The Murder of a Queen Bee by Meera Lester Read Free Book Online Page A

torched the car,” said Abby. She leaned against the Jeep door, shaking her head, feeling sorrowful all over again.
    â€œOh, but there were traces of emesis in her mouth,” said Kat. “What do you make of that?”
    â€œShe threw up?” Abby asked, frowning. “You know, I’ve been with Fiona when she’s plucked a leaf from a plant and chomped down on it. I often wondered how she always seemed to know whether or not it was poisonous.” Abby scratched her head. “Maybe she knew from the bitterness or chalkiness or acidity. I don’t know. Regardless, it’s possible that this time she ate something toxic, something that caused her to vomit.”
    â€œNo evidence of it in the car or anywhere we searched . . .” Kat’s sentence trailed off.
    â€œSo if she was poisoned and threw up, the killer cleaned her up. Don’t you have any idea where the killer took her life?” Abby asked, trying to make a linkage without enough facts.
    â€œNo, we don’t. It’s possible she was at her cottage, or someone took her someplace else. What’s certain is that the murderer wanted the body and the car burned.”
    â€œTo cover his tracks.” Abby tried to wrap her mind around the puzzle. “Any sign of a struggle at her cottage? Or even the foul scent of someone being sick?”
    Kat shook her head. “Nope. And there were no traces of botanical material on the car seats, floorboards, or in the trunk.”
    Abby scratched her head. “So here’s a hypothesis. Fiona ingested or inhaled a lethal dose of something that caused her asphyxia. But it would have had to be quick acting, wouldn’t it? She threw up before dying. Her killer cleaned her up and drove her to the site at Kilbride Lake. He staged her body behind the wheel, used an accelerant, and set the car afire to conceal his crime. Car torched, body burned, and the killer gets away.” Abby waited for a response from Kat.
    â€œIt’s plausible. The toxicology screen will tell us more,” said Kat.
    â€œBut we both know forensic tests don’t happen in the real world like they do on TV. A toxicology screen is going to take a while—two to three weeks or more. Right now, I think the murderer would have had someone to help with the move and the disposal, possibly a second person to drive a getaway car from Kilbride Lake.”
    â€œMakes perfect sense,” Kat said. She glanced again at her watch. “Oh, my gosh, I’ve got to get to court.”
    Abby nodded. “Oh, before you leave . . . What about the tire print?”
    â€œThat piece of tire tread was awfully small. I don’t think the lab will be able to use it,” said Kat.
    Abby nodded. “And Chief Bob Allen made such a big deal about it, as if I were a rookie whom he had just pinned. Whatever. I’ll help the investigation any way I can, Kat, but for now I’d better hustle home before Sugar snaps this leash.”
    Kat was already climbing back into her roadster. “Let’s get an early start Saturday, say seven thirty. Don’t be late, or we’ll lose out on all the good stuff.”
    â€œYou just worry about getting the coffee ready. I’ll bake lemon scones and bring fresh strawberries and crème anglaise,” Abby said. She waved as Kat pulled away.
    Abby dashed inside the feed store, with Sugar behaving like a dog who knew good behavior would get her a reward, and she and the clerk located a rawhide bone, a chew toy, and some dry doggy biscuits, along with a bag of dog food.
    â€œCheck back with us about that water dispenser gasket,” the clerk said. “I’ll let Lucas know we need more.”
    â€œSounds good,” said Abby. She left with her purchases in one hand and Sugar’s leash in the other.
    Watching Sugar devour her treat, Abby decided to take another look at where Fiona had lived and died. We’re already in town. That puts us