Pearls and Poinsettias

Chapter Three

The police arrived just as the hall clock chimed at four o'clock. The remaining four tried to sit quietly in the parlor, poised and refined while the men traipsed into the house. Upon entering the sitting room, they removed their tall, black hats with a silver emblem in the center.

"Good afternoon, Madam," a tall man with a handlebar moustache said. He was accompanied with two other uniformed men.

Helen cleared her throat. "Good afternoon."

"I hope you don't mind if we ask a few questions?"

"No, not at all."

"For starters, where did the crime take place?" he began gently.

"Right over there," Helen said, pointing to the table. The other two officers headed over to the table.

"Which seat was she sitting in?"

"The one by the poinsettias." A bald officer pointed to Penelope's seat, and Helen nodded.

"What was Penelope like when she arrived this morning? Was she showing any signs of weakness or fatigue?"

"Not even the slightest."

The questioning seemed to drag on while the other officers inspected the table. After the questioning, the officers had to see and inspect the body of their sister, who was miraculously still breathing. Just when it seemed like the inquiry would never end, the officers packed up their things and left for the police station.

It was late in the evening when the doctor finally left the spare room.

"How is she?" Helen asked.

"She's doing better," the doctor said. "We discovered what poison was absorbed by her body during the inquest. Fortunately, I have an antidote, which I have been administering all day. You're lucky that the poison is a less fatale one."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Noelle breathed, flopping backwards on the couch.

"She's going to survive?" Danny said.

"If she continues to do as well as she is now, then I'm sure she will be back to normal in about a week," the doctor said, giving a comforting smile.

The entire room sighed. What a relief! They wouldn't have to conduct another funeral...at least not this year.

"I just don't understand where the poison came from," Helen remarked. The doctor's smile disappeared.

"Yes, well, that is the interesting part," he murmured. "The poison that was absorbed was a contact poison. The only place that we found its residue was on her pearl necklace."

"Her necklace?" Helen laughed. "How on Earth did it get there?"

"Beats me," the doctor said.

"I didn't touch her," Danny declared.

"Me neither," Noelle said.

"If my memory is correct, none of us did," Eleanor asserted softly.

"Well then it mustn't have been any of us," Helen finalized. "Perhaps someone at the theatre poisoned her necklace."

"That must be it," Danny agreed. The doctor shifted, but said nothing.

"May we see her?" Noelle asked.

The doctor thought for a moment. "Oh, I suppose so. But it must be brief, as she must get her rest."

That was an excellent deal for all of the sisters. They headed straight to the spare room. Four pairs of eyes peered through the cracked door at Penelope. She was resting peacefully, her eyes closed and her chest rising and falling in a normal rhythm. She looked very cozy under a number of quilted blankets. Not wanting to disturb the poor girl, the sisters almost turned around and left her to sleep. But Penelope's eyes fluttered open and zeroed in on her visitors.

"Come in," a voice croaked. The sisters tiptoed in and stood around her.

"How are you feeling, Penelope?" Helen asked.

"Like I've been burned," she replied with a weak smile.

"Gosh, this is awful," Noelle said.

"You don't know half of it." Penelope paused, like she was deliberating whether she should speak or not. At last, she said, "There's something I must tell you all. Now, I understand if you're upset, but there's no use in hiding it. What's done is done."

"Rest, Penelope," Helen said. She was convinced that Penelope was speaking plumb out of her head.

"But I need to say this," Penelope continued.

"Now, now, you don't want to say anything you don't mean," Helen soothed. "Just get some sleep and clear your head."

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Listen, this is important. Whatever happens to me, just know that your sister is fine."

"Yes, yes, you'll be fine," Helen said.

"No! I mean your sister was not poisoned. Your sister is not here!"

"What do you mean?" Danny asked.

"I'm not Penelope."