Greed with Envy (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 15)

by Hope Callaghan

  “I think it was all a misunderstanding.” The man sitting across from him spoke. “If I were Margaret, I would’ve been more upset with Don. Heard he left her darn near destitute. I’m sure glad I didn’t get caught up in the get-rich-quick scheme they were pedaling.”

  Chapter 14

  “Phil Holt should’ve revoked both Bolton and Ed’s club membership,” the first man said.

  Gloria couldn’t help herself. She spun around on the bench seat and faced the men. “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. I’m an acquaintance of the Hansens. Don was involved in a money scheme?”

  The man’s eyes widened. “I-uh. It was just a rumor. We don’t know for sure. Pure speculation.”

  “What if there is some truth to it?” Gloria insisted.

  The men abruptly stood and one of them tossed some dollar bills on the table. “Like he said, it’s just a rumor.”

  Liz, seeing their opportunity to gain a little information, sprang from her seat and hurried around the table. “I’m sure there are plenty of members here who heard the rumor. Who are Bolton and Ed?”

  “I don’t think…” The younger of the two men started to shake his head.

  “Please?” Liz clasped her hands to her chest.

  The other man shrugged. “She’s right. It’s not like no one else knows.” He lowered his voice. “One of them is Nolan Bolton and the other one is Ed Shields. Don was the third wheel. I’m not sure on the fourth one. We’ve heard a couple names thrown out there.”

  “I appreciate the information.” Liz lightly touched the older man’s arm.

  “You’re new,” he said as he eyed her with interest.

  “Yes. We just joined with a trial membership,” Liz explained. “But I won’t be staying on. I live in Florida.”

  She chatted with the men a few more minutes while Gloria grabbed her cell phone and sent herself a message listing the men’s names. After saving the message, she dropped her phone back inside her purse.

  “There’s a golf tournament Sunday and a big shindig over at the clubhouse for members. Montbay Hills pulls out all the stops and it’s a swanky party. The tournament starts at 7:30 in the morning and the invitation-only party starts at four.”

  “The party sounds lovely but we don’t have invites,” Liz pouted.

  The older man held up his hand. “No invitation needed. If you’d like to come, all you have to do is tell them is Rex invited you.”

  “Rex.” Liz repeated his name. “Thank you so much Rex. Why all this hospitality makes me think I should be livin’ in Michigan again.”

  The men exited the building. Rex looked back and Liz gave him a friendly wave.

  “So long Martin,” Gloria teased.

  “Martin?”

  “Like I said, so long Martin.”

  Liz took a big swig of water and replaced the cap. “This is strictly research. That man…Rex, was too old for me.”

  “He’s our age,” Gloria pointed out.

  “Like I said, he’s too old.” Liz glanced at her watch. “Let’s finish our tour of the grounds.”

  Liz put the pedal to the metal as they zipped around the rest of the golf course, took a drive by the golf club rental stand, the pool and spa area. Gloria suspected her sister was in a big hurry to finish the tour, hoping to ‘run into’ her new friend, Rex, back at the clubhouse.

  By the time they finished their tour, the brutal round of tennis had caught up with Gloria. Her back was stiff and her knees ached, but it was a good soreness. It reminded her she was still alive, still kicking.

  After they returned the tennis rackets and tennis balls to the office, they headed to Liz’s car. “We are going to the party, right?”

  Gloria was on the fence. On the one hand, the party would literally help them get their foot in the door. She was certain the get-rich-quick “schemers” were regulars. Rex had called them by name. She was also certain there was no way the suspects…err, men would miss one of the country club’s premier party events.

  “Yeah. I’m not sure I want to stand on the sidelines and watch a bunch of men try to hit a golf ball but the party would be the perfect opportunity to get to know some of the other members and hopefully uncover more information on the Ponzi scheme.”

  “I agree.” Liz shifted the car in reverse and peered into her rearview mirror. “Rex mentioned there were four of them possibly involved. I wonder who the fourth person is.”

  Gloria shrugged. “Hard telling. Maybe he knew and didn’t want to incriminate someone.”

  “Maybe it was one of the owners of the country club,” Liz theorized. “An owner would be the last person you would want to point fingers at.”

  “True.”

  Liz stomped on the brake and Gloria lurched forward. “Easy on the brakes.”

  “Sorry. I thought I saw a furry rodent in the road,” Liz said. “So we’re on the lookout for Neal somebody.”

  Gloria pulled her cell phone from her purse and turned it on. “Nolan Bolton and Ed Shields.”

  “Right,” Liz nodded. “It’s going to be tough figuring out who we’re looking for at the party.”

  “I’ve already given it some thought,” Gloria said. “We can do an online search on social media. Ten bucks says there’s a public page for Montbay Hills Golf & Country Club and if they post pictures and tag people, I suspect we might get lucky and be able to get a visual.”

  “Good idea,” Liz said. “I never would’ve thought of that.”

  Paul still hadn’t arrived home when Liz pulled the car into the drive. She parked close to the barn.

  “Why don’t you pull on the other side of the garage?” Gloria asked.

  Liz wrinkled her nose. “Your trees are making a mess out of my car.”

  “Whatever.” Gloria rolled her eyes. When they got inside, Gloria made a beeline for the computer. She turned it on and while she waited for it to warm up, she let Mally outside.

  Mally disappeared around the side of the barn and when she didn’t come back, Gloria followed after her and found her sniffing a pile of compost behind one of the storage sheds. “C’mon. It’s time to go in.”

  Mally glanced at Gloria and then promptly trotted off in the opposite direction.

  “You stinker.” Gloria followed Mally, who tore off across the yard and led Gloria on a merry chase back and forth. When she tired of the game, the pooch headed for the porch where she flopped down in front of one of the rocking chairs.

  “Naughty dog,” Gloria scolded when she caught up.

  Mally hung her head and let out a low whine as Gloria held the door.

  “Bingo. We got a hit.” Liz hollered from the dining room.

  Gloria grabbed her reading glasses from the kitchen table and joined her sister as she peered over Liz’s shoulder. “There’s Don.” Liz pointed at the screen. “Someone tagged the others.” Gloria read the names Nolan Bolton, Ed Shields, Don Hansen and Becky Stone.

  “Becky Stone.” Gloria squinted her eyes. “A woman. Look at the date of the picture. It was right around the time of Don’s confrontation. I’ll ask Margaret for the list of players Don played with.”

  She picked up her phone, texted Margaret and then snatched a notebook from the bin on the desk. “We need to get close to some of Don’s golfing buddies. Someone knows something.”

  “Maybe it was someone from his banking years,” Liz said. “Or maybe Don was the ringleader and started the Ponzi scheme, took the wrong person’s money and they took him out.”

  Gloria wandered over to the dining room window and stared out. “All we know for certain is that Don did something with their retirement money. Rumors are flying at the golf course that Don was involved in a money aka Ponzi scheme, he got in an argument on the golf course which triggered his heart attack and the investigators are suspicious of Don’s death. All the clues point to the country club.”

  “Which is why we need to be at their big blowout,” Liz said. “Once we have a list of Don’s golfing buddies,
we can start digging for dirt. I’m sure they will all be at the party if it’s the event of the year that Rex claims it is.”

  “I think I’ll give Margaret a call to see if she has time to stop by.” Gloria vividly remembered the days following James’ death and his funeral. Once the calls and visitors stopped, she was filled with an overwhelming sense of isolation. If not for her close group of friends, she wasn’t sure what she would’ve done.

  God was by her side during those dark days but he also sent her friends to be by her side to help her through.

  Her call to Margaret went to voice mail and she still hadn’t replied with the list of golf buddies. A small warning bell went off in Gloria’s head. “I think I’ll hop in the car and run by Margaret’s place.” She headed to the kitchen.

  “We need to get Margaret out of the house,” she continued. Gloria picked up her car keys and tossed them to Liz, who had followed her into the kitchen.

  When they reached Margaret’s place, her car was nowhere in sight. She didn’t answer the door so Gloria retraced her steps and climbed back inside the car. “I don’t think she’s home.”

  A small flutter of the living room curtain caught Gloria’s attention. “Or she’s avoiding everyone.” She fired off a text to her friend. I’m concerned about you. I’d like to have you over for brunch tomorrow morning around ten. I’ll pick you up. Gloria read the text to Liz before pressing the send button.

  “What if she refuses?” Liz asked as she backed out of the drive.

  “I’ll drag her out if I have to.”

  Chapter 15

  Liz and Gloria swung by Dot’s Restaurant to invite Dot and Rose to the brunch. Their next stop was the post office. Ruth promised she would try to make it but it would depend on Kenny and how much mail they had to process first thing in the morning.

  Next on the list was Lucy. She wasn’t home either so Gloria texted her. Andrea was the only other person Gloria hadn’t tried. “I would ask Andrea but she’s technically still on her honeymoon and I hate to bother her.”

  Paul arrived home before Liz and Gloria. He’d called his wife before he left work, offering to pick up some fast food but Gloria felt guilty so she told him she would whip up a quick meal when he got there.

  The “quick” meal ended up being tacos. Liz helped shred the lettuce and chop the tomatoes and onion while she cooked the meat on the stovetop. Alice had shared her “secret” taco-seasoning recipe with Gloria, not to be confused with her spicy “love potion,” and Gloria was hooked.

  She used the flavorful seasoning on tacos, burritos, homemade soups and dips. It beat the pre-packaged store brands hands down since it didn’t contain any of the preservatives and chemicals the packets sold in the grocery stores. She used it all the time and had started making triple batches so she would always have the seasoning on hand.

  Liz, who had finished chopping the vegetables, wandered over to the stove and sniffed appreciatively. “Is this the special taco seasoning you keep raving about?”

  “It is.” The meat finished cooking and Gloria added more spice plus a cup of tap water and then covered the pan to let it finish simmering.

  Paul stepped into the kitchen and hungrily eyed the array of crisp taco shells and bowls of toppings. “Tacos…my favorite.”

  Liz placed a small pile of silverware on the table. “Gloria has been raving about this taco seasoning and wanted me to try it.”

  “I’ve been asking for homemade tacos for weeks now.” Paul kicked his shoes off and tucked them in the corner of the shoe tray. “I guess we have to have company to get the good stuff.”

  Gloria playfully popped her husband in the arm and set the bowl of seasoned ground beef on the table. “You know that’s not true.”

  Paul snaked his arm around his wife’s waist and pulled her close before kissing her soundly. “I’m teasing. So what were you two up to today?”

  “Tennis.”

  “Tennis?” Paul released his hold on his wife.

  “Liz signed us up for a 30-day trial at Montbay Hills so we went there today. It was kinda fun,” Gloria admitted.

  “Let me guess. You were also there to see what you could find out about Don’s incident on the golf course before his death.”

  “A little,” Gloria hedged. “Margaret said she didn’t mind. Speaking of Margaret, we stopped by there earlier. No one answered the door but I could’ve sworn I saw a curtain move.”

  “She’s in mourning,” Paul said. “It’s only been a few days since Don’s death and his funeral was yesterday. She’s probably still trying to come to grips with her loss.”

  “I’m concerned because she’s all alone now that Chad left to go home.” Gloria slid into a chair and rested her chin on her fist. “I invited her and the other girls to brunch tomorrow to try to get her out of the house.”

  “Montbay Hills is having a golf tournament this Sunday,” Liz said. “There’s a lavish party planned at the clubhouse after the tournament and we’ve been invited.”

  Paul lifted a brow as he eased into the chair next to his wife. “You’re going?”

  “I’m thinking about it,” Gloria said. “If you don’t mind, of course. Do you want to go?” It hadn’t dawned on her to ask Paul if he wanted to go.

  Paul glanced at Liz and then shifted his gaze to his wife. “I think I’ll pass. You know I don’t like stuffy parties, although I probably should go so I can keep an eye on you to keep you out of trouble.”

  “Me…get in trouble?” Gloria lifted her eyebrows innocently. “We’ve already paid for a trial membership so we might as well take advantage of the perks.”

  “We?” Paul asked. “Who are we?”

  Liz had the good graces to look guilty. “I…was able to get a 30-day trial membership, which was a great deal since country clubs typically require 90-day trial periods.”

  “And she didn’t have the money to pay the $500 fee so I paid,” Gloria added.

  Paul, who had taken a sip of his iced tea, spit it out. “Five hundred dollars? To hit a little ball across a net or onto some green grass?” he sputtered.

  “Five hundred bucks is a bargain,” Liz said calmly. “You wouldn’t believe what they charge in Florida.”

  “I don’t want to know what they charge in Florida,” Paul gasped. He turned to his wife. “Did you really spend five hundred dollars?”

  Gloria’s face reddened at Paul’s rant over the cost of the membership.

  “I’m sorry,” she said in a small voice. “I had no idea you would be this upset.”

  Paul, realizing he was blustering on in front of Liz, forced himself to take a deep breath. He reached over and patted Gloria’s hand. “No, I should be the one to apologize. I’m just shocked you spent that kind of money on a frivolous activity.”

  “Frivolous,” Liz said. “It’s therapeutic. Some of the most successful people in the world spend a small fortune golfing.”

  “I’ll go there tomorrow and ask for a refund,” Gloria said quietly.

  “No you won’t.” Paul shook his head. “I should have kept my mouth shut. You’re an adult. If you want to buy a country club membership and you enjoyed playing tennis or want to give golf a try, then I’m all for it. I’ll even go with you one day before the trial membership runs out.”

  “You will?” Gloria brightened.

  “Yeah,” Paul said, “but I won’t be going to the party. You’re on your own.” He pointed at the heaping bowl of taco meat. “Now let’s eat.”

  Despite starting dinner on a rocky note, they had a lively discussion of Liz telling Paul about Gloria’s first tennis playing attempt. He, in turn, shared stories of his busy day, overseeing the delivery of the local museum’s loaned artifacts. “We need to visit the exhibit before it ends.”

  “I would love to,” Gloria said. “Maybe one day next week, after they finish setting up and the exhibit officially opens.”

  Liz offered to clean up after dinner, while Gloria called each of the girls to confirm the
brunch time. Margaret was her last call and the call went to voice mail. She texted Andrea, who promised to run past Margaret’s house to make sure their friend, was all right. Andrea told her if anything was wrong, she would call her. Otherwise, she would see her in the morning.

  “You don’t have to come, Andrea. I just didn’t want to leave you out. Brian might want you to stay home with him.”

  Andrea told her the brief honeymoon was over and Brian was returning to work at Nails and Knobs, his hardware store in Belhaven, the following morning. She explained how she planned to take over the bookkeeping for all of Brian’s businesses not to mention help him with inventory, stocking and some of the other day-to-day operations.

  The newlyweds still hadn’t decided what to do with each of their homes. Andrea was attached to her mini-mansion while Brian was attached to his modern lakefront home. The home had belonged to his grandparents and they had willed it to him when they died. He’d meticulously renovated the place and it was stunning.

  After talking to each of the friends and leaving messages, Gloria began working on the breakfast brunch bake. The recipe called for it to sit overnight inside the fridge before she baked it in the oven the next morning.

  Dot offered to bring a box of assorted donuts and bagels as well as some cooked slices of bacon. Andrea invited Alice who offered to bring torrijas, a Spanish bread pudding.

  After wrapping up the brunch plans, Gloria wandered aimlessly around the house as she worried about Margaret.

  Liz vanished inside her room where Gloria could hear the faint thump of music while Paul worked on the home computer.

  On her third pass through the dining room, Paul stopped her. “You’re nervous as a tick. Why don’t we take a ride and check on the farm?” He slid the chair back and stood.

  “Yeah. I’m restless. A ride might help.” She tapped on Liz’s door and told her they were going out for a drive.

  The air was cool, the humidity of the day gone as they walked to Paul’s car. Mally, not wanting to be left behind, followed them out.