Murder at the Grill (Cold Creek Book 3)

by Christa Nardi

  “Now, Dr. Hendley, I’ve been here in Cold Creek for many years. Chief of Police for 18 years before someone decided I was too old to do my job. But never mind that. Point is, I was Chief when Jebediah Gruen first waltzed into Cold Creek and when he up and vanished in the middle of the night.” He nodded and looked very pleased with himself.

  “Do you know the story behind his leaving?”

  “Well, to the best of my recollection, no one said a word. He was just gone. I suspect only the Baxters know when he left for sure. I had a habit of eating at the Grill in those days and going in the back to talk to Jason and Jeb. When I didn’t see Jeb back there for a couple of days, I asked after him. Jason said something to the effect he was gone and good riddance. He wouldn’t say anything else about it. Not then, and not now.”

  His sly half-smile hinted he might know more.

  “Did you have any concerns?” I asked, my irritation rising.

  “Jebediah? Jeb wasn’t a gentleman if you get my drift. I’d dealt with him a few times after he’d been out drinking. I did my due diligence and checked at the school about Rebekah and if there were any concerns. Doc Wellburn didn’t have any suspicions about Zoe or Rebekah. No unexplained injuries. Nothing I could act on officially.”

  He nodded and continued, “I talked to the bartenders and the waitresses over at the Hole in the Wall, the bar he frequented. No one seemed to know if he’d planned a trip or even where he was from.”

  “What about Zoe or Dawn? Did they say anything?”

  “Pretty much the same as Jason. He was gone and not missed. Dawn might have added a few comments about Zoe, but there’s always been tension between those two.”

  “Was Jebediah from Cold Creek?”

  “No ma’am. He was from some place over by Richmond, small town name of Lowell. Same place Dawn’s from.” He let that sit for a minute waiting for my reaction.

  “How is that Dawn married Trevor and Zoe married Jebediah?”

  “Well now, Jebediah met Jason at some meeting. Jason talked to him about taking over the bookkeeping at the restaurant. Some time after that, Jebediah moved here. It was a fairy tale love story – him and Zoe – and they were married pretty quick.”

  The sarcasm was evident in his tone and the set of his mouth. I waited for him to count the months before Rebekah was born, but he let that go.

  “Dawn was invited to the wedding by Jebediah. She snagged Trevor before he knew what hit him. But I always thought she and Jeb had been an item before. I think that’s where the tension between Zoe and Dawn comes from.” He nodded and grinned. He enjoyed this way too much.

  I was getting antsy and hungry. While his tidbits were interesting, mostly it was gossip. Brett cleared his throat. He was obviously ready for Pfeiffe to leave.

  “Anyway, I was real surprised Zoe hung around after Jeb left given how she felt about Dawn, but as a single mother she may not have thought she had a choice. No matter how you look at it, his leaving like he did was odd for sure. I’ll let you folks get on with your day.”

  He’d stood as he spoke and tipped his hat as he let himself out. I put my head down on the table, worn out and tired. Charlie put her head in my lap, offering her support. Brett massaged my shoulders and neck, then whipped up breakfast and more coffee. Gotta love a man who cooks.

  As we ate, we came up with a list of things to do, starting with notifying my insurance agent about the car and the door. I didn’t want a red door for my house, so some primer, and a couple coats of paint were in order. And a rental car. Brett suggested an alarm system and we agreed to collect some information. I wasn’t ready to accept the need for an alarm system.

  Brett drove to the Best Deal rental car lot per the insurance agent’s direction. I filled out the paperwork and the salesman handed me the paperwork. Then he marched us out to a new silver Ford Focus.

  “Now you will just love this beauty, ma’am. Top of the line with all the bells and whistles. This car will even park itself for you!”

  My horror must have shown in my face. Brett laughed and the agent asked, “Are you okay ma’am? What’s wrong?”

  “I’m not sure I want a car that parks itself or all the bells and whistles. I’m more the ‘I’d rather do it myself’ type,” I tried to explain. “Too complicated.”

  His wide eyes conveyed his disbelief as he glanced from my panic stricken expression to Brett trying to stifle his laughter.

  “Well, ma’am, you don’t have to use them you know. Here’s the fob.” He handed me the fob and opened the door. As he signaled for me to get in he added, “You just keep that with you – in your pocket or purse – and push the start button there.”

  I looked from him to Brett, and pressed the button. Sure enough, the engine turned over. Obviously cars had gotten fancier since I bought the Accord four years ago. He gave me some more directions and pointed out where the manual was. The most positive perk for me was the Bluetooth capability. Once he finished his instructions, I was homeward bound. Brett followed behind me.

  We’d made a dent in the to-do list and the first coat of paint was on the door when Kim called. She’d heard about the vandalism and wanted the details. I gave her the condensed version. The way she repeated everything, I guessed Marty was with her.

  I also told her about Pfeiffe’s involvement and his desire to give his opinions. I made it a point to speak louder when I mentioned to Kim about the need for a self-defense refresher, hoping Brett would take the hint and get it scheduled.

  He did one better. When I got off the phone, he’d moved the furniture in the front room to make a wide open space. We practiced some of the moves he and Hirsch had taught us and he threw in a few others. All the physical activity, and one thing led to another.

  CHAPTER 12

  The weekend went by quickly and the guests for Brett’s party sent in their responses. None of the friends and co-workers he’d invited could make it. They were all scheduled to work. Other than his brothers and Madison, Kim, Marty, Ali, and Hirsch confirmed. My colleague, Mitch, usually the third musketeer, replied with “maybe.” He wasn’t sure when he and his wife would be back.

  Brett’s parents still hadn’t responded. I kept the conversation with my mother short and pleasant. My sister Kaylie didn’t call for the second week in a row, which was surprising. It made me wary. I made a mental note to call her during the week.

  I made an appointment to talk with Rebekah again and started Monday morning back at the Grill. At this rate, with all the breakfasts I was eating, I’d gain weight for sure if I didn’t get in more walking and running with Charlie. With that in mind, I settled for coffee and a muffin instead of a big breakfast.

  After the usual pleasantries, I asked Rebekah again who worked at the restaurant. I wanted to make sure I hadn’t missed anyone. She went through the family members and what each did. Nothing new there. She shrugged and noted that there were also a few employees who weren’t family.

  “Most of the time, the wait staff and management are family. Busboys and kitchen staff aren’t always family. Like now, there are two students on scholarship at Cold Creek College who work here part-time. They’ve been working here about a year now. We hired a third student last week to help with my mom out.”

  “Anyone else? Anyone new before this happened?”

  “Kent. He’s been working here about two months. Works mostly as a busboy or dishwasher so far. He’s cute and very nice. A little older than the students, but he’s not a student. He’s thinking about applying to Cold Creek but not sure yet.”

  I could tell from the way her facial expression softened and her eyes lit up that she liked him. When I asked her if she and Kent were dating, she looked down and shook her head. She said he kept to himself mostly, though he was friendly enough when they were in a group.

  To change the subject I asked her who would know that Jebediah was allergic to seafood. Her answer wasn’t particularly helpful. Anybody and everybody. She explained that “Why no seafood?”
was a frequent question in one form or another. The set response was that the story of Jebediah, the accountant with the allergy, but no mention of his relationship to the rest of the family. Ultimately, someone had to have heard the story and put it together with the obnoxious man in the Grill that day.

  On the off chance, I pulled out my phone and showed Rebekah the picture of the man who had grabbed me.

  She gasped, “Can’t be. That’s Kent. Why would he attack you?”

  I shrugged, thinking to myself that it was time to meet and have a chat with Kent. In the meantime, I had no answer for Rebekah.

  “Do you know when he’s supposed to work next?”

  She shook her head, then went in the kitchen to check the schedule. When she came back, she handed me a piece of paper with Kent’s full name and the days and times when he was scheduled to work. I thanked her and drove to campus. I called and left messages at both Marty’s office and at the police department for Hirsch.

  I walked into the building and chaos greeted me. Priscilla was screeching and wailing. Other students and faculty members laughed or darted their eyes along the ground or ran out past me. Some did all three.

  I turned to one of the students, Wesley. He looked like he’d seen a ghost. “What happened?”

  “Dr. Bentler… He’s furious.” He shook his head and escaped out the door behind me.

  Other students of Max scurried out from the back of the building where his lab was located. Priscilla screamed again and ran toward the door. I jumped sideways as she barreled toward me, her eyes behind her and on the floor.

  I walked in the direction of Max’s lab. The closer I got the fewer people I saw. Movement caught my eye and I realized the problem as first one and then another mouse scampered by. I shuddered but stayed in the middle of the hall and kept walking. The door to the lab was open and I heard Max before I got too close.

  “How did this happen? It’s your fault. Do you realize you ruined my experiment? How am I going to explain this?”

  In the room I saw the custodian, Patrice, in tears and shaking her head. Max continued to berate her. I noticed one of the cages open and other equipment. The cages with the rats were secure. Never visiting the lab before, other than the open door, I wasn’t sure what was amiss.

  “Max, calm down. What happened?”

  He jumped around, waved his arms, and pointed to Patrice. “She ruined it. I don’t know why she would do this to me.”

  I looked to Patrice. “No, I didn’t do anything. I called Dr. Bentler and told him the door was open and I see a mouse. I don’t have the key to this room. Always locked.”

  Max shook his head, waved his arms, and sat down, his head in his hands. I motioned Patrice to leave and followed behind her. Although I’m not fond of mice myself, I smiled every time I heard someone squeal.

  In my office, a quick Google search showed Kent Verde listed as surviving the death of his mother in an obituary notice from April. His mother was 43 when she died. The obituary didn’t include the cause of death. If the order of names was any indication, Kent was the oldest of three. No husband was listed as either predeceasing her or surviving her. I sighed and wiped my eyes, not realizing Kim was at my door.

  “What is it Sher? You look upset.”

  I explained, “Just reading an obituary. It might be connected somehow to the murder. I’m not sure. Either way, it’s sad when someone our age dies.” I shrugged and took a deep breath. “So what’s up with you?”

  “Did you hear about the mice loose on the first floor? They had to close Georg’s café. Max is beside himself.”

  “I walked in with everyone running out. Priscilla screeched and screamed and almost plowed me down.”

  We laughed about the mice loose on the first floor. Both of us wondered what Max would have to do.

  “How is your class going?”

  “Just the usual. As summer session is coming to a close, the grading is piling up as are the excuses.” She rolled her eyes as she dropped into the chair.

  “It never changes you know. Come the end of the semester, we wonder what we were thinking when we assigned this stuff.” I laughed and she finally smiled.

  “For sure. But students seem to think they are the ones doing all the work. If that many dogs ate homework, thumb drives, and computer cords, the dog food companies would go out of business and we’d need more vets.”

  We laughed and shared some of the stories we’d heard over the years. Parents and teachers could easily write collections of the antics of children and students, even into college years. After she vented, Kim went back to her office and I resumed searching the Internet.

  I found a couple of earlier articles that showed Kent and a sister at Special Olympics events. His sister used a walker and the article reported she had cerebral palsy. He was described as the coach for one of the relay teams. I guessed it was his sister’s team.

  I could see the resemblance to the man who had grabbed me, but this was a younger man. More than that, he looked to be a caring, loving brother to his sister. So why grab me?

  I looked up Northgate, the name of the town indicated in both the obituary and the Special Olympics stories. Small town, outside the greater Richmond area, but it was in that general direction. Curious, I looked up Lowell. As Pfeiffe had mentioned, it was outside of Richmond as well, but well east of Northgate. I did a cursory search for “Gruen” in the Northgate paper and found nothing. No obvious connection.

  I glanced at my watch and realized I’d have to hustle to make it to the search committee meeting Cramer called for that afternoon. I grabbed a coffee at Georg’s Café and walked toward the Administration building. When I saw Max yelling at a student, I ducked behind a tree and circled around to avoid another interaction. I suspected he’d found a new person to blame for the mice.

  Once we were all seated for the meeting, Cramer commented on the negative effects the murder was having on the interviewees. He glared at me when he said, “The sooner this can be swept under the rug, the better.”

  For lack of any response, I stared right back. Not my fault and not my job, even if I did seem to find myself involved.

  The rest of the meeting focused on rehashing the candidates we had already seen and our last candidate. Cramer made veiled negative comments to all of us, clearly not happy with how things were going. Also, it was obvious he was not willing to assume any responsibility or blame. Tension was thick and I for one would be glad when this search was over.

  As I drove home, Chief Hirsch called. He said he’d gotten my message, without saying much else. I decided that if he wasn’t sharing, neither was I. Marty hadn’t called me so I called him again. Hirsch hadn’t contacted him, but Marty said he would see what he could find out.

  Charlie and I took a quick run in the park, sure to stay where there were lots of people, young and old. Charlie pulled toward the trail in the woods, but I was a little skittish. I sat on a bench and relaxed a bit, Charlie at my feet.

  I looked around at the people in the park. There were moms with little ones, likely on play dates so the mothers could talk to another adult. There was a group of young teens with the girls and boys hesitant to interact, but wanting to nonetheless. They reminded me of Madison and her comments about boys, her hesitation.

  I was envisioning Brett’s response to her dating, when Charlie sat up and emitted a low growl, and I got a sudden chill up my spine. As Charlie’s growl got louder and erupted into barking, he pulled on the leash. I spotted a gray blur through the trees. I kept a grip on Charlie and tried to calm her despite my racing heart.

  At the same time, a little girl dragged her mother in our direction, pointing at Charlie. I continued to calm Charlie and plastered a smile on my face as they reached us. The mother asked if it was okay for the little girl to pet Charlie. I nodded and Charlie nosed in the girl’s direction to lick her hand. She giggled and played some with Charlie.

  That broke the tension, but I wanted to get home just the same. We
said our goodbyes after a few minutes. My eyes scanned all around, and with phone in hand, I got Charlie into the car and drove home. I probably should have mentioned the scare at the park to Hirsch or Marty, but it seemed silly.

  At home, there were messages on the machine from the insurance company, the impound lot, and T&Js. My car had been released to the shop and the shop had been in contact with the insurance company. With any luck I’d only be keeping the rental for about a week. That was good. I still wasn’t too comfortable with all the displays and perks of the new car.

  The door was repainted and other than all the security brochures and the rental car, the vandalism was a thing of the past. With Brett’s case in North Shore, he planned on staying in Cold Creek a few nights during the week. As much as I hated to admit it, that not only made me feel warm inside, but safer.

  CHAPTER 13

  Marty agreed to set up another meeting with Zoe. This time when we met with Zoe, I had a list of questions ready. Among other things, I wanted to get her take on Kent Verde. We needed to find this man and find out what he was and wasn’t involved in as soon as possible.

  When the officer brought her into the interrogation room, Zoe looked even more defeated than the last time. The bags under her eyes looked darker, her eyes puffier. There was no luster in her eyes and her shoulders slumped.

  Marty began by advising her the trial date had been set and what all that would mean. He suggested she have someone bring her some clothes to wear to court, something conservative. She nodded. He looked to me and I decided to take a tactful approach.

  “Zoe, how are you holding up? Anything you need?”

  She half-smiled as she answered, “Well as can be expected. Nothing short of getting out of here will help.”