Jonathan Sundvold called from the hospital later that morning to tell Harper that Ellen was alert and doing well. The doctors wanted to keep her one more night for observation, just to be on the safe side.
“I have to go to campus, but I’ll come by this afternoon to say hello,” Harper said.
After hanging up with Jonathan, she contemplated calling Tariq. And say what? “I’m sorry I accused you of being a murderer”? “I’m terrible at relationships—don’t take it personally”? “Any chance we could pretend this never happened…”?
If only he would come out and deny it.
Recalling what the doctor had said last night, she let herself into Ellen’s house and searched the kitchen. She collected several possible sources of the poison Ellen had ingested: the jars of sun tea, an assortment of herbal teas in tea bags, a package containing small bottles of what looked like essential oils. She was about to close the pantry door when she spotteda bag of loose-leaf tea in a little glass jar that looked like the jars she had seen in Delilah’s laboratory.
Harper stared at it. She did most of Ellen’s shopping and was familiar with the contents of her cupboard. Where had this come from? Had someone targeted Ellen? Ellen was a retired high school English teacher. What kinds of enemies could she possibly have?
Of course, Harper had made no secret of how close she and Ellen were. Had someone gone after Ellen to strike at Harper? The thought made her ill.
Her phone rang: It was Naomi Ruger.
“Ben says the little scamp, Jenny, did manage to ambush him out on the golf links. He was pretty upset about it.” She chuckled. “I love the image of her chasing him around on his silly little cart. Such a ridiculous game, golf, right? I mean, it’s not just me, is it?”
“Did he tell you what she asked him?”
“He said Jenny wanted to know about the contamination on the base, and how he was going to deal with it for his new housing development. He said he referred her to the positive environmental reports. Which are probably bogus, he’s not above bribery to get what he wants. I mean, who are we kidding? But Ben said Jenny left after about twenty minutes, said she had another appointment.”
“Did she say with whom?”
“Only that it was someone prissy.”
“Someone prissy?”
“That’s what the man said.”
“Do you believe him?”
“I do,” Naomi said, sounding thoughtful. “Ben can be petty and is prone to hissy fits, and when it comes to money, I’d trust him about as far as I could throw him. But I’ve seennothing to suggest he’s capable of violence. Shouting, yes. Violence, no. Besides, he wouldn’t take someone like Jenny seriously. Too young and too female.”
Harper thanked her and arranged to bring the journal to her office later. Harper then texted Blanca, who reported that she still had not seen or heard from Jenny. Blanca was clearly beginning to panic, asking if she should put out flyers with Jenny’s face on them and organize a search party.
Hold tight for now, wrote Harper.I’ll speak with the police. I’ve gotten to know a detective recently.
Harper dialed Detective Serrano and told him that Jenny appeared to be missing.
“Got the wrong department, Professor. This is Homicide, not Missing Persons,” he said, sounding distracted. Harper heard loud voices in the background, a ringing phone, the static of a police radio.
“I realize that, but I think it might be directly related to Delilah Mason’s murder.”
“Make it quick.”
She explained about the podcast, and Jenny and Blanca snooping around and asking questions.
“Probably nothing,” he said.
“Probably not,” she agreed. “But she’s twenty-one: smart enough to get into trouble, not smart enough to get herself out of it.”
“All right. I’ll text you the name and number of a colleague in Missing Persons. She’s good. Tell her I sent you.”
Harper headed to campus. It was still raining. A lot. So this was what a bomb cyclone was like.
It was now almost eleven. Blanca and Jenny had said Aurelio told them the MP patrol came by around this time every morning. Harper pulled on her rain boots, grabbed her umbrella, walked over to the abandoned barracks, and waited for Sergeant Emerson to arrive.
And there they came, with military precision.
