Murder at the Polo Club

by Dianne Harman

  CHAPTER 6

  When Marty got to her car, she called Jeff who promptly answered, “Good morning, Mrs. Combs. Have I told you I love you today?”

  Marty laughed and answered, “I believe those were the first words out of your mouth quite early this morning, but I’m not complaining.”

  “How’s the appraisal going?” he asked.

  “I haven’t started on the actual items, but the preliminary walk-through has been extraordinary. Their home and the grounds are beautiful, and they seem to be very nice people. Actually, that’s why I’m calling. We’ve been invited to attend the cocktail party at the Rutledge Polo Club that John and Max are catering tonight. If you’re free, I’d really like to go. I know nothing about polo, and I may never have another chance like this one to learn something about the sport. Are you up for it?”

  “Don’t even need to hesitate on that one. I’d definitely like to do it. I’ve been to one polo match in my life, so that hardly qualifies me as an expert. Do you want to meet me at home or what?”

  “Yes. Pia handed me an invitation, and the party starts at 6:30. I’ll leave here about 5:00, so we can meet at home and then come together. I better get back in the house and start earning my keep. See you tonight. By the way, I love you too!”

  Marty opened the trunk of her car and slung her camera bag over her shoulder. She took out her briefcase with its measuring tape and flashlight along with some soft cotton gloves and fabrics which she sometimes used when she was handling or photographing an art object.

  When she got back to the sitting room, she took her camera from its case and mounted it on a tripod. She opened the shutters on the windows to allow maximum light to come into the room and then she turned to Pia, who was taking a vase out of the first box.

  Marty stared at it and whispered, “Pia, do you know where your parents got that vase or anything about it?”

  “No, as I said earlier, I know next to nothing about their collection. Why do you have that funny look on your face?”

  “If that vase is what I think it is, it’s worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. One just like it sold at auction several years ago. Only four were made, and the bidding was fierce for it. Do you know if your parents went to auctions or had people buy for them?”

  “Again, I don’t know anything about how they acquired their collection, but this vase is quite pretty with these two little winged figures on the side.” She turned it over in her hands.

  “Pia, set it down very gently on the rug, and I mean very gently.” Marty carefully picked the vase up and looked at the bottom of it through a magnifying glass. “Look,” she said excitedly, “there’s the signature of Rene Lalique. I thought he was the artist who made the vase. I’m almost certain this is the vase that was sold at auction, and no wonder your parent’s estate was small. This vase alone is worth over a quarter of a million dollars.” She sat back to see what affect her words had on Pia.

  “I can’t believe it,” Pia said with a look of astonishment on her face. “They never talked about what things were worth. Of course, for years we never talked, period. When we finally reconciled they were old and ill. Although they loved their collection, it probably wasn’t a high priority for them in their last few years.” She looked at her watch. “Marty, I really do need to do a few things to get ready for the cocktail party. If you need me for anything, just ask Lupe to get me. Please join Jack and me for lunch. You’ll need to take some kind of a break and eat something. We’ll have lunch in the kitchen, and the cook, Taffy, is quite good. See you later,” she said as she stood up and walked out of the room.

  Marty spent the next two hours taking glass pieces out of boxes, measuring them, photographing them, running her finger over them to detect flaws and chips, and generally being in an overall state of awe.

  Any museum in the world would be thrilled to have just one of the pieces in this collection, much less the whole collection. It’s got to be worth well over several million dollars, and to think Pia doesn’t have a clue what it’s worth. I can’t imagine having it trucked out to Los Angeles in the back of a U-Haul truck.

  There was a soft knock on the open door. Marty looked up and saw Lupe. “Excuse me, ma’am, but Mrs. Marshall asked me to tell you that lunch is being served.”

  “Thanks, Lupe, I’ll be there shortly. I just need to take a couple more photos of this Tiffany lamp.” She took photos from several angles and then walked out of the suite and down the hall to the kitchen where Pia and Jack were engrossed in a conversation. They were so absorbed in talking to each other they didn’t see her come in.

  “Pia, trust me on this,” she overheard Jack saying. “The guy’s a cheat. He gives polo a bad name. He’s threatened me for years, because my team is the best in the United States and has won far more matches than his team. I can’t tell you how many times he’s tried to bribe my team members trying to get them to join his team. He even tried to bribe my vet to give my horses drugs to dope them, so they’d underperform when we were playing a match. I’ve given everyone who has anything to do with the polo club strict instructions that if he’s seen near the barns or workout areas, they’re to call the police and me immediately. Actually, I keep a couple of guns in the barns as well as in the house.”

  Pia started to say something when Jack looked up, sensing that Marty had entered the room. “I was just having a conversation with Pia regarding an unethical polo person. I guess it doesn’t matter what the profession or the game is, there will always be someone who has a crooked agenda,” he said as he passed a platter of chicken breasts in a sauce to Marty.

  “This looks wonderful! What is it?”

  Taffy was washing dishes. She looked over at Marty and said, “It’s chicken cordon bleu, or as some people would call it, chicken stuffed with ham and cheese. I like to serve it with a raspberry chipotle sauce.”

  Marty cut a piece of her chicken and ate it. “Taffy, this is incredible. My compliments to the chef.”

  A moment later Jack asked, “So what do you think of Pia’s art glass collection?”

  “It’s the best I’ve ever seen, hands down. I’m sorry to do this, but the value of it will be well into the millions. The reason I’m sorry is this means you’ll have to pay the insurance premiums on it, and that won’t be cheap.”

  “Well, I’m lucky. The high tech companies were very good to me, so money isn’t a problem. What is a problem is making sure Kevin Sanders stays as far away from here as possible. That’s what the problem is.”

  Pia put her hand on his arm and said, “Jack, let it go. With the security you have around the house, the barns, and the polo club, I don’t think that will be a problem, but I am curious how he got past the security shack today.”

  “When I kicked him out, I called security and asked that very question. Evidently Kevin told the guard he had an appointment to see me regarding a horse I wanted to sell him. As if I’d let him near one of my horses.”

  “Jack, I asked Marty if she and her husband could join us for the cocktail party tonight. It turns out a friend of hers is catering it.”

  “I don’t know a thing about it. Nicky, my administrative assistant is in charge of it.” He turned to Marty and asked, “Who’s your friend?”

  “He’s the owner of The Red Pony food truck. He started a catering business a few months ago, because the Pony had become so popular and people were asking him to cater events for them. He even had to get a second truck. He’s developed quite a business, and I think you’ll be very happy with Nicky’s selection of him. By the way, I called my husband, and we’d love to attend the party. Thanks for the invitation. Neither one of us knows much about polo, so we’re really looking forward to it.”

  “Well, if you don’t mind, let me take a couple of minutes to tell you about the sport of polo,” Jack said. “After all, next to my love for Pia, my bride-to-be, it’s my other great love.

  “The history of the sport goes back thousands of years to when mounted nomads in Ce
ntral Asia played a version of polo. The game followed the nomad migration to Persia where it was known to be played sometime between 600 B.C. and 100 A.D. The modern version of polo originated in India, where in 1859 the Silchar Polo Club was founded by some British military officers. The game spread to England and soon to the United States, where the first game was played in New York in 1876.

  “As you no doubt know, polo is a team sport played on horseback. There are four players on each team. The objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Players score by hitting a small ball with a wooden mallet and driving the ball into the opponent’s goal. Since the players are mounted on full size horses racing at breakneck speeds, they need a lot of field area for the horses to negotiate. The typical grass polo field is three hundred yards long and one hundred sixty yards wide. The modern polo game lasts approximately two hours and is divided into periods called chukkas.

  “You’ve probably heard the term ‘polo pony,’ but that’s an historical phrase from years ago when the polo horses were much smaller. Today’s modern polo ponies are full size horses bred for maximum speed, stamina, and agility.

  “Today there are more than two hundred seventy-five polo clubs registered in the United States and the United States Polo Association has more than 4,500 members.

  “So, enough about polo, let’s get back to tonight’s party. I have this cocktail party annually,” Jack said. “People fly in from all over for it. I think a couple of people from Argentina will even be here tonight. I introduce this year’s team, and I have the horses walked around the polo grounds in their full colors. What I’m trying to do is get everyone excited for the upcoming season, and I’ve found if I do it earlier than everyone else, I’m ahead of the game. My team loves it, because they can kind of bask in the glory for the next few months, but it also serves to let everyone know that our team is very, very serious about polo, and we intend to again be the number one team in the United States and quite possibly the world.”

  *****

  Kevin Sanders strode to his car, red-faced, furious, and knowing his elevated blood pressure wasn’t good for a man his age with a family history of hypertension.

  How dare Jack tell me not to set foot on his property. Who does this relatively new kid on the polo block think he is? Comes in with all that money he got in high techs from Northern California and becomes an instant authority on the game. Right. While he was making his billions, I was traveling around the world with a polo mallet in my hand. I know the guys on his team, and the only reason they stay is for the money. He pays his team more than any of the other owners, which makes us all look bad. Before he came to town I was number one, and I intend to do everything in my power to become number one again.

  Kevin looked at the people setting up for the event that was going to be held on the Rutledge Polo Club grounds that evening. Everywhere he looked workers were edging, mowing grass, taking tables and chairs from party rental trucks, and in general scurrying to get everything done before the guests started to arrive.

  Sure glad that Lex, my doctor, told me he had to go out of town today and asked if I needed an extra ticket for tonight. He doesn’t know anything about the bad blood between Jack and me. I told him I had a friend who would love to come. I think I’ve come up with a way to ruin Jack’s wonderful new life. I want him to feel the pain of what it’s like to have your world fall out from under you, and I know my plan is a good one. Yeah, Jack, get ready for your big night, because this is one you’ll probably never forget.

  He drove down the lane to the guard shack and waved at the guard. Hope the guards are ready for a big surprise tonight, he thought as he smiled thinking about what the evening would bring for Jack.

  CHAPTER 7

  Gerta Martelli, a dowdy looking middle-aged woman with mousy brown hair interspersed with grey, walked off the plane and into the Palm Springs airport and thought, so this is what Palm Springs is like. From their suntans, it looks like all anyone does here is play golf or tennis or sunbathe. I can see why people want to live here in the winter, but I don’t think I’m going to like the heat. From what the weather channel said, it’s going to be 102 degrees today, and that is not my idea of fun. I sure didn’t expect it to be this hot.

  Tired from a long travel day that included two airport layovers in order to get to Palm Springs, she walked over to the rental car counter. A little later she and her luggage were in a rental car. The clerk had given her a city map and circled the hotel where she’d made her reservation as well as the location of the Rutledge Polo Club. The clerk had looked at her curiously and asked Gerta if she was aware that the polo season didn’t start until January which was several months away. Gerta had been noncommittal in her answer as she walked away from the booth.

  She’d struggled with what she should do about her parents’ art glass collection ever since her parents had died and left it to Pia. She still couldn’t believe that after she’d spent the last few years living with her parents and taking them to their various doctors, making meals for them, arranging for someone to clean their house, and everything else she’d done, her parents had willed the art glass collection and their house to Pia. Gerta was well aware of what the collection was worth and knew it was far more valuable than the proceeds from the sale of the house Pia had given to her.

  She got mad all over again every time she thought about how sanctimonious Pia had been when she’d told Gerta she felt the only fair thing to do was for one of them to take the house and the other one to have the collection, rather than Pia having both of them. What particularly irked Gerta was that she knew Pia didn’t have a clue what the collection was worth and could just as easily have given it to Gerta, and Pia could have taken the proceeds from the sale of the house.

  Gerta knew Pia’s life hadn’t been easy, and as much as it galled her, she’d decided to just let it go and get on with her own life. She figured that was probably why her parents had willed the house and the collection to Pia. After all of the years of being a spinster and taking care of her parents, Gerta had finally met a man she was very interested in and who’d made several comments that led her to believe he was going to ask her to marry him. Given that development in her life, she’d decided to let the past go - until a few days ago.

  She and Pia were never the type of sisters who called each other on the phone several times a week and shared what was going on in their lives. At the most they talked about once every two or three months, so when Pia called to tell Gerta she was moving to Palm Springs from Los Angeles in two days and would soon be getting married, she was shocked. Pia told her she’d never been happier and that her husband-to-be was very wealthy and owned the Rutledge Polo Club in Palm Springs. She said he owned a large mansion, and she was going to have her own suite of rooms. She’d asked Gerta to come to the wedding. Gerta had told her she needed to check her schedule at the school where she was a teacher and see if she could get the time off.

  Gerta had been in shock just thinking about what Pia had told her. It didn’t seem fair that Pia had not only gotten the valuable art glass collection, but now she’d also be marrying a man who seemed to be really, really, wealthy. It just wasn’t right.

  She decided the only thing she could do was fly to Palm Springs and talk to Pia. Gerta would have to make Pia understand that the collection should go to Gerta now that Pia was going to be marrying such a wealthy man. It was early evening when she got to her hotel, and she was exhausted from the long day of travel as well as the time change, but even so, she needed to call Pia.

  She punched in Pia’s number and heard her voice say, “Hello, Gerta, is that you?”

  “It is, and I have a surprise for you. My school’s on a break, so I decided to fly to Palm Springs and see you and meet your husband-to-be. I’m at the hotel now. I also want to talk to you about Mom and Dad’s art glass collection which you’ll probably want to give me now that you’re going to be marrying into wealth.”

  “Well, that’s great, but your t
iming is a little off. Tonight we’re having dinner with Jack’s polo team, and tomorrow is completely filled with appointments. Jack’s having a large cocktail party at the Rutledge Polo Club tomorrow evening. Why don’t you come to it? I’ll call security and tell them to let you in. Would that work for you?”

  “Yes, I can be there, but I really do think it’s only fair that you give me the collection.”

  Pia was quiet for a long moment, and then she said, “Gerta, Mom and Dad willed the house to me as well as the collection. That was their wish. I gave you the proceeds from the house. No, I won’t be parting with the collection. It’s mine, and if something happens to me it will go to Jack. We’ve decided we’re kind of old fashioned about what’s his is mine and vice-versa. I’ve got to go. Jack’s motioning for me to end the call, or we’re going to be late to dinner. The party starts at 6:30 tomorrow night. I’m looking forward to seeing you and having you meet Jack. The people at the security shack will be expecting you and will let you in. I’ll text you with the address.” With that she ended the call.

  Gerta looked at her phone in fury and disbelief. Pia couldn’t even make time tomorrow to see her one and only sister? And what’s up with that “What’s his is mine, and what’s mine is his?” Sounds like she’s going to will the collection to him, and I’ll be left completely out in the cold. Think there’s some saying about the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. I remember in some class in college we studied Karl Marx talking about economic inequality. It didn’t mean much to me then, but if this isn’t the perfect example of it, I don’t know what is.

  A dark thought arose in her mind and she immediately squelched it, but it kept coming back. She went down to the hotel coffee shop and had a hamburger with fries. Tonight was a night when she needed some comfort food, because her world had been turned upside down. Try as she might to stop thinking about it, the dark thought she had earlier kept coming back, the thought that if Pia died before she got married and signed a will or a trust, the collection would rightfully, under the law, go to her as Pia’s closest relative.