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

by Cindy Bell

“Sorry!” Walt gulped. “I got distracted.”

  “It's okay.” Samantha adjusted her seatbelt. “I think we need to have a conversation with Tommy and with Doll.”

  “The question is, if Tommy was at the movies with this Cynthia Doll last night, then why didn't he tell the police that? Why did he claim he was alone? Jerry said he was trying to hurry Doll along. It was like he was trying to keep from being seen,” Walt said perplexed.

  “I can tell you why,” Samantha replied smugly. “Because there is a Mr. Doll.”

  “Oh.” Walt's eyes widened. “They are having an affair.”

  “So, it seems,” Samantha agreed, “unless I am off base in thinking that the Doll he was with last night was Cynthia Doll. Tommy's going to have to admit to it, because there's no way that Doll will do anything to tarnish her perfect image.”

  “Sounds like a job for Eddy.” Walt drove into Sage Gardens. It was nearing eleven o'clock, much later than he was used to being out. “I can call him in the morning,” he offered.

  “That's all right, I'll let him know.” Samantha smiled as Walt parked in her driveway. “Have a good night, Walt.”

  “Thanks.” Walt watched as she walked up the path to her front door. He waited until she had unlocked her door and was safely inside. Then he began the drive to his villa. As he did, he noticed something odd. Abe was rolling along the sidewalk. Walt slowed down a little and considered asking him if he was okay. But then he stopped himself. Abe had every right to be out as late as he wanted to, a wheelchair didn't stop him from being able to go out. Still it seemed odd to Walt that he would be out wandering so late. Abe didn't seem to be concerned. He looked quite relaxed as he rolled down the path. Walt assumed he must be going to visit someone. He gave a slight wave through the window. If Abe noticed, he didn't respond. Walt continued down the road with his mind on Joel.

  Chapter 8

  Samantha stepped into her villa and felt immediate apprehension. She had almost forgotten about the strange occurrences from earlier. First she had found a window open that she was certain she had closed, and then she had found the items on the top of her dresser pushed aside. All of this came rushing back to her as she stared into her dark villa. She stood just inside the door and flicked the light on. The room filled with light, revealing that everything was just as she had left it. She still shivered a little.

  To help ease her nervousness she decided to give Eddy a call. He was often awake fairly late and she wanted to update him on what had happened at the movie theater. She dialed his number as she poured herself a glass of juice. Eddy answered on the first ring.

  “Sam, is everything okay?” Eddy asked with some urgency.

  “Yes, I just wanted to let you know what we found out tonight.” Samantha suppressed a yawn. “It's not too late I hope.”

  “Not at all,” Eddy replied. “In fact Jo and I are still going over some of the information I found out about Tommy's background.”

  “Oh, Jo is there with you?” Samantha was surprised. Eddy and Jo hadn't been very quick to be friendly with one another. She was also relieved. The more comfortable Eddy became with Jo the less tension there would be between the four of them.

  “Yes. We were trying to come up with any previous evidence of Tommy's volatile temper. So far we've had a few hits.”

  “I think you might have wasted your time.” Samantha sighed. “I'm fairly certain that Tommy's alibi is solid.”

  “Really?” Eddy asked. “What did you find out? I didn't think much would come from your visit.”

  “I didn't either, but apparently Tommy and the woman he was with made quite an impression on the employees.” She sipped her juice.

  “Tommy had a date?” Eddy sounded surprised. “Who would go out with a man like him?”

  “Possibly a socialite by the name of Doll.” Samantha smiled into the phone. “She has to be the most prim and proper woman that lives in Sage Gardens, but it looks like she's been stepping out on her husband. I thought you might want to have a talk with Tommy about it in the morning.”

  “I'll do just that,” Eddy agreed. “But it's disappointing that now our only suspect is Anna. I still don't think she would be strong enough to pull off something like this.”

  “Maybe not. But she could have hired someone to do it. And don't forget the list of suspects that Walt gave us.” Samantha sighed as she thought of the list. It was going to take a lot of digging to get to the bottom of it.

  “I still think Abe is a little too interested in the case. Maybe he's connected somehow?” Eddy suggested.

  “I can look into his past and see what I can find,” Samantha offered. “I'm going to turn in for the night though.”

  “Okay, rest well, Sam.”

  “Thanks, you too, Eddy. Tell Jo I said goodnight.”

  “Will do.”

  After Eddy hung up the phone he turned to look at Jo. She was finishing the cup of tea he had made her not long before. “Looks like we can cross Tommy off our list of suspects. I'm going to have a conversation with him in the morning to confirm it, but it looks like he was at the movies with a married woman.”

  “Really,” Jo said with surprise. “Are you sure he couldn't have got back in time to kill Joel?”

  “I don't think so. Besides, it really looks like a crime of passion. It would take an awful lot of planning to pull off creating an alibi and committing a murder all while not slipping up. I don't think he has the smarts for it. Do you?”

  “Well, Tommy never did strike me as a murderer.” Jo sipped the last of her tea. “But I guess we'll find out for sure. I wouldn't be too harsh with him though, or he might end up being a thorn in your side.”

  “Tommy doesn't frighten me,” Eddy's voice was stern. He stood up and took the empty mug.

  “I didn't mean to imply that he did. I just think he could get pretty annoying after a while, and a man like him tends to hold a grudge.” Jo stood up from the table.

  “Just how much do you know about what kind of man Tommy is?” Eddy turned to look at Jo inquisitively.

  “What are you asking me, Eddy?” Jo's eyes danced with a touch of amusement. She paused just in front of Eddy and held his gaze boldly.

  “I'm asking what business you had with him that allowed you such an intimate understanding of him.” Eddy didn't back down. Instead he took a small step closer. “You don’t seem to like him very much, but you also know quite a lot about him.”

  “Is this the part where you start to question my motives again?” Jo asked in a disappointed tone. “I don't know what I have to do to prove my friendship, Eddy, but I'm also not interested in finding out. Either you consider me a friend, or you don't consider me at all.”

  “My friends tend to be fairly forthcoming. I asked you a simple question.” Eddy scowled.

  “I'm not under your interrogation, Eddy I'm not obligated to answer your questions. As your friend, I can tell you that I associated with Tommy because he had a connection I needed in the gardening community. I wanted a certain kind of flower, and he knew the person to get it from. Does that put your mind at ease?” She stepped around him and towards the door.

  “Jo, wait.” Eddy turned to face her. “Look, old habits die hard.”

  “Once a cat burglar, always a cat burglar, I'm used to the routine.” Jo shook her head. “I thought maybe we had gotten past that, Eddy.”

  “It's not that at all. Well, maybe a little.” Eddy shrugged. “I don't trust easily, Jo. It's nothing personal.”

  “So, don't trust. That doesn't mean we can't be friends, does it?” Jo met his eyes. “Do you really think I trust you?”

  Eddy stared back at her as the tension built between them. No matter how he tried, he couldn't quite figure Jo out. One moment she was as casual as the next door neighbor, the next he could see the cunning in her that had allowed her to survive on the run. It was hard to reconcile those two personalities.

  “So, we don't trust each other. Friendship usually requires that we do.” E
ddy frowned.

  “Does it? I don't think so.” Jo looked towards the door for a moment and then back at Eddy. “Actually, that's something to think about. We've all been looking at Joel's enemies, but what about his friends?”

  Eddy realized that she was trying to change the subject, but he didn't stop her. He had gotten himself into a conversation that there was no real way out of.

  “I think you're right. It just brings my thoughts back to Abe.” Eddy shook his head. “You probably think I'm a lunatic for even considering a man in a wheelchair as a possibility.”

  “Not at all.” Jo levelled her gaze on Eddy. “I’m always amazed at what people are capable of doing, Eddy. Where there is a will there usually is a way.”

  She turned and walked out of Eddy's villa. As the door closed behind her she felt her heart drop slightly. Just when she thought she was making progress, beginning to be accepted, Eddy had made it clear that he still viewed her as a threat. It was frustrating, to say the least.

  Chapter 9

  Samantha woke up the next morning with a feeling of dread. She immediately looked towards her bedroom window. It was closed and locked just as she had left it. Still, she felt nervous as she climbed out of bed. It was early enough that the villa was still mostly dim. She made her way slowly into the kitchen. The first thing that she noticed were the curtains moving over her kitchen sink. Her stomach tightened with fear. Her eyes flew wide open as she watched the curtains swing in the breeze. The window was open all the way. She was certain that she had not left it open. She hadn't even opened it since Jo had startled her. Samantha quickly looked around the villa. She checked in closets, even in cabinets, and behind furniture. There was no sign of anyone else inside the villa.

  Samantha grabbed her purse and searched for her cell phone. She wanted to get someone else on the phone before she lost her mind. The more she searched in her purse the more frustrated she became. There were plenty of receipts, crumpled up wrappers, and loose change, but there was no cell phone. Samantha growled with frustration. Then she spotted her phone sitting on the kitchen counter not far from the open window. Had she left it there? She rarely left her phone out in the open. She didn't remember leaving it there. But then she had come in late from the movies with Walt. She had been tired when she talked to Eddy on the phone. Perhaps she had laid it down and forgotten to pick it back up.

  It didn't explain the open window, but it made sense that she might have left the phone there. She reached for the phone. Before she could grasp it, the phone began ringing. She gasped with surprise. The phone was just doing what it was supposed to do, but she had been so uptight that the shrill ring scared her. She saw that it was Eddy calling.

  “Hello?” Samantha’s voice shook slightly.

  “Samantha, is it too early?” Eddy asked. “I had trouble sleeping.”

  “No, it's not too early.” Samantha held tightly onto the phone. She stared at the open window.

  “I'm going to talk to Tommy this morning. I just wanted to check in with you before I did. I also want to ask you for a favor,” Eddy sounded determined.

  “What is it?” Samantha asked.

  “I know it seems like a long shot, but I'd like you to look into Abe. Dig as deep as you can. I just can't shake this feeling I have about him.”

  “No problem, I'll do a thorough search. Why don't we meet up after you speak to Tommy?” Samantha suggested. She was hoping to spend as little time alone as possible.

  “Sure.” Eddy paused a moment. “Are you okay, Samantha?” His voice deepened with concern.

  “I think so.” Samantha reached up and closed the window. She made sure that it was securely locked. She didn't want to admit to being afraid. If she did Eddy wouldn't leave her alone about it. She wanted to be sure that what she was experiencing was real before she told anyone else.

  “Do you want to come with me to talk to Tommy?” he offered. Samantha could sense that he was really just offering her company.

  “No, I'll get to work on Abe. If your instincts are telling you that there is something strange there, I believe you.” Samantha sat down in front of her computer. She could get her coffee later. She needed something to take her mind off the fear that she was feeling.

  “All right, I'll see you in a little while.” Eddy hung up the phone.

  He looked at the screen for a moment as if hoping it would give him more of an explanation about the conversation he had just had. Samantha was clearly disturbed by something, but she wasn't willing to tell him about it. He wondered if Jo wasn't the only one that felt judged by him. He pushed the thought out of his mind and headed out the front door. He wanted to catch Tommy before he had the chance to go out for the day. As he walked up to Tommy's villa he could see that he had made it just in time. There was a moving truck at Tommy's. Tommy himself was standing at the end of his driveway with his hands on his hips. He was watching the movers like a hawk.

  “Be careful with that television,” he snapped.

  “Tommy!” Eddy called out to him as he walked closer.

  “What do you want?” Tommy sighed.

  “I see that you're moving.” Eddy nodded towards the truck.

  “You really are quite the detective.” Tommy sneered in Eddy's direction.

  “Moving closer to Doll's place then?” Eddy asked casually.

  Tommy turned to look at him so quickly that Eddy heard a subtle cracking sound from the man's neck.

  “What did you just say?” he demanded.

  “I could ask you about it, or I could ask her husband where he thinks she was last night.” Eddy narrowed his eyes and squared his shoulders. He was sending a clear message to Tommy that he would not be intimidated.

  Tommy's face paled. He clenched his jaw and looked back at the movers. When he spoke again it was through tightened lips. “How do you know about that?”

  “Does it really matter how I know?” Eddy replied brusquely. “All that matters is whether it's true, and who finds out, right?”

  “It's true,” Tommy huffed. “But it isn't anyone's business. I don't know how anyone found out!”

  “That's why you said you were alone at the movies? You were trying to hide your affair?” Eddy asked. Tommy raised his hand to shush him as the movers carried a mattress out to the truck. Once they had disappeared back inside he turned back to Eddy.

  “Look. It isn't an affair. At least not yet. We're just trying things out. I didn't want anyone to know, she's got a lot to lose. I even cut my own hair so that no one would recognize me,” he said softly. “I didn't want to put her in the position to have to explain to her husband what she was doing at the movies with me. That's why I told the police I was alone. But it doesn't change the fact that I didn't kill anyone.”

  “You say.” Eddy tilted his head towards Anna's house. “Maybe you are using Cynthia as your cover, to prove that you weren't here killing Joel?”

  “Listen, you're really imaginative, with this little fantasy you have in your mind. I had nothing to do with Joel's death. If I was going to use Cynthia as an alibi then why would I lie about her being there?” He glared at Eddy. “Why don't you go find a job at a department store as the greeter or something so you can keep yourself occupied? Running around here playing detective isn't cutting it.”

  “Watch it.” Eddy glared right back at him.

  “Watch what?” Tommy scowled at him. “What are you going to do, cuff me?” Tommy started to turn back towards the house. Eddy was doing his best to control his temper, he knew that Tommy was just trying to goad him into a fight. He'd gotten the confirmation that he needed. Tommy was at the movies with Cynthia Doll. It was very unlikely that he killed Joel. He was just about to walk away when Tommy suddenly spun around.

  “Maybe you should ask Anna who she thinks killed her husband,” Tommy snapped. “I'm sure she has a pretty good idea.”

  “Why do you say that?” Eddy asked with interest.

  “A woman like Anna gets swept up in romance. Not that I
blame her with the way Joel treated her, but I'm betting whoever she was getting attention from had something to do with this.” He pointed at the pile of garbage at the curb of Anna and Joel's old villa. “A loving wife doesn't do that, now does she?”

  In the pile of garbage were photographs of Joel, fine clothing, and what looked like a collection of beer steins. Eddy was tempted to snag a few for himself, but he resisted. Tommy was right, it didn't seem like Anna had wasted any time discarding all of Joel's possessions. Perhaps she was just trying to put the tragedy behind her, but she hadn't even bothered to donate the good quality items.

  “Do you know who she was seeing?” Eddy asked as he turned back to look at Tommy. Tommy was already gone. Eddy heard his front door slam shut. He thought about going up to the door and knocking, but he was fairly certain that he was not going to get anything else out of Tommy. He had a new lead to follow, but first he wanted to check in with Samantha.

  Chapter 10

  When Eddy knocked on the door of Samantha's villa, he noticed something strange. The grass beside the front stoop had been trampled down. The rest of the lawn was perfectly manicured as usual. Eddy thought it was strange that only one patch was damaged. He was distracted by Samantha opening the front door.

  “Hi Eddy, come in.” She left the door open so that he could step inside and immediately walked over to her computer.

  “Samantha, what happened by your front door?” Eddy asked.

  “Huh? Nothing.” Samantha shook her head. “I did some research on dear, old Abe.” Samantha looked over at Eddy with a dark expression. “He is quite the con artist.”

  “What do you mean?” Eddy asked as he walked over to her. He rested one hand on the desk and peered at the screen. “What did you find?” He leaned closer to her.

  “I found that he has been trying to get money out of many people one way or another. He has several lawsuits pending against several companies. Each one as frivolous as the last. It is as if he is waiting for one of them to pan out, no matter how outlandish the accusation is.” She scrunched up her nose. “One of my pet peeves is using lawsuits to get rich.”