Murder and Brandy Boy: A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Series Book 2

by Dianne Harman

  She opened the refrigerator to see what called to her. A couple of nights ago she’d made baked oriental chicken thighs over rice studded with green onions and chopped macadamia nuts. It was definitely calling to be heated in the microwave and eaten for a late lunch. A few minutes later Roger called while she was making out her grocery list.

  “Good afternoon. How’s the trial coming along?”

  “I think it’s going to come out in favor of my client, but you never know. I’ll make this quick because I need to talk to him a little more before I put him on the stand. I just got a call from Sean about Clamhammer. I’ve told you Sean’s one of the best investigators around, and that’s why other attorneys are always trying to hire him away from me. Anyway, he was able to find a connection between Clamhammer and Nate Ackler. It seems that when Nate was working as a foreman on the docks here in San Francisco, he and Clamhammer worked together. According to Sean’s source, Nate looked the other way when certain things were taken off of ships, so Clamhammer could avoid paying import taxes on them. Evidently he saved Clamhammer thousands of dollars. Sean’s source said when it came time for Nate to retire, it was Clamhammer’s money that allowed him to open his candle shop.”

  “You’re kidding! Nate’s one of the nicest men I’ve ever met. I’ve been buying candles from him ever since I bought the spa.”

  “Well, being a nice man and being on the take from the head of an infamous Chinese tong certainly presents us with two different versions of the same man. Which one is he? Nice guy or gangster? You need to look at both aspects of his private life and try and determine just who he is.”

  “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Anything else?”

  “Yes. The word on the street is that if Nate ever needed anything, all he had to do was ask, because Clamhammer was very indebted to him for all the money he’d saved Clamhammer. If what you overheard at the church is true and the grades were changed in the computer, maybe Clamhammer had something to do with it. I don’t know how he might have done it, but Nate Ackler’s son certainly stood to gain from the grade changes, and Clamhammer wanted to help Nate. From what you told me, now he’ll be able to get the football scholarship.”

  “I don’t know where it all leads,” Liz said, “but I suppose I could stop by his shop on the pretext of buying candles for the lodge and mention that I’d heard his son was going to Stanford.”

  “Well, if you do, keep Winston with you. Clamhammer has a reputation for removing anything that stands in his way. Several people have conveniently been removed or never been seen again when he was involved. I don’t want you to suddenly go missing. Gotta go, sweetheart, my client’s walking up to my table. Talk to you tonight.”

  “Thanks, Roger.”

  *****

  “Winston, I need to make a salad and a couple of other things for dinner tonight, but when I’m through, you and I are going to go buy some candles for the lodge.”

  Two hours later, she and Winston pulled up in front of the shop with the words, “Red Cedar Candles” written on the white awning in bold red letters. Candles glowed in the windows and she smelled the scent of vanilla when she entered the small shop.

  “Hi, Liz, what can I do for you today?” the big hairy man with the big smile asked. I swear that man’s smile could light up a room. He’s big enough to work on the docks, but anyone with a smile like that shouldn’t be involved in anything illegal. Guess you never know about people.

  “Good afternoon, Nate. I need some candles for the lodge. I think everybody looks better in candlelight, so I always have some lit at my nightly dinners at the lodge. Now that it stays light later, I’m not running through as many as I do during the winter months. I think I better stay away from the scented candles. Some of the guests are allergic to different scents. I’ll take a dozen of those white pillars. Actually, why don’t you give me a dozen in each of the three heights?”

  “Consider it done. Give me a couple of minutes. I’m going to wrap them up individually so they don’t bang against each other in the bag and get marked up.”

  “Thanks. By the way, I heard your son is going to Stanford on a football scholarship. That’s wonderful.”

  “Sure is. First Ackler to ever go to college. I told him I’d help him any way I could, but I didn’t have the money to send him to college. Football’s the key to a higher education for him. I’m so proud of him. His girlfriend, Kaitlin, is going to go too. They’ve both worked so hard, they deserve it. Her father can easily afford to pay for her to go. I’m so glad Brent was able to get his grades up so he’d qualify for the scholarship. Spent a lot of nights helping him study, believe me. Felt like I was back in school again.”

  “Congratulations. Bet your house is going to be a little lonesome when he’s gone.”

  “It will be, that’s for sure, but having him go to college is more important to me than anything else. Believe me, I would have done whatever it took to make sure he goes to Stanford.”

  Nate handed her two large bags filled with the candles. She paid him and was walking out the door when he said, “Wasn’t that kid who died in an auto accident working for you? Mark something or other?”

  “Yes. He was my intern at the lodge. Did you know him?”

  “No, I’ve heard the name. Can’t say that I ever met him. Don’t even remember where I heard the name. Maybe Brent mentioned him. Anyway, good seeing you again.”

  She put the candles in the back of the van and opened the door for Winston. “Winston, I’m missing something. I feel that I have most of the information, but I can’t seem to make sense of it. It’s strange he’d bring up Mark’s name and even though probably every father would say they would do everything they could to help their child get into college, it sounded like there was more to it. Clamhammer and Nate. That’s truly an odd couple.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Liz and Winston were pulling into her parking space in front of the lodge when her cell phone rang. She looked at screen on her phone and saw it was Emily calling.

  “Hello, Emily. I’m just walking into the lodge, so please give me a minute. Okay, I’m ready to talk now. What can I do for you?”

  “Mrs. Lucas, I just finished talking to Nerdy Birdy, and I thought you should know what he told me.”

  “Please, I’m very interested. How did you happen to talk to him?”

  “After you left, I kept thinking about the computer hacking. I didn’t know if there was any relationship between it and Mark’s death, but something told me I had to talk to Nerdy about it.”

  “I’m well aware of those feelings,” Liz said. “I’ve always called them ‘niggles.’ So tell me about your niggle.”

  “Nerdy lives across the street from the Scotts. I think I mentioned to you Nerdy is an absolute genius when it comes to computers. I went over to his house, and he was just getting home from school. We know each other because of how much time I’ve spent at Mark’s home over the years. Nerdy was really helpful to Mark when he was repairing his old car. Anyway, I told him I’d heard that a computer had been hacked at the high school and wondered if he knew anything about it since he was so into computers. Mrs. Lucas, he couldn’t look me in the eye, and he started shaking and asking me why I was talking to him about it. I told him it was because if anybody knew anything about computers and how to hack them, it would be him.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He asked me if Mark had told me. Mrs. Lucas, when he asked me that question, I knew right away that whatever was troubling Mark had something to do with Nerdy. I didn’t say yes, and I didn’t say no. If I told him Mark hadn’t told me, I was afraid he would clam up and not say anything about it to me. I didn’t want to lie and say that Mark had told me, so I said I wanted to hear his side of it.”

  “Emily, that was an excellent decision on your part. Very good thinking. Did you find out anything?”

  “Yes, I found out the computer was hacked, and Nerdy was the one who did it. He told me three other people were involved, B
rent Ackler, his girlfriend, Kaitlin Mosley, and a big football player by the name of Manny Sanwapatu. Evidently they physically threatened Nerdy and forced him to accompany them when they broke into the school at night. Once they were inside the school, they made Nerdy hack into the computer and change the grades for Brent and Kaitlin.

  “He said he didn’t have a choice and he had to do it or they’d hurt him. I asked him if he’d told Mark about it, and he said yes. He also said he’d told his mother and how afraid he was that if the authorities found out what he’d done, he’d be expelled from school, go to juvenile hall, and according to him, that wouldn’t be the worst. He said the worst was going to be what his mother would do to him. I kinda felt sorry for the kid.”

  “So do I, but it explains how the computer was hacked and the grades were changed. I suppose by Mark knowing about it, it would give several people a motive to kill him. Wow!”

  “That’s sort of what I was thinking, too.”

  “Emily, you know all of these people. Tell me more about them and whether or not you think any of them would have a motive for killing Mark.”

  “Brent Ackler wouldn’t have been able to go to Stanford on the football scholarship if he didn’t get the grade average he needed. I hear his father really wanted him to go there, because he’d be the first one in the family to go to college. Nerdy said he was the one who stole the keys from the janitor and had duplicates made so they could easily get into the school without anyone knowing they had been there.”

  “Actually, I just came from his father’s shop,” Liz said, “and he told me the same thing about Brent being the first one in the family to go to college.” No reason for her to know about Clamhammer, but maybe Brent told his father that Mark knew, and he got in touch with Clamhammer and asked him to take care of Mark for him. Whew! That’s a stretch, but based on what Roger told me about Clamhammer, who knows?

  “So, Brent Ackler may have been afraid that Mark was going to go to the authorities and tell them. If they dropped Brent’s grade average, that would mean he couldn’t go to Stanford. He’d not only shame his father, he’d probably be arrested for unlawfully entering the school. He’s eighteen, so he could be charged as an adult. If his father found out that Mark knew about the school break-in, and if Mark was going to stand in the way of his son going to college, he might have a motive for killing Mark. What about the others?”

  “Kaitlin Mosley is on the cheerleading squad with me. She’s from a very rich family and lets everybody know about it. She’s stuck up and not well liked at all, but she’s very beautiful. She and Brent have been together for as long as I can remember. Her father is some big honcho with the Stanford Alumni group in San Francisco. All she had to do was get her grade average up to 3.0, and she was assured of getting in. She’s always talking about her daddy and how close they are. She had a sleepover at her house one night, and the thing I most remember about her mother was that she was wearing more diamonds than I’ve ever seen in my life. She was really cold to us and particularly to Kaitlin. She mentioned her mother and father barely spoke to each other and slept in separate bedrooms. I think Kaitlin sided with her father.”

  “Her mother may have been jealous of Kaitlin’s relationship with her father. If they were that close, it would go a long way to explain why it was so important to Kaitlin to get into Stanford. She probably didn’t want to disappoint her father. Maybe the marriage was dead, and the only reason her parents stayed together was for her. That happens a lot, and I think everyone loses.”

  “I’ve always thought the same. I’m so close to my parents I can’t even imagine that. My father hurt his back several years ago, and he’s in constant pain. My mother does so much for him, and I think they’re as much in love now as they probably were when they got married.”

  Her voice broke and Liz was certain she was thinking that if Mark had lived and they had gotten married, they would be as happy as her parents.

  Emily took a deep breath and continued to speak, “Nerdy told me Kaitlin overheard the principal say that the security alarm was broken, and the service company couldn’t get to it until the next day. That’s why they broke in the night they did.”

  “Well,” Liz said, “Kaitlin probably had a motive to kill Mark. She’d want to please her daddy and get into Stanford, and he wouldn’t be pleased if she was expelled from school. Don’t think telling someone that the security system was broken would be a crime. If her father knew that Mark knew, he might have a motive to want to see Mark permanently out of the way. Actually he might have a couple of reasons to want to see Mark dead. Along with his daughter not getting into Stanford, it sure might ruin his reputation. And Manny. Anything about him?”

  “Not really. He’s just this huge big guy who was responsible for hurting more football players on opposing teams than any other player in the league. He’s not going to college, and other than protecting his friends and scaring Nerdy, I doubt if he was particularly involved. I don’t think he had a motive, but since he isn’t planning on going to college, and he already has a job waiting for him, I think he could care less if he gets expelled.”

  “You’re probably right. Let’s talk about the last of the four who were present on the night of the school break-in. I’m talking about Nerdy. What about him?”

  “Do you know him?”

  “No. I met him briefly at noon when I picked up my slacks from Mrs. Bird. I’m pretty sure he was the one I noticed at the funeral sitting with what looked like the football team. The reason I remember him is he looked really out of place sitting with them, what with his rimless glasses, skinny physique, and wearing clothing an old man would wear. Why?”

  “His mother is a real piece of work, and he’s terrified of her.”

  “I would have to agree. She seems somehow a little off to me. As I told you, she’s done a little seamstress work for me, and that house has to be one of the most sterile, uninviting homes I’ve ever been in. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that she’s very strict with him. Go on.”

  “I’m having trouble with this. Nerdy is just so nerdy I can’t see him doing it. I suppose one motive would be fear of his mother. I think he’d be more afraid of her than he would be of being expelled or arrested, plus I know he really liked Mark. Why would a loner like him want to kill someone who had befriended him, and as far as I know, Mark was the only person who ever befriended him. Doesn’t make any sense.”

  “You’ve done a wonderful job, Emily. There may be a tie-in and there might not be. I don’t know who did it, but at least we’ve identified some people who have motives. I’m not real sure what to do with all the information you’ve given me. I need to think about it. We can talk about it tomorrow when you come to the lodge. Right now I need to get dinner ready for the guests. Thanks so much for calling me, and your niggle about Nerdy was absolutely correct. Did you mention to him that you were going to tell me any of this?”

  “No. He didn’t ask. He knows how much I’m grieving over Mark’s death, and I’m sure he never thought in my condition I might put two and two together.”

  “That’s all well and true, but do me a favor. You’re one more person who knows what happened that night. Nerdy might regret telling you or even tell the others that he told you. I want you to be a little more cautious about your personal safety than you usually are. Make sure you have your cell phone with you and don’t take any chances. Strange things happen when people are murdered, and I don’t want you to be one of those strange things. I hate to say this, and I don’t want to scare you, but I really don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “I’ll be fine, Mrs. Lucas, but I will be extra careful. Thanks for caring.”

  CHAPTER 17

  Liz put the “Hello My Name Is” name tags on the table with the wine bottles and glasses. She’d found that people really appreciated knowing each other’s names during dinner, and although some guests stayed several days, many came for only one night. The dinner group changed each night, and L
iz felt it was her responsibility as the owner of the lodge and spa to make every guest feel at home.

  Liz introduced herself to each guest when they arrived for dinner and asked them to help themselves to the wine and cheese and also put on a name tag. She was always amused at how the decibel level of the conversation climbed as the guests imbibed and relaxed.

  When she had finished serving the main course, she sat down and looked across the dining room table at a woman who had the words “Cissy Mosley” written on her name tag. Liz remembered Emily had told her the name of the teenage girl who had her grade changed, and her last name was Mosley. What a coincidence, and I remember Roger has told me a number of times to always be wary of coincidences. Wonder if there’s a connection. Even without the last name of Mosley, she’d be hard to miss. Between the huge diamond studs in her ears and the knuckle duster ring she’s got on, the jewelry alone she’s wearing must cost more than most people earn in a year. Seems to me Emily mentioned that Kaitlin’s mother wore a lot of diamonds.

  “I met you briefly at the door when you came in and want to welcome you again. How many days will you be staying with us?” Liz asked the woman.

  “I’m leaving day after tomorrow. Actually I live here in town, well I live on the cliff overlooking the town, but my husband had to go to San Francisco to an alumni meeting and to take care of some other business. He’s very involved with the Stanford Alumni group there, and I thought it would be nice to do something just for me, so here I am. This is a very sweet little spa, nothing like the really swank spas in San Francisco, but then again, in this little town I imagine you couldn’t get the caliber of the help they have at those spas.”