Free Relentless Pursuit: A Novel (Secrets of Roux River Bayou) by Kathy Herman

thumbed through the file on the cyanide poisonings. He heard a knock and looked up as Aimee walked in, her uniform pressed, her makeup flawless, and her bleach-blonde hair neatly coiffed.
    “Mayor Theroux, Chief Norman, and Dr. Jensen from DHH just arrived,” Aimee said. “I’ve got us set up in interview room one—anytime you’re ready.”
    “I’m ready. I was just about to review the file again, but I could recite it in my sleep.”
    Jude got up and followed Aimee across the detective bureau and out into the far hallway. He caught up with her and stopped at the first interview room, holding the door and making eye contact with the mayor.
    “Good morning, Sheriff.” Mayor Oliver Theroux nodded from the oblong table, where he sat between Chief Norman and Dr. Jensen. “You look rested.”
    Jude smiled politely. Was the mayor being sarcastic? “Looks are deceiving, sir. I rarely get a good night’s sleep when I’m up to my ears in a case that isn’t moving fast enough to suit me.”
    Jude came into the room and shook hands with each of the men and then sat at the table next to Aimee, facing them.
    “Thanks for giving up part of your Sunday,” Jude said. “I promised this meeting would be quick and to the point. So here it is: we have six dead. Ten hospitalized but expected to recover. No suspects yet. Marcotte’s Market has been closed. Chief Norman’s people and mine are working around the clock to contain this threat and stop whoever’s behind it.
    “I wanted to bring some new information to your attention. The lab has now confirmed that the chocolate pudding on the food bar at Marcotte’s was the only food item poisoned with cyanide. And the poisoned bottles of Gaudry water that claimed five of the six victims were contaminated through a tiny hole made in the bottom of the plastic bottle, where we believe the cyanide was injected, and then the hole patched with a clear, hard adhesive.
    “Gaudry bottled water has been removed from the grocery shelves in Les Barbes, and state officials are working to determine which bottles have been tampered with and/or contaminated. There’s now a statewide recall on bottles with the same bottling plant code and expiration date as the contaminated bottles.” Jude glanced over at Dr. Jensen, who nodded in affirmation.
    “What about fingerprints?” Oliver said.
    Jude folded his hands on the table. “We were able to identify a few fingerprints on the bottled water but found none that shouldn’t be there. We’re looking closely at every employee of Marcotte’s—and especially the delivery boy, Adam Marcotte, who is the great-nephew of the owner.”
    “Adam?” Oliver said. “I’ve known him all his life. My son Stephen is on the swim team with him. There’s no way he’s involved in this.”
    Jude pursed his lips. “You’re probably right. But Friday afternoon he delivered groceries to three residences, resulting in the five bottled-water fatalities. We can’t afford to pass him over just because of his family ties.”
    “But didn’t he take the bottled water off the shelf when he filled the grocery order for those folks?” Ollie said.
    “That’s what Adam told us, and that’s the normal procedure.” Jude bounced a pencil eraser on the table. “Judging from the computer records, this water came in Thursday afternoon, was checked in shortly after midnight, and was set out after three p.m. on Friday. We’re talking to everyone who would’ve handled it, starting with the transport driver and his crew and every person who works in the stockroom or has access to it.
    “In addition,” Jude said, “we’ve thoroughly reviewed Saturday’s security tapes of the food bar at Marcotte’s. From 10:33 until 10:56 a.m., three female employees in uniform—all have been confirmed by the manager—were busy setting up the food bar, which opens at 11:00. They finished the job at 10:56 and went back into the kitchen. Sixty-three seconds later, a male, dressed