White Cloud Retreat

by Dianne Harman

  “You know it’s funny,” Roxie said. “I don’t remember ever hearing about a murder in Cedar Bay before Amber’s, and now with Jeff and Scott, that makes three in just a few short months. Wonder if the town has bad juju or something.”

  Kelly flipped the light switch on as the four of them entered the coffee shop. “Don’t know about that, but I do know we’re probably going to be pretty busy today. People always seem to come to find out all the latest rumors when something happens around here. I came in yesterday and made some things, but I need the three of you to hustle because there’s a good chance we’ll have some early birds this morning. Madison, I’d like you to turn the ovens on right away. Charlie, I bought a lot of sausage. On cold wet days like today, people love to order biscuits and sausage gravy. Think it’s a comfort food thing. Anyway, I made the biscuits yesterday. You can start the gravy.”

  Shortly after 7:00 a.m., the normal opening time for the coffee shop, it was already filled with curiosity seekers. A number of the townspeople had taken workshops and classes at the Retreat Center or had bought some of their wine. Scott was very much liked and everyone who knew him felt a personal loss. Kelly, Roxie, and Charlie worked nonstop. Madison had to leave at 9:00 to attend her cosmetology classes, but promised to return right after they ended.

  Promptly at noon, just as he did every day of the workday week, Doc walked into the coffee shop with the yellow lab Kelly had given him. Doc stopped to give Lady an ear scratch and Lucky, Doc’s dog, sniffed her and wagged his tail. “Doc, let me wipe this table down and you can sit here.”

  He slid into the booth and wound Lucky’s leash around the back of a nearby chair. “Doc, I’m surprised to see Lucky on a leash. Thought you were going to train him to do everything off leash.”

  “I have, but the one place I don’t want to create a disturbance is here at your coffee shop. Between the plates, coffee cups, glasses, and everything else, you’ve got a lot of breakable stuff in here. He still gets distracted and I don’t want to be responsible for Madison or Roxie having an accident or even worse, some customer who’s not used to dogs, panicking, and spooking him. Could be a disaster.”

  “Thanks. That I don’t need. I’ve just gotten Lady to the point where I can keep her off leash while she’s here at the coffee shop with me. She knows her place is on her bed by the cash register. I try to keep her out of the kitchen because I’m not real sure if it’s against the Oregon Health Department’s rules and I really don’t want to find out. It’s one of those, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ things.”

  “I understand. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dog that young be so good off leash. Are you doing something special? I thought I was pretty good with dogs, but I think you have me beat by a long shot.”

  “Jackie Lewis, the owner of the kennel where I got Lady, told me that Lady was probably the smartest dog she’d ever had at her kennel. Maybe that has something to do with it, or then again, maybe she just watches Rebel and tries to do everything exactly like he does.”

  “Well, whatever it is, it’s working. I’m starving. What do you recommend on today’s menu?”

  “That’s easy. Biscuits and sausage gravy. I made the biscuits and Charlie makes the best sausage gravy I’ve ever had. Can’t be beat on a gloomy January day like today.”

  “You’ve sold me. I heard about Scott and I’m really sorry. I liked him a lot. He was one of my first patients at the clinic after I got my Oregon medical license. I’m going to miss him. It’s hard to believe someone would want to kill him. I can’t imagine why. I also heard you were the one who found him. Is that right?”

  “That I did and like you, I can’t believe anyone would want to kill him. I can’t even begin to think what the motive might have been. I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about him. Did he ever say anything to you? Since he’s deceased, you wouldn’t be violating a patient’s confidence by telling me anything you might know about him.”

  “As soon as I heard about it, I replayed our past conversations in my mind. He was actually in pretty good health. He came to me because he had a nasty laceration on his arm from one of those rose bushes they have at the end of each row of grapevines out at the Center. It had happened a few days before he came to see me. I remember asking him why there was a rose bush in a vineyard, since it seemed like a strange place for one to be. He told me rose bushes showed problems with mildew and other plant diseases long before they showed up on the grapevines themselves. I thought that was an interesting self-help way to keep the vines healthy. I guess it was part of his being an organic vineyard owner. Anyway, the cut just needed a couple of stitches and he was fine after that. He came back for a follow-up visit two weeks later and he was perfectly healed.”

  “I’m not surprised he didn’t seek medical help right away. From everything I know about him he led about as healthful a life as anyone could. He was a little overweight, but I doubt if he visited a doctor very often.”

  “That’s true, but I do remember he was pretty upset when he came back for his follow-up visit. He mentioned that being the head of a Center like his had its share of problems. Evidently he’d had some harsh words with one of the men in the residential training program at the Center. They’re required to work in the vineyards as part of the program and this particular man pruned the vines shorter than Scott wanted them to be. Scott was still angry about it because he was afraid the vines might not bear fruit in the next growing season due to the man’s improper pruning.

  “He also mentioned that a couple of the wine growers from the region would love it if his White Cloud Pinot Noir didn’t sell as well as it does now. He said they barely spoke to him at the Oregon Wine Festival he attended last year because the Center’s wine was getting far better ratings than theirs. They told him their vineyard was a family business that was run for profit and it was unfair for a non-profit like White Cloud Center to compete with them. They claimed he could eventually put them out of business. Why do you ask?”

  “I’m looking for anything that might tell us why he was killed. I don’t know much about the wine industry, but maybe his death has something to do with it. Remember any names?”

  “Nope. Just that they were local. You could probably…whoops! Slip of the tongue on my part. Actually, Mike could probably find out on the Internet who grows pinot noir grapes locally. Shouldn’t be too hard to do. Better yet, he could ask Jesse, the owner of The Crush, the local wine store here in Cedar Bay. I’ll bet he’d know.”

  “Thanks, Doc, I’ll be sure and tell Mike,” she said, mentally crossing her fingers behind her back. “Just sit there and relax and I’ll have your order ready in no time.”

  “Kelly, I know it’s none of my business, but you do remember the promises I’ve heard you make to Mike about not helping him with his cases. Right?”

  “Absolutely, Doc. Not a problem.”

  Sorry, Doc. Mike doesn’t like to admit it, but he needs my help. Anyway, where would you be if I hadn’t been responsible for suggesting you help out at the clinic and you met Liz? And don’t forget I gave Lucky to you as a congratulatory gift when you found out you’d been reinstated by the California Medical Board. And I believed you when you told me you had nothing to do with Amber’s death. If it wasn’t for me, you might still be a suspect in Amber’s death.

  As she walked into the kitchen to get Doc’s order, she was already making plans in her mind to go to The Crush and talk to Jesse as soon as she closed up the coffee shop that afternoon.

  CHAPTER 9

  When Kelly returned and placed the heaping plate of biscuits and sausage gravy in front of him, Doc said, “Looks like there might be a slight break in the action. Got something else I’d like to run by you.”

  “Sure, Doc. I can spare a few minutes. Just let me tell Roxie to cover for me.” In a few moments she returned and sat across from him. “What is it?”

  “Well, remember how I told you about my divorce and having two sons that I hadn’t seen since I l
eft California?”

  “Yes, I remember. I thought it was a very sad situation and yet, from what you told me, your wife and the boys didn’t want anything to do with you after you were found liable in that civil lawsuit regarding the young woman you performed the abortion on.”

  “I’ve wanted to pick up the phone a million times and call the boys, but I never did. I figured the boys didn’t need a dad in their lives who’d been found liable in court for civil damages and whose medical license had been revoked by the California State Medical Board. No, I figured they were better off without me, but once I was reinstated, I started thinking about them a lot. I wondered if they knew I was practicing medicine again. I also wondered whatever happened to the three million dollar judgment that was entered against me. The parents of the young girl who died were the ones who sued me and obtained the judgment. When they were killed in an airplane accident, the right to collect the judgment against me passed to their son, the brother of the young girl who died.

  “Liz and I talked about it a lot and she finally convinced me to call my attorney and see if he knew what had happened. It turns out he’d tried to reach me to tell me that the girl’s brother was giving up his attempts to find me and collect the judgment. Evidently he married a doctor and she convinced him that I wasn’t negligent in his sister’s death. He said the woman told the young man that there are things in medicine that just happen and they can’t be explained. She’d been curious about the case and had read all of the evidence. She convinced him, regardless of the jury’s decision, that I wasn’t to blame for his sister’s death. The attorney told me the brother had taken the necessary steps to dismiss the case.”

  “Doc, that’s wonderful news! I guess it means you can get in touch with your sons now that no one is trying to find you.”

  “That’s exactly what it means. Once Liz heard about it, she had me on the phone with them within the hour and wouldn’t let me hang up. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant conversation and there was still some anger on their part. I’m sure they have a lot of questions about why I was an absentee father for so long. However, we have had several other conversations since then that weren’t so bad. Anyway, I’m picking them up tonight at the Portland airport and they’re going to stay with me for a few days. I don’t have any unreal expectations that they’ll crown me ‘Father of the Year’ or anything like that, but at least it’s a start.”

  “Well, you have plenty of room in the ranchette for them. What are you going to do with them while they’re here? Any ideas?”

  “No, absolutely none. I mean, what do you do with your two sons when you haven’t seen them in over three years? I’ve been trying to think of things they might enjoy.” He ran his hand through his hair, clearly agitated.

  “I kind of remember you said they were teenagers when you left California. How old are they now?”

  “Kevin’s eighteen. He’s a freshman at Chapman College in Southern California. Josh is sixteen and he’s a junior in high school.”

  Kelly turned around in her seat and motioned for Madison, who had just returned from her cosmetology classes, to come over to the booth. “Madison, we have a little question for you. Doc’s two sons are coming to Oregon tonight for a visit. One’s your age and the other one’s two years younger. Got any ideas on what Doc can do to entertain them?”

  She stood there for a moment, lost in thought. “Yeah, why don’t you plan on them shore fishing with my dad. He still has pretty good luck catching fish out of the bay and that might be a fun thing for them to do. The other thing that might interest them involves Brandon. Over the past few months, we’ve become pretty good friends. Anyway, he’s on semester break this week and he’s just the age of your oldest son. As you know, he’s a freshman at Oregon State University. He and I were planning on going horseback riding this week, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if they came with us. We could also take them down to the tide pools below his ranch house and they could look for some jade on the beach. That should keep them busy for a while.”

  “Madison, thanks. Those are great ideas,” Doc said. “Would you ask your dad about the fishing? I have a fear of boats, so I’m not taking them out in the bay, but I’d love to go fishing with your dad and them as long as we fish from the shore. I know Brandon and I’ll give him a call this afternoon. Again, thanks for the suggestions.”

  “Doc,” Kelly said, “I’ve lingered long enough. Don’t worry. I’m sure it will work out and I’m so glad for you.”

  “I’m happy, but at the same time I’m scared. This is kind of a big deal,” he said with a worried look on his face.

  “Look at it this way. They’re the ones taking a real leap of faith. They must have some feelings for you or they wouldn’t have agreed to come visit you,” she said as she headed back to the kitchen.

  *****

  “Jim, do you remember when you told me about going out to the White Cloud Retreat Center and how you thought that Zen Master, Scott Monroe, was doing the Devil’s work? Well, look at this. It says in the paper that someone killed him. Someone else probably agreed with you and took care of him. Good thing. Now maybe they’ll close that evil place.” When she walked out of the room, she missed the smirk on Jim’s face.

  CHAPTER 10

  “I’ll see all of you tomorrow. Enjoy your evening,” Kelly said a couple of hours later when Roxie, Madison, and Charlie prepared to leave for the day. “Better stay home, if you can. One of the customers told me they heard on the news that a big storm’s expected tonight.”

  Within minutes after they left, the door opened and Mike and Rebel walked in. Rebel headed to his old bed, clearly not happy that Lady was already in it. He tried to nose her out of it, but the growing puppy stayed where she was, claiming her spot. “Good afternoon, Love. Coffee still hot?” Mike asked.

  “Sure is. I just turned it off and was getting ready to make a batch for tomorrow’s early birds. Sit down. I’ll be back in a second with it.” Moments later she set a steaming cup of coffee in front of him along with some cream and sugar. “There you go. Have you eaten lunch?”

  “No. I’ve been on the phone most of the morning. If you’ve got something, I’d love it.”

  “How about some manicotti? I was going to bring the last of it home, but if you like, you can have it here instead.”

  “Is that the Italian dish that has big noodles stuffed with chicken? The one you make with a lot of marinara sauce and cheese?”

  “Yep. I know it’s one of your favorites, so I figure if it it’s good enough for you, it’s probably good enough for everyone else.”

  “So is that what I’ve become? The official taster for Kelley’s Koffee Shop? Try it out on Mike first and see if it’s a go? It’s sort of like what was done in medieval times. The king had an official taster who tasted all of his food before he ate it to make sure there wasn’t any poison in it. Things don’t really change with time, do they?”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right, but I’m not so sure you ever met a food you didn’t like. No, I take that back. I remember you telling me that even the smell of brussel sprouts makes you sick. If you’ve noticed, I’ve never tested that theory. I’ll go reheat the manicotti for you. Cold pizza is good. Cold manicotti not so much.”

  A few minutes later, he pushed his plate back and sighed. “Kelly, I wish you’d make that more often. It really is one of my favorites.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Now tell me about your day. Did you find anything out about Luke and Scott’s past?”

  “Yes, I did, but first I need to tell you about a weird feeling I’ve had almost all day. I feel like somebody’s watching me. I’m probably just spooked because of Scott’s death and imagining it. Anyway, let me get back to your question. They’re from a small town in Eastern Washington. Scott must have been charismatic from the day he was born. I spoke with a high school secretary who was just about to retire and she told me she remembers when he was a student at the high school. He was the student body presi
dent and homecoming king. She said he was very intelligent and everyone predicted he’d make something of his life, but nobody knew just what it might be. He was even voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed.’ When she heard he’d achieved almost an idol-like status in some eastern spiritual circles, she told me she was shocked because he’d been a real ladies man, even at that young age.”

  “Well, I don’t know much about Zen Buddhism, but I don’t think you have to be celibate to be a Zen Master, although I think he’d mentioned that he was. Maybe I’m wrong.”

  “I don’t think you are, Kelly. His website and a number of articles I read about him mentioned that he was celibate and a vegetarian. Evidently he didn’t believe in eating meat because he’d taken a vow not to take the life of anything living. Something else I learned was that alcohol use is not prohibited by the Zen Buddhists, just excessive drinking and becoming intoxicated.”

  “I always kind of wondered how a Zen Master could drink wine and own a vineyard. Guess that wasn’t an issue. Any idea when he became interested in Zen Buddhism?”

  “Yes, I think so. He majored in comparative religions in college and from what I found out through the Internet, he started meditating about the time he graduated. He went to Japan and studied with several Zen Masters, one of whom gave him a ‘transmission,’ whatever that is, and told Scott he was ready to teach and no longer needed to have his own teacher. Sounded kind of like a lot of mumbo-jumbo to me. Anyway, he was a guest teacher at a number of different spiritual workshops and seminars and eventually gained enough of a following to open his own retreat center here in Cedar Bay which we know as White Cloud Retreat Center.”

  “Sounds like he was destined to do this. The one thing I’m curious about is where he got the money to buy the property. Every time I’m there I have to stop and take a moment to look at the breathtaking view from the Center’s location. Plus the Center’s vineyard covers a lot of acres. It must have cost a fortune to buy it.”