She Tried to Poison Me novel · Chapter 4 of 24

Chapter 4: The Policy

At noon a deputy walked me up the front steps of my own house.

Seth had offered to come, and I had told him no.

If he stood on that lawn, Fern would have her stalker story all ready.

So he waited at the end of the drive in his truck with Bishop's head out the window.

The neighbors were already outside.

The woman from two doors down was watering a flowerpot that was already wet.

The couple from the corner house stood at their mailbox pretending to read their mail.

Everyone had seen the clip.

Fern stood on the porch in a cream cardigan with her hands folded in front of her.

"Emme," she said, loud enough for the street. "Sweetheart. We have been so worried."

"Move, please," said the deputy, and Fern stepped aside with a small gracious smile.

I went in.

My own front hall smelled like lemon polish and somebody else's perfume.

Kit was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

She was wearing my robe, the green one my grandmother gave me, and she had been crying again.

Her face was pink and her lashes were wet.

"Em," she said. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry about last night."

"Take it off."

"What?"

"My robe. Take it off."

Her mouth trembled.

"I only borrowed it. I was cold."

"Take it off, Kit."

She looked past me at the deputy and at the open front door and at the neighbor on her lawn.

"I think you should sit down," she said. "You're not well."

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