Jeopardy in July: A Jamie Quinn Mystery (Jamie Quinn Cozy Mystery Book 5)

by Barbara Venkataraman

  "--Did you say forty years ago?”

  I laughed. "Yup, that's right. Anyway, there's a painting involved that may or may not be a forgery and I was hoping you could give me some information. I know it's unlikely, but I'm following every lead."

  "Wish I could help, but we're only required to keep files seven years. Our policy is to keep them for ten, but then we shred them."

  "That's what I thought you'd say. Too bad. In this case, your firm was the designated agent for service of process for a corporation."

  "Oh, you should've told me that in the first place," Patty said. "We keep that information in our database forever. Even years after a corporation is dissolved, it can still be sued. What's the name of the company?"

  I sucked in my breath. "That's great news! The company was called THS Investment Group."

  "If you'll hold on, I'll look it up."

  Three minutes passed, but it seemed like much longer. Finally, Patty came back on the line.

  "You're in luck."

  "How so?" I asked.

  "One of the managing members of that corporation is still a client, after all these years."

  My pulse kicked up a notch. "Can you put me in touch with him? Or her?"

  "I'm afraid I can't do that--client confidentiality."

  "Wait," I said. "Could you ask them to contact me?"

  "That, I can do."

  "Fantastic!" I gave her my number and thanked her profusely.

  I was feeling good when I got out of the car because I had a lead! It wasn't even my case, it was Duke's, but I was still excited. As I started to walk across the parking lot, I remembered the parcel in my back seat and turned around. I didn't want anyone stealing the fake Chagall thinking it was valuable. After carefully stowing the picture in my trunk and making sure nothing could damage it, I walked into La Vida Boca.

  The lobby was filled with the usual crowd. I looked around for Bob, but he wasn't there yet. Among the sea of white hair, one head stood out because it was dyed purple. I strolled over to the sofa where Jessie was sitting with her uncle.

  "Do you live here now, or what?" I greeted her. "Where's your trusty sidekick?"

  Jessie giggled. "I don't live here--yet. I just stopped by to bring Uncle Teddy his medicine. Marley couldn't come because they won't let him into CVS."

  "That's a dumb rule. Corporate headquarters will be hearing from me," I joked.

  "Thanks! What are you doing here?" Jess asked.

  "I'm meeting someone."

  Jessie jumped up from the sofa. "Will you excuse us a minute, Uncle Teddy?" She grabbed me by the arm and pulled me out of earshot. "I have to tell you something! I went to see Shirley Petersen."

  "Without me? What happened to us bringing her a plant and then eating all her cookies?"

  "Yeah, well, I saw her walking into her apartment and decided to talk to her. I gave her my condolences and said my Uncle Teddy was devastated to lose his friend, Clarence. She was gracious and thanked me, so I knew she didn't blame Uncle Teddy. Then she invited me in and we had a chat. She's something else!"

  "How so?" I asked.

  Jessie looked amused. "Let's just say her conversation was peppered with salty answers."

  "What does that mean?"

  "She swore like a sailor!" Jess laughed her musical laugh. "I guess she needed someone to talk to because she told me about how they were planning to get divorced."

  I gave Jessie a stern look.

  "I swear I didn't ask! She said they were doing it to protect their assets, but she didn't know why Clarence wanted to put everything in her name. She didn't want a divorce, but he insisted it was necessary."

  "Did she say what started all this?"

  "She wasn't sure, but sometime in May Clarence was looking at the auction websites like he always did and became very upset by something he saw there. She asked him what was wrong, but he refused to talk about it. After that, he became depressed, angry and worried. She didn't know what to do to help him."

  "That's so sad," I said. "Does she know who betrayed him?"

  "Clarence told her someone had betrayed him, but wouldn't tell her who it was."

  "Did she say anything else?"

  "There was one more thing. She said she'll never forget how Clarence looked when he collapsed on the shuffleboard court, that it was awful."

  "Why, what happened?"

  Jessie's eyes grew wide. "She said he was foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog."

  Chapter Forty-Two

  "Oh my God!" I said, and that's when it dawned on me. "Hang on a second, did you hear about Eli?"

  "What's Eli got to do with anything?" Jessie scowled at the mention of her nemesis.

  "He collapsed outside yesterday and was taken to the hospital. He was foaming at the mouth too! There's something going on around here..."

  "What should we do?" Jessie asked, alarmed.

  "It's too late to find out what killed Clarence, but we can still find out what happened to Eli. I don't know if he was released from the hospital yet, have you seen him?"

  "No, but I didn't look for him either."

  "Okay," I said. "Jodi is friends with him, she'll know where he is. After my appointment, I'll track her down."

  We started walking towards her uncle, who was on his cell phone.

  "Will you let me know what you find out?" Jess asked.

  "Definitely."

  Teddy had stopped talking and was now dialing a number. A ringing sound came from my purse and I pulled out my cell.

  "Hello, hello? Is anyone there?" I said.

  "Jamie, is that you?"

  "Of course it is--" I stopped mid-sentence. I was now face-to-face with Uncle Teddy, who was also talking to me on the phone. I laughed. "Why are you calling me? I'm right here."

  But he wasn't laughing. In fact, he didn't look well at all.

  "What's wrong, Uncle Teddy?" Jessie asked.

  He didn't say anything, apparently too upset to speak. I sat down next to him and put my hand on his arm. Jessie sat down on the other side.

  "Are you okay?" I asked gently.

  He nodded.

  "Do you want to tell me why you were calling me?" I used my soothing voice, the one reserved for distressed clients.

  He nodded again. "My lawyer's office just called."

  I stared at him. It was my turn to be speechless.

  Jessie looked at the two of us. "Can someone please tell me what this is about?"

  "I'm not sure yet," I said to her. Speaking to Teddy, I said "Is your attorney Lewis & Lewis?"

  "Yes."

  "Are you, I mean, were you involved with a company called THS Investment Group?"

  "Yes, I…I was," he stammered.

  "Who else was part of that company?" I asked.

  "It was me and my buddies, the poker club. T-H-S stood for Teddy, Harry--"

  "And Stanley," I said, finishing the trio. "You were an investment group, what did you invest in?"

  "Just one thing--a painting. Clarence convinced us to buy it. He said we could resell it and make a lot of money."

  "And you did."

  He nodded.

  "Was this the painting?" I found the photo on my phone I had taken of the fake Chagall.

  The elderly man made a choking sound, but soon recovered. Jessie ran off to find him a glass of water.

  "My lawyer said you were calling about a forged painting," he whispered. "Was that a forgery?"

  It was my turn to nod.

  "Damn it, Clarence!" he croaked.

  "Do you think Clarence knew it was a forgery?" I asked.

  "Absolutely not!" Teddy defended his friend. "But I think he found out. That would explain his behavior these past few months, why he was afraid to tell us what was bothering him."

  And why he wanted to protect his assets through a divorce, I thought. He was afraid of getting caught. Now, the argument he had with that mystery man made sense. That man was involved too.

  "Teddy," I said, "did Clarence ha
ve any enemies?"

  "No way, everyone loved him."

  "Did he tell you about an argument he had with someone here?"

  "No, and I can't imagine Clarence arguing with anyone," he said. "Do you know what happened to that forged painting?"

  "I do. My client's father bought it. He thought he was leaving his children well-off when he died."

  Teddy covered his face with his hands. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea." He looked up at me. "Will we go to jail for this?"

  "Definitely not," I assured him. "You didn't know."

  Jessie returned with a glass of water in her hand and a blond man in tow.

  "This guy was looking for you," she said.

  Unaware of the drama unfolding on our sofa, Bob Beckman looked very happy to be there. He grabbed Teddy's right hand and shook it with enthusiasm

  "It's such an honor to meet you, Mr. Lowenthal."

  Chapter Forty-Three

  "Right church, wrong pew, young fella," Teddy said, back to his old self.

  "Pardon me?" Bob Beckman looked mighty confused.

  "He's not Herb Lowenthal," I explained. "If you'll excuse us," I said to Teddy and Jess, "we have to go find Herb."

  I turned to go, but Teddy tapped me on the arm. "I want to make this right," he said.

  "We'll talk some more," I promised.

  "Make what right?" I heard Jessie ask as I led Bob away.

  "I'm not off to a great start, am I?" he said as we approached the reception area.

  I glanced over at him, taking in his shoes buffed to a high sheen and his suit with its coordinating tie. He didn't have a hair out of place; I wished I could say the same.

  "You forgot the basket of fruit and the basket of puppies," I said.

  "Meaning?"

  "You might've overdone it a tad. Herb is a no-frills kind of guy. Think Warren Buffet, plainspoken, no nonsense, but with bushier eyebrows. Don't worry, it will be fine. I'm just messin' with you."

  We were standing in front of the reception desk and, for once, Glenda wasn't on the phone. It was nothing short of a miracle.

  "Hey Glenda, I was looking for Herb, do you know where he is?"

  "I believe he's in the library," she said primly.

  Bob couldn't let it pass. "Don't you remember me? I was in yesterday and I asked for Herb Lowenthal. You told me there was nobody here by that name."

  She gave me a ghost of a smile. "I must not have heard you correctly."

  Bob was muttering under his breath, so I said "Yeah, speak up, Bob. You should learn to enunciate."

  It would be embarrassing to say I got lost trying to find the library, so I won't say it. In my defense, I'd only seen it once and La Vida Boca's winding corridors all looked the same. After the third wrong turn, Bob noticed we were going in circles.

  "Do we need a GPS?" he asked mildly.

  "I knew I should've left a trail of breadcrumbs the last time," I said.

  Just then, Sylvia the card dealer from the poker club walked by and steered us in the right direction. I had zigged when I should have zagged--the story of my life.

  "I hope he's still here," Bob said once we reached the door.

  "Aw, come on. It didn't take us that long to find it," I said. "I'll go in first, wait here."

  I cracked the door open and peeked inside. Herb was there alright and he was alone, typing away on his laptop. He hadn't noticed me yet. Now that I knew he was a genius inventor and successful businessman, I saw him in a different light. I tried to reevaluate our prior conversations, but still couldn't wrap my head around it. He was just Herb to me. His wanting to hire me though, that took on a whole new meaning. As much as I wanted a career shift, I hated being in over my head where I could screw things up in an epic way. I already had enough trouble sleeping at night. If Kip were here, he'd say: You can do it, Babe, but I knew better. I'd known me longer.

  "Knock, knock," I said. "I hope I'm not bothering you."

  Herb stopped typing and motioned me closer. "You, bother me? Not possible, Jamie Quinn. Is it time for another seminar already?" He chuckled. "Or are you here to borrow a book? I recommend If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits?"

  I laughed. "I've actually read that one. I'm here to ask for a favor."

  "For you? Anything." He smiled broadly.

  I was glad to catch him in a good mood although I wasn't sure where to start. How do you tell someone they may have designed a product that could kill people? That's hard to sugarcoat. I'd leave it up to Bob, but first I had to convince Herb to talk to him.

  "Well, I, um, want to introduce you to someone who's a big fan of your work."

  Herb's expression changed immediately, going from surprised to annoyed. "I live here to keep people from bothering me, Jamie Quinn. I'm not mad at you because you didn't know that, but please don't waste my time." Then he resumed typing, his face a closed off mask.

  "Herb," I pleaded, "can you spare just a minute? This man has something to tell you, it's really important."

  With flared nostrils and angry eyebrows, Herb snapped back "And I care about this, why?"

  "Because people might die!"

  Chapter Forty-Four

  "People, which people?' Herb asked testily.

  Frustrated, I said, "I don't know their names, Herb, does it matter who? If they die, it will be your fault, isn't that enough?"

  "My fault?' Herb gave me a piercing look. "What's with the melodrama? So, spit it out already, Jamie Quinn."

  I crossed the room and sat down at the table across from him. "We haven't known each other very long, but I can tell that you're an honorable man with a good heart. You must care about people or you wouldn't make medical devices that save lives."

  Herb relaxed. "You don't really know me. I'm not as honorable as you think, but if you want to put me on a pedestal, who am I to say no?" He smiled warmly. "What do you want me to do?"

  I sighed with relief. "There's a man outside who says he found a mistake in one of your devices that could be fatal. Will you talk to him?"

  "For you, I'll do it. Send him in, but tell him my bite is worse than my bark." He laughed at his own joke.

  I reached across the table and patted his hand. "Thanks, Herb! I knew you would do the right thing."

  I walked into the hallway where Bob was waiting. "You're up," I said, "But tread lightly."

  Bob reacted as if I'd told him he won the lottery--not the jackpot, but enough to buy some happiness. "Fantastic! You're awesome, I won't forget this."

  "Don't worry, I won't let you. Now, break a leg." I gave him a little shove into the room. "Herb, this is Bob. You boys get to know each other." I blew them a kiss and shut the door.

  What a day I was having, I was exhausted from doing nothing. I wanted a break from divorce work, but this wasn't what I'd had in mind. They say be careful what you wish for--or at least be very specific. I wasn't ready to talk to Teddy again, or answer Jessie's questions, so I wanted to avoid the lobby but I needed somewhere to chill out. I knew just the place. I headed to the garden where I sat on a bench in the shade where I could watch birds and squirrels and contemplate life. The toasty bench and chirping birds were so soporific that I soon dozed off. The next thing I knew someone was saying my name.

  "Hey, Jamie, are you awake?"

  "Five more minutes, Mom…I'm not ready to get up," I groaned.

  The sound of quiet laughter made me open my eyes and close my mouth. I was grateful no bugs had flown into my gaping maw while I was asleep.

  "That's sweet, but I'm not your mom." Jodi Martin was sitting next to me on the bench, hair tucked under a floppy hat, gardening gloves poking out of her pockets.

  "Sorry about that, how long have you been here?"

  "Just a few minutes. You looked so peaceful; I wanted to let you rest a bit."

  "Then why did you wake me up?" I laughed.

  "Because lunch is over and the residents will be out soon. I didn't think you'd want them to see you passed out on the bench."r />
  "Very thoughtful," I said, stretching. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "There was something I was supposed to ask you, but my mind is blank. Oh yeah, did Eli come back from the hospital? Do you know what was wrong with him?"

  "I haven't seen him, but I talked to him yesterday and he sounded good. When I called the hospital they said they had no record of him but then I called his cell and got him. He said he was in the emergency room and that's why they couldn't find him. They planned to keep him overnight, but he was fine."

  "What about his story that someone tried to kill him?" I asked.

  Jodi's brow furrowed. "He didn't mention it. Maybe he was overwrought at the time."

  "There's a reason I'm asking. Remember how he was frothing at the mouth? I just found out Clarence was too, right before he died. Do you think something around here is poisoning people, like bug spray or a chemical?"

  Jodi blanched at my question.

  "What's wrong?" I asked, alarmed.

  "It's probably nothing…"

  "But?"

  "Remember that plant I showed you, the White Baneberry?"

  "I'm not sure I do," I said.

  "It's also called a Doll's Eye," she clarified.

  "Of course! How could I forget a creepy plant like that," I said. "Why?"

  "All the eyes are missing, someone stripped them off. I just noticed it this morning."

  I wasn't getting her point. "What's the significance?"

  "I researched the plant and it's quite poisonous--the berries are dangerous. They can induce what looks like a cardiac arrest and…"

  "And?" I asked.

  "Frothing of the mouth."

  Chapter Forty-Five

  I jumped up. "What? We need to call the police! Even if Eli accidentally poisoned himself with the plant, Clarence sure didn't. And who took all the berries? What are they planning to do with them?" I started pacing in front of the bench, something I do when I'm nervous.

  Jodi shook her head. "I think you're overreacting, Jamie. When my father died of a heart attack, he also foamed at the mouth. There might be no connection between Clarence and Eli. Are you familiar with Occam's Razor?"