Murdered in Argentina: A Jack Trout Cozy Mystery

by Dianne Harman

  “If they’re not known for their wine, I hold out little hope for the food. Anyway, I’m don’t eat much beef, but it’s been my experience where there’s good wine, there’s usually good food. There were some really good restaurants in Walla Walla, even though the town itself is definitely Podunk City. I was surprised to learn that they actually have three colleges there. Academics, wine, and food seem to always go together. Ah, I see Ray and Jack walking up to the lodge from the lake.”

  “I’m not surprised. The lodge serves cocktails at six, and dinner is at seven. It’s a little early for South Americans to eat their evening meal, but the fishermen like to go out early in the morning and dinner is served early, so the fishermen can get a good night’s sleep. The lodge offers a continental breakfast in the morning which is quite good. They’ve had the same chef for many years, and I think she’s wonderful.”

  “Carola, this may just have been the best hour I’ve ever spent,” Jack said leaning down and kissing her in his excitement. “I never thought I’d have a chance to see fishing gear like Ray has, and he told me I might even have a chance to use it. He said he’d be sure and take my picture, so I can put it in my newsletter and on my website.” Jack turned to Ray. “I’m going up to the room and wash up. Why don’t you take your fly rod and reel up to your room? I’d hate for anything to happen to them, and although I’ve never heard of a guest having anything stolen while they were staying here at the lodge, I don’t want your priceless things to be the first victims. See you in a few minutes.”

  *****

  Jack and Carola joined Lisa, Ray, and his employees in the large great room of the lodge. One of the lodge staff had started a fire in the massive stone fireplace, as the Patagonia evenings could be quite cool. Mitch Graham walked over to where Jack and Ray were standing, introduced himself to Jack, and said “Ray has told all of us a lot about you, and we’re really looking forward to this trip. Thanks for putting it together for us.”

  “Not a problem,” Jack said. “Let’s just hope the fishing gods are with us for the next few days. I understand you’re Ray’s right hand man at Moving Graphics and very well known in the industry.”

  “If you call being the vice-president of the largest graphic design company in the United States allowing you to become well-known in an industry, then I probably am,” he said laughing. “There are also rumors that I’ll be taking over as president of the company when Ray retires, however, I’m sure others would say that Janelle Byers, who is the Chief Financial Officer of the company, is more likely to succeed Ray. She’s standing over there by your wife,” the jovial slender man with a receding hairline said.

  Ray laughed and said, “Mitch, think we’ve had this discussion before. I am definitely not ready to retire. Sorry to disappoint you once again.”

  Mitch smiled and said, “We’ll see. You never know what life is going to hand you.”

  What a strange thing to say, Jack thought.

  Jack looked at his watch and said, “That’s a very nice Orvis shirt you’re wearing.” “Well, I have a theory that people tend to judge a book by its cover, and if I’m ever going to take over Ray’s position when he retires, I’m going to need the respect of the rest of the senior staff,” he said nodding in the direction of the men who were standing in the corner next to the bar. “The Orvis brand is my favorite when it comes to outdoor clothing. It’s expensive, but you can’t beat the quality of their merchandise. I like to buy only the best, and that’s why I buy Orvis.”

  “There’s probably some truth to what you say about judging people by the type of clothes they wear, but I’m glad I’m able to get by wearing jeans and T-shirts,” Jack said. “Excuse me, but I want to get to know the rest of your group.” He walked over to the men standing by the bar and said, “Hi. We met briefly when we arrived earlier today, but let me re-introduce myself. I’m Jack Trout, and I’m looking forward to sharing some great fishing experiences with you. Actually, I hope it’s kind of like shooting fish in a barrel, you know, every time you cast you bring one in.”

  The men laughed and after a few moments, Jack said, “Ray mentioned that all of you are experienced fly fishermen. Where have you fished?”

  Their answers indicated they’d been to most of the well-known fly fishing sites in the world. “Since none of you are novices, you’ll be happy to learn this lodge only uses the best guides in the area. I think you’ll be very pleased with the results you’ll get while out on the water. I look forward to fishing with you. Dinner will be served in just a few minutes, and I want to meet Ms. Byers. Excuse me.”

  Jack walked over to where Carola, Lisa, and Janelle Byers were talking. As he walked up to the trio Jack overheard Carola telling Lisa she’d be happy to go into San Martin with her the next day and act as her interpreter.

  “Excuse me for interrupting, but I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you,” Jack said to the attractive woman who appeared to be in her late forties. Her short light brown hair with blond highlights had been perfectly cut and styled. Sparkling grey eyes looked out of a face that had only a few laugh lines on it. There were just enough lines so no one could accuse her of having been under the hand of a plastic surgeon, although Jack did notice the tell-tale scars behind her ears when she bent over to pick her drink up from the table.

  Noticing whether or not a woman had been the recipient of a plastic surgeon’s friendly scalpel had become something he couldn’t help doing. Every time he saw the tell-tale scars he remembered when Carola had told him how to spot them. He’d commented on how beautiful the wife of one of his client’s was. Evidently he’d gone on about it a little longer than Carola liked. Carola told him that any woman could be as beautiful as his client’s wife if she went to that woman’s plastic surgeon. That was when she told him how to tell if a woman was surgery free. It had stayed with him, and looking for the scars had become something he automatically found himself doing. He soon learned that a lot of his client’s wives had them.

  I wish Carola had never told me about how to tell whether or not a woman has had a facelift, because now I do it whenever I have the slightest doubt. If it turns out, based on the small scars behind the ears, that the woman in question has had a face lift, I can’t help but make a judgment based on it. I immediately think the woman is vain and rich, and that’s probably not fair to her.

  “Jack, how nice to finally meet you. Ray has spoken so highly of you over the years. I’m really looking forward to fishing here. I happened to look out the window a little while ago and noticed some interesting fly fishing equipment you and Ray were using.”

  “Yes, Ray brought some very rare and expensive equipment with him. He plans on using it while he’s here. Have you had much experience fly fishing?” Jack asked.

  “Actually, a lot. My father was an avid fly fisherman, as was my first husband. I’m getting married in a few weeks, and when Ray asked if I’d like to go fly fishing in Argentina, I jumped at the chance. My future husband doesn’t fish at all and has no desire to. This will probably be my last fly fishing trip.”

  “In that case, I’ll try and make it a memorable one for you.” Just then they heard a small bell ringing and Jack said, “That’s the dinner bell. The dining room is just down the hall. Believe me, you’re in for a treat. Pilar, the lodge’s cook, serves some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. The fishing here is great, but so is the food.”

  CHAPTER 9

  The members of Ray’s fishing group, along with Jack and Carola, seated themselves at the large oak table which comfortably sat ten, the maximum number of guests the lodge could accommodate. Each person had their own room with the exception of Lisa and Ray and Carola and Jack. The guides and the rest of the staff slept in small houses set apart a short distance from the lodge.

  The chef, Pilar, and two of her staff walked out of the kitchen with the first course which appeared to be some type of stuffed tomatoes. Carola spoke rapidly in Spanish to Pilar and then translated, “Our first course tonight is a
tomato relleno. It’s stuffed with a little chopped tomato, tuna, black olives, mayonnaise, and some herbs.”

  “My future husband is a gourmet cook,” Janelle said. “He would love this. It’s quite different from other stuffed tomatoes I’ve had.”

  Ray was seated next to her and said, “I didn’t know Andy was a gourmet cook. Being in wealth management, I wouldn’t think he’d have time for that.”

  “Trust me, Ray, he forces himself to make time for cooking gourmet meals, but a word to the wise, he goes by Andrew, not Andy, as he doesn’t like people to use that nickname. In the circles he travels in, people don’t use their nicknames, but what he doesn’t have time for is fly fishing,” she said laughing.

  “In this part of South America there are certain staples we have in our diets,” Carola said. “One of them is the tomato, and there are also over four thousand varieties of potatoes native to South America, so you’ll see a lot of those served here. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the Argentine style barbecues. What you’ve heard about the barbecue meat from Argentina is true. They eat a lot of beef and meat here in Argentina and preparing it barbecue style is the most popular way to cook it. In Chile, where I grew up, seafood is abundant, but there isn’t as much in Argentina. Please excuse me for a moment, and I’ll go into the kitchen and see what else Pilar will be serving us tonight.”

  She returned shortly and said, “In honor of this being your first night here at the lodge, Pilar and her staff have prepared an asado. That’s where all the meats are grilled on a barbecue. Tonight you will be served pork loin, flank steak, ribeye steak, chorizo sausage, and blood sausage. I know it sounds weird, but if you’ve never tried the blood sausage, you must. It’s very popular here, and personally, I think it’s delicious. Pilar has also prepared chimichurri bread and individual gratins of potato gnocchi. For dessert there is dulce de leche, which is a sweet made of milk. There are many variations of it made around the world, but I believe the Argentine version is the best. One thing I do know for sure is that tonight you will not go to bed hungry.”

  *****

  Ray was sitting next to Janelle, and Carola was next to her. Midway through the dinner, and after several glasses of wine, the noise level in the dining room had risen dramatically. Carola became aware that Ray and Janelle were speaking very quietly to each other, but she detected tension in their voices when either of them spoke. She strained to hear what they were saying, a talent she’d learned as a child growing up in a large family. When there are six children in a small house, one has to learn ways to make oneself heard and also how to tune out extraneous noises and tune into only what one wants to hear. She had become a master at the technique.

  “Ray, I don’t like what you’re implying,” Janelle said. “I run the Finance Department with an iron fist, and I’d be the first to know if there was some problem with numbers not matching up. I don’t know where you got your information, but I guarantee you that you’re wrong, dead wrong. I’m surprised you’d even bring it up on a trip like this which is supposed to be a perk for your senior staff.”

  “Janelle, believe me, I don’t want to spoil your trip, but as soon as we get back I want a meeting with you, so we can get to the bottom of this disparity. From the little time I had to look at the books, I’m seeing a mismatch of almost a million dollars, and since this is my sandbox, I’m not very happy about it.”

  “I’m sure there’s a very simple explanation, Ray. Possibly you weren’t reading the numbers correctly. Your expertise has been in creating one of the most successful graphic arts companies in the United States. It wouldn’t be the first time someone who isn’t trained in accounting misinterpreted financial data. And no, I don’t want my trip spoiled. We can continue this conversation when we return.”

  Janelle looked across the table and spoke to Jack. “What is the plan for the next three days?” she asked.

  Jack stood up and lightly tapped his knife against his water glass to get everyone’s attention. “Janelle just asked me what the plans are for the next few days. Pilar will put out a continental breakfast for us at six-thirty tomorrow morning, and then we’ll go out to the SUVs. The guides have decided not to fish on the river that runs through the ranch property, but the SUVs will take us to the Chimehuin River and the Quilquihue River. Both of these rivers are known for their gin clear water and produce some of the best trout fishing in all of Argentina. I know you’ll enjoy it. We’ll have four boats, two each to a boat along with a guide. The two guides I have fished with in the past are Mateo Diaz and Pablo Varela. The other two are new this year, but from what I hear, they’re every bit as good as Mateo and Pablo.

  “The day after tomorrow you’ll switch rivers, and then on the third day the guides will decide where we’ll go based on the results from the previous two days. They have a network here, and they’ll be talking to other guides in the area to make sure you go where they feel the fishing is the best. All of you brought your own equipment, but if you think you need something else, you can talk to the guides in the morning. They’ll be joining us here for breakfast. One nice thing about fishing here in the Patagonia area is that the trout bite all day. One more thing. If you’d like an after dinner drink or even a nightcap later in the evening, the great room is open all night, and a lamp will be left on. Just help yourself to whatever you want from the bar and enjoy your trip!”

  Kevin Walker, the young man who, according to what Ray had told Jack, was the genius who ran the art department which produced the Moving Graphics advertising designs adorning commercial trucks from all over the world, stood up. He said in a strong voice, “I think we need to make a toast to Pilar. Carola, would you ask her to come into the dining room?” The candlelight glinted on the diamond stud he wore in his ear, and his jet black hair was pulled back in a bun. No woman could have worn it better. He definitely looked the part of the art director of a highly successful graphic arts company from his hair to his bare feet clad in trendy Ecco sandals.

  Carola stood up from the table and walked into the kitchen. In a few moments she returned with a smiling Pilar. “Carola,” Kevin said, “please translate for me. If I tried to toast Pilar, the toast would consist of the only Spanish I know, mas cerveza, or more beer. I’m sure you’ll do far better.” He turned to face Pilar, “On behalf of all of us, I can’t think of a better way to start our fly fishing trip here in Argentina then with the fabulous food we’ve just eaten. Quite simply, this was a feast, and I’m sure everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. Thank you so much.” The others applauded as Carola translated Kevin’s toast. If Pilar had been smiling when she walked into the dining room, she was practically beaming at the end of Carola’s translation. With her hands clasped together in front of her chest, she bowed to them.

  Pilar began to speak quickly, and Carola translated what she was saying. “It is with great pleasure that I cook for you. When you like it, it gives me even more pleasure. Thank you.”

  CHAPTER 10

  Following dinner, all of the guests, knowing they had a long day of fly fishing coming up in the morning, retired to their respective rooms. Jack and Carola’s room was across the hall from Ray and Lisa’s. When they were almost at their rooms, Jack said to Ray, “See you in the morning.”

  Carola turned to Lisa and said, “Why don’t we go to San Martin about ten in the morning? I know some wonderful restaurants there, and we can come back here about two or three. That will allow you to have some time to yourself.”

  “How will I get my coffee?” Lisa asked. “I didn’t see a coffee maker in the room. I always have my coffee after I do my morning workout.”

  “Lisa, I’ll tell the staff to bring some up to you,” Jack said. “What time would you like it?”

  “Promptly at eight-thirty. I get up every morning at seven-thirty and do an hour of exercises and yoga. I don’t let anything interfere with that,” she said.

  “I’ll vouch for that,” Ray said, rolling his eyes. “Nothing is allowed to interfere wi
th the prima donna’s exercise routine and yoga.”

  Wow, I wonder how much Malbec wine he had tonight. Rather think that statement won’t make her very happy, Carola thought. As she turned to go into her room she noticed that Lisa’s eyes were blazing with anger.

  Jack closed the door behind him and picked up Cayo who had run over to him and started weaving in and out of Jack’s legs. He stroked the cat’s back and received a long purr in response. “What do you think of everyone?” he asked Carola.

  “You already know what I think about Lisa. I really haven’t talked much to Brad and Dean. I liked Kevin, and I thought that was a class act on his part to propose a toast to Pilar. You could tell she was really appreciative. I don’t think anyone has ever done that on any of our previous trips down here.”

  “What did you think of Janelle?” he asked, putting Cayo down on the carpeting and slipping his Jack Trout Fly Fishing T-shirt over his head. Cayo leaped up on the bed and promptly fell asleep on a pillow.

  “Think that’s the side of the bed you usually sleep on, Jack,” Carola said laughing. “Good luck on getting him to lie at the foot of the bed. As for Janelle, I liked her, but I did overhear something that sounded strange, and almost alarming.” She told him about the conversation she’d overheard at dinner between Janelle and Ray. “What do you make of it?” she asked.

  “I have no idea. Never having worked in a big corporation my initial thought is that there’s probably a good reason for numbers not matching up. Who knows? Maybe he was looking at some figures before they got a big payment in, and she was looking at them after it was received. I really have no idea, but she seems very nice. I’m sure there’s a logical explanation. Carola, to change the subject. I really need to get some sleep if I’m going to be at the top of my game tomorrow. When you finish in the bathroom, would you turn out the light?”