A Merry Christmas Anniversary Mystery Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #9 (Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery Series)

by Anna Celeste Burke

  I took two seconds more to explain what I meant about the ‘mutiny amid the bounty’ Larry and his crew had cooked up. Larry’s antics were well-known to Jack, and the two got along well, so Jack had a good laugh.

  “Mutiny amid the bounty is a good one, Georgie. Larry was more than misguided. Throwing marinara sauce on the security guard was assault. That’s true even though the sauce obviously wasn’t hot, or Luke would have been on his way to the hospital rather than retrieving a change of clothes. I’m glad to see your sense of humor is still intact despite the day you’ve had.”

  “And it isn’t over yet. I’m glad to hear you laugh, darling. No regrets about marrying me, I hope, given my ability to attract kooks and calamities.” I winced at my use of alliteration.

  “Marrying you was the best decision I’ve ever made. Frank and I are a couple of daring men when it comes to love. He says Jessica’s a self-professed ‘calamity magnet,’” he added.

  “How do you like that?” I laughed. “I knew Jessica was a kindred spirit from the moment I met her.”

  “Let’s hope that doesn’t mean you’re in for double the trouble. Be careful how you handle the kooks. Larry and Max don’t count, so I’m talking about the new ones,” Jack said. His jovial mood fled a soon as he spoke Max’s name.

  “Poor Max. He loves Christmas more than anyone I’ve ever met. You don’t believe he’s been shot, do you?” I heard footsteps coming down the hall.

  “I must speak to Georgie!” Sid said with urgency in his voice.

  “Max is far more valuable alive. My guess is Kenneth O’Rourke was hired to do a little dirty work and could have been shot to make sure he kept his mouth shut about it.”

  “I could see that happening by someone ‘cleaning up loose ends,’ as you call it.” I looked up to see Sidney Lamont standing in the doorway with Shirley next to him, shaking her head.

  “Hang on, Sid. I’ll be right with you.” Sid and Shirley vanished, and their footsteps trailed down the hall.

  “You’ve got to go, huh?” Jack asked. “Tell Sid hello for me.”

  “I will. Depending on what Sid has to say, you may hear from me again sooner than you think.”

  “Nothing would make me happier, my one-year-bride.”

  “Thanks, one-year-husband. What a way to celebrate, huh?”

  “Can we help it if we’ve turned out to be a good team in love and murder, my sweet? When Charlie arrives, if he says anything that makes you uncomfortable, trust your feelings and back off.”

  “Don’t worry,” I said, lowering my voice close to a whisper. “Rita has me on high alert. After working for Max and Charlie for so many years, she’s not easily rattled.”

  “Good. Let me know if the harlequin pops up again. I have an uneasy feeling he’s up to something, but I’ll be darned if I can figure out what it could be.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  “We’re taking a cast of tire treads found not far from our dead man and speaking to the first responders who were first on the scene. They do tell tales, by the way.”

  “The first responders?” I asked.

  “Sorry, no. You’ve heard the adage that ‘dead men don’t tell tales,’ haven’t you, or is that homicide detective stuff?”

  “Of course, I’ve heard it. What does it mean in this situation?”

  “Kenneth O’Rourke, though dead, had a tale to tell. This is the last item I wanted to mention to you. We found a set of plans for the control room on him. I don’t want to get your hopes up, but it appears there’s a panic room in the plans. It’s referred to as a ‘safety hub.’ We don't know if the crew in the control room got inside before the explosion. The ‘mayday’ heard before the blast suggests they were aware that they were in trouble. The engineers are hoping they had time to take refuge in the room, and it protected them from the blast.”

  “How wonderful, Jack!” I exclaimed, unable to heed his warning not to feel hopeful. “Maybe Max is in there, and that’s why they can’t pick up his signal. When will you know more?”

  “I can’t say… they’ve brought in a drill that has worked its way through the dirt but broke the moment it hit the steel casing surrounding the room.”

  “So, it actually exists and isn’t just in the plans,” I said excitedly.

  “The shell is there, but that doesn’t mean the room was finished or fully equipped or… This was a test at the site, remember?”

  “I refuse to believe Max would have taken dignitaries to a site without a place for them to take cover if there was a problem,” I argued.

  “I hear you. Let’s hope we both have a reason to call each again other soon. Love you!”

  “Me too!” Then I jumped up and walked to the door.

  “Sid,” I said trying, to control the elation I felt. Jack hadn’t finished his last ‘or’ remark, but I could. Or if they were in there, it didn’t mean they were still alive. That settled me down.

  “I’m sorry to be so insistent, Georgie. I just received news that I believe you should be aware of when you speak to Charlie.” Sid looked over his shoulder as he said that. “May I shut the door?”

  “Sure,” I said and returned to the desk I’d borrowed and slid into my seat. Sid shut the door and then slumped into a nearby chair.

  “I have distressing news to share, and it's for your ears only, please, Georgie.”

  “Of course, Sid,” I responded, dreading what was coming.

  “Angie Magnum called me. She hasn’t been able to get Charlie to take her calls. Apparently, she and Charlie have been having trouble in their marriage. When he and Max had their argument, Charlie stormed home and fought with Angie. Since he was heading to San Francisco the next morning, he left and took a room at an airport hotel. They haven’t spoken since.”

  “How awful! He’s really in bridge-burning mode, isn’t he?”

  “It would seem so.”

  “Are they having financial troubles,” I asked, wondering if the math errors Max found were the kind someone skimming money might make.

  “Angie said she believes they’re in fine financial shape. I don’t know if she’d tell me, but I wondered if Charlie’s seeing someone else and his mistress is pressuring him to move up in the world.”

  “Angie might be too embarrassed to talk about infidelity,” I suggested. “What did she say about Charlie’s trouble?”

  “Angie’s convinced that he’s on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She asked him to speak to a counselor and offered to go with him when he said she was the one with problems.”

  “What makes Angie suspect that Charlie’s having a breakdown?”

  “She says Charlie’s has frequent emotional outbursts—mostly anger, but he becomes weepy at times. In between the outbursts, he’s easily upset and becomes more agitated as the evening wears on. He’s also drinking more than he ever has before and sleeping less. When she tries to calm him down, he accuses her of not being on his side.”

  “On his side about what?”

  “As far as she can tell, it’s about his position at Marley World. A board member’s wife called Angie asking if it was true that Charlie planned to challenge Max for the company's leadership. That was news to Angie. When she asked Charlie about it, he said he really hadn’t decided what to do. When she asked why he hadn't talked to her about it, he got angry. Charlie said it was her job to stand by him whatever he decided, and not to gossip behind his back.”

  “Charlie’s in bigger trouble than I thought,” I muttered.

  “That’s what I’ve concluded, which is why I’m speaking to you. Charlie may waltz in here as cool as a cucumber, ranting, or confused. It's impossible to predict his behavior these days. It also occurs to me that we may never locate Max's remains depending on what’s happened to him in those tunnels. With Max missing or dead, Charlie may be less angry. There won't be a need for any more maneuvering to take Max's place. He's already designated to replace Max, so maybe that'll put an end to Charlie’s troubling behavior. B
ut what if it doesn't?”

  “I hear you. There must be a way to insist that he get a thorough examination before assuming Max’s position as president and CEO. I can’t remember if the succession plan requires anything like that. Our insurance mandates periodic examinations, so maybe there's a clause related to the policy about sudden impairment.”

  “I don’t recall that either. It's a testament to the stability and wellbeing of Max's leadership that we know so little about the transition process," Sid said in an offhand way. "Perhaps, you can get the documents and review the provisions in place to ensure that Max’s successor is in good health. If there is such a requirement, I'll suggest we get evidence that Charlie's sound in body and mind. I’m sure we could get the board to accept the idea if you backed it too. The board member whose wife called Angie was also concerned about Charlie. He’ll speak up about his concerns.”

  “I’ve avoided looking at the succession plan and related documents because…”

  “This has to be hard, given how close you are to Max,” Sid said quietly, not waiting for me to finish my sentence. “There’s no one the board will trust more than you for that very reason. Don’t you see?”

  “Yes, but it's only day one, Sid. We don’t yet have a clear picture of what’s happened, much less why, or what human toll it’s taken. I’ll get copies of the succession documents as you ask, but I don’t want you to start the ball rolling prematurely. Charlie isn't here, and I've had so little contact with him lately, I can't weigh in on his physical or mental status. Your point that we might never find Max’s body is another twist I need time to consider. For now, let’s re-read the documents to be sure we understand them. I’d much prefer to wait to have this conversation with Max—assuming that he’s still alive and will be found. I can promise you that he won’t object to further discussion about the successor matter,” I said with conviction.

  "I hope we can afford to put this off. Stepping into Max's shoes may be too much for him," Sid said, sighing.

  “Jack and the others investigating the blast deserve more time to see if they can’t find survivors. They set out this morning calling this a rescue mission. Until they say otherwise, we should stick with the idea that there are people alive for them to rescue.” Maybe Max was in the safety hub.

  “Okay,” Sid agreed as he eyed me quizzically at my sudden expression of optimism. “What if Charlie’s unable to do his job as Max’s stand-in?”

  “That’s a different matter. If that appears to be true, you may have to call a board meeting soon. In the meantime, let's assume Max is still alive and Charlie’s in charge during his absence. To be honest, we have a deep bench of seasoned professionals that can keep the company going, day-to-day, without Max or Charlie. Charlie needs to put a confident and concerned face for the public, but otherwise, there’s not much else for him to do right now.”

  “I feel better knowing that you’re not going anywhere now that the resort’s been deemed safe," Sid said. "I also trust you’ll act if it becomes necessary. Let me know when you’re clear whether Charlie’s in his right mind and friend or foe.”

  “I will. I’ll ask Rita to send us both copies of the succession documents. Apparently, you’ve already heard that we’ve been given the ‘all clear’ about staying on at the resort.”

  “Yes, although that doesn’t include guests. I’m not sure I understand what ‘all clear’ means,” Sid said, sounding slightly annoyed.

  "There's no immediate threat, although security has been beefed up, as you can see by what’s going on here. I’m not going anywhere, but we’re far from returning to business as usual, which means reducing the risk to guests."

  “We certainly don't need to put the company at risk for lawsuits if there is more trouble. I don't suppose they have enough evidence to even guess at who's behind the blasts," Sid said. “I’m getting too old for politics and intrigue. Boardrooms are sometimes as bad as party conferences or caucuses when it comes to infighting and backstabbing. I’ve known Charlie almost as many years as I’ve known Max. I’ve always considered him a friend. I can’t help feeling like I’m betraying him.”

  “Family and friends sometimes have no choice but to compare notes and then confront someone they care about to get the help they need. Angie’s told you she can’t do it alone. Rita’s feeling the same way.”

  “Time to gang up on him and try a little tough love,” Sid added, wearily.

  “Yes, something like that. I appreciate your willingness to share your concerns with me. I’ll ask Rita to send those documents to our email for us to examine,” I said. We both stood up, slowly, as if weighed down by the difficulty of the demands on us. Just then, the holiday music started. Sid and I both startled as Michael Bublé belted out the lyrics to It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.

  “We’re not too edgy, are we? Charlie’s not the only one who needs to take it down a notch,” Sid commented, laughing.

  “Maybe the song is a good omen that Christmas is on its way after all, and our friends—Max and Charlie—are going to be okay.”

  “From your lips to God’s ears. I promise to leave you alone to do your work. Call me if you need me,” Sid said. As I opened the door for him, he gave me an awkward pat on the back.

  “I’m glad to be able to call you, Sid. I’m as grateful as Angie to count on you for backup.” He’d no sooner stepped from the office than I turned to find my new bestie-bot-friend back.

  “Tidbit, how are you?” I asked. That got a slow flash of blue lights from him. No swirling. “What is it?”

  The little bot whirred toward me and held up an appendage. With another appendage, Tidbit reached for my hand. When I opened my hand and extended it to him, I exhaled in surprise at what Tidbit dropped in it.

  8 Someone’s Alive

  “It’s me—again.”

  “You sound excited. You have good news, I hope,” Carol said. “I’m running out of cookies, which isn’t all that bad. No offense, Georgie, but your cookies are best eaten in smaller quantities.”

  “I’m not offended. In fact, I agree. If you’re close to running out, you must have eaten almost two dozen cookies!”

  “I had a little help,” Carol muttered. “With all the stress, I’ve been burning through the sugar. I probably should have stopped to get milk or a sandwich for lunch, but I’ve found it hard to leave my seat.”

  “I didn’t even realize it was lunchtime,” I said, shocked that it was almost one o’clock. “My how time flies when you’re trapped in the middle of simultaneous calamities.”

  “What’s up now?” Carol asked. I could hear her munching.

  “You’re not still eating cookies, are you?”

  “Nope, I had carrots and hummus in the fridge for lunch. Silly me, not to remember. To which calamity should I attribute this call?”

  “I’m not sure it’s a calamity, but the oddest thing just happened,” I said. “Let me tell you the good news first—it could be good news.”

  “Good news! Tell me, please.”

  I told Carol what Jack had said about the dead man found near the tunnel system's entryway. That included the way he was killed, his identity, and the plans found in his pockets. Carol didn’t even wait for me to explain the implication of the safety hub.

  “That means Max and his guests could be alive. The control room crew too! That is good news…maybe…how many people can that room hold? How long can they survive in there?” She finally ended her monologue and took a deep breath. “Sorry.”

  “I’m sorry that I can’t answer your questions. I’ll add them to my ‘things to worry about’ list, thank you very much,” I said.

  “I’m going to leave it in the ‘good news’ column for now, despite all my questions. No wonder you sounded excited,” Carol said. “Do you want me to put Kenneth O’Rourke on my ‘snoop about’ list? Even though he doesn’t work for the cat, someone might have bumped into him.”

  “Why not? Jessica knows the construction company own
er, so Frank took her up on the offer to find out what she can about the dead man using her contacts in the construction company. Kenneth O’Rourke had some access to the property. I don’t know how much contact he had with Marley World team members. Do the construction workers and cat factory workers hang out together?”

  “I do not know, but I can try to find out. That’s the sort of question I could ask in the cat chat room. I’ll be stealthy, I promise, and I won’t blurt out Kenneth O’Rourke’s name or anything like that.”

  “Give it a shot. Don’t let me take you away from your other work, though,” I added.

  “As planned, I’ve been catching up on the end of the year stuff and reorganizing a few things I’d put off. It’s eerily quiet when you aren’t around.”

  “Okay, I guess that’s good if you’re getting things done. Speaking of eerie, let me tell you about the experience I just had.” I explained my visit from Tidbit and told her what he’d brought me as I stared at a man’s cufflink. It had taken only seconds to recognize it as part of a set I’d given to Max years ago. They bore his monogram.”

  “Wow! So why didn’t you tell Tippet to show you where he found it?” Carol asked.

  “Tidbit, not Tippet. I can’t enter the passageways that open and close as the bots near them. They don’t open for me. Besides, the tunnels must be about the size of air ducts, so I wouldn’t fit even if they did open. Who would do such a thing?”

  “Are you kidding? Scooting around through air ducts is a classic method of snooping—or stealing, or escaping,” Carol added.

  “For Tom Cruise, maybe, but not me,” I said, shivering at the very thought of squeezing through air ducts or anywhere that confining. There was probably plenty of room for spiders—real ones and not the spider bots. “What I want to know is how to reach Hardy Hart, our happy harlequin.”

  “Why? Do you want him to reassure you that in Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen?” Carol replied in a superb imitation of Audrey Hepburn’s line from My Fair Lady. I was not amused.