Page 32 - Labelle Gramercy, On the Case

Polished Off

I digested that, determined not to appear foolish or ignorant. I
speed-read in memory the transcript of Labelle’s remarks the first
time we discussed this poison. Yes, she had said it could be fatal if
inhaled or absorbed through the skin. “I see. Then her death might
be accidental. Nail polish going right into her bloodstream, vapors
from a bottle of shoe polish left open right beneath her nose.” I
should have stopped right there. “You know, Lieutenant: that cat,
Gutenberg, may have done something very interesting when he
pushed that bottle over.”
“Some people might think so, or be expected to come to that
conclusion. But that animal is obviously unable to jump as high as the
top of that desk. Anyone familiar with the cat would know that. And
Ms. Trench would not have died so quickly or exhibited such
discoloration from a small dose of nitrobenzene absorbed topically or
pulmonarily. No, she evidently ingested it in her coffee. I could smell
it in her cup, and Patty Melton’s contained none. Or at least I am
certain that the lab will confirm my own olfactory analysis. I have just
cautioned Ms. Melton that she is not to remove any substance from
her shop without police approval.”
“Oh.” I was chastened—but insufficiently: I made one last
attempt. “Then Mariana still could have killed herself intentionally,
finding it easy to administer a toxin she could not smell.”
“I considered that possibility, but I found no bottle of pure
nitrobenzene in her office, nor any suicide note. I also sent the milk
container she used this morning to the lab. It was empty, but traces
of the chemical will be found; again, I was able to identify the
vaporized residue. I conclude that the murder was timed to coincide
with her finishing off the milk carton. It was, in fact, in the trash,
confirming that theory: she used the last of it, tossed the empty in the
waste basket, and soon after began drinking her final cup of coffee. I
suppose a scenario could be constructed in which she doctored the
milk the day before and removed the poison when she went home.
But I will not pursue that theory, because the perpetrator has already
made several crucial mistakes.”
“You mean, besides leaving evidence behind? Of course, some
criminals are more skilled than others; that goes without saying,” I
said. Suddenly feeling a need to change the subject, I remembered
young Linsey breathing in what had to be very unhealthful fumes.

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