“Hi, Briseis. I really apologize. I don’t have another key for you, but I do have something my secretary misplaced. It’s a drawing. It’s here if you’d like to swing by and get it.”

“Be there in five minutes.” I put my hand on Mo’s arm. “It’s gonna be okay. I’m gonna reopen the apothecary and get some money coming in.”

“Always lookin’ at the bright side.” She smiled and leaned back.

“I get that from you,” I said. “Can you run me to Mrs. Redmond’s office quick? She has a paper she forgot to give to me.”

“Didn’t you just come from there earlier?”

“Yeah, she wasn’t there, but she is now.”

Five minutes later I got out of the car and went up to Mrs. Redmond’s office again. The door sat ajar.

I stepped inside and an electronic bell chimed.

“Be right there,” she called from another room.

The office was cramped and sparsely decorated. A small desk strewn with papers and file folders stood in the middle of the room. There was a bookshelf with only two or three titles, all having to do with law. The sound of running water and the flush of a toilet told me the only other door in the office led to a bathroom. A picture of Niagara Falls hung on the wall. A small TV sat on a file cabinet in the corner. The local news was on, and a meteorologist was warning of an impending cold front that would bring rain and wind to Rhinebeck and the surrounding areas.

Mrs. Redmond came out and gave me a quick side hug before sitting down at her desk. “I should have been more thorough when I was putting your paperwork together. I am so sorry, Briseis. Truly.” She picked up a piece of paper and held it out to me. “Like I said, I’m usually very good about staying organized, but my secretary must have misplaced this. I found it shuffled in with some papers that were to be shredded.”

I took the paper from her. “It’s okay, really.”

It was a drawing of the same crest that was on the door in the rear of the Poison Garden and on the hidden office’s desk, but there was something underneath I didn’t recognize—three horizontal lines stacked one on top of the other. I was sure they weren’t on either of the other crests. I sighed, frustrated. This wasn’t exactly helpful, and it didn’t tell me how I was supposed to find the key to the door in the garden.

“So how are things with the house?” Mrs. Redmond asked. “Is the old place treating you well?”

“It’s going good,” I said. “I mean, there’s still a lot of work to do. The place is filled with old junk.”

She shook her head. “That’s too bad. Have you had a look around the rest of the property? I know there’s a ton of acreage. Karter said you’ve been spending a lot of time in a garden? I have to be honest, I’m a little surprised by that. Gardening isn’t really his thing.”

“He’s been helping me out,” I said. “Thanks for letting him come over. I know he’s got responsibilities at the bookshop.”

“He does, but to hear him tell it, it’s all too overwhelming, too much to handle.” She shook her head. “What can I do? I’m only his mother. Not quite as exciting as the new girl in town.” Bitterness stained her words, and all I could think of was how much Karter wanted to be in her good graces. “Briseis, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” She clasped her hands together in front of her. “Has a young woman come to the house by any chance? A woman with silver-gray hair?”

“You mean Marie?”

“Oh, I don’t know her name. The reason I ask is because a few weeks ago, while I was prepping the paperwork for the house, I had to go over and make sure everything was locked up. We’ve had some prowlers around town, and I didn’t want anyone trespassing on the property.” She lowered her voice and leaned in closer. “I saw a young woman standing out in the driveway.”

My skin pricked up. “Did she—did she say anything?”

“No. It was the strangest thing, and I’ll be honest, it scared me. She left before I had a chance to confront her. But you say you know her?”

“I mean—we just met. I don’t know her.”

“Right,” said Mrs. Redmond. “I’m so happy that we were able to get you into the house and that you’ll be taking care of it from now on. Please don’t take offense to what I’m about to say, but not everyone has good intentions. You’re new here and you’ve come into possession of a very large estate. There may be people who want to take advantage of you.”

I wasn’t sure what she was getting at.

Mrs. Redmond leaned back. “I’m sorry, Briseis. It’s the mom in me, always worrying. You know, Karter is—” She stopped short as she gazed past me to the TV. A ticker flashed across the bottom of the screen and the reporter took on a solemn tone.

“A tragedy in Rhinebeck tonight. Longtime resident Hannah Taylor was found after an exhaustive search covering most of Dutchess County, and the result was not what anyone was hoping for.” The reporter’s voice cracked as he announced the details of the woman’s death.

Mrs. Redmond shook her head and her eyes glazed over. “Oh no.” She stared at the television, her hands trembling.

“Mrs. Redmond?”

She clenched her teeth and looked down at her desk. “Hannah and I went to high school together. Graduated the same year.”

I looked at the TV again. “I’m so sorry.”

She hung her head and dabbed at her eyes. “Would you excuse me, Briseis? I need to make some calls. Hannah’s mother is probably beside herself.”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Please be cautious,” she said, her voice choked with emotion.

“I will.” I reached out and gently squeezed her arm, then went to meet Mo in the car.

CHAPTER 17

“Got what you needed?” Mo asked, eyeing the drawing in my hand.

“No. It wasn’t a key. It’s a drawing that was with the other papers.” I glanced up at the office window before we pulled off. “Mrs. Redmond just heard that a close friend of hers died.”

“Seriously?” Mo asked.

“It was on the news. They found her body somewhere close by.”

“That’s terrible.” Mo shook her head and heaved a big sigh as we headed back to the house.