Field of Graves(38)
Taylor was happy to see she’d captured his interest, the investigator in him coming to life. At least for the time being.
“Yep. Sam noticed that the panels for both girls showed a high level of alkaloids in both the kidneys and liver. She had her buddy test for poisons, and aconite showed up in lethal doses. Some way to go, huh?”
“What exactly does aconite do to the system?”
“That’s the bad part. According to Sam’s crash course, it’s a central nervous system depressant. Vomiting, flushing, blurred vision, dry mouth, lowered body temperature. Severe burning sensation in the mouth—tongue, lips, and throat. Also causes paralysis and intense pain. Could have taken up to six hours to die. It’s not a pleasant death.
“Sam also confirmed Jordan had the same herbs scattered on her body as Shelby and got an ID on them. It’s a real mishmash.” Taylor pulled her notebook out of her coat pocket.
Baldwin realized she still wore her suede coat, and figured she must be getting hot. “Take off your coat and stay awhile?”
“Ha.” She hesitated a moment, then shrugged out of the coat, tossed it on the back of the chair, and sat down, reading off the list.
“Rosemary, sage, sandalwood, basil, pennyroyal, bay, white sage, anise, chamomile, clove, fennel, and lavender. All can be grown in the garden, or bought in a million places.”
“And the aconite? Can it be grown or bought?”
“Both. Sam had one of her guys pull it up on the internet. There are a billion websites that sell it, and it can be grown in someone’s backyard.”
“So perhaps we’re dealing with a gardener of some sort.”
“Sam also found that there are specific uses for all of these herbs. The Wicca websites give a lot of information on what to use when, for ceremonies, celebrations, holidays, burials.” Taylor used the last word lightly.
Baldwin raised an eyebrow. “Wiccan burial rites, huh? Or it could be some kind of cult. Herbs and poisons. Think finding the girl at the Parthenon has anything to do with this?”
“Oh yeah, definitely. We’re going to have to do some in-depth research on the uses of the poison, see if there’s anything that ties it to the locale. I don’t know what the relationship is, but it’s too kooky not to be a part of the pattern.”
“And Jordan had the poison in her system, too?”
“Yes. Her COD was the stab wounds to her heart, but she’d ingested the aconite prior to the kill shot.”
“Maybe it didn’t work quickly enough and he stabbed her to finish her off?”
“Could be.”
“So where do you go from here?”
Taylor eyed him coolly. “I don’t know, Baldwin. That’s why I came over here tonight. I thought maybe you’d seen this kind of stuff before, because I sure haven’t. Thought maybe you’d like to help us find out what it all means. Help us find this * before he kills another girl.”
Baldwin was looking into space. “Sacrificing. Not killing. He’s sacrificing them. The question is, why?”
Ah, she had him. She knew that look. Anyone who got a theory, a glimmer of an idea, got that spaced-out look of being lost in his or her own mind. She’d been like that enough times herself to recognize the cause. She decided to take the chance.
“So, are you in?”
Baldwin shook his head. “Huh?”
“I said, are you in?”
Baldwin tried to look her in the eye, but failed. This woman had witnessed the most desperate act of his life, and in essence, saved him from himself. Would he be able to work with her day after day to find a madman? Would she be able to work with him, knowing he wasn’t altogether stable?
He dragged his eyes back to hers.
“I’m in.”
29
Taylor was reluctant to leave Baldwin alone, but she knew he needed some time to process what had happened over the past few hours. She’d laid out a few ground rules, including not playing Russian Roulette until the investigation was closed, which he snickered at but nodded gravely in agreement. She had cautiously offered the name of a good friend who happened to be a psychotherapist, and was shocked when Baldwin hadn’t brushed her off. He hadn’t jumped up, shouted for joy, and demanded the number to make an appointment on the spot, but at least he had taken the suggestion. She left her friend’s number on his kitchen counter. The next steps were up to him.
She pulled into her driveway and was amused to see a little face staring out the window, eyes in slits of bliss at the sight of her mommy finally making it home for the night.
She turned the key in the lock and could hear the disgruntled mewing from outside. She pushed open the door and laughed when the cat flipped onto her back, desperately begging for a tummy rub. Taylor was only too happy to oblige.
“There’s my little baby. I’m so sorry I had to leave you for so long. Were you lonely? Did you miss your mommy?” She’d long since given up feeling embarrassed about talking baby talk to a cat. She rubbed and scratched the cat’s ears and was rewarded with a long, rumbling purr, then a quick nip on the top of the hand as a reminder not to do it again.
“Ouch, brat, that hurt.” Taylor stood up, sucking the tiny puncture on her hand. “Fine then, see if you get any loving. Interesting day today, though? Did you have any visitors? Did Greg the bunny come see you?” A rabbit had taken up residence on the side of the house, and came to feast on the bird food scattered on the ground in front of Jade’s favorite window. “Maybe we should put out some food for him in the morning.”