A Cup of Murder (Roasted Love Cozy 1)

Daniel reached for my hand. "I didn’t mean anything by that. I just meant that without solid reason, no one is going to take what you say seriously. It could be that the cops doubt they have the right man in jail. They can’t let him go since traces of belladonna were found on the note in Jacob’s office."

"So you know for sure they have doubts?"

"I can tell you confidentially that my cop friend told me there are questions about his guilt. Jacob has denied everything and sticks to his explanation. He has a very good lawyer and he is trying to find out how belladonna got there without Jacob knowing it."

I was silent. Janie invaded my mind. Could she fear Jacob’s lawyer for some reason? I had talked with him on several occasions and I knew the lawyer was questioning all who were associated with Roasted Love. We had all been cooperative. We wanted Jacob released from jail. At least, I thought everyone wanted that.

"I have something I want you to get tested," I said. I handed Daniel the envelopes found near Roasted Love’s trash bin.

"I’m not sure I can get this done for you but I’ll see."

"I have something else."

Opening the small drawer of my computer desk I pulled something out that was loosely wrapped in a paper towel.

"When I took my break this afternoon, I walked Thor in the alley and around the parking lot. Something caught my eye just under the edge of the trash bin where I found the things that belonged to Michael. I think it was in the trash bag that the dog tore open."

Daniel carefully opened the towel. The syringe was there next to the small pharmacy bottle, now empty.

"Laila, you have to give all of this to the police. They should be the ones to test it all officially. This could be something really big."

"What if it just gives more ammunition against Jacob? I found it next to Roasted Love’s trash bin."

We both sat down and looked at each other. Thor scratched at the back door and I went to let him in. He bounded toward Daniel as if an old friend.

"Will you agree to let me call my cop friend? He isn’t working t

oday. I could get his advice."

I hesitated. "Once he knows, won’t he be obligated to turn it all in?"

"He’s one of the best cops I know. He would tell us if it had to be turned in." He rubbed his chin. "And, yes, if he knew it to be the right thing, he would do that."

We discussed pros and cons of the situation. We both knew something had to be done with what I found or it would be useless to have it.

"You could give it to Jacob’s lawyer and let him decide," said Daniel.

"That’s good," I said. "It would be his responsibility and he could use it to Jacob’s advantage. It might even get Jacob out of jail sooner than we expected."

"Is there anything else, Sherlock?" asked Daniel. "Somehow you make a better private eye than a reporter."

So far his teasing laugh had not grated on me.

"By the way, just what is belladonna exactly?" I asked.

"It’s something extremely noxious in its crude form. Ironically, it is developed in labs to convert to a medicine used for severe pain and sometimes for infections."

"So how could medicine for pain cause death by poison?"

"It can be very poisonous if it is used in a high dosage. In its raw form, it is immediately deadly. And it dissolves easily."

I knew Jacob never complained of pain. He was reluctant to take any medicine. Once he told me that he never went to doctors. He said even when they knew he was healthy they thought they had to give him a prescription for something.

"Do you want to go out to eat again tomorrow night?" asked Daniel.

"I should meet with Jacob’s lawyer after work. We could meet at Sam’s Sandwiches for lunch around one if you want to."

That night I went to sleep and dreamed of people harvesting a crop of belladonna. In my dream they wore heavy gloves. Guards surrounded them while they loaded trucks that took it to a huge sterile laboratory. The face of Eddie appeared as one of the drivers. The shoulders of the Senator and Janie bent over the long table. They sifted through the substance. Jacob stood apart and watched. Even Daniel was there with his arms folded and a soft laugh came from his lips. In the background flashing neon lights showed the front of Sunrise coffee house. Michael’s face loomed in the window. The bizarre nightmare jolted me fully awake.