by Ella White
The Millionaire’s Mystery
Carriage Cove Mystery Book 3
Ella White
Contents
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Copyright © 2016 Ella White
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Chapter 1
Gerard was positive the sky was not as overcast when he had entered his car. Now, however, with the line of clouds obstructing both the moonlight and the starlight, the night was almost pitch black. The only light source was the small street lamps set along the road, although they barely illuminated the building where the man was heading.
He had just came back from a lovely dinner at a little Italian restaurant. He hadn’t expected to find such an eatery in the relatively little town of Carriage Cove, and even if he did he didn’t expect the food to be tasty or for the service to be tolerable. To his surprise, however, this place had been a remarkably nice restaurant. He would have to remember to go there again the next time he was around.
After parking, Gerard exited his vehicle and smoothed down his expensive suit. It had not become dirty or crinkled during the his time out, but he always wanted to look his best. He popped his car’s trunk and pulled out a suit brush, running it up and down his outfit to remove any hair or other debris that may have attached itself to him.
“I’ll have to remind Regina to ask the cleaners if they are using the right detergent,” he noted to himself as he closed the trunk. “Or maybe I’ll ask Sally. I think she’s in charge of the laundry…”
The gentleman was about to turn and head for the building when a hand suddenly reached from behind him and covered his mouth. Gerard gasped, and in doing so he realized a cloth had been shoved onto his face. It was a wet rag, but it didn’t seem to have any kind of taste or smell to it. The feeling of something wet and cold against his nose and mouth was incredibly unpleasant, and he almost felt like he wanted to throw up from the sensation.
How dare someone attack me! Gerard thought as he tried to shake the perpetrator off. Don’t they know who I am?!
He struggled, trying to throw off the person restraining him. Grunting and groaning filled the air as the two wrestled each other, the gentleman failed miserably in his attempts to shake off his attacker. As the minutes passed, he began to feel light-headed and tired, and Gerard figured the cloth must have been drenched in chloroform. But insight came too late, as the man felt his body give in to the liquid and become limp. His assailant continued to hold the cloth to his face as his eyes closed against his will.
The attacker waited several more minutes before dragging the gentleman to another car numerous spaces away. Struggling to move the unconscious man, the assaulter slowly but surely hauled him into the back seat of a run down grey sedan. With the wet cloth still on Gerard’s face, the aggressor was careful to close the car doors as quietly as possible before heading for the driver’s seat and taking off.
The next few days passed, and no one discovered these events had occurred.
Vickie Matheson was one such person who was in the dark about the kidnapping. She was busy going around town, hanging flyers for her new “Wine and Cheese Club” meeting scheduled in three days. She had set up flyers before, but she wanted to make sure she spread the word far and wide as much as possible before the first congregation.
She had already made a few stops, and her next one was the hairdresser. She parked her car and noticed her cat, Tyler, had reached the entrance to the stylist before she did, and he was waiting patiently at the door for her.
“And just where did you come from, you goofball? I thought you were going to be at the café?” Vickie teased her cat, and Tyler just meowed in response. “Well, you’re already here, so we might as well go inside together.”
She held the door open for the young Russian Blue kitty, and he scurried past her feet as she entered. One of the girls at the desk, Jessica, looked up and smiled.
“Hi Vickie!” she greeted enthusiastically, giving Tyler a little pet when he jumped onto the counter. “What can we do for you today?”
“Oh, I’m not here for my hair, but thank you.” Vickie unrolled one of her flyers and placed it in front of Jessica. “I was hoping you would hang this in your window. It’s for a new club meeting I’m holding at my shop.”
“I think we can do that, but I’ll need to check with the manager just to make sure.” Jessica grabbed the desk phone. “Let me call him real quick.”
“Is that Vickie I hear?” The former literature professor turned her head to see a young woman with her hair done up in elaborate braids. She immediately went over and gave Vickie a hug. “I thought so! How have you been?”
“Very well, thanks. And you, Sadie?”
“Can’t complain, can’t complain.” Sadie glanced at the flyer. “What’s this I hear about a new club?”
“It’s a wine and cheese club, of sorts,” Vickie explained. “It will be a very laid back sort of club, where people can spend time enjoying some wine and hors d’oeuvres while just chatting away their problems.”
“Sounds fun. Fun and simple. When’s the meeting?”
“This coming Thursday. Are you thinking about coming?”
“If I get off the late shift that day in time.” Sadie reached forward and gave a gentle tug. “Are you thinking of getting a new haircut before then?”
Tyler gave out a low meow, as if in protest that his human was anything but perfect just the way she was.
Vickie ran a hand through her dark hair, which was speckled with dark silver. “I don’t know. I know I need one, but probably not any time soon.”
“Whenever you want, Vickie,” Sadie declared. “I take it you still don’t want to color it? It would give you a younger look.”
“As you tell me every time.” Vickie managed a smile. “Thank you, but I like looking my age.”
Sadie shrugged with a lopsided grin. “You’re one of the lucky ones. You can get away with grey making you look good. It’s like your hair styles itself.”
Vickie’s cheeks turned a little pink, and Tyler began purring in agreement. Sadie always told her she was gracefully turning grey.
By this point, Jessica had finished speaking on the phone, and she returned her attention to the older woman.
“Well, Edith says it’s more than fine,” Jessica informed her. “Do you have a couple more of these? Edith said she’s pass them around too.”
“That would be great!” Vickie pulled a few more flyers from her bag and passed them to the young woman. “Will you tell Edith thanks for me?”
“Of course,” Sadie answered for her. “We’d be happy to.”
Tyler’s ears suddenly perked up as another person walked through the entrance. It was Amy, the owner of The Bookworm’s Hovel, the only bookstore in the little town of Carriage Cove. The woman cleaned her spectacles with a tissue before looking at the group in front of her. When she saw Vickie there, she opened her arms wide.
“Vickie! Good to see you!” Amy declared as they hugged. “I haven’t seen you in ages!”
“You saw me at our mystery book club meeting last week,” Vickie joked. “Or am I that forgettable?”
“I mean outside the club!” Amy announced. “How is Rachel doing?”
Vickie’s smile widened at the mention of her only daughter. “She’s doing well. Moving forward with her part in that online candle store.”
“I never imagined her doing something like that, but there’s a first time for anything.” Amy cleaned her glasses again. “Anyway, did you hear the news about Gerard Samson?”
“He’s the renowned biologist, right?” Jessica asked. “My sister is really excited about him being in town.”
Vickie cocked her head. “I think I remember him. He’s from Portland, right? I heard a few of his lectures when Rachel was in college, and she needed some science credits for her degree. What’s he doing in Carriage Cove?”
“I bet the university asked him to give a few extra lectures,” Amy explained. “He’s a brilliant man, even outside of science. He’s made quite a name for himself.”
“And lots of money too,” Sadie added.
“But he actually agreed to lecture here?” Vickie wondered out loud. “It seems rather strange that he would agree to talk at a small college like ours.”
“I wouldn’t ask questions about that. It’s so exciting!” Jessica announced. Tyler jumped a little at her loud voice. She seemed more thrilled than her sister. “Hey, wouldn’t it be great if he went to the new club meeting later this week?”
“What’s this about a new club?” Amy asked curiously. Tyler went back to grooming himself.
“That’s something I was actually going to come see you about,” Vickie commented. “I was going to drop by the bookstore, but since you’re already here…”
Amy watched as Vickie pulled out more flyers. “What is it?”
“Would you mind hanging these in your bookstore for me? It’s for a new club I’m starting.”
“The Wine and Cheese Club’s First Meeting, this Thursday at seven at the Sip and Read Café,” Amy read from the leaflet. “Come vent your frustrations over wine and other refreshments. There will always be a listening ear.”
“I’m all for it,” Sadie contributed. “If I can make it.”
“Especially if Gerard Samson is there!” Jessica proclaimed. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could ask him about his work in a more casual venue? You should ask him to come, Vickie!”
“Maybe I will,” Vickie agreed tentatively. “Where is he staying?”
Amy tapped her forehead. “I heard it was the Lazy Owl B&B.”
“I know that place. My friend Gwen runs it.” Vickie checked if she still had enough flyers or if she needed to stop at home to print more. She had plenty. “It’s a popular place. I think I’ll stop there next.”
Tyler meowed as she headed for the door. He jumped down from the counter and followed her. Vickie laughed.
“Don’t worry, silly thing. I won’t leave you behind.”
The women bid their goodbyes to Vickie as she left, and she made sure Tyler was secure in her car before driving off towards the Lazy Owl B&B.
Over the years Vickie had become accustomed to the strange appearance of Gwen’s bed and breakfast. Gwen had taken great pains (and expense) to make the front of the building designed to look like an owl’s head. The windows were circular so they would appear like the eyes and the front door was carved like an owl’s beak. Even the sides of the building had decorations shooting off from the roof to give the impression of feathers.
The front lobby had a large desk with a computer on it, and that was the most normal thing in the entire bed and breakfast. The owl theme continued for the rest of the lobby, with owl decorations everywhere. Paintings, statues, and other trinkets shaped in the form of various owls species sat on the shelves and hung on the walls, and even flying ones hanging from the ceiling. Vickie’s personal favorite was the owl-shaped set of Russian dolls that Gwen kept above the computer desk. Thankfully Gwen was kind enough to not extend the owl theme to the rooms where the guests stayed. That would have been too much.
No one was in the front lobby when Vickie arrived, so she headed straight for the living room, which was a common place for Gwen to sit when she wasn’t busy. Tyler trailed behind her.
In the living room, sitting on a couch with owl-shaped pillows, was Gwen. She was not much younger than Vickie, but unlike Vickie her hair had been completely taken over by grey. Her dress matched the rest of the building’s décor, with owl faces patterned asymmetrically all over it. She sat with her feet propped up on a stool as she read a small book about horseback riding. Her grey hair was long and curly, and kept in a loose ponytail that fell over her right shoulder. She was a little overweight, but Gwen attributed that to her “stocky genetics” rather than her more sedentary lifestyle. Where she picked up the idea of horseback riding, Vickie had no idea.
The first thing Gwen noticed when these guests arrived was the small furry creature that jumped onto her lap and began kneading her stomach. She laughed as she placed her bookmark in her novel and sat up to pet Tyler, who purred at the attention. Gwen glanced up to greet her friend.
“Hi Vickie. How are you today?”
“I’m doing well. Thanks for asking.” Vickie glanced around the living room devoid of anyone else. “You don’t seem very busy right now.”
“It’s off season, I guess,” Gwen admitted. “Except for Gerard Samson! Have you heard of him?”
“Not as much as others have, but yes,” Vickie replied. “That’s why I’m here. I was hoping I could speak with him. Is he in?”
“Not at the moment. I just cleaned his room.” Gwen scratched the top of her head, making her ponytail swing a little. “It’s weird. It looks like he hadn’t slept there for a few days.”
“Maybe he’s just conscientious enough to make his own bed?”
“Millionaire like him? I doubt it. I bet he has housekeepers at home, so why would he be in the habit of doing it?”
“Good point. Do you know when he’ll be back?”
“Sorry, I don’t,” Gwen responded. “What do you need to tell him? I can give him a message.”
“I wanted to invite him to this.” Vickie passed her another one of her club flyers. “I’m starting up a new club. We talk and vent about our problems over wine and other snacks. You’re invited too if you’re interested.”
“Sounds like a nice idea.” Gwen paused to read the flyer. “Are you sure you’re up to running two clubs? What about the mystery book club you hold every Wednesday?”
“That’s not changing, and this club would be Thursday nights,” Vickie described. “I’m sure I can handle it.”
“Vickie, knowing you, you can handle anything that’s thrown at you.” Gwen smiled at her. “It sounds like fun. I’ll be sure to stop by.”
“And you’ll tell Dr. Samson about it when he returns?”
“You can count on me.”
Vickie was about to make her way out of the bed and breakfast when she heard the distinct sound of police sirens. Tyler sat up from his seat on Gwen’s lap at the noise, and he jerked his head back and forth as he tried to locate it. Vickie glimpsed out a nearby window. Sure enough, three cars with Carriage Cove Police Department written on the side parked in the lot in front of the bed and breakfast. A few officers were leaving the cars and heading straight for the entryway.
Vickie gulped. “Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling about this?”
Chapter 2
The doorbell rang numerous times as Vickie watched Gwen get up from the couch and head for the door. It was a rare occasion that the police would have to use their sirens to get to a location quickly, so whatever was going on must be something important. In fact, Vickie couldn’t recall any time she had heard the police sirens anywhere in Carriage Cove; then again, it was possible the police used the sirens and Vickie just hadn’t been in the right place at the right time to hear them.
Whatever the case, the police were here now. Gwen rushed to the door as the ringing became more and more insistent. Once open, Vickie saw Susan Miles leading a group of
officers. It was no surprise to see Susan there, as she was the Chief of Police after all. Her hat covered nearly all of her dark red hair, and she looked at Gwen with intense grey eyes. Tyler strolled up to Susan and rubbed his body against her legs, purring the whole time. Chief Miles glimpsed at him for a moment before ignoring him, returning her gaze to Gwen.
“Gwen Radcliffe?”
The woman in question gulped. “Yes, Chief. That’s me.”
“We have a search warrant for your establishment here,” Chief Miles explained, handing her a folded piece of paper. “With the exception of your occupied rooms, other than Gerard Samson’s. We also need you to come down to the station for some questions.”
“Am I…Am I under arrest?” Gwen stuttered.
“Not at the moment, but we do need you to come to the station.”
“What’s going on, Chief Miles?” Vickie jumped into the conversation.
Susan glanced at Vickie, her expression unsurprised and calm. “Hello Dr. Matheson. I thought you might be here already.”
“Already?” Vickie repeated. “What do you mean?”
“Aren’t you here because you found out Gerard Samson is missing?” Susan asked her. “He hasn’t been seen for a few days, and he’s been reported missing.”
“No,” she replied. “I only just heard today he was in town.”
“I see. I thought everyone knew he was here,” Chief Miles described. “And I assumed you learned about his disappearance and followed the clues that led here.”
“I had no idea.” Vickie gave Gwen a quick glance. “But…what does that have to do with Gwen?”
“As I said, it’s been a few days since Dr. Samson went missing,” Chief Miles continued. “So far we’ve found no sign of him or a body, and we suspect the worst.”
Gwen shook her head urgently. “No, I didn’t do anything to Dr. Samson! I haven’t seen him in days!”
“You can give a formal statement at the station,” Chief Miles informed her.