Murder in Cottage #6 (Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) (8 page)

            “Who knows? If he’s as
unbalanced as people indicated to Sean, it’s not that far of a stretch. What
troubles me is her opening the door. Maybe she would feel safe enough in that
environment to open the door without personally knowing who was standing on the
other side, but I can’t see her willingly letting him in.”

            “Please thank Sean for
me. Sounds like he’s a very good investigator.”

            “I’ll thank him and yes,
he’s the best. He works full-time for me, and other attorneys are constantly
trying to get him to work for them. He’s kind of a legend in his field. He also
did some work verifying the ownership of the antique shop. The woman you met
with, Linda, told you the truth. The shop is in her name only. Whenever
anything is bought or sold, while Barbara may have conducted the transaction,
the actual purchase or sale is in Linda’s name alone. Barbara’s role was to
obtain antiques from the people in the surrounding area and help out Linda with
her knowledge about Arts and Crafts antiques and decorative items. She must
have been very good because there is no record of anyone suing the shop for
misrepresenting the authenticity or value of an antique and that’s pretty
rare.”

            “Oh Roger,” Liz sighed,
“I don’t feel I’m any closer to finding out who the murderer is than I was
before I talked to you. We’ve identified Darcy, Dave, Zack, and Henry as
possible suspects, and there may be others we don’t even know about. Each of
them seems to have a solid alibi or explanation of why they didn’t do it. It’s
very frustrating.”

            “That’s true. I think
I’ll have Sean pay a visit to Henry tomorrow and try to find out where he was
during the time frame we think she was murdered and if anyone can back it up.
Oh, one thing we haven’t talked about is the people who work at the spa. Have
you had a chance to talk to the two women who did treatments on Barbara during
the time she was at the spa?”

            “No. I think I told you
Judy is driving up tomorrow and staying for a couple of days. I made
reservations for us with the two women who did treatments on Barbara. I figured
if there’s anything there, it would help if both of us saw them, and we can
compare notes. Really, that’s about everything.”

            “One other person who
comes to mind is the guy who ran against Dave. What was his name?”

            “Gene Harris. I don’t
know much about him other than he’s run against Dave twice before. Why? Do you
think he could have done it?”

            “Yes and no. He probably
hates Dave, but I go back to what we talked about with his brother. If he
killed Barbara, he’d ultimately be doing Dave a favor by freeing him to marry
Darcy. One of the first things people do who are running for office is find out
every piece of dirt they can about their opponent. I would bet everything that
Gene knew about the affair.”

            “Well, we’re back to
square one. A huge cast of characters with no one bolting into the lead at the
moment. Tell you what. I had a busy day. I’m going to have a glass of wine,
make some dinner, and fall into bed. I’ll call you tomorrow night after our spa
treatments and let you know what I found out. I have a little time between my
appointments, so I think I’ll go into town and talk to Bart. He’s the owner of
the Red Cedar Tribune, the local paper. I’d like to see what he knows. I’ve met
him a couple of times. He’s a nice guy.”

            “Okay, but I’m really
serious about what we talked about earlier, Liz. People know you’re looking
into this, and that could make it very dangerous for you. Remember what I told
you about keeping your gun on you and Winston next to you. Will you do that for
me?”

            “Yes. I promise. Good
night and good luck in court tomorrow.”

            “Good night, sweetheart.
Sweet dreams.”

Liz felt a paw on her hand and opened
her eyes to find Winston looking at her. “Need to go out, boy? You sure were
quiet last night. Let me put on a robe.”

One of the features she
liked best about the lodge was the soundproofing. Although no guests had spent
the night in the cottages last night, even if they had, she wouldn’t have heard
Bertha making and serving breakfast. She opened the door and let Winston out.
Glancing at the clock, she saw she had about thirty minutes until her
appointment for a massage at the spa.

I wonder if I should take
Winston. Seems kind of silly, but I promised Roger I wouldn’t go anywhere
without him until this murder is solved. Better keep my promise. I’m sure Cindy
will find that very strange. Oh well, it’s my sandbox, and I can play in it
however I want.

Liz let Winston in and fed
him. She wanted him to get used to eating in her apartment rather than in the
big kitchen upstairs. That way she wouldn’t have to get dressed and talk to the
guests until she was ready for the day. She didn’t think they’d be very
impressed that the owner of the lodge and spa was feeding her dog while dressed
in her bathrobe and slippers.

She quickly dressed and
walked upstairs to get a cup of coffee before her appointment. “Morning, Liz. I
was just going over the appointment book and not only is the spa completely
full today, but the cottages are all booked as well. Did you ever hear anything
from the coroner about Mrs. Nelson’s death?” Bertha asked.

“Yes. I’ve heard from the
coroner. I’m sorry, I should have called you last night and told you about it.”
She recounted what Wes had told her.

“I saw you with the dog
yesterday and wondered if you’d heard something and felt you should have a dog
here for protection. Given that it was murder, I think that was the right
decision.”

“Actually Bertha, I wasn’t
planning on buying Winston. A friend of mine was adamant that I should have him
for protection, and he arranged to have Winston brought to me.”

“Well, however you got
Winston, I think it was a good thing. This is kind of a scary place when no
one’s around. I wonder if this is going to affect the reservations for the spa
and the cottages. Do you think it’s going to be a problem for us?”

“It certainly could be.
I’m going to do everything I can to see if I can discover who murdered Barbara
even though I’ve never done anything like this before. Don’t worry, we’ll get
through this.”

“I sure hope so, because I
love working here, and it seems that it’s become kind of the ‘in’ thing for
people from San Francisco. If I can help, let me know. Is it okay if I pet
Winston?”

“Absolutely. Although he’s
a trained guard dog, he’s really quite gentle, and I’d like you two to be
friends.”

A few minutes later Bertha
said, “Time for me to get back to work, but if you ever decide you need someone
to watch him for a few days, I’d love to. We’ve got a big back yard. Keep it in
mind.”

“I will and thanks, but
I’m not anticipating going anywhere soon except over to the spa because it’s
almost time for my appointment with Cindy. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that
my friend Judy Rasmussen will be here shortly. I told her to check in with you.
Thanks, Bertha, for everything you do here.”

Liz took two pork loins
out of the freezer, so she could make pork medallions with a white wine sauce
for dinner along with glazed carrots, rice pilaf, salad, and for dessert, the
all-time favorite of her son Jonah, mud pie. Whenever he came to visit, he had
a standing request for mud pie.

Good, that’s out of the
way,
she
thought
. I can get dinner ready in a few minutes, and since none of the
guests have been here before, I can use the sausage cheese balls and onion bits
I have in the freezer for appetizers. They won’t know I served them earlier
this week. After my massage, I’ll come back here and make three mud pies, so
they’ll be ready for tonight. Easy peasy!

“Winston, come. It’s time
for my spa appointment.” Together they walked over to the spa with Winston
stopping every ten feet to smell all the wonderful smells of his new home.

“Good morning, Delores. I
want you to meet my new friend, Winston.”

Winston held his paw up
for Delores to shake. “Oh my gosh, Mrs. Lucas. That is the cutest trick I’ve
ever seen. Did you teach him that?”

“No, I just got him
yesterday as a present. His trainer taught him to do that when he meets people.
I’m taking him into the treatment room with me. I hope Cindy isn’t allergic to
dogs.”

“Not that I know of, but
no one has ever brought a dog in here before. I know some of the guests bring
their dogs and keep them in the cottages, but this is a first. Glad it’s you,
because I’m not sure what I would tell someone if they asked if they could
bring their dog with them into the treatment room.”

“Tell them it’s the
owner’s prerogative,” she said, laughing as Winston and Liz followed Delores
down a short hallway to one of the massage rooms. Every time Liz was at the
spa, she was glad she’d spent the extra money needed to redesign it after she
and Joe bought it. She’d always loved the sound of a fountain, and one of the
walls in the reception room had a stone and copper wall fountain which emitted
a continuous sound of falling water. Soft music played in the background and wide
pastel upholstered chairs filled the reception area. One wall was mirrored with
acrylic shelves showcasing skin care and beauty products that were available
for the guests to purchase.

Adjacent to the reception
room was a locker room and dressing area with white fluffy towels, robes, and
slippers. There were six sinks with a range of hair care and personal hygiene
products displayed on acrylic trays for use by the spa patrons. All of the
treatment rooms had a sound speaker for music. They were painted a soft dove
gray with crisp white painted moldings and doorjambs. She’d decided not to have
incense in the rooms, aware that some clients might be allergic to it. She
wanted every guest to feel they were special and pampered when they left the
spa, and from what she heard, they did.

Bertha was in charge of
hiring the people who worked at the spa. She was diligent about checking their
references and making sure their licenses were up to date. Each new spa
employee was not only given written instructions on what Liz expected of them
as a spa employee, they were also given an indoctrination talk by Bertha.
Bertha had set the bar high, and it was one of the main reasons that the spa
had become extremely popular, many of the clients coming just for spa treatments
and not staying in the cottages.

“Good morning, Mrs. Lucas.
I see you have a new friend. May I pet him?”

“Absolutely, Cindy. I just
got him yesterday, so I want him to become familiar with the property. I hope
you don’t mind if he stays during the massage.”

“Not at all. I love dogs.
I just wish I could have one in the apartment where I live, but it really
wouldn’t be fair to leave a dog in it when I’m gone all day. Is there any place
special you’d like me to concentrate on today?”

“No. I’d just like you to work
out some of the kinks I’ve developed as I’ve gotten older. A traditional
massage will be fine,” Liz said.

“Okay. Why don’t you turn
over on your stomach, and I’ll start on your shoulders and neck. As I remember,
that’s where you seem to store a lot of tension. Let me know if I’m hurting
you.”

“Will do. Is this the type
of massage that most people ask for?”

“Yes. It’s definitely the
most popular one. Just a plain old traditional getting the kinks out type of
treatment. A lot of people also like the warm stone massage. The heat loosens
their muscles and seems to help in reducing tension. As a matter of fact, I was
going to do one on that woman who died. She was scheduled for an appointment at
8:00 that morning. When she wasn’t here at the scheduled time, I asked Delores
to call Bertha, and I think that’s how she was discovered.”

“Yes. You’re right. I only
talked to her briefly at dinner. Did you and she talk much during your
session?”

“Not really. She was
pretty quiet. I’ve learned over the years that I’ve worked as a masseuse that
there seem to be two types of clients. There are the ones who talk all the time
they’re on the table and want to tell me their life story because I’m a captive
audience, and there are the ones who come simply to have me release the tension
from their bodies so they’ll feel better when they leave. I’d have to say she
was in the latter category. Other than exchanging a few amenities when she
first came in and thanking me when she left, I don’t believe we talked at all.”

“Well, I think I’ll be in
the latter category for the rest of the session.”

An hour later, Liz thanked
Cindy and told Winston to come. There were times when she wished people didn’t
know she was the owner. She would have preferred to have worn her robe when she
came to the spa from the lodge. That’s what most of the guests wore when they
came from their cottages.
To heck with it
, she thought,
next time I
have a spa treatment I’m going to treat myself like a guest and wear a robe
.

When they returned to the
lodge she went into the kitchen, made three chocolate cookie crusts, baked
them, and set them on cooling racks. Thirty minutes later, showered and
dressed, she spooned toffee ice cream into them, filling the shells and put
them in the freezer.

Good, that’s out of the way.
I can put the chocolate sauce on them later this afternoon and then whip the
cream for the final layer of topping. I mean, who can resist chocolate sauce
and ice cream? They’ll love it!

“Winston, we’re going into
town. I want to talk to Bart over at the Tribune. Maybe he can shed some light
on this mystery.”

The Red Cedar Tribune was
located in one of the oldest buildings in Red Cedar. The lumber baron who had
established Red Cedar in the late 19
^th
century had built it as an
office building. Over the years, it had passed through several different
owners, and now it provided a home for the local newspaper. Bart Stevenson had
a reputation as an editor who presented both sides of an issue in a fair and
even-handed manner, and that’s why Liz was curious to speak with him about the
mayor and his opponent.

“Hi,” she said to the
woman at the receptionist desk. “My name is Liz Lucas, and I’d like to speak
with Bart Stevenson for a moment, if he’s free.”

“He’ll probably see you,”
said the prim looking woman who looked like she belonged back in the 19
^th
century with her hair tightly done up in a bun and her red and white striped
blouse buttoned all the way to the top, “because it’s not quite deadline time
for tomorrow’s paper, but he’s allergic to dogs, so you might want to put that
big boy back in your car.”

“Of course. I’ll be back
in a minute. Come, Winston.”

Glad she told me. Rather
doubt I would have gotten much information from Bart if he was sneezing the
whole time.
    

When she returned, Bart
Stevenson was standing next to the woman’s desk. “Liz, it’s been a long time.
Please, come back to my office.” She followed him past several desks where
people were feverishly working on their computers. The paper’s office was in
Red Cedar, but it covered the news from Portland to San Francisco and was a
must read with everyone’s morning coffee.

“Have a seat,” he said,
closing the door. “What brings you here?”

“Bart, you probably have
heard that Barbara Nelson was found dead in a cottage at my spa. The coroner
told me late yesterday that she didn’t commit suicide, and she didn’t die of
natural causes. That means she was murdered. There were no physical signs of
trauma on her body, so he thinks she was poisoned. I don’t need to tell you
what this could do to my business if it gets out. He also suggested that I look
into it, because he doubted that the chief of police was capable of finding the
killer. As far as people who could have a motive for seeing Barbara dead, I’ve
come up with a few. I’d like to run them by you.”

She proceeded to tell him
who she had met with and what had been said by each of them. “I don’t know much
about Gene Harris, other than he ran against Dave in the election for mayor and
was beaten by him. His brother is the handyman out at my spa. Is there anything
you can tell me about him?”

He rubbed his hands
together, deep in thought. “I got a phone call from someone last night who had
heard Seth spouting off that Barbara was murdered, but I wanted to confirm it
before I printed anything. You’ve just confirmed it, but I certainly understand
why you’d like this to be solved ASAP. As far as Gene goes, I think he’s an
honorable man. Sure, he can’t stand Dave, and probably for good reason. He had
a political consultant see what he could find out about Dave and from what he
told me, it looks like Dave may have done some things that aren’t exactly
considered to be aboveboard. I even wrote a couple of editorials advocating
that an investigation should be undertaken to see if there was any truth to the
rumors about Dave’s malfeasance in office.