Sweet Ginger Poison 14

The auditorium of Corey Acres Baptist Church was packed on this cool, crisp Sunday morning. Ginger hadn’t seen some of these faces in church since last Easter. Their little town had been sobered by the murder of Navy Newcomb, making it a little harder to sleep in on the Lord’s Day.

Ginger was sitting in her usual spot next to the other three Domino Girls. They always made a point of getting into the auditorium right after Sunday School to secure their section of pew number seven, left side—next to the center aisle. The seating order had been established years ago: Ginger on the aisle, then Jane, Ethel, and Barb.

Sometimes it was all Ginger and Ethel could do to keep Jane’s loud mouth in check. Jane had never mastered the art of whispering. She apparently had been sick the week they taught it in elementary school.

Elijah stepped to the podium to deliver his sermon. Ginger thought he looked very handsome in his Oyster poplin suit. She could remember when such attire would have been considered almost blasphemous. Those were the days when the deacons expected to see their pastor in a dark suit every Sunday morning.

Times had changed. And Ginger was all for it. But maybe her feelings were more about the man than the suit.

She opened her Bible to the fifth chapter of Matthew. Elijah had been preaching a series of messages based on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This morning he read a short passage, beginning at Verse 21.

“Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment.”

Elijah looked up and paused, as his words continued to reverberate throughout the auditorium.

Ginger sensed that everyone was thinking about Navy’s killer. Was it possible that he was sitting in this very auditorium? People seemed to be eyeing each other, considering anyone and everyone. Some had a smug look on their faces, as though they were thinking: the judgment means you’re gonna burn, Buddy.

Elijah went on.

“But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.”

Ouch. Suddenly everyone in the congregation seemed to realize that the sermon was about them. In God’s eyes, they were no better than the killer. They could rationalize their anger—convincing themselves that it was with just cause. But was it?

Ginger marveled at how quickly Elijah had changed the people’s focus from hate toward the vicious murderer—whoever he was—to dealing with their own demons. Now they were ready to hear the sermon.

Off the top of her head, Ginger couldn’t think of anybody she was angry with. Not that she thought she was perfect. She had just learned not to hold a grudge. It wasn’t worth it. She’d found that when she did, she was only hurting herself.

**********

Ginger and company praised Elijah for his powerful message as they shook his hand and hurried out the door to Barb’s car. It was important to make it to Luby’s before the line got too long.

Barb always insisted on driving since she had the biggest car. Her old Cadillac was in pristine condition. Parking was sometimes an issue. But the thing sailed down the road like a battleship. It was almost like riding in a limo.

“Great sermon, huh?” said Jane from the back seat.

The others agreed.

Ginger was in the front with Barb. Was it just her imagination, or did it seem like Elijah wanted to ask her something as they were going through the handshake line? Surely he didn’t want to have lunch with her—not that she wouldn’t be interested. Or would she?

Would that be starting something—like dating? She didn’t want to rush into anything. Besides—Sunday lunch at Luby’s Cafeteria with the girls had become a tradition.

“Was the sermon longer than usual?” said Barb.

Ethel checked her watch. “I don’t think so.”

“Well, just look at that line,” said Barb.

“First Baptist must have let out early,” said Jane.

“And the Catholic and Methodist churches too,” said Barb. “This is ridiculous.” She pulled into a parking spot, but left the engine running.

“We can’t always be at the front of the line,” said Ginger. “It’s only fair that other people get their turn.”

“Well, I think we should just go somewhere else,” said Barb in a huff.

“We could go to your house, Barb,” said Ginger. “When’s the last time you cooked us a meal?”

“I’ve got a better idea, Ginge,” said Barb with a sly smile. “Let’s go over to the parsonage.”

“The parsonage?” said Jane.

“Yeah,” said Barb. “I got the distinct impression that the good reverend was just itching to invite our Ginger over for a nice cozy lunch. Didn’t y’all notice?”

“Well…now that you mention it,” said Ethel.

“Really?” said Jane. “I didn’t notice. But I have seen the way he looks at her.”

“Jane!” said Ginger. “Don’t you dare talk about our pastor that way.”

“I’m sorry, Ginger,” said Jane, “I didn’t mean for it to sound crude. I just think he really likes you. And, yeah, I think he’d like to ask you out.”

“I think he’d like to jump her bones,” said Barb.

“Barb!” said Ginger. “That was terrible.”

“Yeah, Barb,” said Ethel, giggling, “that was terrible. I can’t believe you said that.”

“Well, somebody needed to say it,” said Barb. “Just to wake Ginger up and get her back into the game.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be in the game right now,” said Ginger. “But I’m not stopping the rest of you. Go for it.”

“Good—because I’m ready to go,” said Jane. “But the coach won’t send me in.”

“What coach?” said Ethel. “There’s a coach?”

“No,” said Jane. “There’s no coach. In fact, in my case, there’s no game.”

“Yeah, Ginge,” said Barb, “at least you’ve got a game.”

“What are we doing?” said Ginger.

“We’re discussing your love life,” said Ethel. “Even I knew that.”

“I mean—what are we doing for lunch? We’re just sitting here.”

“Let’s go to Sonic,” said Jane.

“Sonic?” said Barb. “I wanted meatloaf.”

“I don’t mind eating a hamburger in the car,” said Jane.

“Me either,” said Ethel.

“Fine with me,” said Ginger.

“Well, okay,” said Barb. She backed out of the parking spot and drove away. “But I don’t want to see any crumbs in my cars.”

“We’ll be careful,” said Jane.

“And absolutely no ketchup!” said Barb.

“Yes, Mother,” said Ethel.

In less than five minutes they had driven to Sonic and ordered their food.

“Now Ginger can give us the rest of the details about last night,” said Jane.

“I’ve already told you everything I can,” said Ginger.

“Right,” said Barb. “Now tell us everything you can’t.”

“Yeah,” said Ethel, “give us the dirt.”

“There is no dirt,” said Ginger. “Not really.”

“’Not really’ means there more,” said Jane. “Come on—you know you can’t keep a secret from us.”

“Spit it out,” said Barb.

“Look,” said Ginger, “I told you that somebody put fish oil in the coffee cake. Obviously, they knew about Navy’s allergy. And they knew he kept his Epi-Pen in his glove box.”

“Yeah,” said Jane. “We know that. What else?”

“That’s about it,” said Ginger.

“Any suspects?” said Barb.

Ginger hesitated.

Barb jumped on it. “Who is it? Anybody we know?”

“Yes,” said Ginger, quickly adding, “but she didn’t do it.”

“She?” said Jane. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

“A woman killed him?” said Ethel, as though no woman had ever killed a man in the history of the world.

“Wise up, Ethel,” said Barb. “Women can be a heck of a lot meaner than men—if you really tick ‘em off.”

“Yeah,” said Ethel, “but here in Coreyville? I can’t imagine.”

“What’s her name?” said Jane.

“Lacey Greendale,” said Ginger.

“But Lacey works for you, doesn’t she?” said Ethel.

“Yes,” said Ginger. “But, like I said: there’s no way she did it.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” said Jane.

“Why?” said Barb. “What do you know?”

“I don’t know if it really means anything,” said Jane, “but the other day I was walking out of Wal-Mart and I saw Lacey standing in the parking lot, yelling at some guy in a black car. I couldn’t see who he was.”

“Was he in a Corvette?” said Ginger.

“I don’t know,” said Jane. “Could have been. And then the guy just peeled out and drove away, leaving her standing there.”

“They used to date,” said Ginger. “And since they broke up, they haven’t been on very good terms. But she’s no killer. I’m sure of that.”

Was Ginger just kidding herself? Was she so determined to prove Lacey’s innocence that she couldn’t see the obvious? She had stashed the pistol in Lester’s old safe in the basement to protect Lacey. It was Danny’s gun. Or was it? What if Lacey bought the gun to take revenge on Navy? Ginger felt a chill run up her spine.

Lacey could have planned to shoot Navy, and then thought of a neater, cleaner way—with less risk. After all, it wasn’t really poison. It was just a dietary supplement. Lots of people take them all the time.

Sure, she spiked his coffee cake. But it was just to make him sick, just to get back at him—not to kill him. Was it her fault that he had misplaced his Epi-Pen? She couldn’t be blamed for his carelessness.

Ginger needed to either come up with an alternate suspect or face the reality that Lacey might indeed be the killer.