The Blue Butterfly: A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery

by Dianne Harman

  “I think that’s a wonderful idea, Ruby, however I do want to caution you about telling him exactly where you’re living until you know for sure he’s getting some help. Maybe he could give his doctor permission to tell you the status of how he’s doing. I know there’s something about doctors not being able to release information unless the patient consents to it. If he would agree to it, you could monitor his progress through the doctor, and the two of you could decide when it would be appropriate for you to return.”

  “I will. Again, thanks for calling.”

  “The next person on my list is Mitch. I’ll mention that you’ll be calling him. Good night.”

  *****

  “Mitch, this is Liz Langley. I’m sorry to bother you at home, but a few things have happened, and I promised I’d let you know when I knew anything.”

  “We must be on the same wavelength, Liz. I was just getting ready to call you. Since you called, you go first.”

  She told him everything that had happened, and that Ruby would be calling him in the morning.

  “Liz, it turns out none of this needed to happen.”

  “What are you talking about?” she asked.

  “Something didn’t seem right to me about the Lotis Blue butterfly sighting. I did some research on the two people who sent the letter about the sighting and the photograph they said they took of it. The photograph was what bothered me. I’m an environmentalist at heart, and I watch every science and nature program that’s on television. I also subscribe to a number of magazines on the subject. When I closely examined the letter I knew I’d seen that photograph before. I got out all of my old magazine issues, because I was sure it was something I’d seen in the last two years. It’s a long story, but my wife made me pack up a bunch of them, and anyway, I was able to locate the photo in one of the magazines. It was a perfect match.”

  “You’re kidding. Was there even a sighting of a Lotis Blue butterfly?”

  “That’s what I’m getting to. I met with the two people who sent the letter and showed them the photograph that was in the magazine and the one they had sent to my office. I told them I knew they had simply copied the photograph in the magazine and used it in the letter and that there had never been a sighting of a Lotis Blue butterfly on the Jefferson property. They finally admitted they’d done it in an attempt to stop the trees on the Jefferson property from being logged. Kyle must have seen the letter, and that’s why he went to the site after he learned David was going to investigate the sighting. I sent David there based on the letter which it turns out was completely fraudulent. I never should have sent him there. It’s my fault for immediately assuming that there had been a sighting. I should have been more diligent. I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself.”

  “You can’t blame yourself, Mitch. When you receive information about a threat to an endangered species, it’s your responsibility to investigate. That’s why you sent David to the site. Any other manager in your position would have sent someone out too. You didn’t do anything wrong. Kyle Logan was the one who did something horribly wrong and something that is affecting a lot of lives, like Ruby Myers.” She told him about the conversation she’d just had with Ruby, and how she would be calling Mitch in the morning.

  “Mitch, I’m curious about something. Kyle hinted that David might be on the take from some organizations that were not as environmentally friendly as you seem to be. Do you know anything about that? I suppose it doesn’t matter now, but I’m curious.”

  There was a long silence on the other end of the phone and then Mitch spoke, “He could have been. I’ve heard rumors, but I never found any firm evidence. It wouldn’t be the first time something like that has happened. I was approached years ago and told I could make some easy money by not reporting sightings of anything that was on the Endangered Species List because of the problems the sightings caused to business interests. I said no, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t other people getting money for not reporting sightings.”

  “So what you’re saying is we’ll never know what David would have done if he had discovered the Lotis Blue butterfly on the Jefferson property. He may have reported it, or he may have decided to say that nothing was found.”

  “Yes. We’ll never know, and it’s a moot point now because the whole thing was a hoax. What a tragic turn of events.”

  “Yes and no. People die, people go to prison, and some people turn their lives around because of a tragedy. I’m hopeful this will result in Ruby’s husband being the success in this tragedy and learning to overcome his anger issues. This whole thing might result in a marriage being saved.”

  “Liz, let me ask you something. How do you view the world? Do you see it as a glass half-full or a glass half-empty?”

  She quickly answered, “Half-full, of course. Is there even a choice?”

  “No, I suppose not.”

  “I have a question for you, Mitch. I assume there will be no more attempts to stop the timber harvesting activities on the Jefferson property.”

  “That’s true. That property will no longer be under any scrutiny by the Forestry Service. Would you like me to call the owner of the lumber company and tell him?”

  “No, let me take care of it. While we were talking I’ve come up with an idea that just might result in a good thing happening as a consequence of David’s tragic death. I’ll take care of it. It’s been a long day, and I’m tired. Thanks for everything, Mitch. Good night.”

  She walked into Roger’s office and said, “Roger, I’d like to meet with Lewis Jefferson tomorrow. Could you set up a meeting in your office some time before 2:00? I’ve been lucky with Gina today, but if I’m a no-show tomorrow, I could be looking at having to hire a new sous-chef.”

  “Want to tell me what this is about? After all, Lewis is my client.”

  “No counsellor. Just trust me. I think you’ll be happy with the outcome.”

  CHAPTER 28

  Roger called Liz after he got to his office and said, “I’ve set up a meeting for 11:00 this morning with Lewis. He’s very curious. I told him I had no idea why you wanted to meet with him. Is there anything I should know before he comes in?”

  “No, just trust me. I’ll see you at 11:00.”

  Promptly at 11:00 she walked into Roger’s office accompanied by Winston. She recognized Lewis Jefferson from the day at the logging site when David’s body had been discovered. Roger’s secretary said, “Mrs. Langley, Mr. Jefferson, Roger told me to tell you to please go into his office when both of you were here.”

  Liz and Lewis sat in the client chairs in Roger’s law office, Roger across the desk from them, and Winston next to Liz’s feet. Both of the men looked expectantly at Liz.

  “Roger, Lewis, thank you for agreeing to meet with me. Lewis, I have some very good news for you, but first I want to talk to you about a situation that has come to my attention.”

  He spread his hands. “Mrs. Langley,” he began.

  “Please, call me Liz.”

  “All right, Liz. I’m completely in the dark here. I’m glad you have good news. These days we can all use some good news, but what is the situation you’re referring to?”

  “You have an employee by the name of Brad Cassidy who has developed cancer. There is some talk that it was caused because he was improperly exposed to formaldehyde at your plywood plant. Your employees are well aware of this situation, and if jobs in the lumber industry weren’t so hard to come by, a number of them would have left because of it. The morale at your company is not good at the moment.”

  “How do you know about that? Did Roger tell you that?” he asked, glaring at Roger.

  “No, one of your employees told me how bad the morale is. What I’m proposing to you is a way to fix your company’s morale and also put you in a very favorable light with your employees.”

  “I’m certainly willing to listen, but I can’t guarantee you I’ll do anything.”

  “I understand. Brad wrote you a letter after he was diagnose
d with cancer a couple of months ago. In the letter he said he wouldn’t sue your company, because he didn’t want his friends to be out of jobs and he was afraid if he won a large lawsuit and was awarded a large settlement it might bankrupt the company even though his doctor strongly urged him to do so. In his letter he asked that your company pay his medical bills when his insurance runs out. He told me he never heard from you.”

  “The reason he never heard from me is because I never received a letter from him. I was told that one of our employees had gotten cancer, but I assumed he was doing all right, since I hadn’t heard from him or been sued.”

  “No, he is definitely not doing well. As a matter of fact the family can barely make ends meet. His wife is working two jobs, and Brad is worried about what will happen to them if he lives and can’t work or worse yet, what will happen to them if he dies. He has many friends in your company. They pass a hat around weekly after they get their paychecks, and one of the employees takes the money they raise and puts an envelope with the money in it in Brad’s mail box, because they know Brad would never take the money if he knew it was coming from them.”

  “What are you suggesting, Liz?”

  “I was able to find the man who murdered David Sanders on your property. I have been in contact with the head of the Forestry Service in Sacramento, and he discovered that the Lotis Blue butterfly sighting was a hoax aimed at shutting down the harvesting of trees on your property by some overzealous environmentalists.”

  “What does that have to do with Brad?”

  “I’ve been able to ensure that logging can now resume on your property. In other words, the yellow tape will now come down, because the crime has been solved, and since now there is no threat of logging being held up for a long time, perhaps years, I have a favor to ask of you.”

  “What is it, Liz?” Roger asked, not sure where she was headed. This was the first he’d heard of the blue butterfly hoax.

  “Lewis, I think it would be in the best interests of your company for you to pay the medical expenses of Brad Cassidy as well as give him a cash settlement for his suffering. I’m sure Roger can draw a document up, so that neither he nor his family would be able to sue you or your company in the future no matter what happens with his health situation. You could post something in a company newsletter that you were helping the family and would hope that others would take time to drop him a healing note or some such thing. You’d come out looking like a prince, you’d prevent a lawsuit, and you’d do wonders for the morale of your workers. What do you say?”

  He was quiet for several long moments, and then he spoke, “I had some problems with a couple of temporary secretaries about the time he must have sent me the letter you’re referring to. It probably got lost in the shuffle. I’ve been concerned that my manager might not have been as diligent as he should have been in making sure there weren’t problems with the formaldehyde used at the plywood plant. What you’re presenting is a way for me to get out of a potentially messy situation as well as look good in the eyes of my employees.” He turned to Roger and said, “Please draw up the necessary papers.”

  “Thank you, Lewis. You’re doing the right thing. I do have one more request,” she said.

  Roger and Lewis exchanged glances as if to say “What now?”

  “Yes, what is it?” Lewis asked.

  “I’d like to be the one to tell Brad. Would that be all right with you?”

  “Considering what you’ve done for my company, I would be more than happy to grant that request.”

  Liz stood up and smiled at Roger. “Winston and I are going home now. I need to make a phone call.”

  *****

  “Brad,” she said an hour later, “It’s Liz Langley. I have some very good news for you…” Winston was lying at her feet listening to the conversation. He looked up at her and she could swear he winked at her.

  EPILOGUE

  Several months have passed since Liz determined that Kyle Logan was responsible for the murder of David Sanders. The long winter months on the North Coast of California with one storm after another crashing into the coast from the north had finally given way to spring.

  The first day of spring was a beautiful warm day in Red Cedar. The sun was shining brightly, birds were singing, and the bulbs residents had planted in their front yards the previous fall were starting to bloom in a flowery show of color.

  Roger and Liz Langley: On the first day of spring Liz was tending to some last minute arrangements for the new group of guests that would be checking into the cottages later in the day at the Red Cedar Spa and Lodge. Roger was preparing for a trial scheduled to start the next day.

  Winston and Brandy Boy: The two dogs were sleeping on the front porch of the lodge enjoying the warm sunshine, something that had eluded them for the past few months. Both kept one ear cocked hoping to hear a sound from the kitchen that might mean they could enjoy some leftovers from the previous night’s dinner at the lodge.

  Ruby and George Myers: With an approval from George’s doctor, Ruby had reconciled with George who seemed to have conquered his anger issues and now they were just a bad memory.

  Gertie: Like almost every other day of the year, the first day of spring at Gertie’s Diner was filled with hungry customers. The amazing octogenarian who tottered around on five inch high stilettos and who seemed to be living in a bygone era was busy serving up her famous hamburgers and malts, while at the same time keeping up on all the latest town gossip.

  Seth Williams: The fat police chief, after having breakfast at Gertie’s and spilling some of his fried eggs on the front of his uniform shirt as was his usual practice, was patiently sitting in his police car hidden behind a row of bushes, waiting for the next unsuspecting out-of-towner to come speeding through the speed trap he had conveniently constructed on the outskirts of town.

  Lewis Jefferson: The owner of Jefferson Lumber Company was glad spring had finally arrived. With the rainy winter weather now a distant memory, he would be able to increase the rate of timber harvesting on the company’s timber properties. Employee morale had never been better after he announced that the company would assume full responsibility for Brad Cassidy’s cancer treatment. Additionally, the company and Brad had entered into a financial settlement to resolve Brad’s voiced claim of misconduct concerning the use of formaldehyde at the company’s plywood plant. Both parties were satisfied with the terms of the settlement, especially Brad, who thought the settlement was extremely generous.

  Brad Cassidy: Life was much better for the Cassidy family as they no longer had to worry about their financial future after receiving the generous settlement from Jefferson Lumber Company. There was even a hint from Brad’s doctors that his cancer might be in remission. A few more tests were going to be needed to confirm their suspicions.

  Olivia Jameson: At the urging of her mother, she applied for a scholarship at UC Berkeley and it was granted. She’s scheduled to resume her studies at the university in the fall.

  Trace Logan: He’s finishing up his master’s degree and has been accepted as a doctoral candidate in the Environmental Studies program at UC Berkeley. When he called Olivia to apologize for his brother putting her in danger, one thing led to another, and they both are very much looking forward to spending some time together at Berkeley.

  Kyle Logan: Although his attorney tried on repeated occasions to convince him to take the District Attorney’s plea bargain offer, he refused. He feels that he is the savior of endangered species and if lives like his have to be sacrificed for those species, so be it. At the present time he’s in jail awaiting his trial.

  The Lotis Blue Butterfly: On this beautiful first day of spring, in a remote and rugged coastal bog located ten miles north of Red Cedar, a small but ever so beautiful little butterfly rides the ocean wind currents as it flits from bush to bush in the bog. With bright blue colored wings that measure only one inch from tip to tip, it looks exactly like the butterfly featured in the magazine Mitch Stevenson had sho
wn Liz several months earlier. This particular butterfly is a female, and it delicately lands on a leafy green bush that’s shining brightly in the warm morning sun. She lingers on the bush for several minutes, warming her body in the sunlight. After a minute or two she flaps her tiny wings, lifts herself into the air, and drifts away in the wind towards other areas of the bog, never to be seen again.

  Several weeks later, on the same bush where the little blue butterfly had paused for a few minutes on the first day of spring, several small bluish colored caterpillars, no larger than a grain of rice, could be seen munching on the green leaves of the bush where the little blue butterfly had paused several weeks earlier.

  And so the cycle of life continues, despite the activities of men and their machines.

  Recipes!

  There's a surprise following the recipes.

  CATFISH PASTA PRIMAVERA

  Ingredients:

  12 oz. fettuccine

  ½ small red pepper, cut into strips (I usually quarter them, take out the white membrane and the seeds with a knife and put them in a stack. Think it makes cutting them easier. I do the same for the yellow pepper.)

  ½ small yellow pepper, cut into strips

  4 oz. pea pods, trimmed (By trimming, I mean to cut the end off and then pull off the tough string that runs along the length of the pod. You might get lucky and find the store has already done it for you.)

  6 green onion, chopped in thin slices

  2 tbsp. chopped shallots (Remember to remove the outer papery covering.)

  ¼ cup butter (An easy way to measure this amount is to fill a one cup measuring cup to ¾ with water and put the butter in until the water comes up to one cup. Voila!)

  1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

  ½ tsp. salt

  ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

  1 lb. catfish fillets, cut into bite-size pieces, about 1” square