“Shall we eat?” he said as he carried the planked salmon to the table.
“That was fantastic!” Robin said when she had eaten the last piece of salmon and cleaned the corn off her cob.
“Glad you liked it,” Stanley said as he picked up his and Regina’s plates. Robin took Jeff’s, placed it on top of her plate, and followed Stanley into the kitchen.
“I haven’t seen Regina this happy in a long time,” Stanley said. “Thanks for sending her the discovery. It made her feel useful again.”
“It never hurts to have an extra hand working a case. Especially when that person has a sky-high IQ.”
“Amen to that,” Stanley said as he rinsed the dirty plates and put them in the dishwasher.
“Do you want an after-dinner drink or coffee before we eat the dessert you so kindly sent?” he asked when he finished up.
Robin frowned. “I didn’t send you a dessert.”
There was a box of chocolates sitting on the kitchen island. Stanley held it out to her. “You didn’t send this over this afternoon?”
“No.”
“Sorry, I just assumed it was from you. There was no card, butyou were coming over and you know Reggie’s weakness for chocolates.”
“Well, it wasn’t me,” Robin said.
Stanley opened the box as he headed to the patio.
“Jeff,” Robin asked, “did you send Regina and Stanley chocolates?”
“No. Why?”
“Someone sent them, and Stanley thought it was me.”
“Well, it wasn’t me.”
“Chocolates!” Regina said with a big smile.
Stanley held the box out to her and she started to take a piece.
“Wait!” Robin shouted.
Regina froze, startled.
Robin grabbed the box.
“What’s wrong?” Stanley asked.
“I may be paranoid, but I think we should have these candies tested for poison.”
“Poison?” Jeff asked.
Robin picked up a knife and punctured one of the chocolates. She sniffed the scent of bitter almonds. “I think I just saved Regina’s life,” Robin said, and dialed Carrie Anders.
“The chocolates were laced with poison,” Carrie Anders said after the lab tech was done testing a sample.
Robin, Stanley, and Jeff were sitting on the living room sofa, facing the detective. Regina was seated apart from the group in an armchair. She looked agitated. Stanley had tried to calm her down, but she was still confused and anxious.
“You would be dead if you’d eaten a piece,” Anders added.
“Jesus,” Stanley swore.