by Leena Clover
“If that’s true, Jordan was the goose laying the golden egg,” Stan pointed out. “Why would Cam want to harm him?”
I conceded the point.
“Wait a minute. Didn’t the siblings say the old man was going to sign over the ranch to Jordan? Maybe they wanted their inheritance.”
“In that case, it made sense to bump the old man off,” Becky said. “Pamela and Cam would get their share, and Jordan would still do all the work.”
“Don’t forget they fought a lot,” Tony reminded me.
“I don’t think that means anything,” I protested. “Jeet and I are at each other’s throats almost every day. But I’d lay down my life for him.”
“You’re forgetting one thing,” Stan said complacently. “Jordan Harris died here in Swan Creek. That ranch of theirs is about 60 miles away. None of the family were in the vicinity.”
“But that’s just it,” I cried. “They could have been in Swan Creek. Cam admitted being in the city until 8 PM. He could have driven by here. Pamela wasn’t home either. She said she was just driving around, she doesn’t know where. And Pa Harris said neither of them was in bed at 11 PM.”
Stan leaned forward, looking dumbfounded.
“What are you saying, Meera? That’s news to me.”
He made a note in a small notebook.
“Don’t say anything to them about this now,” he warned. “Now that we know they weren’t home, we can ask them for alibis. And we can ask them exactly where they were. They are obligated to answer. They may not show you the same courtesy.”
I wasn’t sure about that but I let it slide.
“What about Jessica?” I asked Stan. “She said she talked to him at 10. That means he was alive at that time.”
Stan looked shocked again.
“She said what? She never told us that.”
“Do you think she lied?” Tony asked.
“What is the estimated time of death?” I asked Stan.
“Between 9 and midnight. They can’t narrow it down more than that. And it’s possible he was incapacitated even before that. So he could’ve been on that bench but unconscious.”
“Jessica’s call is really important, in that case,” I nodded.
“What if someone else answered Jordan’s phone? She should be able to tell the difference, right?” Becky came up with a bizarre question.
I was stunned.
“Have we made any progress at all?” I wrung my hands.
“Plenty!” Stan said, getting up. “Thanks to you, we know the brother is flaky. There could be an ex. Jessica may or may not be lying.”
“She lied about being engaged.”
I told Stan how she had let me believe she and Jordan had been together for 7 years.
“So she lied outright,” Stan mused. “Maybe she was hurt the first time they broke up, and she was just stringing him along this time? Waiting for the right opportunity to have her revenge?”
“That’s cold blooded,” I winced.
“If Jordan didn’t die naturally, chances are he ingested some kind of toxin or poison. Who could have had access to that?”
“All his family insisted he was very healthy and strong as an ox,” I repeated. “He was only 27, after all.”
“Jessica works on some kind of wonder food for cows, doesn’t she?” Tony asked.
I remembered and explained it to Stan.
“What does that entail, exactly? Maybe she deals with poisons every day. Maybe what’s superfood for a cow is harmful to humans?” Tony was seriously considering Jessica as a suspect.
I added another line to the Action Items list – find out who had access to poison.
“We are nowhere close to solving this, are we?” I was frustrated. “Jon and Sylvie’s have been closed for over a week.”
“You have to be patient, Meera!” Stan consoled us. “I think you have done a pretty good job for amateurs. Let’s catch up again in a week or so.”
Stan stood up and scooped up one more tortilla chip. He adjusted his cap on his head and turned to leave.
“One moment Meera.”
He looked uncomfortable.
“That woman was spotted on campus again. Near the library. One of the school cops called it in. She was gone by the time we got there.”
I flung my hands up in the air.
“This woman’s like the bogey man. What’s her interest in me? Does she really want to harm me?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say No,” Stan said soothingly. “She’s had plenty of chances to accost you. She hasn’t made any contact yet. Maybe she’s just senile, or a bit touched. Maybe you remind her of someone and she wants to look at you.”
“I’m not going to worry about her,” I said stoutly.
Truth be told, I was finally beginning to worry. I tried to focus on the matter at hand.
“We need to find out more about Jordan’s ex. And maybe talk to someone who knows Jessica.”
“What about her lab mates?” Tony asked. “Shouldn’t we confirm she actually turned up for that meeting that night? Or that she was in the lab later on?”
I added two more items to the Action Items list.
We talked about various alternate scenarios, and tried to come up with a motive. Did someone hate Jordan enough to kill him? Or was it all just about money?
“That’s it. I’ve had enough. Let’s do something else.”
Everyone was hungry, inspite of having grazed on the tortilla chips.
I pulled a platter of marinated chicken from the refrigerator. Tony fired up the grill. I lined some corn on the cob on one side. The chicken had absorbed all the adobo seasoning and tequila I had doused it in earlier. I placed the boneless pieces on the grill and called the main house.
“We’re grilling some chicken, Motee Ba,” I told her. “Are you guys ready to eat?”
Jeet was the first to come over. Pappa followed, tapping his cane. Motee Ba held a rice cooker in her hand.
“I made some rice pilaf,” she called out. “I think it will go well with the chicken.”
I put a plate aside for Dad, knowing he would probably be busy.
We sat on the patio, warmed by a fire Tony had built.
“Your aunt may be coming for a visit,” Motee Ba announced.
“Oh, cool!” I tried to be stoic.
My aunt is a trial at the best of times. She would come armed with photos of eligible Indian boys and follow me around, extolling their virtues. She would not be pleased about what I was involved in.
I met Tony for lunch at the food court the next day. The Wok was the only place open so we got stir frys.
“Granny called me. There’s a message for you from your blue eyed boy.”
“What does he want now?” I asked Tony, ignoring his sarcasm.
“Why don’t you call him back?” Tony shrugged his shoulders.
I borrowed Tony’s cell phone and put in a call to Cam.
“Hello Meera! Got a minute?” he asked cheerfully.
“Sure. You called?”
“I have an appointment in the City today. I’ll be going back around 6. Would you like to have dinner with me?”
I was amazed. Was Cam asking me out on a date? Then I remembered I needed to ferret out lots of information from him. A dinner date would be a good opportunity.
“Why not? Did you have a place in mind?”
“I don’t know much about Swan Creek. Just tell me where to be, and at what time.”
I picked a pub I liked, counting on it being crowded even on a weekday evening. We planned to meet at 6:30.
“Will you be safe?” Tony asked as I hung up.
“Relax! That’s why I chose Jimmy’s. What’s he gonna do in a roomful of people?”
Dinner time arrived soon enough and I waited for Cam at Jimmy’s, a local bar.
He came in, looking pleased.
“I lost the cane,” he announced, turning in a circle.
“Congratulations!” I was genuinely happy for
him.
“We are celebrating. Dinner’s on me.”
He signaled the server and ordered a large beer and a platter of appetizers.
“What will you have?” he raised his eyebrows and looked at me.
“A Coke,” I told the server.
“Is that all?” Cam protested. “How about something stronger?”
“Maybe later,” I smiled.
He poured out the details about his doctor’s appointment.
“Are you done with your therapy then?”
“No. Therapy’s even more important now. I need to build my strength. Luckily, I have access to the best equine therapy in the state.”
“Aren’t these the same horses you hated?” I teased.
“You’re right,” he sobered. “Life comes full circle, hunh!”
The appetizers arrived and I gave them the attention they deserved. You have to respect the fried platter at Jimmy’s or he’ll give you the evil eye.
“Have you thought any more about what you’ll do now?” I asked after he downed his second beer.
“I have to talk to Pam,” he said. “Pa’s never really asked her what she wanted. She’s just a woman, according to him.”
“She’s great at handling the guests. And she seems to love the resort.”
Cam lapsed into thought.
“Were you serious about the farm? Or the convalescent home? Or going to live in Dallas?” I let him know I was on to him.
Cam was apologetic.
“Ok. You got me. But I was only half kidding.”
“Your Pa says you love to rile people up.”
He flashed me a devilish grin. The blue of his irises deepened and his whole face creased in a smile.
“I’ve been accused of that before, but I wasn’t lying outright.”
“Oh?” I challenged.
“I do want to turn at least part of the resort into a special home for veterans. The equine therapy will be a big draw. So will the organic farm. We do grow our own vegetables now. Maybe we’ll do it on a larger scale as we add more cabins. And the Dallas part? I’ve put some feelers out. I want to be a speaker on the Army circuit. Give motivational talks, that kind of thing.”
He paused and drained his glass again.
I was impressed. The Jordan family wasn’t lacking in smarts.
“All those plans depend on having access to the ranch though, right?”
Cam sobered.
“And you think I would kill my brother for that piece of land?”
I was quiet.
He leaned forward.
“Jordan was willing to hand the Triple H over to me. He told me that himself.”
“How? When?” I asked. “And wouldn’t he have to own the ranch to be able to do that?”
“Actually, I’m the sole heir to the Triple H according to my grandpa’s will.”
“But I thought your Pa was going to hand it over to Jordan.”
“Yes, he was,” Cam said bitterly. “He always considered Jordan to be the true heir.”
“So he wouldn’t actually be giving it away. You’d still own it?”
I was trying to keep track.
“On paper, yes. But what does a piece of paper matter? Jordan was the one Pa chose.”
I was confused. This totally ruled out money as a motive.
“So you’re saying all this talk of what each of you wanted means nothing? You’ll own the ranch no matter what?”
“That’s right, beautiful. The ranch is not the prize. It never was. Winning Pa’s approval is.”
“And now you’ll never know,” I said under my breath.
Cam clinked his glass with mine and gave me a thumbs up sign.
“Got that right.”
I motioned to the server to bring some coffee.
“Are you sure you are okay to drive back to the ranch tonight?” I was concerned about the five beers he had guzzled in an hour.
“Don’t worry,” Cam held up a hand. “I can sleep it off at Jessica’s. She’s probably in that lab of hers anyway.”
Chapter 17
My dinner with Cam – I didn’t want to call it a date – had shaken me up. If the Triple H was really coming to him, it ruled out money as a motive. I couldn’t shake off how casual he had sounded about staying over at Jessica’s. I had a feeling he had done it before. Was he trying to steal her away from Jordan? Had the brothers fought over a girl?
Tony and I stood outside his gas station, sipping large cups of scalding hot coffee. The mid December morning was cold and bracing and I was waiting for the caffeine to kick in and jolt me awake.
“This just gets more complicated each day,” Tony complained. “Any news of how the diner inspection is progressing?”
I shook my head.
“They’re short staffed. With the holidays, they might not get to it until the next year.”
“How’s Sylvie taking it? I hope you’re not giving her grief about supplying pies to Nancy’s.”
“Of course I’m not!”
Sometimes Tony has zero faith in me.
Something about Sylvie supplying pies to Nancy’s didn’t sit right with me. I thought about it but nothing obvious came to mind. Then I let it go. It was Sylvie’s call, after all.
“I’m meeting Pamela at the ranch later today. How about coming with us?”
“Is Becky going?” Tony asked.
I nodded.
“In that case, I’ll pull out this time. I have some inventory to catch up on.”
I put in a few hours at work and was ready to drive to the Triple H. Becky and I picked up some tacos from a drive through, with a double order of locos. I steered the car with one hand, giving my taco the attention it deserved. The country roads were almost deserted but it was slow going because of the icy patches.
“What are you planning to ask her today, Meera?”
“I want to ask her where she was that day, but she might take offense and chuck us out.”
“What about Jordan’s ex?”
“That too,” I nodded.
“Let’s lead with that,” Becky suggested, “and then ask about her alibi.”
I pulled up outside the Lodge and went in. Pam was waiting for us at the small seating area next to the tall windows. She motioned us over with a nod and we joined her.
“I hope you’re a cautious driver. These roads can get icy.”
She poured coffee for everyone and we settled down.
“Have you made any progress?” she asked.
I was noncommittal.
“We’re just trying to get as much background information as we can. For example, we know nothing about this woman Jordan dated for a while.”
“Oh, Eleanor? What’s to know about her? She was batty. They finally put her in an asylum.”
“Is she still there?” Becky asked.
“I don’t know,” Pam said. “I suppose they would let us know if they released her?”
“And why would they do that?” I quizzed her.
“She attacked Jordan, didn’t she? Almost gauged his eyes out. She agreed to go to that mental place instead of jail. Only because the local magistrate was a friend of her Pa’s.”
“How is it you didn’t mention this to the police?” I demanded.
Pam looked bewildered.
“I never thought of it. Once Jessica came back into Jordan’s life, he was so happy. And we were all happy for them. I hadn’t thought of this girl in a while.”
I gave her Stan’s number.
“He’s one of the people working on Jordan’s case. I think you should tell him everything. They can check and tell us where she is right now.”
Pam took the note, looking disturbed.
“You think this is important, don’t you?”
“It’s best to consider all possible scenarios,” I tried to soothe her. “Have you remembered where you were driving around on Sunday night?”
“Why don’t you ask me directly if I was in Swan Creek?” she demanded.
“I’m just trying to help.”
Pam stood up, clearly signaling our meeting was done. She walked over to the check-in desk and handed me an envelope.
“Your refund. I’m sorry your visit was cut short. And now you’re helping us find who harmed Jordan.”
I took the envelope from her. It would come in handy in my Christmas shopping.
“How’s your Pa?” I asked politely. “Please tell him I stopped by.”
“You can do that yourself.”
Pam’s temper had cooled down a bit. She drove us to the homestead in her golf cart. Pa Harris was in the barn, rubbing down a horse.
“Hello, little lady.”
His face crinkled in a smile.
We made some small talk and I fed an apple to the horse. Pam offered to drive us back to my car but we chose to walk. Becky and I huddled in our jackets, shivering but enjoying the cold. We walked faster to work up some warmth. I almost crashed into a body.
“Watch where you’re going,” a friendly voice called out.
I slipped the hood of my jacket down. Cam was bundled up just like us. He held a large straw basket in his arms, filled with all kinds of vegetables. His hands were muddy. He held them out.
“Sorry I can’t shake hands.”
“Are those your organic vegetables?” I peered at the basket with interest.
“Kale, turnips, sweet potatoes … what’s that?” I pointed to some greens.
“Chard, and winter squash. And mushrooms, of course.”
“Are these wild mushrooms?” Becky asked.
“Some of them are,” Cam nodded. “But you’ve got to be careful. They taste great in soups and sauces, but they can be deadly.”
Becky’s eyes were as big as saucers.
I pulled her along and said goodbye to Cam. I kept a tight hold on Becky’s arm, hoping she wouldn’t blurt out anything until we got inside the car.
“Did you see that?” Becky asked. “Do you think …”
I shook my head. So Cam had access to poisonous mushrooms. At least he knew how to tell them apart. I had to report this to Stan right away.
“Maybe they already tested for mushrooms,” I said lamely.
We were quiet as I drove under the arches of the Triple H and merged onto the country road that would take us home. We passed the sign for the country store we had stopped at earlier. I pulled into their lot on a hunch.