by Mary Maxwell
“Are these Mrs. Lancaster’s belongings then?”
Connie gestured at the packet. “Aren’t you going to take a look, Katie? I’d like to hear what you think.”
When I opened the flap and peered inside, I saw a folded sheet of paper and crinkly white tissue that appeared to be wrapped around a small object.
“Go ahead,” Connie said. “Take a peek. My gut tells me that they’re related to what happened at Ira Pemberton’s. I’d love to see if you agree.”
I held the envelope up and let the contents slide out onto the desktop. Then I put the packet aside, reached for the piece of paper and felt my heart shudder when I saw what was printed on the front. It was the same strange rhyming verse that Boris Hertel had delivered to me at Sky High Pies.
“What do you think?” Connie asked eagerly. “Isn’t that weird?”
I nodded. “Yes, and it’s also something that I’ve seen before.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“I’m completely serious,” I said, putting the poem back into the envelope. “What’s in the tissue?”
She smiled. “See for yourself. They about took my breath away.”
I carefully unfolded the tissue. Inside, gleaming beneath the overhead lights like matching stars plucked from the night sky, I found two stunning diamond and pearl earrings.
“Wow,” I said, looking over at Connie. “These are pretty darn spectacular!”
She sighed. “If only they were mine,” she said breathlessly. “I’d never take them off.”
I stared at the astonishing earrings for a few more seconds before wrapping them in the tissue and putting the bundle back inside the envelope.
“What do you think?”
I smiled at Connie. “I think you were wise to call Dina Kincaid.”
“Stolen?”
“Quite possibly,” I said. “But the truly curious thing is the poem.”
“What poem?” asked Connie.
I pointed at the envelope. “The one on that piece of paper. Didn’t you read it?”
She shrugged. “Quickly,” she said. “Maybe too quickly? I was more interested in the sparkly goodies.”
Since Connie was a fashionable dresser with a ravishing wardrobe and plenty of her own fancy jewelry, I wasn’t surprised by the remark.
“Well, the very same poem was also left at someone’s house in Aspen,” I said. “It was burglarized when the owners were in California.”
Connie crossed her arms over her chest. “And let me guess,” she said, sitting back in the chair. “They took a pair of expensive diamond-and-pearl earrings?”
“Along with a costly first edition of a book,” I said. “Something called Desire of Eden.”
“What’s that worth?” she asked.
When I told her, she laughed. “An old book might appeal to some people,” she said. “But I’d rather have the earrings.”
“No doubt.” I looped the string around the button on the envelope. “I think either one would be a good discovery next to a birthday cake.”
Connie reached into a pocket in her skirt, coming out with her phone. “Will you hang around and help me explain this to Detective Kincaid?” she asked.
“I don’t think you need me here,” I said. “Just tell her the truth.”
“I can do that.”
“You can probably leave out the wild and crazy seniors on tour,” I suggested. “Unless you feel that would be especially relevant.”
Connie laughed. “I’ll probably skip that part.”
“Good idea,” I agreed. “There will be plenty to discuss without that minor detail.”
She unfolded her arms and reached for the envelope. “I just can’t believe that Velma Lancaster is involved in something like this.”
“Because she’s a guest here?”
Connie shook her head. “No, because she strikes me as a very sincere and levelheaded woman. I mean, once you chip away the icy façade. She’s been here for a few days, and I’ve talked with her a couple of times in the dining room. Mostly about the history of Crescent Creek, the surrounding area and that sort of thing.”
I smiled. “The usual humdrum touristy stuff?”
“I suppose,” Connie said quietly. “Why do you suspect that she’s involved with something illicit?”
I shrugged, but kept quiet.
“Oh, c’mon. You can tell me, Katie. What are you helping Trent and Dina with this time?”
“Am I that obvious?”
Her frown had faded and she laughed at my question. “You’re that intense,” she said. “Like I told you, there’s something in your expression. What’s going on?”
“Well, I can’t say too much,” I confided. “But that’s mainly because I don’t know much about the situation.”
Connie shifted in her chair, easing back and crossing her legs to get more comfortable.
“Is it about the fire at Ira Pemberton’s place?” she asked.
“As a matter of fact,” I said. “It appears to be connected to that case.”
“But how is Mrs. Lancaster involved?”
“I can’t answer that quite yet, but she knows some of the people associated with the situation.”
“Like Carter Devane?” Connie smiled playfully. “Is he associated with whatever’s going on?”
“Bingo,” I said. “How do you know that name?”
Connie smiled, leaned forward and tapped the iPad on her desk. “Because he checked in a couple of days ago,” she said. “The Continental Divide Suite for himself and a double king room for his assistant. I’ve also seen him in the dining room with Mrs. Lancaster a few times.”
“That’s strange. Trent told me that Carter Devane went back to Aspen.”
“Well, that’s true, too.” Connie got up and smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt. “He’s been driving back and forth between here and his home down there. He checked into the Lodge so he’d have a place to stay in town while the police are sorting through things.”
“Sorting through things?”
“He didn’t really give me any details,” Connie answered. “He just mentioned that he was working with the local PD on something sensitive.”
She was starting to check the time every few seconds, so I got up and told her I needed to get back to Sky High.
“Thanks for telling me about he earrings,” I said. “Make sure you share all of that with Dina.”
“I already did,” she said. “Trent was busy, but I talked to Dina briefly. Strangely enough, she was already on the way over here, so it was good timing. And from the excitement in her voice, I’d say we found something she thinks might be helpful to the case that she’s working on.”
CHAPTER 29
Less than ten minutes later, as I stood beside my car listening to a message from a customer placing a special order for Red Velvet Cake Pops, I saw Dina Kincaid’s sleek black sedan glide into a parking spot near the front door of the Lodge. I quickly finished with the phone, dropped it into my purse and headed in her direction.
“Well, that was fast,” I said as she stepped from the car.
Her eyes crinkled with a sly grin. “Faster than a speeding bullet!” She shifted into a power stance with both hands on her hips. “More powerful than a locomotive!”
I let the quip echo for a moment. Then I said, “What about leaping over tall buildings?”
“If there’s a sale at Bliss Boutique,” she answered, “I can leap over anything and anyone.” Her hands fell away from her waist and she reached into the backseat for her briefcase. “What’s going on, Katie? Delivering some yummy Sky High goodies?”
“More like consulting on yummy diamond earrings,” I said.
“I thought Connie might ask your opinion about the package the housekeeper found.” The twinkle in her eye slowly faded. “Although, I also hope that your advice was to call me.”
Before I could assure her that’s what I always did when someone asked for guidance abo
ut similar matters, the front door opened and Connie stepped outside. “Well, it really is a small world, isn’t it?”
Dina’s laugh was bright. “Why don’t we all go inside?” she suggested. “I was actually on my way here to talk to Carter Devane when you called, Connie. Maybe we can all chat together and cover everything with one conversation?”
“That makes sense,” I said. “There’s a very good chance that all of it’s related anyway.”
Dina shrugged before making her way up the steps and through the door. I followed along, smiling at the cagey clerk behind the front desk. He acknowledged my return with a pleasant grin, recovering some of the Brownie points he’d lost during our earlier exchange.
When we walked into the lobby, a young woman in chef’s coat was waiting for Connie. They conferred for a moment in hushed voices before Connie said she would join us for the meeting in a few minutes.
“Sounds good,” Dina said. “I’m sure Kate and I can handle things in the meantime.”
I expected Dina to walk toward Connie’s office, but she headed for the cocktail lounge located just off the lobby.
“I spoke to Mr. Devane a few minutes ago,” she said over one shoulder. “I’m meeting them in the bar.”
Before I could ask who else she was expecting, I saw the answer through the open door of the lounge: Velma Lancaster was nestled beside Carter Devane on one of the bar stools. Her hair was tied back with a colorful silk scarf and a pair of diamond studs glinted on her ears. When he noticed us walking toward them, Devane got up and extended one arm.
“Detective Kincaid,” he said as they shook hands. “We only have about five minutes. I need to jump on a conference call with the Minty Dog manufacturer to discuss some quality control issues. I sold the company, but I’m still involved as a consultant.”
Dina smiled. “You may want to push your call back a bit,” she suggested, moving to a nearby table. “I’m not sure we can cover everything in such a small amount of time.”
“Maybe you can talk fast,” Velma suggested with a chilly smile. “Or skip over the questions that we’ve already answered a thousand times.”
Carter was getting ready to say something when Connie Larson called to Dina from the entrance of the lounge.
“Sorry, detective!” she trilled. “We had a little emergency in the kitchen!”
Dina waved her over to the table. “That’s no problem at all. Do you have the items that we discussed?”
The hotelier offered the package in her hand to Dina. When the transfer was complete, Dina asked Carter and Velma to join us at the table.
“I’m perfectly comfortable right here,” Velma said, sipping the glass of wine in her hand.
The vein in Dina’s neck pulsed. “I’m sure you are, but I’d like everyone to sit over here so we can talk face-to-face.”
It took a few moments for Velma and Carter to settle in at the table. Connie stood nearby, anxiously kneading her hands as she listened.
“First of all,” Dina began, smiling at the couple, “thank you for taking a moment to discuss the latest development in our investigation.” She paused briefly, but neither Carter nor Velma reacted to the comment. “Connie? Can you tell us about the items in this envelope?”
Connie stepped closer. “Well, uh…housekeeping found them in Mrs. Lancaster’s original room. She’d asked to change because there—”
“There was a draft,” Velma said. “And an odor from the kitchen. Not to mention all of the noise in the hallway.”
“Thank you for that, Mrs. Lancaster,” said Dina. “I can understand wanting to be as comfortable as possible.”
Velma glared at the self-assured detective before flashing a cold look in my direction.
“Now then,” Dina continued, smiling at Connie again. “The items in that package were found in her room?”
“Yes, the housekeeper was making the bed,” Connie explained. “When she went to tuck in the sheet, she discovered the things hidden beneath the mattress.”
“Diamond earrings and a copy of the same rhyming threats,” Dina said, glancing at me. “Is it the same poem that Boris Hertel delivered to Sky High, Katie?”
“Identical,” I said. “And Trent had mentioned that a pair of diamond-and-pearl earrings were stolen from Mr. Devane’s residence in Aspen.”
Carter nodded. “Thirty-thousand dollars worth of diamond-and-pearl earrings, to be exact.”
Connie whistled and smiled. “Really? My guess was way off then. I was thinking they were more like ten or fifteen grand.”
Dina’s phone rang, but she didn’t check the display. Instead, she opened the envelope, removed the contents and unwrapped the earrings.
“They really are stunning,” she said.
Velma heaved a sigh. “Are we going to drool over the jewelry or is there a point to this meeting?”
The vein in Dina’s neck pulsed faster. “Of course, there’s a point,” she said. “I hope to accomplish two things here today, Mrs. Lancaster. I’d like you both to listen to a 911 call from the night of the fire and Jacob Lowry’s murder. And I’d also like to ask who might’ve visited your room here at the Lodge?”
Velma’s lips formed a flirtatious smile. “Are you asking about my love life, detective?”
Dina swiveled slowly in her chair. “I don’t know,” she said in an icy tone. “Am I?”
The dark-haired beauty swept the bangs from her eyes. “Well, if you are,” she sighed with a melodramatic whimper, “that’s absolutely nothing I’ll discuss with a bunch of strangers who don’t—”
“Thank you, Mrs. Lancaster,” Dina said. “I’m not interested in your love life. I asked about visitors to the room that you just vacated.”
Velma wrinkled her nose. “I had to move,” she groused. “The first one smelled like mold and dirty gym socks.”
I checked Connie’s expression, but she didn’t react to the taunt. Her ever-present serene smile remained unchanged, although she gave me a quick wink when she noticed that I was looking her way.
“And so…?” Dina’s voice was steady and strong. “Let’s try this again, Mrs. Lancaster. Did anyone visit your original room before the hotel staff moved you to a new suite?”
Velma pursed her lips and fanned her fingers out on the table. She studied her nails carefully for a few seconds. Then she slowly answered Dina’s question; five visitors had been to her first room—Carter Devane, Kevin Hertel and Jacob Lowry as well as her father and his girlfriend.
“Marla Soble?” Dina said.
Velma sneered. “I can’t stand the woman,” she said. “So I prefer not to speak her name.”
When I noticed Dina’s jaw tighten, I decided to intervene and hopefully avoid any additional tension.
“Mr. Devane?” I said. “Do you suspect Kevin or Jacob might be capable of breaking into your home?”
He frowned. “Capable?” The word was edged with disdain and impatience. “Anybody could’ve opened an unlocked garage door. Heck, even a child could’ve done it.”
Dina’s chin lifted slightly. “I doubt if a child burglarized your home, Mr. Lancaster. But, if they did, then I’d find it highly unlikely that they would steal your wife’s earrings and bring them to Mrs. Lancaster’s room here at the Crescent Creek Lodge.”
Devane laughed. “Good point. I guess that’s why you’re the detective and I’m just the dude that’s known for dog breath chews.”
Dina glanced at her notes. Then she asked Devane to explain his relationship with Kevin Hertel and Jacob Lowry.
“Ah, c’mon,” he griped. “We did that already. I told you everything. I also told that other detective. And I told your commander-in-chief, the chubby guy with the big head.”
I smiled. “You think Deputy Chief Walsh has a big head?”
Devane smirked. “Whatever. I just don’t see the value in going over the same things time and time and time again.”
“That’s often the way a case like this is solved,” I said. “Don’t you ag
ree, Detective Kincaid?”
Dina considered the question. “I do,” she said finally. “And that’s why, Mr. Devane, I would like you to take us through everything that you know about the day that your residence on Willoughby Way in Aspen was burglarized.”
Despite his obstinate attitude and the crabby tone in his voice, Carter Devane slowly recounted the events related to the burglary. When he finished, Dina thanked him for being so descriptive.
“I’ve never heard a pair of earrings worth thirty-thousand dollars described as ‘glittery junk’ before,” she said. “But I guess we learn something new every day, right?”
The wealthy business man smiled. “No doubt. I keep learning what a wonderful community of kindhearted souls you’ve got here in Crescent Creek.” He shot a harsh look at Velma. “When I first met Mrs. Lancaster here, she made it sound like a cesspool of bloodthirsty gossips. But I guess that’s because she was a fallen angel hell-bent on ruining her mommy and daddy’s lives.”
Velma sighed so vigorously the cocktail napkin in front of her skittered into the middle of the table. “Nobody wants to hear your opinions, Carter. This isn’t about me anyway. It’s about you and somebody who wants some of your money from the sale of Minty Dog.”
“To be clear,” Dina said, “we don’t actually know the full scope of this case. We have a burglary at the Devane residence. We have a suspicious fire. And we have the apparent murder of your friend, Jacob Lowry. Based on the cryptic note left at the scene of each incident, along with the jewelry hidden in your room, Mrs. Lancaster, I’d say—”
“Have you talked to my father’s girlfriend?” Velma suddenly blurted. “Maybe she killed Jacob and stole the things from Carter’s house.”
Dina pushed against the arms of her chair, straightening her back slightly. “And why would she do that?”
“Well, golly,” Velma said in a low hiss. “You’re the sleuth here, Miss Kincaid. Shouldn’t you ask where she was the day of the break-in?”
CHAPTER 30
Waiting for Dina to respond to the taunt from Velma Lancaster seemed to take forever. Even the couple enjoying a bottle of wine and charcuterie plate at the bar seemed aware that the tension at our table was escalating with each passing minute.