Cupid's Corpse: A Cozy Mystery (Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery Book 3)

by Willow Monroe

  “Really,” Gemma said. “Do you think one of them killed him?”

  “Probably. I don’t care. He’s dead and that’s all that matters and soon she’ll be gone.”

  “And what will happen to the lodge?”

  “It’ll go back up for auction. She’s never made a secret of the fact the she hates the place. This time I’ll be able to buy it and run it properly. I’ve been saving as much as I can and just waiting for my chance.”

  As Missy stalked away from the table to seat a young couple who had entered the restaurant, Gemma wondered if she’d just been talking to Mr. Muzak’s killer. She couldn’t remember if Missy had been on the floor when he was killed. And then she wondered if Missy would know how to rig a crossbow.

  Gemma waited as long as she could on Nick. She checked her cell to see if there were any texts, found none and then remembered that she’d been told the cell service here was sketchy at best. Growing restless, she decided to walk back up to the cabin to see if he had just returned there, gotten to working on his story and forgot all about her. It wasn’t like him, but he certainly seemed to have changed in the past day or so, and that worried her as well.

  Gathering her dishes, she carried them to the counter. Missy nodded her thanks and Gemma turned to go. In the lobby, she saw Joel and Natasha, who appeared to be working on a project of sorts. Again, Gemma was surprised that they hadn’t been arrested. Perhaps, even with the crossbow there wasn’t enough evidence. And neither of them appeared to be ready to escape.

  “Hello, Natasha,” Gemma said, gently touching the taller woman’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you up and about.”

  “Mrs. Vanderhaden,” Natasha said and then slowly turned toward Gemma. Her eyes were red and swollen but she’d done her best to hide that with make-up. “Boris would have wanted me to continue his beautiful weekend as best I could,” she answered.

  “Yes, he would have,” Gemma agreed and then she saw the photo albums and various beautifully bound journals. “What are you working on here?”

  “Oh, my husband was quite a prolific writer. He kept a journal almost all of his life, sometimes on just mundane daily things that we shared. Sometimes he expounded on love and what it meant to him.”

  “He even wrote poetry,” Joel added.

  Natasha touched a stack of envelopes on the edge of the table bound with a red ribbon, her fingers shaking slightly. “These are love letters that he wrote to me all through our married life.”

  “And you want to share them with your guests?” Gemma asked, surprised. Natasha appeared to be such a private woman.

  She shrugged. “Sheriff Burton and her men went through them all last night. And it’s not like there are secrets here. Boris had no secrets. Actually, the things he wrote to me are a poetic tribute to love in all forms.”

  “So not an enemy in the world,” Gemma said.

  Both Joel and Natasha shook their heads. “At least in his mind. Boris loved everyone and he just assumed everyone loved him as much.”

  Not everyone, Gemma thought, including you two. Aloud, she said, “What a wonderful tribute. I know the remaining guests will love it.”

  “We hope so,” Joel said.

  “Oh, look at the time,” Gemma said, glancing at her watch, one of Holly’s designs. “I need to get going. I’ll take a closer look at this once you get it all set up. It sounds quite interesting.”

  “Thank you,” Natasha said.

  “And, if there’s anything I can do, please let me know,” Gemma said.

  “Thank you. We will,” Joel said, but he never took his eyes off of Natasha.

  Chapter Seven

  When Gemma approached the cabin and saw the empty parking space out front, she was disappointed that Nick had not returned. Where had he gone to meet Harold? He hadn’t mentioned that part, but he’d been very excited. She checked her phone. One bar and no texts or missed calls. There were no messages on the land line phone in the cabin either.

  Realizing that Nick probably had no cell service either, wherever he was, she decided to wait a while longer before she panicked. Gemma prowled around the cabin, restless and just a little bit worried about Nick. Everyone else had been down at the lodge that morning, so the meeting with Harold had been just the two of them, and evidently quite secretive.

  Gemma picked up her tablet and found that she had several emails from Holly. She smiled as she read them. Ross already knew about the murder.

  “Bad news travels fast,” Gemma said to herself. She really wished Ross was here to bounce around some ideas and get his insights. Even if he was here, he wouldn’t be invited into this investigation. It was clearly out of his jurisdiction.

  Gemma sent off a quick email assuring Holly that she was safe and sound, behaving herself and keeping her nose out of the murder investigation. Then she settled down to write an email to Ross, as much to gather her own thoughts as to get his.

  Gemma described the murder and then she told him about Natasha and Joel and how they were obviously carrying on behind Mr. Muzak’s back. Rumor has it they were planning on running away after this weekend, she wrote. Everyone knew about it. At first glance, one or both of them would seem to be the culprits. Joel was an avid crossbow hunter, skilled with the weapon. Natasha could have paid him to do it, or paid someone else for that matter. Missy Tyler, the event planner, made no bones about the fact that she hates the Muzaks. So there are three suspects right there. Maybe there’s a jealous lover involved somehow that I haven’t discovered yet.

  Gemma thought about that and then she added, Nick is off right now at some sort of secret meeting with a guy named Harold Holland, who he thinks has something to do with the blackmailing scheme. I’ll let you know more soon. Then she hit SEND.

  A sound outside her door had her on her feet immediately, thinking Nick had returned, but it turned out to be nothing. Perhaps the wind. At least the snow had stopped for the time being.

  Gemma paced.

  The telephone rang, a loud, old-fashioned sound and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She snatched it up immediately. “Hello.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Vanderhaden?”

  “Yes,” Gemma said after only a brief hesitation. “Who is this?”

  “It’s Sheriff Burton.”

  “Oh, hello. Can I help you?” Gemma asked.

  “I was hoping you could spare us a little time later this afternoon. Say around three,” Donna Burton said.

  Gemma heard papers being shuffled around and noted that the sheriff sounded awfully tired. “Yes, of course. That would be fine.”

  “Good. See you then.”

  After she hung up, Gemma knew she could not just sit there until three in the afternoon and wait for Nick to come back. And she really needed to talk to him. There was no way she could continue to pretend she was Carolyn Vanderhaden in a one on one interview with the sheriff. She bundled up in her coat and scarf and grabbed her purse. Surely, she would be able to find a way to get into town, maybe locate Nick.

  Back at the lodge, Gemma saw that Natasha and Joel had pretty much abandoned their project, leaving the photo albums and journals stacked haphazardly on the table. The letters were actually lying on the floor. She knew she should take a closer look at them, but then reminded herself that the police had already done that.

  She entered the restaurant looking for Missy and found her right where she had left her, talking and laughing with a table full of guests.

  “Missy, can I ask a favor?” Gemma asked when she caught the woman’s attention.

  “Of course,” Missy said. “What can I do for you?”

  “I need to go into town. Ni...my husband left earlier and took our vehicle so I was wondering if someone would drive me or...”

  Missy motioned for Gemma to follow her and led the way out to the front desk. There she snagged a set of car keys off of a nail by the office door. “Parked over to the right side of the lodge is a red SUV. I’m sure it’s not what you’re used to, but it’ll get you t
o town and back.”

  “You’re loaning me your car?” Gemma stared at the key in amazement.

  “It’s not mine. It belongs to the lodge. We use it for picking up supplies, taking guests on day trips close by and stuff like that,” Missy explained.

  “And you’re just going to let me drive it?”

  “Honey, you’re not going that far and besides, we don’t have enough people on staff to drive you, so....” Missy shrugged.

  “Okay, well, thank you. I promise not to be gone long,” Gemma said, thinking that Missy was acting for all the world like she had already taken ownership of Cozy Valley Lodge.

  The SUV started right away and Gemma sat there for a moment letting the engine warm up. It had a full tank of gas and she wondered if Joel and Natasha had planned on using it to make their escape after the weekend was over. She put it in reverse, backed out of the spot and started down the narrow winding road into Valentine. The streets were nearly deserted and Gemma knew the Escalade would be easy to spot if it was in the area. She drove down the narrow street where they had shopped the day before, circled the area several times, each time going further and further out.

  No Escalade. No Nick.

  Finally, she found a parking spot and climbed out. She stood there for a moment and then headed to the boutique where she’d spoken with Madge the day before. She was right behind the counter, her gray head bent over a magazine.

  “Good morning,” Madge said when the little bell over the door tinkled.

  “Good morning.” Gemma smiled easily at her. “Just thought I’d check in on you this morning.”

  “Oh, I’m fine. Poor Mr. Muzak, on the other hand...” she finished the sentence with a shudder.

  “I know. Everyone is just devastated,” Gemma told her. “Half of the employees couldn’t even make it to work today.”

  “Oh, I’ll bet not everyone is unhappy about this turn of events,” she said. “In fact, rumor has it that Joel and Natasha planned it all along.”

  “I heard they were going to run away but...”

  “But if she can collect some life insurance money, that would just be an extra little boost to her wallet wouldn’t it?”

  “I suppose,” Gemma said. “Hey, have you seen my, um, my husband this morning?”

  Madge thought for a moment. “No, can’t say as I have. Maybe he snuck off to buy you something special.”

  “Maybe,” Gemma said, forcing a small smile. “Thanks anyway.” As she walked away from the shop, she turned to see Madge watching her from the doorway.

  She walked around the block, not really sure where she was going but constantly looking for that black Escalade. She spotted a sporting goods store down a side street. The sign said Valentine Sports. Maybe someone there could give her some insight into who else in the area might be skilled enough to set up that crossbow in the balcony besides Joel.

  It took Gemma’s eyes a few minutes to adjust from the bright winter sun to the dim interior of the store. The center aisle was flanked by rows of rifles and shotguns. Shelves of ammunition ran along the back and a low counter was on her left. She caught a whiff of some kind of oil and noted that the right side of the store seemed to be devoted to bows of all sizes.

  “Can I hep ya?”

  Gemma finally spotted a round little bald man maneuvering himself out from behind the counter. He had the bushiest beard she had ever seen. Stenciled on his t-shirt was the phrase Grave before shave.

  Hi,” she said. “Could I ask you a few questions about the crossbows here?”

  “Sure. Lots of bow hunters in these parts.”

  “Any particular reason why it’s so popular?” Gemma asked.

  “Many reasons. You can buy three-season tags and hunt with a crossbow from October to January in this state now,” the owner explained. “Instead of using a modern deer rifle or a muzzle loading rifle, a hunter can use a bow or crossbow and hunt all winter long. Also, crossbows have become much more sophisticated and easier to use in recent years.”

  It was easy for Gemma to understand why this man owned a gun store. He obviously loved the sport. His whole demeanor changed when he began talking about the merchandise.

  The man leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Also, it's getting harder for people to buy guns. You don't have to do a background check to buy a crossbow.”

  “I guess you need to be pretty knowledgeable about them if you’re going to be safe,” Gemma began, not really sure where she was going with this.

  “And fairly strong, unless you use a cocking device,” he added.

  “Could a woman set one up?” Gemma asked.

  “Sure,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “You the law?”

  “I’m undercover,” she told him, surprised that the words came out so easily. Well, it wasn’t really a lie. She was undercover with Nick.

  “Guess you’re helping the sheriff with that murder what happened last night up at the lodge,” he suggested.

  Gemma simply nodded. “You’ve heard about it then?”

  He laughed. “Ma’am, this is a tiny little place. True, most of the town was there but the rest of us knew about it before morning.”

  “Any thoughts on who might have done it?” she asked.

  “I’d almost bet it was Joel. He’s one of the best crossbow hunters I’ve ever seen. Has one of the biggest collections, too. And everyone knew he and Mrs. Muzak were foolin’ around,” he added.

  “But you just said there were lots of bow hunters in the area,” Gemma reminded him.

  “How many of them were sleepin’ with the dead feller’s wife?” he countered, cocking an eyebrow.

  “I’ll give you that,” Gemma said with a smile.

  “Kinda odd though, don’t you think, since he and Joel went hunting every fall, he did it the way he did it last night. In front of everyone. He could have just done it out in the woods and called it an accident.”

  “The two men hunted together? Mr. Muzak?” Gemma asked, pretending surprise. “He just didn’t seem the outdoorsy type.”

  “Yeah, I leased them huntin’ rights on some wooded property I own, just a few miles from here. Got a little shack on it they used when they stayed out all night. They use it from fall and into winter,” he told Gemma.

  “To hunt?”

  The man shrugged beefy shoulders. “I guess so. Don’t know what else they’d be doin’ up there.”

  Gemma had a thought. “A skilled hunter like him wouldn’t have an accident, though.”

  “True. And, man, he is good. A beautiful sight to see when he uses that bow. Almost like it was meant to fit right in his hands. Joel wins the competition almost every year at the Fall Festival here in town.”

  “No competition at all?”

  “Oh, there’s plenty of competition, but the only one who comes close to his skill with a crossbow is Missy Tyler.”

  Chapter Eight

  “Missy Tyler, the event planner up at the lodge?” Gemma asked in surprise.

  “Yeah, her daddy taught her everything he knew about crossbows and hunting and she took it from there. She’s always buying targets and supplies from here. She likes the fixed blade arrow instead of the expandable ones that Joel uses. Guess she has lots of time to practice when the lodge isn’t busy,” he told her.

  “I guess so,” Gemma said, a glimmer of an idea forming in her head. She was pretty sure no one was looking at Missy Tyler as a suspect. They were all focused on Natasha and Joel.

  “Thank you,” Gemma said, moving toward the door. “You’ve been very helpful.”

  “My pleasure. Tell Sheriff Burton I said hello,” he said.

  “I will,” Gemma said. His mention of the sheriff reminded her that she had an appointment with her at three. That was a little over an hour away and she still hadn’t located Nick. “Oh, have you seen a black Escalade here in town this morning?”

  The man thought for a minute, forefinger tapping his bearded chin. “Nope, can’t say as I have.”

&nbs
p; “Okay, thanks,” Gemma said and hurried out the door into the cold. Where could he have gone?

  Back at the lodge, Gemma returned the keys to Missy and thanked her again for the loan. She stayed at the restaurant and ordered lunch even though she wasn’t really hungry. While waiting on her food, she checked emails on her tablet. Nothing from Ross or Holly. And no texts or calls or anything from Nick.

  Missy approached her table and Gemma watched her out of the corner of her eye. She tried to picture the woman dressed in camouflage and carrying a crossbow through the woods. Yeah, it was possible.

  “More coffee?” Missy asked.

  “Yes, please,” Gemma answered, knowing she was drinking too much caffiene. Her outing had chilled her to the bone and in just a few minutes she was going to have to talk to the sheriff. Nick was not going to be happy with her but she simply could not lie to the authorities any longer.

  “Hey, I haven’t seen Harold this morning,” Gemma said as Missy turned to leave.

  “He called out along with the rest of them,” Missy told her, clearly not happy about the situation. “I just hope the computer system doesn’t go down. He’s the only one who can fix it. When I take over, I’m going to have to keep him on the payroll for that reason alone,” she joked.

  Gemma laughed softly but her thoughts were whirling. She wondered if anyone had considered Harold a suspect. He had the means, the run of the place and surely the smarts. Motive? And what did he want to discuss with Nick? Unless he had somehow discovered Nick’s real identity. But maybe she was jumping to conclusions.

  “Ma’am, if you’re available, the sheriff is ready for you.”

  Gemma was startled by the young man who had just suddenly appeared next to her. He looked way too young to be wearing a uniform. “I’ll be right there,” Gemma told him and then, leaving her half-eaten lunch behind, she reluctantly followed him.

  Gemma found Sheriff Donna Burton sitting behind a big mahogany desk in a book lined office near the front desk. The sheriff smiled and motioned for Gemma to have a seat directly across from her. Gemma perched on the edge of the chair, purse clutched on her lap. Her palms were sweaty and her heart pounded in her chest.