Progressive Dinner Deadly: Myrtle #2

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Myrtle reached behind her for something, anything, as Willow gripped her shoulders and shook her back and forth in anger. "I kept trying to get rid of you. Nosy busybody," Willow said. She put her hands around Myrtle's throat right when Myrtle finally curled her fingers around the foil container. With one, desperate gesture, Myrtle pushed the container of vegetable casserole in Willow's face.  

Willow howled like a hurt dog and spat furiously to get the casserole out of her mouth. God knows what poison she's put in there, thought Myrtle as she anxiously hobbled to the door, her cane nowhere near her. She'd just reached the door when Willow's hand jerked back on her shoulder and Myrtle stumbled backwards, just as Red pushed through Myrtle's front door. With a wild cry, Willow launched herself at Red.  

Red strong-armed Willow's hands behind her back and struggled to put the cuffs on as Willow twisted violently from side to side. "I never thought I'd say this," said Red through gritted teeth, "but I'm glad you had your door unlocked, Mama."  

Myrtle rubbed her neck where Willow's hands had gripped. "An unlocked door was great when you were on my doorstep. But clearly I should have locked the door back right after Willow left." 

Willow had given up her fight and stood, slumped, as Red read her rights to her and walked her out the door and across the street to his police car parked in his driveway. Myrtle watched through the window as Red talked on his phone and Willow sat in the back of the police car.  

The first call Red made must have been to Miles because he was at her door a few minutes later, looking sleepy and wearing a very un-Miles-like sweat suit. "Come on in," said Myrtle. "I guess Red must have called you." She walked towards the kitchen, "I'll make us some coffee." She stopped cold at her kitchen door when she saw the disaster her kitchen was. There was food all over the table, chairs and floor, tracked all the way into her living room. One of the chairs was turned over. Myrtle shivered. 

Miles looked over her shoulder and said, "I don't know what happened here, Myrtle, but I think I should be the one making the coffee. Do I need to clean all the mess up first?" 

Myrtle sat down on her sofa and rubbed her eyes. "No, better not. It's probably poisoned and might need to be used as evidence." A wave of exhaustion hit her.  

"Well frankly, Myrtle, your place sounds like a lousy place for a coffee break right now. Let's walk on over to my house." Miles adopted a coaxing tone and Myrtle collected her cane and obediently followed him out the door. Red nodded at them as they passed. He was still on his phone as they left.

It wasn't long before Lieutenant Perkins and Red were at Miles's house drinking coffee along with Myrtle. Perkins settled his tall, wiry frame on Miles's leather chair. 

"This is starting to be a familiar scene," remarked Perkins in a dry voice. "Didn't we do this after the last Bradley murder case wrapped up?" 

"I think it was wine, then," said Myrtle, looking at Miles with reproach. 

Miles rolled his eyes and walked to his kitchen.  

"What I actually meant," said Perkins in his polite, measured way, "is that we're replaying a particular scene. And it's not a healthy one." 

Red jumped in. "You're going to get yourself killed, Mama. You're playing a very dangerous game. You know that I'm supposed to be the detective around here." 

"I can't help it if I figure out the mystery before you do," said Myrtle coldly. "Besides, I had nothing to do with what happened at my house. I solved the case while Willow was there. It wasn't as if I lured her to my house." She hesitated for a minute. "I don't know if you need any additional charges against Willow, but I think this is the third time she's tried to kill me. Or maybe the fourth." At the loud exclamations of Red and Perkins, she hurried on, "Well, I think she probably intended to poison me instead of Maisy at the United Methodist Women luncheon. It was my iced tea. Then she tried to run me down in her car." She waved her hands impatiently. "I didn't know it was her at the time!"