Sage Gardens Cozy Mystery Series Box Set Volume 1 (Books 1 - 4)

by Cindy Bell

  “They're files. Cold cases.” He shrugged. “Sometimes, if I'm feeling a yearning for some police work I'll have one of the guys bring over a few files for me to look through. But I'd prefer that you not touch them.”

  “Okay.” She nodded. Just from a glance she could count at least ten folders. She could safely assume that he had been having quite a few yearnings for the old days lately. She looked up at him with a different level of understanding. Letting go of the past was hard for Eddy, too. He sat down at the table beside her and handed her a beer.

  “So, what do you think you can find out about Tommy?” Jo asked.

  “I put a call through to my friend, Chris, who works at the station. He's a lab technician, but he's got his hands in everything. I asked him to see if he could dig up anything on Tommy. If he does, he'll let me know. But not all bad behavior is reported to the police. I thought we could check into whether Tommy has had any civil complaints. We can see if we can find out how deep the animosity between Tommy and Joel was.”

  “That's a good idea.” Jo took a sip of her beer. She didn't drink very often, but she felt comfortable to do so with Eddy. “I'll look up what I can on my phone,” Jo offered. She pulled out her cell phone and began doing some searches on Tommy. While she skimmed the results, Eddy's phone began to ring.

  “It's Chris.” Eddy nodded. “Just give me a minute.” He stood up and walked down the hallway to his bedroom. Jo thought it was odd that he required so much privacy for the conversation. To her it was yet another sign that he did not trust her.

  “Chris, thanks for doing this,” Eddy spoke in a low voice as he closed his bedroom door.

  “Anything for you, Eddy, you know that. I did find a few things on Tommy.”

  “What did you find?” Eddy asked.

  “Mostly minor scuffles, but Tommy has a habit of getting into fistfights. He's been arrested for disorderly conduct a few times, but the charges were dismissed. He hasn't caused any serious injuries that are on record, but he did have a domestic dispute listed from ten years ago. However, those charges were dropped as well.”

  “Hmm, it seems like he's gotten away with losing his temper plenty of times before, seems like he is a loose cannon that could have committed the murder. What do you think?” He paused and listened closely. He valued Chris' opinion on cases more than many detectives. Though he was young and rather inexperienced he had a clear mind and strong instincts. He also knew how to find out whatever information he wanted on just about anyone.

  “I don't know, Eddy. Even though he had multiple arrests none of them led to any real injuries. Even the domestic dispute was over possessions rather than a physical attack. He certainly doesn't seem like the calmest guy around, but going from breaking a few lamps to bashing someone's head in, is a big leap,” he sounded unconvinced.

  “That's a good point.” Eddy grimaced. He had hoped that whatever Chris found would lead to a fairly cut and dry answer. “Have you heard anything from the medical examiner?”

  “Actually, yes. The exam showed that whoever killed Joel was strong and likely a little taller than Joel. The blows were harsh and did a lot of damage. Also, there was likely a large amount of blood splatter on the attacker.”

  “That makes the wife a very unlikely suspect,” Eddy remarked thoughtfully.

  “I'd say so.” Chris paused a moment and then spoke quickly. “Listen Eddy, this is about all of the information I can offer you about this case. It’s been assigned to a senior detective.”

  “I understand,” Eddy replied quietly. Chris was a little concerned about being caught, and he had good reason to be. Many of the older detectives were aware that Eddy used Chris as a contact. Most didn't care, but if they did anything to foul up the detective's investigation, Chris would be the one to pay the price. “Thanks for what you've done already.”

  “Whatever I can do, I will do.” Chris hung up the phone. Eddy tucked his phone back into his pocket and walked back out to join Jo. He found her studying the books on his bookshelf. Eddy quickly tried to remember whether there was anything on that shelf that he wouldn't want Jo looking at.

  “Find anything interesting?” He stepped up beside her.

  “Just surprised at some of your choices.” Jo shot him a small smile. “I didn't peg you for a reader.”

  “Really?” Eddy met her eyes. “Do I not look studious to you?”

  Jo did her best not to laugh in reaction to the question. “So, what did your contact have to say?”

  Eddy blinked as if he had just remembered what they were dealing with.

  “Oh right. Our Tommy Radner has a criminal record.” He sat down at the table. “He's been in a good amount of trouble in the past.”

  “Well, that points to him being the killer.” Jo sat down across from him. “But if the police have this information why hasn't he been picked up yet?”

  “The previous arrests were all for minor crimes. Some did involve minimal violence. The police may not feel that is enough to create a case against him just yet.” He sat back in his chair. “To be honest I'm not sure it's enough for me either. I just feel that if a man is going to be violent enough to kill he doesn't get into arguments without really causing harm.”

  “Yes, but these arrests were in the past. Things could have happened since then to trigger his rage. Maybe bad circumstances piled up to the point that he just snapped,” Jo suggested. “It's hard to imagine, but it happens.”

  “That may be it.” Eddy nodded slowly. He still felt as if something wasn't quite right. He couldn't place what made him uneasy about Tommy as a suspect. “Still, is he a killer?”

  “Can anyone really tell if someone else is a killer?” Jo questioned. “It's not as if they wear a sign.”

  “Maybe not, but I have seen the coldness in the eyes of a murderer. It's something I've never seen in the eyes of another human being.” He closed his eyes for a moment as he recalled the cruel men that he had placed in handcuffs. “But I don't see that coldness in Tommy's eyes. All I see is bitterness.”

  “Hm. Maybe you're getting rusty,” Jo asked, hoping Eddy would take the bait.

  “Don't even think it,” Eddy replied mockingly. “I thought you didn't suspect Tommy?”

  “I don't suspect anyone, as a rule. The guilty party will show him or herself given time.” She smiled with confidence.

  “Interesting.” Eddy knocked his knuckles against the table. “I think I might like that philosophy.”

  Chapter 7

  After getting changed to go to the theater Samantha knocked on Walt’s door. Walt opened the door almost immediately.

  “Come in,” Walt gestured. Samantha walked into his villa. Walt shifted uncomfortably as if he was a bit nervous being alone with her. “Well, would you like me to drive?” he offered.

  “If you don't mind. I prefer not to drive at night, unless I have to,” Samantha explained.

  “I don't mind. I prefer to be driving if I'm in a car.” Walt smiled. Samantha was not surprised. She wondered how their evening would go, considering that Walt needed everything to be just right.

  “I'll just get my wallet.” Walt walked into the back bedroom.

  Alone in Walt's living room Samantha took a good look around. She noticed that there were three photographs on an otherwise empty wall. Each photograph was perfectly aligned to be in a straight row. Inside each of the frames the image was of a single flower. The first flower was just a bud. The second was in bloom. The third was wilting. Samantha found something fascinating about the photographs. She was still staring at them when Walt walked back in.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Sure.” Samantha nodded. “Did you take these?”

  “Yes, I did.” Walt stared at the pictures for a moment. “It was for a school project when I was in high school. I liked how the pictures turned out, so they have travelled with me ever since.”

  Samantha smiled. She knew that Walt's particular ways had a purpose. She was glad to see that he also ha
d a more creative side.

  “We better go!” Walt declared.

  Once Samantha was settled in Walt's little car she felt as if she was sitting in a cloud. Not only did he have the air conditioning set at exactly the right temperature, his car looked like it had a daily vacuum. There was not a crumb or a crumpled up receipt to be found.

  “Nice car, Walt.” She smiled at him.

  “It's top rated for safety,” Walt explained. “I'm not taking any chances. If I happen to get into an accident, which is statistically possible, then I want my injuries to be as minimal as possible.”

  Samantha offered him an admiring nod before looking back out the window. The streetlights were just beginning to come on. The sun was slipping behind the trees. She felt a strange sense of sadness. Joel would not witness another sunset, or sunrise. Sometimes she focused a little too much on the crime, and not the victim. Joel was a person. He might not have been the best person in the world, but he was still a person. He was a husband, too.

  “What are you thinking about?” Walt asked. He kept his eyes fixated on the road before him.

  “Oh, I was just thinking about Joel,” she admitted quietly.

  “What about him?” Walt asked. His gaze remained ever vigilant through the windshield.

  “Just that he won't see another sunrise. He'll never have the opportunity to make the right choice.”

  “The right choice? I don't think Joel ever would have done that. He seemed to enjoy the money he was earning from making the wrong choices.”

  “Maybe so, but people do change, sometimes. Maybe if he had lived for another ten years he could have done a complete turnaround.” She sighed and then looked over at Walt. “I guess a part of me always thinks about the story that has yet to be written.”

  Walt turned into the parking lot of the movie theater. “That's noble, Samantha, but you have to remember, that unwritten story could have ended in a multitude of ways, including Joel's criminal behavior escalating to the point of causing even more destruction. In your ideal version Joel would grow a conscience, but that is only one potential outcome, and not a very likely one.” He parked the car and turned to look at her. “Your optimism is refreshing, Samantha, but statistically…”

  “All right, all right.” Samantha stepped out of the car and onto the path that led up to the front of the theater. Walt fell into step beside her. As they walked up to the ticket booth, Samantha noticed that the woman behind the glass was only half-awake. That did not bode well for her remembering whether Tommy was there last night.

  “Excuse me, miss?” Walt did not get too close to the glass. When the woman didn't respond he wrapped a tissue around his hand and knocked lightly. The woman jerked awake. She stared between Walt and Samantha with some confusion, and then as if she remembered where she was, she sat up.

  “What show?” she asked.

  “Actually, we're not here to buy a ticket. We'd like some information.” Walt smiled.

  The woman stared at him with disbelief. “I sell tickets, if you're not here to buy one, then you'll have to move along.”

  “What if we offer to buy information?” Samantha slid a twenty dollar bill through the small opening at the base of the glass. Walt looked at her reproachfully, but she ignored him. During her time as a journalist she had learned that greasing palms was a great way to get a person talking.

  “Oh, uh, what kind of information?” The woman picked up the twenty and looked at it hesitantly.

  “All I want to know is if you saw this man here last night.” Samantha held her phone up to the glass. It had the photograph of Tommy that she had snapped earlier at the office.

  The woman peered through the glass.

  “He looks familiar.” She frowned. “I see a lot of people come and go though.”

  “This would have been at the last show last night.” Samantha continued to hold up her phone. “Just do your best to remember.” She didn't want to sway the woman's memory one way or the other, she wanted an honest answer.

  “I just can't quite.” The woman sighed. “You know, wait just a minute. I think I do remember him. Actually, I think I remember who he was with.” She snapped her fingers. “I bet I'm right. But Jerry would know better than me. He works at the snack counter inside. Go ahead in and you can ask him.” She pointed to the door. Samantha smiled with gratitude, but she was disappointed. Tommy's alibi was that he was at the movies alone, she could not have been remembering the right person if she thought he was with someone. Walt held open the door for Samantha.

  “This is a waste of time,” he warned. Samantha knew that he had come to the same conclusion that she had.

  “Let's just follow it through and see where it leads. I already spent the twenty.” She winked lightly at him.

  “Which was a mistake,” Walt spoke with a hint of displeasure in his voice. Samantha ignored it. She couldn't expect a retired accountant to understand bribery. She had learned it had its place, especially when she had very few other ways to convince someone to tell her the truth. At the snack counter a young man was fighting with the popcorn machine. Hot air was blowing, but the popcorn was not popping.

  “It must be clogged again,” he muttered.

  “Excuse me, Jerry?” Samantha asked.

  The young man turned to look at Samantha and Walt. “Sorry guys, if you're looking for popcorn it's going to be a few minutes.”

  “No, thank you.” Walt tilted his head towards Samantha's phone. “We'd like you to take a look at this picture.”

  “The woman at the ticket window said you might remember this man from last night, or someone he was with.” Samantha held up her phone.

  Jerry stared at it for a moment. Then he broke out into a smile.

  “Oh yes, I remember them.” He nodded.

  “Are you sure?” Samantha asked with some confusion. “He was with someone else?”

  “Yes, in fact I never would have noticed him if it wasn't for her. She was quite the firecracker.” He laughed.

  “What does that mean?” Walt asked.

  “Well, the guy wanted to just go straight to the theater. He was kind of pulling her along with him. She started insisting that she wanted popcorn. He started getting aggravated. She barked at him that if he was going to take her on a date he had to treat her right and buy her snacks.” Jerry laughed again. “That's when I started paying attention, because I just thought it was funny that she would demand snacks.”

  “A date?” Samantha repeated. She exchanged a look of confusion with Walt before looking back at Jerry. “So, did he buy her snacks?”

  “Sure he did. The woman was quite a looker, you know, an older lady, but still gorgeous, like you.” He smiled charmingly at Samantha.

  Walt raised an eyebrow.

  Samantha tried to ignore the flattery. “So, she was about my age?”

  “Yes, I'd say so.” Jerry nodded. “She made him buy her popcorn and a drink. I thought it was a little odd that he didn't buy himself anything. I figured he was just being cheap.”

  “Did they argue?” Walt asked.

  “Not really, he just kind of gave in to what she wanted, and then hurried her away to the theater. I don't know why he was in such a rush, they were early for the show by about twenty minutes.” He shrugged. “Maybe he didn't want to miss the previews.”

  “Did he ever say the woman's name?” Samantha asked.

  “No. That was the other odd thing, he just kept calling her doll. I mean they were an older couple, but who calls their girlfriend doll anymore? I can tell you if I called my girlfriend doll she would punch me right in the nose.” He laughed loudly.

  “You don't have a girlfriend do you, Jerry?” Walt asked.

  “Uh well, not currently. Anyway, I really have to fix this popcorn machine.” He cast a wink in Samantha's direction. “If you wait until it's fixed, I'll give you a free bag.”

  Walt wrapped an arm around Samantha's shoulders and steered her away from the counter. “Thanks, we have to be
on our way.”

  As they walked out of the movie theater Samantha shrugged Walt's arm off. “What was that about?” she asked with an amused grin.

  “That boy was clearly flirting with you, I was just saving you the trouble of having to turn him down.” Walt unlocked the car.

  “And what if I didn't want to turn him down?” Samantha asked incredulously.

  “Oh?” Walt paused and met her eyes with an unreadable expression. “I didn't take you for the type that favored pimples and helping with homework.”

  “Walt! He was at least twenty.” Samantha laughed out loud.

  “Statistically, May December relationships do not last.” Walt opened Samantha's door for her.

  “More like January December.” Samantha giggled. She couldn't deny that the young man's attention had been a little flattering. She sat down in the car and began flipping through her phone.

  “What are you looking for?” Walt asked. Samantha was still skimming through her phone.

  “When I was trying to get into the group that runs the social activities at Sage Gardens I got a lot of the contact information for the women who are members. I've never deleted them because contacts are contacts.”

  “That still doesn't tell me what you're looking for,” Walt pointed out.

  “Oh well, something Jerry said made me think of someone.” She paused for a moment and stared down at her phone.

  “What is it?” Walt asked. He squeezed the steering wheel anxiously. He wanted to look over at Samantha, but refused to take his eyes off the road.

  “Yes, there is a woman who lives at Sage Gardens. Her name is Cynthia Doll. But all of the ladies just called her Doll.” Samantha looked over at Walt. “When Jerry said that Tommy was calling his date doll that seemed odd to me. I can't see Tommy ever calling someone doll, unless that was her name.” She smiled a little. “I also couldn't imagine Doll dating Tommy, but maybe she likes her men with a little bit of attitude. I know plenty of women that do.”

  Walt suddenly stepped on the brake. Samantha was jolted forward but her seatbelt kept her from moving too much.