Murder in Cottage #6 (Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Series Book 1)

by Dianne Harman

  “Roger, do you really think Barbara could have been murdered? It just doesn’t seem possible for something like that to happen in our sleepy little town of Red Cedar.”

  “I don’t know, but after thirty years of practicing criminal law, not much surprises me. I want you to start thinking like one of the private investigators I use. I really wish I could be here to help you, but the trial I’m starting tomorrow has already been delayed twice, and there is no way the judge will grant another continuance.”

  “Okay, I’m ready. Shoot.”

  “I always approach a case from the standpoint of who has the most to gain if the person is dead. Usually the first person I look at is the spouse, if there is one. You told me there was a good chance Barbara’s spouse was having an affair. So I would start by asking myself if he would want to kill his wife, so he could be with the woman he was having an affair with. You also told me her husband had just been re-elected as mayor, and that there were some damaging accusations made against him during the election campaign. Who was his opponent? Was Barbara’s murder a vendetta possibly committed by someone wanting to get back at the husband by killing her? I’d take a long look at any relative or spouse of his opponent. I’d talk to the editor of the paper and ask him on what facts he based the accusations printed in the paper. Maybe the mayor had some hidden baggage and someone wanted to kill his wife because of that. Maybe the mayor knew something, and someone had threatened that if he didn’t keep quiet, his wife would be killed. I know it sounds like I’m talking about some real longshots here, but I’m looking for anything that might lead to identifying the killer. I’ve found that one thing always leads to another.”

  “I can’t believe someone would kill over a lost election.”

  “You’re being naïve. People will kill over anything and often do,” Roger said. “So at this point we’ve identified two possible suspects. Let’s start by taking a look at the antique store situation, which I find very interesting. Barbara’s partner doesn’t seem to have anything to gain by Barbara being dead if what she says is true about her being the money behind the shop and Barbara being what I would call the front woman. Barbara knew everybody in the area and was an expert in a specific style of antiques, but did Barbara’s partner tell you the truth? Perhaps Barbara and she both put in an equal amount of money, and if Barbara’s dead, she gets it all. Maybe they really were legal partners and the shop was in both of their names. I can help you with getting information about the ownership of the store. Sean, one of my private investigators, can do a computer search and easily find that kind of information.”

  “That would be great. I wouldn’t know how or where to begin.”

  “Trust me, it’s not that big a deal. City records would have all that information. It’s pretty easy to find those records. Let’s go on. Then there’s the antique guy who threatened to sue her over the Tiffany lamp. You should probably take a close look at him. Since he lives in San Francisco, I’ll have Sean look into that as well. Shouldn’t be too difficult. I imagine he’s well-known in the antique world. Sean can check out that angle.”

  “I’m totally new at this,” Liz said, “but the person I wondered about from the beginning is Darcy, the high school principal who was at Dave’s house when I went there. She’s the one Seth, the police chief, mentioned was having an affair with Dave. Maybe she wants to marry Dave. Don’t forget Linda, the antique store person, told me Barbara was a very strong Catholic and wouldn’t divorce Dave. I think Darcy should be investigated.”

  “Couldn’t agree more. Now you’re starting to think like a private eye. You told me once that Gertie’s Diner was the hotbed for rumors in town. You might want to go there and see if you can find out anything. If they were having an affair, someone there probably knows about it.”

  “I’ll go there tomorrow.”

  “You mentioned Barbara had a facial and a massage yesterday, and from what you told me, it sure didn’t sound like the police chief did a very thorough job of investigating that angle, although I think it’s kind of a stretch. I can’t come up with a motive either one of the spa employees might have had to kill Barbara, but believe me, I know for a fact that stranger things have happened.”

  “Judy’s coming up and we’d planned on getting some treatments. I think I’ll book a treatment with each of those two women, and it would be a very natural thing to talk about it, if, in fact, it turns out she was murdered. Roger, the thing that really scares me is the bad publicity the spa will get if she was murdered. I don’t know how I can get around that.”

  “You can’t, and that’s why you need to do everything you can to find out who killed Barbara if she was murdered. The faster you can do that, the less time the press will have to make a big deal of it.”

  “If she didn’t die of natural causes, I assume the coroner will be able to pin down the exact cause of death.”

  “Yes, he should be able to make that determination, but what if she died from a combination of sleeping pills and alcohol? That wouldn’t necessarily mean that she committed suicide, it just means that was the cause of death. Maybe someone slipped a foreign substance in something she drank or forced her to drink it. That’s where it gets difficult and interesting, and that’s why it’s important to find out who might have had a motive to kill her. Once you get a list of the people who might have had a motive for seeing her dead you’ll need to find out where each of those people was at the time she was murdered.”

  Liz nervously ran her fingers through her hair. “I have no idea how I can find out all the things you’ve just mentioned. I just hope that the coroner determines she died from natural causes.”

  “For your sake and the sake of the spa, I hope so too, but you need to be prepared for the alternative. Liz, people trust you and like you, and you’re one of those people who is very easy to talk to. I think that’s one reason you’ve made such a success of the spa. Just do what comes naturally. Talk to people. You’ll find out what you need to know in the natural flow of things. Anyway, enough about Barbara. I have to get up very early, and it’s time for bed. Have any second doubts?” he asked, taking her hand in his.

  “No, I feel as sure about this as I have about anything in a long time.”

  “Good. Look at it this way. We’re two older people who, I believe, have come to care deeply about each other. Let’s see where it goes. This is new territory for both of us.”

  CHAPTER 8

  “Good morning, beautiful. I hope you slept as well as I did. Stay where you are,” Roger said as he swung his long legs out of bed and stood up. “It’s too early for you to get up, but I have to get on the road in case I hit some traffic going into the city. I’m hoping it’s early enough I can avoid it, and I could use a couple more hours of pre-trial work.”

  “Absolutely not,” Liz answered. “I’m getting up and making you coffee. I made some sweet rolls for this morning’s guest breakfast, so you can take a couple of those on the road with you. I’ll even give you a bunch of napkins so you don’t spill on your go to court suit that you’ll be wearing.”

  “If you insist. While you’re making coffee, I’ll shower and shave. There’s something else I want to tell you when you come back.”

  A few minutes later she walked into the bathroom with a cup of coffee in each hand. Roger had wrapped a towel around his waist and stood in front of the mirror, shaving.

  “I put your sweet rolls in a container, but I thought you’d probably want the coffee now. I also have a travel cup you can take with you for when you’re on the road. What did you want to tell me?”

  “I was going to tell you last night, but I got sidetracked,” he said, looking over at her and smiling. He turned back to the mirror and resumed shaving. “I have a friend who trains guard dogs. The police buy their dogs from him as well as private individuals, particularly men who travel a lot and want to feel that their families are safe while they’re away. I called him yesterday afternoon after I talked to you. I told him I wanted to
buy one as a gift for someone who had a large piece of property and a lot of people coming and going. I told him the dog had to be non-threatening unless the owner gave an appropriate command to the dog. I asked him if he currently had any dogs that fit that description, and he told me he had just completed training a dog that perfectly fit into that category. The dog is a nine month old large fawn colored male boxer.

  “My friend told me he’s so good with people that he’s been taking him home at night to play with his children, but he said the dog was trained to obey commands to attack or guard. He said the dog could take a two hundred fifty pound man to the ground in a matter of seconds and hold him there until the release command was given by the dog’s owner. He also said the dog’s deep growl alone was enough to stop most intruders. I asked him if a woman could handle the dog, and he said most of the people who bought that particular breed were women, because the breed isn’t as frightening looking as say a bull mastiff or a doberman pinscher.”

  “I think I know where this is going,” Liz said.

  “If you thought that my friend would be delivering a dog by the name of Winston to you, you’d be right. I know how much you love Brandy Boy, but let’s be honest, a guard dog he is not.” He turned away from the mirror and faced her again. “Liz, after I talked to you yesterday afternoon, I really became concerned for your personal safety given the somewhat remote location of the spa. This is a big piece of property with a lot of people coming and going. If the woman’s death isn’t murder, you’ll just have a nice guard dog for the property. If it was murder, you’ll have protection with you at all times. I’d really like you to take the dog with you everywhere you go. It sure would make me feel a lot better if you agree to accept my gift.”

  “Actually I’ve been thinking about getting a guard dog. I agree that Brandy Boy is a wonderful dog, but guarding and protecting is not his thing. Since I’ve been living alone, I’m much more aware of the night sounds. Yes, I accept your gift, although I imagine it was pretty pricey. Thank you, Roger. Did you and your friend set up a time for me to meet Winston?”

  “Yes. I know I was acting presumptively, but this is really important to me. I know I don’t have the right to insist that you do anything, but I was hoping against hope it would be okay with you. He told me he’d be here about noon today unless I called him and told him you’d refused the dog. He told me to tell you you’ll need a dog bed, a leash, and some dog food. He said Winston eats anything, so whatever kind of dog food you get will be fine. Winston is fully housebroken and trained not to chew on things other than his own toys, but he did suggest you might want to get a couple of chew toys, just in case.”

  “Well, I was going to Gertie’s Diner this morning to see if I can learn anything at the local rumor mill, so I can get whatever I need when I’m in town. It’s been a few years since I’ve had an active dog. At least the spa property is fenced, other than the section where the cliff leads to the ocean, so I won’t have to worry about him running away.

  “Liz, this dog will be better trained than probably any of our adult children. He not only is trained to protect and guard, but my friend makes sure that all of the other basic commands are covered in his training. About the only thing you’ll have to do is open your home and your heart to him.”

  “It’s thawing. As you can probably tell, it’s definitely thawing,” she said smiling. “Well, didn’t know when I woke up a half hour ago I’d be looking forward to becoming a dog owner. Guess you just never know where the day is going to take you. By the way, you look great. If I was a juror, I’d definitely think the guy wasn’t guilty just because the way his attorney looks,” she said with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye.

  “Thanks for the compliment, but it’s a little more complicated than that. I have to try and keep this guy out of prison for life.”

  “Roger, is it ever hard for you? I mean, there must be times that you know in your heart of hearts the guy you’re defending is guilty. Isn’t that difficult for you?”

  “No. From the time I graduated from law school and decided to go into criminal law to and through this moment, the one thing I’ve held sacred is that every person accused of a crime is not guilty unless proven so. It’s my job to make sure that no one proves my clients guilty, and over the last thirty years my track record is pretty good, but your question is one I get asked a lot. I’d love to stay, but I’ve got to get on the road.”

  She walked him out to where his car was parked, noticing that the spa and all of the cabin lights were off. “Doesn’t look like I have any early birds this morning. Sometimes the guests who are really ‘Type A’s’ are already jogging this early in the morning. Personally, I like to break gently into the day. Good luck and I’ll call you tonight with the autopsy results.”

  He put his suitcase and bag in the trunk and turned towards her, wrapping her in his arms. “Last night was one of the most special nights of my life. I won’t forget a moment of it. Thank you.” He kissed her and got in his car.

  “Be safe,” she said, as he put the car in gear and began his drive back to the city.

  Well, my life sure has turned upside down in the last twenty-four hours. Let’s see, a possible murder, a man who is suddenly more than just a good friend, and a new dog. Couldn’t have predicted this in a million years, but other than the murder, I sure like the other two.

  CHAPTER 9

  “Hi, honey. Good to see you. What brings you to town this morning?” Gertie asked. Liz looked up from her menu and couldn’t help but smile. She thought if someone drew a caricature of a woman who owned a place called Gertie’s Diner, it would look exactly like the woman standing in front of her, from her dyed bottle blond hair worn in a beehive style that had been popular in the 1960’s, to her four inch high heels. She had a habit of chewing bubble gum and blowing big pink bubbles, but she was blessed with a heart as big as gold. You only had to come to Gertie’s once, and from then on, you were her friend for life.

  “Heard there was a little excitement out at your spa yesterday. Seth and Leroy were telling everyone in hearin’ distance how Barbara Nelson bit the dust. Said she died from an overdose of sleeping pills and booze. Any truth to that?”

  “Gertie, that’s not a fact. Wes is doing the autopsy today, and as of now no one knows the exact cause of her death. They really shouldn’t have said anything, but I’m not surprised considering the source.”

  “You ain’t kiddin’ about that. Those two yokels don’t have enough smarts between them to get out of the rain. Seth was playin’ it up to the hilt when he was here. Everyone was hangin’ on every word the two of them said. I suppose it made ‘em feel real important, but it’s a fact we don’t have many suicides ‘round these parts. Makes me kinda’ wonder if those two bozos know what they’re jawin’ about. Seth said she did it cuz’ she found out Darcy and Dave were having an affair, but lawdy, everyone knows that’s not the first time Dave’s been visiting another henhouse. Beats me why she’d do it now. What do you think?”

  “I don’t have enough information to make a guess and until Wes releases the autopsy report, I think everyone should keep their opinions to themselves. If Dave was having an affair with Darcy do you think he wanted to leave Barbara and marry Darcy?”

  “From what I hear, and it’s only what I hear, Darcy would do anything to get Dave to marry her. She’s gettin’ a little long in the tooth to be very marriageable even if she is a looker, and the pickins’ are pretty slim ‘round here. Now it looks like she’ll get what she wants.”

  “To change the subject, the man who ran against Dave. Darn. I can never remember his name.”

  “Think you’d remember it cuz’ the handyman you got workin’ out at the spa’s his brother. Name’s Gene Harris. Kinda too bad he lost the election. That’s the third time he’s lost to Dave. Bound to make a body mad. Hear Zack was at his brother’s on election night, got drunk, and a coupla their friends had to keep him from going over to Dave’s victory party and beatin
’ him up. Don’t know for sure. Just heard it. You know, I hear a lot of things in this ‘ol diner. Some true, and I’m sure some not.”

  “I didn’t know Gene and Zack were brothers. Zack does a great job for me. He’s been working at the spa ever since we bought it, and I’ve never had any problems with him.”

  “Like I said, never know for sure if what I’m hearin’ is true. Tell you one other little rumor I picked up on yesterday. Heard that Dave was going to sue Bart over at the Trib for libel because he wrote those editorials hintin’ that Dave was takin’ city funds. Course like everything else, don’t know what’s true. Always felt like Barbara was the one who kept Dave from actin’ up. We’ll see what happens now.”

  “Do you know if Dave’s going to have a funeral for her?”

  “Sakes alive, of course he is. Dave wouldn’t miss a chance to have all of Red Cedar pay homage to him, even if it was his wife that died. Yeah, there’s gonna be a big funeral at St. Isadore’s Catholic Church. That’s the church Barbara attended and then she’s going to be buried in the town cemetery. Gonna be a big reception at the Elks Lodge followin’ the burial. From what I’ve been hearin’ this mornin’, it’s gonna be a pretty big deal. Drove of Does is gonna’ prepare all the food.”

  “The Drove of Does? I’ve never heard that term. Who or what is it?”

  “Those are the wives of the Elks’ lodge members. It’s a woman’s organization that helps the lodge members when they have a party or a big event. We got a lot of Does around these parts. They kind of like belongin’ to somethin’, and the bartender over at the Lodge pours a mighty stiff drink. Course I’m sure the Does never imbibe,” she said, winking. “I’ve been jawin’ too long. What can I get you?”

  “I’d like a chocolate malted milk. Can’t justify a hamburger this early, but I don’t think there’s a special time for malted milks. They’re always good.”