Death by Chocolate

said.
    “Yeah, she said that
phenylprophedrine was the only thing that really dried up a cold for her, and
she couldn’t get it anymore because it had been pulled off the shelf.”
    “Do you know why it had
been pulled?” Dirk asked. Tony thought for a moment. “Yeah. It wasn’t good for
people with bad hearts, or something like that. But she said she was healthy,
except for her stuffy nose and a cough.”
    “You told her it wasn’t
good for people with heart conditions, and she told you she was healthy?”
    “Yeah... well.... no. Her
note said that she knew it had been pulled off the shelves because it wasn’t
good for some people, but she said it wouldn’t hurt her, that she really needed
some for her cold.”
    Savannah shot Dirk a quick
look. “Her note?” she said. “She asked you for the phenylprophedrine in a
note?”
    “Yeah. She sent me notes
sometimes, left them in my mail slot at work, ‘cause I was always gone out on
deliveries.”
    “What kind of notes?” Dirk
asked. “Love notes, stuff like that?”
    Tony blushed. “Yeah, she
sent me a couple.... you know.... after...”
    “After you and her got down
and dirty?” Dirk added. Nodding, he said, “Yeah. But it wasn’t dirty or
nothing. We were in love.”
    “Were?” Savannah asked.
‘You’re not anymore?” Tears flooded his eyes. “Well, I am, but I don’t think
she is. She hasn’t called me, or ordered anything from the pharmacy, or left me
any more notes.”
    “Let me guess,” Dirk said
dryly. “She fell out of love about the time you gave her the
phenylprophedrine.”
    “I haven’t heard anything
from her since then.” His confusion deepened. “Why.... do you think that was
all she was after? But it was just stupid cold medicine!”
    “Are you telling me that
you really don’t know what she wanted that stuff for?” Dirk was leaning so
close to Tony that their noses were nearly touching. “Don’t lie to me, damn it.
I can help you out here, boy, but if you lie to me, I’ll fry your ass, I
swear.”
    “Her note said it was for a
cold. Really.” Tony suddenly brightened. “Hey, I’ve still got it. I kept the
letter. If you want to read it, you can.”
    Dirk smiled. Broadly. He
gave Savannah a loaded look.
    “Did Louise type her
letters or handwrite them?” Dirk asked.
    “She typed them.... on her
computer, I think. And she signed it, ‘Love, Louise’ with a little heart to dot
the ’i‘”
    “Oh, yes,” Dirk said. “We
definitely want tolook at that letter right away.”
    Savannah didn’t have to ask;
she knew they were thinking the same thing. Wouldn’t it be interesting if that
note were written in a certain large Arial font?

Chapter

21
     
     
     
    S avannah recognized the tan
parchment stationeryeven before
she got a look at the type of print on it. Tony was holding the paper out to
Dirk with a trembling hand, and in his other hand he held a cigar box with
several more letters on the same stationery. A treasure trove!
    She could tell that Dirk
was trying hard not to show his excitement as he took the page from Tony with a
gloved hand and looked it over. He showed it to Savannah, and she, too,
swallowed a smile.
    I gotcha, you rat-bitch,
Louise, she thought. Send nasty letters to your mommy, will you? Write a kid
love letters and get him to help you kill her, huh?
    But she said nothing...
simply nodded.
    Nothing felt better than
when you got a break in a case, unless the bad guy, or gal, was also somebody
you really, really disliked.
    Tony seemed to sense their
satisfaction, and he stopped trembling for the first time since Dirk had picked
him up at the drugstore. After being questioned at the station, he had brought
them to his house in downtown San Carmelita, where he lived with his mother,
and invited them inside. He had practically run into his bedroom and then came
out with the cigar box in hand, eager to help in any way.
    Dirk never exactly bubbled
over with gratitude, but he did lay a gloved hand on the kid’s shoulder and
say, “It’s a good thing you came clean with this, Tony. This letter puts you
pretty much in the clear and helps us with our case.”
    Tony flushed with joy that
bordered on giddiness. Then a shadow of concern crossed his face. ‘You’re not
going to do anything to Louise, are you? It was just a couple of bottles of
medicine, right?”
    Dirk shot a guilt-laden
look at Savannah, and she quickly stepped forward. ‘You can’t worry about
Louise, Tony,” she