I threw back the covers and walked stiffly over to the coffeemaker. Thank you, Corrigan, for your devotion to superb java. Smelling the ground beans was the beginning of revival.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted me as I stepped out of the shower. Wonderful! But what I saw in the mirror was a different kind of hello. The beginning of a black eye made me look like a one-eyed raccoon. Good thing my sister was into makeup and insisted I carry supplies when I packed in a hurry.
I toweled off, dressed, and did my usual routine with extra eye time. Yesterday’s events churned through my mind like a movie on fast-forward. The fight. The hospital. A tired Scott saying good night and leaving for the company retreat. The smell of frying bacon filled the hallway as I walked toward the kitchen.
Helen glanced up from stirring a pan full of scrambled eggs. “Good morning. How do you feel?”
“Creaky, but walking.”
She laughed. “Well, maybe we can oil your joints with some good food.” Helen turned off the burner. “Scott called. He should be here any minute.”
Oil. Right. I rubbed the bump on my head.
As if on cue, Scott opened the door and walked in. “Kelly, how are you?”
I smiled. “A little sore, but fine.”
Helen added sautéed red and green bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and a generous pinch of fresh herbs to the eggs and piled them onto two plates. She placed homemade wheat toast and bacon next to them. I could get used to this.
Silverware and napkins were already on the counters. “Dig in.” She put the meal in front of us.
And that we did. It had been a long twenty-four hours.
“Scott, thanks for taking me to the emergency room yesterday,” I said between mouthfuls. The wait, the tests, and the examinations had taken hours. Dinner never happened.
“You’re welcome.” He was devouring his breakfast.
We ate in dedicated silence for a few minutes.
“Where’s Tommy?” I asked.
“Enjoying his newfound freedom,” Helen replied. “He’s outside playing with Fred.”
“I’m sure happy it’s all over.” My shoulders slumped, emotional exhaustion dragging them down.
Scott pushed his plate back. “Thanks for the terrific breakfast, Helen. That’ll help see me through the day.”
“You’re welcome. All of you have done so much to help Tommy and me. I appreciate it.” She picked up his dish. “It’s the least I can do.”
Scott turned to me. “Corrigan should be arriving shortly. He wants us all to meet in the conference room. He’s invited the Silver Sentinels.”
The Silver Sentinels? What was that about? “Okay. I’ll be ready.”
Scott’s cell phone rang, and he stepped outside to answer it.
I headed back to my room to check my blossoming black eye. I put on a little more makeup and headed for the conference room, where Bob’s accident had first been declared a murder.
The group was there. In deference to breakfast, Mary had brought croissants, dark purple fruit oozing from the ends. I sat next to the Professor. The fragrance of his aftershave drifted through the air. Ivan rubbed at a nicked area on his chin—a hazard from shaving. Rudy placed one of Mary’s treats on a small plate. Gertie sat up straight, pen and notepad ready.
What a wonderful group of people. I was so fortunate to have met them.
Tommy and Fred bounded in, followed by Corrigan and Helen.
“Hey, everyone.” Fran entered with Deputy Sheriff Stanton behind her.
Helen had already put water pitchers and glasses on the table. Mugs were on top of a back cabinet, with two large thermoses of coffee next to them. Plates, silverware, and napkins were on the counter, along with a basket heaped with muffins. She’d been busy this morning.
“Fran, how is Charlie?” I asked.
“He’ll be fine. He has to stay put in the hospital for a while, though.” She laughed. “That will be real torture for him. He’s always on the go.”
Corrigan shifted in his chair. “I want to thank you all for meeting with me today and helping to bring closure to the recent tragic events. Please, tell me what happened from the beginning.”
I listened as each person shared their thoughts and actions. I chimed in as appropriate. The story was told.
“I can add some new information.” Deputy Sheriff Stanton pushed his coffee mug back and put his elbows on the table. “Suzie told us everything. She had nothing to lose and maybe some small consideration to be gained. Suzie partnered with Jason. She let him store the abalone in the refrigerators at the hotel.”
I shook my head, still stunned by the turn of events.
“Bob knew Jason was poaching but didn’t know where such a large amount of abalone was being kept between his trips to San Francisco. When Bob visited Suzie on the day he died, he encountered Jason and suspected Suzie was his accomplice.”
“Who attacked Tommy?” asked Gertie.
I realized they didn’t know everything that happened. It seemed like ages ago that Tommy shared Fred’s escapade.
“Jason attempted to toss Tommy off the cliff because he saw him loading bags of abalone into his van,” the deputy said.
All eyes turned to the boy.
Tommy sat on the floor in the corner of the room, staring at the dog lounging in his lap. He gently tugged on Fred’s long ears.
“Suzie stopped him. Bob’s death wasn’t planned. She panicked.” Stanton sighed. “Killing Tommy would’ve been cold-blooded murder. She wouldn’t allow that. She has a streak of decency in her.”
“What about Jason’s murder?” I asked.
“She told Jason what happened to Bob. They didn’t know how much information he had collected or where it was. Hence Bob’s stolen phone.” Deputy Stanton shot me a look. “Suzie heard your phone conversation and knew where Helen put it. She saw you talking to the kids and got to the inn before you.”
Ha! I was right about it being connected.
“Jason decided to run. He demanded she meet him and bring money.”
“Ah . . . good old-fashioned blackmail.” The Professor nodded his head. “Fear and greed weighed in here. Basic emotions lie at the bottom of most murders.”
“Suzie wasn’t sure what she was going to do. She took what money she could gather together and a gun that had belonged to her husband.” He shrugged. “Jason said thanks and he’d be in touch for more. Then she pulled the gun. They fought. She shot.”
“Thanks for telling us. I’m glad we can bring closure to Bob’s death,” Corrigan said.
The silence lengthened. Everyone seemed to be examining their fingernails. Fred stood up and yawned.
Corrigan called out, “Hey, Fred, come here, boy.”
The low-slung hound walked over to Corrigan.
He ruffled his ears. “This is the one who failed his final exam at the cancer clinic?”
“Yeah,” Tommy said.
“Bob told me about him.”
“They asked us if we wanted him because he couldn’t be one of their cancer detection dogs,” Tommy said.
“Nyet! Enough!” Ivan roared. “This is great dog. Is wrong people don’t know.” He scowled as Mary grabbed his arm.
“We all promised,” she pleaded.
“Ivan, no!” Rudy implored, tugging on Ivan’s other arm.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“He smell cancer. Like trained.” Ivan glared defiantly at the others.
“How do you know?” I asked.
The Professor let out a deep sigh. “We take Fred when we go on visits to nursing homes. He’s a certified therapy dog.”
Gertie piped up. “We saw that with certain patients he put his paw on their knee. We didn’t think anything of it at first.”
“One of the people told me she’d been diagnosed with cancer,” Mary said. “I saw Fred put his paw on her knee when we entered the room.”
Mary grabbed one of her breakfast pastries and took several quick bites.
We all waited to hear more.
She looked at a corner of the ceiling, avoiding eye contact. “I had another person tell me the same thing that day, and Fred put his paw on that person’s knee, as well.”
“When Mary told us her story, we began comparing notes,” the Professor said.
Rudy chimed in. “We believe Fred can detect cancer. He just doesn’t signal it the way he was taught.”
“We not say anything,” Ivan rumbled. “We not want boy to lose dog. Maybe he have to go back to clinic.” He clasped his work-worn hands together. “We not want to lose dog, either.”
“There’s no problem there,” Helen said. “Tommy’s named as sole owner on his papers.”
I swear five pairs of stiff shoulders dropped simultaneously and five grins appeared.
“So . . . if Fred puts his paw on a person’s knee, that means they have cancer?” Tommy asked.
“Appears that way,” the Professor said.
Tommy stood and began to back away. “No,” he shouted, an expression of horror on his face.
Fear shot through me. “Tommy, what is it?”
He looked at me with wild eyes and raced from the room, Fred on his heels.
I followed, a fleeting vision of bewildered looks from the group in my mind. I grabbed the truck keys and a fleece from a hook by the door and ran to the Toyota.
Pulling out of the driveway, I caught a glimpse of Tommy cutting across the adjacent field on his bike. As I watched, he began to ascend a steep hill, the bike lurching from side to side as he struggled to make it to the top. Fred followed. The two disappeared over the crest.
I didn’t want to stop him. I wanted to see where he was going. And I didn’t want to lose him. I pushed the gas pedal down.
As I reached the top, Tommy bounced his way down a dirt path to my left, through an empty lot. Not able to follow in the pickup, I stopped and took binoculars out of the glove box.
Tommy turned into a driveway, dropped his bike, and ran up to the front door of a house. He pounded on it.
I recognized the VW bus parked next to the home.
Daniel opened the door.
Tears streamed down Tommy’s face. I couldn’t hear him, but I could read his lips.
“Where’s Allie?” he mouthed.
Daniel opened the door wider, and Tommy pushed past, followed by Fred.
I put the binoculars down, put the truck in gear, and drove to the home via a more roundabout way.
I pulled into the driveway, turned the vehicle off, and paused for a minute. I was scared what this might mean. I dreaded telling Daniel.
It had to be done. I took several deep breaths, got out, and walked to the door. I raised my hand and hesitated. Then I gave a couple of sharp raps.
It took Daniel a couple of minutes to answer. “Kelly, thank goodness you’re here. What’s wrong with Tommy? He’s crying so hard, he can’t speak.”
“Daniel, we need to talk.”
Chapter 33
The buzz of the alarm jarred me into consciousness once again. Yesterday’s events filtered sluggishly through my half-awake mind. Fred could detect cancer. Michael had flown Allie and Daniel to Beacon Medical Center. They’d discovered a melanoma, but she would be fine. It had been caught at an early stage. Scott had been sent away on a “burning fire” mission, as he called it.
I pulled the down comforter over my head. Just a few more minutes of warmth, softness, and quiet. It felt good to be back home in my own bed.
Home? In my own bed? Where did that come from? Had I really connected that much to Redwood Cove? I flipped the comforter back and stared at the ceiling. What wasn’t to like about the place? A small town on a beautiful coast. That worked for me. I was a small-town girl. I learned that after the brief time I spent in a couple of big cities. I thought of the Silver Sentinels. Friends helping friends. I liked that, too. I felt comfortable here. I hoped I had a chance to come back to Redwood Cove in the future.
Sighing, I knew I couldn’t ignore the new day anymore. I rolled out of bed and winced. My sore muscles needed time to warm up. I walked to the kitchenette, started the coffee, headed for the shower, and began the whole getting-ready routine. After I finished, I took a couple of aspirin and put the bottle in the pocket of my fleece vest.
I entered the work area, my cup clutched in my right hand.
I stopped. A man wearing a gray pin-striped suit stood looking out the back door. The razor-cut line of hair on the back of his neck would make a general proud.
“May I help you?” I asked, bewildered by a stranger in our private area.
He turned around.
“Daniel?” Was I dreaming? “What . . . Why . . .” I stopped, speechless.
“Good morning, Kelly.” He raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”
“I . . . uhhh . . . you look great,” I stammered. “I mean . . . not that you didn’t look great, uhh, nice before . . . I thought you looked wonderful.” My face felt on fire. I was getting in deeper and deeper. “It’s a different look,” I finally managed to say.
Daniel laughed. “Thanks for all the compliments . . . I think.”
“Would you like some coffee?”
“Yes, thanks.” Daniel settled himself on a stool.
“Why the suit?” I handed him a mug.
“I decided to apply for Bob’s job. I want to be a better provider for Allie.” He paused. “And it’s time for me to make some changes in my life.”
“That’s wonderful, Daniel.” But did he have any experience running a place like this?
“I majored in business management before I dropped out of college.”
A shiver raced down my spine. I felt like he’d read my mind.
“I thought about it during the flight back yesterday and asked Corrigan if I could meet with him. We have an interview scheduled here in about fifteen minutes.”
I knew Michael was only here a couple of days. Quick thinking on Daniel’s part.
“I got in touch with a couple of buddies, and they found the suit and shoes and cut my hair.” He grimaced. “I don’t remember my neck ever feeling so cold!”
He got up and fetched a worn leather briefcase leaning against the wall. He pulled out some papers and handed them to me.
“I won’t tell you how many years I’ve had this.” He held up the portfolio. “It lived in the back of the closet from the day I moved here until yesterday.”
His résumé’s format was outdated, but the critical information was there. Impressive that he’d pulled it all together so quickly.
“Daniel, I wish you the best. If Michael asks me how it’s been working with you, rest assured I’ll only have wonderful things to say.”
Crunching gravel heralded Corrigan’s arrival. Through the back window we saw him pull up in the black Mercedes and park next to the pickup.
Daniel took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders.
“You’ll do fine.” I handed the résumé back to him.
“Thanks, Kelly.” He placed the papers back in his leather case.
Corrigan opened the door and stopped. He blinked a few times. “Hi, Daniel. Looks like you’re ready for the interview.”
“Yes, sir.”
I thought he was going to salute.
“Kelly, how are you doing today?” Corrigan asked.
“Fine,” I lied. “A little more coffee and my batteries will be charged for the day.”
“Glad to hear it. Is there a problem with me using the office right now?”
“No. I’ll be taking care of guests. Helen came in early to do breakfast. I told her last night to take the rest of the day off after that. I’ll take care of the finished breakfast baskets. She’s been working extra hours since Bob died, and I thought she’d like some quiet time with Tommy.”
Michael looked at me thoughtfully. “Good idea.”
The two of them headed for the office while I poured more dark, hot liquid from a thermos Helen had prepared. We only had
three guests left. Checking them out would be easy. Easy. I liked the sound of that right now.
As I sat down at the counter and sipped the hot brew, my cell phone rang. I checked the number. Scott.
“Hey, how are you doing? I got your message about an emergency. Where did you end up going?”
“I’m in stunning Sedona with a miserable twerp of a real estate agent.”
“Fun and not so fun, it sounds like. I love Sedona.”
“You’ve been here before?”
“Several times. Be sure you get up to the Red Rim Café at the airport. With any luck, they still have the all-you-can-eat crab feeds.”
I stopped. I realized I didn’t really know much about Scott. It was a very basic restaurant frequented by families and people grabbing a bite to eat after work. I thought of his immaculate clothes and quality leather shoes. All I had seen him in until recently.
“Though it might not be what you’re used to. It’s not fancy,” I added hastily. “Mostly locals.”
“I’m not about fancy, Kelly. Good food and good company are what interest me.” He paused. “I wish you could be here to show me around and share that delicious-sounding dinner.”
“Maybe we can do that sometime.” Did I really say that? I’d promised I wasn’t getting involved with anyone.
“We have a company retreat in a few months. I’ll see you then, if not before.”
“I look forward to it.” My fluttering heart didn’t seem to be in agreement with my reservations.
“Kelly, let’s stay in touch. We have very isolating jobs.”
“I’d like that, too.” Where was this going?
“There are a lot of issues and ideas that come up when I’m out in the field. Bouncing them off of someone would be great. It’s nice having someone to talk to.”
Oh, business.
“And not just about business,” Scott said.
What was up today? Was I thinking out loud?
“I enjoyed getting to know you on a more personal basis.”
“I learned some new things about you, too.” Like the jeans and hiking shoes.
Murder at Redwood Cove Page 19