“What do you think they’ll find?” he asked. “Ground glass. Where will it have come from? Somewhere in this house.”
Zach ignored him and was put through to Detective Morrissey, and quickly explained the situation, extracting the other man’s promise to come over right away.
“Zach, this is just crazy,” Sean protested.
“Maybe there was glass in the blueberries when they were purchased,” Caer suggested.
“It’s her!” Amanda said suddenly, pointing at Caer.
“Pardon?” Caer said.
“Our lives have just been a mess since you brought her home with us, Sean.” She looked at her husband with concern. “Ever since Caer came into this house, things have been going wrong.”
“Oh, Amanda, don’t be ridiculous,” Kat said with disgust. “It seems to me our lives have all gone to hell since you came into them.”
“Sean, I told you that your daughter was never going to be able to accept me,” Amanda said plaintively.
“Everybody, stop!” Sean snapped. “This is my house. Amanda, I love my daughter, and, Kat, Amanda is my wife. Caer had nothing to do with Eddie’s disappearance or me becoming ill in Ireland, Amanda, so, please, let’s just calm down on that. In fact, let’s all go into the living room and have a drink while we wait for Detective Morrissey. Caer’s right. There might have been something wrong with the blueberries themselves. Fresh or canned, Clara?”
“What?” Clara said, as if still dazed. “Oh, the blueberries. They came in a jar, Mr. O’Riley.”
“You’re right, Zach,” Sean said with a deep sigh. “We need Morrissey. There might be more jars of bad blueberries out there. I, for one, am having a drink. You should all join me.”
“Dad, you shouldn’t be drinking,” Kat said.
“I’m having a whiskey,” he said firmly, and left the room.
The others began following him. Zach waited for Caer, who left last. Her eyes met his, big and blue and questioning.
He shrugged. “One swig of whiskey isn’t going to kill him. Something else might, but…”
She nodded, then followed the others from the room.
Soon after drinks were poured, Morrissey arrived. By then, Caer had headed upstairs to check on Bridey. Everyone started talking all at once, until Morrissey gained control. Marni made a point of mentioning that she and Cal didn’t live there, so of course they didn’t know anything about the jar, the pie or anything else that went on in the house. Morrissey wanted to know when Clara had purchased the blueberries, and she was so distraught that she had to think for a while to remember that she had bought them exactly one week before. Morrissey was by turns grave, thoughtful and patient with everyone there, earning Zach’s continuing respect. In the end, he left with the pie. Since the garbage had already been picked up, there was no jar to salvage, but Clara remembered the store where she had purchased the blueberries and the brand, so he had that information to follow up on. In the end, it took hours, but Morrissey had doggedly gotten everything he needed from everyone.
Zach walked the detective out.
“This is a strange situation you’re in,” Morrissey said. “Maybe you should all take separate hotel rooms for a while.”
“Sean will never accept that a member of his family or circle of friends is trying to harm him,” Zach said. “And as to glass in a pie…if Kat hadn’t gotten cut right away, anyone might have eaten it, which would make it a rather random method of committing murder. Marni did take a bite,” he added thoughtfully.
“Maybe she should head to the hospital and have herself checked out,” Morrissey suggested. “Just to be safe.”
“She never actually swallowed or even chewed it,” Zach said.
“Your prime suspect would be anyone who didn’t want pie—if the tampering was done in the house. If Clara isn’t homicidal.”
There was no pun intended. Morrissey’s features were dead flat.
“I’d bet my life that Clara isn’t homicidal,” Zach assured him. “And everybody wanted pie.”
“Well, first things first. The pie, and the blueberries,” Morrissey said. “I’ll get things in motion right away. You just make sure everyone is careful.” He looked at Zach. “Anything else you think I should know?”
Zach stared back at him with a level gaze. “No.”
Morrissey nodded and left.
Cal and Marni emerged from the house before Zach could reenter.
“We’re going home,” Cal said, but he looked apologetic, as if he felt guilty, leaving when everything was such a mess.
“Yeah, sure.” Zach looked at Marni. “You’re sure you didn’t swallow any of the pie?”
Marni nodded. “Trust me—I’d have been screaming for an ambulance if I had. I’m all right. And someone has to keep the business going.”
“Of course.”
They still stood there awkwardly.
“Well, we’ll talk tomorrow, I’m sure,” Marni said.
“Yes, I’ll be in,” Zach told them. “I may take off around the area, do a little boating, clear my head.”
“Oh?” Marni asked.