6 A Thyme to Die (21 page)

“Thanks, Peggy. That means a lot coming from you. I know we’re not in the same field, but you have a knack for knowing what works.”

“I appreciate that, Adam.”

“Like you knew what to do with those diamonds you found.” He shook his head. “I wouldn’t have known what to think. You did the right thing. I heard Dr. Abutto’s daughter was found alive.”

“Yes, bless her heart. What an ordeal. I hate that she had to go through, it only to find that her father had been killed.”

“I know. It was tragic.” He glanced around and lowered his voice. “Have the police found his killer?”

“I don’t know.” Peggy looked at the rapidly-filling audience. “I think it’s time to get started.”

There were five florists from three states that won awards for their work. Each of their winning displays had been put on tables so they could be featured with their creators in photos.

Adam’s brilliant design had been created with orange blossoms and tiny white lights. There was even a small fountain at the center of the work.

When she called his name, Adam came over to her, took the award, and shook her hand, as the other floral designers had done.

“I’d like to add that Adam Morrow is more than simply a wonderful designer,” Peggy said before she let him go back to his spot near his creation. “He’s also been instrumental in helping the flower show come here to Charlotte this year, and keeping it running for the past few days. I couldn’t have done it without him.”

There was a brisk round of applause, followed by media photos. Even the local cable channel had been there to broadcast the whole thing.

Peggy hoped that would help Adam’s business. He certainly deserved a break.

Millie was waiting for her when she got down from the stage. “I got a call from Steve. Bad news, I’m afraid.”

Chapter Twenty-four

Stargazer lily

The stargazer lily was developed in 1978 by a plant breeder, Leslie Woodruff. His hybrid was a cross between an Asiatic lily and an Oriental lily. There are no exact details of the mixture between the two plants. Woodruff was looking for the bright colors and strong growth habits of the Oriental lily and the fragrance and elegantly-shaped flowers of the Asiatic lily. The plant was named ‘stargazer’ because the flowers open toward the sky.

“What’s wrong?” Peggy asked.

“It looks like Tim Roseboro is clear on both homicides. The police checked his alibis this morning. Both of them are good. We’re back to square one, as far as the murders are concerned.”

“At least he can’t deny that he kidnapped Tanya.”

“No, we’ve got him on that. He gave the DA some evidence on his involvement in the plot to smuggle the diamonds into the country. Dabney Wilder was definitely involved, maybe masterminded the whole thing. His assistant, David Mueller, was involved too. They picked him up.”

“He was such a nice young man,” Peggy lamented. “What now?”

“We go back over the evidence we’ve collected and try to come up with another suspect. I imagine that will mean you going back to the medical examiner’s office for further instruction. I’m supposed to report to Steve for my next assignment.”

“So you’ll be leaving Charlotte?”

“No. Steve, Norris and I are assigned here for now. We’ll cover this part of the state and mostly be home every night. I’m off this case, but I’m headed to Gastonia to investigate some mail fraud.”

“It was very nice spending time with you.” Peggy and Millie had reached The Potting Shed exhibit again. “I don’t know if the FBI is like the police or not. Do you get together sometimes—dinner, cocktails—that kind of thing?”

“Yes, we do. I hope that’s an invitation to your place. I’ve seen the outside. I’d love to see the inside.”

“Consider it an invitation then.”

Paul was back and told them that Matilda was safe at home again. “I understand that you have a meeting, Agent Sanford. I’ll see you later.”

She nodded. “Officer Lee. I hope to see you at dinner very soon.”

Peggy didn’t have to tell Paul the news Millie had given her.

“Yeah. It’s a shame Tim Roseboro didn’t kill Dabney and Dr. Abutto. I have a feeling he made a good deal with the DA, even though kidnapping is a federal offense.”

“Is it possible Dabney or his assistant killed Aris?”

“They were together at a charity function when the ME says Dr. Abutto died.”

“I’m sure Tim is going to prison for a long time anyway,” Peggy agreed. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do now. I guess Al still thinks I could be in danger or you wouldn’t be here. Millie said I should check with Dorothy about looking back at the evidence.”

“Why don’t you give her a call?” Paul suggested. “I could do with some lunch. I’ll buy, if someone else can run for it.”

Selena had been standing nearby. “Not me. I’m busy keeping Sam in flyers. I’m glad this thing is over tomorrow. I’ve worked harder here than I usually do at the shop.”

“I have to stay with Mom,” Paul told her. “Sam is selling landscaping. I think that makes you the lunch go-fer.”

“Whatever. I’m everyone’s go-fer.”

Peggy called Dorothy. “It looks like I’m going to have to leave after lunch. Adam is going to love this.”

Selena ended up going out for sub sandwiches again. Sam had a lull in foot traffic that allowed him to eat with the others.

“You’re not going to believe the contracts I’ve picked up,” he told Peggy as they sat at the picnic table. “We have to bring the flower show here every year, or make one of our own. We never get contracts when we go to Atlanta.”

“And I don’t get to go,” Selena complained. “I thought that was a bad thing, until now. I’ll be glad to stay home and take care of the shop next year.”

“That’s great news, Sam,” Peggy agreed. “I hope you’ve chosen someone to help you out.”

“He should be ready to go when I start back next week,” Sam said. “You remember Jasper? He helped us with the pond at the shop? His pond business didn’t work out so well. I think he’ll be great.”

“Is he still hot?” Selena asked.

“I guess so. He’s got a girlfriend though.” Sam smiled at her.

“Why can’t we ever have someone work at the shop who’s hot but not gay or otherwise involved?” Selena looked at Peggy.

“The next person we hire will be your choice,” Peggy promised with a laugh. “That way it can be the man of your dreams.”

They all laughed with her. Selena went to get more copies made of Sam’s flyers.

“I guess I have to go and give Adam the bad news.” Peggy sighed. “I feel like I should be paying him a salary.”

“Except that no one’s paying you either,” Sam reminded her. “Don’t worry about it. Adam can handle it. He’s a good guy.”

Peggy hoped that was true. It seemed to hold up when she went to give Adam the news.

“I’m not surprised,” he said. “I’m also not prepared. My assistant had to go and get her sick daughter from school. I can handle the show responsibilities, if you can still share your second helper with me.”

“That will be fine.” Peggy took her keys out of her bag. “I’d better leave you with these in case I can’t make it back for closing. Thanks, Adam.”

“You got it, Peggy.”

Selena wasn’t as happy to be rented out, as she called it. “I don’t know anything about floral displays. How am I supposed to fake that?”

“The same way you do at The Potting Shed,” Sam joked.

She growled at him.

Peggy took her arm. “Don’t worry about it. You know about flowers, even if it is about growing them instead of arranging them. There are plenty of displays at Adam’s exhibit. Mostly I imagine you’ll be giving out flyers.”

“Great,” Selena remarked. “Who’s going to have flyers printed for me and Sam if I’m at the florist exhibit?”

“Let’s work that out,” Peggy said. “I’m sure everyone can handle this. Don’t forget, we’re trying to catch at least one killer. I’d like for Paul to be able to care of other crime instead of babysitting me too.”

Selena pouted. “Sorry. I forgot that worse things are happening than me being taken for granted. I’ll watch the flower shop. You go get the bad guys.”

Peggy hugged her before she and Paul left the flower show. She checked in at the welcome center for a moment while Paul got the car. More than ten thousand people had already visited. She didn’t know what the numbers were for Atlanta, but those sounded good to her.

They arrived at the ME’s office about twenty minutes later. Peggy saw Steve and Al’s vehicles parked outside. It looked like it would be a bigger meeting than she had anticipated.

She really wasn’t much of a meeting person. Norris had been right about that. She liked working at a project and getting results. Sitting around, talking about it, wasn’t her cup of tea. But she was willing to do what it took to help find Aris’s killer. She’d like to be able to tell Tanya and her grandmother that a killer was in custody.

To make matters worse, Norris and Steve, Al and Dorothy, were all waiting for her in the conference room. Mai was there too. She gave Peggy a bottle of water and a pad of paper.

“Are you staying for the meeting?” Peggy asked her.

“Yes. I hope they make it quick. Dr. Beck has me re-doing the autopsy on Abutto again. I’d like to get on with it.”

Peggy understood her feelings.

Steve smiled and nodded at her. Peggy avoided making eye contact with Norris. She wanted to get past the unfortunate start to their relationship at some point, maybe not now. Al smiled at her, too, before she sat down.

“I guess we all know why we’re here.” Dorothy began the meeting—it was her conference room. “To bring everyone up to speed, my assistant ME will brief us on her findings after the Wilder autopsy.”

Mai’s findings included tox screen results, blood work and photos that made Peggy glad she’d had lunch a lot earlier. Most of it was information Peggy either didn’t understand or didn’t think she could use.

“We were all thinking that Mr. Wilder had been killed with a knife,” Mai concluded. “By examining the wound, I found that this wasn’t a blade at all. It was short, rounded, and thicker than a blade would’ve been. We’ve been looking for what that weapon could have been, but we still aren’t sure about it.”

Peggy looked at the picture on the screen. The size and shape of the wound that had killed Dabney was unmistakable, at least to her.

Mai completed her analysis and Peggy added her discovery to the silence around the conference table.

“I believe the murder weapon was a pair of garden snips,” she said. “I’ve got a pair in my bag, probably not as large as the ones that created this wound, but you should be able to get the idea.”

Chapter Twenty-five

Night blooming cereus

Night-blooming cereus is also known as moonlight cactus, part of a group of about 20 species in the family Cactaceae. The plants are native to tropical and subtropical America. They are widely grown for their unusually large, fragrant, night-blooming white flowers. More often than not, these plants are grown indoors. Many are climbing plants but others creep along the ground. They have projecting lobes which help them cling to trees and other objects.

Everyone moved into the autopsy room. A few minutes later, Mai wheeled Dabney’s body into the room with them.

It wasn’t a pleasant experience for Peggy, but she knew it was important. She took the small, pink-handled garden snips out of her handbag.

She swallowed hard as Mai pulled back the sheet covering Dabney and addressed the group.

“As you can see, these are much smaller. There are several different sizes that gardeners use. This looks to me like it was done with a larger pair of snips.” She held the garden snips above the wide, slightly curved wound in Dabney’s side.

He was so white. It wasn’t as though Peggy hadn’t seen a dead man. The harsh florescent lighting made the scene too bright, washing out any color, even from his hair.

It was amazing how a person’s personality affected their features, even when they were asleep. Death took everything away, she thought, until a person was nothing but an empty shell.

Everyone stepped in close to look at the wound and the smaller snips. Peggy loved it when Steve moved to her side and inconspicuously took her hand in his.