The Heirloom Murders - Kathleen Ernst [109]
“Whey protein products have become popular!” Chloe chimed in. “And unlike milk or cheese, it would be easy to ship whey protein anywhere in the world!”
“That’s about it,” Roelke said. “It” being the limits of his understanding of the topic. “Guest thinks he can infuse whey protein with the medicinal benefits from this plant. Somehow. Something like that.”
Meili shoved a hand through his hair. “And all the board members would know is that Simon was making progress in both branches of the company. Guest’s project—at least on the surface—would come without the … what’s the word? The ghost of bad things?”
“Specter,” Chloe supplied. “The specter of the possibility that genetically engineered plants, forced on Third World countries, could end up destroying a huge percentage of a country or continent’s food supply.”
Am I even needed in this conversation? Roelke wondered. Chloe and Markus communicated in the shorthand that came from shared history or shared worldview. Or both. All right, he told himself. Wrap this up and get the hell out of here.
“Guest needed seeds, fast, but he hadn’t been able to find anyone who still grew that particular plant around here. The only known source was Mrs. Burke’s garden. He thought he could patent the process of getting the plant’s medicinal properties into the whey protein. He asked Bonnie to get him the seeds, but she refused. Then he went to Sabatola, who tried to bully his wife into helping him.”
“Oh, God,” Chloe murmured. “That poor woman.”
“Bonnie hid or destroyed the journal. Guest thought he could find seeds at the Burke place. He couldn’t find the plant in the garden, though, or any labeled seeds in the garden shed.”
Chloe jerked upright. “Or in the barn, by chance?” she demanded.
Roelke’s right knee began to jiggle up and down. “Guest was searching in the barn the night you surprised him. His resentment boiled into hatred after Bonnie hid the journal, and hid or destroyed her mother’s seeds. That hatred transferred to Dellyn.”
Chloe closed her eyes. “Guest thought that Dellyn had maybe taken the seeds to Old World Wisconsin for her Garden Fair. And …”
“Guest hasn’t admitted to killing Harriet Van Dyne,” Roelke said, “but my guess is he searched the displays Dellyn had set up, and became enraged when he still didn’t find the seeds he was looking for. When Harriet came back for her purse, he probably thought—again—that it was Dellyn. I’ve already talked to the detective handling that case.”
“Gott in Himmel,” Meili muttered.
“Sabatola and Guest thought they were out of chances,” Roelke said. “Then Dellyn told Simon about the Frietags.”
Meili groaned. “I thought that visiting Frieda and Johann might cheer Dellyn up, so I made the arrangements. I had to attend a historical society meeting last night, but I’d planned to join everyone at the farm later.”
Chloe patted Meili’s arm. “It’s not your fault.” Then she glanced at Roelke, and pulled her hand back into her lap. “I’ve pieced together the sequence, I think. Frieda kept seeds in her granary, so it took Edwin awhile to find them. He slashed my tires so I couldn’t follow him, or get help quickly. But once Martine got out of the cool cellar, she disabled his car so he couldn’t escape.”
“That fits.” Roelke nodded.
“Guest found the seeds he wanted at the Frietags’ place,” Chloe said slowly, “but he deliberately let them blow away! Was he trying to destroy evidence? Or did he feel that if he couldn’t have access to them, no one should?”
“Both, probably.” Roelke shrugged.
“Nice guy,” Chloe said again. She rubbed her arms as if the thought of Guest gave her a chill.
Meili looked at Roelke. “Thank you for calling me.”
“Thanks for getting out there so fast.” And saving Dellyn. Saving Chloe.
An awkward silence settled in the room. Olympia wandered in, flopped on the floor, and began washing her face. Finally Chloe cleared her throat. “Did either Guest or Sabatola say anything about the Eagle Diamond?”
“No. But that reminds me. Why did you mention