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

by Dianne Harman

  “Back in a sec, honey.” She and her high heels tottered off to the kitchen while Liz said a silent prayer that she wouldn’t fall on her way.

  Liz pulled her phone out of her purse to see if she’d had any calls. She had her head down looking at it when she heard a voice that made her want to retch.

  “Well, lookee here. If it ain’t my lucky day. So little lady, got any black lace on today?” the fat jowly faced police chief asked as he tried to work his belly into the booth opposite of her.

  “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that, Seth. Have you heard anything from Wes about the results of the autopsy?”

  “Nah, usually takes him a few hours for him to cut ‘em up. Think he gets his jollies from it, if you know what I mean,” Seth said in a suggestive voice. “Anyway, glad yer’ here. Gettin’ some reports that Zack Harris has been making noises ‘bout knockin’ Dave’s head around. Ya’ know anything about that?”

  “No. I didn’t even know until a little while ago that Gene and Zack were brothers. I don’t schedule the employees’ time off, but I think Bertha mentioned something about Zack taking a little vacation time before we got real busy during the summer season. I haven’t seen him for several days.”

  “Well is that so? Guess I’ll have to keep an eye out fer him. By the way, jes’ got me a new Victoria’s Secret catalog delivered in the mail yesterday. Seen a coupla things that got yer name on ‘em and I circled ‘em. Uh-oh, Leroy jes’ stuck his head in the door. Probably lookin’ fer me. When I get them VC things, I’d like a private showin, if ya’ know what I mean.” As Seth tried to slide out of the booth, Liz wasn’t sure who was going to win the battle over Seth’s stomach, the table or him. Ultimately he won and was able to free himself and get out of the booth. “Be seein’ ya soon I hope, pretty lady,” the grossly obese police chief said, oblivious to how ridiculous he looked and acted.

  I feel like I need a shower after I’m around him. If it turns out Barbara didn’t die of natural causes, I’m definitely going to have to do whatever I can to clear the spa’s name. If Seth can’t get his belly out of a booth, I doubt if he could ever solve a murder, she thought.

  CHAPTER 10

  As Liz turned onto the lane that led to the lodge she noticed a large SUV turning in right behind her. She looked at the clock on her dashboard and realized it was almost noon. Uh-oh, she thought, I got carried away talking to Gertie and stayed too long at the diner. I’ll bet that SUV belongs to Roger’s friend. Don’t think Roger would be very happy with me if I’d blown the appointment, particularly after he went to so much trouble for me and the guy drove all the way up from San Francisco.

  She pulled up to the lodge and couldn’t help but smile as she looked at the simple rustic building made of wood and glass standing before her. Brightly colored plants and tubs of blooming flowers stood in stark contrast to the green forest and blue Pacific Ocean in the background.

  There’s nowhere else in the world I would want to live, not that I’ve ever been anywhere else in the world. I remember how I used to tell Joe we needed to travel and visit some foreign countries. He always refused, using the excuse that he couldn’t leave his auto dealerships for that long. Now that I probably could go somewhere once in a while, I have absolutely no desire to leave here. Everything I want is here and now with the addition of Roger in my life, I have more of a reason to stay here. Even with Barbara’s death, I still think I’m one of the luckiest people in the world to be living right here in Red Cedar!

  Lost in her momentary reverie, she hadn’t noticed that a man had gotten out of the SUV and was walking over to her van. She opened the door and greeted him. “Hi, I’m Liz Lucas. You must be Roger’s friend.”

  The tall lanky man dressed in jeans and a leather jacket with his white hair tied in a ponytail smiled warmly at her, extended his hand, and said, “I’m Ed James, and I’ve brought you a new little friend. Well, actually he’s not so little. Are you ready to be introduced to him?”

  “This was a huge surprise to me, but yes, I think I’m ready. I’ve never had a boxer before, so you’ll have to give me some guidelines on how to handle him.”

  “His name is Winston. I’ve had him since he was eight weeks old. I don’t know if Roger told you, but I’ve been taking him home with me after work. My three boys love him, and they really wanted to keep him. My wife put her foot down, saying that five dogs were more than enough.”

  “You have five dogs and three boys? Good grief, I don’t blame her. Should Winston and I meet out here or in the lodge?”

  “Right here is fine. After you’re introduced we’ll go in the lodge. He’s completely housebroken and trained.” He walked over to the SUV and opened the rear door. “Winston, come.”

  Liz’s breath caught in her throat as she looked at the beautiful boxer jumping out of the SUV. He had four white stocking feet and a blaze of white on his face, along with a full white collar. She bent down and put out her hand. Winston walked over to her, sat, and licked her hand. He held out his paw to her and they shook. She looked up at Ed. “He is just beautiful. I can’t believe he wanted to shake hands with me.”

  “Along with training my dogs as guard and attack dogs, I like to teach them some tricks. Dogs like Winston look pretty threatening to children, so when a child can make them do tricks, they aren’t so afraid of them. Let’s go in the lodge. You can tell him to follow you.”

  “Winston, follow,” Liz said. Winston stood next to Liz and walked into the lodge with them, ignoring Brandy Boy who was asleep on the porch. “Would you like a cup of coffee, Ed? I can make some in just a few minutes.”

  “No thanks. I have a couple of other deliveries to make today, so I need to get back. I’ve written out a list of commands you can use for Winston. Roger mentioned you own the lodge and the spa. He said you had living quarters of your own below the lodge. Is that where you plan on having Winston sleep?”

  “Yes. I put his bed down there, and I also bought another one. Do you think it would be all right if I put the other dog bed over there in the corner of the great room?”

  “Liz, let’s be honest. Winston is here because he’s primarily a guard dog who will be guarding you. Yes, he knows tricks, but that’s not why Roger wanted you to have him. He wanted to make sure you were protected at all times, however, if Winston isn’t with you, he can’t protect you. I can see from just driving in here that this property is an invitation to someone thinking about committing a crime. Anyone could enter this property.

  “You have a fence, but it’s more of a fence that enhances the looks of the property rather than being a fence built for protection. I’m certain, given the nature of your business, that an electric fence is not an option, nor is a gate at the property entrance that would have to be unlocked. I’m also sure your guests need to feel free to come and go as they please, and it would probably frighten some of them if they had to pass through a locked gate. Quite frankly, living here on your own, I’m rather surprised there aren’t some types of security devices in place for your protection. Things like motion activated exterior floodlights or a video security camera would be something you might want to consider having installed.”

  “When my husband was alive, I never thought about it. I have a handyman who’s here during the day, but at night there are just the guests and me. I suppose a deranged guest could stay here, but I’ve never had any problems. In all honesty, I have thought about getting a dog for protection, but I never got around to it. I’m sure you saw the St. Bernard asleep on the porch. Obviously he’s not much protection. I have to admit I’m glad Roger took care of it.”

  “I don’t know what your relationship is with Roger, but he must care a great deal about you to buy one of the dogs I train. Believe me, they don’t come cheap. My business supports my family, and I have a reputation on the West Coast as being the number one trainer of guard dogs. I met Roger years ago when he needed me to testify as an expert witness in one of his cases. A woman had been attacked by a man’s do
g and she was suing him. I was able to show that she had antagonized the dog and his client walked away from the lawsuit. Roger and I have been friends ever since. He’s a good man. He took the death of his wife pretty hard. In fact, it darned near destroyed him. Work was his salvation, but it looks like he may have found another salvation,” Ed said with a twinkle in his eye and an easy smile on his face.

  “In all honesty, I don’t know any more than you do about what my relationship with Roger is, but I will tell you this, I like him a lot and yes, like you said, he is a good man. Thanks for telling me that.” She bent down and scratched Winston behind his ears. “Well, boy, it’s you and me. Brandy Boy’s here, but that doesn’t mean much. Say goodbye to Ed, and then I’ll give you the grand tour.”

  “Winston, come,” Ed said, kneeling. “You take care of Liz. You’re a good boy, and I’m going to miss you. Stay.” He stood up and turned towards the door, but not before Liz saw that his eyes were a little too shiny. She was pretty certain it was from unshed tears.

  “Ed, thanks for taking the time to deliver Winston to me. I promise he’ll have a good home, and I also promise we’ll pay you a visit in a few months.”

  He walked down the steps to the SUV and gave her a half wave. Seconds later he was gone.

  Liz spent the next hour showing Winston the lodge, her living quarters, the spa, the cottages, and ended where the lane met the highway. She’d glanced at the sheet of instructions Ed had given her. On it he’d written that if there was an area where she didn’t want Winston to go, she should use the words, “No go.” The only thing that had concerned her about Winston’s safety was the highway at the end of the lane. It was fairly busy and she was worried that Winston might go onto it and get hit by a car. When they reached the end of the lane, she turned to him, took his head in her hands and looked directly at him. “Winston, no go. No go.” She put her foot on the highway and repeated the command. He backed up, and she could swear he understood exactly what she was telling him and why she was telling him. They turned and began the short walk back to the lodge, a happy dog and a happy new dog owner.

  *****

  Just before they reached the lodge, she heard the noise of a car engine coming from behind them on the lane, and she stepped to the side and stopped. “Winston, come. Sit.” Winston instantly sat and looked up at her expectantly, waiting for his next command.

  “Hey, Mrs. Lucas. Got a new dog?”

  She turned and looked at the man behind the wheel of the run-down rusted truck. It was Zack, and it was obvious from his appearance that he hadn’t paid any attention to his grooming for a couple of days. She didn’t know what he’d been doing during his short vacation, but it didn’t appear to be anything health-related. His hazel eyes were bloodshot, and he obviously hadn’t shaved for several days as there was far more than a five o’clock shadow on his face. His sandy colored hair looked like it hadn’t been washed for a long time, and his shirt was covered with food spots and what she suspected were beer stains.

  “Hi Zack. How was your vacation? And yes, this is Winston. I just got him.”

  “Scary looking, but he’s a beauty. As for my vacation? Not so good. Don’t know if you knew that my brother was the one who was running against Dave Nelson for mayor. He’s run twice before against Dave, and once again, he lost. Losing wouldn’t be so bad, but what’s tough is that he had to lose to that man. He’s as dirty as they come. Just can’t prove it. Got Bart over at the Red Cedar Trib to write a couple of pieces about Dave, but I just came from his office and he told me he won’t be writing any more articles. Something about getting sued by Dave for character assassination. Said he didn’t have any hard evidence that Dave had ever done anything wrong. Looks like that snake in the grass covered his tracks, that’s for sure.”

  “I’m sorry your brother lost, but I really haven’t been involved in the city elections.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t bother. It’s obvious people don’t think when they vote or worse yet, don’t even want to know the facts. Guy has so much dirt on him he’d need a case of bleach to get himself clean. Cheats on everything from his wife to his taxes. Understand his wife died in one of the cottages here. Too bad it wasn’t him.”

  “Zack, that’s pretty harsh. I don’t think that’s something you want to say publicly! If someone hears you say that, they’re going to want to know where you were when she died, and right now we don’t even know what happened to her.”

  “Seth says she called it quits ‘cuz of the affair that slimy husband of hers was having with Darcy Martinez and as far as where I was, I have no idea. Got to drinking a little too much on my vacation ‘cuz my brother lost the election, and things are a little hazy. I’m feeling much better today and ready to get back to work. Anything special you need me to do?”

  “Can’t think of anything offhand, but you better check with Bertha.”

  “Think I better start planting some flowers I bought before my vacation. I’ve got a bunch of empty pots I can get them going in, because in a few weeks all the ones we have next to the cottages and on the steps of the spa and lodge are going to need to be replaced.”

  “Thanks Zack. That sounds good. I love the flowers. They’re a nice contrast to the forest and the ocean. Tourist season is just around the corner, and we’re always booked solid in the summer. See you later.”

  “Think it’s a good thing you got a little protection for yourself with that dog. Strange things can happen at a place like this,” he said as he started the truck and drove it towards the lodge parking area.

  That’s a weird thing to say. Wonder where he was during the night and in the early morning hours yesterday. Actually, I hope it won’t be necessary to find out. I’m hoping against hope Barbara died from natural causes. It sure would make my life and everyone else’s a lot easier if that was the case.

  CHAPTER 11

  “Okay, Winston. You’ve had the grand tour of your new home. The only thing I haven’t done is give you the tour of the van, but I think that can wait until we actually go somewhere. For now, why don’t you lie down and get comfortable while I check the messages on the answerphone.”

  So it’s come to this. I must be getting old. I’m actually enjoying conversing with a dog.

  Liz decided when she and Joe bought the lodge and spa that Bertha would handle the reservations for the cottages. After taking a reservation for a cottage, Bertha would transfer the guest to the spa receptionist who would set up their spa treatments. Liz hadn’t wanted to get bogged down taking these types of reservations. One of the main reasons she’d wanted to buy the lodge and spa was so she could cook the family style meals that were served to the guests. She’d always loved to cook and entertain and Joe had pridefully maintained that she was one of the reasons his car dealerships had been so successful. When they lived in the San Francisco area they’d entertained clients and friends weekly at her infamous dinner parties, and she’d always enjoyed it. The only difference at the spa was that every night there was a different cast of characters, all with a different story, a story she was a master at getting them to tell. Meeting the people, cooking, and making their stay at the Red Cedar Spa memorable was something she enjoyed every minute of the day.

  With almost all of the spa reservations and calls going through Bertha, she knew when she saw the blinking red light on the answerphone it meant a message had been left, and it was probably a personal one for her. She also knew it wasn’t her daughter, Brittany, or her son, Jonah, since they always called her on her cell phone. While she was of an older generation that still relied on land lines, her children definitely were not. Their cell phones were as much a part of them as their hands and feet.

  She pressed the blinking button to listen to the message while she looked over and smiled at Winston who was fast asleep in his new bed, the stuffed toy she had dubbed Mr. Hedgehog, lying right next to his nose.

  “Mrs. Lucas, this is Wes Anderson, the county coroner. I’m afraid I have some bad news. Barbara Ne
lson did not die of natural causes. It looks like murder, and due to the lack of any signs of a physical struggle or needle punctures indicating that something was injected into her body, my feeling is that she died from something she ate or drank. In other words, she was poisoned. I’m able to do some very basic testing for foreign substances in my lab, and I found no traces of the chemicals found in sleeping pills or the bourbon that was on her nightstand. However, she definitely had some type of a foreign substance in her body, but with my limited testing equipment, I don’t have the ability to determine exactly what the substance was that killed her.

  “Like I said, I feel certain she was poisoned. I’ve sent a sample of her blood to the police lab in San Francisco. They usually get back to me pretty fast, so I’m hoping I’ll know something by tomorrow or the next day. The problem then becomes, while we may know what killed her, we won’t know who killed her or how the poisonous substance was introduced into her body. I don’t want to tell you how to run your business, Mrs. Lucas, but you don’t have to be a psychic to understand that having this happen at the Red Cedar Spa is not going to be good for your business. Word will be out shortly because I have to tell the police chief, and he suffers from a severe case of diarrhea of the mouth. Rather imagine it will be all over town in a few hours. As bumbling as he is, if he can solve it, and that’s a big if, it will probably be later rather than sooner. My advice is to see what you can find out on your own. If you have any questions, feel free to call me.”

  Liz listened to the message for a second time, not fully comprehending what the coroner was saying. Stunned by the disclosure, she sat for a moment, trying to digest the enormity of what he had said.

  So Barbara was murdered. She didn’t die of natural causes, and she didn’t commit suicide. The coroner thinks she was poisoned but doesn’t know by what or by whom. Word will soon be all over town, and the spa will get a huge black eye unless I can find out who did it. I’ve never done anything like this, and I don’t know where to begin. About the only thing I have is my little niggle and Winston, but I have no idea if that will be enough. Uh-oh, I better find out if the coroner told Dave. If not, I better be the one to tell him. I’d hate for him to go into Gertie’s and find out from someone that the police chief had already been there and shot off his big mouth to anyone who would listen. Like Roger said, the spouse is usually the first suspect in a murder case.