“So you did, Kelly, so you did. And I’m really happy that you promised me that you would never get involved in any of my cases again, right?” he asked with a stern look on his face.
“That’s right,” she said, mentally crossing her fingers. “I promised, didn’t I?”
CHAPTER 7
Kelly looked out from the kitchen of Kelly’s Koffee Shop and said, “Roxie, looks like we’ve got a bit of a lull in the action here at the moment. I’m going to make a bank run. I won’t be gone long.”
“No problem, Kelly. Seems like a good time to go. See you in a few minutes.”
Kelly walked the two blocks to the First Federal Bank. As she was reaching to open the door, it was suddenly pushed open from the inside and she was thrown a couple of steps back. Two people rushed out the door. It was Marcy Black and a man Kelly couldn’t identify. She overheard him say, “Don’t worry, Marcy. Brandon and I will make sure you have enough money to live on.” The man continued to talk, but his words were lost as they hurried over to a late model silver-colored car. Kelly watched as the man opened the door for Marcy and then got in the car and rapidly drove away.
Wonder who that is. I thought I knew everyone for miles around.
She opened the door of the bank again and walked over to Patti, the teller. “Kelly, I saw what happened. They almost knocked you down. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I recognized Marcy Black, but I can’t place the man that was with her. They both seemed pretty angry.”
“Yeah, I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I’ve never seen anything like it. Mrs. Black had a key to a safe deposit box and wanted to open it up. I checked and she was authorized to do that. She wanted the man who was with her to come into the vault with us, so I had him sign the entry log we keep where the names of everyone who enters the vault are recorded. We both put our keys in and opened the box. She started to look in it, but the man, his name is Gabe Lewis, according to the entry log, pushed her aside, grabbed what looked like a will, and quickly read it. He almost threw it at Mrs. Black and said, ‘He cut you out of his will. Everything goes to Brandon.’”
“Wow! How did she take it?”
“Not well, she was furious. He told Mrs. Black to stay calm and they’d talk about it later, then they left, taking the will with them. Kelly, I really shouldn’t have told you any of this. Please don’t tell anyone else what I just said.”
“Not to worry. I promise I won’t tell anyone,” she said, mentally crossing her fingers and thinking that Mike needed to know about this. It seemed to Kelly that it could be very important to his investigation.
“Here’s my deposit, Patti. I better get back to the coffee shop before Roxie decides to quit because I left her alone,” she said, handing the teller a leather pouch containing the receipts from the coffee shop for the last couple of days. Patti handed the deposit slip to her and Kelly hurried back to the coffee shop.
*****
“Looks like you handled everything just fine, Roxie,” Kelly said. “Thanks.”
“No problem. Oh, by the way, Doc called and said he wanted to talk to you when he comes in at noon today.”
“Any idea what’s up with him? That’s kind of unusual.”
“Nope, that’s all he said. I told him I’d give you the message when you got back from the bank.”
“Okay, I’ll keep an eye out for him.”
Promptly at noon, just as he did every Monday through Friday, Doc opened the coffee shop door and walked in. Rebel stood up and walked over to him, hoping for a filet mignon treat, or at the very least, an ear scratch.
“Sorry, boy, don’t have any treats with me, but I can scratch those ears for a minute,” Doc said, bending down while Rebel’s wagging tail became a blur.
“Hi, Doc,” Kelly said as she walked over to him. “Understand you wanted to talk to me.”
“Yeah. Mind if we go in the storeroom for a couple of minutes? I’d just as soon our talk was a little more private than out here where everyone can hear us.”
“Sure, follow me.”
She closed the storeroom door. “Doc, this is totally unlike you. What’s up?”
“Well, I just had a conversation with Bonnie Davis. She came to see me because she’d heard I was working with people who were having problems with substance abuse. Evidently her husband drinks a couple of six packs of beer every night.”
“Wait a minute, Doc, should you be telling me this? To my knowledge she’s not dead and you said the only reason you could tell me about Jeff Black was because he was dead. Don’t you have an ethical obligation to someone you’re counseling?”
“That’s true, Kelly, but Bonnie told me this in the waiting room of the clinic. We weren’t in my office and a room full of people also heard her tell me.”
“Okay, Doc. Just didn’t want you to get in trouble for telling me something you shouldn’t.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it. We both know I’ve had enough trouble with at least one State Medical Board. I sure don’t want any more problems in that area. As a counselor, I feel that what people tell me is privileged information and I would never breach a confidence, but this was not one of those times.”
“Okay, what did she say?”
“We talked about her husband and then she said she’d been away from home a lot in the last few months, trying to put a stop to the hotel and spa that Jeff Black was going to build on his property out at Jade Cove. She said it would damage the environment and nothing that big should be built that close to the ocean and the steep cliff at Jade Cove. Then she started talking about the spotted owls and how several had been seen in the Jade Cove area. She was jumping all over the place, from one topic to another, but everything she talked about was related to the environment. She told me the spotted owl was on the endangered species list and that its habitat would be harmed if anything like the hotel and spa were built on the Black’s property. She actually worked herself up to what I would almost consider a frenzy. She’s really passionate about it. I wanted to talk to you and see if you know her. That’s my first experience being around her.”
“You can’t live in a city this size and not know Bonnie Davis,” Kelly said. Some people think she’s a real nut case. I don’t think there’s ever been a County Board of Supervisors meeting or a City Council meeting where she didn’t get up and speak out about something in the environment that was going to be harmed by whatever was being proposed. I think she’s the president of something called the Wildlife Advocates. She travels all around the state and speaks to groups whenever some proposed development threatens the environment. I’ve heard that her husband drinks too much and I think there are a lot of people who feel that’s the only way he can stay married to her.”
“To tell you the truth, I had the same feeling. I just wanted to pick your brain since you know everyone around here and see if this is something I may want to avoid getting involved with.”
“I guess that’s a decision you’ll have to make on your own. Doc, a thought just occurred to me. Did she say anything else about Jeff Black?”
“Yes, I was concentrating more on what she was saying about her husband, but she did make the statement that she’d been trying to keep Jeff Black from building on his property because of the spotted owls. She said it was a good thing he was dead, that maybe now the owls in that area could be saved. Now that I think about it, she’s probably someone who might have had a reason to kill him.”
There was a knock on the storeroom door. “Come in,” Kelly said.
“Kelly, I don’t know where they’re comin’ from, but I need you up front. There are more people here than I can handle.”
“Be there in a sec, Roxie,” Kelly said as Roxie closed the door.
“Doc, thanks for telling me. On second thought, I’d stay away from her if I were you. Her husband’s been drinking excessively for as long as I can remember, and even if he stopped, it probably wouldn’t keep her from traveling and speaking out about the environme
nt. She’s really fanatical about it. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her talk about anything else. I’ll see what else I can find out about her because based on what you just told me, she very well might be a suspect in the Jeff Black murder.”
“Kelly, let me give you some advice. You’d be better off telling Mike and letting him see what he can find out. Remember, this is his case.”
“You’re right, Doc. I’ll tell Mike and I promise you I’ll stay out of it,” she said, crossing her fingers and wondering if this was something she was going to have to explain to St. Peter when she got to the Pearly Gates or if she could get a pass if she confessed her habit of telling "white lies” to Father Brown the next time she went to church.
CHAPTER 8
Kelly locked the coffee shop door and stood for a moment, looking out at the bay.
It’s so tranquil it’s hard to believe that two murders have occurred in this little town in a matter of months. I guess it’s like everything else. No matter how calm and serene it seems on the surface, there’s always something going on underneath it, just like the bay. Doesn’t look like anything much even lives in the bay, but dive down and it’s full of fish, abalone, crabs, kelp, and every other form of aquatic life.
She and Rebel got in her minivan and pulled out of the parking lot. I know I promised Mike I wouldn’t get involved in the Jeff Black murder case, but this isn’t really getting involved. I just want to talk to Bonnie about the spotted owls. She heard a voice in the back of her head saying, “Sure you do.” She ignored it.
She parked her minivan in front of the Davis’ house. “Stay, boy. I won’t be long,” she said to Rebel who promptly stood up in the passenger seat, insuring that no one would be entering the minivan until Kelly returned.
Even though it was November, someone in the Davis household had carefully tended the plants in the numerous pots leading up to the front porch. Vivid green ivy grew across the front of the freshly painted white house. Crisp green and white checkered curtains were pulled back in the front windows which looked out at the bay. It was a very warm and inviting home. Kelly knocked on the front door and admired the colorful wreath of fall leaves which surrounded the peephole.
In a moment the door was opened by Jack Davis. “Can I help you?” he asked.
“Jack, it’s Kelly Conner. Remember me? You’ve come to my coffee shop several times, but I haven’t seen you there recently. I stopped by to see if Bonnie was available. I want to ask her some questions about the spotted owls and I understand she’s an expert on the subject.
“Sorry, Kelly, I didn’t recognize you. Please, come in. She’s an expert on the spotted owls, all right. I’ll get her.”
He returned a few minutes later followed by a grey-haired woman who wore Birkenstock sandals, a long flowing skirt, and a heavy knit sweater. Her hair was pulled into a conservative bun at the nape of her neck. She wore no make-up, not even lipstick. Looking at her, Kelly was reminded of the hippies who had come through Cedar Bay on their way to San Francisco in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. The only thing missing from Bonnie’s dated clothing was a tie-dye patterned T-shirt. There were a few pictures of some hippies on the walls in the coffee shop along with other pictures of the changes that had occurred in Cedar Bay over the years. Bonnie looked very much like the people in those photos from several decades ago. As she looked at her, Kelly thought that Bonnie’s time had come and gone. There was nothing contemporary about her looks or clothing.
“Hi, Bonnie, I haven’t seen you for a long time. If you have a minute, I’d like to talk to you.”
“Kelly, it’s good to see you. I have to leave fairly soon for a meeting in Sunset Bay, but I have a little time. What can I do for you?”
“Well, a tourist was in the coffee shop the other day asking if I knew where any nesting sites for spotted owls were located. Evidently he’s a fairly new member of the Audubon Society and wanted to take a photograph of one while he was visiting in Oregon so he could show it to his bird-watching group when he got back to Kansas. I told him I didn’t know a thing about them. After he left I started thinking about my conversation with him, and since we get so many tourists at the coffee shop, I figured I probably should know something about them. I understand they’re on the endangered species list, but that’s about all I know. I mentioned to a friend that I was interested in learning more about spotted owls and he said you were an expert on the subject. I happened to be in the area so I thought I’d stop by and see if you were home and could spare me a moment.”
“Please, have a seat. Jack, would you get us some coffee?” she asked, turning towards her husband. A few minutes later he returned with mugs for each of them.
“Here you are. I’d join you, but I have to meet my hunting pal Fred out at the rifle range. When I was deer hunting I noticed that my favorite hunting rifle was missing the target by a couple of inches, so I’m going to test it out at the range. I’m pretty sure the telescopic sight just needs a little fine tuning. When those cross-hairs on the scope are properly adjusted, just about anybody could hit smack dab in the middle of a half dollar at two hundred yards. That’s why it’s my favorite. Don’t get many chances to take a shot at a big buck and I don’t want to miss an opportunity because the sights on my rifle are not properly adjusted. Glad it’s only the one rifle I’m having trouble with because if I had to test fire all five of my rifles I’d be out at the range all day. See you later.” They heard the screen door close behind him as he walked out towards the garage.
Bonnie looked at Kelly with a smile on her face and said, “It’s such a big subject I really don’t know where to begin. You probably want an overview. Well, the spotted owls live in old-growth forests, so there are a lot of them around here. You’re correct in that it is an endangered species. I don’t know if you’re aware of it, but they’ve been seen on Jeff Black’s property. The main threat to the spotted owls is the loss of their habitat. If Jeff’s land is cleared for that hotel and spa he wanted to build, that would qualify as habitat loss.
“I’ve spoken at a number of meetings about it. In fact, I even traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with our Senators and Congressmen about it. I wasn’t able to see them, but I did have meetings with their staffs. They told me that unless there were photographs or hard evidence of a spotted owl on the Black property, there was nothing they could do. I tried my darnedest, but I couldn’t get a picture of one on his property.”
Bonnie stopped for a moment and took a sip of her coffee. “Not many people know that there’s an old dilapidated shack on that strip of Bureau of Land Management property on the north side of Jade Cove. I found it years ago when I was bird-watching in that area. Nobody’s ever in that shack, just mice and birds. The windows were broken out before I ever went there and there’s a big hole in the roof. When I was there many years ago I remembered that even though it’s not on Jeff Black’s property, you can see the shack he used as an office as well as his ranch house from the vantage point of the abandoned shack. I thought it would be a good idea for me to go hide out in the old shack and see if I could get a photo of a spotted owl on his property.”
“Can anyone get on the BLM property?” Kelly asked. “I kind of remember seeing a “No Trespassing” sign on it.”
“Yeah, well, there may be. Anyway, I had a telephoto lens on my camera that’s also equipped with an infrared attachment so I can take photos at night. Believe me, if an owl had come, I was ready, but I didn’t see anything. It was a full moon when I was there. I stayed awake at night watching for an owl and slept during the day. I was out there for two days and nights. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the proof I needed and the hotel and spa were approved. Best thing that ever happened to the spotted owls was when Jeff Black was killed. Sure hope whoever’s going to take over that land now that he’s dead won’t try to build on it. I have some people coming in a couple of days who are really good bird watchers. They can see birds that no one else can and I’m hoping they can get a picture of one on h
is property. I understand that whoever inherits the property won’t have to get approval again to build a hotel and spa, but if I can get a photograph of a spotted owl on that property, I can probably get the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department to back me up and stop any future construction.”
“Wow! I had no idea that if something like the spotted owl is on the endangered species list, a loss of its habitat might stop something from being built,” Kelly said. “I’ll bet a lot of people haven’t been very happy when that happened.”
“I look at it this way. Someone has to look out for our wild animals and creatures. They can’t speak for themselves. I consider it to be my life’s work to see what I can do to help them. Make no mistake, Kelly, that hotel and spa will never be built on that property.”
Kelly stood up. “Thanks, Bonnie. I’ve taken up enough of your time and you mentioned you had a meeting you had to get to. I really appreciate you sharing all this information with me.”
Bonnie walked her to the door. “I know you can’t do anything about that property, but I hope you understand just how critical it is to the spotted owls. How would you like it if someone threatened to tear down your home and you couldn’t speak up?”
Kelly paused for a moment and looked at her. “I wouldn’t like it, Bonnie. I wouldn’t like it at all.”
As soon as Rebel saw Kelly approaching the minivan, he got in the back seat and laid down, his job of watching and waiting for her safe return over for the moment. “Thanks, boy. Wow, Bonnie may be a nut case, but she sure makes a pretty good argument for protecting the spotted owls. Who knew? Not me. Time to go home, big guy.”
Bonnie stood at the window watching Kelly get into her van. When she saw Kelly drive around the corner, Bonnie walked up the stairs and went into her bedroom. She slid her closet door open and reached behind a heavy coat hanging at the far end of it. She removed a cloth bag from a hanger and unzipped it.
Murder at Jade Cove (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Book 2) Page 4