She felt guilty again that day and noted that she had the fingers on her free hand crossed. Melanie said that she indeed needed a jacket of some kind since she had forgotten to pack one because the family had left Muncie in such a rush.
Lettie volunteered to lend her a jacket or to take her shopping so that she could buy one, whichever she preferred. Melanie opted for buying one. Lettie offered to drive her to the mall, and she quickly accepted. She also asked if Melanie's mother would like to come along. Melanie said that she would ask, but she doubted the elder Downey woman would want to leave Jeff. They agreed that Lettie would pick her up in a half hour.
A caring person by nature, Lettie's insatiable curiosity sometimes blocked reason. Her need to know outweighed her decent character. This side of her personality had driven her to pick up the phone and make the call. She grew up in a religious family, and her religious upbringing had been laced with generous helpings of guilt which carried over to Lettie's adult life. After not attending church and deceiving Melanie into thinking she was only concerned with her well being, Lettie was sure she would be damned to purgatory.
Lettie arrived to pick up Melanie at the appointed time. As was assumed, Elaine Downey did not accompany her daughter. Melanie was grateful that could get out of the house for a while. She informed Lettie that her mother and father had their hands full dealing with all that had happened and that her mother was still reeling from seeing Gloria Albertson.
"Spencer," Lettie corrected. She saw the opening she needed to pursue her questions about Gloria and Jeff's relationship.
"Melanie, I was wondering if you could enlighten me on the nature of Gloria and Jeff's relationship. I'm a little confused." She went ahead to tell Melanie of Gloria's recollection of the affair. She then added what Amelia Williams had told her the previous evening at the funeral home.
Melanie pretty much agreed with the story as Gloria had told it up until the breaking up part. It was indeed Jeff who had broken up with Gloria.
"Soon after the split, Gloria came to the hardware store wanting to talk to Jeff. Jeff pretty much ignored her and told her the relationship was over and that they should get on with their separate lives."
"Did he ever tell you why he broke off with her?"
Melanie continued her version of the story. "Nothing specific, but she was a very possessive person. Gloria never wanted Jeff to go out with his friends from high school. She wanted him to be with her all the time. I just think he got tired of that. After they broke up, she followed him around everywhere. She wouldn't leave him alone--called him at work and at home. Of course, he wouldn't take her calls.
"A couple of months after they broke up she called my mother and said she had something very important to tell and wanted to come over to our house. My mother had never really approved of Gloria, but she thought she ought to hear her out. Gloria told my mom that she believed she was pregnant and that Jeff was the father."
Lettie had already learned more than she had hoped for. Melanie's story was an eye opener. "Good heavens. Your mother must have been beside herself." Lettie exclaimed.
"At first, my mom thought this was a ploy to get Jeff back. So she asked Gloria if she had seen a doctor. Of course, in those days, there weren't home pregnancy tests. Gloria said that she had missed a couple of periods, and she couldn't afford to see a doctor. My mother suggested she go to the health center on campus for verification. To make a long story short, she was pregnant, and she contacted Jeff and told him that they needed to get married immediately."
Lettie was flabbergasted. "What did Jeff do?"
"Jeff, ever the gentlemen, told my parents he wanted to marry Gloria and asked for their permission. He was only seventeen you see, and my mom and dad didn't want him to ruin his future. They said they would pay for Gloria's medical bills and the support of the baby. They did want Gloria to obtain blood tests on the baby after its birth."
"It sounds like they were fairly reasonable. Did Jeff agree with them?" Lettie was grateful that she knew the streets of Stafford, because it was difficult to concentrate on her driving while being bombarded with this new information.
"Jeff, I'm sure, was relieved, but he still felt guilty. Gloria couldn't finish her second semester at school, so she moved back to Indianapolis to live with her parents. She was to contact us when the baby was born but never did. My parents had an address and sent money every month for the doctor's bills. "After about six months, they received a note from Beth Albertson, that's Gloria's mother, stating that she would return any money they sent in the future. The Albertsons claimed they were able to take care of their only daughter and did not want charity from my parents. Gloria's mother apparently had just found out about the checks from my parents."
Lettie interrupted unable to contain herself. "Did any of you see Gloria or the baby?"
"We never heard any news from any of them after that. No one attempted to see Gloria or her parents. I think my parents still thought Gloria was after money and had never been pregnant.
"Jeff was a wreck for a while, but he made it through his senior year. Then he finished college in Stafford and married Charlotte, and, of course, you know the rest."
"So, Melanie, was yesterday the first time you've seen her since then?"
"Yes, and we were all really shocked, especially my mother. None of us had any idea she lived in Stafford. And now Jeff tells us that Gloria's husband and he play golf together."
"That's right, and sometimes he and Gloria played bridge with Charlotte and Jeff," Lettie enlightened Melanie.
"I would think that would be uncomfortable for the both Jeff and Gloria."
"Me too. When Jeff met Lawrence, Gloria's husband, at the country club, I doubt he would have pursued their friendship if he knew Lawrence's wife was Gloria."
Lettie's mind was in a whirl again. Maybe Jeff and Gloria conspired to kill Charlotte? If Gloria was pregnant, what happened to the baby? Could Jonathan be Jeff's son? Was this why Gloria was so afraid of her husband? So much to think about.
"One other thing, Lettie, Gloria looks great. She was not that attractive when I knew her. I helped her fix herself up a little."
"She told me that, and it was kind of you to help her."
"I really thought she was quite nice to begin with, but she became so nasty that I didn't really feel it was a loss after she and Jeff broke up."
Lettie could understand Melanie's feelings and dropped the subject. In addition, they had arrived at the mall. Lettie took Melanie to the better stores at the mall, and Melanie bought herself a black cashmere jacket. Lettie bought only two pairs of shoes to add to her already burgeoning closet. They stopped at the Big Dipper and had ice cream and coffee and talked about everything other than the current situation.
They discovered they had a lot in common including the love of bridge. Lettie learned that Melanie was a widow, and that her husband had been killed in the war in Vietnam. She indicated that she had just never been interested in anyone after that. She continued to teach fifth grade and live in the house that she and her husband bought soon after their marriage.
They continued their animated conversation on the way back to Jeff's house. Melanie thanked Lettie and told her she would look her up whenever she visited Jeff in Stafford. Lettie said that she would like that. She had enjoyed her time with Melanie and felt even more guilty at her reason for calling in the first place.
After leaving Melanie, Lettie drove aimlessly. The sun warmed her tired body, and she drove north of town to look at the newly leafed trees. Since she had nothing planned for the afternoon, she drove through two new housing additions to familiarize herself for future house showings. She walked through several open houses then headed south toward Stafford. During the drive, she contemplated many things. Never being one to waste time, she decided to visit the Midwestern University library. Any person could use it, and Lettie wanted to do some research.
After securing a space in the massive parking lot, she made her way to the computers housing the card catalog. At the prompt titled "subject," she typed in Lily of the Valley. Making her way to the floor where the reference book resided, she took the gigantic volume to one of the reading tables and began absorbing the information about the poisonous aspects of Lily of the Valley plant. Suddenly all Lettie's speculating and pondering came to fruition, she was certain she knew how Charlotte had been poisoned. After discovering she had left her cellular phone at home, she hurried to find the pay phones. She must get a hold of Mitch immediately.
On the first floor, she found the bank of pay phones next to the elevators. She wondered why she hadn't noticed them before and decided it was because she hadn't needed them. In a futile attempt to talk with Mitch, she left a message on his answering machine. Never daunted, she also left a message at the police department in case he stopped by. Saying the call concerned the Charlotte Downey murder, and that it was urgent, she told the police to have him call her at home or on her cellular phone and gave them both numbers just in case.
After rushing home, she sat on the living room couch with her hand lying beside the phone. Five minutes passed. Where was he? Lettie tried to be patient, but it did not work, and she decided to knit. The sleeves were almost finished on her jacket, and it would help pass the time. Her foot tapped a mile a minute. The sleeves grew longer, and her patience grew shorter. In what seemed like an eternity, the phone rang.
"Mitch," she blurted out.
"What's wrong? You sound upset."
"I know how Charlotte was poisoned, and you have to do something right now."
"Okay. Okay. Now slow down and tell me."
She told him about her conversation with Melanie and her suspicions about Jeff and Gloria. "I think she was poisoned with the bottled water and not the plant. I went to the Stafford library today and read up on Lily of the Valley. I found out that even the water in which the plant has been placed is poisonous. Gloria took bottled water to Charlotte's on Tuesday night."
"How do you know that?"
Lettie explained. "Ingrid asked Gloria about the bottled water yesterday, and I overheard. At the time, I didn't think anything about it. The bottle was still at the house yesterday, and you need to get a search warrant to get it."
"All right. It's as good as done. I'll get on the phone and get the process working. You, in the mean time, try to calm yourself. It seems strange that anyone else hasn't drunk the water."
"Not strange at all. Charlotte hoarded her bottled water for her tea. Neither Jeff nor Amelia drink tea. Ingrid would not touch anything as precious as Charlotte's bottled water. You remember how particular Charlotte was about making tea--it had to be perfect, so no one would touch Charlotte's supply. That bottle must still be in the pantry. Gloria told me the name at her house yesterday. It's Clear Mountain water." Lettie talked so fast that Mitch could hardly understand her.
"Let me go. I don't want anyone else getting poisoned. I'm surprised you didn't call to warn them." "I didn't want to make a fool of myself in case it's not poisoned. Also, I wouldn't want to tip off Jeff if he were involved. Bye"
Lettie hung up and didn't even give Mitch time to respond. She immediately wondered how she was going to keep herself occupied while waiting to hear from Mitch. The larder was bare, so she settled on grocery shopping. She could also pick up a bite for supper.
Midwesterners often called dinner supper. Lettie reckoned that the habit went back to the days when the largest meal of the day was at noon. Her grandmother always referred to the meals of the day as breakfast, dinner, and supper. Her grandmother and grandfather Powell were farm folk, and the men needed large meals at breakfast and at noon. The evening meal consisted of leftovers. However, Granny Powell only had a cup of coffee and a piece of toast for supper. How she wished she could eat that little for supper.
The Ladybug was her choice today for supper. They always had baked chicken and dressing as the Sunday special. That sounded good to Lettie.
Mildred roared a loud hello to Lettie. The crowd regularly was fairly sparse at this time of day on Sunday. Most of the crowds came either before or after church and thinned out by early afternoon. Mildred and her husband, Roy, were the only people evident at the restaurant. She told Mildred she wanted the special and her usual drink. She didn't want to insult Mildred twice in one week.
She took a seat in one of the booths. While the cook dished up her food, Mildred sat down to discuss the latest news events in Stafford. Lettie thought, if Mildred only knew what she did. They discussed the burglary at Williams Lumber and the proposed annexation of two subdivisions north of town. Things had calmed down newswise since Charlotte's death.
Mildred did give Lettie a piece of information she didn't know. Jordan Watkins had been in the diner earlier on Sunday boasting that he and Amelia Williams were going to be married. Mildred was really proud of herself for having that news flash. What a wad of money they would have when they merged their assets. Mildred had to wait on some customers who had just entered, and Lettie hurried to finish her meal. Her heart wasn't really into eating for once. After finishing a second cup of decaf, she refused a piece of Mildred's famous peanut butter pie. She decided this would be a good start for her diet.
Leaving the Ladybug, she rushed to the College Food Mart. She picked up some salad fixings and her usual Gourmet Delight diet dinners. Thinking about this projected diet, she selected fat free cream cheese, chicken, turkey, potatoes, frozen vegetables, and everything low in fat she could find. This ought to help the old weight problem, she thought.
Spying the fresh yeast gave her a superb idea. This would be the perfect evening to bake some bread. She always felt comforted by the smell of freshly baked bread, and the sheer act of making it would get rid of some of her frustrations.
Lettie figured she had gotten in and out of the supermarket in a record twenty minutes. After loading the groceries in the back of the van, she rushed home. She wanted to be there when Mitch called. The cellular phone wasn't good for protracted conversations.
After putting away her groceries, she started making French bread. Next to knitting, baking bread was her favorite hobby. While the dough was rising, she sat down with her knitting and decided to call Sophie to see if she would come over to visit.
As it turned out, Harold was watching a baseball game on TV, and she said she was sure he wouldn't notice if she were gone. Having Sophie around would help her get through the evening while waiting on Mitch. In the meantime, she needed could tell her all the news about Lilies of the Valley. Sophie arrived with food in hand. She had just baked a blueberry buckle earlier in the day and knew Lettie loved blueberries.
"I used up the last of my frozen blueberries. I can't wait until the fresh berries are ready in July."
Lettie's resolve buckled also as she looked at the fresh concoction. She got dessert plates from the Hoosier cabinet and filled each with a substantial portion of the dessert. She brewed a pot of decaf to accompany the conversation and dessert, and she and Sophie discussed the many possibilities of how Charlotte was murdered and by whom. They also filled in with the latest gossip.
Lettie punched down her dough, one of the best ways to get rid of frustration, and formed two loaves. She set them on the counter to rise again just as the phone rang. She practically pulled the kitchen phone off the wall when answering.
"Hi."
"Mitch, tell me everything."
"We got the bottle of water. It's being finger printed as we speak. We sent samples of the water to Dr. Mathis at the university. He promised to work all night, if necessary, to determine if the water is poisoned."
"Mitch, what do you think?"
"I think my prime suspects are Jeff Downey and Gloria Spencer. We have both of them here for questioning right now. Gloria's husband is here too and is in the waiting area looking like a whipped pup."
Lettie had another brilliant thought. "Could Lawrence Spencer have poisoned the water?"
"You ought to be a policewoman. Why didn't we think of that?" he said sarcastically. "We'll be questioning him also. Right now we just have to wait, and I know that is not one of your strong points."
"Gee, thanks. After all, I did figure out about the poison."
"Believe me, I appreciate your curiosity more every day."
"Call me back the minute you know anything."
"That will probably be in the morning."
"Oh, how am I going to wait that long?"
"You'll manage. You always do. By the way, I miss you."
"And I you."
"I'll talk to you soon."
"Bye, Mitch."
Lettie relayed Mitch's news to Sophie, and they continued their speculations over the rest of the coffee. Lettie insisted that Sophie stay until the bread was baked, so that she could take a loaf home to Harold.
Lettie resumed her knitting after Sophie left and finished the sleeves of her jacket. She went to bed with a lot on her mind, not the least of which was Charlotte's funeral the next day.