Read Online 2 Landscape in Scarlet by Melanie Jackson - Free Book Online

the police for aid .
    “It was murder?” Harrison asked, his voice low. “No one has said but . …”
    “Yes. Poison. In his inhaler. He had asthma.”
    “Was it something slow acting?” Darby asked with a frown. “Because I saw him use it a couple times in the morning and he seemed fine.”
    “Taxine,” Juliet said. Darby , being a vet , would know about what the drug could do. “ A home brew apparently done with crude apparatus.”
    Probably she shouldn’t discuss the case, but there was no way that Darby or Harrison had had anything to do with Comstock’s death.
    “It would act quickly being inhaled like that. Faster than if it was ingested. ”
    “Yes, we think — well, I think and will bet you anything the autopsy report will confirm — he must have taken a dose sometime during the punkin chunkin. And that means that between twelve and two, someone he either didn’t see or whom he trusted tampered with or replaced the inhaler. ”
    “We were watching the competition,” Darby confessed and Harrison nodded . “Business was slow since almost everyone was at the chunkin. It was only because I wanted some water that I turned around and saw Comstock stumbling by. ”
    “Was anyone following him?” Juliet asked.
    “The killer , you mean ?” Darby looked disturbed. “I — I don’t know. When I say everyone was at the chunkin, I don’t mean absolutely everyone. There were still a lot of people milling around. ”
    “Let’s narrow it down some. Did you see Xander Lawson, Lulu Weston , or Madame Mimm follow him?”
    “N-no. Though Madame Mimm was standing outside her tent when he went by . She was sure to have seen him. In fact, I think she may have said something to him.”
    Juliet recalled that he had actually entered Madame Mimm’s tent before she left for the chunkin. Could she have switched inhalers then?
    “Good. Maybe he said something back that will give us a clue about what happened.”
    “I hope so. This is dreadful. I’m just glad it didn’t make the news last night and scare all the families away. The town needs this fair . We need this fair . ”
    “Me too. We all need a good f estival . ”
    “Don’t know if it matters but I saw Lulu stop by Levy’s tent a little before noon. I got the impression they knew each other. She left fast when the balloon man came by.”
    “That’s right,” Darby said. “He took off his coat and left it at Levy’s tent while he followed her to the concession stands.”
    “Did they speak?”
    “I — I don’t know. Sorry. The chunkin was starting.”
    “Well, maybe someone at the food booths will remember if they spoke. Given how much Lulu disliked him, it’s possible that they had words.”
    “I hope so.”
    Juliet noticed Lulu’s assistant in line at one of the concession stands and went to order some unwanted food.
    “Any recommendations?” she asked the pie r ced lip and Popeye tattoos .
    “Uh,” the kid answered in typical teenage monosyllabic fashion and then rallied. “I like the sweetie fries. The y’re made from sweet potatoes.”
    “Really? That sounds good,” she said honestly.
    “The y’ re okay with honey and powdered sugar.”
    She repressed a shudder.
    “I’ve been meaning to come down and say hello. It’s been hard to get away from the booth though.”
    “That’s right. You do those cool sweatshirts.” His face warmed and he began to look like an actual human. “Have you thought about doing some of the classic monsters?”
    “ Trademark problems for some of them. You’re Vinnie?” she asked, offering her hand.
    The kid grinned as he shook it and she knew that she had succeeded in making herself unthreatening, even amusing.
    “Vinnie Hearst.”
    “Juliet Henry,” she answered back. “So have things been busy for you guys? Lulu’s glass pumpkins seemed to have sold out fast.”
    Vinnie shrugged.
    “It could be busier but I guess things are slowing down.”
    “Did you get to see any of the chunkin?”