Murder at the Grill (Cold Creek Book 3)

by Christa Nardi

  “I don’t understand what difference it makes, but it seems curious that the bar would call her and not Zoe. She certainly didn’t offer an explanation either.”

  “Ever been to the Hole in the Wall?” Marty chuckled a bit before he added, “Maybe Brett and I could go grab a few beers.”

  I raised my eyebrows at that and he laughed, his eyes twinkling. “Hole in the Wall isn’t the type of place to take a lady, Sheridan.”

  Marty said he would try to set up appointments with the rest of the family and would keep me posted. Time was running out and we still didn’t have any answers.

  CHAPTER 15

  I got little accomplished at work and called it a day early in the afternoon. After talking to Brett, I picked up lasagna to go for dinner. Hirsch called as I walked in the door. They had picked up Kent Verde and had him in custody. Hirsch assured me he would call or come by later if he had any information he could share.

  An hour later, Hirsch stopped by the house. Brett had arrived a few minutes before, finishing up early as well. I’d filled him in. Hirsch shared Kent’s story with us and we tried not to interrupt.

  “It turns out that Kent is Jebediah’s son. Jebediah deserted Kent and his mother when Kent was an infant. But he came back, asked Kent’s mother for forgiveness, and hung around for three more years. During that time, he fathered Donovan and Elena. When doctors diagnosed Elena with cerebral palsy, Jebediah pulled another vanishing act. That was about 12-13 years ago.”

  “Three children - that matches the obituary for Kent’s mother I found.”

  Brett looked at me with raised brows and head cocked. I hadn’t shared that piece of information with him yet.

  “The way Kent tells it, taking care of the three children, one with a disability, was hard on his mother and all of them. His mother was diagnosed with cancer, but too late. For the past year all the responsibility fell on him as the oldest. When she died, he found out his mother had tried to contact Jebediah to let him know she was dying.”

  Brett and I exchanged glances and Hirsch continued, “Kent found addresses in Little Valley, Cold Creek, and an old address in Lowell. He drove from Northgate to Little Valley as it was the closest.”

  “He didn’t find out much, but when he asked someone about Jebediah Verde at one of the restaurants, the manager asked him, ‘Do you mean Vertelet?’ Kent said he went along with it, told the man they’d met at a conference. He also told the man that Jebediah’d told him if he ever needed a job to look him up.”

  “The story gets a little complicated here, and so far all we have is Kent’s word. He says the man shook his head and suggested Kent talk to Jebediah’s wife. That didn’t sit well with Kent, but he talked to her. He conceded that she seemed like a nice woman, another victim of Jebediah’s questionable charm. Jebediah had left her many years before. He had returned a few years back, but was not welcomed back by the community or his wife.”

  “So he had three families?”

  Hirsch nodded and continued, “Kent also found out that he had two half siblings. This wife kept looking at him and Kent made a hasty exit before she could ask if he was Jebediah’s son. Kent thought there was a definite resemblance between him and his father.”

  “Then why wouldn’t anyone here see the resemblance?”

  Hirsch put up his hand and Brett nodded.

  “If you think about it Sheriden, a lot of people reacted to Kent, or commented ‘something about him’ or ‘reminds me of someone’ or ‘something doesn’t fit’ when you showed them that picture. It’s been a long time, and Kent is even younger than Jebediah was back then.”

  I nodded and looked to Hirsch to finish his story.

  “Kent left Little Valley for Cold Creek. In Cold Creek, he checked out the few restaurants and the Grill seemed like the right place. Kent said Jebediah worked for a restaurant in Northgate and Little Valley. There was no sign of Jebediah, but the story about why no seafood convinced Kent Jebediah might show up. That was a couple months ago. He got the job at the Grill, rented a room at Mrs. Peabody’s, and waited.”

  “The way Kent tells it, while he worked at the Grill he figured out how Jebediah fit in the Gruen-Baxter family. He doesn’t have anything against Zoe and likes Rebekah, proud to be her half-brother. He realized it wasn’t their fault any more than the woman and two half-siblings in Little Valley.”

  “What an awful man – Jebediah I mean.” I exhaled as I thought about this young man’s journey and his discoveries. Any fantasies he’d had about his father shattered.

  “Kent confirmed that he was the one Jebediah argued with outside Mrs. Peabody’s. He says he never thought out what he would do or say if and when he found Jebediah. He just had this drive to find him, to tell him about his mother’s death. In the end he tried talking to him, hoping to appeal to his sense of family. Jebediah told him his responsibility ended after contributing his seed and Kent could wait in line for anything else. Kent admits he saw red and threw a punch but Jebediah was too quick and too ornery. He deflected Kent’s punch and knocked him on his butt.”

  By now, Brett and I were both on the edge of our seats, waiting for the last pieces to fall into place.

  “Kent worked the day of the murder. He bussed tables and heard Jebediah tell Rebekah the same thing when she confronted him. He heard all the rude remarks Jebediah made to Zoe. Jebediah also made comments to Kent about Kent’s mother and his sister. Kent admitted he was angry enough to kill Jebediah. Nonetheless, he inherited the seafood allergy and wouldn’t – couldn’t – have contaminated the chicken salad with the shrimp.”

  I groaned at that and sat back. “What about grabbing me? Was it him in the park? What about the paint on the house?”

  “I asked him about grabbing you. Once again, he said he hadn’t thought about what he would do after he grabbed you. He just needed to keep you from asking more questions, from finding out about Jebediah’s other children. Kent was sure Rebekah didn’t know. He said some secrets were best left that way.”

  “Sher, what was that about the park?” Brett’s eyes were wide and his jaw set again. He looked to Hirsch. “Were you aware of anything that happened at the park?” Hirsch shook his head.

  “It was nothing. I saw someone through the woods. It looked like he or she was watching me. Whoever it was didn’t do anything. It spooked me.”

  Brett put his head in his hands. Hirsch turned and talked into his collar for a few minutes. He nodded and turned back toward us. Although he admitted to being in the park that day, Kent adamantly denied the painting on the house or the warning note.

  Anticlimactic, the explanation was a letdown. Hirsch thought there was something else, but that was all Kent would say about Jebediah. Brett agreed.

  We had listened to Hirsch and based on my impression from the news clippings, I tended to believe Kent. Brett asked the obvious question, “Did you verify the seafood allergy?”

  “I’m hoping to do that now. Mr. Verde said Doc treated him earlier this summer. I wanted to let you know about Kent. I’m going to Doc’s now and hope he’s available. He should be about to close up for the day.”

  I looked at Brett as he asked, “Mind if we come along? He may know more than he realizes.”

  Hirsch nodded.

  In Doc’s office, we hung back when Hirsch explained to Doc’s nurse we needed to talk to him. She was old enough to have worked for Doc for all the years he’d had the practice. I recognized her from my few visits to Doc. She also was protective of him and tsk-tsked about wasting Doc’s time.

  We sat in the waiting room, the only ones in the waiting room. That should have meant a short wait. It was also late in the day. The sign in the office indicated the office would close in about an hour. We kept looking at each other. Hirsch went to the desk but Doc’s nurse ignored him. Still, it was some thirty minutes later when the nurse came out and told us to follow her.

  Dr. Wellburn was behind his desk, reading a file as we entered his office. He seemed startle
d by the three of us, his eyes wide, jaw dropped. He looked older than I remembered, his jowls more pronounced and sagging. Brett and I paused just inside the door trying to be inconspicuous.

  “Hi Doc. I – we – have a few questions for you. Here’s a signed release from one Kent Verde. He says you treated him for an allergic reaction in June sometime?” Hirsch handed a piece of paper to Doc and waited.

  Dr. Wellburn studied the paper and looked up at Hirsch. He rubbed his chin. “Chief Hirsch. I believe I remember this young man. Let me check to be sure.”

  He picked up the phone, hit a button and bellowed, “Gertrude, please bring the file on one Kent Verde.”

  He turned to us and shook his head. “If this is the same young man, it was the strangest thing. He came in complaining of itchy, watery eyes, with a cough and some mild wheezing. It wasn’t a cold and looked to be an allergic reaction of some kind. The only thing he remembered eating, or even coming in contact with, was some dip at a party.”

  Doc shook his head. “It was a crab dip. The boy’d never had any shellfish before but I verified with allergy testing he was allergic alright. Warned him it could get worse and he should be real careful, consider getting an EpiPen just in case.” He nodded and smiled.

  Gertrude came into the office and handed him a file. She looked at us and scowled as she left. Doc looked at the file and nodded.

  “Yup. This is the same young man. You know, seafood allergies aren’t all that uncommon, about one in a hundred adults. But still, I’ve only seen a few cases. First, of course, there was that Jebediah Gruen. He had the most severe I’d ever seen. Don’t know why he didn’t have an EpiPen with him that night at the Grill. I prescribed one when he lived here back then.”

  He rambled for a few minutes before Brett cleared his throat. Hirsch interrupted and asked, “Dr. Wellburn, is there a point you’re trying to make here? Something about Kent Verde?”

  “Oh, oh. Yes, of course. Well, when I saw those results, I thought of Jebediah and wondered if Kent was related to him. I didn’t say anything to him though. The last time I raised that question I thought Dawn Baxter was going to blow the roof off.” He nodded emphatically, not realizing we had no clue what he was talking about.

  Hirsch started to speak and stopped. Dr. Wellburn looked at him and waited. Hirsch asked, “That other time, was Dawn the one with the seafood allergy?”

  “No, no, of course not. It was her daughter Cathryn. I made a major blooper though when I mixed up who Dawn was married to and suggested it was inherited. Ended up, she thought I was accusing her of being unfaithful, of having an affair with Jebediah, her brother-in-law. I told the young man about the coincidence, though Cathryn was affected much younger.”

  He shook his head, paused, and added, “Dawn Baxter was so upset I guess she took Cathryn to some other doctor after that. I sure haven’t seen her since.”

  He shrugged and asked, nonchalant as could be, “Anything else? I’m sure I have a room full of patients waiting.”

  Brett and I waited while Hirsch instructed him about what he needed for documentation of the seafood allergy for Kent. Doc put the phone on speaker so Gertrude could hear. As we were leaving, he told her to send in the next patient. Walking through the empty reception area, we heard her tell him it was time for dinner. As we left she scowled again in our direction.

  We all sat together in Hirsch’s car to debrief. It was hard to decide who to focus on – Kent, Cathryn, Dawn, or Doc himself. We went with the obvious. Kent was telling the truth about the allergy and likely came to the same conclusion as Doc regarding Cathryn’s paternal line. That would explain her not working in the restaurant with Zoe bringing shrimp for lunch all the time. She could be allergic to nuts as well. It might also explain why Jebediah left.

  Chloe’d nailed it as far as the relationship between Jebediah and Dawn. That raised interesting possibilities. Was she the woman scorned? Was his leaving and not taking her the cause of her anger and resentment? Could she still be in love with him after all these years? We all agreed she knew Kent was Jebediah’s son and that was why she didn’t want to admit recognizing him.

  As for Doc, after our interaction and his rambling, not to mention violating privacy rights, I needed to find a new doctor. Later, Brett mentioned another critical issue. If and when there was a trial, Doc could be a significant weak link in the prosecution, easily torn to shreds on the witness stand.

  “Now Sheridan, what happens next is up to you. We have Kent in custody. He admits to attempting to kidnap you. Are you pressing charges?”

  I hesitated and looked from Hirsch to Brett and back to Hirsch not sure what I wanted to do.

  “We can hold him for 24 hours, but I’ll need an answer by the morning.” That ended our conversation with Hirsch.

  By the time we got home, we were starving. The lasagna took no time to heat up. A salad, garlic bread, and a bottle of Merlot rounded out the meal. As Brett and I talked about the murder and Kent, we tossed around ideas and conclusions. I called Marty and shared the information on Kent. I also alerted him to Jebediah’s aliases. Perhaps the other names would yield some information. Marty said he’d follow up with Hirsch.

  I pulled out my drawing with Baxter-Gruen family line. On the Gruen side, lines just seemed to criss-cross everywhere. Some of the secrets were no longer secrets though. Basic math put Jebediah’s sudden disappearance at about the same time as Cathryn’s conception. Cathryn’s diagnosis of a seafood allergy coincided with her no longer ever being in the restaurant.

  It wasn’t clear who knew or suspected Jebediah was her father. To ask Zoe to not bring shrimp to the restaurant would have been awkward to say the least. Assuming Cathryn was Jebediah’s daughter might explain his comments about Dawn that Kim and Marty overheard. Unfortunately, these secrets gave Zoe a stronger motive than before.

  From Kent’s story, Jebediah had a love-them-and-leave-them history from Richmond to Cold Creek. Some of those years he had been with Kent’s family, but where else he’d been and who killed him were still mysteries. More questions needed answers.

  Before we turned in, Brett reminded me that I needed to make a decision about Kent. I felt bad for what he had gone through already dealing with Jebediah, his mother’s death, and taking care of his siblings. His motives – trying to protect Rebekah – were noble. It was his method that was problematic. Brett smiled and reminded me to call Hirsch and let him know I wouldn’t be pressing charges.

  CHAPTER 16

  I tried to let the murder go so I could concentrate on this last candidate and his interview. Colbert’s portfolio was impressive and I hoped he was as good in person. I could tell from looking at the strained and tight faces of the other faculty and Misty that we all felt the same way. Like good actors, our facial expressions became more positive as Ryder Colbert walked in. Smiles didn’t always reach our eyes though.

  Tall, easily over the six foot mark, and built like a football player, he carried himself with confidence. As he explained his interest in the Chancellor position, he spun a good story. He made eye contact and spoke with assurance and strength.

  I found myself drawn to him, and a quick glance at the others indicated that he had no problem winning over the crowd. Even Cramer seemed to relax and cracked a smile. A little disconcerting though was Colbert’s apparent awareness of the effect he had on people. I suspected he used it to his advantage on a regular basis.

  As the interview came to a close, Cramer asked him if he had any questions. Colbert cleared his throat and ventured, “I understand there was a murder recently. Has that been resolved? I live in Richmond, so murder isn’t all that unusual, but I recognized the name of the victim when I saw it in the paper.”

  I about jumped out of my seat as much from his comment as the glare Cramer shot at me. What connection could Jebediah have to this man?

  “Mr. Colbert, I’ll let Dr. Hendley answer your question. She’s been working with the police on this.” His glaring eyes and set jaw teleg
raphed his desire for me to say everything was all wrapped up, no worries.

  I regained my composure and tried to sound upbeat. “The investigation is ongoing but there have been some breaks in the case. I can give you Chief Hirsch’s number and he can bring you up to date.”

  I snapped open my phone and wrote down the name and number for Hirsch. Hirsch would want to know whatever Colbert knew about Jebediah. I wanted to know myself.

  “Thank you Dr. Hendley.” He looked puzzled and asked, “So how is it that you are involved exactly?” He looked between Cramer and me. Cramer tried to mask his anger at this turn of the conversation. His smile and swagger were a bit too delayed to be very successful. I noticed the other committee members’ expressions ranged from amusement to horror.

  “Two other faculty and I constitute the campus crisis response team, Mr. Colbert. We developed a crisis plan to ensure the safety and support of students and faculty in the event of a crisis. Any crisis, from a major storm or other natural disaster to an incident on campus. That causes me to have a relationship with the Cold Creek Police Department, as well as other community resources. My involvement is limited to helping with the investigation in any way I can. I don’t work for the police department itself.”

  I noticed Cramer nodding and looking more than pleased with the spin I’d put on my involvement. Colbert also nodded and looked thoughtful.

  “So just what types of activities have come out of the crisis intervention planning process and crisis response?”

  “Generally, more open communication across the community and college, as well as with faculty, students and their families. Last spring we also introduced self-defense training as an offering for faculty and students. It was well attended. The plan is to offer the training each semester so that students and faculty can feel more empowered.” I ignored the sexual harassment training for students and faculty. I didn’t want to have to explain what triggered that.