Ladle to the Grave (A Soup Lover's Mystery Book 4)

by Connie Archer

Lucky was an only child and had always envied Sophie’s noisy family. Sophie was the baby of the brood, her three siblings years older, but all of them were welcoming and kind to Lucky when her mother would allow her to visit.

  Sophie grabbed her hand and led her up the wooden stairway to the front porch and through the open doorway. “My grandfather built this. Isn’t it incredible?” She pointed to the huge stone fireplace in the front room, a fireplace that was large enough to grace a mansion.

  “It sure is. We used to roast marshmallows in that when we were little kids.”

  “And sleep in front of it in our sleeping bags too. He built it all by himself with river rock. It’s gorgeous and just as solid as the day he made it.” She spun on her heel and held her arms out. “This is what I wanted to show you.” Sophie’s expression grew serious. “Sage and I have decided we’re going to live right here. We’ll have our very own home right on the property.”

  “Here?”

  “Well, mostly. Structurally, what’s here is pretty sound. We can replace some of the wood that’s not so good. We’ll extend the porch and knock out a few walls inside. Sage is having a friend draw up some plans. New roof too. There are three tiny bedrooms. We want to open up the inside and add a kitchen and another bedroom toward the rear of the property. It’ll be a proper house. It’ll take a while ’cause we plan to do the work ourselves, but we can do it. It shouldn’t be that hard,” Sophie said hopefully.

  “What about your brother?” Sophie’s father had abandoned the family years before. After that, her mother became sick and died after a long illness. Her older sister had taken the lead in raising Sophie, and then she in turn left home after Sophie graduated from high school. That sister died only a few years later. One brother had been killed in a car accident. Her remaining brother, Rick, at least twelve years Sophie’s senior, was the last of her siblings.

  “I’ve written to Rick—e-mailed him, I should say. He’s over in New York State right now, or at least he was the last I heard. Sage and I have both been saving our money and I’ve asked Rick if we could buy him out. I know he doesn’t want to come back to Snowflake, so I don’t see why he’d care. We’d give him a fair price. It’s just him and me now—we’re the last of the family. I’m sure he has no interest in living here again, so hopefully, nothing will go wrong.” Sophie watched her friend’s face carefully. “What do you think, Lucky? Do you think it’s a crazy idea?”

  “No. Not at all. I think it’s a fantastic idea.”

  “Rick hates this place. Even more so after my mother died. But I don’t feel that way at all. Maybe I’m trying to re-create something I didn’t have as a kid—security, a feeling of safety. Maybe that’s why I’m so attached to this place. I look at this fireplace and I see everything that’s possible.”

  “It’ll take a lot of work . . . and money.”

  “I know, but we can stay where we are and work on the house in our spare time. It’ll take a year or two to get it livable, but it’s possible. I just can’t stand the thought of letting my grandfather’s chimney and fireplace go to waste. And I can just picture Sage and me cuddling up in front of a roaring fire in the winter.”

  Lucky gazed silently at the five-foot-tall hearth surrounded by a wall of rounded gray rock. “What about your dad? Have you or Rick ever had any contact with him?”

  Sophie shook her head. “Never. I can’t speak for Rick, but I’ve never heard from him.” She shrugged. “And nobody in the family would even mention his name after he left. I finally gave up asking. It was like I was the only one who cared. It’s funny you should ask, though. I’ve found myself thinking about him a lot lately. Or at least what I can remember about him. Maybe because my life is going through such a big change now. I was so young at the time, but I always felt like the heart went out of this place when he left. Do you think I’m crazy to take this on?”

  “Not at all. I’d probably feel just the same if I were in your shoes.”

  Sophie hesitated a moment. “There’s something else too.”

  “What?”

  Sophie took a deep breath. “I got a letter from a lawyer for the Resort. They’re interested in buying this property and the acreage we have on the other side of the hill. They want to extend a ski run, and the parcels on the other side of the hill are right in their way. I haven’t contacted them yet, but they want to meet with me.”

  “Really? Would you want to sell to the Resort?”

  Sophie shrugged. “It’s interesting, kind of, to know you own something your employer wants, isn’t it? But there’s no way I’ll sell the land that the house is on. If I did, the Resort would just mow everything down. Truth is, they don’t need this portion; it’s the parcels on the other side they need to expand that run.” During the winter months, Sophie worked as a ski instructor for the Snowflake Resort. Summer was on its way and she would have some part-time employment at the Resort giving swimming lessons, but during the warmer months she was much more able to set her own schedule.

  “Would that interfere with your view?”

  “Not really. Those parcels are hidden behind us. I doubt we’d even be able to see a run over there. And we’d still have plenty of land around the house for privacy.”

  “If you sold that land, it would solve your money situation, wouldn’t it? You’d have the cash to remodel the house.”

  “True.” Sophie picked up a stick from the hearth and poked at the ashes. “I’m just scared their lawyers have been in contact with Rick. They must have researched the title to know about me. They’ve probably contacted him by now too.” Sophie grimaced. “I’m just hoping they don’t want to buy the whole property. If that’s the case, they’d be able to offer Rick more than Sage and I ever could.”

  “Sounds like you’re getting ahead of yourself. Why don’t you wait till you hear from your brother?”

  “It’s been a few weeks since I e-mailed him. I’m really starting to worry that he hasn’t gotten back to me.”

  “Have you heard much from him over the years?”

  Sophie shrugged. “Rarely. Now and then. He’s a funny guy—kind of a lone wolf. Of all of them, he and I have probably been the least close. So I can’t really say I know my brother at all. He was gone before I hit junior high.”

  Lucky checked her watch. “Hey, I better get back to the Spoonful.”

  Sophie laughed. “How many bells is it?” she asked, referring to Jack’s method of telling time.

  “Just gone six bells.” Lucky smiled.

  Sophie looked down at the soot on her hands. “Give me a minute. I’ll rinse off my hands in the creek. No running water in here now.” She left by the back door and Lucky watched her from the window as she scurried down the slope to the creek that ran below the house.

  Lucky shut the front door behind her and walked down the wooden steps at the front of the house. She perched on a large rock at the top of the drive to wait for Sophie’s return. She was thrilled that Sophie and Sage were getting married and had a chance at their very own home. She leaned back and breathed in the warm spring air. Wildflowers were blooming over the hillside. The setting was inexpressibly peaceful. She felt her shoulders relax and closed her eyes, letting the sun warm her face.

  Sophie’s screams cut through the air.

  Chapter 6

  LUCKY CLAMBERED OFF the rock and raced toward the sound, scrambling down the rise. She tripped and almost slid the rest of the way. Sophie stood at the bank of the creek, staring at a dark green bundle wedged between two rocks floating in the water.

  “Sophie?” Lucky approached.

  Sophie turned to her without speaking and pointed at the dark mass in the creek.

  The dark green bundle was a man’s jacket floating and inflated like a balloon. Lucky recognized the shape of a white hand under the water. Denim jeans covered a pair of legs that protruded from the jacket. A dead man was
bobbing in the water.

  She touched Sophie’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  Sophie gulped and nodded. “I just didn’t realize what I was looking at.” They stood in silence staring at the corpse for several moments.

  “Is he really dead?” Sophie asked.

  Lucky nodded. “Looks that way.” Burbling water gushed over the rocks. The body had been snagged by an overhanging tree branch entangled in the coat.

  “We need to check, don’t we?” Sophie said. “What if he’s just unconscious?”

  “I really think we’re too late.” Lucky turned away and grabbed a long, sturdy branch that lay on the ground. “But I think we should have a look at him.”

  Sophie nodded. “Go ahead.”

  Carefully maneuvering the long branch, Lucky snagged the edge of a pocket and pushed gently. The body rolled over slowly. The man’s face was a mask of bloody flesh.

  “Oh, dear God,” Sophie groaned. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  “Okay. You’ll be okay.” Lucky dropped the branch. “Let’s leave him and call Nate. We shouldn’t touch anything.”

  “How did he get here?”

  “He must have washed down from the top of the hill. Maybe he got banged up on the rocks or . . .”

  “What?”

  “Animals? Maybe.” Lucky leaned in closer for a better look.

  “Come on. I can’t look at it.” Sophie grabbed Lucky’s hand and started to drag her back up the hill.

  Lucky could barely pull her gaze away. She turned and let Sophie lead her back to the house. “We have to call Nate right away.”

  * * *

  NATE EDGERTON ARRIVED on the scene fifteen minutes later, looking as if he still hadn’t slept from the night before. Bradley Moffitt, his deputy, also appearing very pale, rode with him.

  Lucky walked toward the cruiser as Nate climbed out. Sophie remained seated on the steps, her hands covering her face.

  “Where is he?” Nate asked.

  “Take that path right there.” Lucky pointed to an opening between the trees. “He’s in the creek down below.”

  Nate nodded and gestured to Bradley to follow.

  Lucky joined Sophie on the steps of the battered front porch as Nate and his deputy disappeared from sight. Lucky pulled out her cell phone to call the Spoonful to let them know she’d be delayed. She only hoped she’d be able to get cell service from their location. She breathed a sigh of relief when Sage answered the phone after a few rings. She quickly filled him in about what was happening and told him not to worry. She promised they’d tell him everything when they returned.

  A few minutes later Lucky heard the crashing of branches. Nate Edgerton reappeared on the path between the trees. His shoes and pant legs were soaked to his knees. His complexion was gray, and dark circles outlined his eyes. He sat down heavily at the edge of the stairs and pulled out a notebook. “What brought you two up here?”

  Sophie spoke first. “I wanted to show Lucky my mom’s property. It’s been a long time since she’s been here. Sage and I are hoping to buy out my brother’s interest and redo the house.” Sophie’s hands shook. “I thought it’d be a fun surprise to tell Lucky about it.”

  Nate whistled. “That’ll take a lot of doing.”

  “I know. But we want it to be a real home again. And I don’t want my grandfather’s chimney and fireplace to go to waste.”

  Nate nodded. “I can understand that. It’s a beauty, all right. All river rock, all perfectly joined too.” He made a few scribbles in his notebook. “I wish you lots of luck. Don’t let this thing today get in your way. I’m sure we’ll find out who this man is and I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation how he ended up in your backyard. What made you go down there, anyway?” He nodded in the direction of the creek.

  “My hands were all sooty from the fireplace. And there’s no running water now, so I just wanted to wash up.” She looked down at her half-clean hands and rubbed them self-consciously on her jeans.

  “Elias is on his way,” Nate said to Lucky. “I don’t know what he can tell us. Given the way this guy looks, it’s hard to say what killed him.”

  “Do you think he could have fallen and hit his head and washed down this far?”

  “Possible.” He looked at both women carefully. “Anything about him either of you recognized?”

  Sophie shook her head violently. “Nate, there wasn’t anything to recognize. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

  “I’ll bet you haven’t. Sorry you had to discover him, but if you two hadn’t come along, well . . . who knows when he would have been found. Coulda been there for months, maybe years. At least we got him when there might still be some identifying marks.”

  They all turned as a car approached up the dirt drive. Lucky recognized Elias’s silver sedan. He climbed out and walked toward them, reaching down to place a protective arm around Lucky’s shoulders. “Are you all right?”

  Lucky just nodded.

  “Sophie? How are you doing?” he asked.

  “I’ll be okay, Elias. Just a bad shock.”

  Nate gestured toward the path that ran down to the creek. “You’ll find Bradley down there.”

  Elias nodded. “I’ll be back up as soon as I can.”

  When Elias was out of sight, Lucky asked, “What do you think happened to him, Nate?”

  “Don’t know. He could have slipped and fallen in farther upstream. Maybe knocked unconscious and drowned. But . . .” He trailed off. “I don’t know. That damage to his face . . .” Nate shook his head in disbelief. “Doesn’t seem like the rocks could’ve done that.”

  “Is there any identification on him?”

  “Nothing I could find. No ID, no wallet, which is pretty strange. We pulled him out of the water for now. Looks like he’s maybe been in there a few days. Once Elias has a look, I’ll have Bradley wait for the coroner’s van to get over here from Lincoln Falls.” He ran a hand through his thick gray hair. “I don’t know what’s going on anymore. Two deaths in less than twelve hours.” He stood slowly, holding a hand against his lower back. “Why don’t you two go back to town? We’ve got this covered.”

  Lucky agreed. She was still unnerved by their discovery. “Tell Elias I’ll catch up with him later?”

  Nate nodded and watched as they climbed into Sophie’s car and reversed onto the road. Sophie was silent on the drive back to town.

  Lucky glanced over. “You’re very quiet all of a sudden. You sure you’re okay?”

  Sophie’s jaw was clenched. “This feels like a bad omen, Lucky.”

  “Don’t even say that. It’s horrible, but it’s probably an accident. It has nothing to do with you—or with Sage.”

  Sophie shivered. “I only hope you’re right.”

  Chapter 7

  SAGE STEPPED OUT to the corridor as soon as he heard the back door slam. “What happened?” He looked as if he had been worrying since he had received the phone call. “Isn’t Sophie with you?”

  “She’s fine, but she wanted to go straight home.”

  “Tell me everything.”

  “Sophie walked down to the creek to wash her hands and she found a man—dead, floating in the water.”

  “A dead man? Who?”

  “Nobody knows. And Nate said he couldn’t find any identification at all.”

  “Look, will you be okay if I take off a little early? I just want to make sure Sophie’s all right.”

  “Sure, you go ahead. Janie and Meg are here. I’ll man the kitchen and they can take care of the front. You go home.”

  “Thanks, Lucky. I just don’t want to leave you in the lurch.”

  “You’re not. Go ahead. Where’s Jack, by the way?”

  “Uh . . . he left about an hour ago. Didn’t say where he was going.”

  “Really? Tha
t’s odd. Was he okay?”

  “Just very quiet. Like something was on his mind.”

  “Ah. I’ll bet I know what it is.” She sighed. “I’ll catch up with him later. Too much stuff is happening all of a sudden. Uh, Sage, can you wait just a minute? I need to make a phone call before you go.”

  “Sure, I’ll wait.”

  Lucky hurried into the office and looked up Cordelia Rank’s home number. Norman Rank, Cordelia’s husband, was their landlord, the owner of the space the Spoonful occupied. Their number was on her Rolodex. It was Norman who answered.

  “I was hoping to talk to Cordelia. Is she available?”

  “No, I’m sorry, Lucky. She’s resting right now. She’s very upset about . . . well, I’m sure you know.”

  “Yes, Jack’s concerned too. I’ll talk to her later. Please let her know I called, though.”

  “I will.”

  Lucky sighed. Norman, for all his idiosyncrasies, was a breeze to deal with. Cordelia was another story altogether. Lucky returned to the kitchen and said good-bye to Sage. She looked around. Three large slow-cooking pots stood full. She lifted the lids and stirred each with a wooden spoon, making sure nothing was drying out. Each pot bubbled with Sage’s specials of the day: an Asian tofu soup with ginger and green onion, a beet and apricot soup, and a potato kale that was Lucky’s favorite. All the sandwich ingredients were in containers in the refrigerator, and the rolls and breads were already sliced and covered in preparation for the next rush at supper time.

  Janie had chosen one of Jack’s CDs to play. This one was an upbeat big band sound that kept a steady rhythm going. Good choice, Lucky thought. The restaurant was full. The music would keep everyone on their toes.

  * * *

  THE NEXT HOURS passed quickly. Lucky filled thirty orders of soup and twenty of sandwiches, made five pots of coffee and ten cups of tea. She had a new respect for Sage’s organization. Her back was aching, and this wasn’t even a particularly busy day.

  As the last customers were leaving, she realized Jack had never returned. She wiped her hands on a dish towel and dialed his home number from the kitchen phone. It rang fifteen times—no answer. She shook her head in frustration. Jack refused to get an answering machine. He always said if anybody really wanted to talk to him, they could just ring his doorbell. After all, he would say, how did everyone manage before there were answering machines?