Murder at the Grill (Cold Creek Book 3)

by Christa Nardi

  “The copperhead!”

  “No way to prove it, but he had access and visits there frequently now that he’s retired. He even helps with some of the activities for kids, including handling the snakes – the nonpoisonous ones at least. Probably had access and the means to capture a copperhead. I got a sample of the sacks they use to transport snakes when they do exhibitions at schools. I bet it matches the one from your car.”

  “Any way to tie him into the red paint?”

  Brett shrugged. “They’ll finger print him and may get a match to the one on the spray can. Or he could confess. He’s our best bet.”

  Marty shook his head. “He talked about his family and his duty to them, a medieval perspective on protecting them.”

  I nodded. “He was the beneficent despot, a tyrant from what others said.”

  We were home and I was feeling much better after taking some ibuprofen. Hirsch came by to update us on the status. He shared that Baxter had lawyered up. He got himself a high priced lawyer named Winthrop Chandler.

  My good mood deflated at that news. Hirsch explained that Chandler met with Baxter and then asked to meet with Bergner. It wasn’t official but it looked like a plea bargain was in the making. Brett and Hirsch both predicted voluntary manslaughter or second degree murder.

  A bit indignant, I asked about my house, my car, the snake and his grabbing me. Hirsch shook his head. Baxter was behind all those things for sure. Hirsch figured any other charges would disappear with the plea bargain process. Brett nodded his agreement with that conclusion. My phone rang. I considered throwing it when the display showed “Private.” Brett took it out of my hand and answered it.

  “Priscilla, this is Detective McMann. You don’t need to say anything, just listen. This constitutes harassment. Chief Hirsch will determine if charges should be brought.”

  He looked at me as he disconnected. The back trace revealed her phone number. Still holding my phone, he went into settings and blocked any calls from her number. We discussed the possibilities including a report to my department head. Hirsch offered to have words with her as a follow up. I thanked him but was too tired to care. My phone rang again. This time it was Mitch. He called to tell me he had shown up at the airport to check in only to discover his flight was yesterday. Needless to say, they would not be making the party.

  CHAPTER 25

  A beautiful day for a party, the sun was shining. A cool front and breeze kept the temperature to the mid-eighties. Madison slept in and somehow Charlie ended up in her room. Brett had been up for a while already and the smell of coffee was welcome. He was sitting outside and I joined him.

  “Good morning sunshine.”

  “Morning and happy birthday.” I reached over and kissed him. I glanced up when I heard a scratch on the door. If Charlie was up, that meant Madison was not far behind. Sure enough, a few minutes later a sleepy Madison joined us.

  Brett and I put breakfast together and it was on the table when his brothers arrived. They were staying at Mrs. Peabody’s. I’d never been inside, but they both seemed pleased with the accommodations. Brett’s idea for most of the day was for Patrick and Terry to spend time with Madison. Brett’s parents weren’t able to travel so we had a Skype call scheduled with them late in the afternoon.

  During breakfast, Patrick asked a lot of questions. He was obviously the more outgoing of Brett’s brothers. He’d talked with other people staying at Mrs. Peabody’s and knew about the excitement. In contrast, Terry, spoke when spoken to. Otherwise, he squinted through his glasses to read the local paper and the Richmond Times. He didn’t react to the discussion of the murder.

  As we finished eating, Terry asked, “So what’s the agenda today Brett?”

  Madison and I both looked at him and then at each other. Patrick smiled and tried not to laugh. Brett looked away and turned back to his brother.

  “Not exactly an agenda, Terry. Will a general plan do?”

  “I suppose, but let’s not waste time.”

  “We’ve eaten breakfast. If you haven’t showered that is your next step – after we clean up the kitchen, of course. Pat and I already showered so we’ll just relax and wait.”

  We all murmured our agreement, although I wasn’t too sure what was coming after the showers. I’d already showered as well. I sent Madison to shower and get dressed. With Brett and Patrick’s help, we cleaned up the kitchen. Somehow Brett wore more of the scrapings from the dishes than made it into the disposal, including bacon grease. Patrick and I had a good laugh looking at him. He may have showered, but he was going to need to change his clothes.

  Brett came up with a schedule of sorts to keep Terry comfortable. We went to campus and walked through the Arboretum. Terry surprised us all and named every flower we passed. Patrick, Brett, and Madison played Frisbee in the quad while Terry and I watched. Madison got bored with that quickly and we walked around and went into town. We ate lunch at the Grill. Zoe waited on us and refused to let us pay. Rebekah came by to thank me. Dirk waved to me as he cleared tables. I was glad he had applied for the open position.

  There were other changes at the Grill. Dawn had left for North Carolina to join Cathryn. She wasn’t coming back. Old man Baxter signed over all his shares to Louisa, Trevor, and Zoe. As predicted, he’d pled guilty and would be serving his sentence in one of the more luxurious prisons, usually restricted to white collar crime. Marty was a good lawyer, but Baxter’s lawyer worked miracles.

  Young Jason would get his wish to go to culinary school, freed from the shackles of the family business. Louisa agreed to pay the tuition. He was holding off until they could find someone to replace Dawn and him in the kitchen. Kay and Rebekah were still waitressing along with student help. Rebekah was the most affected. Kent had left without a word and now she knew he was her half-brother. She planned to contact him. She agreed to get counseling not only to help deal with all that had happened, but to figure out what she wanted to do with her life.

  After lunch, Madison and I went shopping. She wanted to pick something out for Brett for his birthday. We walked into a couple of shops and finally went into the Tall Men store. She found a nice olive polo shirt that would go well with Brett’s hazel eyes. We made the purchase and had them wrap it.

  Back at the house, the men put on a baseball game. Madison and I took Charlie for a walk. Before long it was time for the Skype call. Brett hooked up my laptop to the television and placed the call. Even though it was at a distance, I was nervous about meeting his parents.

  Mrs. McMann came on the screen first. She didn’t look her age, fit and trim in pants and a top. Mr. McMann joined her. Brett shared his dark hair, height and build, but the hazel eyes and dimples were all his mother. Brett started to say something, I think to introduce me. He didn’t stand a chance. Madison started talking first.

  “Grammy, Grampy! This is great! We’re all here for Daddy’s birthday. Have you met Sheridan? This is her house. She’s Daddy’s girlfriend and helped me get his present.”

  With that she reached around and handed him his gift. He looked around and finally Patrick said, “Open it already, bro.”

  He smiled at the shirt and gave Madison a hug. At her insistence, he put it on. His mother told Madison what good taste she had and Madison beamed. She also said it was nice to meet me. Mr. McMann smiled and echoed her. On auto-pilot, I replied in kind.

  Madison clamored for their attention and insisted that Brett open the rest of his presents. Terry had gotten Brett a book on investment planning that Madison declared boring while Mr. McMann declared it useful. Patrick gave him a gift certificate for the Steak House in Altavista, the same place as the party.

  Madison brought over the gift bag and laughed when she saw the birthday card. It was a labradoodle with rollers in her hair and “signed” by Charlie. The bag included a box of Brett’s favorite chocolates, his preferred roast of coffee, and a package of Charlie’s favorite snacks.

  The last box was my gift to Brett. Brett liked to run
and with Madison’s involvement in track I’d decided to get him a step and exercise tracker. Of course I got the top of the line with a heart tracker. That was what was in the box along with a photo of the bicycle stashed at Kim’s. Patrick teased him that I must think he needed to get fit. Madison wanted to go get the bicycle. Terry? He opened the box to the tracker, asked Brett for his laptop, and went to work setting it up.

  The presents were opened, it was almost time to leave. Brett graciously commented, “Mom, Dad, I wish you were able to join us in person, but it has been great talking with you and sharing at least part of my birthday with you.”

  “Well, now, Brett. We haven’t told you our present yet.” His father paused as his mother laughed. “We’re here in Altavista. Decided we couldn’t miss your fiftieth. We’re staying at this quaint hotel here and we’ll be waiting for you at the restaurant. What do you think of that?”

  I know there was a lot of excitement and conversation after that only I was too busy having my own panic attack to follow it all. Oh, my. Ready or not, it was meet his parents time.

  CHAPTER 26

  We arrived at the Steak House a few minutes early, my stomach clenched as I smiled and readied myself to meet Brett’s parents. I checked in with the hostess and she showed our group to the semi-private area. As we approached, the older couple sitting there stood up to meet us. My stomach rolled.

  Madison ran to them, the rest of us following, Brett in the lead. After the initial hugs and greetings, Brett introduced me again. I smiled and said the appropriate things. At least I hope I did. I asked if they wanted anything and signaled a waitress to come over and start drink orders.

  Brett’s parents told us of their decision – not so sudden actually – to surprise Brett. They explained they didn’t want to put a damper on any festivities or activities. They wanted to be here for the dinner, but not disrupt the festivities when they became tired.

  Looking around, I spotted Kim and Marty. I waved them over and made introductions. Kim smiled and rubbed my arm. Ali and Hirsch arrived and joined us. Patrick commandeered Hirsch to get more information on the murder. Brett’s father got wind of the conversation and I could tell he was listening to their conversation.

  As we sat down at the table, I watched Madison. She monopolized her grandparents, especially Grammy. She told them about her day and the antics with her uncles. It was easy to smile and laugh with her exuberance and Brett’s arm around my shoulder. Kim tried to engage Terry in conversation without much success. Marty had more success when he talked about business and investments.

  Dinner went by without any problems. As the waitress cleared our dinner dishes, the hostess brought out the birthday cake with the 5 and 0 candles lit. Other waiters and waitresses followed behind her and started singing “Happy Birthday.” We all joined in and then ate cake. All in all, dinner was a success.

  It was obvious that Brett’s parents were tiring, and Brett and Madison walked them to the hotel. With tentative plans for the next day, Patrick asked about local night clubs. At my raised brows and Kim’s laugh, he explained, “Somewhere to continue our party. Nothing special.”

  After some discussion, mostly between Kim and Marty, we decided to try Brooks Bistro. It was a combination of restaurant and bar with a DJ on the weekends. It was family friendly to accommodate Madison. Less formal to suit Patrick. I wasn’t too sure about Terry, but he didn’t complain.

  The DJ was playing oldies and that suited me just fine. Someone, most likely Patrick, clued him in that it was Brett’s birthday and we sang once more. Then the DJ invited Brett to the dance floor and he pulled me along. We danced to Bette Midler and Wind Beneath My Wings. As we turned on the dance floor, we both noticed Madison with the beginning of a pout. We danced in her direction and Brett danced the rest of the dance with her. As I watched Brett coach her through her first dance, I knew there was no turning back.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Christa Nardi is and always has been an avid reader. Her favorite authors have shifted from Carolyn Keene and Earl Stanley Gardner to more contemporary mystery/crime authors over time, but mystery/crime along with romance are her preferred choices for leisure reading, with the occasional fantasy. Christa has been a long time writer from poetry and short stories to the Cold Creek series. The series started with Murder at Cold Creek College. Murder in the Arboretum is the second in the series, Murder at the Grill is the third. Murder in the Theater is the fourth in the series with a release date of August 2016. The mysteries are stand alone but the relationships and characters continue from one story to the next.

  Christa Nardi is a pen name for a real life professor/psychologist from the Northeast who is well published in nonfiction and technical venues as well.

  Stay in touch with Christa:

  Email: cccnardi@gmail.com

  Twitter: @ChristaN7777

  Blog: Christa Reads and Writes (christanardi.blogspot.com)

  Amazon Author Page: http://smarturl.it/NardiAuthorPage

  Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/1wSjsxz

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  Excerpt from Chapter 4 - MURDER IN THE THEATER

  http://smarturl.it/Theater

  Soon the sounds of Phantom of the Opera wafted into the kitchen. By the time dinner was ready and on the table, I found Brett asleep on the couch with Charlie curled up on his lap. Charlie immediately jumped up when she saw me causing Brett to stir.

  “Dinner?” He rubbed his hand over his face and sat forward. He looked like he hadn’t slept while he was in Altavista.

  I smiled and reached out my hand. “Ready and waiting.”

  I knew better than to ask about the case and didn’t want to share Max’s theory in case it put Brett on the spot. That limited topics for conversation. I had just broached the topic of Thanksgiving again when the doorbell rang.

  “Expecting anybody?”

  I shook my head and went to the door. Charlie beat me to the door and Brett followed behind me. I looked through the peephole and commented, “It’s Marty.”

  I noted Brett’s jaw working but didn’t understand the sudden tension. I opened the door.

  “Hi Marty. Come on in. What’s up? Are you okay?”

  Marty looked a mess. An attorney, Marty Cohn most often dressed for court even when walking on the college campus. A suit, dress shirt, and tie, all perfectly pressed comprised his standard uniform. Tonight, though, his shirt was half untucked and both his shirt and pants looked like he’d slept in them. His jacket was nowhere in sight. His eyes were heavy and bloodshot – a perfect match to Brett’s. If I didn’t know Marty better, I’d have wondered if he had been on a bender.

  Marty didn’t answer. He glared at Brett who stared back at him. Charlie picked up on the tension and emitted a low growl. As if on cue, the crescendo from the Phantom played. The animosity between them was palpable but I didn’t understand it. I felt helpless to diffuse the situation.

  “Someone want to fill me in?”

  “You want to tell her, DETECTIVE? Or should I?” Marty shouted, his face flushed and his hands clenched. Charlie growled again and I spoke softly to her to calm her. I shifted my gaze to Brett with trepidation.

  “Leave her out of this Marty. She has nothing to do with it. You have to know I didn’t take any pleasure in this process. It would have gone down the same.”

  “If it has nothing to do with me, then why is he here?”

  I looked from Brett to Marty and back again. Marty didn’t answer and he didn’t move a muscle. It was déja vu from when I worked in a residential treatment center with teenage boys facing off over some perceived slight.

  “Nobody wants to talk? Then how about we all sit down. Marty, we were eating dinner, can I fix you a plate? Get you something to drink?”

  He fizzled o
ut and slithered into the armchair, rubbing his hands over the stubble on his face. Another first. In the six months I’d known Marty, he’d never needed a shave.

  Brett turned and went back into the kitchen. I followed. I looked at him with raised eyebrows silently asking him what was going on. He shook his head ever so slightly and got down another plate. Between us, we got the food and wine for all of us out to where Marty still sat, head in hands.

  Brett handed Marty a glass of wine. “Here, you need this.”

  Marty looked up, opened his mouth but no words came out. He took the glass of wine and then the plate and utensils I handed him. Brett and I sat on the couch with our plates, our glasses of wine nearby. Charlie sat at attention between Marty and Brett in guard mode.

  I kept shifting my gaze from one man to the other for some hint as we ate. Nobody said a word and the tension remained. Marty picked at his food initially, then cleaned his plate without even looking up. I wondered when he had last eaten.

  When all the plates were clean, I asked if anyone wanted more. Both men shook their heads in silence. I picked up the plates and took them to the kitchen. The sound score from Phantom was the only sound other than my heels clicking on the kitchen tile.

  I rejoined the men. Neither said a word. I looked to Brett as he seemed more in control and asked again, “Could someone fill me in please?”

  “What have you heard about the case in Altavista today, Sher?”

  I glanced at Marty, not sure where this was going.

  “The last I heard was someone had been brought in for questioning and an arrest was expected. That was early this afternoon. I haven’t checked since and didn’t catch the news tonight.”

  “Isaac Waxman was arrested for the murder of William Thompson. Waxman is Marty’s nephew.”