Tainted Truffle Treachery by P.D. Workman

Author:P.D. Workman [Workman, P.D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: pd workman

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

When they pulled up to Helen Papadakis’s house, they saw a police car and several people standing outside the house talking and looking toward it. As Corvin pulled over to the curb a few doors down so that they wouldn’t be in the way, an ambulance whooped once. It stopped in front of the house next to the police car, both nose-in toward the curb with their back ends out into the driving lane.

The paramedics who climbed out of the ambulance were not moving quickly.

“Oh, no,” Reg murmured.

Corvin didn’t say anything, his eyes intent on the scene, taking everything in.

“She didn’t answer the phone,” Reg said.

He nodded.

The paramedics took a long time to get a gurney out of the ambulance and wheel it up to the house.

Of course, the police officers in attendance might have already evaluated the patient and informed the dispatcher that she would need to be transported to the hospital but, in Reg’s experience, the paramedics went in to treat first, and then retrieved the gurney once the patient was stabilized.

Or when there was nothing to be done.

Reg rubbed her abdomen, trying to quiet her tense muscles and writhing gut. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

Corvin shook his head. “No. I don’t think you’re wrong.” He sighed. “Let’s see what we can find out.”

They got out of the car and joined the people on the sidewalk.

“Is Helen okay?” Reg asked the nearest woman. “Did something happen? Is she sick?”

“Did you know Helen?” the woman studied her carefully. “I don’t remember you ever being with her.”

“We were just there yesterday, talking to her about Beverley. I can’t believe it…”

“They haven’t said anything definite yet,” the neighbor said. “But I don’t think the news is good.”

“Her family found her?”

“She missed our morning walk. Didn’t check in. Didn’t answer the door or the phone when I called her. The others must all be at work, but I don’t have their numbers. I have a key. So I called them for a welfare check and gave it to them. I was afraid… well…”

“She didn’t think it would be long after her sister died,” Reg said. “But I didn’t think it would be this quick.”

“There, now.” The woman patted Reg’s arm reassuringly. “She’s in a better place and she and Beverley are together again. They could never be happy apart.”

“I know, but…” She looked at Corvin. “If we’d gotten here sooner…?”

“There’s no way to know.” He looked significantly at the friendly neighbor and jerked his head for Reg to separate herself so they could talk. They wandered down the sidewalk away from her, looking at the house as if it might tell them the story. “As far as we can tell, it takes a few days for the poisoning to take effect, so it was probably too late for us to do anything for Beverley. She was already sick.”

“But they’re all already sick, from what we could tell. They’re all acting irritable, stoned by whatever is in those truffles. Does that mean we’re

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