The Tainted Course

by Diane Weiner

  “That’s awful.”

  “Can’t say I shed any tears when I heard her place place burned down. Ironic, dying of poisoned dessert, don’t you think?”

  Emily didn’t think she’d said it was dessert. Was that in the newspaper? “Thank you for your time.”

  “No problem. Grab a pastry on the way out. It’s on the house.”

  Taking the white bag, she replayed the scene Mary Burke described. Judges taking a bite of Mary’s cake and rushing off to the bathroom. Nevertheless, once in the car, Emily demolished the sticky bun, licking the glaze off her fingers as she drove. She seldom allowed herself such an indulgence, but life was short. What? She couldn’t start thinking that way.

  Rebecca and Abby both worked from home. Abby was a photographer. Rebecca didn’t ever define exactly what she did, but it had something to do with the government. In any case, it paid well. She and Abby had beautiful art-work and rugs in their cabin. Although they were the most down to Earth couple she’d ever met, they managed to travel extensively and had honeymooned in Bora Bora for six weeks.

  When she pulled into their driveway, Abby was leaving with her tripod and camera bag in tow.

  “Rebecca’s inside. I’m doing a photo shoot for the Chamber of Commerce. I suggested filming in front of The Outside Inn, which they were all for until the bad publicity. This morning they called and said we’re meeting in front of Smyth Haven.”

  “You’re kidding. What a slap in the face for Coralee. The police already said they found no trace of it being Coralee’s fault.”

  “I know. Totally unfair. If they catch the killer soon, maybe we can do the next one back at Coralee’s. I hear they’re planning on shooting a commercial.”

  “Maybe by that time Rona Smyth will be in jail.” She didn’t realize until the words left her mouth that she considered Rona Smyth her number one suspect. Perhaps Rebecca would solidify her theory. She knocked on the door.

  “It’s open,” called Rebecca, who was sitting at the table with her laptop. She closed the lid when Emily came in. “Hey, Emily. Can I get you something to drink? You okay? You look stressed.”

  “I’m okay. I visited Mary Burke at her bakery job. Sounds like Rona was pretty evil. I wouldn’t put murder past her. Can you find out if Rona owns a motorcycle?”

  “A motorcycle?”

  “Someone threw a rock with a warning through our window last night. We heard a motorcycle outside.”

  “Oh, no. Did anyone get hurt?”

  “No, thank God. Can you find out?”

  “Easy peasy. Give me a minute.” She quickly got off the screen she’d been on and tapped at the keys. “Hmm.”

  “You found something?”

  “No. I can’t find a registration or a motorcycle license in her name.”

  “I suppose she could have borrowed one.”

  “I can’t say I’ve ever seen a motorcycle around here. Snow mobiles and scooters, yes, but no motorcycles. I’d have noticed.”

  “Yes, you are. Can you check Arturo Rivera and Summer Martin?”

  She clicked away. “No, neither has a motorcycle license or registration.”

  “How about Dave Maguire? It would be registered in Georgia.”

  “Hmmm. Don’t see it.”

  “That’s puzzling. Those are the only people I can think of who’d want to scare me away from finding the truth.”

  “I’ll keep my ears open. Meanwhile, let me know if you need more help.” Her phone buzzed. “It’s my boss. Gotta take this in private.”

  “Of course. Thanks again.”

  Emily got back in her car for the short ride around the bend. When she got to her door, she found a note stuck in it. She pulled it out thinking it was a notice about repairing the water lines or an ad for food delivery. It was neither. It was like out of an old TV show. Newspaper letters had been cut out and pasted to form the note. I warned you.

  Emily fumbled with her key, locked the door behind her, and called Henry.

  “Emily, stay there with the door locked. I’m coming home. Call the police.”

  “I will. Hurry.”

  Chapter 13

  Emily paced and repeatedly looked at the window. Henry pulled into the driveway followed shortly by the detectives.

  Detective Megan pulled out a notepad. “Tell me exactly what happened, Emily.”

  Emily picked up the note she’d put on the coffee table. “I got home and found this stuck into the space between the door and the frame. I thought it was an ad or something. I’m sorry, I touched it without wearing my gloves. I’ll bet I ruined any chance of getting prints.”

  Megan said, “The person who wrote this took the time to hide his handwriting or printer by cutting out those letters. I’m sure he didn’t leave fingerprints. Where were you coming home from?”

  “I was over at Rebecca and Abby’s.”

  “Did you pass anyone on the way? Did you hear anything unusual?”

  “I didn’t hear a motorcycle go by like I did last night. Not while I was at Rebecca and Abby’s. I didn’t see anyone on the way home, or at least I didn’t notice anyone.” She had an eye for noticing details but knew she’d been distracted over her mammography appointment. She could have missed something.

  Henry jumped up when he heard a knock. Megan said, “That must be Ron.”

  Carrying an iPad, Ron Wooster said, “I talked to your neighbors. Kurt Olav was walking his dog and saw someone in a ski jacket run past them.”

  “Was it a woman?” asked Emily.

  “He thinks it was a young man, but says he can’t say a hundred percent.”

  “Arturo!”

  Henry said, “You can’t jump to conclusions. Besides, Arturo took a hard hit at the bar. Not sure he’d be running like that.”

  “We’ll check it out. Meanwhile, stay alert and call us if anything else happens.”

  Emily locked the door behind them. “Henry, do you have to go back to the hospital?”

  “No, they have things covered.”

  “Want to…”

  “Go to the inn? Sure, why not.” Henry grabbed his coat and keys. “I don’t want Arturo to feel like we’re spying on him.”

  “We won’t be. Not really. Come on.”

  When they pulled up to Coralee’s, there were fewer cars than Emily could ever remember seeing. “Coralee is really taking a hit. I think Smyth Haven is undercutting her prices and now with the murder…”

  “It will be solved soon and the novelty of Smyth Haven is going to wear off.”

  “The Outside Inn is homier than Smyth Haven and Coralee beats Rona Smyth hands down in the hospitality department.”

  “She’ll come out on top. Come on.” Coralee was reading a paperback at the front desk.

  “Emily and Henry? What are you doing here in the middle of the day?”

  “Someone stuck a warning note in our door. Emily found it when she got home.”

  “A warning? Oh, Emily this just keeps getting worse. What did it say?”

  “It tried to discourage me from getting involved, that’s all. Is Arturo working today?”

  “Yes, he’s got a list of minor repairs to do. Handles on cabinets, spot painting, he said he wasn’t supposed to do anything too strenuous.”

  “That’s right, he’s not. Was he here all morning?”

  “As far as I know. I didn’t see him leave or anything. He doesn’t have classes today.”

  Emily said, “But he could have slipped out when you weren’t looking, right?”

  “You can’t think Arturo left a threatening note.”

  “Kurt saw a young man around our place this morning while he was walking the dog.”

  “I doubt he even knows where you live. I can call him down here if you’d like?”

  “Yes…”

  Henry said, “No, we don’t want to tip him off. The police may be coming to question him.”

  Emily remembered Bear, the guest who had helped her last time. Perhaps he’d seen somethin
g. “Is Bear still here at the inn?”

  “Yes. He said he was going for a hike. Took his fancy camera with him.”

  “Hike? Do you know where?”

  “The easy trail that starts out back.”

  “We’ll be back,” said Henry.

  With spring around the corner, the muddy trail, no longer snow covered, was prime medium for footprints. Henry and Emily followed the path until they came upon Bear taking pictures of the lake.

  “Pretty, isn’t it?” said Emily.

  Bear said, “I didn’t hear you come up behind me. Yes, it’s beautiful. All the postcards show this lake in the summer full of small boats or in the winter full of skaters. I like how it looks now—just pure nature.”

  “I agree,” said Emily. “I jog around the lake and with the sun rising over the water, it’s breathtaking.” Bear looked at Henry. “Bear, this is my husband, Henry.”

  He extended his hand. “Nice to meet you. You two out for a mid-day hike?”

  “Actually, we wanted to talk to you. Remember how you said you saw someone peeking in the window at the inn the night of the murder?”

  “Yeah. You kept my name out of it, right? I’ll never sell enough photos to make up the alimony I owe.”

  “Of course I kept your name out of it. A reporter, even a retired one, never gives up her source.”

  “Can I help you with something else?”

  “Hopefully. Someone threw a rock through our window the other night and today left a threatening note stuck in our door. Did you notice anyone––the handyman, in particular––leave the inn today?”

  “The handyman? You mean the Spanish guy who changes the light bulbs?”

  “Hispanic guy. Yes, Arturo Rivera.”

  “I’ve been out and about since breakfast. When I left, he was fiddling with the window locks in the dining room. I was out on the golf course taking pictures most of the morning. He didn’t go out the back way like usual or I’d have seen him.”

  Emily said, “The back way? Like usual?”

  “Yeah. My room overlooks the golf course. Sometimes I see him out smoking by the dumpster. Nearly every night I see him slip out carrying a box or a couple of garbage bags full of something.”

  “Did you tell the…”

  “Police?”

  “Yeah, I forgot. You’re dodging your ex-wife. What time does he do this?”

  “After dinner. Then he comes back maybe an hour or so later. It’s not a crime, is it? Live and let live. It’s not my business.”

  Henry said, “Do you have any idea what he’s carrying?”

  “Don’t know and don’t care. Like I said…”

  “Yeah,” said Henry. “Live and let live.”

  Emily was about to nudge Henry to go back to the inn, when she had a thought. “What kind of jacket does he wear when he goes out?”

  “I seen him smoking wearing shirt sleeves, but when he does his nightly trip, he wears a ski jacket.”

  “A puffy jacket? What color?” She wondered if it had a broken zipper that matched the bit she’d found.

  “Puffy? I don’t know, just a ski jacket. Dark blue, with a hood.”

  “You’re sure? Blue. Could it be black?”

  “I suppose. Pretty sure it’s blue though.” He turned around sharply. “Did you hear that?”

  “Hear what?” said Henry. He was losing patience with this conversation.

  “The sound. I think it’s an eagle.” He pointed at the top of a tree. “See, there. Vermont is taking the lead in bringing back the bald eagle population.” He aimed his camera and clicked away.

  Henry said, “Go for it. We’ll be heading back now.”

  “Thank you,” said Emily.

  “Yeah. No police, remember?”

  “Got it.”

  Emily grabbed Henry’s hand. “We should do this more often.”

  “What? Question witnesses about murder suspects?”

  “No, take walks together. When we decided to semi-retire and move here, we said we wanted more time to enjoy nature and spend time together. Seems like we’re almost as busy as we were.”

  “I never expected us to get involved with murder investigations. You can blame your friend Susan Wiles for lighting that fire.”

  “You enjoy the puzzle as much as I do.”

  “Yeah, but if I want to solve a puzzle, I can do my Sudoku.”

  “Whatever you say.” She squeezed his hand. “Did I ever tell you how glad I am to have found you? Not everyone finds their soulmate.”

  “Where’s this coming from?”

  “Nowhere. I mean, I guess it’s the moment, being out here with you on a beautiful day in a beautiful place.”

  “Hey, I have an idea.”

  “Do this more often?”

  “No. I mean we can. I was thinking of something else. Pat’s going to propose to Megan.”

  “What? You didn’t tell me! That’s great.”

  “You can’t say anything. He’s already got the ring. He wants the proposal to be special.”

  “A picnic out here would fill the bill,” said Emily.

  “Romantic, right? I’ll suggest it to him.”

  “How exciting. Pat hasn’t been this happy since Carol died. She’d want this for him.”

  “It’s about time, too. Carol was his soulmate, blah, blah, blah. Eventually, you have to move on with your life.”

  “So if I died, you’d find a replacement?”

  “In a heartbeat. Before your body turned cold.”

  She stared at him, mouth hanging open.

  He squeezed her hand. “You know I’m kidding. What’s with you today?”

  “Well, I’d want you to be happy. The sooner the better. And Maddy needs a mother.”

  “Emily, what’s going on? This doesn’t sound at all like you.”

  She forced a smile. “I’m just yanking your chain. Come on. It’s getting cold out here.”

  Chapter 14

  “Emily, you ready?”

  She wrapped her scarf around her neck. “Yes, all set. Maddy’s doing her homework. I told her we’d be back in an hour or so.” She locked the front door. The temperature had dropped significantly since their earlier walk.

  Henry started up the Jeep. “I don’t believe Arturo’s guilty.”

  “Then we will be able to eliminate him. You have to admit he’s up to something.”

  “Maybe he goes walking after dinner.”

  “Carrying a garbage bag or box? What if he’s stealing items from the guests and reselling them?”

  “If he was stealing garbage bags full of stolen items every day, don’t you think someone would have noticed by now? I don’t think he’s our guy. It’s someone else.”

  “Well, if it’s not him, Rona Smyth is on my radar. Back in her school days, she tampered with her competitor’s cake in order to win a baking contest. Her ex-employees from The Silver Spoon think she set fire to the restaurant to collect the insurance money. Oh, and she may have killed her own parents.”

  “There you go. Keep brainstorming.”

  “Summer Martin. Her whole future was derailed by Faith Maguire. Her parents are sitting in jail for bribery, and instead of enjoying freshman year at Harmon College, Summer’s waiting tables and living in a hotel room.”

  “What do you think about the girls’ father?”

  “Dave Maguire? Faith says he was abusing the girls and got full custody away from him. True or not, he had to be furious. And I don’t know how he managed to get out of Atlanta when all the flights were canceled due to the snowstorm.”

  “Let’s park here. We’ll be able to see Arturo leave.”

  “Should we slink down like we’re on a stake-out?”

  “Only if you brought food. It’s almost eight o’clock now.”

  “Look, is that him?”

  “Wait. Yes, it is. And he’s got a box with him. Get down.” He peered over the windshield. “Blue ski jacket. He’s going to his car.”

  As soon as
Arturo pulled out of the parking lot, Henry turned on the engine and followed, keeping a safe distance. He drove through the dark woods, following the narrow, twisty road. “He’s heading to the river. Nothing good happens by the river at night.”

  “Look at all those homeless people under the bridge. It’s so sad.” Emily turned up the heat.

  “The city chased them out of the park near the town square. Said it was bad for tourism, remember?”

  “Yes. Many people are one paycheck or one medical emergency away from winding up homeless. They aren’t all druggies or alcoholics, or mentally ill.”

  “Even if they are, they deserve a life-line. Come on. It looks like he’s parking.”

  “Need these?”

  “Binoculars? When did you get those?”

  “Amazon. I saw Rebecca had a pair sitting on her table and I got inspired. Who knows when I’ll want to go eagle-watching? Besides, if we ever take that Alaskan cruise, we can use them to spot whales.”

  “Look, there’s an Orca. Over there, on the other side of the river.”

  “Very Funny.” Emily scanned the area with the binoculars. “Arturo is holding the box. Two men are walking toward him. Arturo is handing them money. Now, the men have the box and the money. They’re walking back to where they came from. Arturo’s heading back to his car. What should we do?”

  “That was a drug deal, I’m betting.”

  “Then why did the men get the box and the money, while Arturo walked away empty handed?”

  “We should call the police.”

  “And say what? We followed Arturo and saw him handing a cardboard box to a couple of homeless people?”

  “Then let’s talk to Arturo. Come on, let’s follow him back to the inn.”

  “Wait. He’s going to deny everything. We have to catch him red-handed. Tomorrow, let’s see if we can find out what he’s taking from the inn and confront him before he leaves.”

  “Okay. We can even have dinner at Coralee’s beforehand.”

  “Do you think Maddy’s still up?”

  “I don’t know.” He pulled into the driveway. “The light’s still on in the living room.” Maddy and Chester were cuddled together on the sofa, fast asleep. Henry picked up Maddy’s geometry book which had fallen onto the floor beside her.