Murder at Redwood Cove

by Janet Finsilver

  Mary settled herself on a nearby bench and opened her book. “Thanks for letting me stay.”

  “No problem. I’m happy to have you here.” And I was. I was becoming fond of this group of senior citizens.

  “I’m done for today,” Rudy said. “I’ll come back in the morning before the festival to do a little more.”

  I surveyed the newly weeded flower bed. “You did a very nice job, Rudy. Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.” He picked up his kneeling pad and waved good-bye.

  I passed the deputy’s cruiser as I returned to the kitchen. I glanced down the hallway. The study door was closed. What would Phil have to say?

  Had the four stayed at Noah’s Place after I left? If so, they were in the clear. It was an easy enough question to ask, but I was a stranger. And this was a very closed community to outsiders.

  The phone rang.

  “Hello. Redwood Cove Bed-and-Breakfast. Kelly speaking.”

  “I just heard what happened to Tommy,” Suzie’s normal cheer lacked in her voice. “Is he okay?”

  “He seems to be doing fine. I think staying home from school helped brighten his day.”

  “Who would do something like this? Is there anything I can do?”

  Her questions suddenly gave me an answer—how to get information from the locals.

  “Suzie, I have no idea who’d try to hurt Tommy, but I’d like to find out. Will you help me?”

  “Of course. What did you have in mind?”

  I hesitated. I wanted to know who left Noah’s Place right after I did, but that was coming on pretty strong. A local could’ve pushed Tommy. Maybe even someone Suzie knew. That might be too close to home for her.

  “I’d like to find out who was at Noah’s Place during the time of the attack on Tommy last night. Those people can be ruled out.” I decided to put a positive spin on it. “It’s not much, but it’s a starting point.” I paused. “I’m new here, and I don’t think anyone will talk to me about their whereabouts. But they’ll talk to you. You’re a local. You’re one of them.”

  “Good idea. Can you meet me there at two? We can talk to Noah and see what he knows.”

  “You bet.” I checked my watch. Ten o’clock. “Would eleven this morning work for me to come over and get the keys?”

  “Fine. There’s a converted garage at the back entrance to the hotel we use for storage. I’ll meet you there.”

  Suzie was the first stop on Bob’s list. Maybe there was time to see the other two before the meeting at Noah’s Place. I retrieved the list from my room, along with my jacket, and headed for Helen’s cottage. Would the people at Redwood Ranch or Javier be able to give me some information to help solve Bob’s death? And, if connected, reveal Tommy’s attacker? I sure hoped so. Tommy’s life was in danger until the police arrested the person.

  Chapter 22

  I followed the flagstone path to the cottage. The large slabs of stone ranged in color from deep red to slate gray. Bright green moss sprinkled with miniscule white flowers grew between them.

  I knocked on the door.

  “Who’s there?” Helen asked.

  Good. She was being cautious. “It’s Kelly.”

  Helen opened the door. “Hi. How can I help you?”

  “I have Bob’s schedule from the day he fell.” No reason to mention the word murder after what happened last night. “I’m getting up to speed on what was happening before he died. I’d like to see these people. I thought maybe you could help with directions and background on what Bob was doing at these places.”

  “Happy to.” She signaled me in, and I followed.

  On my left in the living area I passed a meadow green couch with yellow pillows placed at each end. They sported a pattern of white daises with green stems and made a picture-perfect accent. Yellow-and-white-checked gingham curtains with a thin line of green trim carried the colors to the other side of the room. A fireplace built with smooth, round stones occupied the right wall. Windows on both sides of it framed a blue ocean view.

  A dining room table was visible at the far end. A short hallway led off to my left with three doors. The bedrooms and the bathroom I’d read about in the company information. Cozy.

  “Give me a few minutes,” Helen said. “I need to put some flowers in water. I just cut them.”

  The kitchen alcove was off to the side of the dining area and not visible when I first walked in. A bunch of white calla lilies lay on the counter. Helen put water in a vase and started arranging them.

  “Okay.” I wandered over to the mantel above the fireplace, where rows of pictures formed a straight line. A black-and-white one showed a young woman in a long black dress with a full skirt, her hair wound up in an elaborate braid on top of her head, a small hat perched on top. Next to her stood a tall man in a vest and slacks. Then came a photo of a young man in a soldier’s uniform.

  The next one showed a couple on their wedding day. Small white pearls adorned the bodice of the bride’s dress; the man wore a black morning tuxedo, the tails elegantly curved, and pin-striped gray trousers. The woman’s long hair flowed down her back, and her face glowed. She looked like a model featured in a picture frame for sale in a store. In the next photo the same couple held an infant. The infant became a young boy as I wandered down the row.

  With a start, I realized it was Tommy. The young woman must be Helen. I backtracked. The shape of her eyes and her brow were the same. But that was it. I glanced over at her. Helen’s chin was sharp, her shoulders poked through the thin pink cotton shirt, and the bones of her hands protruded.

  “Done.” Helen wiped her hands on a towel and walked over.

  “I love your photos,” Kelly said.

  Helen nodded at the first two.

  “Those are my husband’s parents on their first day in this country.”

  I was in front of the military picture.

  “That’s Ken, my husband.” She straightened the already neatly arranged pictures, then walked back to the kitchen and refolded a dish towel. She fussed with the vase of flowers on the dining room table, moving it a smidge to the right and then putting it back where it was.

  Suddenly she covered her face with her hand for a moment, dropped it, and turned to me. She took in a deep breath. “I’m trying so hard to hold myself together. If I don’t keep everything I have control over in perfect condition, I think I’ll fall to pieces.”

  I wanted to hug her, but sometimes that was the final straw to someone’s composure. She had a slim hold on her emotions right now. The neatness gave her structure.

  “My husband’s death, then moving here. I thought it would be a dream place for Tommy. Instead, it’s become a nightmare. And then last night.” She began sobbing. “Someone tried to kill my son.”

  “Helen, we’ll find who tried to hurt Tommy. When that’s behind us, we’ll work on creating a life here for the two of you.”

  Helen wiped her eyes. “Thanks, Kelly. You have enough to do. Tommy and I will figure it out.”

  “No. I mean it. You haven’t met Michael Corrigan yet, the owner of Resorts International. He believes employees are part of the company family, and those aren’t phony corporate words. It’s how he operates. We’ll work this out together.”

  Helen went over to the table and sat.

  I sat next to her and put my hand on her arm. “You’ll see what I mean when you meet Michael. He’ll be here Saturday.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.” Helen straightened her back. “Where’s the schedule?”

  I wanted to say more, but Helen seemed to need to step back at this point. “Right here.” I handed it to her. “Suzie’s first at eleven. I already know what they talked about.”

  While Helen read the list, I looked around. Magazines were arranged in a neat stack on an end table, a newspaper folded next to them. The meticulously arranged photographs had the exact same distance between each one. Not only was nothing out of place, everything was evenly spaced.

  Then cha
os exploded into the room in the form of Tommy and his short-legged hound.

  “Mom! Daniel said I can help him with stuff he needs to do on the van.” Tommy skidded to a stop in front of her. Fred didn’t have as much traction, and it took him a couple more feet on the wooden floor to come to a stop. “Is that okay?”

  Daniel waved from the doorway.

  “Will that work for you? He can stay here with me, you know,” Helen said.

  “He can be my assistant and hand me tools. He’ll be a big help.”

  “Well, if you’re sure.”

  “Oh boy.” Tommy grabbed a bottle of juice from the fridge, and he and Fred bounded after Daniel.

  Helen studied the appointment list. “I don’t know what the visit to Redwood Ranch was about or who Diane is, but I know where the place is located.” She pointed to the last name. “Javier is our produce supplier and a longtime friend of Bob’s.”

  “I want to find out what Bob talked about with each of them.”

  “I’ll jot down directions for you and bring them over.” She got up, pulled open a drawer, and took out a tablet and pen.

  “Sounds good.” I stood. “I saw the fruit and vegetable orders when I reviewed the inn’s receipts. There was contact information on them. The number for Redwood Ranch should be easy to find. I’ll phone them and get my stuff.”

  As I walked back to the inn, I thought about what a tenuous hold Helen had on her composure. She had already been under severe stress before the attack on Tommy. The sooner the murderer was caught, the sooner she could start a new chapter in her life.

  I called the sites Bob had visited and lucked out. The people on the list could see me today. I put on my fleece jacket and headed out. Helen had left the directions and the schedule on the kitchen counter while I made the calls.

  I walked the short distance to Suzie’s hotel. A building at the back of the inn was painted in off-white with white trim. I knocked on the door, and Suzie opened it.

  “Come on in and welcome.” The sparkle had returned to her voice.

  I stepped into a large room with rows of wire shelves stacked to the ceiling filled with large cans and boxes. Four large steel refrigeration units lined the back wall.

  “This is a nice setup. Spacious with open access to everything.”

  “It works really well.” She held up a couple of keys. “These are what you’ll need for Saturday. The shed and the refrigerators are kept locked. Transients come through town regularly, and food walks off if it’s not under lock and key.”

  “I understand.”

  “The festival food will be in the first unit on the left.” She pointed to a key with a red plastic cover. “This is for the refrigerator. The other one unlocks the building.”

  I put the keys in my fleece pocket and zipped it closed.

  “What are the other two appointments? I might know something about them that would be helpful,” Suzie said.

  “He went to Redwood Ranch and then to Javier’s produce market.”

  “I don’t know anything about the ranch. We both had problems with the produce from Javier.”

  “What kinds of problems?”

  “Much of it went bad shortly after delivery. Some of the strawberries already had mold on them when they arrived.”

  “Thanks. That’ll be helpful when I talk to Javier.” I checked my watch. “I’d better get going if I’m going to be back in time for us to meet at Noah’s Place.”

  I did a fast walk back to the inn and got in the truck. I pulled out and started for Fort Paul, about fifteen minutes away. Hopefully, I’d find clues that would lead to Bob’s murderer.

  Chapter 23

  A painted sign over a dirt road greeted me at Redwood Ranch as I turned off Highway One. I pulled in and parked next to a dusty black pickup with several bales of alfalfa hay in the bed. I got out. A woman was tying a leopard Appaloosa to a hitching post next to a corral. His black spots ranging in size from a nickel to a silver dollar leapt out at me from his white base coat.

  I walked over to her. “Hi. I’m Kelly Jackson from Redwood Cove Bed-and-Breakfast. I’m here to meet Diane.”

  “You found her.” She finished securing the horse with a tug on the rope.

  Short gray bushy hair framed her tanned face, lines deeply etched in the surface. Her denim shirt had REDWOOD RANCH embroidered in red above the pocket. She shoved a hand in my direction, and we shook.

  I walked over to the horse and patted his neck. “He’s a beautiful Appie.”

  “Sounds like you know something about horses.”

  “I grew up on a ranch in Wyoming. Guest ranch in the summer, working ranch year-round.”

  “Jackson. Are your parents Ed and Margaret?”

  “Yes. How do you know them?” I was shocked at being in California and meeting a friend of my mom and dad’s. Small world.

  “We met at the Grand National Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver. There’s an informal guest ranchers’ get-together every year. We hit it off and make it a point to see each other at the event.”

  A young man yelled from an open barn a short distance away. “Hey, Diane, we’ve got a problem with one of the mares.”

  “I need to see what’s up. I was going to give this guy some exercise in the ring. Would you like to take him for a ride?”

  “Love to.” I didn’t realize how much I missed being on a horse until then. “What’s his name?”

  “Nez Perce, in honor of the Indian tribe that did a lot to develop the breed.” She rubbed his forehead. “We call him Nezi for short.”

  The horse looked at me. I looked at him. Sizing each other up. A little rim of white showed around his eyes.

  “He’s a good boy,” Diane said. “Jump on, and I’ll adjust the stirrups.”

  I grabbed the saddle horn, put my foot in the stirrup, and swung my leg over. I was glad I’d chosen lightweight hiking boots as my footwear of choice for this trip. Diane quickly made the length change.

  “What reining style do you use—straight or neck?”

  “Neck.” She opened the gate to the workout ring.

  I urged Nezi forward, and Diane closed the gate.

  “I’ll be back in a few.” She strode off.

  I gave him a nudge with my legs, and we began to walk around the enclosure. He stretched out his neck, pulling extra length from the reins. I gently but firmly gathered the leather back. He shook his head. Test time. He pulled again a little harder, ears slightly back. I quickly gathered the reins in. His ears went up, and he looked back at me. Our eyes met. We had an understanding.

  The rest of the workout took me back home. His gait was smooth and collected. An extra spring came through in his movement that seemed to communicate enjoyment at being in motion.

  As I put him through his paces, the rhythm and paying attention to him helped calm my racing mind. Why would I want to trade doing this every day on the ranch for dealing with resort issues and, in this case, a murder? Why did I crave being able to make my own spot in the world? I’d done a good job on the ranch. It wasn’t like my parents were giving me a handout.

  I wasn’t at peace there. That was what it was. It wasn’t where I was supposed to be at this time in my life. I knew that. I’d been over it in my head so many times. I’d know when I was at the right place when I found it. I just had to trust in that.

  We finished a second canter around the ring, and I slowed to a walk to cool him down. I leaned forward and patted his sweaty neck. The creak of the saddle was music to my ears.

  Diane returned so I rode up to the gate, opened it, and went through. I dismounted and pulled Nezi’s reins over his head. He vigorously rubbed his head against my shoulder, leaving a swath of horsehair down the arm of my fleece.

  Diane grabbed the bridle and pulled him away. “Sorry about that.”

  “No problem. I offered a shoulder to my horse at the end of our rides. It was my way to thank her.” I brushed the hair off and gave him a scratch behind the ears. “And thank you,
Diane, for the ride.”

  “You said you wanted to talk about my meeting with Bob Phillips.”

  “I’m trying to find out what he was working on so I can carry on at the inn.” And maybe find out who killed him.

  “I had an idea for a riding vacation package,” Diane said. “Have people stay at one inn and do different rides each day. When I asked around, Bob’s name repeatedly came up as honest, easy to work with, and dependable.”

  There it was again. Great guy. What could have happened?

  “I knew of him but hadn’t had any interactions with him. He came over that day to meet me and check out my stock and the facility. I told him I wanted people to have something extra during the guests’ evenings in terms of entertainment and maybe a special dinner at the inn. He was enthusiastic about it. The next step was for me to give him some dates.”

  “I agree it’s an excellent idea. I’d like to pursue those plans with you.”

  “I’m glad you like it. I’ll get you some dates, and we’ll go from there.”

  I felt awkward questioning her since she didn’t know Bob, but I didn’t want to miss any opportunity.

  “You know, Bob died later that day.”

  “Yeah. I read about it in the paper. Too bad.” Diane studied her scuffed brown cowboy boots.

  “It’s hard to understand how it happened. How did he seem to you that day? Was there any indication he wasn’t feeling well?”

  She shrugged. “Like I said, I didn’t really know him. He seemed fine to me.”

  Dead end there. Maybe Javier would know something.

  “Give me a call, and let’s go for a ride sometime. You can ride Nezi whenever he’s available.”

  “I’d really like that.” With all the thoughts swirling around in my mind, a trail ride through the countryside sounded like a perfect opportunity to clear my mind.

  “It was nice meeting you. Say hi to your folks for me.” She led Nezi off to the barn.

  I walked slowly back to the pickup truck, breathing in the smells of the ranch. The blend of hay, animals, and the outdoors always filled me with contentment. Something I could use right now.