Murder in Cottage #6 (Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Series Book 1)

by Dianne Harman

  “Thanks, Bertha, now that you mention it, I do remember they weren’t on yesterday morning when a friend of mine left early. Interesting. It is strange, but I don’t see how it would play a part in Barbara’s death. I better go now, or I’m definitely going to be late for my appointment. See you later. Come on, Winston.”

  *****

  Delores reached down and scratched behind Winston’s ears and then stood up and escorted Liz to a room identical to the massage room she’d been in earlier and told her to lie down on the treatment bed, face up. There was a knock on the door and a young woman said, “Hello, Mrs. Lucas. It’s Gina, we met the other day.”

  “It’s good to see you again. I hope you don’t mind that I brought my dog with me. I just got him yesterday, and I’m trying to acclimate him to his new surroundings.”

  “No, that’s fine with me.” She knelt down and put her hand out to pet Winston. As she did so, they both heard a low growl coming from him.

  “Winston, no. I’m sorry, Gina. As I said, I just got him yesterday, and something must have spooked him.” She looked down at Winston who was as close to her as he could be without getting up on the table with her. “Easy boy, easy.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Mrs. Lucas. Some people have a way with dogs. I don’t. They never seem to like me. It’s okay, I’m used to it. I need to ask you if you have any skin conditions I should be aware of.”

  “No. My skin has never been a problem. I’ve had a few facials, but none recently.”

  Gina mixed a compound and placed a soft mask over Liz’s eyes, examining her skin with the help of the light from a strong lamp. Liz felt Gina’s hands gently moving over her face.

  “Your skin’s in very good condition. What I like to do with someone in your age group is a peel. It seems to work well. You may experience a little pinkness afterwards as well as a tingling sensation, but those will go away in a couple of days. Is it all right with you if I do that kind of a procedure?”

  “Yes, that’s fine. I understand you’re living with two of the other women who work at the spa. How did you happen to come here? This spa is a little off the beaten track.”

  “I like it here,” Gina said, stroking Liz’s face with soft pads soaked in a cleanser, “I live nearby in a small cabin with Stephanie and Nikki. I got my aesthetician’s license in Seattle and planned on practicing there, but my mother and I had a disagreement. Actually, I surprised her with a visit one weekend and found her in bed with my boyfriend, Scott, so I packed up and left the state. I really feel fortunate to work here. Among spa employees, you have the reputation as being the most selective about who you hire.”

  “Thanks, but how horrible for you! Your mother and your boyfriend? How long ago was that?”

  “Over two years ago, but my mother called me last night,” she said with a catch in her voice, “to tell me she and Scott had gotten married. I’m still a little shaken up by it, and I have no idea how she got my cell phone number. Maybe she got it from Scott. I know the only reason she married him was to hurt me. She’s hated me ever since I can remember. My father left her when I was very young, and she always told me I reminded her of him, because I looked so much like him.” Her hand shook slightly as she applied gel to Liz’s face.

  “Gina, I can’t imagine how painful that must have been. Do you have brothers or sisters?”

  “No. I’m an only child. I don’t know what happened to my father. My mother and I were never close. Please don’t talk anymore because I need this gel to set. I’m going to put a heat lamp on you to dry it out a little faster. I’m also going to put some mitts on your hands and wrists. They have a warm moisturizer in them. Just relax. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Liz’s face was tingling, and she was very aware of heat coming from the lamp. She wanted to scratch her face, but figured that probably wasn’t a good idea. Plus, her hands were covered with the mitts. Her thoughts turned to Gina.

  How hard it must be for her. I can’t imagine a mother doing that to her child. Sounds like she had a miserable childhood. Who wouldn’t be upset by a phone call like that? I can understand why her hand was shaking when she applied the gel to my face. Liz drifted off for a few minutes and was awakened by a knock on the door and seconds later, the sound of the door opening.

  “It’s Gina, Mrs. Lucas. How are you doing?”

  “I’m fine, but my face feels itchy.”

  “That’s perfectly normal. I’ll take off the gel and apply a soothing aloe product on it that will counter the effects from the peel. Your skin will soon feel like a newborn’s.” She gently removed the gel and applied the aloe based lotion. “I’ll be back shortly. Again, just relax.”

  Whew, that feels a lot better, Liz thought. I can’t wait to see what my complexion looks like.

  Gina returned in a few minutes, removed the aloe lotion from Liz’s face, and the mitts from her hands. “I’m applying a moisturizer to your face. I like to close these sessions by massaging the neck and shoulders. Will that be all right?”

  “Yes, go ahead.”

  “All right, Mrs. Lucas, I’m finished,” she said a few minutes later.” I think you’ll be very happy with how you look. As I said earlier, you might be a little pink, and your face may feel a little prickly, but it should be gone by tomorrow.”

  “Gina, I wish you well. I’m sorry for what you’ve gone through, but don’t judge all people by what your mother and Scott have done to you. There are a lot of really good people out there. Think about trying to find one of them, and I’m sure your life will be much better.”

  When she got back to her apartment and went into the bathroom to take a shower, she noticed how pink her face was, but decided it was a healthy look.

  I don’t think I’ll need any makeup tonight other than a little mascara and lipstick.

  CHAPTER 16

  The appetizers were in the oven, the wine was uncorked, and the candles had been lit. The only things missing were Judy and the guests. Liz went downstairs, fed Winston, and came back upstairs just as Judy walked through the front door.

  “You look great,” Liz said. “Maybe a little pink, but Gina said I’d probably be that way for a day or so, so I guess you will be too.”

  “I’m fine with the pink, just wish this itching would go away. I used a lot of the spa moisturizer you provided in the cottage. Maybe that will help. Do you have any aloe vera?”

  “No, I’ve been meaning to tell Zack to plant some, but I keep forgetting. I need to do that. When we lived in San Francisco I had some right next to the back door, and I can’t tell you how many times I cut that plant and used it when I’d burn my hand on something I was cooking or the kids got sunburned. If we’re still itching tomorrow, I’ll go to the drug store in town and get some aloe vera gel. So what did you think of Gina?” she asked, handing Judy a glass of wine.

  “I thought she was very good. My complexion looks like a newborn’s. She’s nice, but since you’re asking, I’ll be honest with you. I thought there was something a little off with her. It’s nothing I can put my finger on, just a sense.”

  “I think I know why.” Liz told Judy about the conversation she’d had with Gina regarding her mother and Scott. She concluded by saying, “If that had happened to me and my mother had called me and told me that my boyfriend and she had gotten married, I’d probably be a little off, too.”

  “I agree, and it certainly could be the reason I felt that way. Now, what can I do to help you tonight? I need to pay you back for the all this kind hospitality.”

  “Just be your normal charming self and entertain everyone while I put the finishing touches on the meal. Everything’s ready to go, so it should be easy peasy.”

  “No problem. That’s what I’m best at.”

  *****

  Liz closed the door after the last guest left and Judy was putting the last of the dishes in the dishwasher. “Judy, I need to let Winston out. It’s been awhile and I sure don’t want him to have an accident on this nice woo
den floor. Winston, outside.”

  When she and Winston returned, Judy said, “You mentioned the trainer who brought Winston to you also gave you a sheet of instructions. I’m curious what else he’s trained to do besides shake hands and act like a human being.”

  “I’ve got it downstairs. Be right back.”

  Liz handed Judy the sheet of paper that Ed had given her. Judy spent a few minutes looking at it and said, “I can’t believe any dog can do these things. That man must have spent hours working with him. I don’t want to try any of the things he can do since he’s your dog, but did you notice the warning signs he wrote, things that you should take note of if they happen?”

  “No, as I told you, I haven’t had time to read it thoroughly. Why, did you find something interesting?”

  “Well, let’s put it this way. I’m just glad he didn’t growl at me when he met me.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “It says here that if Winston growls when he’s introduced to someone, you should be on alert. He’s been trained to warn you if there’s danger, particularly when it’s a social situation rather than a situation where physical force is necessary. Like I said, glad I wasn’t the target of a growl.” She looked over at Liz, who seemed to be deep in thought. “What are you thinking about?”

  Liz was chewing on her lower lip, a habit Judy remembered meant she was concerned about something. “Judy, when I introduced Gina to Winston, Gina bent down to put her hand on Winston, and he growled. It was the first time I’d heard him growl. I was surprised and gave him a command to be quiet. Gina pulled back, saying that dogs generally didn’t like her. I can’t figure out what that was all about.”

  “I told you I thought something was off with her. Maybe Winston agrees with me. Keep it in mind because this Ed guy was very clear when he wrote that you should take notice if Winston growls in a social situation.”

  “I don’t know where to go with this, but I just remembered something else. I was lying on the table in the room when Gina walked in. Winston immediately came over and stood next to me. Actually I think if I’d asked him to, he would have jumped up on the table to be close to me. It was almost as if he was protecting me, but from what? Gina?”

  “I have no idea. I’m just telling you what it says on the instruction sheet Ed gave you. Anyway, I’ve had a long day. I had to get up early to make sure I wouldn’t get caught in traffic and miss my massage. I’m taking my itchy face and heading back to my cottage. See you in the morning. Have any plans for us tomorrow or are we just going to sit and watch the ocean all day?”

  “No major plans. I’m going to call Roger after you leave and see what he found out about the Tiffany lamp guy. Other than that, I’m not sure what else I can do to try and find out who killed Barbara. I suppose I could talk to the possible suspects again, but I have a feeling I’m missing something. I’ve always had something I like to call a niggle. It’s like an inner voice telling me something. Obviously I can’t turn it on or off or control it, because if I could I wouldn’t have this feeling that I’m missing something. Maybe it will come to me during a dream tonight,” she said laughing as she opened the door for Judy. She turned to Winston, “Say good night to Judy.”

  “Woof,” he barked to Judy as she walked out the door grinning. “Love that dog,” she said to Liz over her shoulder. “Might just have to contact that guy about getting his brother or sister for me.”

  *****

  “Hi Liz, I’m glad you called. I tried calling you earlier, but you must not have had your cell phone on you. How is everything?” Roger asked.

  “Before we talk about what’s going on in my life, I want to hear about your trial. What’s happening? Did you finish selecting the jury?”

  “Yes. The prosecuting attorney will start presenting his case tomorrow. From what I’ve seen, I think it will take several days, and then I’ll be on with my witnesses. My two week estimate is going to be pretty close. Now tell me about your day.”

  She spent the next few minutes filling him in on her meeting with Bart, her conversation with Bertha, her spa treatments, and Judy’s remarks about Winston. She ended by asking, “Was Sean able to find out anything about Henry Sanchez’s whereabouts on the night Barbara was murdered?”

  “Yes, evidently our boy is a bit of a drinker and frequents a neighborhood bar near his home. Sean found out he was in the bar early on the evening of the murder but left about ten saying he had to go to a meeting. No one at the bar thought much about it because he’s such a strange bird, but without actually having him arrested and having to provide an alibi, I don’t think there’s much more we can do with him right now. However, I definitely still consider him a possible suspect.”

  “From everything I’ve heard about him, he does seem sort of weird. Maybe he was meeting someone about some antique they wanted to sell him.”

  “Could be. Liz, I want to talk to you some more about what Bart said. Can you think of anyone who would want to see the spa fail or who would want to harm you?”

  “No. When Bart said that, I was really surprised. I can’t think of anyone I would consider as an enemy, and as for the spa, like I said earlier, I’m sure there are people who are jealous of our success, but we’re not really in competition with any other spa. There’s no other facility like ours for miles around, probably the closest one would be in San Francisco. That just doesn’t make sense.”

  “All right. Let’s look at this from a different angle. Who would know how to trip the circuit breaker for the security lights? Zack, of course, but is there anyone else? Would any of the employees even know where the circuit breaker is located?”

  “I don’t know, and I don’t think Bertha knows much about things like that, plus she’s the most loyal employee I have. As for the other spa employees, why would they? I’ve been told I pay better than any of the other spa owners, and they all seem to sincerely like working here. If something happened to the spa, they’d lose their jobs, so it’s certainly in their best interests to keep it going.”

  “I agree with everything you’re saying, but two things concern me. First of all tripping the circuit breaker to the security lights. Evidently that was done the night Barbara was murdered. That’s a very odd coincidence, and I don’t believe in coincidences. If someone didn’t want to be seen entering Barbara’s cottage, what better way than to get rid of the security lights?”

  “The only person I can think of who would know how to do that is Zack, and we’ve already talked about how having Barbara dead would help Dave, and we agreed that Zack wouldn’t knowingly do anything to help him. I’m at a complete loss. What’s number two?”

  “This thing with Winston. If Winston felt that Gina was a threat to you, I have to believe she is. I know that’s hard for you to believe, but knowing how thoroughly Ed trains his dogs, I think you need to find out more about her. Actually, I’m going to call Ed in the morning and tell him what happened. He might have some insight into it. I’ve got to do a little more trial preparation for tomorrow, so I’m going to have to sign off. Remember, I want you to keep your gun and Winston with you. Promise?”

  “Yes, I promise, although it’s probably not too necessary tonight, because the cottages are full.”

  “I’m glad to hear that, but since nothing is making a lot of sense right now, I’m not going to rely on a full house to keep you safe. Sleep well.”

  “You too, and Roger, thanks for all your help and concern.”

  “If I haven’t said it before, I’ll say it now. I really care about you, and I’m really concerned about this situation. Be safe.”

  CHAPTER 17

  It was a long, miserable night for Liz. Sleep eluded her as the fiery heat and itching on her face became more and more unbearable. She got up several times in the middle of the night to apply a moisturizer. Each time she looked in the mirror, her face seemed to be redder and getting bigger.

  Gina said I might have some redness, but this is ridiculous. I wonder how Ju
dy’s doing.

  In the morning, she waited until the guests had finished breakfast and then went upstairs to get some coffee. It was still too early to go over to Judy’s cottage or to the drug store. She got dressed and waited as the minutes slowly ticked by.

  At 9:00, Bertha walked into the kitchen where Liz was reading the morning paper for the third time.

  “Liz, are you all right? Your face is really red!”

  “If it’s any consolation, it feels as hot as it looks. I’m just waiting for the drug store to open, so I can go into town and get some aloe vera.”

  “I wish you’d said something earlier. I have a tube of it in my desk. My hands bother me from to time, and it really seems to help, but before I get it, I need to talk to you.”

  “Of course. What is it? You look worried.”

  “I am. I just got a call from Delores over at the spa, and we might have a problem. Gina didn’t show up for work today, however her two roommates are at the spa, and the three of them always ride to work together. Delores asked them where Gina was, and they said they didn’t know, that she’d never come home last night. The problem is the spa is almost fully booked today. I have a friend who’s a retired facialist. I just called her and asked her if she could fill in for the day, and she said she’d be here in a few minutes, so I can cover today’s appointments, but I’m concerned about Gina. I thought you and I should talk to her roommates and see if we can find out anything from them. They’ll be here in a few minutes. They each have a little time to spare before their next appointments.”