Page 10 - Labelle Gramercy, On the Case

Polished Off

I appreciated the inclusive pronoun, whatever its intention. “Then
I have no objections to revealing the identity of her beneficiaries. The
niece, Linsey Doyle, receives the business, which includes the
property itself. There are no closer family members that I know of.
Iris Call, in a curious provision, gets her choice of twenty-five of the
rare books. Small cash payments are listed for handymen, cleaning
ladies and other people she probably shortchanged during her life.
And a generous provision for Gutenberg, possibly her most constant
male companion. He will finish his days elsewhere in comfort—the
implication is that Linsey is not fond of cats, and therefore not to be
given his trusteeship. And not one cent for me, unless you count
attorney’s and executor’s fees. Do you have any idea yet how she
died?”
Labelle nodded. “Yes. I had the medical examiner look for
nitrobenzene first thing. I suspected methemoglobinemia from the
cyanotic appearance of the victim. A quick precipitation of her blood
and a simple chemical test, prior to a formal autopsy, will confirm
that: oil of mirbane, enough to cause the ‘chocolate blood syndrome.’
Either she administered the poison herself or it was provided by
someone with whom she was recently in contact.”
“Really? What if I had tampered with her aspirin bottle two
months ago?”
She smiled, perhaps. “It is a liquid, found in a number of
commercial products. It can be absorbed through the skin, unlike
many other poisons involved in violent death. I could smell the
chemical clearly in that small room. All of the containers on the floor
and on the desk are down at the lab now. Many of them contain
nitrobenzene, one of many toxic nitrate compounds in commercial
use. Are you going to eat that sandwich?”
The sandwich? What kind of non sequitur was that? “Ah, no. I
guess not.” All this talk of toxicity had put me off my feed. Tuna and
mayonnaise were not good choices.
“Then let’s go.”
We stood up. I took the paper bag for Iris, its bottom marked
with a spreading stain from its leaking contents. Labelle put down a
couple of dollars for her juice, and I added the rest after tearing off
the bottom of the check for my records. The offensive indigent was
haranguing the cashier as we passed by. The detective stopped.

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