Dead in the Daisies (A Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mystery)

by Bell, Cindy

  “Right now I couldn't worry about anything,” she purred as she unwound beneath his touch. There was something so loving about the way his fingertips sought out the tight areas of her shoulders and upper back.

  “Good, remember that,” he chuckled warmly, “because I want you to think about something.”

  Immediately Vicky began to tense up again. “What?” she asked hesitantly.

  “I'd like to take you away for the weekend. Sometime soon,” he suggested. “Maybe after this wedding is over, we could get a few days to ourselves, hmm?”

  Vicky sighed as his fingers found just the right spot on her shoulders to relax her once more. “Do you really think you could stand me for two whole days?”

  “Oh,” he leaned forward slightly and whispered in her ear. “I think I could stand you for much longer than that,” he assured her and then kissed her cheek softly. “Just think about it Vicky, you don't have to answer me now.”

  “Okay,” she sighed as he drew his hands away from her shoulders and she sunk back against his chest. “If I say yes will I get another massage?” she asked hopefully as she looked up at him.

  “As many as you like,” he promised with a warm smile. “Now, I want to let you rest. But promise me, you're actually going to sleep, and not end up pacing all night going over your lists?”

  Vicky sat up on the couch and studied him for a moment. It amazed her that he really did know her very well.

  “I promise,” she grinned and they stood up together. She walked him towards the door and found herself having to resist asking him to stay. When he leaned in for a lingering kiss, she nearly did, but he pulled away.

  “Goodnight,” he smiled at her. “I'll see you in the morning.”

  “Goodnight,” she called out and watched him walk out of the side entrance of the inn. As she saw the door fall shut behind him, she had a strange thought. What would it be like not to have to say goodnight?

  Chapter Four

  Vicky's alarm went off early the next day. She wanted a good start so that she could check on things. She hurried to dress and headed out into the crisp morning air. The weather was supposed to be perfect, but that couldn't always be counted on. She double checked the tents to make sure that they were secure. Then she continued to evaluate everything that was needed for the day. So far she had discovered that the wine was not being chilled, and the cake had been delayed by an hour. She averted both crises quite easily.

  Vicky decided to take a walk around the grounds and gardens to make sure that nothing was out of place from the set up the day before. As she rounded the corner of the inn she noticed that the flowers that lined the building were crumpled. They usually looked pristine. As she stepped closer, she spotted a shiny black shoe laying in the daisies. It was hard to see from a distance.

  “Oh no,” she gasped and wondered if one of the groomsman was drunk and had thrown his shoes out a window. What she saw next, partly hidden by the daisies was a sock wrapped around a foot. She began to tremble as she saw the wide open eyes of a man gazing endlessly up at the morning sky. The scream stuck in her throat as she realized this man was dead. It was the photographer who had come at the last minute as a replacement.

  “Help,” she squeaked out barely able to hear her own voice. “Help!” she cried out louder the second time as she reached for her cell phone. She called Mitchell as some of the inn staff came running towards her.

  “Mitchell, I need you here, now,” she gasped into the phone. As he listened to her words, he started heading out of his office.

  “Let's go Sheriff, something has happened out at the inn,” he called out as he hurried past the older man.

  “I'm on my way, Vicky,” Mitchell said firmly into the phone. “Just stay put, I'll be right there!”

  Vicky was beside herself as she waited for Mitchell's arrival. Was this really happening? How was this possible? Was she dreaming? This was not the first dead body she had found in the gardens of the inn.

  She did her best to steer all the guests away from the area. Sarah was the next to arrive, and when she heard about the discovery, she reacted just as Vicky had expected her to.

  “That's it, we're going to have to call off the wedding,” she announced dramatically and shook her head. “This will be the end of the inn.” She wrung her hands and groaned. “I know, I know, that shouldn't be what I'm thinking of now, I should be thinking of that poor man who’s lost his life, but I just can't!”

  “Sarah, take a breath,” Vicky said firmly as she settled her gaze on her sister. “This is something none of us could have predicted. It’s happened. It's terrible. But it doesn't mean we have to cancel the wedding,” she insisted.

  “Vicky, how can you even say that?” Sarah demanded as she stepped closer to her sister. “Someone is dead, and the ceremony is in just a few hours. How long do you think it's going to take the police to process the scene? Do you really think Trinie is going to want pictures with red and white flashing lights in the background?”

  “Please, just wait before you cancel the wedding,” Vicky said with despair in her voice. If Seth and Trinie didn’t want to cancel the wedding, and the police didn’t make them cancel the wedding she knew that her sister would be the one to decide in the end, but she couldn't imagine disappointing Trinie and Seth. “The body is nowhere near the wedding garden, the police can still conduct their investigation. The ceremony isn't until nearly sunset, so we have time to clear this up as much as possible.” Vicky knew that it would be hard to convince her sister, but she was determined to try.

  “I don't know, Vicky,” Sarah hesitated as she glanced in the direction of the garden where the ceremony would be held. It was a good distance away.

  “If we cancel the wedding, the reputation of the inn will be jeopardized,” Vicky reminded her older sister with urgency in her tone. “If we go through with the service, and everything goes as planned, then we've lost nothing. Trinie and Seth will have their happy day, the guests won't be disturbed, and the crime, if it is a crime, will still get solved.”

  Sarah sighed and nodded slowly. “You're right,” she reluctantly agreed. “But if anyone is in danger or the police say that we have to cancel it we're going to need to come up with a plan.”

  “Okay but just think of all the security that's here,” Vicky pointed out with confidence. “This has to be the safest place around.”

  “Ahem,” Sheriff McDonnell cleared his throat behind her. “Tell that to the man who is dead in the daisies.”

  Vicky turned to face him and drew a deep breath. Sheriff McDonnell’s shirt was stretched to the point that the buttons were strained enough to reveal the white undershirt beneath. He wore his pants high up on his waist, and stood with his shoulders held back to show off the Sheriff's star pinned to his chest. His entire life had been defined by working in law enforcement. “Do you know how he ended up there?” he inquired brusquely.

  “I’ve got no idea what happened,” Vicky said quickly. “I found him just a little while ago when I called Mitchell. All I know is that he's a photographer, and he replaced the one who was meant to be here.” She hesitated a moment and then pulled her phone out of her pocket. “I'll get you his name,” she said as she searched for the email from the photography company.

  Mitchell walked up to join them, and nodded his head respectfully at Sarah who was watching as several officers and medical personnel swarmed the area beneath the window. The sheriff looked up at the window above the flowers and rubbed his chin slowly.

  “His name is Graham Walker,” Vicky said. “I have details of the photography company but no more information on him.”

  “I'm sure he has ID in his wallet,” Mitchell stated. He glanced up at the window as well. It was open wide with the curtains billowing through.

  “Well, it's pretty obvious that he fell through the window,” Sheriff McDonnell said quietly. “Poor fool was probably drunk, or maybe he was trying to get a closer look at the flowers,” he muttered and arched
an eyebrow. “Unfortunate event,” the sheriff nodded as he walked towards the body.

  Mitchell hung back and looked into Vicky's eyes. “Are you okay?” he asked her tenderly.

  “I will be,” Vicky nodded and managed a slight smile. The discovery of the body was weighing heavily on her mind, not just because of the wedding, but because this wasn’t the first dead body she had discovered in the garden.

  “It's going to be fine,” he promised her. “I'm sure it was just an accident.”

  Vicky nodded, but she was not convinced.

  “What do you make of this?” Sheriff McDonnell asked Mitchell as he stepped up beside him.

  “Well, it could be an accident,” Mitchell said quietly as he crouched down in front of the body. “Or even a suicide.”

  “Strange place to commit suicide,” the sheriff muttered as he studied the man's wide open eyes. “Why come to an event like this if you planned to off yourself?”

  “Media attention?” Mitchell suggested as he glanced back towards the gates that blocked the entrance of the inn. “Maybe he thought he'd get his name in the news, because of Trinie and Seth's wedding. Or maybe it's something simpler, a love affair?”

  “You mean with the actress?” the sheriff asked with surprise.

  “Well, actresses aren't exactly known for their fidelity, are they?” Mitchell asked with a light shrug.

  “Maybe,” the sheriff nodded and then glanced up at the window above the body. “It's certainly big enough for a fall, either intentional or unintentional. I imagine that the tox screen will reveal more.”

  “Boss, I don't see any bruising,” one of the officers stated after looking over the body as thoroughly as he could.

  “No defensive wounds,” the sheriff nodded.

  “Those can sometimes show up later,” Mitchell pointed out in a professional tone.

  “Sure they can,” the sheriff nodded and then adjusted his hat. “But, I don't think that will be the case. Seems like it's pretty cut and dry.” The sheriff waved his hand towards the officers under his command. “Conduct minimal interviews with the staff, do your best to avoid the guests,” he glanced over to where Sarah and Vicky were talking quietly to one another. “This wedding has been a huge deal for the entire town, if we can keep this quiet, we will.”

  “His watch is smashed and the time on it is 10:25 pm,” Mitchell told the sheriff as he bent over the body.

  “It is possibly the time of death. The time he hit the ground,” Sheriff McDonnell acknowledged.

  “Sheriff, should I process the scene upstairs?” Mitchell suggested as he stood up.

  “Yes. There are some officers already up there securing it,” the sheriff nodded.

  Mitchell nodded and headed into the inn. He didn't notice that Vicky was following quickly behind him, until she ducked into the elevator with him.

  “Vicky,” he frowned and met her gaze sternly. “You can't go into the room with me, you know that. This is an official investigation.”

  “I am aware of that,” Vicky nodded innocently. “I just wasn't sure if you knew what room he was in...”

  “Vicky,” Mitchell firmly pressed the button to re-open the doors on the elevator. “I promise, I will keep you up-to-date. We are trying to process everything quickly so that the wedding can go ahead,” he assured her.

  “Fine,” Vicky sighed and reluctantly stepped out of the elevator. As she rejoined Sarah outside to observe the forensic team, she was wondering if they found anything important in the photographer’s room. She stared up at the window, watching for Mitchell's shadow to cross it. When he returned from the building she held her breath as he walked over to the sheriff and spoke to him in a low tone.

  “I think this was a suicide or an accident,” Sheriff McDonnell said loudly enough for them both to hear. “There's no reason to stir up more dust than necessary.”

  “I just want the chance to rule out all other possibilities,” Mitchell replied, standing his ground while attempting to remain respectful.

  “What's that about?” Sarah said in a hushed voice as she moved with Vicky.

  “I don't know,” Vicky frowned. “They don't exactly get along.”

  “I'm going to go and talk to Seth and Trinie to make sure they know what is going on and see what they want to do.”

  “What’s going to happen with the wedding?” Vicky asked as she looked towards her sister.

  “The sheriff said that this area and the room upstairs will be sealed off, but at the moment the wedding is still on as long as Seth and Trinie still want it to be on,” she said as she hurried off.

  The sheriff and Mitchell were still speaking, but more quietly. As Mitchell walked off in the direction of the inn again, Vicky fell into step beside him.

  “Everything okay?” she asked as she glanced over at him.

  “I think the sheriff is a little star-struck,” he admitted with a shake of his head.

  “Oh right,” Vicky nodded with a smile.

  “I am just going back to the room,” Mitchell nodded.

  “Well, I'll ride up with you, I want to check and make sure everything else is ok up there and then check in with Seth and Trinie,” she smiled.

  “Sure,” he returned the smile.

  They crossed the lobby and took the elevator to the third floor. As soon as they were alone in the elevator, Mitchell reached out to take her hand in his.

  “Can't all go smoothly huh?” he glanced over at her.

  “If it did, it wouldn't be my life,” Vicky said with a sigh. He stroked the back of her hand and then gently squeezed it. “We'll get through this, don't worry.”

  “I'm trying not to,” she frowned and then tilted her head slightly towards him. “I feel better now that you're here.”

  He smiled at that. “Careful now, or you'll have me thinking you really want me around,” he warned her.

  When they reached the third floor hallway one of the officers was waiting for Mitchell. “I was just coming to get you Deputy, we found something,” he said as he joined Mitchell at the doorway to the photographer’s room and as he swung the door open Vicky couldn't help but take a peak.

  The room was neat, the bed still made as if it had not been slept in. The photographer's phone was sitting on the small table beside the bed. All of his expensive digital camera equipment was resting on the floor untouched. If anyone else was involved it certainly wasn't for the purpose of stealing valuables.

  The officer walked with Mitchell over to the computer screen. Mitchell’s eyes went wide as he looked at the screen. Vicky ducked down the hallway despite her desire to be more nosey. What was on that computer? As she walked towards Seth and Trinie's room she caught sight of the scene below through one of the windows in the hallway. She saw Sarah had already returned to the scene and was talking with a few members of the staff.

  When she reached Seth and Trinie's room, she knocked lightly on the door. The door swung open beneath the knock, and she heard voices inside the room.

  “I still don't think it could have been him,” Seth was saying in an aggravated tone. “I mean, I trusted him, didn't you?”

  “Sure I did,” Trinie replied with a heavy sigh. “But with lives like ours Seth, you know we can't trust anyone. Someone probably waved a high enough pay check in front of him and he decided that protecting us wasn't worth missing out on millions,” her voice rose with anger as she continued. “Every single time something good is about to happen in my life, something like this happens!” she growled. “How can we go through with the wedding after this?”

  “You're not really thinking of calling off the wedding are you, Trinie?” Seth replied with shock. “We can't let one selfish creep stop us!”

  As Vicky listened in on the argument she felt her heart sink. It sounded like they were talking about the photographer and from everything they were saying it was clear the wedding plans were in danger. She knocked again, this time a little harder. Both voices suddenly cut short. After a moment, Seth ope
ned the door.

  “Hi Vicky,” he said glumly as he opened the door for her.

  “Everything okay?” she asked him.

  “No, everything is not okay!” Trinie announced as she marched out of the bedroom. “The wedding is off!”

  “Is that because murder doesn't go well with wedding vows?” the sheriff's voice asked from the doorway.

  “What?” Trinie stammered out as she looked from Seth to the sheriff. “What are you talking about?”

  “Vicky you need to leave. I need to talk to Seth and Trinie in private,” Sheriff McDonnell said in a stern voice.

  Vicky left but she didn’t close the door all the way and stood in the hallway trying to listen in.

  “Look folks, I hate to do this,” the sheriff said calmly as he studied them both. “Honestly I'm a fan,” he nodded his head towards Trinie. “I didn't want anything to disrupt your special day. But, I can't overlook cold blooded murder.”

  “Murder?” Seth repeated looking just as dumfounded as his fiancée. “Why do you keep saying that?”

  “We have reason to believe that the photographer, Graham Walker, was murdered,” the sheriff informed them both coolly. “But one or both of you already knew that, didn't you?” he asked in a stern tone.

  “Excuse me,” Seth snapped as he stepped in front of Trinie. “You've no right to accuse us of anything. We were in our room all night, since after the dinner until now. There was a bodyguard in the hallway throughout the night. Besides that, why would we have anything against this photographer? We approved him.”

  Vicky narrowed her eyes as she recalled the argument the two had been having when she arrived at their room. She presumed it was about the photographer and wondered if Seth was truly going to lie to the sheriff about it.

  “He has defensive wounds that are beginning to show and we found evidence on his computer that clearly indicates he had leverage over both of you. Photographs of you, Trinie, in a very compromising position. I believe you probably know what I'm talking about,” Vicky’s mouth dropped open in shock. “That's something we'll need to discuss further down at the station,” Sheriff McDonnell said sternly.