Tj Jensen Cozy Mystery Boxed Set 2: Books 6-10

by Kathi Daley

  “Yeah, I downloaded it. It’s saved on my home computer. I can forward it to Kyle as long as you promise to be careful and continue to keep a low profile.”

  “I promise we’ll do our best to do both. Did you have a chance to look at the file?”

  Roy paused before he answered. “I browsed it. Clark Leighton headed up the investigation. I was out on medical leave with a broken leg at the time, so I wasn’t in the loop to the extent that I would have been otherwise. You can read the specifics for yourself, but it seems the prosecution made their case based on several pieces of evidence, all circumstantial.”

  “Like what?”

  “For one thing, there were several domestic disturbance calls made about the Reinholds by neighbors just prior to the wife’s disappearance and death. The prosecution argued that the fact that local law enforcement had been dispatched to the house on several occasions set a precedent indicating there was violence in the marriage. Reinhold’s defense lawyer argued that all the calls were placed by neighbors reacting to the loud yelling and breaking glass they overheard. At no point had the wife called the sheriff or accused him of domestic violence. Additionally, there weren’t any reports of injury to the wife. Reinhold claimed the two were a passionate couple who tended to be loud and throw things when they argued.”

  “He had a good argument if that was true, but the tendency to throw things could be indicative of a predisposition toward violent outbursts. What else?”

  “Bloody sheets were found balled up in the back of Mrs. Reinhold’s closet, indicating she was murdered in the house. The investigators could find no evidence of alarm tampering or forced entry, so it was assumed she was killed by someone with access to the house.”

  I paused to consider this. “If Reinhold didn’t kill his wife, whoever did must have changed the bedding. Doesn’t it stand to reason he would have noticed that?”

  Roy cleared his throat before answering. “He was asked that after the sheets were found. He reminded the investigators that at the time he’d had no idea his wife was dead, so he had no reason to suspect anything. He couldn’t specifically remember if he realized there were fresh sheets on the bed, but a maid service came in every week and changed the bedding, so it wasn’t unusual for him to come home to clean sheets.”

  Okay, I could see how it might have happened that way. “What about the lack of forced entry? Other than the Reinholds, who had access to the house?”

  “The maid service had a key and the alarm code, as did Jennifer Reinhold’s sister and a couple of her friends. Reinhold said the couple had recently done some remodeling and he’d given keys to several people, including the general contractor, the painter, and the man who built the cabinets. He said he got all the keys back but didn’t change any of the locks, so it was possible someone could have made a copy.”

  “And the alarm code?”

  “They hadn’t changed it. He said that because there were people like his wife’s sister and friends who had access to the house, it was too big a hassle to change the locks or alarm code every time they had someone in to work on the house unless they felt they had a reason to.”

  I glanced out over the lake. I wasn’t sure how effective it was to have an alarm if you ended up giving the code to a lot of different people but didn’t say as much. “Okay, go on. What other sort of evidence did they find?”

  I heard rustling in the background, as if Roy were shuffling papers. “According to the report, Clark also found a pair of gloves with Mrs. Reinhold’s blood on them stashed in the bottom of a clothes hamper containing her clothing. Reinhold admitted the gloves were his, but he had no idea how his wife’s blood got on them. He said he used them to work in the yard and kept them in his garden shed. Anyone could have stolen them. And investigators found some muddy clothes discarded in a plastic bag in the garage. The prosecution insisted Reinhold had worn them when he dug his wife’s grave. He admitted they belonged to him but denied digging the grave or wearing them to do it. He insisted that if he’d been the one to dig the grave and had gotten his clothes muddy in the process, he would simply have washed the clothes. He certainly wouldn’t have stored the clothes in his own garage, where anyone could have found them.”

  “He had a point. It would be illogical not to wash the clothes. Maybe he was set up.”

  “He maintained throughout the trial that’s what happened, but the fact that he waited three weeks to say his wife was missing is what seemed to sway at least some of the jurors.”

  “Did Clark ever find the murder weapon?”

  “No,” Roy answered. “It was determined that Mrs. Reinhold was stabbed to death, but the weapon used was never found.”

  “You mentioned you were going to speak to Clarissa Halloran. Did you ever have the opportunity to do it?”

  “No. She didn’t answer my call when I first tried, and then I got busy and never followed up. With all the tourists in town, we’ve had a rash of accidents, drunk and disorderly complaints, and petty theft calls. And I didn’t want to mention the file to Kate. She’d wonder where I got it.”

  “Kyle and I will see if we can track Halloran down tomorrow. If you’re as busy as you say, Kate shouldn’t have time to keep tabs on us. Although, to be honest, it’s not like we’re doing anything illegal.”

  “I know. I just don’t want to rock the boat if I don’t have to. I’ll send Kyle the files.”

  “Do you know if Kate has narrowed in on any suspects we haven’t discussed?”

  Roy paused before answering. “I’m not sure exactly what Kate’s working on. She’s been really secretive lately, and that worries me. It’s possible she doesn’t want to share what she knows with me because she assumes I’ll turn around and share it with you, but I sense there’s more to her overall approach to the investigation. I’m being cautious where she’s concerned.”

  “Well, thanks for the help. I’ll call you if we find anything.”

  After I hung up, I headed into the house. I found Kyle intently studying something on his computer screen.

  “Is that the file Roy just sent?”

  “Yeah. It came through a few minutes ago. I’ll make copies for each of us.”

  I sat down at the desk next to Kyle. He handed me the file he’d just printed out. It was thick, with a lot of witness statements and professional testimony. Just familiarizing ourselves with the case was going to be a huge task, and the possible real murderer of Mrs. Reinhold was only one of three suspects on my list.

  Kyle turned back toward the computer while I began browsing the report he had just handed me regarding Jennifer Reinhold’s murder. The main thing that stood out right away was the number of neighbors who had been interviewed. Based on a cursory scan of the documents in my hand, no one saw or heard anything on the day, based on forensic evidence, the prosecution had determined Jennifer Reinhold was most likely murdered.

  One woman had reported she saw a man, or possibly a woman, standing in the meadow behind the Reinhold home when she got up for a drink in the middle of the night. She couldn’t remember exactly which night that had been, hadn’t seen the person’s face or any distinguishing features, and could only offer dark clothing as a description, but she was certain it would help them close in on the killer.

  Living in a place where the climate is mild in the summer did lend itself to a homeless population that tended to camp out in the forest and meadows surrounding town. Chances were the woman had simply seen one of those seasonal campers, though it was possible she really had seen someone burying Mrs. Reinhold’s body. I knew if I was going to bury a body I’d do it in the middle of the night. Of course, I’d also take the body far, far away and not leave it in a shallow grave just beyond the wall of my property.

  It really did sound like Steven Reinhold had been intentionally framed.

  “Let’s look further into the Reinhold investigation tomorrow. What do we kn
ow about Bristow other than his obvious motive, the strip mall he wants to build? Could there be any other reason Bristow might want Harper dead?”

  “Honestly, I think if Bristow ends up being our guy, we’ll find that his motive had to do with his project, although unlike the cases Judge Harper was looking into, there isn’t a file on Bristow. We don’t have any notes from the judge regarding his dealings with Bristow.”

  “We don’t have notes from his safe, but what about paperwork he keeps regarding town business?” I asked. “There might be something in his office at home, but probably what we’re interested in would be in his office in town.”

  Kyle glanced at me. “How do we get a look at his town council files?”

  Harriet Kramer had been the mayor’s secretary through three administrations. She was one of Helen’s best friends and, like Helen, a major player in the local gossip network. Harriet was definitely not a by-the-book person, so I was sure I could get her to let us into the mayor’s office. The worry was whether I could get her to keep her mouth closed about it.

  Harriet didn’t pick up when I called, so I left a message letting her know I needed a favor that would require a certain level of discretion and asked her to call me back as soon as possible. Like Helen, Harriet believed she could keep a juicy piece of news to herself, but, also like Helen, she rarely could.

  After I left my message, I turned back to Kyle. “When you first came back to the computer room you said you had a thought you wanted to follow up on.”

  Kyle nodded. “The concept that the original ban against commercial properties of a certain size and purpose within town limits could have been challenged in the past is an interesting idea. I decided to find out how the current statute is worded. It does appear the ban is still in place, so I did a search of town council records using the ordinance number as my search term and found eight references to the ordinance being challenged between 1990 and now.”

  “But not prior to that?”

  “The town council records have only been digitized back to 1980, and even then the records are spotty until after 1990. I think going back through the book with this specific question in mind is our best bet at this point.”

  I glanced at my watch. “We don’t really have time right now. I suppose we can come back after we’re done at the resort for the day.”

  “I’m up for it if you are.”

  I smiled. Spending time with Kyle, no matter what we were doing, seemed pretty good to me.

  “How do you think our first date is going?” Kyle asked with a grin on his face as I began gathering my things.

  “It’s going great. Better than great. It’s exactly the kind of date I dream about at night,” I teased back. “It’s been something really special we can tell our grandchildren about.”

  Kyle’s smile faded just a bit. “Do you think about that? Us having grandchildren?”

  “God, no. I’m nowhere old enough for grandchildren.”

  Kyle continued to look at me with a serious expression. “What about children? You’re raising the girls, and I know that’s like having children, but do you ever think of having any of your own?”

  I frowned. “You’re trying to turn this into a real first date where all sorts of awkward and sensitive subjects are shared, aren’t you?”

  Kyle’s boyish grin returned. “I’m sorry. I really wasn’t trying to do that. And I know exactly what you mean about first dates and awkward situations. I’ve had plenty.”

  “I’m not sure that’s any better.” I raised an eyebrow. “How about we agree to keep future offspring and past dates off the table for the time being?”

  Kyle pulled me into his arms. He kissed my neck and then worked his way up to my mouth. “How about we keep it safe and not talk at all?”

  I groaned. “As much as I love that idea, we do need to get back to the resort. Rain check?”

  “Definitely.”

  Chapter 13

  As it had been the previous day, the resort was packed when Kyle and I arrived. Kyle went to find the girls while I headed down to the beach to check on the preparations for today’s contest. I was halfway between the house and the beach when I ran into Doc.

  “Did you ever have a chance to talk to Sam Wilson?” Doc asked as I turned to leave.

  I shook my head. “I’ve been pretty busy today. Besides, I’m not sure my tracking him down will go over well with Roy’s new partner.”

  “Don’t have to track him down; he’s here. I don’t suppose the new deputy can object to you running into the man on your own resort and entering into a casual conversation.”

  I grinned. “No, I don’t suppose she could find fault with that. Do you know where he is?”

  “Last time we saw him he was over where they’re setting up for the bikini competition.”

  The fact that Sam Wilson was here was a stroke of luck. And that he appeared to be alone was downright miraculous.

  “It looks like you wanted to be sure to get a front-row seat,” I commented when I sat down next to him in the first row off the stage. The rehearsal didn’t begin for another hour, so the bleacher was mostly empty.

  “My girlfriend is a contestant. I told her I’d sit up front and take some photos during the rehearsal.”

  “You should have a wonderful view from here. What’s your girlfriend’s name? Maybe I can put a bug in the judges’ ears.” I would never really do that, but I was willing to say it if it would facilitate the rest of our conversation.

  “Gwen Jorgen.”

  I hoped I didn’t look as surprised as I felt. “I know Gwen. I didn’t know you were dating.”

  “Our relationship’s pretty new. Normally I like to keep my options open, but Gwen is really special.”

  “I don’t know her well, but she seems very nice. I hope she does well.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  I paused as I searched for a way to continue the conversation. “Didn’t she have a cousin or something who recently moved to town?”

  Sam nodded. “Yeah. Just two weeks ago. Gwen got her a job at the bar down near the Twenty-Second Street pier. It’s not the best job in the world, but the tips are good and Gwen and her cousin are sharing the rent on her apartment.”

  “It seems like there are all sorts of new people in town. Have you met the new deputy?”

  Sam frowned. “Yeah, I met her.”

  “I take it by your tone you two didn’t hit it off.”

  “That woman had the nerve to accuse me of slitting Judge Harper’s brake lines.”

  “Really?” I tried to appear as shocked as I could manage. “Why on earth would she think that?”

  “My mom lives next door to Judge Harper. In fact, my family has lived in that house for a long time, so I knew the judge when I was growing up. We had an argument not long before he had his accident and the deputy heard about it, so she thought maybe I was mad enough to want to hurt him. I’d never hurt Judge Harper, no matter how mad I was, and I told her that.”

  I narrowed my gaze as I watched Sam’s face. “Do you think she believed you?”

  “Not at first. She kept asking the same questions over and over, like I was going to change my answers if she asked enough times. I kept trying to tell her she had the wrong person, but she didn’t seem to want to let it go. Finally I remembered my friend from work didn’t have a ride to his second job because his car was in the shop and I let him borrow mine. I wasn’t planning to go out that night and he picked me up for work the next morning. The lady deputy said lending my car to a friend wasn’t much of an alibi. I could just as easily have taken a cab or hitched a ride with someone to get to the community center. I told her she was nuts if she thought I’d take a cab.”

  I laughed. “I bet she wasn’t happy with you calling her nuts.”

  Sam smiled. “No, I don’t suppose she was.
It seemed like she was still going to pursue me as a suspect until my mom called to remind me that I’d promised to have dinner with her. Her call reminded me that we’d both watched the same show on television the night of the accident. I specifically remembered we’d talked about it the next morning, before we got the news about the judge’s accident. The deputy didn’t think that was much of an alibi either, until I reminded her it was a new show, not a rerun. I repeated all sorts of details about the plot that I couldn’t have known if I hadn’t watched it, so I must have seen it, just as I claimed. She didn’t seem happy about it, but she finally backed off.”

  “Didn’t it occur to her that you could have recorded the show and watched it later?”

  Sam snickered. “No, I guess not.”

  As far as I was concerned, Sam had a weak alibi, but I didn’t have the sense that he was the person we were looking for. He didn’t seem to have any problem talking to me about the events of the night in question or Judge Harper’s death in general, and it seemed that if he was guilty of killing a man he’d known most of his life he would have demonstrated at least a bit more emotion. I supposed I could confirm the details of his conversation with his mother about the television show, but I didn’t want to waste my time chasing leads that appeared to be nothing but dead ends. While I wasn’t ready to take Sam off the list altogether, I decided to move him down to the very bottom and move on to more likely candidates.

  Sam and I chatted for a few more minutes before I said I needed to go but would be sure to put in a good word for his girlfriend with the judges.

  If Sam wasn’t guilty, that left me with two suspects: Striker Bristow and someone associated with Steven Reinhold and the death of his wife.

  While I was busy helping with the various events the resort was sponsoring, the girls had somehow talked Kyle into entering the sandcastle-building contest with them. When Kyle had suggested that his team build Cinderella’s castle, complete with drawbridge, pumpkin carriage, and abandoned glass slipper out of sand, I’d thought he was crazy. Oh, I was sure that with enough time, the right equipment, and a lot of talent, it could be done, but his team consisted of four little girls with plastic shovels and colorful buckets. I hated to see them tackle anything too hard, but they seemed quite adamant about going with their choice, so I wished them well and settled onto a picnic table under the trees to watch while I reorganized my murder notebook.