Murder & The Movie Star: A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery - Book 12

by Dianne Harman

  “You got it, Doc, assuming Charlie can even cook at the moment. Last time I was in the kitchen he was so busy staring at Ms. Morton, the orders were backing up. May take a little longer than usual. Just bear with us.”

  “No problem, Roxie. Now Kelly, what are you thinking of making for Jacquie?”

  “Haven’t had much time to think about it, Doc, but off the top of my head I’ve got a great recipe for overnight French toast. I think she’d like that.”

  “I know I would. How about those coffee cake muffins you make? They’re one of my favorites.”

  “Good idea, Doc. Let’s see, I could also make a hash brown sausage casserole and a bowl of fresh fruit. You know, those Hollywood types are always watching their weight, so there’d be something for everyone. What do you think?”

  “I think I’d like to be invited,” he said grinning. The two of them continued to talk for a few minutes and shortly Roxie placed a bowl of soup and the double grilled cheese sandwich in front of him. “Gotta get back in the kitchen. Ms. Morton’s order is almost up,” Roxie said.

  Doc looked up and said, “What did she order?”

  “Kind of strange if you ask me. She ordered a brownie and asked that it be warmed up. Nothing else, but I guess when you’re a big star like her you can do whatever you want.”

  Kelly happened to be looking at Doc when Roxie told him what Jacquie had ordered and saw an angry expression briefly cross his face. It happened so fast she wondered if she’d imagined it.

  He smiled at Kelly and said, “If I don’t get a chance to tell Charlie just how good this is, would you do it for me?”

  “Of course, but right now I need to write up a menu proposal, so I’ll have something to give Ms. Morton when she leaves. See you later.”

  Kelly went back in the storeroom where her desk was and quickly typed up the menu proposal as well as the catering fee for the breakfast on the computer she kept in the coffee shop. As she walked back into the dining room, she saw Jacquie and her two associates walking over to the cash register. Kelly hoped Molly would remember how to work it when they paid.

  “Ms. Morton, I hope you enjoyed your lunch. I took the liberty of typing up a menu proposal and my fees for catering the breakfast. Here they are.” She handed the piece of paper to Jacquie who stuck it in her tote bag without looking at it.

  “Well, since I’m used to eating in the best places in the world, I wasn’t expecting much when I came here, but I did like that brownie. As a matter of fact, when you cater the breakfast Wednesday morning, I’d also like you to bring some brownies along with the other breakfast items. The meeting is at 10:00, so I want you to be there at 9:00. I’ll have my assistant, Maizie, set up the table and have everything ready for you when you arrive.”

  “Why don’t you take a look at my proposed menu, and if you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them.”

  “No, I’m sure it will be fine. See you Wednesday,” she said as the three of them walked out to a large BMW SUV. As soon as the front door had closed, everyone in the coffee shop began to talk excitedly. It was amazing how many people finished their meals at the same time that particular day. Kelly was pretty sure all of them wanted to be able to tell everyone they knew that they’d sat next to or near the famous movie star, Jacquie Morton.

  CHAPTER 3

  Kelly wasn’t any different. She’d gone home in the afternoon after she’d closed the coffee shop and could hardly wait to tell Mike her exciting news. Fortunately, their dogs, Skyy, a German shepherd just coming out of the puppy stage, Lady, a yellow Lab Mike had given her before they were married, and Rebel, the big boxer she’d gotten several years ago from the wife of a deceased drug detective, signaled Mike’s arrival when all three of them raced to the door leading to the garage. Whenever they did that, Kelly knew Mike would be walking through the door momentarily, and so he did.

  “Hello, my love,” the big burly greying county sheriff said as he put his arms around her. Even though they were middle-aged, they made an arresting looking couple. Kelly was tall and full-figured and had her dark hair pulled up in her signature bun with two turquoise and silver hair picks.

  “I hope your day was as wonderful as mine was,” she responded

  Mike pushed her back to an arm’s length. “Wonderful? That’s a word I’m not sure I’ve heard you ever use when you talk about the coffee shop. What happened that was so wonderful?”

  “Before I tell you, why don’t you change clothes, take off that gun, and when you come back, I’ll have a glass of your favorite chardonnay, Rombauer, waiting for you.”

  “Consider it done,” he said as he walked down the hall followed by the three dogs. It hadn’t escaped the dogs’ attention that Mike had opened the dog cookie jar on his way out of the kitchen. They knew the sound of the lid being removed from the jar meant they’d soon be getting a treat.

  When he returned a few minutes later, he looked much more relaxed. “Thanks,” he said taking the glass of wine she offered him. “Is this one of those wines your daughter found out about in her wine classes?”

  “It is,” Kelly said. “She told me it was one of her favorites. Actually, she’s really doing well in them, and the school where she’s been taking the classes has asked her if she’d be interested in teaching a class on introduction to wine.”

  “Wow, what a compliment to her. I think she’d be great at it, plus, she’d have a chance to do something more than take care of the ranch, the kids, and Brad. I know she loved her job in Portland, and even knowing how much she loves living at my aunt’s ranch in Calico Gold, I’m sure she misses having something that’s just hers.”

  “Agreed. She’s tried to make a wine connoisseur out of me, but I can’t tell a hint of blueberry from the essence of raspberry,” Kelly said. “She tells me I’m hopeless. The only thing I know is if I like it or not.”

  “Unfortunately, I agree with you, but I can tell you one thing, I definitely like this wine. I don’t know the price, but from the look on your face, I’m guessing this will not be a staple in our refrigerator. Would I be right?”

  “That you would be, but back to my exciting news. Guess who ate lunch at the coffee shop today?”

  “From the way you’re quivering, I’ll take a long shot and say the President of the Unites States.”

  “Nope, but you’re close. Just one of the most well-known movie stars in the world, that’s all.”

  “I hate to poke a hole in your balloon, but I think I know who it was. Jacquie Morton.”

  “How did you know that?” Kelly asked, turning to him with a look of astonishment, while she continued to stir the pasta sauce she was preparing for dinner.

  “I’ve met the Beverly Hills, California, police chief several times at different conferences and as a courtesy, often if a police chief knows that a high-profile person will be in someone’s district for a period of time, they let them know about it, so they’ll be prepared if there are any problems. He called me a couple of months ago to tell me Jacquie Morton had announced to the media she was spending some time at her home in Cedar Bay, Oregon, preparing for her new movie. She said that the screenwriter for the movie and the supporting actress would be staying in the house next to hers, so they could work out the details before they started filming.”

  “Mike, you never told me about that. That’s the kind of thing that brings a little glamour to our small town. I would have had the attention of everybody at Kelly’s if I’d shared that news.”

  “Sorry, it just never occurred to me there’d be any reason for you to know. From what I hear, she’s pretty high maintenance, and since I didn’t think she’d be eating at Kelly’s Koffee Shop, I didn’t think any more about it.”

  “Mike, not only did she visit, based on Doc’s recommendation, she hired me to cater a working breakfast she’s having this Wednesday morning. I gave her a proposed menu and the cost, and she never questioned either one. She told me to be there at 9:00 a.m. She didn’t even look at the menu
or the cost, which I thought was kind of odd, but I guess if you’re a big star, that kind of thing is beneath you. Oh, she did ask me to bring brownies along with the other things. That’s what she had to eat for lunch today.”

  “That’s all she had? Doesn’t sound all that healthy,” Mike said.

  “You’re right, and maybe that’s why Doc frowned when Roxie told him what she’d ordered.”

  “As much as Doc loves the hamburgers and onion rings we share occasionally, that sounds a bit hypocritical.”

  “Could be, but I’d swear he had an angry look on his face for a moment. Guess she’s a patient of his.”

  “Did he say what she was seeing him for?”

  “No, and I didn’t ask. You know how ethical Doc is. He never talks about his patients, and I respect that, but something didn’t seem right about it to me.”

  “Yeah, he is very ethical, and it really is none of our business. When we finish eating, I need to return Lem’s call. I never realized how seriously he’d take the job as campaign manager for my re-election.” He took the spaghetti bowl she handed him and put it on the plate in front of him. “This looks fabulous. Who wouldn’t like an Italian salad, warm bread, and spaghetti with a terrific sauce? You know it’s one of my favorites. Tell you what. I’ll do the dishes when we finish eating, and you can go in and relax in front of the TV. I’ll join you after I talk to Lem.”

  “Sounds like a good deal to me. Thanks, and tell Lem I said hi.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Mike ended his call with Lem and walked back into the great room where Kelly was watching television with all three dogs asleep on their beds.

  “Mike, you look worried. Did Lem tell you something that’s causing it?” Kelly asked.

  He sat down heavily in the chair next to her and was quiet for several moments. “Sorry to be so slow in answering you, sweetheart, but I was thinking. Lem’s really getting worried about my election, and if he’s concerned, that makes me concerned.”

  “What did he have to say. Give me more specifics.”

  “All right. You know my opponent in the upcoming election is Rich Monroe. He’s the police chief down in Little Harbor. Lem says he has a good reputation, and he’s been the police chief there for about fifteen years, but that’s not what’s worrying him.”

  “Okay, I’ll bite. What’s worrying him?”

  “Two things. Evidently the guy comes from big lumber money, meaning his family has been in the Beaver County area for generations, and they own a large sawmill. They’ve sold off most of their timberland. Rich never wanted to be a part of the family business, and he chose to go into law enforcement, eventually becoming the police chief of Little Harbor.”

  “That all seems pretty normal. I don’t see any problems there.”

  “Well, there are. Here’s the first one. He comes from a family that’s very wealthy, and they don’t tolerate losers. In other words, they’re willing to fund Rich’s campaign with whatever it takes to beat me.”

  It was Kelly’s turn to be quiet for a few moments. “Mike, a lot of politicians have tried to buy elections in the past, and it almost never works. You’ve been the sheriff of Beaver County for over ten years, and from the little I know about politics, it seems that the incumbent almost always wins. Would that be a fair assessment?”

  “Yes, if money was the only thing I had to worry about, but it isn’t.”

  “Why am I waiting for the other shoe to drop?”

  “Because it’s dropping in the form of his wife. She’s the second thing that’s causing me some concern. His wife, Leticia, is Mexican. Her maiden name is Garcia. She’s stayed close to the Latino community in the area and is very highly regarded. The media refers to her as the first lady of the Beaver County Latinos. She’s publicly vowed to bring in that vote for her husband, and as I’m sure you know, that’s a very large group of voters.”

  “Yuck, that is definitely the other shoe dropping. How does Lem suggest you combat those two things?”

  “He wants to focus on my ability to solve crimes…”

  Kelly interrupted, “With a little help from me.”

  “Yes, that’s true, but may I remind you I’m the one who is the sheriff of Beaver County, not you? May I also remind you that I’m the one running in the upcoming election as the incumbent, not you?”

  “Message received, but you don’t need to get so prickly about it.”

  “Sorry, I guess I was, but for the first time since I filed my papers to run for re-election, I’m concerned. Lem thinks I need to compare my track record for solving crimes against that of Chief Monroe. Lem hired a researcher to see if he could find out anything about the chief that we might be able to use in our campaign. He calls it opposition research and evidently every candidate does it, although I never have in the past. But then again, I never needed to, since I was pretty much a shoe-in. He’s found out that there are several unsolved murder cases from five years back in Rich’s department, plus a case where he made a quick arrest and then it turned out the guy was innocent. Lem wants me to really hammer him on those things, both in the brochures I’ll be mailing out, as well as in the speeches and debates that are scheduled between the two of us in the next few weeks.”

  “That sounds like good advice, but I can still see that worried look on your face.”

  “I’m just hoping nothing happens between now and the election that could affect my perfect record for solving cases.”

  “Mike, I think you’ll be fine in that area. Yes, we’ve had a couple of murders in our little town, but everything seems pretty quiet right now, and I can’t believe anything will happen that will make that change. But if it does, I’ll help you however I can.”

  “Thanks, Kelly. I would like you to attend a couple of speeches with me, because you’re so well-known in the area. Couldn’t hurt to have you with me. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that we don’t have any big crimes in the near future. If that happens, I’d have to solve the crime in a hurry or my campaign could be in trouble. Just between you and me, I think I’m too old to find another line of work.”

  “I honestly think you’re worrying needlessly. I mean, what could go wrong?”

  “Ever hear of that old adage called Murphy’s Law?” he asked.

  “Kind of rings a bell, but I’m not sure I remember what it stands for.”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t happen. It’s an old saying that goes something like whatever can go wrong will go wrong.”

  “Great thought, Mike. Keep that in mind, and you will lose the election. Nothing is going to go wrong, and on that note, I need to go to bed. Five in the morning comes very early, not that you’d know, because I’m always so careful not to wake you when I leave the house for the coffee shop.”

  “And for that I thank you,” he said. “Okay guys,” he said as he stood up and walked over to the door. “All dogs outside for one last time tonight.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Mickey Sloan, the screenwriter for Jacquie Morton’s new movie, The Triangle, sat at the computer in the house where he was staying just north of Cedar Bay, Oregon. The house was perched on a high cliff that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. It was owned by Jacquie Morton and located next door to where she lived.

  He looked out the open window at the whitecaps in the distance and paused for a moment, listening to the roar of the ocean as waves crashed against the rocks below. He compared it to his favorite surfing place in California, Huntington Beach, and marveled that the same ocean could have two such different sides to it. There were miles of sandy beach in Huntington Beach and paddling out to catch the waves was easy to do there. Here in Oregon there was no beach, and no one in their right mind would even think of surfing in the angry turbulent water he was looking at, especially with the waves crashing onto the huge rocks that made up the shoreline at the base of the cliff. There was no sandy beach here.

  He tried to get back in the rhythm of rewriting the script for The Triangle, but wondered why he even bo
thered. It seemed to be an exercise in futility. No matter how many rewrites he did of a scene, Jacquie always found something wrong with them, and she’d never even given Mickey the courtesy of reading the script in front of him. She always said she didn’t have time, and she’d read it later that night. The next day it was the same thing all over again, although she did seem to know her lines from the day before. He was sure she just didn’t like the script, but the reason why she didn’t like the script escaped him, and she’d never given him anything specific.

  Privately, he thought the producer had picked the wrong person for the lead role. Mickey wasn’t about to be the bearer of bad news and tell one of the leading female movie stars in the world that she was too old to play the part of a woman who could attract the romantic interest of a man in his early thirties. Lisette Andrews, who was younger, was far more believable in her role as the young woman the man was interested in, thus completing the triangle. Mickey thought Lisette would have been a far better choice to play the leading role that Jacquie was going to play. He knew the director, Teddy James, had wanted Lisette, who was his mistress, to have the starring role in the movie. But the money men funding the movie had insisted they wanted a big name like Jacquie Morton to star in it, even though her last movie had bombed at the box office.

  They were hoping the failure of her last movie was due to something other than her, like the subject matter, the economy, or the turmoil that was taking place all over the world. Mickey thought they should take their heads out of the sand and admit that Jacquie was simply past her prime.

  Mickey knew his career would be over if he expressed his doubts about Jacquie being unable to carry the movie, so his options were limited. The last two screen adaptations he’d done, based on bestselling novels, had also bombed. He was pretty much in the same boat that Jacquie was in. He really needed The Triangle to be a huge box office hit, so his own career wouldn’t tank. He felt he was between a rock and a hard place, and it wasn’t a good way to feel.