I glanced in the rearview mirror as I drove out. Plumes of dust billowed up behind me as I drove out to the main road, obscuring the barn and the corral. I couldn’t see anything clearly. Much like my mind, glimpses of clues here and there but no clear picture.
A faded sign said PRODUCE MARKET and marked the location of Javier’s store. I pulled into a parking space and got out.
Tables covered with bunches of bright green broccoli, a variety of potatoes, and other seasonal produce lined the open front of the store. I walked toward the back. A heavyset man in a canvas apron approached me.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m Kelly Jackson with Redwood Cove Bed-and-Breakfast. I called earlier and spoke with Javier.”
“That’s me. You wanted to know about my appointment with Bob.”
“I’m trying to get up to speed on what the issues are at the inn. I understand you supply all the fruit and vegetables.”
“Right. Recently some of it wasn’t the quality Bob expected. He brought me some samples. I checked into it and found out one of my new drivers hadn’t taken the necessary precautions during a hot spell. That’s taken care of now.”
“I reviewed the invoices from past orders. It seems like what’s needed is pretty routine.”
“It is. Bob and I talked on the phone about what was in season, and he’d make his order. Sometimes he came by and did it in person. When he did, we always got together for coffee. We’ve been friends for fifteen years.” He stopped and looked down. “We were friends for fifteen years.”
“I’m sorry. I know it’s been a shock for everyone.”
“I wish we’d sat down together that day. Maybe he’d still be alive.” His voice trembled, and he turned away to arrange some already neatly stacked apples.
“What happened that you didn’t follow the usual routine?” Okay, that could come across as being nosy, but what people thought of me right now didn’t matter.
Javier kept arranging apples. “We’d planned on it. He stepped outside to answer a call on his cell phone. I heard his raised voice.” He turned back to me. “Very unusual for Bob to do that. When he came back in, I could tell he was upset. I asked if everything was all right. He said it was just something he had to deal with and he’d have to pass on coffee. He had to meet someone.”
That someone was probably the last person to see Bob alive according to my timeline. The murderer.
“Do you have any idea who he was meeting?”
“Nope.”
“Do you know if it was business or personal? It might be something I need to follow up on.”
“Not a clue.”
“What time did he leave?”
“I think it was around two thirty.”
I thanked Javier for the information and made an order for the inn. I started up the truck and began the drive back. No wonder the killer had wanted that cell phone. It would show who had called him. I agreed with Stanton that it was long gone, but not for the money it could bring in. It was probably at the bottom of the ocean by now. We could get the phone records, but it would take a while.
What had I found out? Bob met with Suzie about the festival and arranged to pick up the keys for the refrigerator and the shed. Nothing there. Same with the information from the ranch. I decided to drive out to where Bob was found to find out how long it took to get there. The clock on the dashboard displayed one ten. Twenty minutes later I parked where Daniel had stopped the other day. Bob’s body was found at three thirty. The person who found him said he didn’t see anyone else. Bob left the market at two thirty. With the drive and the walk to where he was found, that would make it about three. An argument, a shove, and the murderer had time to disappear.
The person he talked to on the phone had to be the killer.
Chapter 24
Thirty minutes later I was on my way to meet Suzie. As I turned the corner to head for Noah’s Place, I caught sight of her gleaming yellow curls a half a block ahead of me.
“Suzie. Wait up!”
The young woman turned and waved. I picked up my pace.
“I appreciate your help with this.” I fell in step with her.
“Kelly, anybody who would do what they did to Tommy deserves to be caught and punished.” Suzie’s mouth was set in a grim line, an uncharacteristic expression for her.
“I’d like you to ask the questions. I’ll chime in if I think of something.”
“Got it.” Suzie opened the door to the café.
Noah was in the back of the kitchen.
Suzie peered in. “Hey, Noah. Is this a good time to talk?”
He nodded but kept his focus on the large ball of dough he was kneading. “I can work and talk, too. No problem.”
“You probably heard about what happened at the headlands last night,” Suzie said.
“Yep. The town’s buzzing.” He whacked the dough with the palm of his hand. A deep frown creased his forehead.
“We’re trying to help find out who attacked Tommy.”
Noah looked at us. “I keep thinking about my son and how I’d feel if someone tried to hurt him.” He pounded the dough into the wooden block. “The rage I’d feel.” He flattened the dough with a series of punches.
“We thought if you could tell us who was here at seven thirty last night, which is when it happened, that would rule them out, narrow the field of suspects,” Suzie said.
“Do you think it was a local?” His gaze never left the dough.
“We have no idea. We want to make a list of who couldn’t have been involved.”
“The band took a break about then, and people ordered. The place was packed. I can picture a lot of their faces. George Johnson, Fred McCrae, Gordon Jones, to name a few. I can write names down for you this afternoon.” He grabbed a towel from a nearby rack and wiped the flour from his hands.
“That would be great. What time should I come by to get it?”
“I’ll have it ready for you by four.”
I fingered the paper menu on the counter. “We’re concerned the person might try again. Is there anyone you know who left right after I did? We could start there for now. Try to find out what they were doing last night.”
Noah went back to kneading the dough, not answering right away. Seconds passed.
Had I overstepped my bounds? Had the invisible door slammed shut on the outsider?
He stopped working and stared at me. “I served Tommy ice cream night before last. I’m glad he’s okay, and I’m glad I’ll be able to hand him another ice cream cone.”
I almost shivered from the cold shoulder I felt Noah was giving me.
But then he said, “Andy and Phil left right after you. They had festival work to do, they said.”
Yikes. Two of the four.
“Suzie, your employee, Jason, took off. Said he really wanted to stay but had to do prep for tomorrow.”
“He did. Jason’s handling the booth for our hotel.”
Number three.
“Charlie Chan got a call and canceled a food order he’d just placed. Said there was an emergency.”
And number four.
Suzie and Noah talked about a couple of other people who’d left . . . a dad needing to babysit, a plumber with a leaky pipe to fix.
I had tuned out. All four possible suspects had left in time to attack Tommy. Did any of them have alibis? And how was I going to find out?
Chapter 25
“What’s your next step?” Suzie asked as we walked out of Noah’s
Place.
“Clear the four men who left right after I did.” If that was possible.
“How are you going to do that?”
“Find out where they were when Tommy was attacked.”
“You’re really getting into this.”
“I need to take some action. I refuse to wait until something else happens.”
“I can help. I left a few minutes after you did. I saw Jason when I stopped by the hotel’s restaurant on my way home. He was p
reparing desserts for the festival.”
“Good. That’s one off the list.”
“I hope the others get cleared, as well.” Suzie’s voice held a worried note.
“I do, too.” Boy, did I ever. Two of them were staying at the inn, and Charlie came by on a regular basis. They all had way too much access to Tommy.
We got to the corner. “Thanks for helping. I don’t think Noah would’ve been willing to talk to me the way he did, without you there.”
“Glad to do it.” Suzie placed her hand on my arm. “I hope you find who is at the bottom of this . . . but be careful.”
I was moved by the concern in Suzie’s eyes. “I will.”
“I’ll pick up the list from Noah this afternoon and drop it at the inn,” Suzie said.
“I appreciate it. We have a lot of arrivals today.” Including one I had mixed feelings about. Scott. When would he arrive?
“Call if you need anything else.” With a wave and a smile, Suzie was off.
Wrapping the dark blue company fleece jacket tightly around me, I picked up my pace. A gray cloud of fog lingered off the coast. Khaki-clad tourists with shopping bags resting at their feet had replaced the early morning locals at the coffeehouse.
I entered the inn and appreciated the warmth of the kitchen after the cold ocean breeze. Phil and Andy sat next to each other in the workroom with several folders in front of them.
“Hi, guys. Festival planning?”
“Yep. We have a meeting in the conference room in”—Andy glanced at his watch—“twenty minutes.”
I put my fanny pack on the counter. How could I find out what Andy and Phil had done last night? I could just ask, but that seemed pretty intrusive. I didn’t know them well. They weren’t aware I knew they left right after me. Maybe if I assumed they were there, they’d tell me where they’d gone.
“Phil, I really enjoyed your dance last night. Did you do any more?”
“No. We decided it was time for dessert and left shortly after that.” He patted the files. “And we needed to work.”
“Where did you go? Is it a place we could recommend to guests?” I forced casualness into my voice.
“We came back here and felt there was every reason to mix business and pleasure.” He appeared pleased with himself. “Which we did. I supplied a fabulous dessert wine. A ten-year-old tawny port.”
Andy stood, bowed, and gave a grandiose wave of his arm in the direction of the refrigerator. “And I provided Etorki, a pasteurized sheep’s milk cheese made in the French Basque region of the Pyrenees. A hint of caramel in its creamy texture, a buttery aroma—a delight for the senses!” He put his fingers together and did an air-kiss to the tips of his fingers—the universal gesture for magnificent.
He headed to the fridge. “There’s some left. Would you like to try it?” He was like a child ready to get into a box of candy as he pulled out a plastic-wrapped tray. His eyes widened as he began to uncover the cheese.
“Thanks, Andy,” I said quickly. “I’d love to, but another time. It seems all I’ve been doing is eating since I got here.”
Andy gazed longingly at the plate. He slowly replaced it on the refrigerator shelf.
Phil laughed. “Andy, there’ll be final details to wrap up for tomorrow. We can enjoy your cheese then.”
Andy perked up and closed the refrigerator door.
I hadn’t seen them when I got back from Noah’s Place. Where had they been working? Again, asking outright seemed pretty nosy. I thought for a few minutes as I grabbed a cup and poured some coffee. The aroma of the strong Italian roast pushed my brain into gear.
“Did you see or hear anything when you returned? We’re trying to get as much information as we can because of what happened to Tommy.”
The smile disappeared from Andy’s face. “No. My room has a fairly large desk and an alcove. We decided to discuss the festival up there so we wouldn’t be interrupted.”
“Thanks. I’ll let you get back to work. Please let me know if you remember anything else.” I headed for my room.
Andy and Phil provided alibis for each other. There were two people involved in the attack on Tommy. As much as I liked them, I still couldn’t rule them out.
Charlie Chan. How was I going to find out about him? I doubted he was due back here for a while. Driving around town trying to spot him didn’t seem like the smartest move. He could be in Fort Paul for all I knew.
What would bring him back here? Needing more water. But there was plenty. A failed water cooler? How could I make that happen? I stopped at the door to my room, turned, and headed back to the kitchen.
Excited chatter came from the conference room as I passed. It sounded like the meeting was underway.
The cooler resided in a corner of the workroom near the computer station. White plastic knobs were recessed into the back of the unit. No easy accidental breakage could occur by something hitting them. I flicked one up and down. I could forcibly break it, but how would I explain that?
I stepped back and surveyed the room. There were a couple of other places the water container would fit. New manager decides to rearrange furniture, cooler gets knocked over. That could work. I wanted to damage it just enough to require a visit.
But wait. I wanted to see Charlie, and he delivered water. They might send someone else for a repair. What I needed was a reason to have more water delivered. The sound of boisterous voices floated down the hall.
The festival! That was the answer.
The number for the water company was posted above the phone. “Hello, this is Kelly Jackson at Redwood Cove Bed-and-Breakfast. There’s going to be an event on our grounds tomorrow, and I’d like to have additional water. Would it be possible to have some delivered today? I know it’s late to make a request like this.”
“Let me put you on hold while I contact the driver,” said the company rep.
I crossed my fingers and willed the answer to be the one I wanted.
“Good news. Our truck hasn’t made the Redwood Cove drops yet, and he has extra bottles on board. How many would you like?”
I grabbed a number. “Three.”
“No problem. They’ll be there this afternoon.”
“Thanks.” I hung up. Luck was with me. Now if only Charlie delivered the water.
The phone rang as I started to turn away, and I picked it up. “Redwood Cove Bed-and-Breakfast. Kelly speaking.” I was surprised at how automatic the answer had become.
“Hi, Kelly, how are you doing?”
I knew the voice went with a James Bond look-alike—one of the tall, dark-haired, attractive ones.
“Scott, how nice to hear your voice.” Was it? I wanted to handle the inn on my own, and I didn’t want emotional complications in my life.
“I wanted to let you know I’m in Cloverdale. I’ll probably be there in about an hour and a half.”
“Oh good.” Sounding enthusiastic was a struggle.
“Kelly, I know this is your first solo job.” He paused. “I remember my first one and how important it was to me. I’m only coming because it’s company policy when police have been involved in serious incidents at one of our sites.”
I sighed. “I know. Michael explained that to me when I was hired.”
“I’ll stay in the background. I can help out at the festival.” Another pause. “I’ll just be there.”
I was touched but not surprised. Kind. Sensitive. Smart. Those attributes went on the Scott list, as well. Mr. Perfect. “Thanks for understanding, Scott.”
“Great, then. See you soon.”
“’Bye.” At least this complication wasn’t life-threatening. Or was it, in a different way? It had felt like my life was over when I found out my husband had been cheating on me. I didn’t feel ready to risk being hurt again.
What could I do next? I wondered if the game warden had found out anything. Had the Sentinels decoded the last page of notes?
As if on cue, there was a knock at the back door. Its window framed
the Professor’s face. I waved him in.
“Hi, Professor. What brings you here?”
“We deciphered another page of notes.” He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. “I thought you might like a copy before I deliver it to Fran.” He handed the paper to me.
“You must have been reading my mind. I wondered if you’d learned anything more.” I scanned the page. “Is there anything that stands out?”
“Not really. The number of abalone taken increased.” He sat on a nearby stool and placed his plaid wool cap on the counter. “Whoever’s poaching is making a lot of money.” He fingered the hat’s soft cloth—a blend of subtle red, green, and gray threads. “Hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
“I know you believe Bob was murdered. Do you think this is why?”
“Good possibility. He wanted so much to help, to save our land and resources for future generations and for his grandkids.” Sadness weighed down his voice. His shoulders drooped. “I think Bob got in over his head.”
“Do you have any idea who might have killed him?”
He looked at me. “Yes.”
Chapter 26
My heart raced. Maybe we could finally put an end to this craziness.
The Professor leaned forward and whispered in a conspiratorial manner. “It has to be someone with connections in the Bay Area and who travels there a lot.” He sat back and winked at me knowingly.
My soaring hopes crash-landed with a jolt. “I’d been thinking along the same lines, Professor.” I struggled to keep the disappointment off my face.
“The amount of abalone they’re taking means it has to be shuttled out of here often.” He pulled another piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. “Here’s who I came up with so far.”
I examined the list. My four top suspects were there plus three others. If the stolen BlackBerry was connected, the new people weren’t in the running.
I lowered my voice. “I’m checking on Andy, Phil, Jason, and Charlie.”
He patted my hand. “I know it must be hard. They seem to be really nice men, but we have to consider everyone.”
“I agree, Professor.”
“I didn’t know you were investigating them. The Silver Sentinels will work on the other three.”
Murder at Redwood Cove Page 14