down the street. We sat in the stuffy waiting room for two hours while they replaced the tires. While Mo was signing the paperwork and trying not to pass out from the shock of seeing the cost, my phone rang. It was Mrs. Redmond. I stepped outside to answer it.
“Mrs. Redmond?”
“Hi, Briseis. Karter said you were trying to reach me?”
“Yeah, sorry to bother you. I wanted to see if you found any other keys?”
“I’ve been very busy. I really haven’t had time, but I’m pretty good about making sure things are organized and that my clients’ wishes are fulfilled to the letter.”
Her tone was sharp and I felt bad for implying that she was disorganized. “I’m sorry. The house is old. Maybe there isn’t a key for some of the doors.”
“I’m here at the office now. I can call you back after I’ve double-checked.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Mo met me at the car, looking exhausted. We got in, and she leaned her head on the steering wheel. “They don’t let you get two new tires. You gotta get four or the car will be unbalanced, but the only thing unbalanced right now is my damn bank account. It’s always something.”
My phone rang again.
“Hi, Mrs. Redmond.”
“Hi, Briseis. I really apologize. I don’t have another key for you, but I do have something my secretary misplaced. It’s a drawing. It’s here if you’d like to swing by and get it.”
“Be there in five minutes.” I put my hand on Mo’s arm. “It’s gonna be okay. I’m gonna reopen the apothecary and get some money coming in.”
“Always lookin’ at the bright side.” She smiled and leaned back.
“I get that from you,” I said. “Can you run me to Mrs. Redmond’s office quick? She has a paper she forgot to give to me.”
“Didn’t you just come from there earlier?”
“Yeah, she wasn’t there, but she is now.”
Five minutes later I got out of the car and went up to Mrs. Redmond’s office again. The door sat ajar.
I stepped inside and an electronic bell chimed.
“Be right there,” she called from another room.
The office was cramped and sparsely decorated. A small desk strewn with papers and file folders stood in the middle of the room. There was a bookshelf with only two or three titles, all having to do with law. The sound of running water and the flush of a toilet told me the only other door in the office led to a bathroom. A picture of Niagara Falls hung on the wall. A small TV sat on a file cabinet in the corner. The local news was on, and a meteorologist was warning of an impending cold front that would bring rain and wind to Rhinebeck and the surrounding areas.
Mrs. Redmond came out and gave me a quick side hug before sitting down at her desk. “I should have been more thorough when I was putting your paperwork together. I am so sorry, Briseis. Truly.” She picked up a piece of paper and held it out to me. “Like I said, I’m usually very good about staying organized, but my secretary must have misplaced this. I found it shuffled in with some papers that were to be shredded.”
I took the paper from her. “It’s okay, really.”
It was a drawing of the same crest that was on the door in the rear of the Poison Garden and on the hidden office’s desk, but there was something underneath I didn’t recognize—three horizontal lines stacked one on top of the other. I was sure they weren’t on either of the other crests. I sighed, frustrated. This wasn’t exactly helpful, and it didn’t tell me how I was supposed to find the key to the door in the garden.
“So how are things with the house?” Mrs. Redmond asked. “Is the old place treating you well?”
“It’s going good,” I said. “I mean, there’s still a lot of work to do. The place is filled with old junk.”
She shook her head. “That’s too bad. Have you had a look around the rest of the property? I know there’s a ton of acreage. Karter said you’ve been spending a lot of time in a garden? I have to be honest, I’m a little surprised by that. Gardening isn’t really his thing.”
“He’s been helping me out,” I said. “Thanks for letting him come over. I know he’s got responsibilities at the bookshop.”
“He does, but to hear him tell it, it’s all too overwhelming, too much to handle.” She shook her head. “What can I do? I’m