Cooking is Murder, A Myrtle Clover Mystery #11

Chapter Sixteen

Eventually, much of the mess was cleaned up and put away and Myrtle finally turned in. She managed to sleep this time, too, although she had nightmares about the scraped-off sauce growing and growing around the dining room table until she and the guests were barricaded in by it.

Miles called her as she was getting ready the next morning.

"I really don't feel like going to class this morning," he said. "I feel as if we just saw those people."

"We did just see them. Although I really didn't even have a chance to talk with any of them. Come on. We should go. We're practically at the end of the class," said Myrtle.

A few minutes later, Miles had picked her up and they were heading to the community college.

"I suspect that Louvenia isn't going to be her usual, chipper self in class today," said Miles dryly.

Myrtle nodded. "She'll be nursing a huge hangover. We'll probably get out of class early. I can't imagine what possessed her to arrive intoxicated to my dinner party."

Miles smirked and Myrtle gave him a sharp look. "No jokes about my cooking! Everything would have gone perfectly last night if I hadn't been distracted by having so many dishes to cook."

Miles said, "So you think she actually arrived drunk."

"Well, she couldn't have gotten drunk at my house unless she brought some sort of flask with her," said Myrtle. "Erma was serving everyone coffee when they came in, remember?"

After they'd arrived at the school and parked, they ascended the stairs.

"It's awfully quiet in here," said Miles.

"Then it's just as we said—Louvenia is probably keeping very still in there to keep her head from hurting," said Myrtle.

But when they walked in the classroom, Bonnie and Amos were the only ones in there.

Bonnie looked worried. "Louvenia was in bad shape last night. You do think she's okay, don't you?"

Amos said, "I told Bonnie that Louvenia was probably running a little bit behind today, that's all. I went ahead and unlocked the classroom for her so that y'all could come in and wait."

Myrtle frowned. "That's very unlike Louvenia to be late and not to have emailed us."

"It's very unlike Louvenia to be wasted at a dinner party," pointed out Miles.

"True. But that was over twelve hours ago."

Amos said, "Maybe she forgot to set an alarm. Considering her condition, and all."

They waited and chatted for thirty more minutes with Myrtle growing more concerned as time went on.

Finally, Myrtle said, "I don't think she's coming. Miles, I think we should check on her."

Miles looked squeamish. "If she's sick, shouldn't we just leave her to recover? We could call her on the phone to check in."

"I want to check in personally. After all, I was the hostess last night. I feel a certain responsibility to make sure she's okay," said Myrtle.

Bonnie said, "You don't think it was something she ate? I mean, in addition to the alcohol."

Myrtle said huffily, "We all ate the same thing and the rest of us are fine."

Bonnie blushed.

Miles and Myrtle were back in the car minutes later.

Miles said, "Don't you think you're taking this a little too far? Felix made sure she was tucked in all right last night. This morning is probably a simple combination of a hangover and a forgotten alarm."