Mabel felt sick. \u201cYou can\u2019t…revive him?\u201d she asked hopefully. She hadn\u2019t even liked Tutter very much, but it seemed impossible that he could be dead.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI told you, honey, I\u2019m not magic,\u201d replied Colleen. \u201cHe\u2019s good and drowned.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cOh, no, no, no…\u201d moaned the helicopter pilot, pacing rapidly back and forth while tugging at his bushy hair. \u201cThis is NOT good. This was a very important person…a very important charter…this will not be good for the company…I might even…lose my job!\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWell,\u201d said Norton, \u201cwe\u2019ll all vouch for you, explain how it wasn\u2019t your fault.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cOh, I don\u2019t know,\u201d whined the pilot. \u201cYou just don\u2019t take a client off to…drown!\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWhatever we do,\u201d said Jonah, \u201cit\u2019s going to have to be done in the morning. It\u2019s getting too dark to see a darn thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe mood was sober as Colleen escorted the men to her cabin before joining Mabel, Ivy, Laura, and Miss Penny in the Crocketts\u2019 cabin. Sparkle and Sig scurried in too, at Mabel\u2019s feet. <\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cOkay,\u201d said Laura, as Colleen grabbed a broom to sweep the last of the water out the door, \u201cLet\u2019s hope we can find some dry bedding in here somewhere!\u201d She rummaged through a wooden trunk, and began to toss out an assortment of blankets and quilts, all knit or woven from the same flaxen material of which their clothes were made. Mabel caught a few quilts on the fly and passed them to Miss Penny and Ivy. The next she held onto. Despite some damp edges, it was soft and warm, and she gratefully made herself a nest of bedding on the floor alongside the others. <\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cGood nest,\u201d said Sparkle placing Sig next to Mabel\u2019s bent knees, then settling down herself. \u201cNicely patted out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cNicely patted out,\u201d said Sig. Mabel looked at him in surprise, then scratched his little ears. Sparkle proudly gave him a robust licking.<\/p>\n
\n\tLaura patted the mattress on her bed which responded with a squishing sound. \u201cGuess we\u2019ll be joining you on the floor tonight,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019ll be some bedclothes to dry out tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tMorning sunlight, seeping through the cottage windows with irresistible warmth, drew Mabel out of her fluffy bed on the floor.<\/p>\n
\n\tIvy was sitting in the corner of the room rolling a walnut for Sig, who awkwardly pounced after it while trying not to fall on his face. \u201cThey\u2019re cooking out there,\u201d said Ivy. \u201cAnd it smells pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tMabel stepped onto the porch to find Jonah and Norton sitting on the steps with steaming ceramic coffee cups. <\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI hope your daddy won\u2019t be too put out with me,\u201d said Norton, \u201cbut we aren\u2019t going to make it back to Logjam in the Star.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cYou\u2019ve checked it?\u201d asked Mabel.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cYep,\u201d nodded Norton. \u201cI guess he\u2019s going to have to come out here himself and do some fixin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Mr. Halfslip,\u201d said Mabel. \u201cI don\u2019t think anyone besides you could have even landed that thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cBesides,\u201d added Jonah, \u201cthat\u2019ll give me a chance to meet the folks who raised my little girl.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cDo you mind?\u201d asked Mabel.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cMind what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThat someone else raised me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tJonah looked at Mabel with paternal pride. \u201cI\u2019m eternally grateful to them,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\n\tLaura walked up the steps and handed Mabel and Ivy cups of hot chocolate.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThanks,\u201d said Ivy. \u201cWhere do you keep the cow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cNo cow,\u201d replied Laura, laughing. \u201cBeans. It\u2019s soymilk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tMabel felt a sudden urge to grab Laura and hold on. \u201cYou\u2019ll come back to Logjam with us, won\u2019t you?\u201d she asked hopefully.<\/p>\n
\n\tLaura hugged Mabel as warmly as she could without causing a hot chocolate spill. \u201cYou know Jonah and I can\u2019t leave,\u201d she said. \u201cHe can\u2019t be away from the spring for that long.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cAnyway,\u201d added Jonah. \u201cWe\u2019re not the ones you need. That would be her.\u201d He pointed to Colleen who was hanging clothes out to dry on a lengthy line.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cColleen\u2019s coming?\u201d said Ivy brightly.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe need her,\u201d said Norton. \u201cThis whole mess has to do with those DIS yahoos misidentifying a plant that Colleen\u2019s been an expert on since she wrote her doctoral dissertation in 1912. If she can\u2019t straighten them out, then nobody can. Thing is, nobody knows she\u2019s still around. Fortunately,\u201d he continued, \u201cMr. Cupsy has agreed to fly us home in his whirlybird.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tMabel looked at the helicopter and shuddered. \u201cWhat about…\u201d she began.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cDon\u2019t worry honey,\u201d Laura said reassuringly, \u201cwe put him in a bag.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWhy can\u2019t we just bury him here?\u201d asked Ivy.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be right,\u201d said Norton. \u201cThere\u2019s got to be next of kin somewhere, and the police will want to know what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThat\u2019s what worries me,\u201d said Jonah. \u201cAn investigation could bring more people like Tutter out here. It will not be a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cMaybe…they won\u2019t have to come,\u201d said Mabel. She looked toward the other cottage from which Van had just emerged carrying hot chocolate. Mr. Cupsy, the bushy-haired helicopter pilot was sitting on the steps, nervously downing coffee. Mabel headed toward them. \u201cMr. Cupsy,\u201d she said, \u201ccan we make a call from your helicopter?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWell, there’s a radio,\u201d he replied. \u201cMight still work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe need to use it,\u201d Mabel said grabbing Van and pulling him along with her.<\/p>\n
*****<\/p>\n
\tThe pancakes were deliciously nutty and oaty, and Mabel enjoyed them immensely. Ivy seemed so grateful to have an appetite for something other than her green drink, that she ate more than Van. Even Miss Penny was eating like a soldier, when a leaf floated gently down and landed on her pancake stack.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cPhooey,\u201d she said. \u201cCan\u2019t argue with these trees, but I\u2019ll be glad to get back to my own yard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tColleen gazed appraisingly at Ivy. \u201cYou look so much better,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI feel better too,\u201d replied Ivy. \u201cI just hope it won\u2019t happen to me again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cNo,\u201d said Colleen, \u201clet\u2019s hope not.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tJonah and Laura Crockett hugged everyone, including Mr. Cupsy, as each person climbed into the red helicopter. Mabel felt a new and unfamiliar pain as she hugged them goodbye. Her mind was equally occupied by thoughts of her parents in Logjam. She hoped desperately that, with Colleen\u2019s help, they, along with the Peales and the Halfslips, would be released.<\/p>\n
\n\tMr. Cupsy set the blades in motion, and soon the copter ascended straight into the air. Mabel found it a far stranger sensation than she\u2019d ever experienced in the airplane.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s too weird, isn\u2019t it?\u201d said Van, slumping into his seat.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWhat?\u201d asked Mabel.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cTutter,\u201d he replied. \u201cIn the baggage compartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cVan,\u201d Mabel replied, \u201cdon\u2019t even talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tMabel looked down. The day was clear and the view of the Willibunk Forest stunning. Whereas yesterday the leaves had merely a dusting of red and gold, today they were blushing brightly. She found her appreciation of the forest\u2019s vastness was far greater now that she no longer felt the burden of having to navigate. <\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWhere are we going exactly?\u201d asked Mr. Cupsy from the cockpit.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s an airfield, in East Logjam,\u201d replied Norton. \u201cYou\u2019ll see it from the air.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe trip was slower and decidedly calmer than Norton\u2019s flying circus piloting style, and Mabel was feeling guardedly optimistic as the helicopter descended into the field, which was empty except for Verdon Arbogast\u2019s duct-taped van. It was strange to see the Shooting Star missing from its usual place, but Mabel was quickly distracted by a black panel truck, careering recklessly across the field from the direction of Rocky Creek Road.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s from the coroner\u2019s office,\u201d said Mabel hastily, as the black truck screeched to a halt and the helicopter landed.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cHow did they know…\u201d Norton began, with a suspicious edge to his voice.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe called,\u201d said Van. \u201cFrom the helicopter. Before we left. Didn\u2019t want him to get…you know…stinky.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tMr. Cupsy shrugged and climbed out to open the baggage compartment. A hooded figure emerged from the black vehicle, and the two of them hauled the awkward bag from the copter\u2019s hold, to the back of the truck. Quickly, the hooded person slammed the back hatch shut, stumbled back into the driver\u2019s seat, and roared off.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cOkay,\u201d said Norton, as if that settled that. \u201cMr. Cupsy, would you like to drive to the police station with us? They might want your side of the story.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tMr. Cupsy waved his hands. \u201cThanks, but no thanks,\u201d he protested. \u201cI\u2019ve had enough for two days. They\u2019ll know where to reach me if they need me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tMabel, Van and Ivy bounded out of the helicopter followed, with slightly less speed, by Norton, Colleen, and Miss Penny.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cGuess we\u2019ll be borrowing Verdon\u2019s car,\u201d said Norton. \u201cI have a feeling that woman\u2019s going to keep a pretty tight grip on him for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI\u2019m not goin\u2019 either, no sir,\u201d said Miss Penny. She glared at a mapleseed whirlybird spinning to the ground in front of her face. \u201cI\u2019m going home. Hate to think how many of these things must\u2019ve landed in my yard since yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cMe too,\u201d said Sparkle. She scooped up Sig and trotted toward the botanical center.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cPop pop,\u201d said Ivy, giving Norton a gentle tug. \u201cLet\u2019s go. We need to get them out of jail.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tVerdon Arbogast\u2019s van was hardly a luxury vehicle. Norton and Colleen occupied the only two seats, in the front, while Mabel, Van and Ivy were bumped and jostled in the completely empty rear. <\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI th-th-think were g-g-going over the b-b-bridge,\u201d said Mabel, as they rattled over a bumpy stretch of road.<\/p>\n
\n\tA few minutes later, a rapid right turn threw them into the wall. <\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThis would be near the Middle School,\u201d said Ivy. \u201cWe\u2019re almost to the police station.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tHer hunch was confirmed as the van clanked to a halt in a parking lot at precinct headquarters.<\/p>\n
\n\tNorton threw open the van\u2019s back doors. \u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\tA scrawny woman with eggplant-colored hair stared blankly from behind a reception desk as Norton, Colleen, and the children entered the station.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI\u2019m Norton Halfslip,\u201d said Norton to the woman. \u201cI understand my family, as well as the parents of these children are being held here. We\u2019d like to speak to whoever\u2019s in charge of the investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThat would be Reynolds Manderley,\u201d offered Mabel a bit disdainfully.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cAgent Manderley is on administrative leave,\u201d said the receptionist.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cHe\u2019s off the case?\u201d asked Van. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe receptionist merely stared in response, then said, \u201cI\u2019ll page Agent Boots for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cChildren!\u201d barked a scarily familiar voice from across the room. Stomping toward them in noisy high heeled shoes, and freshly applied makeup was an irate Mrs. Pilderjack. She spun on her heels and waved an accusing finger at Norton. \u201cI\u2019ll have you know sir, that temporary custody of this child has been granted to ME, in the best interest of her welfare!\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cYou don\u2019t say,\u201d said Norton.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cAnd you children!\u201d she continued, turning to Mabel and Van. Mrs. Pilderjack took on a sudden air of great worry, and clasped her hands to her chest. \u201cChildren, children, why did you frighten me so?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tVan looked at Mabel, who shrugged. \u201cWe were in a walking mood?\u201d he suggested.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThank you Mrs. Pilderjack,\u201d broke in a no-nonsense voice. \u201cI\u2019ll take it from here.\u201d Agent Boots surveyed the group through her cat-eye glasses. \u201cI understand someone here needs to see me,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI do,\u201d said Colleen. <\/p>\n
\n\tMabel looked at Colleen and smiled gratefully. Just the sound of Colleen\u2019s voice, calming and authoritative at once, lent some sanity to the occasion.<\/p>\n
\n\tAgent Boots looked at Colleen and nodded slowly, as if she found her slightly peculiar. \u201cShall we, uh, sit down then,\u201d she suggested, pointing to a table in a spare conference room.<\/p>\n
\n\tEveryone entered. The children stood together and allowed Colleen and Norton to take the two chairs opposite Agent Boots, who sat down purposefully, and loudly smacked several folders onto the table in front of her.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIf I understand correctly,\u201d began Colleen, setting a satchel down at the foot of her chair, \u201cthe parents of these children are in police custody on suspicion of importing, growing and selling an illegal botanical.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cQuite right,\u201d stated Boots matter-of-factly. \u201cAnd a dangerous drug it is, too. Banned on four continents. Makes people behave in highly unpredictable ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tColleen slipped a notepad and pencil out of her satchel. \u201cAnd the scientific name of this plant is?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tBoots looked around nervously. \u201cAlright,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t believe it would jeopardize the investigation for you to know. Its amazonias pernishionus.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cDo you happen to have a sample I might look at?\u201d asked Colleen.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWell,\u201d replied Boots. \u201cWe\u2019ve actually compiled quite a few exhibits, plus several live plants from the greenhouse.\u201d She opened a folder. \u201cI have a small cutting right here.\u201d From the folder she removed a sealed plastic envelope in which was a pressed leaf cluster. Several spinach-green leaves, resembling long, narrow arrowheads branched off from a central stalk.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cMay I?\u201d asked Colleen. She picked up the bag and held it up to the buzzing fluorescent lights over the table. \u201cYes,\u201d she said simply. \u201cThat\u2019s what I thought.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWhat?\u201d said Boots.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cLet me show you something,\u201d said Colleen. She bent down to her satchel and removed a second item. It was a book. An old, heavy book, bound in green, with gold print embossed on the cover.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cA Compendium of Healing Plants, Volume II,\u201d<\/em> read Van.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cVolume II?\u201d said Mabel suddenly. \u201cYou have Volume II? Margie Haycraft wants a copy of that. Where did you get that?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMabel,\u201d said Colleen with a smile. \u201cI wrote it.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOh,\u201d said Mabel, \u201cyou did, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cLet me see that,\u201d said Boots. \u201cI\u2019ve heard of it. Wait a minute, let me get Agent Bufo, he\u2019s the botany man on the team.\u201d Boots pushed a button on an intercom box. Moments later, the bald DIS agent scuttled into the room.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBufo,\u201d said Boots. \u201cMaybe you should sit in.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWow,\u201d said Bufo, fingering the lettering on the green volume. \u201cVolume II of the Compendium. These are really hard to come by. I\u2019ve never actually seen one before. Where\u2019d you get it?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI wrote it,\u201d said Colleen.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cRight,\u201d scoffed Bufo. \u201cColleen Wickers wrote it. In 1913. She\u2019s been dead for longer than this thing\u2019s been out of print.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019m Colleen Wickers,\u201d stated Colleen simply.<\/p>\n \n\tBufo let out a loud snort, but then squinted and stared at Colleen. \u201cShe\u2019s dead,\u201d he repeated.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cNo she\u2019s not,\u201d said Norton, with a grin, \u201cshe\u2019s sitting right here.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAnd you\u2019ll find,\u201d said Colleen calmly, \u201cif you turn to page 117…\u201d She waited until Bufo did so. \u201cYou\u2019ll find that there are some subtle, but critical differences between amazonias pernishionus, and amazonias sagittatum, which is the name I gave in my book for the plant these people are presently calling amazonias claracrockett.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cLike what?\u201d asked Bufo.<\/p>\n \n\tColleen looked at him questioningly. \u201cYou\u2019re the botany man on the team, you say? Look at the inner edge of the leaf, please. You\u2019ll notice tiny striations on the pernishionus which do not occur on the sagittatum. This information is also right there on page 117. But the differences are more than cosmetic.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBufo and Boots stared at Colleen expectantly.<\/p>\n \n\tShe continued. \u201cThe hallucinogenic properties of the pernishionus are completely absent in the sagittatum. Apart from the one chemical, they\u2019re almost genetically identical, but the sagittatum is completely safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWho conducted these studies?\u201d demanded Boots importantly.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI did,\u201d said Colleen. \u201cFor my doctoral dissertation. In 1912.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cSo,\u201d said Norton, leaning into the table. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you just let all the nice folks out of the clink, and we\u2019ll get out of your hair?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBoots stiffened. \u201cWe cannot release suspects, on their own recognizance or otherwise, without verification of these matters \n\t\u201cI\u2019m an expert witness,\u201d stated Colleen.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cColleen Wickers would be an expert witness,\u201d protested Bufo, \u201cno-one would argue with that…but she\u2019s DEAD!\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019m not dead,\u201d said Colleen. \u201cI\u2019m sure my identity can be verified.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cHow?\u201d demanded Boots.<\/p>\n \n\tColleen smiled. \u201cI was involved in a good many demonstrations in my youth, as these children have read. Naturally, we occasionally clashed with the authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAnd?\u201d said Bufo.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019ve been arrested,\u201d said Colleen. \u201cTwo or three times. I\u2019m certain my fingerprints are somewhere in this county\u2019s police archives.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBoots turned to Bufo. \u201cGet on it,\u201d she said. \u201cIn the meantime, the rest of you can sit in the waiting area.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBufo nodded briskly and hurried out of the room. Boots collected her files and followed him.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cExcuse me,\u201d said Mabel, \u201cwhere is the bathroom?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAgent Boots pointed a finger toward a hallway as she took off in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOkay, I\u2019ll meet you guys back here in a few minutes,\u201d said Mabel trotting toward the ladies room at the end of a lengthy corridor. <\/p>\n \n\tThe bathroom was clean and efficient, and did the job, but something about its tiled sterility made her miss the rustic woods settlement she had just left. She gave her hands a few shakes under an electric hand dryer and started back toward the waiting area.<\/p>\n \n\tSmall offices branched off of the hallway down which Mabel walked, many full of secretaries tapping at computers, or uniformed officers in animated phone conversations. On the left was a lounge, occupied by a large, unkempt man with his head in his hands. Mabel\u2019s feet stopped in place. It was Manderley. As disheveled as he looked, she still knew it was Reynolds Manderley.<\/p>\n \n\tDriven by a mixture of annoyance and curiosity, Mabel entered the lounge. Manderley looked up. His appearance was almost frightening. His eyes were red and dark-circled. His hair was completely uncombed, and two days of razor-stubble shaded his chin and cheeks. <\/p>\n \n\tFor a moment Mabel just stared at him, then she managed a small, \u201chi.\u201d He nodded back, with a weak smile.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cSo, what\u2019s administrative leave, anyway?\u201d asked Mabel.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt means I screwed up,\u201d he replied hoarsely. \u201cIt means I did something wrong. It means I\u2019m in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAre they going to fire you?\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tManderley laughed dryly. \u201cI don\u2019t know. They might.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhat did you do that was so bad?\u201d Mabel asked, although she was pretty sure she already knew.<\/p>\n \n\tManderley began reciting, as if from a list. \u201cFailure to detain witnesses,\u201d he said, pointing at Mabel. \u201cAllowing unauthorized use of a department vehicle. Allowing unauthorized use of department communications equipment. And…\u201d he continued, straightening up slightly, \u201cfailure to report on these events in a timely manner.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOh,\u201d replied Mabel. \u201cWhat happened to your hand?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tManderley looked at his left palm, which was wrapped in gauze. \u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d he replied. \u201cI was in the greenhouse…feeling really…frustrated, and I shook a tree.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYou shook a tree?\u201d repeated Mabel.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYeah. Some kind of goofy tree with gourds growing all over it…and something screamed…then it bit me.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOkay,\u201d said Mabel, trying not to laugh. \u201cSo, why did you do that stuff? Why didn\u2019t you come after us, since you knew you were doing your job wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tManderley raised his hands as if ready to explain, then slumped again into a despairing posture and began to shake. It took Mabel a few seconds to realize that he was crying, and she stood stock-still for a moment, not knowing what to do. Part of her wanted to sneak quietly out of the room, but she found herself saying, \u201cIs there some way I can help you?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tManderley looked up, and his eyes were desperate. \u201cTalk to her. Talk to her for me. I\u2019m afraid…she\u2019ll never want to see me again…tell her I love her, but…\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhy did you arrest the Peales if you love Patience?\u201d asked Mabel.<\/p>\n \n\tManderley laughed a mirthless laugh. \u201cI always wanted to be a cop,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s all. Law enforcement has been my life. I\u2019ve never had regrets, no reservations…but then, she…happened to me. I\u2019ve never felt anything like it before.\u201d \tManderley looked at Mabel, his expression utterly tormented. \u201cThe law is everything to me,\u201d he said in an agonized voice, \u201cbut…Patience…\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tAt the utterance of her name, Manderley again slumped into a posture of such despair, that Mabel found herself, to her surprise, feeling terribly sorry for him. She put a hand to her chest, and felt something. A vial. Margie\u2019s vial. But,<\/em> Mabel asked herself in protest, what about Paulo? He\u2019s okay,<\/em> was the answer she herself supplied. He and Mrs. Remini like to fight. It\u2019s their sport. Use the vial.<\/em><\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAgent Manderley,\u201d asked Mabel, \u201ccan I fix you a cup of tea?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tManderley nodded dispiritedly.<\/p>\n \n\tA coffee cart stood against the wall, complete with styrofoam cups and hot beverage percolators. Mabel put a teabag in a cup, and added hot water. \u201cCream or sugar?\u201d she asked. Manderley shook his head. Carefully, with her back to Manderley, Mabel removed the stopper from the glass vial, and poured half the liquid into the cup of tea, then stirred with a plastic straw. Then she walked to Manderley and handed him the cup. <\/p>\n \n\tHe gave her another weak, but grateful smile and took a sip. Then he sighed, and downed the remainder in three gulps. He sat up, gave Mabel a questioning look, and promptly rolled out of his chair and passed out on the floor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mabel felt sick. \u201cYou can\u2019t…revive him?\u201d she asked hopefully. She hadn\u2019t even liked Tutter very much, but it seemed impossible that he could be dead. \u201cI told you, honey, I\u2019m not magic,\u201d replied Colleen. \u201cHe\u2019s good and drowned.\u201d \u201cOh, no, no, no…\u201d moaned the helicopter pilot, pacing rapidly back and forth while tugging at his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=300"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":302,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300\/revisions\/302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nfrom an expert witness.\u201d<\/p>\n