Tj Jensen Cozy Mystery Boxed Set 2: Books 6-10

by Kathi Daley

  “Tj, sweetheart.” Helen hugged me after answering the door. “Jenna said you were back. How’s your father?”

  “The same. I was hoping to speak to Bookman. Is he around?”

  “He’s in his study, working on his next novel.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “I thought he’d retired.”

  “He did.” Helen closed the door behind me. “But the reality is that writing is in his blood. He tries to quit in order to pursue other passions, but I doubt he ever will.”

  I found I had to agree with Helen. Bookman had officially retired at least three times that I knew of. “I need to ask him about something important. Do you think it might be okay to interrupt him?”

  “Normally I’d say no, but for you, given the circumstances, I’m sure he’ll make an exception. Let’s check.”

  I followed Helen down the long hall paneled with dark wood. If I had to bet, I’d say the décor of the house was about to change dramatically now that Helen, who preferred light and airy spaces, had moved in. Helen owned half of the Antiquery, the antique store and café she shared with Jenna. Jenna ran the restaurant, while Helen dealt with the antiques, though she’d taken a lot of time off since she began dating Bookman. The pair loved to travel, and Jenna had indicated that Helen might give up her share of the Antiquery altogether once she married her wealthy fiancé.

  I wasn’t sure what that would mean for Jenna, who really depended on her help, but with the promotion Jenna’s husband, Dennis, had just received at the fire station, it was conceivable she might sell the Antiquery and move on to something else as well.

  Helen knocked once on the hardwood door leading to Bookman’s office, then opened it and entered without waiting for a reply. “Tj is here to speak to you,” she informed her fiancé.

  Bookman, a distinguished-looking man with dark hair peppered with gray, looked up from his computer before standing up and crossing the room. “Tj, I’d heard you were back. How’s your dad?”

  “The same.”

  “I went by the hospital and tried to visit with him, but I guess that’s reserved for family only in the ICU. I told the nurse at the desk that I was like family, but that wasn’t good enough.”

  “I’m sure Hunter can get you in if you really want to visit, although Dad hasn’t regained consciousness, so I doubt he’d even know you were there.”

  Bookman motioned for me to take a seat on the sofa in front of the floor-to-ceiling fireplace. “Still, I think I’ll talk to Hunter just the same. This whole thing has been such a shock. I can’t believe Harold is gone.”

  I sat down next to Helen, who had decided to join us. She was a huge gossip, and I wished I could speak to Bookman alone, but this was her house now, so it would be rude to try to exclude her. “I understand my father and Judge Harper were at a town council meeting before the accident.”

  Bookman nodded. “Yes. Your father was there to give a report on the resort’s part in the upcoming Fourth of July festivities.”

  “And his truck wouldn’t start, so the judge offered him a ride home,” I continued.

  “That’s what I heard as well; I left before they did, so I can’t state that as a fact,” Bookman answered. “I’ve spoken to several other people who were still at the community center when I left. Based on what I’ve been told, I’m fairly certain your father and Harold were the last to leave at the end of the meeting.”

  I sat back on the sofa and tucked one leg up under my body. I anticipated a lengthy conversation and figured I might as well make myself comfortable. “I’d like to ask you some questions that relate to the accident, but I need you to promise that what we discuss today will remain between us.” I looked directly at Helen. “Do you both agree?”

  “Certainly,” Bookman answered right away.

  I continued to maintain eye contact with Helen.

  “That’s a given,” Helen answered. “You know I’m not one to gossip.”

  I tried not to roll my eyes. If I wanted to talk to Bookman, I was going to have to trust Helen.

  “I spoke to Roy,” I began. “He informed me that the crash wasn’t an accident at all. The brake line of the car had been sliced and he believes Judge Harper was specifically targeted.”

  “Oh my.” Helen gasped.

  “I hate to have my suspicions confirmed, but the possibility of tampering entered my mind when I heard what occurred,” Bookman said.

  “I’ll be investigating the case with Roy, though at this point we’d like to keep that fact to ourselves. He has a new partner he doesn’t quite have a feel for yet. The last thing we need is for the sheriff to find out I’m helping Roy and come down on both of us.”

  Both Bookman and Helen reiterated that our conversation would stay within the office walls.

  “Roy and Kyle are looking into some old cases Harper had been digging around in, but it occurred to us that another motive could stem from Judge Harper being the mayor. Kyle indicated that he’d ruffled a few feathers since he’d assumed the position.”

  Bookman sat back in his chair and paused before answering. “It’s true Harold has made a few enemies along the way, but I have a hard time believing anyone would kill him over anything involving the town council. I suppose it could be worth looking into. Is there anything specific you’d like to know?”

  “We’re thinking that whoever did this had a current beef with him. The fact that the brake line was cut while he was dealing with town business could indicate that the person who did it had a matter under discussion at that very meeting.”

  Bookman opened a drawer and took out a piece of paper. “This is the agenda for the meeting. Most of it was spent discussing the upcoming holiday celebration. There were a few arguments but nothing major.”

  “What sort of arguments?” I asked. I’d learned during earlier investigations never to discount anything.

  Bookman paused briefly before answering. “There are a few merchants who’d like to see the parade route altered so it covers all of Main Street, from the bridge on the west end to the park on the east end of town, rather than turning north on Pine after it crosses the midway point. Of course, those merchants who currently are on the parade route but would no longer be if the change is made were just as vocal against the change.”

  I could see how this could be a hot topic of conversation, but, again, not hot enough to kill someone over. “What else?”

  “The pancake breakfast has always been held in the high school cafeteria, but it’s under renovation, so we discussed the option of canceling the breakfast this year. Some residents petitioned to hold the breakfast outdoors in the park. The controversy arose when a couple of folks on the planning committee pointed out that if a storm blew in we’d have spent all that money on food but would have nowhere to serve it.”

  Paradise Lake was in the mountains and known for its funky and unpredictable weather. A random storm was a real possibility. “Were there any serious arguments?” I asked.

  “Not about the Fourth of July, although there was a lot of squabbling. I guess the most heated argument of the evening was between a man named Striker Bristow and Harold.”

  That got my attention. “Kyle mentioned him. He wants to build a strip mall.”

  “Exactly. At this point I think the council is split. Bristow is promising a lot of jobs for the next two years as phase one and, eventually, phase two of the project gets underway. He’s also promising an increased source of revenue for the town in terms of the local sales tax. I would say maybe half of the council members believe the promise of jobs and tax dollars justifies a change in the current ordinance prohibiting this type of construction. On the opposing side, Harold and several other council members have argued that new development already has impacted our small-town feel and should be heavily regulated to prohibit Serenity from turning into just another big city.”

  “I’m assuming
Bristow stands to make a lot of money if the project goes forward?”

  “Oh yeah,” Bookman answered. “After both phases are complete, he’d be looking at a payday of tens of millions of dollars.”

  Wow, I thought. “Tens of millions of dollars might be a motive to want your strongest opposition out of the way.”

  Bookman shrugged. “Maybe. Bristow seems like a snake, although he’d need to be pretty desperate to resort to killing a man, and from what I understand, he’s been very successful in the past. I can’t imagine this one project is that big a deal for him.”

  I narrowed my gaze. “Maybe not, but he’s staying on my list. Anyone else with a grudge against the judge?”

  Bookman paused before answering. “Bristow has been the most vocal in his argument with Harold, but Fred Deerborn spoke at the meeting before last.”

  I knew who Deerborn was. He’d moved to the Paradise Lake area from a small farming community in Kansas and seemed to have a problem with pretty much everyone he came into contact with. “What’s he mad about now?”

  “The teen center. I’m not sure if you remember, but it lost its lease a couple of months ago. The new location backs up to Deerborn’s property. He claims there’s been an increase in vandalism in the area since the teens moved in and he wants the center shut down. Harold looked into it and reports of vandalism in the neighborhood haven’t changed in the least since the teens have been there. In addition, Harold interviewed some of the neighbors in the area where the old teen center was, and everyone agreed the teens hadn’t caused problems in the five years the center had been there. Based on that, Harold decided Deerborn was just blowing a lot of hot air, the same way he does about almost everything, and he told him so. Deerborn wasn’t a happy man when he left that meeting. Though, as I said, that was a couple of weeks ago.”

  “Maybe he’s been letting his beef with the teens fester. He might not have attended the meeting this week, but he’d know the judge would be there.”

  Bookman admitted it was possible Deerborn could have been at the meeting even though he wasn’t on the agenda. The room had been packed and he couldn’t remember if he’d noticed him or not.

  “Anything else?” I asked.

  Bookman squinted, considering my question. “There are always petty arguments, but nothing else really stands out. The town employees recently had their annual evaluations. It seems like there’s always grumbling from at least a few of them, but I know no one was fired, so I doubt anyone had a strong reason to be angry with Harold. I suppose there could be disgruntled citizens whose names weren’t listed on the agenda, but no one specifically comes to mind. I’ll think about it and let you know if anything occurs to me.”

  “Thanks. I know these leads are long shots, but we need a starting point. Judge Harper’s role as mayor seems as good as any.”

  “I hate to even bring this up given the situation, but do you know if Maggie’s Hideaway still plans to hold the Fourth of July events your father has been advertising?” Bookman asked.

  I hesitated. “I have no idea. I’ll look into it and call you. Grandpa’s back now, so he’ll probably be overseeing things.”

  Bookman looked surprised. “I wasn’t aware Ben was back. I’ll call him. Is Doc back as well?”

  “He should be here on Sunday if things go according to plan. He stayed behind to help Kyle deal with the animals and such. Grandpa just got back a few hours ago.”

  “Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help,” Bookman offered.

  “Yes,” Helen, who had been sitting quietly, seconded him. “Anything at all.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate the offer, and I just might take you up on it at some point.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. “I should get going. I want to stop by the hospital to check in on my dad.”

  “Please let us know if there’s any change,” Bookman said as he stood up to escort me out.

  When I got to the truck I grabbed a binder I had brought along with me and wrote down the names Striker Bristow and Fred Deerborn. I liked having an actual list in front of me now that I’d gathered a couple of names. Two possible suspects wasn’t a lot, but it was a start. Maybe I’d have more names to add after I spoke with Kyle. I decided I’d head to the hospital before I called either Kyle or Roy to give them more time to do their research.

  The nurse at the station near the elevators waved me through without my having to stop to explain who I was and why I was there. When I got up to the third floor I was informed that my dad was resting comfortably, although there hadn’t been any change from the previous evening. I asked if Hunter was in the hospital and a nurse offered to page him to find out. Then I went into my father’s room and sat down on the chair next to the bed. There was no sign of Rosalie or Grandpa, so I assumed they’d driven back to the resort.

  “Your eye looks a little better today,” I said to Dad as I placed my hand over his. “The purple is much lighter and the swelling has gone down quite a bit.”

  I glanced at the heart monitor, which was beating steadily. I didn’t understand what all the lines and tones meant, but Dad looked peaceful and they seemed steady and strong.

  “I guess you know Grandpa and the girls are back. Grandpa is going to help out at the resort until you’re able to take over. The big weekend is coming up, you know. I should sit down with Noah to figure out what needs to be done.”

  I paused as I watched the ventilator fill my dad’s lungs with oxygen. The setup looked pretty uncomfortable. I wondered if he could feel pain given his state of unconsciousness. I hoped not.

  “Ashley and Gracie are with Jenna. I miss them, but I think that’s best. They can relax and have fun with Kristi and Kari instead of having to deal with all the stress at home.” I looked around the room. “I just went to see Helen and Bookman. They asked about you.”

  I sat back in the chair for a moment, then leaned forward again. It felt awkward talking to someone who couldn’t respond. I doubted Dad could actually hear me, but I’d read accounts of coma victims coming to and reporting they’d heard everything those around them had been saying.

  I continued to ramble on, just in case. “Kyle and Doc are still in South Carolina, but they’ll be home in a couple of days. Kyle decided to try to sell the cars rather than driving them back. At first I was irritated that he’d made the decision without checking with me, but then I realized he was just trying to get home sooner, and I really do need a new car anyway. We both know my old one was on its last legs. I need a four-wheel drive, of course, but I’m thinking about trying something new. I liked my Toyota, but maybe I’ll look for a Ford or even a Nissan this time. I guess I can go to Reno to look around at what’s available once things calm down, although I’m really not looking forward to car shopping. In the meantime, I’m driving Grandpa’s truck. I didn’t notice your truck in the drive. I should check with Rosalie to see what happened to it.”

  I glanced out the window, which overlooked the hospital lawn and walkways. It was such a nice day. On any other summer day I’d be on the lake or at the beach, but any other day seemed like nothing more than a distant memory. I got up and walked over to the window for a better view. The sky was painted with white fluffy clouds that looked like they’d been strategically placed against a field of blue.

  “It really is a beautiful day,” I murmured as I looked down at a flower garden on my right. “Maybe you should wake up and take a look.”

  I turned around and looked at my father, lying in the bed. Of course he hadn’t answered me, but for an instant I thought I’d seen the hand I’d been holding move. Probably just wishful thinking, but I returned to the bed and sat back down on the chair.

  “Dad? Can you hear me?”

  I stared at his hand, but it was perfectly still. If the power of my will could cause Dad to awaken, I’d sit here all day, but I knew in my heart that he’d return to me when he was
ready, so I kissed his cheek and headed out to tackle the tasks I knew the day would bring.

  After I left the hospital I decided to call Grandpa and check on the plans for the holiday weekend. I knew our guests were expecting the usual events even if the family was dealing with a personal crisis. “Is Grandpa there?”

  “Yes. He’s lying down now.”

  “I think the three of us should talk to Noah and maybe a couple of the other managers. Bookman asked me about the weekend festivities and I didn’t know what to tell him.”

  “The fact that the resort is filled to capacity and our guests are expecting things to go on as planned has been weighing on my mind,” Rosalie admitted. “I’m new to this. I have no idea what to do or even where to start.”

  “Don’t worry. Grandpa and I are old pros. We’ll help make sure everything goes off without a hitch. I’ll be home in thirty minutes. Find Noah and ask him to come over to the house in an hour or so.”

  I called Kyle to check in after I completed my call with Rosalie.

  “Perfect timing,” he said. “I was just about to call you.”

  “You were? Do you have information for me concerning the files?”

  “Yes, but I have other news as well. Doc and I are flying home tomorrow morning.”

  I felt my heart leap, although I wasn’t sure if it was a leap of joy or terror. I couldn’t wait to see Kyle, but we still had that kiss to talk about, and I wasn’t sure exactly where that talk would leave us. “I thought you weren’t coming until Sunday.”

  “Garrett’s sister showed up early, so I called the pilot I hired and he had an opening tomorrow. We’ll be taking off at around six a.m. our time, so we should be home before noon. I was going to hire a car to pick us up, but with seven animals, I thought maybe we should arrange for a ride.”