CHAPTER NINE

C HAPTER N INE

Salem

M yra and Annie dropped their luggage at the hotel and walked to the hospital, where they met up with Patricia and Benjamin. She looked haggard; he looked concerned. Myra sensed Benjamin was withholding something, but she’d get to that later. First things first—say hello to the patient. Patricia and Benjamin waited outside while Myra and Annie approached Mill’s bed.

Milton Spangler was attached to several ports of dripping liquid, a heart monitor, and oxygen. Except for the slight color in his face, he looked like a corpse. Myra tried to hide her shock. Annie, on the other hand, leaned in and said in a loud whisper, “Milton Spangler. What on earth are you doing here?” He smiled. A good sign. He motioned for Myra and Annie to sit, but neither obliged.

Myra took his hand. “Mill. How are you feeling?”

His voice was raspy, but he managed to speak. “Better, but I feel like a pincushion. People keep jabbing, stabbing, and poking me.”

Annie jerked her finger in the direction of the heart monitor. “Looks pretty steady.” Then she smiled.

Milton motioned for Myra to get closer. “Something isn’t right, Myra. The doctors said there was no damage and kept asking if I’d ingested something.”

“What on earth could it have been?” Myra squinted at him.

“They don’t know. That’s why they’re doing all that blood work. It’s a wonder I have any left.”

Annie leaned in. “Do they have any idea what caused the heart attack?”

Milton shook his head. “No. And I didn’t eat or drink anything out of the ordinary.”

Annie and Myra’s cynical minds went to the same place. Poison? But who would do that? And why?

Mill slowly and quietly explained that he’d been about to have a meeting with Oliver and Benjamin when he collapsed. He had just taken a few sips of his brandy. Myra and Annie shot glances at each other. But who? Patricia? Doubtful. Oliver? Maybe. Benjamin? Never. Or could it be someone else?

* * *

Annie’s first reaction was to get her hands on the glass Milton had been using, but it was most likely in the dishwasher if not back in the cabinet. Couldn’t hurt to ask. But who? Benjamin. She’d have to trust him, and vice versa. Annie looked at Myra. “I’ll be right back.”

Annie went into the hallway, where Benjamin and Patricia were seated. “Patricia, why don’t you go visit Milton and Myra.” Patricia was zombie-like as she stood and moved slowly into Milton’s room. As soon as she was out of earshot, Annie motioned for Benjamin to walk with her.

“What’s up, Countess?” Benjamin was attempting to be cheerful.

“This may sound out of the ordinary, but is there any way that the glass your father was using might still be in his study?”

Benjamin gave her an odd look. “It’s possible. I don’t know if the staff cleaned the room or not.”

“Is there any way you can find out?”

“Sure. But?” He stopped, remembering something the cardiologist had said. Then he nodded. He understood where Annie was going with this. He pulled his phone from his pocket and called the housekeeper. “Ruby? Did you clean up Dad’s study the other night?”

Ruby hesitated. “Uh, not yet. I’m sorry. With everything happening the way it did . . .”

Benjamin interrupted her. “No problem, Ruby. It’s okay. Please do not touch anything in the room, and lock the door until I get there.”

Ruby answered immediately. “Of course, Benjamin. I’ll do it right now.”

Benjamin looked at Annie. “Want to go for a ride?”

“What kind of car do you have?” Annie grinned.

“A Lexus SUV.”

“Bummer,” Annie teased. “I was hoping for something sportier.”

Benjamin laughed for the first time in two days. “I’ll let them know we’ll be back in a half hour.”

Annie pulled on his arm. “No. Wait. We need a cover story.”

“A what?” Benjamin smirked.

“Shush. I’ll handle this.” Annie stuck her head inside the doorway. “Benjamin and I have to run an errand. We’ll be back shortly. You guys visit.” Before anyone could say anything, Annie was scampering down the hall with Ben in tow.

When they got into the elevator, Benjamin looked at her. “What is going on?”

“We need to get our hands on that glass.”

Benjamin nodded. Why hadn’t he thought of that? Maybe it was because the idea of someone wanting to poison his father was the furthest thing from his mind. When the cardiologist had told him something didn’t add up, he’d thought maybe his father had eaten or drunk something that had brought on the heart attack. Food poisoning, maybe.

It was a short drive to the Spangler mansion. When they arrived, there were several barking dogs inside. A woman opened the door. “Hi, Ruby. This is Annie De Silva. A friend of Pop’s.”

Annie hurriedly said, “Nice to meet you, Ruby,” and followed Benjamin to the locked study, with Ruby following quickly behind her. She handed Benjamin the key. Her hands were trembling. She was still shaky from the events two nights before.

“Thanks. You’re a peach.” He smiled at her.

Annie and Benjamin looked around the room. A Baccarat crystal tumbler lay on the rug next to one of the upholstered leather barrel chairs. It must have slipped out of Milton’s hand, and no one took notice of it during the commotion. Annie turned to Benjamin. “Do you have a clean handkerchief?”

He reached into his jacket pocket and handed one to her. Annie gingerly picked up the glass at the bottom. There was little liquid left. Most had spilled. She looked at Benjamin, then at the spot on the rug. He let out a deep sigh. “Mother is going to kill me.” He then proceeded to open his Swiss Army knife and make a four-by-four-inch cut in the rug.

“It’s tiny enough,” Annie said, as she pushed the barrel chair over a couple of inches to cover the hole. “See? All better.”

Benjamin smirked. “You are as funny as Dad said.”

Annie took a bow. “I met him on a few occasions. Lovely man. And we are going to get to the bottom of this.” She wrapped the four-inch square piece of hand-knotted Serapi wool in her scarf. “No reason to upset Ruby.” She winked. Now they had to find a lab that could test both for toxic substances. And fingerprints. Time to alert Charles and Fergus, but not until she had a little more privacy. She didn’t know how far this would go and didn’t want to entangle Benjamin at that particular moment.

“Listen. I know all of this seems a little bizarre, but you’re going to have to trust me. Okay?” Annie looked into Benjamin’s eyes.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, do I?” It was a half-question.

“Correct. Leave this part of the mystery to me. And Myra.”

“Are you junior detectives?” Benjamin asked wryly.

“No. Not junior.” Another wink, and she placed the items in her tote bag. “Come on. They’ll be wondering what we’re up to.”

“Yeah. So am I.” Benjamin grinned. He was fine with his father’s friends playing out an Agatha Christie story. He had a business to run and a duty to look after the rest of the family. When they got back into his car, he turned to Annie. “I’m glad you and Myra are here. You add a bit of chaos, and it’s good to have some distractions, especially for Dad.”

“We are happy to help in any way we can.” Annie smiled back as she clicked her seat belt. Myra was right. Something is definitely off. Not that she had any proof. Just a gut feeling. Same as Myra.

Annie’s phone vibrated in her pocket. It was Maggie, confirming her flight time for the next morning. Annie didn’t want to talk in front of Benjamin, so she sent her a text.

9:00AM wheels up. Talk later.

The first thing she was going to have Maggie do was to go back and interview everyone again about the disappearance of Vanessa Rowan. Tell them she was doing a follow-up story on runaway teens. There were plenty of them, so it wasn’t a far-fetched idea. The plan was for Maggie to speak to the Rowans first and let them know she was looking into the situation further, and this wasn’t merely a puff piece. She would also caution the Rowans not to discuss the case with anyone. If somebody asked why a reporter was coming around, the Rowans would give them Maggie’s phone number, and they could ask her themselves. No reason for the Rowans to be go-betweens. They had enough to deal with.

* * *

When Benjamin and Annie returned to the hospital, Oliver was standing in the hallway, talking to his Aunt Helen. “Annie! How nice to see you!” Oliver was effusive. No surprise there. And Annie was going to use it.

“Oliver! Great to see you, too! You’re looking dapper.” Annie eyed his custom-fitted jeans and blazer, pinstriped shirt, the iconic sideways T on his Tom Ford belt, the Ferragamo driving shoes. She mentioned them right at the start. “I suppose you have a car to match?” She chuckled and nodded toward his feet.

Oliver snorted. “A Porsche 911 if that counts.” He knew it did. At least for some people.

“Indeed it does. Maybe you can take me for a spin while I’m here.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Oliver gushed. A nurse shushed them. “Oops. Sorry.” He flashed the woman one of his winning smiles. She blushed.

Myra came out of Milton’s room. “We’re going to let him get some rest.”

“Good idea,” Annie replied. She knew Myra was chomping at the bit to find out where she and Benjamin had run off to. “We should probably head back to the hotel and get some dinner.”

“I can have Ruby fix something,” Patricia offered.

“Thank you, but it’s been a long day for us,” Myra replied. “We’re still on East Coast time.”

Patricia smiled. “Yes. Of course.”

Oliver placed his arm around her shoulders. “I suppose we can all use a little rest.”

* * *

Helen went into Milton’s room to say a quick good night. Benjamin took his turn after Helen returned to the hallway. Milton looked up at his son and winked. “Everything is going to be alright, son.”

“I am sure it will be. You rest up. We want you out of here.” He leaned over the lines of fluid and kissed his father on the top of his head. “Stay out of trouble.”

Milton wiggled his eyebrows. That’s when Benjamin was sure his father was doing much better.

As the group rode down the elevator, they made plans for the following day. Annie was going to corner Oliver and get that ride he’d promised. A thrill ride in a sports car wasn’t anything unusual for Annie. She wanted to flatter him into letting his guard down. Find out what skeletons he might have in his closet. He was just a little too slick for her liking.

Everyone agreed to meet at Patricia’s for breakfast, and then they would split up visitation hours and whatever else needed to be taken care of.

* * *

Annie and Myra were barely out of the building when Myra grabbed Annie’s bicep. “Spill it, girl.”

Annie laughed out loud. “Spill it. And he did. And here we are!” She looked to see if anyone was watching, then held up the piece of rug by one of its corners. “And there’s this.” She gently removed the glass from her tote.

“You are so brilliant,” Myra said, in awe.

“I know.” Annie hooted as they gave each other a high five. She carefully placed the items back in her bag; they linked arms and made their way back to the hotel. “We’re going to have to find a lab that can run tests on these.”

Myra was already dialing Charles’s number.

“Hello, love.” It never failed. His British accent made Myra swoon, even after all these years.

“Charles, dear. We need you to find us a lab. We have reason to believe someone may have tried to poison Milton.”

“Say what?” Charles’s voice got louder.

“I told you something was fishy. Mill was drinking brandy or something just before he collapsed. He told me the doctors can’t find the cause of the heart attack.”

“And naturally, you and Annie think something is amiss?”

“Of course we do, Charles!” Myra was emphatic.

“I know, love. Just a bant. Tell me what you’re looking for.”

“That’s just it. We don’t know. I guess we should start with the usual suspects: arsenic, digitalis, washer fluid.”

“I’ll check with Fergus. I am sure we can find a place that can handle such a thing. It may take several days.”

“Well, we’ll just have to extend our stay until we get some results.”

“Right-o,” Charles replied.

“Let me speak to him, please,” Annie told Myra. “Charles, I’ve asked Maggie to fly in tomorrow. She’s going to do a follow-up story about the missing girl.”

“Brilliant. We’ll get cracking on our end.”

“Thanks, dear,” Myra said. “We’ll chat in a bit.”

“Tootles.” Charles signed off.

* * *

When they arrived at their suite, Myra switched on the TV, and Annie ordered food to be delivered. There was a story on the news about the most recently missing girl with her photo. She waved at Annie. “Maggie needs to add this one to her list.”

Annie nodded, and Myra took copious notes from what the news commentator had to say:

“Lorraine, Lori George was last seen going to work at the Cascade Inn outside Eugene. She had punched her timecard, showing she arrived at six-thirty in the morning. One of her coworkers said they saw her in the locker room when she changed into her uniform, but she has not been seen since. Lori is twenty years old. Dark complexion, shoulder-length black hair. Her personal belongings were left on the premises. If anyone has any information, please call this special hotline number: 1-800-FIND-HER.”

A photo of a young woman who appeared to have American Indian heritage appeared on the screen above the number.

Annie finished placing their food order and walked over to where Myra was sitting. “Maggie is going to have her hands full. Should we call for some backup?”

Myra blinked several times. “Cascade Inn. That’s one of Milton’s places. There are several of them between Eugene and Vancouver, Canada. It’s for truckers who want to take a break from the road for a good night’s sleep in a real bed.”

Annie twisted her mouth. “Coincidence?”

Myra raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think so.”

“Kathryn!” They both said her name at the same time.

“Let me see where she is.” Myra punched Kathryn’s speed-dial number and the speaker button.

A sleepy voice answered. “Hey, Myra. What’s up?”

“I guess you are. Now, anyway.” Myra chuckled. “We need you in Oregon.”

“When?” a groggy Kathryn asked.

“Like now,” Annie said.

“Oh, hey, Annie.” They could hear Kathryn rustling. “I’m in Boston. I don’t think I could get there in less than two days.”

“Can you leave your rig there?” Annie asked.

“I think so.” Kathryn yawned.

“Good. Maggie is coming out tomorrow morning. I’ll book a flight for you, unless you can get to McLean by nine.”

“Not by truck.” Kathryn yawned again.

“Okay. I’ll book a flight for you and text you the information.”

“Not too early, please.” Kathryn was not one for whining, but it was late, and she had been on the road for ten hours. It was more like pleading.

“I’ll aim for noon,” Annie said.

“Great. See you tomorrow.” Kathryn had to move her rig to a long-term lot, then get herself to the airport. It might be a little tricky, since she was in the middle of nowhere, but they’d gotten through much worse.

Annie immediately called her concierge service and made a reservation for Kathryn on the noon flight from Boston to Portland and arranged for a car rental. If all went according to plan, Kathryn would be in Salem by dinnertime.

Myra and Annie sat at the table and began to put a strategy together. Myra would tell Milton to give Kathryn a job in his transportation department. She could be on the swing shift making a run if there was an issue with one of the other long-haulers, or if a short run was needed. She’d be on call.

Next was Maggie. Someone needed to be her wing person. Probably Izzie. Fergus and Charles would find a lab and then run background checks on the closest players in the company. Management, foremen, supervisors. Once they narrowed down the field, they’d need one of Avery Snowden’s people to do surveillance. Either Sasha or Eileen. Maybe both. It would depend on what Fergus and Charles came up with.

“What about Izzie?” Myra asked. “We’re going to need someone on the inside at the Cascade Inn where the other girl worked. Do you think Izzie would want to play housekeeper?”

“Let’s ask her.” Annie picked up her phone and called Izzie, putting her on speakerphone. A groggy voice came on the line.

“Annie. Everything alright?” Izzie cleared her throat.

“Yes, but we need some backup.”

“What’s going on?” Izzie was completely awake at that point.

“How would you like to be a chambermaid for a week or so?”

“A what?” Izzie was rubbing her eyes and her head.

Myra explained about Milton’s heart attack, the first missing girl, and now the second.

“She went missing from work. She clocked in at the Cascade Inn in Eugene but seems to have vanished. Kathryn will be going to work in the transportation department; Maggie is going to retrace her previous interviews. We need someone to get inside the inn. See how that girl could have disappeared.”

“Aha. Sure. I just got the Certificate of Occupancy for my latest job, so I’m free for a while. When do you want me to come out there?”

“Maggie is taking my jet tomorrow morning at nine. Can you make it?”

“Yes. Where is Kathryn?”

“She’s in Boston, but I made a reservation for her to fly directly from there. Otherwise, it was going to get too complicated.”

“Got it.” Izzie sat up and tried to shove her Burmese dog, Rufus, out of the way. “Come on, pal. Move over.”

“Are you harassing Abner again?” Annie chuckled.

“No. Abner is on an assignment. Rufus is taking up the entire bed.”

“That’s his job,” Myra joked, knowing full well about dogs in the bed.

“I’ll let Maggie know you’ll be traveling with her, and then we’ll rent a car for you. You’ll need it to drive to Eugene.”

“What about an interview for the job? Do I just show up?”

“We’ll handle everything from here. Once you all arrive, we’ll have a meeting in our room. Charles and Fergus are working on a few things already.”

Izzie let out a chuckle. “You’ve been gone for what, twenty-four hours, and you’re already in the thick of something. Why am I not surprised?”

“Exactly!” Annie said. “See you tomorrow. Safe travels.”

* * *

It was the beginning of the Sisterhood’s next mission. Even though they had very little information, they would unearth whatever shenanigans were happening in the Pacific Northwest.