COZY MYSTERY: Trail Mix Murder: A Cozy Mystery in the Mountains (Book 2)

by Liz Turner

  “Well, pour it straight down my throat.” Hanson joked.

  “You’re having it in a cup like civilized people,” Victoria said. “Hanson, you’re a good guy when you aren’t pouring booze down your throat. I wish you’d realize you have a lot to lose if you keep acting the way you do.”

  “Why would you care?” Hanson asked. “No one in town does.”

  “Randolf does,” Victoria said. “Your nephew cares very much about you, no matter what you may think.”

  “My nephew put me in jail overnight once,” Hanson said. “Don’t think I haven’t forgotten that.”

  “He’s desperately hoping you’ll change,” Victoria said. “He loves his uncle. But I guess change can only happen from the inside.”

  Hanson slapped a few quarters on the table. “There’s your change.” He said. “The only kind of change I believe in, really.”

  “You left the party with Randolf that day,” Victoria said. “But who did you come in with?”

  “That girl?” Hanson sighed. “She was at Marley’s bar the night before. I’d gone there an hour or two before going to LeeLee’s. She picked up a conversation with me and the next thing I knew I was inviting her to be my date to LeeLee’s.” Hanson sighed. “I should have known she was trouble. Women that beautiful are either troubled or have trouble chasing them.”

  Victoria frowned. “She met you at a bar?” she asked.

  “Yes. She was very interested in my new ski-resort.” Hanson puffed. “I don’t fool myself that I’m the best looking man in the world but being powerful and rich always helps attract ladies, really.”

  “Then you wonder why all the women you meet are trouble.” Victoria scoffed. “Power and money are nice, but you have to meet a woman who likes you for yourself.”

  “That’s all a bunch of...”

  “On the other hand, with your personality, maybe Power and Money are all you have left,” Victoria said, cutting him off.

  “Mom!” Annie and Ida came out of the booth, Vanilla behind them.

  “Where are you off to now, dears?”

  “Ida has a new video game at home that I really want to try out,” Annie said. “Can I? Can I sleep over at her place tonight?”

  Victoria frowned. “I don’t know...”

  “Please, mom! It’s Saturday tomorrow.”

  “Well… I don’t want to inconvenience her Dad.” Victoria said.

  “Actually, it was their idea,” Ida said. “They also asked me to ask you to come over for dinner tonight. Amanda will be there to help make dinner and they’ve got a lot of stuff to discuss with you.”

  “You’re Steve Boonsbury’s daughter, are you?” Hanson asked, staring at Ida.

  “Yes, sir,” Ida said.

  “What’s it like, living with a famous artist as a father?” Hanson asked. “I always thought famous artists are half-crazy. Steve seems alright.”

  “It’s because he was a doctor,” Ida said. “He says being a doctor knocks all artistic ego out of you because you’re seeing people meet the ultimate creator all the time.”

  Hanson scoffed.

  “It’s why he doesn’t like fame or publicity either,” Ida said. “He says there are people who deserve it far more than him.”

  “Oh yes, he’s quite funny,” Hanson said. “I tried to convince him to pose for a brochure I was making. With his fame, it’d be great to have him do some PR for my ski resort. He refused.”

  “He was pretty angry when you did it anyway,” Ida said. “He told me that once he finishes the mural, he’s never working for you again.”

  “It’s a small town.” Hanson laughed. “Your daddy’s going to be forced to work with me again.”

  “He’s actually thinking of retiring once he and Aunt Amanda marry,” Ida said. “He’s made enough money to put me through college anyway, and that’s all he cared about apart from his art.”

  “I can’t understand people who don’t care about money,” Hanson said, turning to Victoria. “For me, it’s the most important thing there is. What’s the point of playing the game if you won’t keep score?”

  “For the fun of it,” Victoria said. “To some people, the experience matters. You can’t take the money with you when you pass on, you know.”

  “The Egyptians used to,” Hanson said. “They had the right idea, you know. I was discussing it with LeeLee the other day, before the altercation I had with Declan. LeeLee was telling me the pharaohs used to try and take their gold with them after they died. I told her I wish I could too.”

  “You can try.” Victoria shrugged. “I feel that if money has any use, it’s to help make life better for all of humankind.”

  “Oh please. That kind of talk is all good when you’re philosophical, but for people like me and LeeLee, it’s the practical stuff that matters.” There was a note of admiration in his voice, that Victoria suddenly placed.

  “You like LeeLee!” she said. “Is that why you deliberately made Declan look like a fool the other day?”

  “Me? Like LeeLee? Rubbish! Why would I like a woman five years older than me?”

  “Because it’s the first time you’ve met a woman who likes you for your personality.” Victoria laughed. “Oh yes, LeeLee’s a match for you, isn’t she Hanson? Financially, she outstrips you. In terms of fame, she definitely outstrips you and she’s more attractive than you are.”

  “Well, why would she ever be attracted to a man like me, then?” Hanson said, sounding suddenly angry. “No, it’s no use my being attracted to her. Not that I am but if I was, it wouldn’t be any use.”

  “You’ve been alone since your last wife left you,” Victoria said. “What was she, number three?”

  “Number four,” Hanson said, his voice bleak. “Funny thing was, I was quite fond of her.”

  “Did it hit you hard? The loss?”

  “The loss of my money to fund her alimony is what hit me hardest,” Hanson said. “She spends all her time doing facials and making sure her nails are alright. How on earth I ever married her I don’t know.”

  “Well, you change your mind quick,” Victoria said. “Anyway, LeeLee’s ready to marry Declan in three months so I don’t think there’s much hope for you in that arena.”

  “Oh please.” Hanson laughed. “Declan’s a fool. LeeLee’s stringing him along, dangling hopes of marriage in front of him so that he’ll be extra nice to her. She has nothing but contempt for him, really. There’s not an ounce of love between them. He’s after her money, and she’s after his youthful looks.”

  “Isn’t that a familiar equation for you?” Victoria asked. “Money attracting looks?”

  “It’s disgusting,” Hanson said. “A man like that isn’t a real man.”

  “A woman like you described doesn’t seem like much of a woman to me,” Victoria said. “I’m sure a woman like that won’t feel like much of one to LeeLee either.”

  Hanson gave a big sigh and drained his coffee. “You know, I’ll have another coffee, I think and maybe a piece of that rhubarb pie?”

  Victoria plated a slice and added a scoop of ice-cream on top. “There you go.” She said.

  “The truth is.” Hanson ate a tiny bite of the pie. “A woman like LeeLee is one in a million. I baited Declan the other day because it felt like such a waste to me that she chooses him out of all the other men she could be with.”

  “Men like you?” Victoria asked.

  “Maybe.” Hanson mused. “I don’t know. Tell me, Victoria, if I went to her, and made her a business proposition, do you think she’d accept?” Hanson asked. “If we joined my local network and wealth to her global fame and vision, she and I could make magic happen.”

  “I think, if you went and told her what you just said, she’d have you thrown out of her house. If on the other hand, you went and told her you liked her, you’d have a much better shot at dating her.” Victoria said. “If that is, you’re right about her not really liking Declan.”

  “You really think so?” Hanson b
rightened. “I mean… not that I will, but I’m just asking.”

  “I think that women can’t resist a man who says that he changed for her,” Victoria said. “If you tell a woman like LeeLee that she made you change what you wanted in a woman. That before her, you were only attracted to … well, the kind of women you used to be attracted to, and that after her you can’t be attracted to anyone else. Well, who knows! I think she might just be flattered enough to accept.”

  Hanson chewed on another piece of pie. “Maybe,” he said, “Just maybe, I might give it a shot.”

  Chapter 10

  Dinner at Amanda’s that night was a warm, cozy affair and a much-needed interlude to the violence of the previous few days. Karen had joined them too, and for once, Victoria was happy that someone else was taking care of the cooking. She offered to help, but Amanda strictly told her to stay out of the kitchen.

  “Believe me, I’m going to give you a load of work soon enough as maid of honor,” Amanda said. “For now, you just sit on that table there and have a few good sips of wine.”

  Steve was pouring nuts and pretzels into a bowl, and he passed it on to Karen. “We made some hummus and a cheese-onion dip.” He said. “I can whip up a nice coriander dip I learned in India too.”

  “When did you go to India?” Karen asked, interested.

  “Oh, a long time ago,” Steve said. “In another life.”

  “Was that a joke or do you believe in reincarnation?” Karen said.

  “That was a joke but I do believe in reincarnation,” Steve said. “I mean, I think I’ve been reincarnated several times in this life itself. There was me as a child, carefree and lazy. There was me as a high-school teen, rebellious and always trying to look cool. There was me in med school, obsessed with working hard to save lives, and equally obsessed with always being number one. Now there’s me as an artist, and me as a father, the realest incarnation of me.”

  “That’s beautiful,” Karen smiled.

  Steve shrugged. “When Ida was born, I felt reborn myself.” He said. “If you’d told me before then that it was possible to love someone the way I loved that little girl, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

  “Ida’s a lucky little girl,” Amanda said, smiling. “Not everyone gets a father like you, Steve.”

  “I’m a lucky man.” Steve countered. “I got two women now that I love more than my own life.” He gave Amanda a one-armed hug and kissed her on the neck. She squealed and wriggled away.

  “Oh come on you two lovebirds.” Karen made a face. “The rest of us will become diabetic if you act so sugary sweet.”

  “Speaking of sugar, I’ve got this brilliant mango based dessert,” Steve said. “It’s layered mangoes with brown sugar and mozzarella. It doesn’t sound like much but I tell you, it’s the most delicious thing I’ve ever had in my life. You’re going to want to add it to your menu as soon as you taste it, Karen.”

  “The café’s Victoria’s business now,” Karen smiled. “But I won’t mind a taste anyway.”

  “Where are the girls?” Victoria asked. “I don’t hear any noise from them.”

  “I loaned them my headphones so they wouldn’t play their music at full volume,” Steve said. “They’re probably watching a movie or something.”

  The doorbell rang, and Victoria raced to get it before Steve or Karen could move. “Are we expecting more people?” She called.

  “Oh, that must be our other guests,” Steve called back.

  Victoria opened the door, and a smiling Corporal Jager stood on the doorstep, with a nervous looking Constable Keeney right beside him.

  “Ah, Victoria.” Corporal Jager smiled. “We meet again. How are you?”

  “What are you doing here?” Victoria asked.

  “I’ve noticed you always counter a question with a question.” Corporal Jager said. “Was that part of your training as a journalist?”

  “Well, you just answered my question with a question.” Victoria pointed out.

  “You know, I’d invite them in before interrogating them,” Steve called out, from behind Victoria.

  Blushing, Victoria moved aside, letting Randolf and George in. It felt funny to see Randolf outside of the uniform he always wore. He was dressed in chinos and a simple oxford button-down shirt that emphasized his broad shoulders and powerful body. George, surprisingly, was dressed in a batman T-shirt with ripped jeans and looked ten years younger because of it. If she didn’t know better, she would have guessed he was in a band or ran a comic book store.

  When they were all sitting across the table, Steve raised a glass and toasted them. “To a brilliant happy future with many more dinners like this.” He said.

  “Salud!” Everyone cried, and took a sip.

  Dinner was delicious. Amanda had made a simple goat’s cheese pasta with spinach and mushrooms tossed in it. She’d also roasted chicken legs marinated in balsamic vinegar, and made a simple side salad of walnuts, iceberg lettuce, and cucumber.

  “Humble, but good food,” Amanda said.

  “Humble? This is delicious.” George said. “Amanda, you should have started a restaurant, not an art gallery.”

  “Fantastic,” Randolf said. “This chicken is so tender.”

  “It is, isn’t it? Delicious. Our mother used to make something like this when we were children.” Karen said. “What was the marinade, Vic?”

  “Oh, it was red chilies, honey, garlic, ginger and a tiny bit of vinegar,” Victoria said. “You won’t remember this, Amanda, but you had some too on my thirteenth birthday.”

  “I will never forget any aspect of that amazing birthday,” Amanda said. “So yes, I remember the chicken. We had our first sleepover that night, didn’t we? I also remember a certain mischief monger keeping me up until three am at night telling me ghost stories about scarecrows.”

  Randolf laughed. “Did it scare you silly?”

  “Scare me? I think I’ve grown white hair ever since that incident.” Amanda laughed. “Anyway, at 3:00 a.m., when she’s concluded this ridiculously scary story about a straw man with orange lips and yellow eyes, she dares me to take a loop through the fields, alone. I was terrified and told her I wouldn’t do it. So she did it instead.”

  “Why!” Randolf exclaimed. “That sounds terrifying. I probably wouldn’t do it even now, to be honest, especially if I’d just heard a ghost story.”

  “Oh… I’d made up the story, but once I had, I wondered if it could be true. I was scared, but in the end, the curiosity won out.” Victoria laughed.

  “Curiosity.” Randolf nodded. “That should be your middle name.”

  “Middle name? It should be her actual name.” Karen laughed. “She was always so curious. I had a diary in seventh grade, and I had a little padlock with numbers to keep it locked up. The little spy somehow figured out my combination and read my diary! I was outraged.”

  “It was absolutely criminal of me,” Victoria said. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m really sorry, Karen, even all these years later.”

  “Oh, but I got you back.” Karen laughed. “I was the one who figured out how to pour cement into your locker later that year!”

  There was a roar of laughter around the table.

  “Randolf, tell us about you,” Amanda said. “Growing up, were you as bratty as our sweet little Victoria?”

  “Oh, I should think not,” Randolf said. “I was more energetic. I used to like things being orderly, actually. I still do. So I loved running races on the track, everyone was equal, everything was neatly organized and then, you just ran. As fast as you could. It made no difference if your father drove a Ferrari or a Ford. You ran, and if you were fast, you came first. It was thrilling for me to achieve something that didn’t have my father’s name tied to it.”

  “You were a provincial champion too, weren’t you?” Victoria asked. “I remember you with a medal, and the cheerleaders all swooning.”

  Randolf laughed. “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”
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  “So you deny dating the hottest girl in school, Mindy Lakemeyer?” Karen elbowed him. “I heard you stole her right from her football player boyfriend one Friday night and that he beat you up good the next day.”

  Randolf rubbed the side of his nose. “Well, I’ll just say that I was lucky he didn’t beat me harder and that I don’t go around stealing girlfriends anymore.”

  “But why did you end up in the RCMP anyway?” Steve asked. “Isn’t that normally… well, for someone from your family, shouldn’t you have gone into business?”

  “I’d seen too much of business to ever want to go into it,” Randolf said. “From sixteen to twenty, I worked part-time in our family business in some form or the other. I discovered that I hated it. Any business where you take money from someone requires that you be extra nice to them. The richer they are the nicer you have to be. This doesn't change anything no matter how much money you make. I decided it wasn’t for me. Besides, I’d seen two stock market crashes happen and I knew how quickly the money can dry out. It seemed too risky.”

  “Business seemed risky so you became a policeman?” Victoria asked, incredulously.

  “Funny as it sounds, yes,” Randolf said. “I decided that a) a policeman never has to bow down to anyone. B) a policeman has a guaranteed income and a job that will exist as long as the government does. Also, there was C) I loved the idea of making the world a better place by catching bad guys.”

  “Ah, an idealist.” Amanda sighed. “Those are the best kind of men.”

  “You should know,” Randolf said. “You’re marrying one of them. I don’t know too many artists who despise fame and fortune the way Steve does. It’s almost like he’s taken an oath not to be caught on Page 3.”

  “I find it disgusting when artists do that,” Steve said. “Your commitment must be to your art and your family. Everything else is a distraction to be eliminated. When you eliminate the superfluous, you arrive at the truth.”

  Randolf caught Victoria’s eye, and for a moment, both of them smiled at each other. Steve had repeated Victoria’s dialogue right back to her.