Anthony Rawlings / Anton Rawls—survived poisoning, January 2012, at the age of forty-six. Wife, Claire Nichols Rawlings, pled no contest to charge of attempted murder. Governor Bosley extended a pardon which absolved Claire (Rawlings) Nichols of guilt. The state of Iowa hasn’t revisited the case due to Mr. Rawlings’ insistence. Also at the time of his poisoning, Mr. Rawlings had a clear medical history. His only medication was vitamins, recreational use of alcohol, and no history of smoking—family history would be the only connection to heart-related problems leading to his possible death. Upon arrival at the hospital actaea pachypodac was positively identified in his blood.
Harry also reviewed his list of other possible victims:
Samuel and Amanda Rawls—COD gunshot wounds. The ballistics reports contradicted the released hypothesis of murder/suicide. The gunshot wounds were quite obviously not self-inflicted on either victim. They died in 1989 at the age of forty-five and forty-four. As much as Harry wanted to pin this on Rawlings—since they had his statement and the police reports verified his presence at the home the night of the murder—he couldn’t forget his discussion with Patrick Chester. It was clear that, during that discussion, Chester was being paid by someone to keep quiet about a woman—a woman in a blue Honda.
Jordon and Shirley Nichols—COD head trauma related to automobile crash. They died in 2004 at the age of fifty and forty-nine. Indiana State Police reports indicated the Nichols’ car was structurally sound. The crash was ruled accidental.
Simon Johnson—COD combustion, related to the crash and fire of a Cessna aircraft. He died in 2011 at the age of twenty-eight. NTSB reports indicated plane was structurally sound. To Harry—that confirmed that poison was indeed the cause of death, but he needed proof.
Although he couldn’t be sure about Tony’s parents, Harry’s gut told him the other deaths could all be traced to Rawlings. As he was about to leave for the airport, Harry scribbled another note, Check New Jersey, 1989, car registrations for blue Hondas. He stuffed the note into his laptop bag and headed to the airport.
The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.
—Victor Hugo
Claire loved lunch time. Despite Tony’s request for her to better understand the whole employer/employee relationship, she refused to give up eating with Madeline and Francis. Breakfast was a free for all—Madeline and Francis had things they wanted to accomplish early in the day. The intense sun and heat made early morning and late evening the best times of the day to do labor. Tony had always been a person to wake early. The fact he no longer had work to attend, or thousands of jobs under his reign of responsibility, didn’t change his internal clock. Claire, on the other hand, enjoyed her sleep. While everyone else on the island could be up and going at the break of dawn, 8:00 AM or 9:00 AM was a much more acceptable waking hour for her. It was true that years ago, on Tony’s estate, she constantly woke about 8:00 AM. In her opinion, the difference was the seventeen extra pounds resting on her bladder. These days, she woke every two to three hours. Sleeping until 9:00 AM gave her the same total sum of sleep. It made perfect sense, and besides, no one complained.
The midday meal was a great time for everyone to connect. Claire knew it was a whole new world for Tony. In private, while he voiced his approval of Madeline and Francis, he still maintained his concerns regarding Claire’s ability to preserve the appropriate employer status. Claire didn’t care. She explained how instrumental Madeline and Francis had been to her initial adjustment, and they all knew—it was her decision. As long as she wanted it—they would all continue to eat their midday meal together.
The day after Tony’s revelation, as their lunch was about to conclude, Claire asked Francis a question, “I remember you telling me you’re ordained. Does that mean you can legally marry two people?”
Claire ignored Tony’s wide-eyed micro expression as Francis answered, “Oui, Madame el, here in this island nation I am, as you say—licensed.”
She clarified, “What does that mean in the United States? Would we still be married?”
“Oui, after you file for your license.”
Tony couldn’t remain silent any longer. “Claire, my offer still stands, but you had things you wanted to discuss, so perhaps we should...”
Claire reached into the pocket of the lace cover up. Her fingers found an offering that only he would recognize. She gathered it into her fist, and extended her closed fist to Tony. “I have something for you.”