Murder & The Monkey Band: High Desert Cozy Mystery Series

by Dianne Harman

  Marty stood up. “My computer’s in my office.” She turned to Laura, “Call us when John’s ready. The one thing I don’t want to do is make the chef angry by being late to dinner!” she said laughing as Jeff followed her into her home.

  CHAPTER 15

  “I like the way you’ve decorated your home, Marty. It’s very much in keeping with the desert,” Jeff said as he looked at the Navajo rugs on the tile floor and the soft off-white furniture. “Those pillows look great on the couch. Since you’re the authority on antiques, are they antique, too?”

  “Yes. They’re made from Kilim rugs which usually come from Turkey. A lot of people think the designs of the Navajo rugs that are so collectible were based on the Kilim rugs. I found several that were inexpensive because they were in such bad shape, so I took the good parts and had them made into pillows. I like how they play against the Navajo rugs. Here’s my computer and it’s already on, so feel free to search for whatever you need. Where do you start when you’re doing something like this?”

  “I’ll begin by simply putting his name in the search box and see what comes up.” Jeff sat down at the desk where the computer was located and entered Henry Siegelman’s name. He clicked on several sites, and after a few minutes he turned to where Marty was quietly sitting and watching.

  “This is interesting. He lives not too far from here, in La Quinta. That’s where I started my police career before I moved to Palm Springs. Evidently his parents were very wealthy, and he inherited a great deal of money when they died at an early age, while he was still in college. According to what I’m seeing, he’s never worked. It says he’s a big player in the stock market, but the thing that has the most bearing on this case is every article states that his antique and art collection is one of the finest in the world. He’s recognized as being one of the foremost experts on Meissen china and apparently has one of the best private collections of it.”

  “Do any of the articles mention the Monkey Band?”

  “No. I think I’ll look into this more when I get home. I know I’ve heard his name before, and I can’t quite place where or when I heard it. Whatever it was I heard, I guess it’s floating around out there somewhere in the ether. Maybe I can’t remember because you’re having a distracting effect on me.”

  “I’m what?” Marty asked, wide-eyed. “I’m not doing anything but sitting here.”

  “That’s enough to distract me. I’m quickly finding out I’m not at my best when I’m around you. I feel like some gawky teenage boy, doing and saying everything wrong. Marty, I really would like to see you and show you I’m not just some guy on the make. I don’t know what it is about you, but I feel like I’ve known you forever. I’ve never felt quite so comfortable with a woman.”

  “Well, thank you for the compliment, but we don’t know anything about each other.”

  “I know, and that’s the beauty of it. We can tell each other our life stories, and neither one of us will have heard it before. I suppose that’s the advantage of not being with someone for a long time. I always wondered what old married couples talked about because they’d each probably heard the other one’s story a million times. Actually, I think it would be nice to hear your story a couple of times.”

  “Jeff, this is a little fast. We haven’t even known each other for eight hours.”

  “That might be true, but at our age I can’t see any reason to play some game. My parents got married after they’d only known each other for six weeks, and they were married for over fifty years. No one gave their marriage a week. Mom and dad outlasted all the critics and gossips.

  “I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t want to see you again,” Marty said, “but let’s take it slow and easy. We’ve got plenty of time.”

  “Easy for you to say. You probably have a bunch of guys standing in line, and I’m at the back of the line.”

  “Don’t think so.” She laughed and added, “As a matter of fact, I’m somewhat newly divorced and a real newbie at middle age relationships. I haven’t a clue where to go with this.”

  He stood up from the chair in front of the desk and walked over to her. “Well, for starters, how about this?” he said as he pulled her up and lightly kissed her.

  Oh lord, I didn’t expect this. If we don’t go out to the courtyard right now, I might just give them a reason to call him Lover Boy.

  She pulled away. “I think we better go outside. Dinner’s probably ready, and I know from experience that while John is the most giving person in the world and one of the best chefs I know, he definitely is not happy if someone is late to dinner, but I think I’d like a rain check on the follow-up to that kiss,” she said smiling up at him.

  “Lady, it would be my pleasure,” he said, opening the door for her.

  CHAPTER 16

  “John, I don’t consider myself to be a food connoisseur, but this meatball dish is fantastic. What’s in it?” Jeff asked.

  “That’s exactly what a chef wants to hear. Thank you! It’s a Mideastern dish consisting of lamb meatballs in a warm yogurt dill sauce. The recipe had an option to serve it over rice or noodles. I opted for egg noodles and think it works. If the five of you like it, I’ll add it to the truck’s menu.”

  “Don’t have to ask me twice, Boss. This sucker’s a real hit. Got a lotta Mideasterners for customers who’ll be all over this like flies on…”

  “That’s enough, Max. We’re in the company of ladies,” John interrupted, grinning at his redneck cook.

  “Sorry, Boss,” Max said abashedly.

  “I believe I can speak for all of us, John, when I tell you this is definitely a hit! I often make meatballs ahead of time, so it should work on the truck. Actually, I imagine you could make most of it ahead of time and even freeze the meatballs in your freezer at home here,” Laura said.

  “I think you’re absolutely right. I see no reason why I couldn’t even cook the meatballs and freeze them. That way, all I’d have to do is warm them. The sauce will keep for several days. I don’t want to freeze the yogurt, but I could make batches of noodles and keep them warm. My loyal customers will have this treat beginning day after tomorrow. All I need to do is buy the ingredients.”

  “Jeff,” Les asked, “did you find anything on the computer about that Henry guy?”

  “Nothing more than what we’d heard. He’s a wealthy collector who lives in La Quinta. That’s about it. I need to talk to him, and I want to talk to the housekeeper, Rosa, as well. Something is nipping at my heels about this Henry guy, but I can’t come up with it. I’m going to do a little research tonight when I get home, speaking of which, it’s time for me to be going. I can’t thank you all enough for your hospitality. I’ve really enjoyed this evening, and this courtyard is magical,” he said looking around at the twinkling lights and lanterns. “I could stay here forever and be happy.”

  Laura, Les, and John looked at each other and smiled knowing it wasn’t the twinkling lights at the compound that interested Jeff. “You’re always welcome here. Please feel free to come back anytime,” Laura said.

  “With an invitation like that, how could I refuse? Of course I need to check with Marty. Marty, would it be okay with you if I come back?” the handsome middle-aged detective asked. Laura was watching him closely and noticed how he rubbed his thumb and right index finger together. It was a tell. She knew from experience his particular tell indicated he was nervous.

  So Mr. Suave Detective is not quite as sure of himself as he appears. I like that about him, Laura thought.

  Marty smiled warmly and answered, “Yes, and I’ll be interested to hear what you find out about Henry. I’ve never been involved in a murder case before, and I’m finding it fascinating.”

  “It may be fascinating to you, but for me it’s pretty frustrating. While we’re enjoying a wonderful dinner, there’s a killer on the loose. That thought never comforts me when I’m working a case.” He stood up. “Again, thanks to all of you for making me feel so welcome. Marty, want to walk me
to the gate?”

  She stood up and so did Duke. As they were walking to the gate, Duke managed to get between them. “What’s up with him? Is he some kind of a guard dog?” Jeff asked, grinning at her.

  “Not to my knowledge. Seems like Labs are pretty friendly, and I’ve never heard of any of them being on a police force. I’ve never seen him like this.” Duke looked up at Jeff and growled.

  “Well, from the sound of him, I think he’d make a pretty good police dog. I’d like to kiss you goodnight, but I’m not so sure that’s a good idea at the moment. Does he do this with all your male friends?”

  “Considering that you’re the first male friend I’ve had since I bought him, I don’t have any history on his behavior in that context.”

  “I’m going to be coming back, so he better get used to me. Next time I’ll bring some dog treats and see if I can worm my way into his good graces that way.”

  “Detective, I think there’s another name for that kind behavior. Rather imagine in your line of work it would be called blackmail or some such thing and would probably be illegal.”

  “Marty, I would prefer to call it a bribe. That word doesn’t quite have the negative connotation that blackmail does, and really it is more of a bribe than blackmail.”

  “Well, it might not be good for your reputation if it gets out you’re using bribes to gain favor with a nice, friendly black Lab. I’d be careful who you say that to. I’ll pretend like I didn’t hear it. Could cause some problems in your line of work,” she said laughing. “If you find something out about Siegelman, I’d like to know.”

  “If you don’t hear from me tonight I’ll see you tomorrow. I definitely want to talk to Rosa. See you then.” He opened the gate and walked out to his car. Duke never took his eyes off of him until he’d gotten in his car, and then he sat down, raised his head to Marty and silently asked for an ear scratch.

  “Duke, it’s all right. I think he’s a good man, and I think we’ll be seeing more of him. You’re going to have to get used to him,” she said as they walked into her house.

  CHAPTER 17

  Marty had just turned the lamp off on her nightstand when her cell phone rang. She reached over and answered it.

  “This is Marty.”

  “Hi, it’s Jeff. I’m sorry to call this late, but I told you I’d let you know if I found out something about Henry Siegelman. I did.”

  “Actually, I’ve been doing some research on the appraisal, and I just turned off my light, so it’s not a problem. What did you find out?”

  “I told you something was bothering me about the name Henry Siegelman, and it came to me on the way home. I remembered a theft case one of my friends in the department worked on years ago when I first started out and was with the La Quinta Police Department. I’m sure you know it’s a pretty wealthy area, and some very valuable California Impressionist paintings had been stolen from a gallery. I won’t bother you with the details, but the department was able to catch the person who committed the theft and arrest him.”

  “I’m sorry, Jeff, I must be missing something. I don’t see a tie-in to Henry Siegelman from what you’re telling me.”

  “Stay with me. A few months later I had to go to court in La Quinta for my divorce, which is another story. We’ll go into that another time. Anyway, my friend and I were having a couple of beers after I’d been to court, and he told me more about the case. The guy they’d arrested for the art heist sang like a canary about who’d hired him. He told my friend, the lead detective, he’d been hired by a guy who worked for a man named Henry Siegelman. My friend told me they’d tried to get something on Siegelman, so they could make a case against him, but he had a very good attorney, and there never was enough evidence to charge him, although they were able to make a case against both the art thief and the guy who hired him at Siegelman’s request.”

  “Wow! That could mean Henry Siegelman’s possibly behind the Monkey Band theft. Maybe he hired someone to steal it and the thief encountered Mrs. Jensen in the process and killed her. You’re the expert here. Would that be a fair assessment of what might have happened?”

  “Yes, you’re right and you’re thinking like a detective. It very well could have happened that way. When I talk to Rosa tomorrow I want to find out if Mrs. Jensen usually went out at night. Maybe the thief was banking on her being gone. No one has said anything about her having a male friend, but maybe that’s a possibility, and if it is, and the thief knew about her male friend, he might have been planning on her being out for the evening with her friend.”

  “What about the guy who went to prison for the art theft? The one your friend arrested? Could you talk to him?”

  “I wish I could, but I called my friend tonight, and he told me after the guy got out of prison he was murdered last year in a drug deal gone bad. I’m going to talk to Henry Siegelman tomorrow, but if he was able to hide his involvement in that case, there’s nothing that leads me to believe he won’t be able to do it again. Unless I can find something solid on him, there’s no way the District Attorney will charge him in this case. There’s simply not enough to go on.”

  “So if you can’t find out something, and if Henry Siegelman did it, he not only will go free, he’ll also have the Monkey Band set. Is that right?”

  “Fraid so. Believe me, I don’t like this any more than you do, but if I can’t find the person who actually stole the set and murdered Mrs. Jensen, there is no way I can make a case against Henry Siegelman.”

  “Well, that sounds pretty lousy.”

  “Trust me, it is. That’s the down side of this business. It’s pretty exhilarating when you solve a case and the bad guy does time, but when you suspect someone had a hand in a crime and you can’t find enough evidence to charge them, it’s pretty frustrating.”

  “I’ll keep my eyes and ears open tomorrow. Laura’s going with me on the appraisal again. Maybe her psychic abilities will kick in, and she can come up with something. Sounds like you could use some sixth sense help on this case.”

  He laughed. “For my own sake, I wish I believed in that stuff a little more. Maybe that’s what I need to solve the case. See you tomorrow. Sleep well.”

  “Good night, Jeff.” And maybe that’s exactly what you do need to solve this case, she thought, setting her phone on the nightstand as she turned off the light. Tomorrow promised to be another exciting day.

  CHAPTER 18

  “Ready, Laura?” Marty asked, as she lightly knocked on her sister’s door. “I told Carl I’d meet him at 8:00 at the Jensen home, and I don’t want to be late.”

  “Yes, I wanted to look a couple of things up before we went out there this morning, but I’m ready now. I know you’ll think it’s stupid, but there’s such a thing as a protection chant. I couldn’t quite remember it, so I looked it up and jotted it down. Given everything that’s happened at that house, I thought we could use it,” she said as they walked out to Marty’s car.

  “Well, thanks, I guess. I don’t know a thing about chants and protection. I’ll leave it up to you. I did talk to Jeff last night and found out a little more information about Henry Siegelman.” On the drive to the Jensen home she filled Laura in on what Jeff had told her.

  “What I’m hearing from you is that this thing may never be solved. Is that what you got from talking to him?”

  “Yes and no. If Henry Siegelman is behind it, there’s a good chance it won’t be solved if it’s anything like the case Jeff told me about that involved him. Then again, it could be someone else. I had the feeling that Jeff almost hopes it is. Oh good, Carl’s already here. I don’t think you’ve met him before.”

  “How did you find him?”

  “There’s an antique appraiser society in town, and I joined it. We have a monthly dinner meeting. It really is a good way to network and find people you’d like to work with. For some reason Carl and I hit it off. He owns the Palm Springs Antique Shoppe, a really high end antique shop, but his love is jewelry. He’s certified by two
societies in that area, but he’s also knowledgeable about a lot of other things. I’ve helped him with a couple of appraisals, and he’s helped me. We work well together. You may not have much to do while we’re appraising the jewelry, because I’ll be photographing it for him to save him some time.”

  “I thought you took pictures of it yesterday and sent it to him.”

  “Those weren’t good enough for an appraisal. I just wanted him to get a sense of what was in the jewelry collection.”

  They got out of the car and walked up to the gate where an older nondescript looking man with thinning red hair and a large belly was standing, wearing a black and white polka dot bow tie and a bright red vest under a white seersucker suit. “Carl, I want you to meet my sister, Laura. She’s acting as my assistant, Laura, Carl Mitchell.”

  “Happy to meet you Carl, and I’m also glad to know of a good jewelry appraiser. I work for Alliance Property and Casualty Company. My boss is in charge of deciding which of our clients need appraisals. The turnover for appraisers is pretty high. Seems like a lot of people come to the desert in the late fall or early spring and become enchanted by the weather and decide to move here. The enchantment often fades after they spend a summer here and suffer through days and days of temperatures of over one hundred degrees. A lot of them decide to go back where they came from. I think that’s one of the reasons we see such a high turnover of people involved in the appraisal business.”

  “Nice to meet you, Laura,” Carl said. “Here’s my business card. Please call me if I can help you.” He turned to Marty. “Let’s get started. I really don’t want to open the shop up late.” The gate was open, and they entered the courtyard.

  “I called Rosa last night and told her we’d be here early this morning. She must have opened the gate.” The front door to the house was open, and they were greeted by Rosa who was standing next to the door.