Later that evening Victor Pauline took his dog for a long walk in the park. There was one area that he knew was very dry and there was something there he wanted to look at.
Rascal and Victor walked to the far end of the park and stopped. There growing on a corner of the wash embankment was a short stand of castor bean trees. He remembered these from when he was a kid. They grew all over the place and were considered very pretty for their dark green and purple leaves. He could even see a few beans on a couple of stalks.
A person would really have to know their stuff to be able to know the plant and find the plant. Then, gather the beans, dry them, grind them into a powder and then find a way to get that into Dodi Greenfield’s vape cigarette. The science teacher might have the know-how, but he couldn’t see a young mother expending the energy to get the job done. No, it was someone else. He needed to make some phone calls. He called to Rascal, and they went back to the car as the soft darkness of night fell.
#
It was a week later, armed with two subpoenas, that Paul Greenfield, eldest son of Donald Greenfield and Belinda Wyatt, secretary to Donald Greenfield were both arrested by two teams of cops and their computers impounded.
Police IT teams worked around the clock to do the backward searches on the computers that gave them the evidence. A small bottle of castor oil was found on the top shelf of a potting shed in Paul’s backyard.
#
Raul and Victor were back in Slavin’s office.
“I can’t believe it. Paul and Belinda. Unreal. Poor Paul. Poor Donald.”
“I’m sorry,” Victor replied. “I know Paul was your friend, but it was murder. Thought you would like to know.”
Slavin shrugged and looked sad.
“How did you put it together?”
Victor spread out his hands. “I made some calls to some people who know some people.”
Slavin laughed a dry, humorless laugh.
“There is a thing out there these days called the Dark Web. You may have heard….?”
“Rumors,” Slavin replied.
“Well, it’s the kind of place where just about anybody can get just about anything. I was clued in when I went to see Donald Greenfield and I saw the way his secretary hovered over him.”
“She has worked for him a very long time.”
“I’ll bet. I think she is in love with him and was thinking very much that she would become the next Mrs. Greenfield.”
“And,” Slavin nodded, catching on, “was very surprised when Dodi showed up and swept the field.”
“Very,” Victor nodded. “And then, angry when she saw the way her beloved was being treated by that woman.”
“Then came the divorce,” Raul chimed in.
“And the contest over the prenup which could have ended up costing Paul and his sisters a great deal of money.”
“So,” Victor continued, “Paul and Belinda got together. She hatched the plan, ordered the juice. Our IT guy located the order. A Belinda Champs de Vert ordered one small bottle of castor oil liquid.”
“Champs de Vert?” Slavin asked.
“Fields of Green,” Victor replied, “or, Greenfield by another name.”
“Aha,” Slavin was shaking his head.
“Then, Paul had access to the house, he was there frequently anyway and could easily have doctored the vape. Particularly if Dodi had too much to drink and passed out.”
“So, viola.” Slavin had been tipped back in his chair, rocking. He came down with a thump and waved. “Case solved, you two can go home now. Job done.” He smiled grimly.
“That’s true, but there is one other thing, Mr. Slavin.”
Slavin leaned forward.
“Do you, do you think Mr. Donald Greenfield is going to be okay? I mean really okay? First his wife dies, then his second wife, now his son….”
“Gentlemen, it is going to be tough for a while, no doubt. But Mr. Greenfield is a tough old bird, despite what he looks, and he has an extremely strong faith. Eventually, when the dust settles, I think he’ll be okay.”
Slavin ushered both men out. They walked downstairs to the pool car. The heat of summer hit them as they left the cool air-conditioned building.
“Wow,” Raul had to say, “families.”
“Wow is right,” Victor replied, “women.” He gave his partner a wink and they got in the car.
“Tommie’s Burgers?” queried Victor.
“Thought you’d never asked,” replied Raul with a grin.
The end.
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