Deadly Tea Brewing

Sometimes a cup of tea is just hot water in a kettle, a tea bag, and a pretty cup on top of a saucer that warms you up on a cold winter’s night. Other times, it can be a lethal drink that will either make you sick or kill you.

The kettle hissed softly, the sound mingling with the crackle of the fireplace in the otherwise silent kitchen. Eleanor carefully poured the steaming water into the delicate porcelain cup, watching as the tea bag bloomed, its colors swirling in mesmerizing patterns. Her hand hovered over the sugar bowl for a moment, her fingers brushing against the tiny silver spoon before retreating.

“Two sugars, right?” she called over her shoulder.

“Yes, thank you,” came the reply from the next room, a voice smooth as silk but with an undertone of tension. It was Leonard, her husband’s oldest friend, visiting unexpectedly on this frigid evening. He’d shown up just as the snowstorm began, his coat dusted with white and his boots tracking slush onto the entryway rug. Eleanor hadn’t minded. Well, at first she didn’t mind.

Now, though, her hand trembled slightly as she added the sugar, stirring the tea until the clink of metal against porcelain seemed too loud, too sharp for her ears to handle.

Leonard had always been a charming man, quick with a joke and a smile. But tonight, there was something different about him. His eyes had darted around the room, his hands fidgeting as he spoke. And then there was the way he’d asked about her husband, Samuel.

“He’s away on business,” Eleanor had said, watching Leonard’s face carefully. “ He should be back by the weekend.”

Leonard’s smile hadn’t reached his eyes. “Ah, business. Always keeping him busy.”

Now, as Eleanor carried the tea tray into the living room, she couldn’t shake the unease curling of butterflies in her stomach. Leonard was seated on the edge of the couch, his coat still on, his posture stiff. The firelight flickered across his face, casting shadows that made his expression hard to read.

“Here we are,” Eleanor said, placing the tray on the coffee table. She handed Leonard his cup, noticing the way his hands trembled as he took it.

“Thank you,” he murmured, his eyes meeting hers for a brief moment before darting away. “You’ve always had a talent for hospitality, Eleanor. A talent that few people have three days.” 

She forced a smile, sitting down in the armchair opposite him. Her own cup of tea sat untouched on the table beside her.

For a while, they sat in silence. The only sounds were the soft crackle of the fire and the wind howling outside. Eleanor’s unease grew with each passing second.

Finally, Leonard spoke. “Eleanor, I… I need to tell you something.”

She folded her hands in her lap. “Go on.”

He hesitated, staring into his tea as if searching for courage. “It’s about Samuel.”

Her heart skipped a beat and the butterflies in her stomach got stronger.  “What about him?”

Leonard’s voice dropped to a whisper. “He… he’s not on a business trip.”

Eleanor’s blood ran cold. “What are you talking about?”

“He’s gone, Eleanor.” Leonard’s hands tightened around his cup. “Disappeared. I’ve been trying to find him for days. That’s why I came here tonight. I thought maybe… maybe he’d told you something, left some kind of clue.”

Eleanor’s mind raced. Samuel had left three days ago, kissing her goodbye with his usual distracted affection. He’d said he was heading to a conference in the city. There had been nothing unusual about his departure. Or so she’d thought. Everything seemed normal. 

“I don’t understand,” she said slowly. “Why would he disappear? Where could he have gone?”

Leonard shook his head. “I don’t know. But… Eleanor, there’s more. I think someone might be trying to… to silence him.”

Her breath caught. “Silence him? Why would anyone try to silence him? What does he know?”

“He… he was involved in something. Something dangerous. I warned him to stay out of it, but he wouldn’t listen.” Leonard’s voice cracked. “I think he’s in trouble, Eleanor. Serious trouble.”

Eleanor’s gaze dropped to her untouched tea. Her thoughts whirled in chaotic patterns, much like the tea bag swirling in Leonard’s cup. Samuel’s cryptic phone calls, the late nights at the office, the strange envelope she’d found in his briefcase last week—all of it came rushing back.

“What was he involved in?” she demanded.

Leonard’s face twisted with guilt. “I can’t say. It’s too dangerous. But you have to trust me. If you hear anything from him, if he contacts you, you need to tell me right away. Promise me.”

Eleanor’s throat felt dry. “I… I promise.”

The wind howled louder outside, rattling the windows. The room felt suddenly colder, despite the fire. Elenor felt a chill up and down her body. 

“Thank you for the tea,” Leonard said abruptly, setting his cup down and rising to his feet. “I should go.”

“In this weather?” Eleanor asked, alarmed. “You’ll freeze out there.”

“I’ll manage.” He grabbed his coat, avoiding her eyes. “Please, Eleanor. Be careful. And remember what I said.”

He was gone before she could protest further, leaving the door swinging in his wake and a trail of icy air behind him.

Eleanor sat back down, staring at the fire as her thoughts raced. Leonard’s visit had only deepened the mystery, leaving her with more questions than answers.

Her gaze fell to the tea cups on the table. Leonard’s was empty, the dregs forming strange patterns at the bottom. Hers remained full, untouched.

On impulse, she picked up Leonard’s cup and carried it to the sink. As she rinsed it out, something caught her eye. A faint residue clung to the bottom of the cup, its color unusual. Eleanor’s stomach churned as a terrible thought crossed her mind.

Had Leonard’s tea been… tainted?

She stared at the sink, her pulse pounding in her ears. The wind outside seemed to get louder, as if echoing her growing dread. Was Leonard’s visit truly about Samuel? Or had it been a warning… for her?

The answers, she realized, might not be far away. But finding them could cost her everything. Was she ready to know the answers? Was she even going to like what she might find? She didn’t know. But, she knew that she had to do something and fast before it was too late. 

Although Leonard was not the perfect husband he was her husband for over 40 years and she had to find him and she had to get him out of danger if she could.

Eleanor didn’t sleep that night. She decided that she needed to uncover the truth. She started by searching Sam’s home office. His office was a place where he always kept meticulously organized.  It didn't take long before she found something. Hidden in between a row of law books was a journal filled with crypt notes and numbers. One phrase stood out: “The Harbor Project.” 

Her next step was to go to Sam’s office downtown  to find out more. She drove across town and parked in the parking lot that was labeled “Employees only.” She didn’t care that she was not an employee. At this time it didn’t make a difference to her where she parked. She walked to the giant glass doors and up the elevator to the third floor where Sam’s office was. She smiled at the receptionist who was on her phone concentrating on texting someone and barely noticed Eleanor. She searched Sam’s desk and the drawers. Hidden in the back of one drawer was a flash drive. Eleanor put it in the pocket of her coat. Her heart felt like it was going to pop out of her chest. 

Once back home she plugged the flash drive into her laptop and opened up the files. Sam had been investigating something and it looked like some kind of deal involving politicians and business people prominent in the community. The words, “Money laundering” jumped off the screen. As she kept reading she noticed one name that popped up. A name she knew very well, Leonard. 

She gasped and tried to catch her breath. She knew now that Lenard hadn’t been there to give her a warning; he had been there, at her house that night, to fish for information. She realized that he thought that Sam had given her some valuable information, something crucial to him. Before she could fully process the information her phone vibrated in her pocket. It was an unknown number. She pressed the answer button.

“Ellen, it’s Sam,” a faint whisper of Sam’s voice echoed through her ears, “Don’t trust anyone! Leave the house now! Go to the hotel on East Street and check into room 4. It’s all arranged. “ 

The call dropped and panic surged through her body. She grabbed the flash drive and stuffed it into her pants pocket. She ran to the living room window and peaked out. Outside parked in front of her house was a black car, windows tinted. Eleanor’s instincts screamed for her to run. She slipped out of the back door and ran as fast as she could in the snow. Her breath turned cold in the icy air. The truth was within reach and so was the danger.

She ran to the hotel and followed the directions Sam had told her over the phone. She paced back and forth for half the night and looked for signs of the black car she saw parked in front of her house. There were no signs of the car. What was the real reason Leonard showed up at her house that night? Why had there been strange residue inside of his tea cup and not hers? And how did Sam fit into all of this? She had to find out. 

The next day she went to the library a few blocks from the hotel. She circled the block a few times to make sure she was not followed. She wished she had taken her car but she was glad that she didn’t. It would be easier to track her in the car. She found a computer in the back of the library and inserted the flash drive. She scrolled through the numbers, the emails and there was a picture of Sam standing there in the middle of two men. She didn’t recognize the men but she did recognize the location. They were at the warehouse on the waterfront.

She walked to the waterfront warehouse and pushed the door open. Inside the air was thick with scents of oil and dust. She heard voices and she quickly ducked behind a row of tall rows of boxes on the aisle. She felt like she was in a spy movie. She peeked out from behind the boxes and saw three men standing next to a small wooden table in the middle of the warehouse.  She recognized one of the men. It was Samuel. He looked pale and tired. He was emphatically gesturing to one of the men. She couldn’t hear what they were saying . She desperately wanted to call out to Samuel but her instincts told her not to and stay hidden. Then one of the men pulled out something shiny from his coat pocket, a gun. A shot was fired. Eleanor stifled a scream. Nobody was hit. He fired the gun in the air but the threat was clear. The same man grabbed a folder and a flash drive from the table  and walked out, leaving Samuel slumped over the table. 

Eleanor rushed to Samuel. 

“Eleanor, what are you doing here?” Sam gasped as he stood up. 

“I could ask you the same question,” Eleanor said.

Before he could say another word the door burst open and FBI agents with guns drawn entered the warehouse. Sam gestured and the men put their weapons down. Outside the warehouse was the man with the gun standing handcuffed next to an agent. Samuel nodded to one of the agents and he and Eleanor left the warehouse. 

“Were you helping the FBI with some case? Some money laundering case?” Eleanor asked.

“I can’t really talk about it right now. But, when I can, I will tell you all about it.” Samuel said.

“Sam, something has been bothering me about the night that Leonard came over. I gave him a cup of tea that I had made fresh right before he came and in his cup I noticed a weird residue at the bottom when I washed the cup. Then I remembered that right before I took the tea inside for us I got a text from an unknown number telling me not to drink the tea. Do you know anything about that?” Eleanor asked.

“ Well, Ellie, let me just say this for now. I am glad that you didn’t drink the tea. And as for Leonard, he will be okay once he gets out of the hospital. Now let’s go home. I have had a craving for a meatball sub.” Samuel said laughing.