The Pea Soup Poisonings by Nancy Means Wright Read Free Book Online Page A

meet you around back. Bring a blanket and pillow.”
    “And a couple of doughnuts,” whispered Spence. “We’ll have a homecoming party.”
    But he was no sooner across and into his house when the blue car came slowly back up the road.
     
     
    Chapter Twelve
     
    Mum as a Chrysanthe-Mum
     
    “Quick. This way,” said Zoe as the headlights illuminated the area and lingered in front of Spence’s house. She hustled Miss Thelma around behind the blacksmith shop and next door to the Bagley sisters’ house, where a kitchen light was shining. Surely Spence wouldn’t come out with the key while the blue car was waiting...
    “Besides,” she whispered to Thelma, “the sisters have a bed and a bathroom. You might not find either in the blacksmith shop.”
    Miss Maud threw her arms around Thelma. “We heard you were up in Rockbury. Oh, you poor dear thing! Oh come in, come in. How did you ever get back?”
    “This dear child rescued me,” said Thelma, still puffing and out of breath. She dropped gratefully into a kitchen chair.
    “Oh, you sweetheart,” said Miss Maud, and hugged Zoe.
    Miss Gertie came into the room and served up hot lentil soup, cheese and crackers and Kickapoo juice, made from lemonade and iced tea. When they were seated around the table she flung up her arms and said, “Now tell us all about it. Every last detail.”
    So Thelma and Zoe took turns with the story of the kidnapping and then the Rockbury rescue. It turned out that Miss Gertie had actually watched the relatives with Thelma from a window.
    “So I said to Maud, ‘Maudie, something is wrong here. Thelma doesn’t want to go with that pair. You can see it by the way she’s resisting!’ So I can be a witness when you take them to court, Thelma.”
    “First we have to catch them. Prove they’ve done something really bad. But we’re working on the case,” Zoe said.
    “My stars,” said Thelma, patting Zoe’s shoulder, “this is one precocious child. Without her and that young Spence Riley I’d still be in that awful room with those two crazies.”
    “Maybe they weren’t so crazy when they got there, either,” said Zoe thoughtfully. “Maybe we can reform the whole system.”
    “My,” said Miss Maud, “I taught you right, didn’t I, child. I’m so proud of you!” She pulled herself out of her seat and planted a soupy kiss on Zoe’s cheek.
    The four talked for a while longer until Miss Gertie noticed the glazed look in Thelma’s eyes and escorted her up to bed.
    “Don’t let anyone know she’s here,” Zoe warned. She followed the sisters upstairs where Miss Gertie was already running a warm bath.
    “Oh no, dear, we’ll keep mum as a chrysanthe-mum,” Miss Maud promised.
    “And soon,” said Miss Thelma, rubbing her bleary eyes, “we’ll go to the bank and get out that safe deposit box. And see what it is those two are looking for.”
    “Tomorrow morning, please?” said Zoe.
    “Tomorrow? Well, all right, dear,” said Thelma. “We’ll have to take a taxi.”
    “But Miss Thelma will have to go in disguise,” Zoe reminded the sisters. “In case those kidnappers are hanging around the bank. Can you help us?”
    “Count on us,” said Miss Gertie. “I still have that blond wig I wore at Halloween.” She wiggled her hips in a mock dance, Zoe giggled. Gertie had looked absurd at Halloween in a yellow wig and a pink mini skirt with her knobby knees bulging out.
    Zoe was on her way downstairs when she had another thought. “Have you seen that pair before? That Cedric and Chloe? I mean, before they took off with Miss Thelma?”
    Miss Maud thought a moment. “Well, I didn’t exactly see them, dear, but come to think of it, I did see a blue car the day Agnes Fairweather died. It arrived just after we went over with the pea soup. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. But now...” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh. Do you think they did it? Killed Agnes Fairweather?”
    “Maybe,” said Zoe. “But