“Val, calm down. There are no yew trees in the Morgans’ greenhouse. No moldy vegetables or angel’s trumpets either. I confirmed all of that just this morning, to the fury of Mr. Morgan. He let me take a look in the greenhouse only because Mrs. Morgan insisted on it. She’s probably the only reason I still have a job right now too.” Gavin let out an exhausted sigh. “Angel’s trumpets are sold online. They’re popular because of how attractive they are.”

“What about deadly? How about they’re popular because of how deadly they are?”

Gavin threw up his arms. “Christ, Val, I can buy foxgloves, which is where digitalis comes from, at most commercial home improvement stores. Having poisonous flowers is not illegal. A lot of flowers are poisonous. That’s why we don’t eat them. We look at them. I cannot bring Claudia in on this. When she returns we will question her.” Gavin gave her a this is the end of the conversation look.

“If she returns,” Val scoffed, she knew she was treading on thin ice after Gavin’s rant but didn’t care.

He took a deep breath. “Val…”

“Okay, okay. What else do you have?”

“Well, I have some other news that might make you happy,” he said with a smile.

She took her own deep breath and waited.

“There wasn’t much that we found in Gabrielle’s house that was of forensic value. She had a laptop but it was clean… she also had a drawer filled with old mail, all standard stuff… bank statements, paid utility bills, receipts for some purchases, like her TV and her phone—the phone we haven’t found yet…”

Val grew impatient. “How is this making me happy?”

“Gabrielle had a safe deposit box. The monthly rental fee for it was on one of the bank statements.”

“Safe deposit box?” Her face fell and her stomach knotted.

“The key seems to be missing, though. I’m surprised because I remember you telling me that you found one in Gabrielle’s house. Mr. Morgan knows about the key and can’t find it amongst his daughter’s belongings. I assured him it must be there. I mean if you saw it…”

Oh no. Here it was. Finally. The key, the key Val still had, the one she believed fitted a safe deposit box. And Mr. Morgan now knows she saw it. She was going to get caught. How could she not? There was nothing left to do but come clean and come clean quickly. “Mitch, if I say something will you promise to not get mad? I’ve been meaning to tell you but honestly it slipped my mind until right now.”

“What is it?” he said cautiously.

“Well, I told you that I took a look in Gabrielle’s house, on my own.” Val lied about on her own.

Gavin sat still. Cautious. And tense. “Yes.”