Last Chance for Murder (Lisa Chance Cozy Mysteries Book 1)

by Estelle Richards

  On the wall across from the stairs and beside the balcony doors, there was a tiny closet. As a teenager, she and her friends had debated whether the closet meant this tiny room was a servant’s quarters or whether it had been built to house contraband.

  As Brett’s footsteps climbed the spiral stairs, Lisa dove into the little closet, pressing her back to the wall in order to get it to close.

  The inky dark inside the closet made her realize that the tower room itself had been lit by starlight. Now she was in true blackness, in a space as tight as a coffin. Think of the Grand Canyon, think of the Grand Canyon, all that open space, she told herself.

  Brett’s footsteps squeaked on the floorboards of the tower room.

  “Oh, Lisa, where are you?”

  She held her breath.

  “I don’t want to do this, Lisa, but you leave me no choice.”

  He sounded crazed, desperate. Lisa felt around the closet for anything that could be used as a weapon. Her fingers found a loose piece of board that came up from the plaster. It was hardly large enough to be a prison shank, but she felt the end, and it was somewhat pointy.

  “You didn’t go over the edge of the balcony like Roland, did you?”

  Lisa shivered. Why had she ever gone out on a date with this man? In a flash, she came up with a plan. She held her breath and listened.

  He walked across the room to the balcony. A squeaky hinge told her he’d opened the French doors. A chilly breeze curled its fingers between the cracks around the closet door.

  He stepped out onto the balcony. It was now or never.

  Lisa burst out of the closet and slammed the balcony doors closed, then shoved the piece of wood underneath the bottom edge of the doors, jamming them shut.

  Brett lunged at the doors. His face against the glass was distorted with rage. The doors shook, but the little shim held.

  Lisa knew it wouldn’t hold forever. She had to run while she could, hoping he didn’t immediately start punching through the glass panes of the French doors to force his way back in.

  She ran down the stairs, clutching the receiver in her hand.

  From above, she could hear crashing and the tinkle of broken glass.

  She ran through the upstairs hallway.

  At the bottom of the stairs, the front door swung open and a flaring light blinded her.

  “Hello? Is everything ok? Lisa? It’s Mo!”

  She almost flew down the stairs and wrapped him in a hug.

  “I’m so glad to see you! We have to get out of here! It was Brett. Brett Lord. It was him all along,” she panted.

  Footsteps thundered overhead. “Lisa Chance, you won’t get away so easily!” Brett yelled.

  “Step back and hold this,” Dr. Morris told Lisa in the gentle voice he used with frightened animals. He gave her the light.

  She stepped behind him into the doorway and pointed the light over his shoulder. The flaring light swept up the stairs and lit up Brett, his hand bleeding and his hair and eyes wild. As the light blinded him, Brett screamed in rage. He started running down the stairs.

  Dr. Morris raised his shotgun and yelled, “Halt! Put your hands up!”

  Lisa clenched her teeth. She wanted to cover her ears in case he had to shoot, but didn’t want to move the light off Brett.

  “I said stop and put your hands up!” Authority rang in Dr. Morris’s voice, and Brett hesitated, and then sat down on the steps with a loud thump. After a moment, he put his face in his hands and started to weep.

  Lisa edged closer and could just make out what he was snuffling into his hands. “I’m so sorry, Penny. Penny, I’m so sorry.”

  Lisa shook her head. Brett really was obsessed with her mother.

  Dr. Morris continued to hold the shotgun on Brett in case he decided to get up again. “Do you have your phone?” he said to Lisa.

  She nodded, then remembered he couldn’t exactly see that when she was behind him, and said, “Yes.”

  “Call the police.”

  “Right, of course.”

  Lisa pulled out her phone with a shaking hand, nearly dropping it as she struggled to hold the light with the other hand.

  “Um, can I turn on the lights?” she said.

  “Lights?” Brett and Dr. Morris said together.

  “Yeah. The first thing Gideon did was check the electrical in this place. He said we’d need to upgrade it, but it’s usable.”

  Dr. Morris chuckled. “That’s what I get for assuming. Yes, turn on the lights, please.”

  She flipped the switch and set down the flashlight. It was a large, red, heavy Maglight-type flashlight. She glanced at Dr. Morris, still holding his shotgun. “Do all veterinarians carry this kind of gear?”

  “Remember that thing about the county Animal Control Division?”

  “Sure.”

  “It’s technically a branch of law enforcement. We have to be on the lookout for illegal traps and poachers mostly.”

  “Oh! Does that mean you carry handcuffs?”

  “I’m pretty sure I have some in the toolbox in the truck somewhere, but the flashlight is the law enforcement tool I use the most. Have you called the police yet?”

  Chapter 29

  Lisa got her phone back out and dialed Toby’s number without thinking.

  “Hey, cuz,” he said, picking up on the first ring.

  “Toby, we caught the murderer! Come down to the Folly and arrest him!”

  “Whoa, whoa, slow down. You did what? Are you in danger?”

  “No, no, no danger. We caught the murderer. Dr. Morris is holding a shotgun on him right now.”

  “Dr. Morris is... Cuz, you need to dial 911 for this stuff. Is anyone hurt?”

  She looked at Brett, whose hand was still bleeding from breaking the glass in the balcony doors. “Um, Brett has a cut on his hand that’s still bleeding.”

  “Brett has… I’ll be right over. But call 911, ok?”

  Lisa did, and the dispatcher assured her that the police and an ambulance were on their way.

  Toby arrived a minute later, in jeans and an old police academy sweatshirt, his hair mashed on one side like he’d just rolled out of bed. He came in, nodded at Dr. Morris, and gave Lisa a big hug.

  “Are you ok, cuz?”

  She let out a long shuddering breath. “I think the adrenaline is wearing off.”

  He turned to inspect Brett, sitting on the stairs with his bleeding hand and his guilty tears. “Is this the guy?” He looked closer. “Wait, is that your mom’s new real estate sales guy?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Penny,” Brett moaned. “I’m sorry, Penny.”

  “He seems a little…” Toby started.

  “Obsessed with my mom? Oh, yeah. We were on a date tonight, and that made it just a little bit awkward.”

  “You were on a date?”

  “Don’t look so surprised!”

  “Sorry, cuz, he just doesn’t seem like your type.”

  “My mom set us up.”

  “Ok, I guess I can see Aunt Penny doing that, but how did you end up here?” Toby gestured around them.

  Dr. Morris cut in, “Hold up a sec. Any way you could cuff this guy? I might be part of country animal control, but this is more of a regular police matter.”

  “Sure.” Toby pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket and approached Brett. “Do you have any weapons on you? Anything sharp in your pockets where I might cut or poke myself?”

  Brett woke up out of his reverie. “Of course not. I’m not that kind of criminal,” he snapped.

  Toby secured him and kept him seated on the stairs. “Just sit tight now. The paramedics will be here to look at the cut soon.”

  “What I don’t get,” Dr. Morris said, carefully checking his shotgun and strapping his flashlight back onto his belt, “is why this guy would want to kill that Roland guy.”

  Lisa sighed. “Strange as it might sound, I think it’s because of my mother.”

  “Because of Aunt Penny?” Tob
y said.

  “Like I said, he’s kind of obsessed with her. She’s not just his boss, she’s his mentor. He’s her protégé. He wants to make her proud. Believe me, I understand wanting to make that woman proud.”

  Toby nodded.

  “And then this house comes on the market, and it’s a big real estate deal, and he gets the listing. And not only gets the listing, but sells it to me, his mentor’s daughter. But the whole thing is a scam. Roland is a conman. Suddenly, instead of making her proud, he’s hurt her business and her family. He confronts the conman, and, actually, maybe we should look at that video footage.”

  She took the receiver out of her pocket. “Is there sound on this thing?”

  Dr. Morris shook his head in the negative. “Just picture. Like a wildlife cam.”

  “Hmm, ok. How do I play this?”

  “It’s got Bluetooth. You can pair it with your phone. Or let me see, it’s probably already paired with mine.”

  They watched the video on the little screen. The first image was the mama cat, eyes bright and reflective in the darkness, then she moved out of the frame and they saw Roland pull into the courtyard in his Cadillac, followed by Brett in his luxury SUV. It was night by the clock on the screen, but Lisa remembered that night had been a full moon. The bright moon lit the scene like stage lighting.

  Brett and Roland appeared to argue with each other, making larger and larger gestures. Then Roland made calming gestures and Brett followed him into the Folly. Nothing happened for a couple of seconds, then a blur that Lisa realized with a lurch in her stomach was Roland’s body falling from the balcony. Then they saw Brett run out the front door, get in his car and move it. Another clip had Brett return and take Roland’s keys out of his pocket — Lisa felt sick at the thought of digging in the pockets of a dead body — and getting in the Cadillac and leaving.

  Then nothing else until the mama cat returning to the carriage house with some kind of mouse or critter.

  Lisa sighed. “Oh, Brett,” she said, “Mom would have forgiven you for the deal with Roland. I would have forgiven you. We were all taken in by him.”

  Toby crossed his arms. “What I want to know is what did Roland say to him when they went inside together?”

  “What do you mean?” Lisa said.

  “Here, play it again. Ok, stop. Right here. See this gesture Roland makes? And then Brett kind of nods, and they go inside. My guess is, money.”

  “What?”

  “Roland had a lot of cash, which we have not recovered. Maybe he offered a cut to Brett to keep his mouth shut.”

  They all turned to Brett, huddled on the stairs. He looked at them for a second, then shifted his gaze away. “I want a lawyer,” he said.

  Lisa had a flash of memory. “Wait, I just remembered something I saw at the office. His expense forms. For reimbursement? He’d suddenly switched from using a credit card to paying in cash, right around the date of the murder.” She glared at Brett. “You have this weird obsession with my mother, but you go and use her business to launder money? You rat.”

  Toby put a hand on her shoulder. “Easy, cuz.”

  “How much of my money did you get? Was it worth it?”

  A burst of flashing red and blue lights illuminated the driveway as the police and ambulance arrived.

  A paramedic came in and bandaged up Brett’s hand.

  “Will he need stitches?” Lisa asked.

  The paramedic shook her head in the affirmative. “Hands are tricky; you don’t want to miss potential nerve damage.”

  Dr. Morris flexed his hands. Lisa looked at them and thought of the surgeries he did to save the lives of animals like the mama cat. She was glad his hands were ok.

  Officer Handy came in and conferred for a moment with Toby, then waited for the paramedic to finish with Brett before taking him into custody, putting him in the back seat of the cruiser.

  Lisa remembered her own recent ride in that car and shivered, rubbing her arms. She was so glad it was over.

  Dr. Morris came up behind her and slipped his warm jacket over her shoulders. It was flannel-lined and smelled delightfully masculine. She pulled it around herself and smiled her thanks at him.

  Officer Handy came back and raised an eyebrow at the three of them.

  “I’m going to need to take everyone’s statements,” she said.

  “Do we have to go to the station?” Lisa asked.

  “We’ll do initial statements right here, and the chief can decide who needs to come in.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder to where Chief Gerrold was getting out of his police cruiser and surveying the scene.

  Lisa’s heart sank. The chief did not think very highly of her, especially after their encounter at the alcohol recovery meeting.

  “You first,” Officer Handy said to Dr. Morris. “Right this way, please.”

  Lisa watched Dr. Morris walk away with Officer Handy and felt a twinge in her gut at the sight of the cute vet with another woman.

  “Jealous much, cuz?” Toby teased.

  “I am not,” she protested.

  “Sure, of course not,” he said.

  “Really! Toby!”

  He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a little squeeze. “He seems like a good guy. And he had that shotgun handled like a pro.”

  “He is a good guy,” she said, thinking of all the effort he took to rescue those kittens. “Oh, my goodness, what is Mom going to say when she finds out about Brett?”

  Toby’s eyebrows went up, and he gave a little whistle.

  “All this time, she’s been pushing me to go on a date with him, and he was a murderer? And the money laundering through the real estate agency… Oh no, is she going to be in trouble?”

  “Don’t worry, cuz, I can’t see Aunt Penny being in on a money laundering scheme. And if she’s not in on it, that makes her a victim, too.”

  Chief Gerrold peered in the back window of Officer Handy’s cruiser at the suspect for a long moment, then strode over to the front steps where Toby and Lisa stood.

  Lisa huddled in her borrowed jacket, nervous about meeting up with the chief again.

  Chief Gerrold held his hand out to her to shake. After a momentary pause of disbelief, she reached out and took it.

  “I hear we have you to thank for this case getting wrapped up,” he said, “and hard evidence to boot.”

  Lisa shrugged and smiled. “I had to do something to clear my name.”

  “I guess you did.” He shook Toby’s hand as well. “Officer Baldwin.”

  “Sir.”

  The chief squinted up at the balcony overhead and then off in the distance. “I haven’t had a moment to catch up on my paperwork lately. I suppose that note for your file doesn’t exactly have to go on the top of the To Be Done stack.”

  Toby straightened up. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

  “Oh, don’t thank me yet. If I discover corruption in this force, of any kind and involving any person, I will come down on that person or persons like a ton of bricks. Keep your nose clean, officer.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I believe you have something for me,” Chief Gerrold said, looking at Lisa.

  She stared at him, uncomprehending.

  “The video evidence?” he prompted.

  “Oh! Yes.” She handed him the receiver. “There’s also a camera in the carriage house, but it only transmits. This actually receives and records the transmission. Um, make sure to back it up tonight so it doesn’t get erased.”

  The chief nodded. “I’ll do that. Have a good night. You’ll be free to go as soon as you give Officer Handy your statement.”

  Chapter 30

  After giving her statement, Lisa looked around the Folly, wishing she could stay. It was such a beautiful building. But with all her money gone, she would probably never get the chance for it to be hers. Another blown opportunity.

  She took out her phone and was shocked at how early it still was. She felt like she’d been out all night, but
it was less than two hours ago that Brett had picked her up for their date. She shuddered at the thought of getting into a murderer’s car.

  The parade of official vehicles pulled out of the driveway one by one, looking like a funeral procession, and leaving Lisa, Toby, and Dr. Morris standing in the courtyard.

  “We should get going,” Toby said. “Now that officialdom is done with this place, we no longer have a reason to be here if the owner gets wind.”

  “Ugh,” Lisa said, thinking of how nasty Claire Comstock had been about the trespassing charge. “Let’s go.”

  They walked down the drive to the sidewalk.

  “Should we put the chain back in place?” Dr. Morris said.

  Lisa looked at Toby. “Up to you. What would the cops do?”

  Toby laughed. “Leave it.” He yawned. “I’m about ready to turn into a pumpkin. You called me on my night off, cuz. You need a ride anywhere?”

  Lisa glanced at Dr. Morris before answering. “No, thanks. I think I’ll walk.”

  “Suit yourself. Love you, cuz. Doc, take care.”

  With Toby gone, Lisa turned to Dr. Morris. “I’m sorry, did I call you in on your night off, too?”

  He laughed. “I don’t mind. But I do have a question for you.”

  “Anything. Or anything within reason.”

  He pointed at her feet. “What’s with the shoes?”

  She looked down. There they were, the borrowed kitchen clogs. “It’s kind of a funny story. Walk with me across the square to Nero’s?”

  “Sure,” he said.

  He held his arm out and she tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. It felt comfortable walking together that way, she mused.

  “First of all, you’ll never guess where I was when I got your message.”

  “My good message or my bad message?”

  She laughed. “Your good message.”

  As they strolled through the town square, she told him about hearing his message and knowing she had to do something, and then going into the kitchen at Nero’s and borrowing an extra pair of rubber clogs from the kitchen staff.

  “That was smart thinking. Imagine trying to run and hide in heels,” he said.