Bring Your Own Poison by Jimmie Ruth Evans

the glass vial. She stepped a few feet away from Gerald Blakeley and motioned for Bill and Elmer Lee to follow her.
    â€œWhat is it?” Elmer Lee demanded.
    Wanda Nell pulled the napkin-covered vial from her pocket. “This,” she said, holding it out for the men.
    Bill took it gingerly in his big hand. He opened the napkin, and he and Elmer Lee stared down at the glass tube. They exchanged a brief glance.
    â€œWhere did you get this?” Bill asked.
    â€œFrom Gerald,” Wanda Nell said. “He showed it to me, and when I asked him where he found it, he said he wasn’t sure.” She frowned. “He was pretty drunk at the time.”
    Bill cautiously lifted the vial to his nose and sniffed. His eyes narrowed. He folded the napkin over the tube again before handing it to Elmer Lee. Startled, Elmer Lee almost dropped it.
    Bill stepped around Elmer Lee and strode over to Gerald Blakeley, still sitting quietly in his chair.
    Placing a hand on the young man’s shoulder, Bill shook it roughly. “Gerald, look at me.”
    Startled out of his trance, Gerald stared up at the state cop.
    â€œDid you kill your brother?” Bill asked, his voice harsh. He shook the younger man again when Gerald didn’t respond. “Answer me.”
    Gerald still didn’t answer. His head dropped, and he started sobbing.
    Wanda Nell was getting angry with Bill. He shouldn’t be treating the poor boy like this. She was about to say something to Elmer Lee about it when Bill yanked Gerald up out of the chair.
    â€œAnswer me, you little sonofabitch. Did you kill your brother?”
    This time Gerald spoke, his words barely audible through the crying. “I don’t know.”

Five
    Gerald Blakeley was such a miserable sight, standing there like a mouse in the clutches of a big cat, Wanda Nell felt sorry for him. Even if Bill Warren thought Gerald really killed his brother, he didn’t need to treat him like this.
    She opened her mouth to speak, but Elmer Lee forestalled her. “Warren, let go of him. Now!”
    The state cop’s body tensed, and at first Wanda Nell thought he was going to ignore Elmer Lee. His hand loosened on Gerald’s shoulder, and he stepped back. Gerald sank down into his chair again, crying and shaking his head.
    Warren turned to face Elmer Lee, and the hard set of his face unnerved Wanda Nell. This man was nothing like the sweet, easygoing boy she remembered. He looked mad, and he looked dangerous. Without realizing what she was doing, she took a step back.
    Warren saw her do it, and for a moment his face softened as he looked at her. The next moment, he was all business again as he addressed Elmer Lee. “I want you to take him down to the jail for more questioning.”
    â€œWe’ll take care of that,” Elmer Lee said, his voice firm. “But first I think we need to start talking to everyone else, find out what they saw, if anything.”
    There was an edge to Elmer Lee’s voice, one that Wanda Nell knew all too well. She knew better than to mess with him when he got that tone, and she was curious to see how Warren would react.
    He backed down, and Wanda Nell relaxed. The tension between the two men had been making her nervous.
    â€œRight,” Warren said. “But I want someone keeping an eye on him at all times.” He jerked his head toward Gerald.
    â€œNo problem,” Elmer Lee said. “Now let’s get out of the way so these men can do their jobs.” He nodded at Wanda Nell. “You go on up front. We’ll talk to you in a minute.”
    â€œSure,” Wanda Nell said, glad to get away from Warren and Elmer Lee, at least for a little while. She cast a worried glance at Gerald Blakeley, but there didn’t seem to be much she could do for him at the moment.
    Why was Bill Warren so sure Gerald had killed his brother? She shook her head over that as she walked behind the counter and toward the front of