Murder At The Bed & Breakfast

by Dianne Harman

  “Her father was very opposed to our relationship. He considered me to be nothing more than a wetback and unfortunately, because of me, he and Renee became estranged. He had been divorced from Renee’s mother, Camille, for a long time, and his new wife went along with him and terminated her relationship with Renee. Renee's mother accepted me with open arms, and we became very close.”

  “What about that rancher who was engaged to Renee? Where is he now? Did he find someone else? Would the fact that Renee broke off her relationship with him cause him to be a suspect? And what about her father? Although it’s hard for me to think of a father killing one daughter to get back at another."

  “Nor can I, plus there’s the fact that her father died several months ago. It was a very difficult time for Renee, because she and her father had never reconciled. As for the rancher, he's still around. I haven’t seen him in quite awhile, but immediately after Renee and I started going together, if we ran into one another, he always made a point of ignoring me. To my knowledge, he hasn't found anyone else, but I could be wrong. I just don't know much about him. Once Renee broke off the engagement, I didn't think there was any reason for me to have anything to do with him, and it was obvious he wanted nothing to do with me. Can’t say I blame him.”

  “What about Laura? Anything in her past that would indicate a problem? A problem important enough that someone would want to see her dead?”

  “My sister-in-law was one of the nicest people I've ever known. She was a nurse by profession and was a caregiver in every sense of the word.” He paused for a moment nearly overcome by grief and then continued. “Maybe she was too much of a caregiver. She recently divorced her husband. He was a good-for-nothing. It was always Renee's opinion that Laura thought she could rehabilitate him. He was a drug addict. She begged him to go to a recovery center, but he refused. After she divorced him, he finally did seek treatment. I don't know if he's still in rehab or not.”

  The screen door opened and Liz walked out. “I'm sorry, Bob, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Roger. Roger's the expert here, but sure sounds to me like there are some suspects, like Laura's ex-husband and Renee's ex-fiancé for starters. I see the police chief's car coming. I don't want to tell you your business, but it might be a good idea not to tell him what you just told Roger. Tact and diplomacy are not his specialties. Actually, I've had to get involved in a couple of murders that have happened lately around this area, and if you don’t mind, I'd like to help you. Roger and I were planning on spending this week in Red Cedar anyway. Because of the wedding, we closed the lodge for a week, so I don't have to cook for guests. Can you find out the name of the recovery center where Laura's ex-husband was getting his rehab treatment? I think that's as good a place as any to start.”

  Renee walked out just as Liz finished talking, tears streaming down her cheeks. Bob walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, “Sweetheart, I am so sorry. Laura didn't deserve this.”

  She pulled out of his embrace. “Her ex-husband's name is Nick Hutchinson, and he’s been in the Serenity Center for treatment of his drug abuse. Whether he's still there or not, I don't know. I remember he called Laura the night before he decided to enter it to let her know he wanted to get clean and start over with her. She told me at the time that she had led him on and told him maybe they could get back together after he got clean. Actually, Laura had no intention of having anything more to do with him, but she was afraid if she told him that, he wouldn't go in for treatment.

  “She knew it would be the best thing for him, and quite frankly, I couldn't have agreed more with her. I've worked with addicts, and a lot of them feel if there’s something to be gained by seeking help, they will. Often the fact that a loved one will take them back or they’ll reconcile with people close to them is enough motivation for them to turn their lives around. If he's the one who killed her, it's my fault, because it was at my urging that Laura gave him hope that they might reconcile.”

  Once again, tears poured down Renee’s stricken face, trying to come to grips with the fact that if Laura’s ex-husband was the murderer, she may have inadvertently given him a reason to kill her.

  CHAPTER 10

  The black and white police car came to a skidding stop in front of the steps leading to the porch of Cindy’s Bed & Breakfast. The car door flew open, and Seth Williams, the ruddy-faced chief of police, had to use his hands to manually move his huge belly from the center of the steering wheel to the left of it so he could get out of the car.

  Liz had noticed earlier at the wedding reception that Seth's customary breakfast spill of eggs from Gertie’s Diner was on his shirt, and it was obvious he hadn't changed his clothes since then.

  “Hey Liz, Roger, congrats. Bet your kids are happy you made it legal. Even though most young people these days live together and cohabitate like rabbits, they ain't usually too happy when their parents do the same thing. So where's the stiff?” Seth asked in his usual less than tactful way.

  Bob and Renee stared at him, having a hard time understanding how anyone could be so insensitive.

  “Laura’s in the bedroom at the far end of the hallway,” Cindy said, opening the front door of the bed and breakfast for Seth.

  “Cindy, good to see 'ya, altho ya' could probably do without someone gettin' knocked off at yer’ B & B. People get real squeamish ‘bout sleepin’ in a room where someone's been offed. Called Wes, the county coroner, and he should be here any minute. Tol' him to bring the wagon, that I had a delivery fer him." He turned to Liz. "Ya' know yer' purty good at solvin' these types of crimes, but gotta tell ya', sure is strange we never had no murders 'til ya' got involved. Ya' gonna' try to solve this here one?”

  “I have no idea. If I do you'll be the first to know.”

  “Well, since I'm the chief of police in this here town, darn tootin’ I should be the first to know,” he said hitching up his pants over his massive belly as he waddled down the hall to the bedroom where Laura had been murdered.

  A few minutes later a white van pulled up behind Seth's police car, and a middle-aged man opened the door and got out of it. "Liz, Roger, that was a wonderful reception today, but this sure isn't the best way to start out your new life together as a married couple. When Seth called he said it was the sister of one of your friends.”

  “Yes,” Liz said. “Her name is Laura Hutchinson. She's in the bedroom at the end of the hall. Seth is in there now.”

  Wes rolled his eyes towards heaven and muttered something to himself. He turned to Liz and said, “I hope you're going to get involved. We all know Seth couldn't find his way out of a paper sack. Let me be the first of many in our community to say I think your talents are needed here.”

  “Wes, I'll be happy to see what I can find out. I've done Seth a couple of favors, so I don't think he'd mind if I got involved.”

  “Mind?” he said over his shoulder as he walked down the hall. "I would think he’d be forever grateful. He's not the most perceptive man in the world, but even he knows that you have some sort of sixth sense about these things. I remember you once called it a niggle. Hope your niggle helps you find out who did this.”

  “Thanks, Wes.” Liz said. “I don't think there's any more we can do here tonight, and I'm sure our kids wonder what happened to us. Probably time for us to head back to the lodge.”

  “I'm so sorry to have bothered you on your wedding night,” Bob said, “but I didn't know who else to call.”

  “It’s not a problem, Bob. You did the right thing,” Liz said as she walked over to Renee. “I'll call you tomorrow. If you or Bob think of anything else, even if it's something really inconsequential, but might have some bearing on this murder, please call me.”

  Roger shook Bob's hand and hugged Renee. “Try and get some sleep. There's nothing more you can do tonight, and I'm sure Celia needs you. You're a psychologist. While she may not consciously be aware of what’s happened, unconsciously she may feel that something’s wrong, and she could pro
bably use some mommy and daddy time.”

  Cindy walked them out to their car. “Liz, I know you've had good luck solving three recent murder cases here in Red Cedar. I remember how worried you were about your spa’s reputation when the mayor's wife was murdered in one of the cottages at the spa. Well, I feel the same way. The reputation of my B & B is at stake here. I've worked really hard to make a go of it, and I sure don't want to see it go under because someone happened to get murdered here. Much as I can't stand that oafish police chief, he's absolutely right. To quote him, 'People get real squeamish 'bout sleepin’ in a room where someone’s been offed’ even if the B & B and I had nothing to do with it. I sure would like for you to find out who did it.”

  “I'll do my best, I promise. I understand exactly what you're going through."

  Liz and Roger got in his car and drove the short distance back to the spa. When they got there, every light in the lodge and spa was on. Liz turned to Roger, “What's going on? This is very strange. I can understand the lights being on in the cottages, but look at this,” she said gesturing towards the lodge.

  As they parked his car in front of the lodge, Bertha and Hank walked out. “Liz, Roger, Seth called and told us about Bob's sister-in-law. He said maybe someone had a vendetta against the owners of places to stay in the area and advised me to turn on all the lights.”

  “You've got to be kidding. I don't think Laura's murder had anything to do with the spa, but thanks anyway. Hank, go on and take Bertha home. It's been a long day for all of us. I really appreciate you coming back here and doing this, but I don't think there will be a problem. We’ll turn the lights off.”

  “All right, if you're sure. I know you told me and the spa staff to take this week off, but given the murder, would you like me back here tomorrow morning? I'm not sure what I can do to help, but there must be something. Oh, one other thing. We may be losing Zack. Every one told him he did such a wonderful job today officiating at your wedding that he mentioned to me he just might go to seminary school and become a minister. I told him he'd have to give up his love affair with beer, and he said that wouldn't be a problem. He told me he felt like he’d had a calling from the ‘Big Man’ upstairs and he couldn’t ignore it.”

  “I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around Zack becoming a minister, although I agree, he acted today like it was the most natural thing in the world for him. Wouldn't that be ironic? He and I talked about me needing someone to conduct the ceremony and he volunteers and then becomes a minister and leaves his employment here the spa. Couldn't have scripted that one. Good night and thanks again for everything you did today.”

  CHAPTER 11

  “Mrs. Langley,” Roger said, “there are a lot of things I would like to do to celebrate our wedding, but I think the first thing we need to do is feed the dog of honor and the lodge mascot. After that, we can talk about what steps we should take to investigate this case and where we should start. Maybe it's a good thing we both took this week off. It certainly isn't the way I wanted to start out our marriage, but you know what a good friend of mine Bob is, and it's pretty obvious he needs our help given the fact that Chief Williams is totally incompetent.”

  “Oh, Roger. I feel so sorry for Renee. It's bad enough to have your sister murdered, but to have your baby daughter witness it makes it doubly hard. Naturally the baby doesn’t know what happened because of her age, but I’m sure it’s had an emotional impact on Renee, thinking that her daughter was a witness to a murder. It's a good thing she's a psychologist, because something like that is bound to make you feel guilty. Think about it. She and Bob are having a wonderful time at our wedding and reception while a mile away her sister's being murdered, and their daughter is a witness.” Liz crossed her arms and rubbed her shoulders, shivering as she thought of the evilness of what had happened.

  Roger walked over and hugged her. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, I'm fine. It's just so sad, and I hate that it happened during our reception. That's going to be hard for both of us to ever forget.”

  “You’re looking at the situation as if the glass is half empty. The glass half full approach is we’re here for Bob and Renee, and we don't have to work this week.” Roger prepared dinner for the two dogs. “Brandy Boy, Winston, come.” He set Winston's dish down on the kitchen floor and took Brandy Boy's dish out to the porch. The only time Brandy Boy left the porch was in the evening when a guest wanted a shot of brandy delivered to his cottage by the big dog. Other than that he was a permanent staple on the porch. A raised eyelid when someone walked by him was the only indication that the dog was aware of anything other than the ding-ding-ding of a cottage bell being rung.

  “Liz,” Roger said when he stepped back in the lodge after feeding Brandy Boy. “I'd like to make a list of possible suspects based on what Bob told us and also a list of what we need to do and things we need to find out.” He walked downstairs and returned with two yellow legal pads and pens.

  “Okay, let's start. First thing we need to find out is if Laura's ex-husband is still in Serenity Center or if he's checked out,” Roger began.

  “Let me do that. I've met the director of the center a couple of times, and I think he’ll remember me.”

  “Okay, you're on. I’ll look into that rancher Renee was engaged to.”

  “Fine by me. Do you know his name?” Liz asked.

  “No. I'm not sure Bob even knows his name, or he could have been so overwrought with grief when he told me about him this evening that his name simply escaped him.”

  “I'll call Renee early tomorrow morning, before they leave, and find out,” Liz said. “I told her I'd call, so it won't seem too strange that I’m asking some questions.”

  “Bob told me Renee's father and Renee had become completely estranged when she and Bob decided to get married.”

  “I remember meeting him once. I think he was the mayor of Red Cedar years ago. Is he still alive?” Liz asked.

  “No. Bob told me he'd died a few months ago.”

  “Well, I don’t think much of that angle. Since her father is deceased, I don’t see how he could in any way, shape, or form be involved in the murder of his daughter. And anyway, since he disapproved of Renee marrying Bob, I would think if he was going to have a daughter killed, it would be Renee, not Laura.”

  “You’re probably right.” Roger became very quiet, obviously deep in thought.

  “I can see that’s something you’d still like to explore. When I talk to Renee tomorrow morning, I'll ask her more about the family situation. Maybe there’s something, although I don't know what it could be.” She made a note on her legal pad and looked up at Roger. “We're concentrating on Renee and Laura. What about Bob?”

  “I was getting to him. Although Bob and I didn't have time to discuss everything at length earlier this evening, there are some things that have been going through my mind. I'm wondering about Bob announcing a couple of weeks before the election that he was dropping out of the race, and then when he won the race, even though he’d dropped out, he took the job. He never told me what that was all about. Maybe the political thing has something to do with the murder.”

  “Roger, I remember you telling me his opponent had run for that office a couple of times before and lost. Could he have been so desperate to win he did something to keep Bob from running? Or maybe he was so angry he lost the election he decided to get back at Bob? How would he do it? He kills Laura, a close family member of Bob’s.”

  “I don't know. The only thing I know about his opponent is that he's a minister of a very conservative church. That's pretty much all Bob told me. I'll talk to Bob, and see if I can find out something."

  “Was Bob romantically involved with anyone before Renee? Was he divorced? What was his marital status?”

  “I don't know that either. He never introduced me to anyone, and we were pretty good friends when he was working with me at the San Francisco law firm."

  “Why did he leave?” Liz asked.

&
nbsp; “He told me the only cases the law firm seemed to give him were the ones that involved Latinos or Mexicans. He thought the reason they did that was because he was Mexican. Bob really resented it. He said he felt like he was the firm's token Mexican, and he didn't like it. One time he complained to me that he hadn’t gone to Cal Berkley’s School of Law on a full scholarship so he could be a firm's poster boy for supporting minority employment.”

  “And yet he was willing to put his Mexican heritage in the limelight when it came to politics,” Liz mused. “Seems like those are polar opposites.”

  “I could be wrong, but I think Bob felt that if he was going to be the poster boy for some law firm, their token Mexican so to speak, he would rather start his own law office where he could make the decisions about what types of cases to take. I think he’s very sincere in his desire to see more Mexicans have a say in politics, particularly since they’re now a majority of the population here in California. As for being a poster boy for the Republican Party, I think he felt if he could be a voice for the Mexicans in this state he’d be happy to do it. It's just my feeling, but I believe anyone with his good looks, intelligence, and educational background would certainly be effective in issues important to Latinos.”

  “Did he ever talk about going to the state or national level in politics?”

  Roger thought for a minute. “Recently we were having a cup of coffee, and I told him about a client of mine who had an issue with the county. I wanted to get his input, because he was the only county supervisor I knew. He happened to mention he had a feeling he was being considered to be an up and comer by the national party, and that he’d been asked to speak to several political groups outside the state.”