I drove back with the wheels in my mind spinning much faster than those on the little pickup. I entered the inn and went straight to the conference room.
Turning on a light, I sat at the table facing the charts. What had I learned this afternoon?
I looked at the “why people kill” list. Anger was at the top with fear, hatred, and revenge as subcategories under it. Blackmailing, lying to the police, possible jail time, and stealing—all things I’d dealt with today and all capable of summoning the emotions listed. People were losing income as the location of valuable mushroom patches were sold to the public. Another reason to be angry.
From Elise’s look, it was clear she hadn’t realized Joey had lied about his alibi. He said he had one, but it wasn’t what he told the police. I wondered what his reason was for not revealing it.
Elise mentioned Joey getting illegal logs for someone. She said the person he was selling it to wouldn’t be in serious trouble, so he’d given the name to Ned. Joey had specifically said the ones Roger bought and told me about were legal. Maybe Roger had paid Joey and Peter to retrieve illegal ones, too. Technically he wouldn’t be buying those. Joey’s wording wouldn’t have been a lie. Joey was better with words than I thought.
Most likely it was Roger who hired them. But Elise was right about not seeing any motive for murder there. If Roger wanted to, he could buy the local paper and fire Blaine. That would have given Ned something to worry about and gotten him out of Roger’s hair if he’d been bothering him.
Who took the big sinker log and who had it? My best guess was Joey and Peter took it, with Roger providing the funds for the equipment. It might have been one of the Asian buyers he mentioned, but, for now, I was sticking with the suspects we had.
Who else could Ned have been blackmailing? Roger? All the reasons for the threat not being a big deal applied here…unless there was something else Roger had to hide. There was no indication of that so far. The destruction of the federal land might hold more consequences. But Ned couldn’t have blackmailed him about that because the reporter was already dead when that happened.
Ned was killed near where the stolen sinker log had been. Seemed like a big coincidence, but what kind of connection could there be with the reporter being murdered before the theft?
I looked at Clarence’s chart. The man of many laughs. Now we had an idea why someone might want to kill him. He said he hadn’t seen anything, but the killer didn’t necessarily know that. In which case, the murderer might have been at the dinner. Back to the four suspects. They’d all been there, walking around in the kitchen.
I’d been focusing on the logs. Now I looked at the mushroom chart.
The only smoking lead there, so far, was Peter’s fiery temper. Other people were upset, but he was the only one we knew of who threatened the reporter. The Fungi Finders had felt targeted, and they wanted their information off of the website. Maybe one of them had confronted Ned.
The sacred classification for Daniel’s tribe was the next chart. Initially he’d said some people were mad, but there was no indication they took action. Daniel and I hadn’t had a chance to talk about it any further.
The chart labeled “other” had the illegal logging of the live redwoods on it. I couldn’t see any way that fit in. It just hung out there by itself.
Elise’s name was there…an angry, protective woman. I thought she could kill for any of the top emotions listed.
Who had pushed me in the water?
Who had left the threatening note?
My brain felt like the butter we made on the ranch with Grandma’s wooden churn. Only, in my case, it’d been left in the sun and was beginning to melt.
My cell phone rang. I recognized Stanton’s number.
“Hello.”
“Wanted to let you know about the mushrooms you gave me this afternoon. Based on a visual identification, the lab said what was in his dinner was poisonous. They said there were two types of mushrooms given to Clarence. If he’d ingested just one, the amount he was given would’ve only made him sick. The combination of the two together almost killed him. As soon as we have a definite analysis on the second one, we’ll be considering what happened to Clarence as attempted murder.”
Chapter 24
I thanked Deputy Stanton for the information. Determined to keep my word to Elise, I didn’t say anything about Joey. I ended the call and returned to the charts. I added “two types of poisonous mushrooms” on Clarence’s chart and “attempted murder” with a question mark.
If he’d only had one type of mushroom, he would’ve been sick but not nearly died. Had two different people tried to make him sick but not kill him? Or had one person tried to murder him and, for some reason, used two different types of mushrooms?
I couldn’t see anywhere else I could go with the information. I went to the work area to continue with the order I’d started earlier. Allie and Tommy, each curled up on a beanbag chair, were reading paperback books. I saw a horse and foal on Allie’s cover and a long-eared dog that looked a lot like Fred on Tommy’s. Fred rested his head on the boy’s shoulder, as though he was reading along with him.
Helen was putting plates and silverware on a tray. She signaled me over. “Any news of Daniel?” she whispered.
I shook my head. “We should hear soon. Unless something went wrong, the attorney ought to be with Daniel by now. I’ll let you know as soon as I learn something.”
She nodded. I went back to the folder I’d left on the worktable. I’d just opened it to figure out where I left off when I heard a vehicle in the driveway. A familiar faded blue van rattled by.
Daniel!
I started to say something but decided to let Daniel do the surprising.
He opened the door and strode in.
Allie looked up. “Dad!” she screamed and ran to him, again flinging her arms around him, only this time from happiness, not fear.
He hugged her tightly. “I love you.”
Helen and I both were wiping tears from the corners of our eyes.
Allie stepped back, beaming at her father. Then she spun around and raced toward me. The next thing I knew I was the recipient of an around-the-waist hug.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” she said.
Fred began baying, which brought some comic relief to the emotional scene. Tommy looked perplexed. I didn’t know if he knew anything about what had been happening with Allie’s father.
“Everyone’s happy to see you, including Fred,” I said to Daniel.
“And I’m happy to see all of you. Kelly, thank you for your quick thinking about calling Michael.”
“You’re welcome. I wish I’d thought of it sooner.”
Helen came up to him and touched his arm. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
“Thanks,” he said with a big grin. “I was thinking takeout from Sam’s Deli tonight. Are you and Tommy in?”
“Sounds perfect,” Helen replied.
“Kelly, how about you?”
“I’ll have to pass. I’m attending a party tonight for people and businesses that supported the mushroom-hunting contest.”
Daniel put his arm around Allie’s shoulders. “I want to talk to Kelly for a few minutes. Why don’t you and Tommy get the deli menu and decide what you’d like tonight.”
“Okay, Dad.”
The kids raced each other to where the takeout menus were kept in the cupboard. When they had an even start, Allie always won with her long legs. As she grabbed the food list, Tommy ran back to where they’d been sitting. With his head start, it was a tie.
“Let’s go into the conference room,” I said to Daniel.
He nodded and followed me, then whistled when he saw the charts and everything written on them. “You and the Silver Sentinels have been busy.”
“We’ve learned a lot…just not who the murderer is yet,�
�� I said ruefully.
“What’s the bit about a note and being shoved into the river?”
I explained, being as brief as I could, to keep his concern as minimal as possible.
He raised his eyebrows at me.
“I know, I know. Be careful,” I said in response to his look. “Is there any information you can add to our investigation?”
“Not really. The tribal meeting was about restoring the land. It’ll be expensive. The police only asked questions. They didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know.”
“What happened when the attorney arrived?”
“The whole tone changed as soon as he got there.” He gave me one of his sheepish grins. “I guess it was pretty silly of me to think the fact I was innocent was all I needed and my honesty would get me through this.”
“No, Daniel, you weren’t silly. You trust people and extend that characteristic to others. You believe the police will get to the truth.”
“I was pretty tense by the time help arrived. Three officers questioned me. There wasn’t a friendly look from any of them.”
“If it’s any comfort to you, Deputy Stanton thinks you’re innocent.”
“Thanks. It does help.”
We joined the others. The clock said five thirty. I’d be late for the party, but Roger had said it was a buffet and to stop by anytime. I excused myself and went to change.
A Redwood Cove party. With Daniel home, I could get more in the mood for one, even though the situation wasn’t resolved. Casual was the usual theme. I chose an emerald green sweater—one my sister said did wonders for my green eyes. She always thought about clothes and makeup, the opposite of me. Black jeans and black leather flats finished the look.
I traded my everyday gold posts for diamond ones, a gift from my mom. I decided to put on some eye shadow but stopped mid–makeup application when I realized I hadn’t spent this much time thinking about what I looked like in a long while.
Scott was going to be there tonight.
Was this for him?
I swallowed hard and pushed the thought away, my stomach still clenching when I remembered the pain I’d been through from my divorce. Over the years I’d encouraged friends and family to heal and leave behind their emotional wounds. Maybe it was time for me to take my own advice.
I willed myself to stop thinking about Scott and finished getting ready. Helen was alone in the kitchen when I entered.
“You look lovely, Kelly. Those earrings match the sparkle in your eyes.”
“It’s so wonderful having Daniel back. It’s put me in a party mood.”
Helen put the finishing touches on a cheese tray. “I know what you mean. I’m sure we’ll all be happy when this is cleared up.”
“I agree. Maybe I’ll learn something tonight,” I said as I left. I decided to take my down jacket. Northern California nights are normally quite cold. I got into the truck and headed for Roger’s place.
I drove up the long driveway. The outside lights were on at the studio. I stopped out of their range. Should I try to see if the sinker log was in the work area? I looked behind me and saw no headlights from approaching cars. I’d promised to be careful. It would only take me a few minutes, and no one was coming up the hill.
I retrieved my flashlight from the glove box and got out. The wind tossed my hair around and strands stung my cheeks. The thunderous sound of crashing waves, as well as moist ocean air against my face, reminded me of the nearby sea.
I looked down the drive again. Still no headlights. I kept the building between myself and the main house, so my light wouldn’t be seen, and turned on the flashlight, carefully checking for motion detector lights. We had them at the ranch to discourage predators, so I was familiar with them. Seeing none, and not finding any surveillance cameras, I looked down the driveway again. Still clear of approaching vehicle headlights.
I kept the light low and went around the side of the structure and up to a window. Darn! It was covered by a shade, and I noticed bars on the inside. I went back to the front and checked for anyone coming up the road. Still clear. There were advantages to being late.
I went to the back of the building to check for equipment. Nothing. The ground provided no tire prints because it was concrete. There were two large barn-size doors to allow equipment to enter, but they were secured with a heavy chain and padlock. No way in there and no windows to see through.
I hurried back to my car and continued up the hill. I hadn’t learned anything, but I was glad I had tried. A valet greeted me. I recognized him as one of the men I’d seen in the field at the community center.
“Hi,” I said. “I’m Kelly Jackson. I saw you working with one of the PTSD dogs Friday night. Are you enjoying it?”
“Totally. Zeus is a great dog. On one hand, it’s going to be hard to give him up. On the other, he’s going to a friend of mine who’s going to become a tenant at the center, so I’ll still be able to see him.”
“Are you going to work with another dog?”
“You bet. It’s possible we’ll be able to have our own personal pets in our cabins. That’s under consideration. Then I’ll get my own dog as well as train one for someone else.”
Michael Corrigan loved dogs, and he believed they added to the well-being of people’s lives. He’d arranged for employees to be able to have dogs on his properties if they passed their Canine Good Citizenship test. I suspected the veteran who wanted a dog wasn’t going to have a problem having that happen.
I handed him my keys. “My guess is you’ll have that chance.”
He handed me a ticket, and I headed for the house. A note on the door said, Come on in. I did. The entryway had two large coat racks. I put my jacket on a hanger and went to join the party I could hear was well under way as the sound of happy voices floated from the room.
I walked into the crowded dining room, where an oversize table held a buffet feast. Trays of quarter-cut sandwiches followed a variety of appetizers, all neatly labeled. Phil had a wine table at the far end of it.
Andy busily arranged trays at his cheese area. A guest pointed to a wedge of dark orange cheese and I knew, from Andy’s animated movements, the person was getting the history, a description of the taste, and the region it was from. He loved his cheese.
Over in the corner, Elise, Joey, and Peter were standing close together, as thick as thieves—which they might possibly be. I wondered if Peter and Elise were dating.
Roger saw me and headed in my direction. “I’m glad you could make it.”
“I am, too. Thanks for the invitation.”
“Let me introduce you to some people who might be helpful for you to know in terms of running the inn and advising your guests.”
He proceeded to introduce me to the owner of a vegan cooking school, the head chef at a large restaurant, and the CEO of the chamber of commerce, among others. We exchanged cards and promised to get together in the near future.
“Thank you, Roger. They all seem like really nice people, and I’ll be able to learn more about some of the unique offerings of this area.”
“You’re welcome. Enjoy the evening.”
He wandered off to be the charming host to other guests. I headed for the buffet. I’d had a snack at the Silver Sentinels’ meeting but no actual lunch. I filled most of my plate but left room for cheese.
Andy greeted me enthusiastically. “What delightful choice would you like today?”
“I see my favorite.” I pointed to the Huntsman.
The layers of rich cheddar mingled with a blue-veined soft cheese to create a combination to delight the palate.
“Of course.” He cut a slice and put it on my plate. “I’d like to recommend this nettle and jack cheese. It’s a new one on my list. Would you like to try it?”
“I’m always up for what you suggest. You’re the cheesemonger.”
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He put a couple of slices next to the Huntsman. “Enjoy.”
“I’m sure I will.”
I added a few crackers and found a table in a corner with an empty stool and sat. I put my purse down next to the wall. Just as I started to eat, Scott arrived, and I saw him search the room. When he saw me, his face lit up and he smiled and waved. I waved back. He came over to me.
“That looks like a wonderful selection of food.” He inclined his head toward the buffet table.
“I agree. Roger did a great job of choosing an interesting variety. Why don’t you grab a plate and join me?”
“I just finished dinner, so I’m not hungry. However, I’ll go look at what’s there. I’ve heard this caterer does some interesting vegan dishes. I’m always looking for new ideas.”
He left, and I looked around the room, savoring my Huntsman on a wheat cracker. Elise, Peter, and Joey still were together. No mingling for them. Peter took Elise’s plate and headed for the buffet. Our glances met, and he averted his eyes. I felt the same way about him. He put a few appetizers on her plate and headed back for the corner.
Scott returned and put his plate next to mine. “I thought these tempeh fries with horseradish-dill sauce looked intriguing.”
They reminded me of fish sticks with tartar sauce, but I kept that to myself.
“Andy Brown gave me some of your favorite cheese—the Huntsman. The man is a very knowledgeable cheesemonger. I asked him to buy me some hard-to-find cheeses in San Francisco and bring them the next time he comes.”
“He’s a nice man. You two will probably have some fun cheese conversations.”
“I’m sure we will.” He placed a piece of cheese on a cracker. “I’m surprised Roger didn’t cancel this party.”
“Why is that?” I asked.
“He was gone all last night on a family emergency and didn’t get back until midmorning.”
As we ate, he proceeded to tell me Roger had hired two of his men who’d been acting as valets to drive him to San Francisco after the get-together last night. Roger had gotten word his aunt had had a heart attack as she was leaving the opera and was in intensive care. It was a long drive to the city with much of it on a dark, winding, two-lane road. The men had taken turns driving, while Roger tried to get some sleep in the back seat.
Murder at the Mushroom Festival Page 17