Murder & The Movie Star: A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery - Book 12

by Dianne Harman

  “So, what if you are? The thing is you’re here, and Jacquie’s gone. You’re going to be a big star, Lisette, even bigger than Jacquie was. I promise. Don’t make this into a big deal. Anyway, this would have been Jacquie’s last movie even if she had lived. She had macular degeneration, and she was losing her eyesight. That’s why she never would read the scripts in front of Mickey and you. She couldn’t make out the words on the script. Lisette, I killed Jacquie Morton for you and your career, and yes, ultimately for the two of us. Don’t worry, there were no witnesses., and no one will ever know I did it.

  “It was easy enough to do. I just went next door and rang her doorbell. She let me in because she recognized my voice. I held a gun on her while I cleaned out the cash and jewelry she had in her wall safe. Then I forced her to walk out the back door of the house. She couldn’t see how close she was to the edge of the cliff. I gave her a hard shove in the back, and over she went. It was finished and done in less than a couple of minutes. Jacquie never would have been able to make The Triangle worthy of an Academy Award, but you can. What are you doing?” he shouted as Lisette ran past him towards the door.

  Teddy hurried after her and grabbed her arm. “Lisette, don’t do this. This is your big chance. Without this movie and me, you’ll end up being an actress in B movies, if that. In a few years, you’ll be stuck working as a waitress, hoping against hope that your agent, if you still have one, can get you a nothing role in a nothing movie.”

  Lisette and Teddy had made their way out of the house and were only a few feet away from where Kelly, Roger, and Rebel were standing in the shadows. Kelly felt a movement from Roger and heard him say in a loud voice, “Let her go. I’ve got a gun on you. Put your hands up, then lie down on the ground, arms in front of you.” Kelly looked over in amazement at the gun in Roger Babowal’s hand.

  “Rebel, on guard,” she said as Rebel raced over to where Teddy was kneeling, preparing to lie down on the ground. “Rebel, stay.” The big dog knew from his training when he’d been the drug enforcement officer’s dog what that meant. He put his big, strong paws on Teddy’s back, pinning him to the ground and snarling in a menacing manner.

  Kelly took her phone out of her pocket and called Mike. “Good timing, Kelly,” he said. “I just finished my speech, and I think it went well. What’s up?”

  “I have some good news for you. I don’t know if you have a stage or a microphone at your meeting, but you might want to use both if you do and tell the Chamber of Commerce members that Jacquie Morton was murdered, and the man who did it has been caught. We’re at the house next door to Jacquie’s, you know, the one the screenwriter is living in. The man who murdered her is the famous director, Teddy James. Tell everyone that Sheriff Mike Reynolds is responsible for the killer being caught. We’ll wait for you, but try to hurry.”

  “Who’s the we?” he asked in a grim voice.

  “Me, Jacquie’s next door neighbor, Roger Babowal, and Rebel. Roger has a gun on him, and Rebel’s on guard.

  “Well, I don’t know how much experience Mr. Babowal has with a gun, but I sure know how much experience Rebel has with helping take care of killers. Think you’re in good hands. I’ll call Brandon, my deputy. He can get there a lot faster than I can. Just stay put.”

  Five minutes later the sound of sirens filled the air. Brandon threw his car door open, ran over to Kelly, and said, “You okay, Mrs. Reynolds?” Several deputies surrounded Teddy James, who was quickly handcuffed and placed in a nearby patrol car.

  “Yes, Brandon, I’m fine.”

  About the same time the back door to Mickey’s house flew open, and he came running out. “I was in the back of the house doing some laundry when I heard sirens. Lisette, what’s going on?” he asked. He noticed she was shaking, and he put his arm around her. “What happened?”

  “Teddy killed Jacquie. He admitted it to me. Mrs. Reynolds and this man also heard him admit it. Oh, Mickey, I can’t believe I was in love with a murderer. This is horrible.”

  “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to take a statement from all of you, including you sir,” Brandon said, gesturing towards Mickey. “Why don’t we go inside, where we can be a little more comfortable.”

  Fifteen minutes later Mike arrived. He’d been on the phone with his deputies and knew that Lisette, Mickey, Roger, and Kelly were in the house while Brandon was taking statements from them. “Kelly, I’m not going to have everyone listen to this again, but when we get home I’d be curious as to how you just happened to end up at this particular house when you told me you were going to the coffee shop. I’d also be curious how you happened to hear Teddy James admit he killed Jacquie. And you, sir,” he said as he turned towards Roger, “I am very curious how you just happened to be with my wife and how you happened to have a gun with you. I’m sure you can understand why I feel a little out of the loop here.”

  “Sheriff, I got statements from Kelly and Ms. Andrews, and I was just about to ask those same questions of Mr. Babowal,” Brandon said.

  Everyone turned expectantly towards Roger Babowal who began to talk. “Well, Rusty, my dog, and I were outside and happened to see Kelly and Rebel walking down the street. I called her over and asked her what she was doing. She explained she was afraid she was overlooking something and wanted to talk to the screenwriter again. I knew if it was my wife, I’d be pretty concerned having her talking to people at night when a woman had died in the vicinity a few days earlier, and Sheriff, I’m sure you would have felt the same way.

  “I asked Kelly if I could go with her, and she said yes. I told her I wanted to put Rusty in the house, but the truth is, I wanted to get the gun I keep in my nightstand and bring it with us. I had no idea what to expect. I’ve never had an occasion to use the gun, but I believe a man needs to be ready to defend his family and his property if it ever becomes necessary.”

  “Roger, wasn’t your wife curious about what you were doing?” Kelly asked.

  “No. When Chris gets involved in one of her television shows, I might as well not even be there. I don’t like the kind of stuff she generally watches, so she wears earphones. I’ll bet she didn’t even hear the sirens. Anyway, I put the gun in my pocket, because, as I said, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. Fortunately, I didn’t have to fire it. It’s been a long time since I spent any time at a shooting range, and I have no idea how accurate my aim would have been.”

  “So, that’s what I felt just before you yelled out to Teddy,” Kelly said. “I felt a movement from you, but I didn’t want to take my eyes away from what was going on to see what you were doing.”

  “Brandon, are you finished with their statements?” Mike asked.

  “Yes, we have enough to arrest Teddy James for Jacquie Morton’s murder. Sheriff, can you imagine the field day the media is going to have with this? Big time movie director murders big time movie star. Sounds almost like it ought to be a movie.”

  “I think Rebel and I better leave and try and get some sleep,” Kelly said. “It’s been so busy at the coffee shop all week, and now with this, there will probably be even more people coming to Cedar Bay. Even though tomorrow’s Saturday and we’re usually closed, I think I’ll call the staff and open the coffe shop. I’d be willing to bet that we’ll have plenty of customers.”

  She turned to Lisette and Mickey who were sitting on the couch. Mickey had his arm around her, and Lisette was quietly crying as she rested her head against his chest. “I don’t know much about making movies, but it seems like The Triangle is one that was meant to be made. I wish you both good luck, and when it comes out, I’ll be one of the first to buy a ticket.” She smiled at them as she walked out the door, Mike by her side.

  “Kelly, I need to go to the station. I’ll be home late. Are you okay to drive?”

  “I’m fine, Mike, and the good news is that since the mystery surrounding Jacquie’s death has been solved, you’re probably not going to have to work as a waiter at the coffee shop, because you’re going to
be re-elected.” She grinned at him and turned to Roger.

  “You’ll never know how glad I am you happened to be standing outside when I walked by and you had the common sense to go inside your house and get your gun. You’re a hero, and I thank you for keeping me safe, catching a murderer, and saving my husband’s career. Next time you’re in Cedar Bay, please stop by Kelly’s Koffee Shop. Whatever you want is on the house. Rebel, come.”

  EPILOGUE

  Lisette Andrews was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actress for the film, The Triangle, and easily won it. Everyone said her performance was amazing. She’s now one of the hottest stars in Hollywood. Teddy had been right about her becoming a star, and his prediction that she’d become a bigger star than Jacquie Morton might just come true, although it happened a little differently than he’d thought it would.

  Mickey Sloan was nominated for an Academy Award as the screenwriter for the film, The Triangle, and won. He’s very much in demand and can pick and choose which films he’ll be involved in.

  Lisette and Mickey recently got married in one of Tinseltown’s largest weddings. Both were well-liked by the people in the film industry. When Teddy James found out that Lisette and Mickey were getting married, rumor has it that he had to be placed on suicide watch at the county jail where he’s awaiting sentencing after being convicted for the murder of Jacquie Morton.

  Kim and Jonah decided to get married with Guru Dev’s blessing. She gave Guru Dev the majority of her inheritance, and the three of them are busy making plans to open more retreat centers in the Western United States.

  Juan Hernandez received $100,000 as a gift from Kim. She and Maizie talk often, and Maizie convinced her that while the money wouldn’t make the tragedy the Hernandez family was facing go away, it would be a huge help to them in dealing with it.

  Maizie Ortiz retired, bought a condominium in Portland, and lives a couple of blocks from her daughter and her family. She watches a lot of movies and tells people about all the celebrities she met when she was working for Jacquie Morton, the movie star who was murdered. She says she’s never been happier.

  Mike easily won re-election as the sheriff of Beaver County, Oregon. Not much has been heard from his opponent since the election.

  Lem, Mike’s campaign manager, breathed a big sigh of relief when Mike called him and told him Jacquie’s murderer had been arrested. Lem doesn’t think he’ll get involved in any more campaigns. He wants to end his foray into politics on a high note with a win.

  Kelly continues to run Kelly’s Koffee Shop and enjoy her three four-legged furry children, not to be confused with her son, daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters. It was pretty hectic in Cedar Bay for a long time, what with Jacquie Morton’s murder and then the trial of Teddy, but things are finally back to normal.

  Rebel’s enjoying his time as the alpha dog in the Reynolds’ household. He thinks Kelly still needs him, so every weekday when she goes to the door to leave for the coffee shop, he’s waiting to go with her.

  Skyy and Lady are only too happy to nap on either side of Rebel.

  Roger Babowal is spending his days taking walks with Rusty and writing his life story for his children and grandchildren. He recently added a new chapter that deals with the part he played in capturing the murderer of the famous movie star, Jacquie Morton.

  Life in Cedar Bay, the quiet little sleepy coastal town in Oregon, is back to normal.

  RECIPES

  MORNING MUFFINS

  Muffin Ingredients:

  1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

  1 tsp. baking powder

  1/8 tsp. baking soda

  1 cup sugar

  ½ cup butter, unsalted and cut into pieces (Yes, you can use salted butter, but you have a lot more control of a recipe if you use unsalted butter)

  2 eggs (I like to use jumbo size)

  ½ cup sour cream (I like to use regular, rather than lo-fat. Think it makes the muffins taste richer)

  1 tsp. vanilla (Please don’t use imitation. If you’re going to spend the time making the recipe, buy authentic ingredients, not imitation – rant over!)

  Streusel Topping Ingredients:

  ½ cup packed brown sugar

  ½ cup all-purpose flour

  ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

  ¼ cup cold, unsalted butter cut into pieces (You can read my thoughts on unsalted butter above)

  Muffin Directions:

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a muffin tin containing 12 muffin cups, line the cups with paper muffin cups or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar in a food processor. Pulse about three times. Sprinkle the butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture resembles small peas. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Process for 30 seconds. Scrape the sides of the processor and resume processing until the mixture is blended. Put ¼ cup of the mixture in each muffin cup.

  Streusel Topping Directions:

  Put brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse to combine, then add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles small peas. Top each muffin with 1 tbsp. of the mixture. Bake until golden, approximately 15 – 17 minutes. Enjoy!

  NOTE: You can make the topping in advance and store it in the refrigerator.

  MAKE-AHEAD FRENCH TOAST

  Ingredients:

  9 cups of bread with soft crusts (I prefer sourdough bread._

  1 cup sugar

  1 tsp. ground cinnamon

  8 eggs (I like jumbo size)

  2 cups heavy cream

  Suggested Toppings (Choose Your Own):

  Maple Syrup (Use real maple syrup. I know it costs more, but it’s ever so much better than imitation syrup.)

  Butter

  Powdered sugar

  Fresh fruit

  Directions:

  You can assemble this the day or the night before you plan to serve it. Tear the bread into 1” size pieces. Put the pieces in a large bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. In a third bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, and ¼ cup of sugar-cinnamon mixture. Pour the mixture over the bread and stir until coated.

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9” x 13” glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the batter into the dish and top with the remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Top with butter, powdered sugar and toppings. Enjoy!

  NOTE: This really makes a lot. You may want to cut the recipe in half and adjust the baking time.

  SAUSAGE & HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

  Ingredients:

  1 lb. bulk pork sausage

  1 onion, chopped

  8 eggs (I prefer the jumbo size), lightly beaten

  ½ cup flour

  1 cup sour cream

  6 scallions, chopped

  1 tsp. dried sage

  1 tsp. dried thyme

  ½ tsp. lemon pepper seasoning (I like Lawry’s, but any brand will work)

  ½ cup milk

  2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, defrosted (You can get these in the frozen food section of a supermarket)

  1 ¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese

  Directions:

  Coat a 9” x 13” glass cooking dish or a muffin tin containing 12-muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onion. Break the meat apart into small bite-size pieces and cook until it’s brown. In a large bowl beat the eggs, flour, sour cream, scallions, sage, thyme, lemon pepper, and milk until blended. Fold in the cooked sausage and onion mixture, potatoes, and 1 cup of cheese. Pour in the prepared dish or muffin cups. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until puffed and brown, about 25 – 35 minutes for the casserole, 15 – 20 minutes for the muffins. Let cool 5 minutes, serve, and enjoy!

  NOTE: Can be made the day before and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before baking.

  CROCK POT CHILI WITH CILANTRO SOUR CREAM

  Chili Ingredients: />
  2 lbs. lean ground beef

  2 ¼ tsp. salt (I always prefer to use kosher salt when I’m making a savory dish)

  Freshly ground black pepper to taste

  1 tbsp. tomato paste

  1 onion, chopped

  1 cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

  3 garlic cloves, minced

  1 cup water

  2 15 oz. cans beans (any combination of beans such as black, pinto, etc.)

  1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies

  1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

  2 tsp. ground cumin

  1 to 3 tsp. chili powder (This totally depends on how hot you like your chili)

  1 tsp. sweet paprika

  ½ tsp. garlic powder

  Cilantro Sour Cream Ingredients:

  ½ cup sour cream

  2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

  ¼ tsp. ground cumin

  1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

  Optional Topping Ingredients:

  ½ cup grated cheddar cheese

  1/3 cup chopped red onion

  Chili Directions:

  In a large deep skillet over medium high heat, cook ground beef, salt, and pepper to taste until no trace of pink remains. (I like to use a wooden spoon to break up the beef into bite-size pieces.) Add the remaining ingredients to the cooked meat, combine, and then transfer the mixture to a slow cooker or crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 7 – 9 hours.

  Cilantro Sour Cream Directions:

  Combine sour cream, cilantro, cumin, and lime juice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

  Ladle chili into bowls and let each person top with the cilantro sour cream and/or other toppings. Enjoy!