Murder Down Under (A Darcy Sweet Cozy Mystery Book 17) by K.J. Emrick Page B

of.  From around town.  Lindsay Burlick.  Sweet girl.  Liked to paint sunflowers.  Just enough to say g’day to, ya understand.”
    Hmph.  Darcy was a little disappointed.  She was hoping there was some kind of connection between all four victims.  If there was one, Alec didn’t know what it was.  Did that make the poisonings random?  Or, was there some connection even the victims were unaware of?
    “Well.  It was nice to know ya,” Alec said to them after a long pause where no one had anything else to say.  “Enjoy yer stay.  Don’t worry ‘bout getting poisoned.  Hasn’t been a new case in more’n a week.  Fair to say it’s over.  Whatever caused it, that is.”
    “The four of you all got poisoned at the same time?” Jon asked.  His police mind was working now.  Darcy could see it in his eyes.  “All four at once?  That’s a bit suspicious, don’t you think?”
    Alec blinked at him.  “You know, Mate, you gab like the law.  What is it?  You a copper?”
    Jon put on a smile.  “You’re very observant, Mister Beaudoin.  I’m a police chief, but not here.  I don’t have any kind of jurisdiction here.”
    “No I reckon you don’t, Mate.”  Alec nodded thoughtfully.  Then he walked away from them, back to the entryway, and opened the door to his small home again.  “No jurisdiction at all.  You should go enjoy your holiday.  Now.”
    They were being escorted out.  Whatever good will had got them into his door had been used up, apparently.  Darcy had to ask one more thing.  “Mister Beaudoin, can I ask you if you Know Mabel Quinn?  The bookstore owner?”
    “Of course,” he answered.  “Everyone does.  Why do you…oh, you reckon maybe she…I see.”
    “We don’t think anything,” Jon said, trying to cover their obvious interest.  “We were talking with her yesterday and she had some interesting things to say.”
    Alec leaned in closer to them.  “Mabel’s a full on kook.  Nutters in the head.  If I wanted to say anyone in Lakeshore could slip me a poison mickey, I’d put my money down on Mabel Quinn.”
    Interesting, Darcy thought.
    “Did you tell that to the Lakeshore Police?” Jon asked him.
    “No, I did not.  Didn’t think of it until you just jogged me memory.  I’ll tell them soon as I get the chance.”
    Then he was holding the door open for them to leave.  Darcy knew Alec would get his chance to talk to the police again soon enough.  He could tell them about Mabel when Kevin Powers came to interview him.
    Now Mabel was an even stronger suspect in Darcy’s mind.
    Outside again on the sidewalk of Evangeline Circle, Darcy waited to say anything until they were a few houses away, just in case Alec was listening at his window. 
    “So what now, Jon?  Do you still think there’s nothing to this?”
    “I’m not sure if I do or not,” he admitted.  “I know this much.  I’d like to talk to Mabel again.”
    “So would I.” 
    “Of course, there’s someone else I’d like to talk to even more than that crazy bookstore lady.”  He watched Darcy out of the corner of his eye.  “I’d like to talk to Lindsay Burlick.  I’m betting she knows something.”
    Lindsay, the dead girl.  Darcy could only imagine how much easier murder investigations would be if people could talk to the dead victims.  That was impossible, of course.  No one could talk to the dead.
    Except for Darcy Sweet.

Chapter Five
     
    They were almost back to Mabel’s bookstore when Darcy’s stomach started to growl.  The walk had worked up an appetite.  Checking her My Little Pony watch, she saw it was only just after ten in the morning.  Not even close to time for lunch.
    “I saw a store on the way into town,” Jon said, checking his watch too.  “There was a sign in the window that said they sold food.  I think it’s some sort of deli.  We could always get a midmorning snack and take a break.”
    She smiled up at him.  “You read my mind.  Are