“So your daughter found out it was definitely wolfsbane, but she didn’t mention when the poison was actually administered?” Rebecca asked Wanda.

  “That’s exactly right,” she said. “Why don’t you go and ask Sarah Beiler?”

  I looked at Rebecca. “Sarah Beiler is the local healer,” she said. “Most people from the community go to her if they have ailments. She knows a lot about herbs for medicinal purposes. May be she can tell us about wolfsbane. She will know the amount needed to poison someone and whether the taste could be disguised in a chocolate cupcake.”

  Something occurred to me. “Wanda, would you mind finding out from your daughter whether or not the medical examiner could tell whether the poison was in the cupcake itself?”

  “Sure, I’ll ask her,” Wanda said.

  “And the police took all the cupcakes from my store,” Rebecca added. “I don’t suppose the medical examiner’s office checks the contents of those?”

  Wanda looked confused. “What do you mean?” Before either of us could respond, she said, “Ah, I see what you mean. Nee, I have no idea if that’s the medical examiner’s department. It might be a different department.” She chuckled. “All my daughter talks about is her work filing in the medical examiner’s office, but I haven’t learned much about it.”

  I forced a smile. This was not looking good, not good at all. I’m sure the murderer had no way of knowing we were growing wolfsbane in the garden. If he or she did, then it would seem Rebecca and I were being framed. After all, Colin Greaves did die in Rebecca’s store. I made a mental note to find out how long wolfsbane would take to prove fatal after it was administered. Sarah Beiler would be the one to answer that question.

  Chapter 10

  When we got back to the cupcake store, it was almost time to open. Rebecca and I hurried around getting everything ready. “Should we visit with Sarah Beiler this afternoon?” I asked her.

  Rebecca set out several small cupcakes on a plate. “I’ll never be able to look at the sample cupcakes in the same way again. Sorry, what did you say? Oh yes, Sarah Beiler. No, I think it’s fairly urgent. Why don’t you go now? You could take Matilda and Eleanor with you.”

  “Are you sure you’ll be all right in the shop alone? Do you think Eleanor or Matilda should stay with you?”

  An unmistakable look of fear flashed across Rebecca’s face. She held both hands in front of her, palms outward. “Nee, nee, nee! I don’t need their help. I’ll be fine by myself. You can take both of them with you.”

  I suspected there had been an incident with either Matilda or Eleanor at some point, but I wasn’t about to ask. I had more pressing things on my mind like being a suspect in a murder case. “All right, I’ll go. Do you think she’ll be upset to have three Englischers arrive at her door?”

  Rebecca laughed. “She has several Englischers as customers. I’m sure you won’t frighten her. Speak to her in Pennsylvania Dutch to put her at ease.”

  I laughed too.

  “Did I hear my name mentioned?” Matilda said, hurrying into the shop.

  I told her what we had discussed and concluded, “So, would you and Eleanor like to come with me?”

  Matilda’s face lit up. “Sure! I’ll run and tell Eleanor to get ready.”

  In less than five minutes, both ladies appeared once more in the shop. There hadn’t been any customers in that time, so I hoped it would be a slow morning. “Rebecca, call me if you get too many customers and I’ll drive straight back.” I waved my cell phone at her.

  “I’m sure it will be fine.”

  I looked at Eleanor. Her hair was still full of rollers. “How long will it take you to get ready?”

  Eleanor looked puzzled. “I’m ready now.”

  “I see.” I had not known Eleanor long, but I had not once seen her without her rollers. It made me wonder if she ever took them out. If so, why were they in? I figured she was going to take them out to look good for an occasion. But what occasion could that be? Still, I was beginning to realize that the Birtwistle sisters were somewhat unusual. They had certainly brightened up my life in a short space of time.

  “All right then, let’s go.”

  “Where are we going again?” Eleanor asked me.

  Matilda waved a finger at her. “Honestly, Eleanor. Sometimes I wonder about you. I told you quite clearly that we are going to see an herbalist. Is that what she is, Jane, an herbalist?”

  “She’s Amish and she’s a healer,” I told them. “She uses herbs and has a good knowledge of them, so we can ask questions about wolfsbane.”

  “Do you think we will frighten her?” Eleanor asked me.

  “Quite possibly,” Matilda said, looking Eleanor up and down. “What are we are waiting for? Come on, there’s no time like the present.”

  On the ride over to Sarah Beiler’s house, Matilda and Eleanor kept me entertained with stories of their world travels. It was good having the company. I had been worried about how I would handle being with other people. I had been alone for six months—more than that really, as I was pretty much alone when married as my husband was never home, but I thoroughly enjoyed the company of these ladies. What’s more, they made me laugh.

  “Take the next left,” Matilda suddenly yelled.

  “But that’s not the way,” I said, puzzled.

  “Left!” Matilda exclaimed. “You told us you thought you were being followed, and I’m sure that car has been behind us the whole way.”

  I took the next left as she asked, but the car didn’t follow us. “It wasn’t someone following me after all,” I said.

  “Or maybe it’s someone who is experienced at tailing,” Matilda said. “That’s exactly what I would do if I were tailing someone. Head for Mrs. Beiler’s house now and I’ll keep a good eye out.”

  The rest of the journey passed without incident. I parked the car and got out and then walked over to the horse tied to the rail outside the house. He was a beautiful bay horse. I stroked his glossy neck. “The one thing I miss about the Amish way of life, apart from the community being so tight knit and helping everybody, is the horses,” I told Matilda and Eleanor. “I really miss horses.”

  “Then why don’t you buy one?” Eleanor said.

  Matilda looked at Eleanor over the top of her glasses. “Yes, I’m sure Rebecca would be thrilled when Jane takes a horse into her cupcake store, or maybe she can take the horse up the stairs into our apartment.”

  Eleanor was not one to bite back, being a kindly person. “Obviously I didn’t mean she would keep the horse in our apartment, of course, Matilda,” she said in even tones. “She could keep the horse somewhere and pay board. Isn’t there a name for that?” Without waiting for any one to respond, she pushed on. “Of course, why didn’t I think of that? She could keep the horse at Rebecca’s farm.”

  “As much as I love horses, they’re expensive,” I said. “If I get a horse, I’ll get a rescue horse. In fact, I would get an old rescue horse because most people don’t rescue elderly animals.”

  “It’s lucky we’re not rescue animals, then,” Matilda said with a chuckle.

  “Tell me about it!” I said. I spotted someone peeping behind curtains so made my way to the door. As my hand was raised to knock, an Amish woman opened the door.

  “Guten mariye,” I said, greeting her. “I’m Rebecca Yoder’s twin sister, Jane. These ladies are sisters, Matilda and Eleanor Birtwistle, and they live in the apartment above Rebecca’s cupcake store.”

  Sarah at first looked confused, but then she smiled widely. “I’m Sarah Beiler,” she said, “but I think you already know that. “Won’t you come in?”

  She ushered us into her house. Once more, I was struck by just how quiet Amish houses are. There was no low vibration of electricity, no electric refrigerator humming away, no low sound of the television, or any of the sounds that people never notice until they’re suddenly bereft of them. Amish houses were always quiet unless it was the cheerful sound of children’s laughter or happy conversation.

  Once we were seated in comfortable wooden chairs, Sarah abruptly left the room. She presently returned carrying a tray on which were steaming mugs. I noticed a big plate of whoopie pies of every color imaginable. She set them in front of us and we thanked her.

  I took a sip of the tea. Peppermint. I was quite partial to meadow tea.

  “Now what can I do for you ladies?” Sarah asked.

  “Yesterday, a man died in my sister’s store.”

  I expected Sarah to gasp at least look shocked, but she nodded slowly.

  “Did you already know?” I asked her.

  “Jah,” she said, nodding. “My brother Michael told me. Rebecca told her husband, of course, and her husband works with Elijah, a friend of my brother Michael.”

  “Oh.” That made sense. News usually traveled like wildfire around the Amish community. “We have just found out that the victim, Colin Greaves, was killed with wolfsbane.”

  That was news to Sarah. She raised her eyebrows and then said, “I see.”

  Matilda spoke for the first time. “We grow wolfsbane in our greenhouse along with several other herbs that are poisonous in certain quantities.”

  “You use the herbs medicinally?” Sarah asked.

  Eleanor and Matilda nodded.

  Sarah looked pleased. “Maybe we could talk at some time.”

  “I’d like that,” Eleanor said, and Matilda nodded.

  “So you’ve come to ask me about the wolfsbane, how it specifically relates to the victim?” Sarah asked.

  I noticed her eyes were like a hawk’s. Nothing would escape this lady. She was as sharp as a tack.

  “Rebecca and I were there when Mr. Greaves entered the shop,” I told her. “He was talking for some time, maybe about five minutes, and then he ate one of the sample cupcakes. Rebecca always has them on the countertop. He ate a chocolate one. Shortly after doing so, he clutched his throat and fell to the ground. Rebecca called 911 and then the paramedics took him away. The detectives came soon after and then one of them got a call that Mr. Greaves had passed away.”

  Sarah had been listening intently, leaning forward, her vivid green eyes fixed on me. “Did he say anything?” she asked me.

  I tapped my head. “Oh yes he did! I almost forgot. He said, ‘My heart’. I thought it must have been because he had a heart condition and needed his heart medication. I looked through his coat pockets, but there were no bottles of medication.”

  Sarah shook her head. “He would have been saying that because he was suffering ventricular tachycardia. You know, abnormal, rapid heart rate. That’s one of the main symptoms of wolfsbane. “

  She looked around the three of us. “Are any of you familiar with what wolfsbane does, as a poison, I mean?”

  We all shook our heads.

  “If eaten, it causes neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms as well as cardiovascular symptoms, and the ventricular tachycardias are often fatal.”

  “So what we were hoping you could tell us,” I began, “is this. Obviously, Mr. Greaves was given a fatal dose of wolfsbane. How long would it take a fatal dose to cause symptoms? I guess I’m asking whether the wolfsbane was definitely in that chocolate cupcake in Rebecca’s store or whether he could have been given it before he entered the store.”

  “That’s a hard one,” Sarah said. “It could have been given fifteen minutes before, maybe much longer. How long after he ate the cupcake did symptoms show?”

  “Immediately, really,” I said. I tried to remember. It was only the previous day, after all. I figured I’d be a terrible witness in a court case because I was having trouble remembering little details of only the previous day.

  “I think that’s too soon,” Sarah said. “I can’t be sure, mind you. Maybe there was a huge dose in the cupcake, but I would say he was given it before he entered the store. Would you say he was in there about five minutes before the symptoms showed?”

  I nodded.

  Sarah looked thoughtful, and then said, “In my opinion he was given it before he entered the store. Did the police take samples of the cupcakes?”

  “Yes they did,” I told her. “And what’s more, we had several customers that day who ate the sample cupcakes. One of them was a regular customer and she’s okay. The police contacted her and she doesn’t have a single symptom. The police actually took every cupcake in the store, and if they found poison in any of them, they haven’t told us. We were up late last night baking to replace them all.”

  “I’d be very surprised if the poison was in the cupcake in that case,” Sarah said. “I’d say it was administered before he entered the store.”

  “And you think it would take at least fifteen minutes before he had symptoms?” I asked her.

  “Yes, about fifteen minutes,” she said.

  “I know people can build up an immunity to poison if taken in small amounts over time,” Matilda said, “but I also know that thallium is fatal if given over time in small doses. Is there any possibility he could have been given wolfsbane in small doses and this was the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak?”

  Sarah shook her head. “No, that’s unlikely. It seems somebody administered him a fatal dose before he entered the store. As I said, it would be a minimum of fifteen minutes before symptoms appeared.”

  “Is it dose-dependent?” I asked her. “What if he was given a huge dose in the cupcake? Would that have caused instant death?”

  Once more, Sarah shook her head. “Nee, it would still take about fifteen minutes.”

  “Denki. You’ve been ever so helpful,” I said.

  “Yes, thank you so much for your time,” Matilda said. “How much do we owe you for this consultation?”

  “Nothing at all,” Sarah said. “My advice is free, but perhaps you could do me one favor?”

  “Sure,” Eleanor said. “What is it?”

  “You know how we had the heavy rain last night?” We all nodded. Sarah pushed on. “My roof is leaking and I’m wondering if there’s something wrong with it. Would one of you ladies climb up onto the roof to take a look?”

  “Sure,” Matilda said.

  “I’ll go up on the roof,” I said.

  “Let Jane go,” Eleanor said. “She’s the youngest one here.”

  “That makes a pleasant change,” I said with a laugh. “Do you have a ladder?”

  “Yes, I’ll fetch it for you,” Sarah said.

  Thankfully, the ladder was metal and not an old wooden one that was likely to give way. “Matilda and I will hold it steady for you, Jane,” Eleanor said. I thanked them and shimmied up the ladder, thankful I was not wearing a skirt.

  The roof wasn’t steep, but it was slippery and I was afraid I’d fall off. I was a little concerned. Sarah walked about the front, guiding me and pointing this way and that. “Over to the right. No too far! Go back a bit toward the road. Yes, right about there!”

  I bent down and peered at the roof. I could see the problem. “There doesn’t appear to be a hole in your roof, but your gutters are full of leaves,” I yelled down to Sarah. “You’ll need to get all the gutters around your house cleaned out soon.”

  “Thank you, Jane,” Sarah called out. “I’m relieved it’s only a matter of leaves in the gutters. “

  “They’re packed full of leaves,” I said.

  “Would you mind just checking over the back of the roof and seeing if the gutters are full over that side as well?”

  My heart sank. All I wanted to do was to get off the roof as quickly as possible, but I wanted to help Sarah. “Okay,” I said in a small voice. I carefully lowered myself over the roof. I wasn’t one for heights.

  Eleanor’s voice rang out. “Quick, you’ve gotta come down now, Jane! Hurry!”

  I wondered what the urgency was. I had heard a car so I figured Sarah had another customer and it was time for us to go.

  “I’m coming!” I called out. I lowered myself over the ridge of the roof and took one step. My foot gave way and I slid down the roof wildly scratching for something to grab. There was nothing.

  I screamed as I flew over the edge of the roof, my eyes tightly shut. I felt like I was all happening in slow motion. I had thoughts of landing with broken limbs.

  To my surprise, a pair of strong arms wrapped around me and then I had a soft landing. I opened my eyes. Sarah, Matilda, and Eleanor were bending over me. Eleanor and Sarah’s faces were white and drawn, but Matilda was doing her best not to laugh. A grunting noise came from under me and the ground shook. I looked down and to my utter embarrassment realized I had landed right on top of Detective McCloud.

  “Are you hurt?” he said in a pained voice.

  I held out my hands so the ladies could help me to my feet. I clung onto Eleanor as a wave of nausea hit me. After a moment, I managed to say, “I’m all right. Are you?”

  He clutched his ribs and lay on the ground a bit longer. “Just winded,” he said, patting his ribs. “I don’t think anything is broken.” Suddenly, he scrambled to his feet, one hand on his ribs.

  “Thank you for saving me,” I said.

  He shot me a warm smile, but then his official mask was over his face once more. “Do you ladies know Mrs. Beiler well?”

  Here we go again, I thought. He’s suspicious. “We just met her today,” I said. “Since I’m obviously a suspect in the murder case, we’ve come to ask her about the wolfsbane. We wanted to know how long the symptoms would take to show after the victim was poisoned.”

  “And she said a minimum of fifteen minutes,” Matilda offered.

  Detective McCloud raised his eyebrows. “What makes you say that?” he asked Sarah.

  “Well, I would think that’s common knowledge about wolfsbane,” she said.

  He folded his arms over his chest. “Wolfsbane? Who said the poison was wolfsbane?”

  “The whole Amish community knows,” I said, and then sent up a silent prayer for forgiveness for not being completely honest. At any rate, I was sure the whole Amish community would know within the next few hours.

  He nodded slowly. “I see.”

  “And as the victim died in my presence, and as there is wolfsbane growing on the premises, I figure I’m a suspect so…” I would have said more but Matilda interrupted me.