Murder at Catmmando Mountain Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #1 (Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery Series)

by Anna Celeste Burke

  “I’ve been searching for those, by the way.” She gestured with the gun toward the papers I had reassembled into a pile.

  “Shove them back in the envelope and give them to me.”

  I did as she requested, straightening the papers a bit before sliding them back into the envelope.

  “Hurry up, will you?”

  “Sure,” I replied. When I looked up again, I noticed motion in the hallway outside my door. It was over in a split second. No sounds, either, but I glimpsed a pants leg worn by someone who was plastered flat against the wall.

  I dropped my eyes, picked up the envelope and thrust it abruptly, toward Megan’s outstretched hand. Megan startled at the sudden motion.

  As she reached for the envelope, I drew it back a bit, so she had to lean in toward me, putting her at an awkward angle. At the same time, I picked up my still-steaming coffee and threw it at her hand that held the gun. The hot coffee slopped all over her as the mug hit her forearm. She yelped and dropped the gun.

  I lobbed more missiles at her, using items on my desk. Megan shrieked as a heavy paperweight hit home. A stream of four-letter words followed, as she dropped to the floor and tried to retrieve that gun. Jack, a uniformed officer, and two members of our corporate security team stormed into the room.

  “Don’t make me shoot you, Ms. Donnelly. Leave that gun right where it is.” Jack winked at me. “Nice going, Georgie. You handled yourself like a pro.”

  I plopped down into my chair before my legs gave way. I didn’t feel like a pro, but I wasn’t going to get into a tussle with Jack about paying me a compliment. Not now, maybe not ever again.

  10 Gang of thieves

  A week later, Jack came to my house for dinner. Megan was on a suicide watch and was no longer talking. They had put a lot of the pieces together based on Megan’s initial interview, as well as statements from Doug Addams, Kyle Kinkaid, and Dorothy Sayers. Doug, Megan, and Mallory were a gang of thieves.

  Fortunately for me, before that awful confrontation in my office, police had found a partial print belonging to Kyle on the murder weapon. He squealed on Megan and the police sprang into action. When officers spotted her and called in her location, Jack guessed she was going after me. He, his officers, and security were in that hallway moments after she slipped into my office. The whole episode that began on Valentine’s Day was mind-boggling.

  “I know it’s hard to believe, Georgie. That’s because you’re not the scheming type. These three cooked up quite a little racket to scam old Max Marley. It’s still not clear if Mallory needed the money, or if she just liked the idea of putting one over on dear old Dad.”

  “That poor man. He has to be devastated to find out she did such a thing after all his kindness toward her. It must be hard for him to believe.”

  “I don’t get her, either. Doug’s easier to understand. His roving eye had him in trouble with his wife even before he took up with Mallory. He was in way over his head with financial difficulties, and a divorce was going to make that worse.”

  “Okay, so that just leaves Megan. What is her problem?”

  “Megan was after more than money. For her it was about love, too. I wouldn’t call what went on between her and your philandering boss love, but she did. Megan had oversight for park finances, so she played a crucial role in bilking the company by making up fake invoices to nonexistent suppliers and playing other tricks like that. The kind of thing you spotted right away when you went through those records Dorothy had delivered to your office. It’s no wonder Doug wanted you out of there and helped you move to PR.”

  “Dorothy spotted the problems, too,” I said.

  “She did. Not right away, though. Dorothy was comparing this year’s reports to last, when she discovered the accounting problems and dug out those invoices and receipts. She went to Megan, first, not realizing Megan was part of the problem. Megan blew her off, so Dorothy went to Mallory next. Mallory did more than blow her off. She started launching those nasty, personal attacks on Dorothy."

  "That had to be awful for Dorothy."

  "They meant it to be that way. Doug said he and Mallory thought they could force Dorothy out by making her life so miserable that she’d retire. She was about to hit you up for help when Mallory turned up dead. Dorothy freaked out, sent a copy of the documents to you, and got rid of everything else. I guess some of her threats directed at Mallory had become personal. As terrified as she was of becoming the next victim, Dorothy was also afraid of getting nailed as Mallory's killer. Dorothy’s lucky she’s not dead, considering how ruthless and unstable those three were."

  "You're right about Dorothy's good luck. It sounds like they really underestimated her in many ways. Finding those accounting problems, threatening them, and refusing to resign despite all the abuse they were heaping on her must have put the three of them under increasing pressure. It's a little surprising they turned on each other instead of going after Dorothy."

  "They were under pressure, all right. Megan, in particular, who was the weakest link in the chain of fools.”

  I sighed, hearing Jack use those words about a chain of fools. How could three seemingly reasonable people have gone off the deep end—together? Had Mallory’s murder been more about "love-gone-wrong" than greed as some were claiming?

  “The media has picked up on the idea that there was a classic love triangle behind all the Three Musketeer comradery involved in their scam. Scamming each other too, I guess.”

  “That’s about it. Doug and Mallory weren’t fooling each other. Those two cutthroats were made for each other. It was a different story for Megan who was wrapped up in this wackadoodle fairytale. She thought she and Doug were headed for wedded bliss as soon as he dumped the current Mrs. Addams. That’s before the picture surfaced of Doug and Mallory out on the town as a couple. She blamed Mallory, not her Prince Charming, for their deceit. When she’s not considering suicide, Megan slides back into this movie running in her head. In it, Mallory is more Wicked Witch of the West than Cruella, and Megan is convinced she did the world a favor by killing her.”

  “I get it, but it’s not like a house dropped on her. She can't pretend it wasn't murder, can she?”

  “Megan claims to be foggy about killing Mallory. According to Doug, it was Mallory's idea to meet at the park, so it's not as though Megan lured her there. Mallory told Doug that Megan had found a way to skim more funds from the Snappy Treats outlets. Mallory wanted to see it for herself, so she set up the early morning meeting in a Snappy Treats kitchen. That’s where Megan got the knife she used, although she says she doesn't remember taking it. She does admit they argued, not just about the fact that Mallory called her new idea stupid, but they also fought over Doug.”

  “Can you imagine the two of them fighting like that over him? That’s soap opera material!”

  “Mallory’s whole life sounds like one big soap opera. A melodrama with a tragic ending. When Mallory stormed out in the middle of that argument, Megan followed her. She must have had that knife in hand, but Megan claims that’s where the movie in her head fades to black. The coroner has filled in some of the blanks. It’s not pretty, as you know.”

  “Do I want to hear this?”

  “I won’t go into all the gory details. That scrape Megan mentioned when she picked up Debbie Dinsmore didn’t come from bumping her head on the golf cart. They examined Megan after that free-for-all in your office, and found cuts and bruises all over her body from the fight with Mallory. It was a vicious attack. Megan’s still convinced that Doug is going to ride in on a big white horse and get her out of all the trouble she’s in.”

  “That rescue fantasy never really grabbed me.” I paused, searching for words. “At least not after...well, uh, not after I left my twenties behind.”

  Jack was staring at me with that penetrating, homicide investigator gaze of his. I could practically see the wheels turn in his head, wondering, no doubt, about what I had left out of that last sentence. It was too soon to talk about
it, even though murder and mayhem had stirred up unpleasant memories. I adjusted my oversized sunglasses and got the conversation moving again, and in a different direction.

  “So, did Megan find that photo or did Dorothy give it to her?”

  “Neither, that was Kyle’s handiwork. That creep was doing his thing, ‘spying’ on you and several of the women around you. When he got an inkling that something was going on between Doug and Megan, he decided to hit Doug up for blackmail money. He didn’t have a bit of real evidence—just played the guy. Doug only made matters worse when he went straight to Mallory, with Kyle on his heels. Kyle did some more digging, found that photo on the Internet, and slid a copy under Mallory’s door.” I sucked in a breath of air.

  “That has to be the one Linda found!”

  “It must be. Kyle thought he could get on Megan’s good side by sharing what he had found and took a copy of that photo to her. That sleazy Romeo planned to move in on her while she was off-kilter. He even told her about his blackmail scheme and offered to split the money they could make. Smooth, huh? That money was chump change compared to Megan’s share of the take from the scam they were running. Kyle didn’t know that. Nor did he realize she’d go after Mallory. When Megan went off the deep end the next day, she called Kyle in hysterics. She threatened to implicate him in the murder and paid him to plant the phone and the knife to frame you.”

  “I never saw Kyle put that phone in my coat pocket.”

  “The jerk was smug about that. He did it while you bent down to pick up papers he had knocked to the floor.”

  “That rat! He did shove things off onto the floor when he slid that card and candy across my desk. How did Megan decide to pick me as the fall guy?”

  “Megan admitted she never liked you. She made that clear while she had you pinned down in your office at gunpoint. Megan also admits to stealing your scarf, although that was done out of spite, not in anticipation of murdering Mallory and framing you. It was a small prize she took to get even with you and Mallory for fighting about it that day. After she killed Mallory, she ran and got your scarf and placed it at the scene.”

  “That fade-to-black part of the movie in her head must have been over by then.”

  “Who knows how much of her claims of intermittent memory loss are true? Megan's undergoing a psychiatric examination. She seems pretty out of it, but I'm no shrink.”

  “Wow, I'm the one who was out of it! I knew Mallory was a problem, but I believed my relationships with my other colleagues were solid. I never dreamed I’d become a target.”

  “Your relationships with others made you a target,” Jack said, “but also helped us crack this case. If Linda Grey and Dorothy Sayers hadn’t trusted you, they might not have come forward as soon as they did. That wouldn’t have put just you at risk, but others, too.”

  “Maybe so. I’m still stunned that I missed so much! I saw Dorothy and Linda often, even after I left the Food and Beverage Division. Why didn’t they tell me what was going on?”

  “Linda explained a lot of that. I’m convinced Dorothy didn’t realize how much trouble she was in until it was too late. When Mallory was killed, she ran for it. Even then she trusted you with those documents she had delivered to you at your office.” I sat in silence, hoping his words would sink in, and some light would go on.

  “Can I pour you more wine?” I finally said. Jack nodded and held out his glass for a refill. “I’m sorry, but I still don’t get what drives successful people like Mallory and Doug over the edge with their greed, or why Megan had it in for me.”

  “What don’t you get? Even when you have a lot, there's always 'more.' And, why not you? Here we are sitting on this gorgeous patio of yours, overlooking the Pacific Ocean We’re drinking a fabulous bottle of wine that Doug would no longer have been able to afford once his wife took him to the cleaners—unless their scheme paid off. Greed isn't always an easy thing to manage. Mallory had a ton of money but begrudged the fact you owned that designer scarf.”

  “Yes, I suppose it’s not enough for some people to just have more. They want it all.”

  “Exactly! As far as Megan’s concerned, you have more than your share. You look like Jackie O. A woman who got better-looking as she aged, I might add. Megan was open in her resentment about your good looks and the fact that you had used them to take advantage of me.” He smiled a wicked grin that I found irresistible.

  “Oh stop it. I wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing, although I’ll admit it might be fun to try. I doubt anyone could ever take advantage of a seasoned copper like you.” He shrugged a little.

  "I suppose we’ve had enough talk of people taking advantage of each other, haven’t we?”

  “Yes. It does sound like those three were stuck in a deadly race to the bitter end in their efforts to out exploit each other and everyone around them, including me.”

  “Take greed, add envy and desperation and, voila, you've created a toxic cocktail. Do you really find it that hard to believe that people like that might find you intimidating, and even envy you a little?”

  “Yes, I do,” I replied slowly. “I’m at an age where more of my life is behind me than ahead of me. Money doesn’t buy happiness, slow down the aging process, or keep trouble away. I don’t have a husband or children, and my career’s coming to a close.”

  “Whoa! Wait! I doubt that. Marvelous Marley World Enterprises just lost three key execs. The biggest problem you’re going to face is which position to fill as you move up the ladder. Despite all the hoopla about youth, it’s mature folks like us who run things. Unless you want to retire, I’d say there’s another decade or more for you at the Cat Factory, right?”

  “Yes, although after this week another decade sounds like an eternity. You’re right, of course.” I smiled as Jack went on with his pep talk.

  “As for kids, I’ll bet Max Marley might have a bone-weary word or two for you about having chosen the path of parenthood. That just leaves the husband issue. Who knows? Maybe there’s some guy around who thinks it’s a miracle you’re single. Could be he’s a little intimidated, too, but so bedazzled he was willing to make a fool of himself by asking you to dinner, even in the middle of a homicide investigation.” Those brown eyes mirrored the earnestness in his words. I took the hand he offered and smiled. Snap, crackle, pop!

  ~~~~~~

  Thank You! Thanks for reading Murder at Catmmando Mountain. I hope you enjoyed meeting Georgie Shaw, Jack Wheeler and Miles and will take a few moments to leave a review for me on AMAZON and GOODREADS. Please sign up at:

  http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com

  You’ll find news, giveaways, blog posts and recipes. That way you’ll be sure to know when the next book is available in this and my other series!

  Georgie Shaw and Jack Wheeler will be back in Love Notes in the Key of Sea, book 2 in the Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery Series. That book will be released Summer, 2016 as part of a beach read mystery and romance anthology: Stories of Sun, Sand and Sea: 11 Beaches ~ Anything Can Happen. Here’s a short excerpt from book 2, Love Notes in the Key of Sea:

  Love Notes in the Key of Sea: A Preview

  “Jack, there’s been a murder!” Jack and I had been sitting on my patio, taking in the view of the Pacific Ocean when my phone rang. Summer was well on its way, here, on the Southern California Coast in June. Still a bit of a chill hung in the air as the sun sank toward the horizon. The chill I felt wasn’t entirely due to the weather. Before I could say more, Jack jumped to his feet and pulled his phone out of the pocket of his jeans.

  “I don’t see a message. Why would someone from the department call me on your landline, Georgie?”

  “They didn’t. The murder’s not here. It’s on a beach somewhere in North Carolina. Jennifer Dodson’s daughter, Meredith, has been going to school there. Someone attacked Meredith on the beach.”

  “No, Georgie! Are you saying someone murdered Jennifer’s kid?”

  “No, Jack, Meredith’s not dead, but stabbed, and
recovering in the hospital. Jennifer flew out there to be with her. She’s been there a couple of days but didn’t call me until she was sure Meredith was going to be alright. Jennifer’s still not all that clear about what’s going on. In fact, no one seems to know much at this point. There have been a series of attacks at the beach—all women; all of them stabbed. Meredith was fortunate, apparently, since she lived through the assault. Another woman attacked in a separate incident died. The next night a third stabbing occurred. Kat Benson, a graduate student in art history at UNC Chapel Hill, attends the same school where Meredith’s enrolled. She’s not dead, but not doing well.”

  “Did Meredith know both of the other women?” I had triggered Jack’s detective side, and the gears in his head turned.

  “Not the woman murdered on the first night…Jenna-somebody. Kat, yes. Kat was a graduate assistant for an undergrad art history course Meredith took. I guess they hit it off and became friends later. Meredith became distraught when the police questioned her. The questions the police asked didn't upset her as much as finding out someone had attacked her friend, too. Meredith’s also scared.”

  “Who could blame her? It’s hard to feel safe when the situation is still so fluid.”

  “The police think they have the attacker, but Jennifer’s not convinced it’s safe for Meredith, either, so she plans to bring her home as soon as she can. I know we had plans for the weekend, but I’m going to visit Jennifer when they get home. Jennifer seems to think it would be good for me to be there because…” It’s as though something suddenly swallowed me up and I couldn’t finish that sentence.

  “I know, Georgie because you went through something similar at Meredith’s age. What exactly, I don’t know, do I? Every time the subject comes up you slip away, then go silent. It’s like a ghost story. Only the ghost is the part of you that steals away to Corsario Cove whenever something sets off your memories of that event. You’re otherwise one of the smartest, most with-it women I’ve ever met, and yet you carry this secret around with you like Marley’s chain. Not your boss, Marley, but that ghost in the Dickens Christmas story. I… I’m going to shut up. We’ve been through this before, and I don’t want to make you feel worse since you’re obviously upset. When you’re ready to talk, I’m here.”