The Secret of Chestnut Hall (A Blooms, Bones and Stones Cozy Mystery - Book One)

by Olivia Swift

  “I’ll ring Carly, and she can finish the border. I wonder if her mom has remembered anything else.” She pulled out the phone and called her colorful friend. Carly said her mom had always said that Molly Baker cheated on her husband who was a nice, quiet-spoken man whom everyone liked. Molly herself had never been popular. She had been married before Jed Baker, and when he died, she chased after the gardener.

  “Thanks, Carly,” Jazz replied. “We’ll let you know what we find out. I’m sending you a text. Have a look on Google Earth.” The two friends rang off, and Evan said he would pick her up at ten. He kissed her before she stepped into the car and drove off with lots of thoughts whirling in her mind. She took no notice of the truck that was some distance behind her.

  Chapter Eleven

  When Evan collected her in the morning, he had the knife and watch to leave with the detectives. They stopped at the precinct and Mackay again gave them a lecture on trying to be private detectives. He watched them go and called for Sanchez.

  “I am sure those two know more than they are saying. Let’s find out if these two articles can show us anything.” He turned to the younger man. “Did you find anything out about all the people involved?” Sanchez showed him the tablet that was displaying the street view of Molly Baker’s vacation home. “There has always been an undiscovered mystery about this setup, and I don’t like that.”

  Evan and Jazz set off to enjoy the trip out. The scenery became more and more spectacular as they left the town behind and drove into the valleys between the mountains.

  “Does the sight of the rock face make you want to go back out there?” she asked him, and he smiled.

  “Yes and no,” he said. “I am too old for the huge climbs in the Himalayas, the Andes, and the Pyrenees.” He looked around. “But these are still very inviting. Climbs that you can do in a day or two days.” He slowed down and pointed up at the side. “Can you see how that zigzag would lead you to the top quite easily?”

  “Now that you mention it, yes, I can,” she answered.

  The road leveled out and dropped down to a cluster of houses. They stopped and looked around.

  “This is a lovely place,” Jazz said. “Out of the way, but lovely just the same.” He agreed and looked at the Google Earth map on his phone.

  “I think the vacation home is just past here and away from the other houses.” He drove out of the group of buildings and turned onto a small private road. It did say ‘Private - No Entry’ but he drove down anyway, and they saw the very traditional looking wooden bungalow in pretty gardens. It was painted in blue and white with loungers on the veranda. He parked at the gates, and they looked at each other and left the car to walk to the door. There was no answer from their knocking, and it seemed pretty obvious that no one was in the house. Jazz peeked into the window that showed her a living room. It was traditional, clean and tidy, and it contained a huge collection of ornaments and pictures.

  “She collects things,” Evan commented. “Every surface is covered.” They looked in other windows and saw that most of the rooms had collections. The main bedroom had boxes. There were jewelry boxes and what looked like musical items with some containers made of glass. One of those had a glass ballerina on the top. It was quite large and stood out on a table just inside the window.

  “Let’s get out of here before anyone comes,” Evan said, and they hurried back to the car.

  “It’s a very nice house and pretty large for a vacation home for one person,” Jazz observed, and he agreed.

  “She obviously did all right out of the old man, and I’m guessing her sons made more as they went along.”

  The road climbed again as they retraced their steps. The views were spectacular, but the way was narrow and twisted against the side of the mountain.

  “I don’t like the drop at the side of the road.” Jazz said, and Evan took a breath as a dark and quite large truck loomed up in the rear mirror. It was not slowing, and in fact, speeded up to be almost touching the back of the car.

  “Ye gods,” Evan said and sped the car up to put distance between them. Jazz twisted in her seat and watched with horror as the truck sped up as well and gained on them. Evan sped up again in turn, but the road was not built for driving fast. He shot around the curves and bends and managed to gain on the bigger vehicle behind. Jazz hung on to the handle and watched with horror as the bigger machine came nearer again.

  “If I can find somewhere to turn off he might go straight past,” Evan said through gritted teeth, as he concentrated on keeping the car on the road. They made a little headway, and the vision ahead straightened out slightly. “Something coming up,” he muttered and swung the car violently off the road and round some trees into what was a parking lot for people to take in the view. “Out of the car, quickly,” he said and jumped out to run around and drag Jazz out of her side. “They might turn in. Come on.” He pulled her arm as they ran through the small group of trees to the rock face behind, then he glanced up.

  “Gotta try again sometime,” he remarked and took a handhold, swinging himself easily up above her head. Then he reached down a hand. “Put your foot on that ledge, and I’ll pull you up.” With no time to question the instruction, Jazz did as he said. She tucked her toe onto the ledge, and Evan pulled her up beside him to where he was lying on the ledge.

  “One more time,” he told her and climbed another section to reach down and offer a hand. This time Jazz was ready. She had seen where he had placed his feet and followed suit. The two of them were suddenly twenty feet above the ground, and there was a covering of rock to lie behind. They heard the sound of an engine and stayed still behind the barrier. The truck roared into the parking space, and without slowing down, headed for their car. It smashed into the side and pushed the car against the rock face. Then it reversed and did the same thing again and again. The machine looked as if it had been crushed in a scrap yard. Jazz held her hand over her mouth in horror.

  “They think we are in there,” she whispered, and he draped his arm around her shoulders and held her close.

  “Stay still and wait,” he said quietly into her ear, and he glanced upwards to see where to go if they had to climb even further. The two of them lay for what felt like hours, but the truck drove away and whoever was driving never looked inside to see what damage had been done. Jazz was having trouble stopping her legs from shivering and shaking. Evan felt much the same, but he stroked her hair and told her that he would ring Detective Mackay. He wrapped his own jacket around her to try and counteract the effect of the shock and pulled out the cell. Mackay listened intently and told them to stay put.

  “We already got a call from the newspaper girl, Valerie. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  They would be there as soon as possible. Then Evan simply pulled Jazz close and whispered that the police were on their way and to keep warm. She curled her arms around him in return, and gradually the trembling ceased.

  “Who were they?” she wondered.

  “Probably paid by somebody to target us but who?” Evan replied. “The newspaper girl saw the truck and called it in, so Mackay will be here quickly.”

  They talked about the people who knew they had discovered the watch and the knife, but it all made very little sense. Evan tried to call Dex to tell him what had happened but there was no response. Jazz called Kim and then Carly to bring them up-to-date, and Carly said she would go and find Dex. They lay side by side to keep warm, and as the day was not really cold, the shock subsided and they sat up and watched out for the detectives to arrive.

  “When this is all over,” Evan said taking her hand. “I think we should get away together for a few days for total relaxation.”

  “That would be wonderful,” she replied and kissed his cheek. “But before then, what have we stirred up?” There was no time to answer as they heard a vehicle pulling into the parking area and saw, with relief, the two detectives climb out of the car. Evan stood up and waved and then climbed down to the next rid
ge and helped Jazz down as well.

  “Mountaineer in the making, you are,” he told her as they both stood back in the clearing. The car was a shocking mess of scrap metal, and they told Mackay what had happened.

  “They definitely thought you were still in the car?” he asked, and they nodded.

  “Then that was attempted murder,” he told Sanchez. “Send for forensics to take what they can from the crashed car. They might get metal and paint that will identify the truck.” He turned to Evan. “I think the newspaper woman got the plate. She has gone to the precinct so we should be able to chase it down.” Evan and Jazz between them described it and had the make. Sanchez called it in, and they all went to sit in the police car until forensics arrived. Jazz’s phone rang.

  “It’s my colleague,” she said and answered. “What. Oh, My Lord. I’ll put Evan on.” She handed the phone to Evan and told Mackay that Evan’s brother had been attacked at the house and Carly had sent for an ambulance.

  “This must be connected,” Mackay observed. “As soon as the lab arrives, we’ll take you back.” Vans and cars arrived after what seemed a long time, but it was only about fifteen minutes. Evan was visibly agitated. Jazz tried to call Carly to see how Dex was, but there was no reply. When they left, Mackay put a temporary light on the car, and young Sanchez set off at a breath-taking speed. Evan seemed not to notice, but Jazz closed her eyes and prayed they would make it down the mountain road. Mackay called the hospital and directed his driver to go there. They screeched to a halt, and led by Mackay, whose authority took them straight to the emergency room where Dex lay with his head swathed in bandages. Carly was sitting beside the bed and breathed a sigh of relief when they all appeared.

  “I’m awake and okay,” Dex croaked. “Don’t look so panic stricken,” he told his brother in a squeaky voice.” The doctor told them that he had a nasty blow to the head and had been unconscious for a little while.

  “No lasting damage, but just a few minutes talk, and then he needs peace and quiet,” she warned. Evan sat beside the bed.

  “What the hell happened?”

  “I answered the phone,” he looked at Evan. “Clementine wants to talk to you.” Evan’s face looked as if he had been stabbed with a knife, but he covered it. Dex went on. “Heard the door open and thought it was one of the gardeners and started to turn but then something hard hit me on the head, and I blacked out.”

  “He was coming around when I got to the house,” Carly added.

  “Did you see anyone?” Mackay asked, but she shook her head. “What about you Mr. Sutherland?”

  “One man in black with a mask over his face was all I saw before they hit me, but there must have been two. I never saw who whacked my head. Thank heaven they had gone before Carly walked in.”

  “Then they searched the place,” Sanchez said and waved a hand in the air. “The cupboards were all emptied, drawers pulled out, and everything scattered around.”

  “Good job the house wasn’t updated yet,” Evan remarked. “What were they looking for?”

  Mackay looked at his newly arrived text and answered that it was probably the knife and the watch.

  “We discounted the recent fingerprints, but going back in time, the lab found some DNA on both the knife and watch. On the watch, it was on the underside of the case and was probably from who wore it,” he paused. “On the knife, it was on the blade.” He looked at them all. “This could well be a murder weapon, and somebody wants to find it.”

  “We have to find out whose watch it was,” Jazz added but he shook his head.

  “No Miss Summer, the police have to find out whose watch it is. Please do not do any more digging.”

  She grinned back at him.

  “I’m a gardener.” Mallarchy Mackay smiled back and won her over with his charm. “Okay. Okay,” She said. “No more detective work.”

  “Might it be matched on the database?” Dex asked from the bed, but they had already found that there was nothing that matched.

  “Enough,” the doctor called. “Leave my patient to rest please.”

  “We’ll come and see how you are later,” Evan said, and Jazz gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

  Outside of the room, Mackay said he would leave an officer on guard.

  “Just in case they think he saw them,” He added.

  “Thanks,” Evan said.

  “But I need everything you know from the very beginning,” the detective said. “Let’s find a quiet room. The nurse found him a waiting room, and they all sat.

  “Right. I am recording this. Start at the beginning and tell me every detail.” Jazz sighed and looked at Evan. She started with finding the grotto and her sister calling it the mystery house. Between them, they told the story and confessed that Miller seemed to be old Mr. Wendell’s daughter from his second marriage.

  “We started with curiosity about the grotto and the stories, but both Evan and I thought there was something not quite right about the stories and looked stuff up,” Jazz added. “Then we met the two property brothers and thought they bore a resemblance to Carlton Wendell,” she finished. Carly added the bit that her mother had supplied and the detective had the grace to smile at them.

  “We should leave stones unturned sometimes,” he said. “But if there is a thirty-year-old murder here, we need to dig a little more.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Jazz asked the detective if he thought Chestnut Hall was safe.

  “I am thinking about Evan there alone through the night,” she added and Evan gave her a little push.

  “Stop being a fussy pot,” he protested, but Mackay thought she was right.

  “I cannot afford men to watch the place, and there is a lot of it. Maybe a hotel for a couple of days till we sort this out might be a good idea.” Evan thought about it, and Jazz said that she and Kim had a spare room.

  “Stay with us. We’d like you to,” she said, and he smiled.

  “Okay, Mom. I’ll do as I’m told,” he agreed. Carly asked for a lift home and said she would meet them in the morning. Jazz and Evan went back to Chestnut Hall to collect some clothes for Evan, and they gazed at the devastation.

  “We’ll clean it tomorrow,” she said. “Carly, Ben, and I will give you a hand.” He slipped an arm around her shoulders.

  “Whatever did I do without you?” he asked and turned her towards him to sink into a long and lingering kiss. She ran her hands up and down his back and thought how she never wanted to change this feeling that she found in his arms. Her phone rang and disturbed the moment, and she told her sister that they were on their way.

  The three of them went over and over everything that had happened but found no answer. It was disturbing to think that whatever they had uncovered was enough to send someone out to possibly kill them.

  “I’ll come up tomorrow and give a hand with the clearing up,” Kim offered.

  “Accepted,” he answered.

  “Rob said to tell you he needs one more load of hardfill to fill that tank and the decking will be delayed a couple of days.”

  “I am feeling the effects of the whole day now,” Jazz said and yawned.

  “I’ll call the hospital and check on Dex,” Evan covered a yawn of his own. “Then sleep calls.” They waited to find out the update from the hospital and were told that he could leave sometime tomorrow if he took things quietly. “I’ll make sure of it,” Evan replied and rang off. He read a message that had arrived and deleted it immediately. Jazz wished he would talk about whatever was still making him upset.

  “So, big day,” Jazz added. “Get the place shipshape and collect Dex.” Kim left them to get first dibs on the bathroom and Evan managed a good night kiss.

  “Maybe,” Jazz wondered as they reluctantly pulled apart, “we should visit the old man again…you know…just to see if he is okay.” She smiled, and Evan held her hand.

  “Maybe one more little bit of detective work,” he agreed.

  The morning was a busy rush of sortin
g the nursery and then going up to Chestnut Hall. Carly and Ben arrived, and the four of them set to work to make the place liveable again.

  “Look,” Ben said and held up a piece of card. “This looks like part of a business card, and I don’t recognize it.” Evan looked and said it was not something of his. Nobody knew where it came from so they slipped it onto the worktop to peruse later. Then Jazz picked it up and found the Ryder Property website on her phone.

  “Evan, this is the same color as the property people.” He took it and they all crowded round and agreed.

  “I don’t suppose those two would trash the house themselves, but they might have sent someone,” Evan remarked.

  “The same ones who tried to run us off the road,” Jazz added. “Evan and I are going to see the old gardener again and then pick up Dex. Can you hold the fort please, Carly?” Carly jingled her many pieces of jewelry and said it was no problem.

  “I’ll put water and some flowers beside his bed,” she added. “as a welcome back,”

  “Thanks,” Evan told her. The house was put to rights, and before they left, Evan called Mackay about the little piece of card and told him what they thought.

  “I’m not pointing the finger at anyone, but we have seen them recently.” The detective thanked him for calling and said he would be over to talk to them later.

  In the car, Jazz remarked that it looked more and more likely that the property dealers were involved somehow.

  “But they were too young thirty years ago to have any part in what went on,” Evan pointed out.

  “They could be protecting someone,” Jazz said. “I wonder where the father did actually go.” They were taken to the gardener’s room, and he smiled with delight to have morning visitors.

  “Have a coffee,” he offered, “and tell me what’s been happening.” The two of them recounted the visits to various places and told him about the encounter with the truck. He was suitably shocked.