Andy’s test came back positive for ethylene glycol, the poison in antifreeze, and the doctors started Antizol immediately. I told Sophie as soon as I heard. She was still waiting on Tanner’s organ test. The medical examiner was testing his liver because the poison would be most prominent there. In the meantime, Sophie had gone to Mrs. Gunderson’s house to confirm the antifreeze wasn’t hers. It wasn’t, but the garbage had already been collected. I didn’t think it really mattered. Whoever deposited it there had been careful; there wouldn’t be fingerprints. Had it been Mia or one of her roommates? Or was it someone who wanted me to think it was?
Lenny and I talked over the possibilities while sipping a glass of wine at my house that evening. Giles had shown up at the hospital, and we ended up spending most of the afternoon surrounded by people. We needed time to ourselves to think and talk. If we could figure out when Andy ingested the poison, we could figure out the killer. The problem was, depending on how much he drank, his first symptoms would appear from thirty minutes to twelve hours later, which didn’t exactly narrow down the timeframe. I thought he’d consumed it at the banquet because that’s when his behavior changed. Lenny insisted we couldn’t be certain.
“It’s a nice night for a walk, and Mia lives right down the street. Let’s pay her a visit.”
I started to object, and Lenny put down his glass of Cabernet. “She dated, fought with, and probably killed Tanner. Plus, she lives close to Mrs. Gunderson’s house.” He shrugged. “Occam’s razor: the simplest solution is usually the right one.”
I put on the flip side of the record we’d purchased secondhand from This and That. “But nothing about this murder has been simple. The sonnet, the staging, the flowers—somebody spent a lot of time orchestrating Tanner’s murder.”
“But not Andy’s,” said Lenny. “Andy’s was spur of the moment. Otherwise he’d be dead.”
“You’re right.” I snuggled close to him on the couch. “Something must have panicked the killer into taking action. But what? What does Andy know that we don’t?”
Lenny put his arm around me. “A lot, I’m sure.”
I chuckled. “You make everything better, do you know that? Even murder.”
“Same.” We were quiet for a few minutes, enjoying our wine and Cole Porter. Then I heard scratching. Dickinson had decided “Anything Goes” did not go with her current mood.
“That’s our cue,” said Lenny. “Let’s take that walk.”
“I’ll get my purse.”
“You haul that thing wherever you go,” said Lenny. “Why? What could you possibly need while walking around the block?”
I couldn’t think of a thing, but I was good at making stuff up. “If, for instance, I fell and needed an antiseptic for my wound, I would have one on hand.”
“You have been drinking,” said Lenny. “I guess a fall is possible.”
I punched his arm as we walked out the door. We didn’t get very far before Mrs. Gunderson stopped us. Dressed in a pink-and-white housecoat and wearing a crown of pink curlers, she stood on her front stoop like a queen looking down on her kingdom.
“Emmeline, I didn’t see you come home.” She motioned for us to draw nearer, and we obeyed. “There was a cop at my house today—a lady cop.”
“Sophie Barnes, I know. I sent her.”
“She said someone used my trash receptacle.” She crossed her arms. “That’s not the proper way to dispose of chemicals.”
“We have bigger problems than recycling violations, Mrs. G,” said Lenny. “Whoever threw it away might be a murderer. You need to be extra cautious until they are caught.”
“Humph!” said Mrs. Gunderson. “If I catch them fooling around with my garbage can, they’d better be cautious. My husband left me a gun, and I know how to use it.”
The thought of Mrs. Gunderson wielding a pistol was downright scary. I worried for her garbage collector. “Seriously, please be careful. The police are close to catching the person. Just be vigilant.”
“You can count on it,” she said, letting the door close.
“I imagine the lights will be on full blast tonight,” said Lenny as we continued down the block.
“I have no doubts.” Mrs. Gunderson was a huge fan of lights. She said they deterred criminals, but not this one. Someone had sneaked antifreeze into her garbage undetected. Was it Mia or one of her friends? We were about to find out.
Mia’s house was mostly dark, but a light shone from one of the front rooms, maybe the parlor. I could see the outline of a large, leafy plant. Since it was a nice night, I’d hoped Mia and her friends would be out in the yard, like lots of other college students. But they didn’t appear to be home.
“Let’s knock,” said Lenny.
“And say what?”
“That you’re just checking in,” said Lenny. “You’re her neighbor—and a professor. Plus, you said someone mentioned counseling.”
That was true. It wouldn’t seem that unusual for me to follow up.
We walked up the crooked front steps, the slant of the porch noticeable as I rang the doorbell. I turned to Lenny and shrugged. Maybe no one was home. We had started to leave when I heard the first steps. Mia opened the door.
“Hi, Mia,” I said. “I was taking a walk and wanted to check in to see how you’re doing.”
“Ah … thanks,” said Mia. “I’m good.”
“Your friends have been supportive,” I said.
She nodded.
“That’s good.” I struggled for a transition.
Lenny jumped in. “Hey, do you have a car?”
And he thought I was indiscreet.
“Yeah, why?” she said.
“My low coolant light is on, and my car won’t start. I thought maybe you had some antifreeze.”
She pulled her rope of blonde hair over her shoulder. “No. My dad does all that stuff in the summer.”
From behind her, Jacob stepped forward. Mia moved over to make room for him, allowing us a peek inside. I’d had no idea he was there with her. He must have been listening from the hallway or living room.
“I can take a look at it if you want,” said Jacob. “I’m pretty good with cars.”
“Thanks, man, but I think I’ll ask around.” Lenny smiled. “I don’t want to intrude on your night.”
Lenny could play the cool professor whenever he wanted. I was completely jealous. I sort of wondered if Jacob was too. His eyes were narrowed on Lenny. Maybe he knew something about the antifreeze. Or maybe he didn’t like seeing his new girlfriend talking to a cute professor. Hailey had warned Mia she was stepping into the same situation. If Jacob was spending time at the house, though, he could have easily deposited the antifreeze in Mrs. Gunderson’s garbage can. Plus, he might not know I lived next door.
If only Lenny’s car were really low on coolant, I would have an excuse to ask more questions. Tomorrow I would need to get back to the theater. Hamlet was no longer playing, but I would find another reason. The graduate exhibition spotlighting student artwork opened tomorrow. I wondered if Mia and Jacob would be there.
“Will your art be on display at the graduate exhibition tomorrow?” I asked. “I’m eager to see it.”
Mia smiled. “Yes, one of my costume designs is going to be used in Twelfth Night at the Hayes Theater in New York. They’re announcing it tomorrow.”
“Congratulations,” said Lenny. “That’s good news.”
“Yes, congratulations,” I said. “I’ll try to stop by.”
“Thanks, and thanks for checking in,” said Mia. “It’s kind of nice having a professor right down the street.”
“Unless you’re in her class,” said Lenny. “Then it’s not so nice. She’d be stopping by with her red pen.”
Mia laughed. Jacob crossed his arms.
“Not true,” I said. “Have a good night.”
She shut the door, and we returned to the sidewalk to finish our walk. Something was bothering me, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I looked back at the house. Maybe that was it, the creepy old two-story. A day didn’t pass that I didn’t look at the windows and think of them as eyes staring back at me. The weathered paint, the sinking porch, the flapping shades. It didn’t take much for me to imagine a ghost living there. But a murderer? I was starting to wonder.