by Leena Clover
“So let’s do that,” Tony said encouragingly.
“Who are the people in Jordan’s immediate circle?”
Tony listed them out one by one.
“Pa Harris, Brother Cameron, Sister Pamela, Girl friend Jessica – I think that’s the lot.”
“Anyone else related to Jordan?” I pressed. “Aren’t you forgetting the ex?”
“What about Colin Stevens?” Tony asked.
I nodded. I drew a circle around Jordan and added the people closest to him.
“This is our first tier.”
Then I added another circle and added ‘Ex’ whose name we didn’t know. Then I also added Colin Stevens to the same circle.
“What about the people on the ranch, or anyone else he may have done business with?” Becky asked.
I drew a third circle around Jordan and added ‘ranch hands’, and ‘business contacts’ to it.
“Would Sylvie and Jon be in the third circle?” Tony mused. “They did interface with Jordan in some manner.”
“Correct!” I added Jon and Sylvie’s names into the third circle.
“We already know Jon and Sylvie are innocent, so let’s strike their names out.”
Tony’s suggestion was approved and I drove a line through the Davises.
“I think we should start with the immediate family now,” Becky spoke up. “Let’s take Jordan’s father first.”
“Assuming that Jordan died from consuming nuts, I suppose everyone had the means to kill him.” I looked at the others. “We can say that all of these people could easily have procured nuts. So no need to consider that point every time.”
Tony and Becky nodded.
“According to Pa Harris, he was at the ranch all the time. But he was alone at the homestead. We don’t know if he actually went out and came back any time.”
I looked at Tony, inviting him to come up with a conflicting theory.
“Would anyone have seen him if he left the ranch?”
“I guess, but not necessary,” I nodded.
I wrote ‘Alibi’ next to Pa Harris’s name and listed it as ‘Not Confirmed.’
“What would he gain by this?” Tony asked.
We had come to the all important motive. Did Pa Harris have any motive to do away with his favorite son?
“According to Pa Harris, the ranch was doing poorly until Jordan turned it around. He built the dude ranch business and made it successful. Every one of the family benefitted from this. So money certainly can’t have been a motive here.”
Becky spoke up.
“I can’t imagine any other motive. Pa Harris seemed to be grieving for Jordan. That couldn’t have been an act.”
“He could’ve kicked Jordan out if there was any problem between them,” Tony added. “No need to off him permanently.”
“The only source of contention between them might have been Jordan’s reconnecting with Jessica. Remember, he wasn’t too pleased Jordan had broken his word to this other girl.”
“So he could have lost face in the community, and blamed Jordan for it.”
I looked uncertain.
“Sounds farfetched,” Tony agreed, “but we are here to cover every possible angle. So write it down.”
I made a note of it next to Pa’s name.
“Let’s move on to the next,” Becky said, standing up to stretch her legs.
“Pamela Harris,” I wrote on the board.
“Didn’t you say she could have been here in Swan Creek?” Tony started.
“I thought so at first. But then she was apparently on a date. She was seen in some bar in another town, and then her date dropped her home. The police are convinced about her alibi.”
“Could this date be lying?” Tony asked. “Maybe he had a hand in it?”
“That brings us to the motive,” I frowned. “Pamela doesn’t seem to be too emotional. She’s never expressed any deep love for either of her brothers.”
“You remember how she took our resort booking?” Tony asked. “That was barely two days after Jordan was found dead. So she was more interested in making a quick buck.”
“Didn’t you say she almost brought up the boys after their mother passed?” Becky spoke up.
“Right. She never went to college. Or got married. Maybe she harbors some resentment against Jordan for her lost youth.”
I looked questioningly at the other two.
“That would apply to both her brothers, not just Jordan,” Tony objected.
“How serious is she about this beau of hers?” Becky asked.
“We don’t know that,” I shrugged.
“What about money? Pam must be a co-owner of the ranch along with her brothers. With Jordan gone, anything from the ranch is split two ways instead of three.”
“Jordan was the one who turned the ranch around, remember?” I put in. “Without him, it’s just a piece of land. I don’t think Cameron has the skills to run the whole ranching operation and keep it profitable. At least, not right away.”
“They could sell it, I suppose,” Tony said.
I shook my head. I had remembered my meeting with Cam.
“Pa Harris doesn’t think much about women inheriting anything. He thinks Pam needs her brothers to take care of her. And Cam actually owns the ranch.”
Tony and Becky stared at me.
“You never mentioned that before!”
“I just remembered,” I told them, making a note of it on the board.
“That’s one overwhelming thing in this whole business. There’s just too much information floating around.”
“So is resentment a strong enough motive?” Tony asked. “Apparently, Pam’s not gaining any money out of this.”
“She also seemed happy running the whole resort side of the ranch,” Becky chimed in.
I wrote ‘resentment’ next to Pam’s name as a possible motive.
“Don’t they say revenge is best served cold?” I mused. “Do you think Pam’s resentment could have built up over a period, up to a point where she just couldn’t take it anymore?”
“Why was she hiding this beau from her family?” Becky demanded. “Maybe Jordan didn’t like the guy and Pam didn’t want anyone to come between her and her man.”
“She could always elope, come on!” Tony rolled his eyes. “She’s what, 45? She’s not a child!”
“She’s never really done anything on her own,” I reminded Tony.
“What about Jessica? What if Pam didn’t like her?” Becky asked.
“Then she would have harmed Jessica, right?” I asked. “I think hating Jordan for some unknown reason is the best we can come up with.”
“Let’s move on to the next one,” Tony nodded.
“Cameron Harris,” I wrote on the board next.
“The boys fought all the time according to Pamela,” Becky reminded me.
“But Pa Harris said they’ve done that since they were kids. I don’t think that means anything. Jeet fights with me all the time.”
“Money sounds like the strongest motive,” Tony said.
“I thought so too,” I said to the other two. “But remember, the Triple H actually belongs to Cam. It’s based on their grandfather’s will. The oldest son gets it. Jordan was just working the land.”
“What about the resort? Didn’t Cam want to convert it into a home for wounded soldiers or something?” Tony asked me.
“He could’ve done it any time, since he owns the place. He did recognize the potential of the dude ranch business. He was willing to do both. Setting aside a few cabins for convalescent soldiers was good enough for him.”
“Was there any other money involved?” Becky asked.
“I don’t know. I guess Cam will also get some kind of pension once he retires. So he’s in a good spot, as far as I know.”
“Could they have fought over the girl?” Tony asked. “You did say he seemed kind of close to Jessica.”
I thought for a minute.
“I talked to Jessica ab
out that. I don’t think she was interested in Cam. If you ask me, Cam was just playing around. Maybe he did flirt with her. But I don’t think she reciprocated.”
“So why did he do it?”Tony asked.
“I think he likes riling people up. He may have done it just to pester Jordan. The brothers could’ve fought over it.”
“But in that case, Jordan would harm Cam, not the other way around.”
Becky was right.
“What if he just couldn’t stand seeing Jordan happy, for whatever reason. Could he have been jealous?” Tony asked next.
“Jealous enough to kill his own brother?” I shuddered. “I hope not.”
I tried not to remember how besotted I had been by Cam’s good looks.
I wrote Jealousy next to Cameron’s name and placed a question mark against it.
“Have you noticed how Pa Harris lights up when he talks of Jordan?” Becky asked next. “Clearly, he was the favorite child. Maybe Cameron was angry over that.”
I pointed to the board.
“That’s jealousy again.”
“What about Cameron’s alibi?” Tony asked. “We know he was in Swan Creek. He slept over at Jessica’s, didn’t he?”
I nodded.
“That’s not all. I think he even went to Willow Lake. Don’t ask me why. But according to Colin, Jordan waved to his brother and spoke to him after Jessica left.”
“So you mean Cam was present right there in the park after 8 at night?” Tony burst out. “Shouldn’t you have mentioned that upfront, Meera?”
Becky joined in.
“So far, he’s the only person who’s actually been there on the spot. That makes him a suspect.”
“I know he was on the spot,” I agreed, “but what did he gain out of it? His motive doesn’t seem strong enough?”
“Do you really think that, Meera?” Tony narrowed his eyes. “Or are you so smitten by that blue eyed jerk, you can’t see straight?”
My mouth dropped open as I stared at Tony.
“What are you talking about? I don’t care one bit about Cameron Harris. All I want to do is find the culprit, and bring Jon home by Christmas.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” Tony muttered.
Becky smacked him with a magazine.
“Enough of this nonsense. Stop acting like kids, you two.”
Tony collapsed on a couch and put a cushion over his head.
“I’m taking a nap,” he announced.
“I need fresh air!” I declared, ignoring him. “Wanna come walk around outside?” I asked Becky.
We bundled up, pulling on coats, gloves and scarves. We walked up to the edge of our property and into the lane. Then we turned back and went in the other direction.
“Don’t you think Tony was being unfair?” I asked Becky.
She looked at me incredulously.
“You went out on a couple of dates with Cameron Harris. And you go on and on about how handsome he is. You didn’t think it would affect Tony?”
“Affect him how? It’s not like we are dating or anything.”
“Meera, you can be so dumb,” Becky shook her head. “And a wounded soldier. Who’s ever measured up to that?”
I ignored Becky and took an interest in the bare branches of the trees surrounding us. Little icicles had formed, and there was a peculiar beauty in the stark landscape. I breathed in the cold air, and felt myself relax.
“Ready to go back in?” Becky asked after a few minutes.
“Yes. Let’s finish what we’re doing.”
We walked back to the guest house, waving at Pappa standing in the living room window.
Chapter 26
I stepped into the kitchen to pick up some cookies for a snack. I was hoping I wouldn’t run into my aunt. Back in the guest house, Becky had put on a fresh pot of coffee.
“Are you done sulking?” I asked Tony.
He didn’t respond but he got up and went to the bathroom. Becky was pouring the coffee by the time he came back, looking freshly scrubbed.
Something about the smell of coffee signals my brain to snap into gear.
“So, we covered the three Harrises,” Becky gave me the cue. “Who’s next?”
“Jessica.”
I wrote on the board.
“Isn’t she Daddy’s little girl?” Tony asked. “And she’s got plenty of money.”
“Money dries up like that on a research project,” I said, snapping my fingers. “But we’ve established Jordan didn’t actually have any money.”
“Did they truly love each other? What about the time when they broke up?” Becky reminded me.
“I think she’s more focused on her research. Jordan wanted to get married years ago but Jessica said no. That’s why they broke up.”
“What if all this was an elaborate plan? He dumped her the first time, so she wanted revenge.”
Tony put forth a revenge based idea again.
“You mean she pretended to hook up with Jordan, got engaged, all for what? Just to get closer to him and … and what?”
I shook my head.
“I can see Jessica making a fool out of Jordan just to laugh at him, or teach him a lesson. But I don’t see her killing Jordan for it.”
“It could have been a spur of the moment thing,” Becky suggested. “Didn’t they have a fight that night?”
“I talked to Jessica about it,” I told them. “She wanted to move down south to her Daddy’s place. Jordan didn’t want to leave the Triple H.”
“One of them would have needed to back down,” Tony observed.
“Or break up,” Becky finished.
“So once again, doesn’t seem like enough of a motive to take a life.”
“So we have a big fat question mark in place of motive,” Tony said, frustrated.
I put the question mark in front of Jessica’s name. I did that to remember we had considered the question, just hadn’t found anything substantial.
“What about being in the area, or having the opportunity?” Tony asked. “Jessica looks the best for this.”
“She was with him in the diner, of course,” Becky counted on her fingers. “She knew he was allergic to nuts. And she was with him in the park too. She could easily have doctored the pie.”
“That means nothing if she didn’t have a motive,” I protested.
We were quiet for a while, thinking about what we may have missed.
“Let’s move on to that other guy – Colin Stevens,” Tony said, rubbing his eyes.
Becky let out a yawn and that set us all off.
“We can’t afford to take a break. Who knows what Jon is going through right now.”
I reminded them of the gravity of the situation.
Tony and Becky tried to look alert as I wrote Colin’s name on the board.
“What’s the motive here, Meera?”
“Colin is clearly besotted by Jessica. They used to be engaged but Jessica dumped him when she rekindled her relationship with Connor.”
“He can’t have liked that,” Becky bobbed her head. “Does he look like the type to bear a grudge?”
“Sure does! And he keeps bragging about how Jessica tells him everything. He knows a lot about Jessica, although I suspect most of it is because he listens in on her calls.”
“What a weasel,” Tony said in disgust.
“He’s happy now that Jordan is out of the picture. He hasn’t bothered to hide it.”
I remembered how pleased Colin had been that Jordan was no longer in the picture.
“So he could have done it to get Jessica back.”
I thought of how repulsive Colin was. Was that reason enough to believe he could kill someone? Then I remembered how cool he was about the whole thing. He hadn’t even expressed any remorse over losing Jordan. So maybe he was capable of the crime.
I wrote Jessica next to Colin’s name.
“So now we need to know if he could have done it,” Becky continued.
“The answer to that is Yes,
I guess,” Tony looked at me. “Wasn’t he right there in the park?”
I nodded in agreement.
“He went to the park around 8. And he was alone with Jordan for some time. Jessica had gone to use the restroom that time. He said he saw Jordan taking the pie box out of the truck.”
“So when did he poison the pie?” Becky asked. “Was he already at the truck when Jordan and Jessica got there?”
I tried to think back to our conversation.
“We only have their word about this. But according to Colin, Jordan was by his truck, and Jessica had gone to the restroom.”
We were stumped again. I put a question mark next to Colin’s name again.
“Seems like we are coming up with more questions than answers,” I moaned.
“I think we eliminated quite a bit of scenarios, though,” Becky tried to cheer me up.
“What if some of these people were acting together? That changes the picture drastically.”
Tony stood up and stared at the board.
“Have you noticed one thing?” I asked Tony and Becky. “None of their alibis depend on each other. Except Colin and Jessica’s of course. But they went back to her lab and were with plenty of other people.”
“What about the person Colin saw Jordan talking to? His brother, supposedly?” Becky asked.
I had completely forgotten about that.
“Cam never mentioned it.”
“Would you?” Becky asked.
“It makes him look guilty,” I paused.
“Why don’t you call and ask him?” Tony smirked. “Maybe he’ll spill the beans, confess over the phone.”
I ignored the sarcasm and dialed Cameron’s number. He answered after a couple of rings.
“Hello Cam, how are you?” I started.
“Hey Meera!” his voice sounded perky as usual.
“They arrested one of our friends …” I began.
“We heard,” Cam crowed. “Pa’s happy they nailed him.”
“But he’s innocent!”
“Of course he will say that. Look, Meera, I know you’ve probably known the man for a long time. And I’m not saying he did it on purpose. But it could have been an accident.”
I stayed firm.
“These people have been in the food business for decades. They wouldn’t make this kind of mistake.”
“Are you saying there is not even a tiny chance of error here?” Cam roared into the phone.