Sister Sleuths Mystery Box Set

by Rayna Morgan

  Tom listened patiently, waiting for the part where she would talk about how she met her husband.

  "The first placement the employment agency gave me was working as an assistant to one of the producers of the Renaissance Faire during the summer production. It was a short term assignment with the potential to become permanent if I was willing to follow the company to other parts of the state.

  The man I reported to handled the administrative side of the business; his wife worked on location with the actors. It was an arrangement similar to what Barrett and I fell into years later.

  My boss and I worked from his house in the city. We didn't go to the site often but on one of those occasions, I was introduced to a young actor who quite literally swept me off my feet. I watched him in rehearsal, enchanted by the way he looked when he was acting; it was as though he were transported to another world. When the stage direction called for him to look out over the audience, he didn't look at us but through us to a place clear only to him.

  Everything and everyone around him faded into the background as he took on the part he was playing and turned himself into that person. His persona completely changed right before our eyes. To me, it was magical. I envied his talent and felt depressingly uncreative.”

  "Was it love at first sight for you?"

  "Yes, I would say it was. For one breathtaking moment at the end of the performance, his eyes landed on mine and that was it for me." Her eyes softened and teared. She composed herself and continued. "When we were introduced after the rehearsal, he knew the effect he had on me. To my complete surprise, it seems he was struck the same way. He made a single comment I've never forgotten: 'And so we meet.'

  He told me later he knew we were destined for each other; I was the soul mate he was intended to journey through life with. It was all terribly romantic. The stuff of the best kind of theatre, but it was happening in real life, in my life. I couldn't believe it. Any girl would have fallen at his feet, but he chose me. The only possible explanation was as he said: we were soul mates, meant for each other.

  We were married six weeks later on the day after the production ended. We had the most wonderful wedding right there on location with the entire cast and crew of the Faire in attendance including actors, dancers, jugglers, musicians, and singers. The ceremony was quite simple with Barrett and me exchanging vows we wrote ourselves, but the celebration afterward was bawdy and joyful."

  "And what was life like with an actor in the real world on a daily basis?"

  "Barrett could be brilliant, stubborn, lewd, elegant, funny, exasperating and lovable, all within the same darn minute. The ultimate escape artist, moving in and out of reality as easily as changing costumes or walking from one set to another. He was always at his best when he was acting or directing. He wasn't so good at real life stuff. Reality didn't suit him well.

  "And you, did you ever act?"

  "I was never bitten by that bug. In fact, I detest the idea of parading before an audience. What I enjoy is the atmosphere of the theatre. I can't explain it, but being surrounded by creative people is energizing. It lends an imaginative perspective to looking at things, a point of view I inherently lack. No two days in the theatre are the same; you never know what to expect. It's an Alice-in-Wonderland experience; always new challenges and unexpected events to deal with."

  "Wouldn't be my cup of tea, I'm afraid. I prefer to have things structured. That kind of circus atmosphere would interfere with my focus, throw me off my game so to speak."

  "It's not always entertaining. There are plenty of times when it's tedious and monotonous, especially for the actors who may wait hours during rehearsals before they're called on stage."

  "Did you stay with the Faire after you and Barrett were married?"

  "No, we both moved on but with the experience of that first job on my resume, I got one job offer after another. Theatre companies always have plenty of creative people; it was the business component I was able to fill. Of course, some companies are short-lived, especially the non-profits, so I worked for several different employers over time but it's expected in this industry."

  "How did your husband end up as the owner of the Players Theatre?"

  "We were attending a play at the Shakespeare Festival in Valle Verde several years ago. Someone mentioned the owner of the museum at the Harbor had passed away and his family wanted to sell the building. Barrett could hardly contain his excitement when we got home. I thought he was enthusiastic about the performance. I came to find out he'd spent the entire evening thinking about buying that building and starting a theatre of our own. He found a partner, and a few months later, the building was ours."

  At that moment, Chad Stewart came rushing through the door carrying a bouquet of flowers. He stopped abruptly when he saw the Detective, sweeping the roses behind his back. He scanned Julia's face before glaring daggers at Tom.

  "Come to pay your respects, Chad?" Tom's tone conveyed a smugness which ignited the actor's anger.

  "Good grief. Have you no compassion for what she's going through, Lieutenant? You might have postponed your harassment to another day."

  Julia spoke in a low, soothing voice meant to calm the actor. "It's alright. I made arrangements to meet with the Detective. We'll be finished shortly."

  Chad's face twisted into a childish pout. He turned to leave.

  Tom threw another punch. "Are the flowers for the funeral?"

  Chad threw the roses on Julia's desk. "My way of showing sympathy to a grieving widow. A gesture of compassion beyond your scope, Lieutenant."

  Tom resumed his questions after the actor stomped out. "Who was your husband's business partner?"

  "Angelo Russo, the owner of the Apex."

  "Was Mr. Russo's interest in the Theatre purely financial?"

  "Yes and no. Barrett and I have known Angelo since our Renaissance Faire days. He comes from a family of winemakers. His father had one of the wine concessions at the Faire. Angelo was there almost every day to supervise the wine booths and check sales. As often as Barrett frequented the wine booths, it was inevitable they would meet.

  With their outgoing personalities, they hit it off immediately. A friendship was kindled which has lasted almost twenty years.

  When Barrett and I got married, Angelo was the obvious choice to provide the wine at our wedding. We didn't see much of him after our nuptials until he got married himself two years later. We liked his shy, sweet bride, Camilla, from the moment we met her at the wedding.

  When his father passed away a few years later, Angelo inherited the winery. He used money from his inheritance to open a small restaurant where he could express his passion for fine food. Of course, the restaurant featured wines from his vineyard. His reputation grew rapidly. When Don Carson built the Tower office building, he approached Angelo about setting up a premier restaurant on the top floor."

  Tom filled in the blank. "The Apex. It's not a restaurant I frequent but when I do, I make sure it's on the day they feature barbecue. Some of the best ribs in the County from an Italian, no less. Go figure."

  Julia smiled. "Don's only condition for awarding Angelo the premier restaurant location in town was that he wanted patrons of the Tower to be able to experience all kinds of cuisine, not just Italian. It's been a long-standing joke between them. They love to tell the story of how Don forced Angelo to betray his Italian heritage by expanding his expertise and hiring chefs who could furnish local cuisine, including Don's favorite, barbecue. Actually, Angelo's always been an avid student of all styles of cooking. He'd wanted to expand his menu. Don's requirement provided him with the excuse he needed to give his relatives."

  "What will happen to the Theatre with Barrett gone? I assume Angelo won't have an interest in retaining ownership."

  "No. In fact, Don Carson made Barrett and Angelo an offer some time ago to buy the property. A hotel chain wants to build a luxury hotel on a portion of the site. Being at the Harbor and the Marina, it makes an ideal location. Don's compan
y would build condos on the remaining land."

  "Was your husband planning to sell?"

  "Absolutely not. He was adamantly opposed. Angelo argued the Theatre could move to any number of other locations in town, but Barrett felt a large percentage of our customers are tourists visiting the Landing. That kind of exposure to tourist traffic wouldn't be available in other locations."

  "Did they argue about it?"

  "I'm afraid so. It had created quite a strain on their friendship in the last several weeks. The more Angelo tried to convince Barrett, the more Barrett dug in his heels. He could be quite bull-headed, believe me."

  "How did you feel about it?"

  "Naturally, I tended to view it more from a business perspective than Barrett. Truth be told, the real reason my husband didn't want to sell stemmed less from the possibility of losing ticket sales and more from the fact he loved this building. After all, the whole remodel from the museum was his vision. The chance of finding another building where he could re-create his unique design was unlikely."

  "But they may have come to an agreement eventually,” Tom reasoned. “It doesn't seem like a motive for his business partner to kill Barrett."

  Julia dropped her head to look at her hands. She seemed reluctant to continue.

  "Do you have something to add, Mrs. Mason?" the Detective urged.

  "Unfortunately, I'm afraid Angelo had another possible motive."

  "Which was?"

  "Barrett and Camilla had an affair ten years ago."

  The bluntness of the statement took Tom by surprise.

  "Angelo was completely wrecked by the whole thing. Camilla was even more devastated. She told Angelo the affair had been a meaningless fling; that he was the only man she had ever loved. The poor man was tortured, but he loved Camilla too much to divorce her. He told her he forgave her. In his heart, I'm not sure he ever did."

  "How did you feel about your husband having an affair with your close friend?"

  The coldness of her response made a shiver run up Tom's back.

  "I was hardly shocked to find out about my husband's affair. It wasn't his first, and I knew it wouldn't be his last. It was hurtful it was my close friend but I got over it, just as I got over his previous dalliances. I've never been naive enough to think my husband isn't tempted by the women, especially the young actresses, who throw themselves at him. I made a decision some time ago about whether or not staying married to him was worth putting up with that."

  "You obviously decided it was."

  Julia remained silent, not acknowledging his statement.

  "You said their affair happened ten years ago. Why would it give Angelo a motive now?"

  "Because Angelo thinks Camilla is having another affair. He suspected Barrett."

  "And what do you think? Were your husband and Camilla having an affair recently?"

  "I can't speak for her. As for my husband, I've grown familiar with the changes in his behavior during his infidelities over the years. So yes, I'd have to say he was having an affair in the last several months."

  "Sounds like Mr. Russo had motive and probably the means. Your husband displayed all the symptoms of mushroom poisoning, something Angelo with his restaurant experience would have a knowledge of."

  Julia gasped. "Besides the use of mushrooms in his business, he had experience with mushrooms because of their hallucinogenic properties."

  Tom's head jerked up. "What knowledge do you have about poisonous mushrooms and hallucinogenics, Mrs. Mason?"

  "Oh, don't worry. I'm not a connoisseur of drugs of any sort but back in our Renaissance days, drugs of multiple forms were plentiful among the merry Faire-goers. They were used by the actors as well, I'm sorry to say." Her voice sounded disapproving. "Many of the Faire vendors and actors slept on the site in trailers or tents. After the public left, they built bonfires at night and got high. There was more than one reference to foraging for 'shrooms as they were called. I never succumbed to the temptation to revel with the others in that manner. I stuck with wine to relieve the tension of a long Faire day and relax. I can't say the same for my husband."

  "So you saw Angelo with mushrooms?"

  "Actually no, I can't say that. At the nightly after-closing festivities, we usually saw him with a glass of wine in his hand." She paused momentarily before continuing. "But there were times, he said he couldn't face a glass of wine after supervising wine booths all day long. I can't swear he was using hallucinogenics on those occasions, but he showed the signs: relaxed, laughed a lot, appeared to be in a somewhat euphoric state. Of course, at that age, such a state was easier to come by naturally."

  "What were his activities the last several days?"

  "Now that you ask, Angelo invited us to the Apex two nights ago. Barrett was reluctant to go because he was afraid Angelo only wanted to twist his arm about the sale. I wasn't available. I had a meeting scheduled with our publicist I knew would drag on for hours. My husband decided to accept Angelo's invitation knowing he wouldn't be getting dinner at home. When he returned later that evening, he told me how delicious the meal had been. He talked about having a mushroom sauce on his steak which was the best he'd ever eaten."

  • • •

  "If you have a little more time, I'd like a tour of the theatre so I can understand the general layout and how things work."

  "I'll make the time. I want to do whatever I can to help find out who murdered my husband."

  Tom followed her and they talked as she pointed out various rooms.

  "The way we structured things as co-producers was based on our skill sets. My husband handled the artistic direction of the Theatre. He's always had a feel for what our target audience wants or might enjoy so was solely responsible for choosing which plays would be presented. He also hired the directors. He let the directors have a free hand, but he enjoyed helping with auditions.

  I handle the business end, the non-artistic administrative side of the Theatre. My skills lie more in the area of organization. I have a head for numbers so I also take care of financial matters. I oversee the payroll and budget, coordinate catering and special events, and deal with lawyers and accountants when necessary."

  "Do you have a large payroll?"

  "Between productions, it's quite small. We have a limited staff and use a lot of volunteers, people in the community who enjoy participating in the Theatre in any small capacity. The volunteers handle the box office, usher, and distribute promotional material around town. We have a full-time marketing person who handles publicity and advertising."

  They finished the tour of the offices and stood in the hallway talking. "I think you've met most of the personnel. Our Stage Manager hasn't been here this week; we have a temp filling in for him."

  "I met him under unfortunate circumstances, I'm sorry to say."

  "Have you made any progress on finding his attacker?"

  "Not yet. We have officers working on the case," he assured her.

  "Do you think the two cases are related?"

  "We're keeping all channels of investigation open at this point, but no, I'm quite certain they aren't."

  "You met the Director's Assistant and the cast last night. Art Patton and Chad Stewart were the principals in this production, but there were several minor roles."

  "I've been told there was a confrontation between Chad and Barrett the day before his murder. Were you privy to that?"

  "I don't recall, but those two had frequent rows. It was likely to go unnoticed. If I was in my office at the time, it didn't warrant my attention."

  "What's your professional opinion of Chad?"

  "Chad's young and inexperienced. If he works hard and is willing to be trained, he could develop into a fairly decent actor. I think Barrett was overly critical. He couldn’t see the potential because Chad's somewhat of an arrogant know-it-all. He's also a hothead. He rubbed my husband the wrong way. They got on each other's nerves, always picking away at each other.

  I think Barrett was hard on the yo
ung man because Chad comes from a wealthy family. He's had a fairly easy time of it, unlike my husband who struggled and fought for every part he ever got and every award he garnered. He studied his craft with an honest desire to master it. Chad sees acting as a means to achieve the kind of lifestyle he desires: one of fame, adulation, and women. Money isn't a factor. With his inheritance, he'll have enough to last a lifetime."

  "Speaking of money, may I ask about the Theatre's finances?"

  "When we started the Players Theatre, most other companies were nonprofit, struggling to make ends meet in a tough economy. Earning profits is contrary to the very essence of small theatre groups who like to view themselves as being primarily motivated by making art. Our Theatre has always approached its work as a for-profit business, the product being theater and other types of live entertainment. It's worked quite well and, I might add, has produced many economic benefits for the community, primarily for the tourist business. Its success has become a model for live theatre entertainment."

  "Let's get back to last night. Did anything unusual happen? Any suspicious people hanging around the Theatre? Anything which seemed out of place?"

  "Not that I can say. Of course, it being Opening Night, there were any number of people in the Theatre who aren't typically here. Catering people going in and out. Flowers being delivered by well-wishers. Last minute ticket buyers."

  "Who is your catering company?"

  "I'm using Margaret Patton. We've known her for years through her husband, Art, who's been a lead in past productions as well as a big financial supporter. When she let me know she wouldn't be running for another term on the City Council but was starting a catering company, I jumped at the opportunity. We've been invited to events at their home. I know what a spectacular job she does for her dinners so I have no doubt her catering business will be a big success."

  The man tearing down the set approached them obviously anxious to speak with her.

  Tom nodded toward the man. "I won't take any more of your time. I know you've got a lot to take care of. I'll be in touch if any more issues arise. If there's anything I can do, feel free to call on me."