Scent to Kill: A Natural Remedies Mystery (Natural Remedies Mysteries) Read online

  “I just feel bad. I know Simon didn’t do this.” I took the phone from Jackson, walked to the chair, and dropped it into my purse. “I’m going to take a shower.” I stripped and headed for the bathroom. Once the water was a nice warm temperature, I stepped underneath the spray and washed my hair with organic shampoo. After that I grabbed the organic lavender-scented soap and started to scrub. Despite the relaxing warmth and heavenly lavender fragrance, my brain was moving a mile a minute. Who would have a motive to kill Roger? Was it business or personal? Did MJ really sense something or was she the killer? And I hated to even think about this, but how was Roger killed? Surely, that would reveal something about the murderer. I hoped the autopsy results were available soon.

  I dried off, put my robe on, and padded back into my bedroom.

  “I could hear you thinking from in here,” Jackson said, pulling on his button-fly, black jeans, which were now dry. He didn’t keep much clothing at my place; he was used to going home to shower. “Is this going to become an obsession like last time?”

  I bit my lip and thought about it. “I’m afraid it might be.”

  “This is not for you.” He put his hands on my shoulders and looked me right in the eye. “Let his lawyers handle it.”

  “How can I when my gut feeling is that Simon didn’t do it? He’s self-absorbed and needy, but he’s not a killer. So who did commit murder? Who do you think did it—and why?”

  Jackson dropped his hands and picked up his shirt. “No, you are not dragging me into a murder investigation again.” He put his shirt on and tucked it into his pants. “And you are not getting involved, either.”

  “I can make my own decision, Jackson.”

  He put his belt through his belt loops. “I’m just trying to keep you safe. Remember what happened last time.”

  “I know what happened. I solved the case, with your help.” Through intuition and hard work and Jackson’s assistance, I had managed to find Aunt Claire’s killers. I’d had no intention of becoming an amateur sleuth, but I had a knack for it. It might have had something to do with my training. Holistic doctors see the world as having a natural order. When that order is disturbed in a patient, we bring them back into balance with natural cures. So when things on a bigger scale go wrong in the world, such as when my aunt was murdered, I needed to set that right. It had been my only solace. But could I do it again?

  Jackson sat down in the comfy chair and pulled me onto his lap. “You did a tremendous job finding your aunt’s murderer, but you also almost got killed—and so did I.”

  “But if Simon needs my help, don’t I have to try to help him?”

  Jackson blew out a breath. “Do me a favor. Wait until we hear what the lawyers have to say before you do anything, okay? This may just blow over. Can you do that?”

  chapter five

  Dr. Willow McQuade’s Healthy Living Tips

  It’s easy to transform your bathroom into an aromatic oasis. Not only will you feel like you’re at the spa, afterward you’ll feel rested and renewed. Just float fresh flowers or orange or lemon peels in the bathwater for a refreshing flower-power bath. You can use lilac, lavender, honeysuckle, or jasmine. You can also trim the aromatic leaves from mint and lemon balm and put them in the water.

  Yours Naturally,

  Dr. McQuade

  I told Jackson that I wouldn’t take action until I learned what Simon’s lawyers were able to do. If they cleared Simon, I could let it rest. Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So I decided to do my Kripalu yoga practice, which is meditation in motion. It helps to move the life force, or prana, through one’s body, and I knew it would help me center myself.

  I put on my yoga gear, a sleeveless, turquoise top and matching cropped pants, put my hair up in a ponytail, and headed down to the second floor to the yoga studio. The cats stayed on the bed, but Qigong trailed after me. The studio had floor-to-ceiling windows, and the space was open and inviting. I pulled a sticky mat from the stack in the corner and put it down so I faced the windows. Qigong curled up in the corner on a pile of blankets.

  I warmed up with a few gentle stretches, head-to-knee pose, and spinal twists. Then I moved on to frog, cobra, bridge pose, boat pose, downward dog, child’s pose, and corpse pose. After I was through, I sat quietly and did some Pranayama, or yogic breathing. By the time I was done, I felt better; I always did after yoga.

  After I got dressed, Qigong and I headed downstairs to my office. It was still early, so Merrily hadn’t yet arrived. First I went into the kitchen and made myself a bowl of steel-cut oats and gave Qigong his organic dog food. I also made a cup of chamomile tea to help calm me down. Then I went into the office and had my breakfast. But thoughts of Simon intruded. I decided to call Carly, since Simon was obviously unreachable right now. The call didn’t even ring through; it went straight to her voice mail.

  I put my phone down and swiveled around in the desk chair as I tried to decide what to do next. Should I go to the jail? Or wait until I heard from Carly again? I decided to stay put for now. I didn’t want to get in the way if I wasn’t needed.

  I swiveled the chair back around and noticed that a new fax was in the tray. It was a résumé from a Mr. Wallace Bryan, applying for work. With the college kids back at school, I was looking for a little extra help for the off-season. He’d added a note that he would stop by this morning. I hoped that he would be flexible about his salary needs, especially since we were going into the off-season and money would be tight. If I had to, I could take up Simon on his offer of a loan. But that would be a last resort.

  Putting the résumé in my in-box, I turned my attention to the seminar on lavender tonight. I opened my file that held all the information about the seminar and quickly reviewed the outline I’d prepared. Next, I scheduled several tweets to remind my followers about what was happening at the store tonight, and I posted it on Facebook, too. I also posted a new blog entry I’d written to the Nature’s Remedy site, about using aromatherapy in the bath.

  Still, it was difficult to concentrate when my mind kept going over what had happened last night. As every minute ticked past, I became more and more concerned about Simon. I’d just made up my mind to go to the jail when the front door opened and Merrily yelled hello. Moments later she walked into the office, a huge grin on her face, holding a box from Green Focus. “The Fresh Face cream is here!” She put it down on the front of the desk.

  “Finally, some good news,” I said.

  “What do you mean?”

  I didn’t answer her immediately. I wanted to enjoy this moment. I had worked hard to find my aunt’s formula after she was killed and felt gratified that it was finally ready to go on sale. I grabbed a pair of scissors and opened the carton. Inside were twenty-four boxes of Fresh Face cream. I picked one up and examined it. The box featured appealing shades of green and blue against a cream background and was covered with line drawings of various herbs. The jar in the box was silver with a white top and also engraved with an herbal theme. I opened a jar, dipped my index finger in, and rubbed it on my cheek. It felt like velvet, and the moisturizer was absorbed by my skin quickly. I handed the jar to Merrily. “It’s really nice. Try it.”

  “Okay.” She put a dab of cream on her forehead and rubbed it in. “It is nice. But when are you going to tell me what is going on?”

  “You’d better sit down.” After she took a seat on the couch next to Qigong, I continued, “Simon is in jail.”

  “Why? What happened?”

  I briefly explained what had happened at the party yesterday, including Simon’s fight with Roger. “Late last night, MJ, the TV psychic, discovered Roger dead on the beach in front of the Bixby estate. Detective Koren says it’s murder, and he’s holding Simon for questioning at the Greenport jail.”

  “Murder? OMG, it’s just like three months ago all over again! But why Simon? Just because he’s going out with Carly and he had that fight with Roger?”

  I shook my head. “There’s more. Simon
just bought shares in Galaxy Productions. That’s the team that’s shooting at the mansion. And with Roger dead, Simon now has the controlling interest in the company. That’s all they need to know.”

  Merrily mulled this over. “Are you going to try and find the killer like you did the last time?”

  That was the big question. “I don’t know.” Then my phone rang. Finally, it was Carly. I pressed Accept. “Carly, what’s going on? How is Simon?”

  “The lawyers arrived at the jail almost an hour ago, right after I texted you. They’re in with Simon now.”

  “What do you think is going to happen?”

  “I don’t know.” Her voice sounded somewhat shaky.

  It couldn’t be easy for Carly to wait alone when her estranged husband had just been murdered and her new boyfriend was the prime suspect. Plus, I wanted to know what was happening, firsthand. “I’m coming over.”

  “I don’t know what you think you can do, Willow,” Carly said not unkindly.

  “I’m not sure either.”

  After a long pause she finally said, “I’ll see you when you get here.”

  I told Merrily about Wallace Bryan, gave her his résumé, and asked her to interview him and check out his references. Then I left a message for Jackson to tell him what I was doing and left the store. As I walked down the path, past my own lavender and echinacea plants, I realized just how much had changed in less than twenty-four hours. It felt absolutely surreal that I was going to the Greenport jail to see Simon.

  The jail was an imposing redbrick building with bars on tiny windows. Nervously, I climbed the steps and pulled open the heavy oak door. I found Carly sitting on a bench, sniffling and scrolling through her messages on her BlackBerry. Next to her was a small garbage can filled with used tissues. Obviously she had been crying. Opposite her was a desk manned by an imposing cop with a shaved head and an extra forty pounds. He was reading the newspaper but looked up and said, “Help you, miss?”

  “I’m a friend of Simon Lewis.”

  He looked back down at his paper. “Sorry. No visitors, miss.”

  “Willow, he’s still in with his lawyers,” Carly said.

  I went over and sat down next to her. “What’s going on in there? Will he be charged?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  “I’m really sorry about Roger, Carly.”

  “I know, Willow, thanks.” She put her phone back in her purse. “Before, I was in shock over what happened. Then I was so busy getting Simon a lawyer that I didn’t have time to process the whole thing, but now it’s really starting to sink in. I’m going to have to arrange a funeral for Roger.” Her voice started to shake. “I really don’t know how I’m going to do this.” She pulled a tissue out of her pocketbook as tears began to stream down her face.

  We sat in silence for forty-five minutes before the door just past the desk opened and two men, dressed in expensive suits and holding briefcases, came out with Simon. Carly jumped up and went over and hugged him. “Are you okay?”

  “Get me out of here.” Simon looked absolutely awful, unshaven, with a haunted look in his eyes.

  One of the lawyers, who looked like a bulldog and wore tiny glasses, opened the door for all of us. We filed out and walked down the stairs.

  When we got to the sidewalk, Carly asked, “What happened in there, Dick? Is he cleared?”

  The man with a gold Rolex and what had to be a $3,000 suit said, “We need to talk somewhere in private.” He motioned to the black stretch limo parked out front.

  “No more enclosed spaces. I need fresh air.” Simon came over to me and gave me a hug. “Thanks for coming, Willow. Can we talk in your office at Nature’s Way? I want to grab breakfast.”

  “Whatever you want, Simon.” I wondered what exactly was going on.

  “Carly and I will meet you there,” Simon told the two lawyers. “Willow, are you coming?”

  Carly whispered something to Simon. He shook his head. Carly probably didn’t want me to come. I couldn’t blame her; they needed alone time.

  Before he could say anything, I did. “I’ve got my car. I’ll see you all there in a few minutes.”

  When I returned to Nature’s Way, I found Merrily sitting at one of the café tables, reviewing a paper on the table in front of her and chatting with a man with a white ponytail and Benjamin Franklin specs. Both of them had cups of tea in front of them. This had to be Wallace Bryan, the retired owner of a health food store in Northport who had faxed over his résumé this morning. With everything else that was going on I was glad that Merrily, as manager, was handling his interview. If she liked him, that was good enough for me.

  “Willow!” Merrily said, jumping up from the table and coming over to me. “What happened?”

  “I don’t know yet. We’re meeting in my office once everyone gets here.” I smiled at the man with the white ponytail. “You must be Wallace. Thanks for coming in.”

  He smiled, stood up, and shook my hand. “My pleasure. Your store is wonderful. You have a great selection here, and the place has lots of positive energy. That’s very important.”

  “I think so, too. So how are you two making out?”

  “I’m very impressed with Wallace’s background,” Merrily said. “I think he could be a big help around here.”

  The front door opened and we all turned around. It was the lawyers. I went over to meet them. “This way, gentlemen.” I steered them toward the office. The two men followed, then sat on the couch. I pulled the guest chairs around for Simon and Carly. “Would anyone care for coffee or herbal tea?” Neither of them took me up on the offer.

  I excused myself and went to see Merrily. “Can I talk to you for a moment, please?”

  “Sure. How can I help?” Merrily was always ready to do whatever needed to be done.

  “Hold any calls for me, okay? I don’t know how long this is going to take. And if you like Wallace, just do a quick check on his references and then you can hire him. See if he can start right away.”

  She nodded. “I think he’s going to be a good fit for the store, but there’s something else, Willow. One of the people from that MJ TV show came in when you were gone. Amanda, I think? She asked for you but I told her you were out. She asked a whole bunch of questions about how natural remedies can help with stress. I told her about herbs and supplements and flower essences, all that stuff. She asked about the massages and acupuncture here, too.”

  This was an interesting development. “Did she say why?”

  “She was gathering info.” Merrily shrugged. “I didn’t want to pry.”

  “That’s fine.” I put it on my mental back burner. I had other things to deal with now. “Thanks, Merrily.” I walked to the front door, opened it, and looked east, down Front Street. Simon and Carly were about a block away. I waited for them to get to the store, and we all went inside together.

  “Can I have buckwheat pancakes and strawberries?” Simon asked.

  I said sure and whipped some up for him while Carly told the lawyers it would be a few minutes. When the pancakes were ready, Simon took the plate and a glass of orange juice and went into my office. Carly and I followed.

  The moment we entered, Dick stopped pounding on his BlackBerry and looked up. “I think that Carly and Willow should step outside for this first part, Simon.”

  “They stay,” Simon said, shoveling the pancakes into his mouth.

  “Listen to me, Simon,” Dick said. “This is important. You and I need to go over a few things.” He glanced at us. “We won’t be long, ladies.”

  Simon took a sip of juice, wiped his mouth, and finally shrugged.

  Dick said, “Ladies, you mind?”

  Carly opened the door and stormed out, so I guessed she did. I wanted to know what was going on, but I could wait if it would help Simon. I stepped out and closed the door behind me.

  Carly, ever productive, used the time to make funeral arrangements, while I helped Merrily out by manning the counte
r so she could just focus on serving customers. Almost an hour later, Dick opened the door and asked us to come in. Carly took the guest chair next to Simon but didn’t say anything. I moved my office chair around the desk and sat down.

  “Okay, here is what is going on, ladies,” Dick said. “The police wanted to question Simon some more. Of course, I can’t allow that. But they did say that he is a person of interest. I believe that their investigation into the murder of Roger Bixby will continue to involve him.”

  “I don’t understand this,” I said. “Is this just because he’s involved with Carly? Or is it because of the shares that Simon purchased? He said he did it for a tax break.”

  Dick nodded. “That didn’t help. Now that Roger is dead, Simon has the controlling interest in Galaxy Productions. But just as important, Simon has fought with Roger on two other occasions, and there were witnesses both times.”

  “What? You’ve fought before, Simon?”

  Simon shrugged and took Carly’s hand.

  “So what happens now?” Carly asked. “What do we do?”

  “I’m going to put my best PI on this to investigate backgrounds on all the parties involved. But I also need someone who can go on the set and look around without arousing suspicion,” Dick said. “Most outsiders I bring in, they couldn’t do that. And I don’t think we have a lot of time to be coming up with cover stories.” He turned to me. “Ms. McQuade, Simon told me what you were able to do in June. I agree that it was impressive work. But I’m not sure that you should be involved. After all, you’re an amateur with not much of a track record.”

  “I agree.” Carly nodded. “No offense, Willow.”

  “None taken.” I understood the way Dick and Carly felt. I was an amateur investigator, and I wasn’t even sure I could do this.

  “I want this, Dick. She’s good,” Simon said, a warning tone in his voice. “Make it happen.”