Murder at Redwood Cove

by Janet Finsilver

  “I don’t know if investigating is the right word. I’ve been gathering information.”

  “Nonsense, my dear. You’re tracking down a murderer.”

  Tracking down a murderer. Somehow I hadn’t thought of it in those terms before. I was finding out what happened to Bob and Tommy . . . I was tracking down a murderer. I swallowed hard.

  “The Silver Sentinels had a meeting yesterday. Maybe you felt your ears burning.” He smiled. “We appreciate the help and support you’ve given us. You’re too young to become a member of the Silver Sentinels, but we’ve decided to offer you an associate membership.” The Professor tilted his head. “Will you join us, my dear?”

  I hesitated. “Professor, I don’t know how long I’ll be here.”

  “That’s no problem. Besides, with Internet communication, the world is becoming one large community.”

  “I have one caveat. My obligations to Resorts International come first.”

  “Of course. This is your career. You have a loyalty to your employer.”

  “Then I’d love to join your group, and I’m honored.”

  “Superb. I’ll let the others know.”

  Crunching gravel outside announced the arrival of a vehicle. I glanced out the back window. A green sedan with a FISH AND GAME logo on its side rolled to a stop. The door opened, and Fran Cartwright thrust out a sturdy, uniform-clad leg. Her close-cropped silver hair glinted in the sun.

  “Ahh, the renderer of justice arrives.” The Professor tapped the list with a long, slender finger. “Why don’t you make a copy of this for yourself?”

  “Good idea. I’m not familiar with the three other people.”

  “Would you please make two copies of the deciphered notes? You can have one, and Fran can have the other.”

  “You bet.” I walked over to the copier as the Professor opened the back door for the warden.

  “Hey, everyone. How’s it going?” Fran stepped into the room.

  “Hello, Fran,” the Professor responded. “Thanks for coming.”

  “Are you kidding? I got here as fast as I could when I heard you had more information.”

  I folded my two pages and tucked them into one of my jeans pockets. I handed the Professor his originals and Fran her copy of the deciphered notes.

  Noises from the hallway heralded the end of the festival meeting. Andy and Phil entered the room with Jason close behind.

  A stout man passed by saying, “In the morning I’m heading for the double chocolate truffles first thing.” He rubbed his hands together. “They sound so fantastic.”

  “Great. We won’t be competing,” said his lanky friend. “I want the first taste of the cabernet ice cream with chocolate drizzles.”

  They laughed.

  “Tomorrow’s going to be a treat, as always,” said the heavier man.

  Several other people I didn’t recognize filed through and out, everyone grinning and commenting on how they were looking forward to tomorrow.

  The water delivery van pulled in and parked as members of the group descended the steps. Charlie Chan got out and opened the truck’s side door.

  Thank goodness. Charlie was making the delivery. But how was I going to question him with all the ruckus around me?

  Charlie strode up the steps and walked through the open door, where people were still exiting.

  “I’ll just take this and go.” Fran held up the paper. “The abalone poachers I arrested are close to cutting a deal. I’m hoping this information will be the final straw.”

  “Marvelous news, Warden,” the Professor said. “I’m glad the Silver Sentinels could help.”

  “Later, guys.” Fran made her exit.

  The Professor turned to me. “Time for me to depart, as well. I’ll be in touch.” He started to leave, then stopped. “This may sound like a bit of an odd request, but do you mind if I watch the construction of the tent for tomorrow? I’ve always been fascinated by how fast they can create a huge, temporary building.”

  He struck me as someone with an always-inquiring mind. “Certainly. Stay as long as you like.”

  Charlie shifted from side to side and slapped his clipboard against his palm.

  Andy walked to the refrigerator, opened it, and pulled the cheese platter out. He inclined his head toward the hallway to Jason and Phil. “Let’s go to my room and finish our plans there. I’ve got crackers and Pellegrino to go with this.”

  “Pellegrino?” Phil questioned. “But that’s water. What kind of a Greek drinks water with fine cheese?”

  “You’re certainly welcome to provide a beverage of your choice,” Andy replied.

  “I’ll stop by my room for a bottle of 2006 Nelsen merlot and glasses,” Phil said.

  The three headed down the hall, discussions of the chocolate and wine festival drifting in my direction.

  Now it was just Charlie and me. Question time. I decided to do what I did with Phil and Andy and assume he’d stayed at Noah’s Place.

  “Hi, Kelly. I heard you wanted some extra water?” He looked quizzically at the porch where seven bottles were lined up.

  “Y . . . yes.” I stuttered a bit. “I . . . I don’t know how many people will be at the festival, but I want to be sure to have enough.” Sounded lame to me, but it was the best I could do on short notice.

  He shrugged. “Sure. Whatever. Better safe than sorry, as they say.” He walked out to his truck, with me tagging along.

  “I enjoyed Phil’s dance last night. Did he do more after I left?”

  “Don’t know. Friend called. Had to leave.” He heaved a bottle onto his hand truck and began bumping it up the stairs.

  I followed. “Nothing serious, I hope.”

  “Nope.”

  So . . . now what? Sleuthing isn’t looking like a promising career at the moment.

  I trailed him back down to the truck, beginning to feel like a stray dog begging for crumbs. “I’m glad to hear that.” Dead in the water. I’d irritated him before with my questions. I gazed off at the ocean as he put the remaining two bottles on the deck, racking my brain for some question I could ask to find out more.

  A member of the cavalry saved me. The horse was a white Chevrolet with Deputy Sheriff Stanton at the reins. He pulled in next to Charlie’s delivery truck.

  The officer shuffled a few papers on the seat of his car and then pushed the door open.

  “Charlie, Kelly, good to see you.” He got out. “Charlie, I need to ask you some questions about last night. I called your company, and they told me your route.”

  Great! Maybe I can learn something.

  Charlie put his hand truck back in the van. “E-mail and cell phones have been sizzling. It’s about what happened to the kid, right?”

  The deputy nodded. “Yep. Talking to as many people as possible. With the work you do, you cover a lot of territory.”

  “I don’t know of anything that might help you, but I’m happy to talk.”

  “The office is still available,” I said to the deputy.

  Deputy Sheriff Stanton turned to me. “Thanks for the offer. I’ll take you up on it.”

  “Would either of you like coffee?”

  Both responded with an affirmative nod.

  We walked back into the kitchen, and I started a fresh pot of coffee. There was some already there, but I wanted an excuse to get into the study during the questioning.

  “It won’t take long to brew. I’ll bring it to you as soon as it’s finished.”

  “Thanks, Ms. Jackson,” Stanton said.

  The two men walked to the office.

  And when I deliver the coffee, maybe I’ll hear something helpful.

  I pulled down two mugs and then reviewed the guest list. Only a few people left to go for checking in.

  The coffeepot finally uttered its last spluttering noises. I filled the cups, put them on a tray along with cream and sugar, and went down the hallway. I paused a minute at the door to see if I could hear anything. I told myself that eavesdropping w
as permitted when there was a murder and an attempted murder to solve.

  Nothing. The oak door was thick and solid. I knocked.

  “Come on in.” Deputy Stanton had moved the chair behind the desk around so he could face Charlie. Stanton was leaning toward him, hands clasped. He glanced up as I came in.

  “Could be.” Charlie nodded his head.

  I placed the tray on the desk. “Here you go.” I handed them their coffee.

  “Thanks. Last night was a long night,” the deputy said.

  Charlie nodded. “End of my shift, and I’m dragging. This’ll definitely help.”

  Both men looked at me expectantly . . . and they weren’t talking.

  Talk to each other. I’m just the waitress, the maid. Ignore me.

  “Can I get you anything else?” I almost felt like curtsying, but I didn’t think it would quite work with my jeans.

  “No thanks,” Deputy Stanton said.

  Charlie affirmed the deputy’s response with a negative shake of his head.

  They waited patiently. The silence lengthened. It was clear my departure was what they wanted.

  “See you then.” I left. No luck there.

  I went to my room to pack for the night. It wouldn’t take long. I’d only been here two days and I’d been on the go most of the time. I traveled light. Not much time to get ready when the phone call came in from the boss.

  I called Esther, head of housekeeping, and told her my plans. She said she’d send someone over to prepare my room for Helen and Tommy.

  Suddenly, the quiet afternoon exploded with noise.

  “Stop! No move,” someone roared.

  Only one person I knew had that kind of volume.

  “Miss Kelly! Miss Kelly!” Ivan bellowed.

  The sound came from the kitchen. I ran.

  Ivan’s eyebrows arched so high they blended with his hairline. His face was an ominous red.

  Scott sat at the counter, blue eyes shining, an amused smile on his face. His usual uniform of neatly pressed tan slacks, navy blazer, and white shirt fit him well.

  “Kelly, it’s good to see you.” He slid off the stool and gave me a quick hug. “It’s been a while.”

  “He boyfriend?” Ivan’s face turned from red to purple.

  “No!” I almost shouted.

  “He hug. He boyfriend.”

  Scott raised an eyebrow, and his smile grew wider. I could see he was enjoying this way too much. He looked at me hopefully. “Boyfriend?”

  I glared at him.

  The commotion drew others to the room. Daniel came in as Ivan declared my relationship to Scott. Allie trailed behind him.

  Daniel appeared surprised but held his hand out to Scott. “Daniel Stevens. Glad to meet you.” They shook. “This is my daughter, Allie.” He put his arm around her shoulders.

  “Boyfriend! Cool,” Allie declared with an expression only a teenage girl could get when boyfriends were discussed.

  Helen, Tommy, and Fred had followed them in.

  “Kelly’s boyfriend. How nice you could come for a visit,” Helen said.

  “Wait!” I tried to stop the stampede of words around me, but it didn’t happen.

  “I’m Tommy, and this is Fred.” The boy pointed to the tricolored dog bouncing up and down at his side, excited by all the commotion.

  “Hold it, folks.” I held up my hands, finally reining in the runaway conversation. “Let’s get things straight. This is Scott Thompson. He’s an administrator with Resorts International. Not a boyfriend. A work associate.”

  I explained the company policy as Ivan’s face regained its normal color.

  “Sorry. I see walk in back door, no knock,” Ivan rumbled in his best attempt at a quiet voice.

  “I apologize for the upset. I’ve been here numerous times before,” Scott said. “I knew Bob and his wife and always stopped by to chat when I was in the area. I often stayed in the visiting manager’s room.”

  Ivan shuffled his feet. “I watch for strangers. Protecting boy.”

  It hit me, and I felt like I’d been thrown from a horse and landed on packed dirt. “You’ve been taking shifts. Rudy, Mary, and the Professor.” I’d been slow on this one. The Silver Sentinels had been watching over Tommy.

  “We want to help,” the bear-sized member of the Sentinels announced. “Gertie here earlier.”

  Helen went over and gave Ivan a hug, or at least the best she could do considering his size. It was more of a front body clasp. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

  “Thank you. I had no idea people cared so much.”

  “We are the Silver Sentinels. We care. We protect.” He patted her awkwardly on the back. Then his chest puffed up. The bravado that had slipped away during the boyfriend confusion flowed back. “We care. We protect.”

  “Right, then,” Scott said. “Now that we’ve gotten that straightened out, where should I put my things?”

  Oh my gosh. My deer-in-the-headlights look tipped Scott to the situation.

  “Okay. I’m guessing there is nowhere for me to put my things.”

  “I’m . . . I’m so sorry. It . . . it all happened so fast. Your coming here, I mean. And besides, there hasn’t been room for weeks because of the festival. And . . .”

  “Kelly, no problem,” Scott said. “We’ll figure something out.”

  “But how? The company policy says we both need to be on site.”

  “He can have my room,” Tommy piped up.

  The room silenced. No one said a word.

  Right. House a top executive administrator in a little boy’s room. The proverbial pin could drop, and we’d all hear it.

  “And where do you live, Tommy?” Scott knelt down and scratched Fred’s ears.

  “I live in the little house over there.” He pointed at the cottage visible through the back door window.

  “That’s very generous of you. Where will you stay?”

  “Miss Kelly wants my mom and me to stay in her room tonight.” He faltered a bit. “Because of what happened to me.” Tommy sat on the floor and put his arms around Fred’s neck and held him close.

  Scott looked at me. “And where are you staying, Miss Kelly?”

  “In Helen’s room.” I paused for a moment. “In the cottage.”

  “Perfect, then.” Scott straightened up. “You and I will share a small bed-and-breakfast.”

  Two bedrooms.

  One shared bathroom.

  Small.

  Very small.

  Chapter 27

  My throat was suddenly tight. “That should work.”

  Helen glanced at the clock. “There’s enough time before I put out the beverages and hors d’oeuvres for me to change sheets and put out towels for you two.”

  “I’ll take care of the food,” I said.

  “Are you sure? That’s part of my job.”

  “You have plenty to do with packing for the night.”

  “Thanks. That’s sweet of you. Everything is prepared, waiting in the refrigerator, and ready to go.”

  “C’mon, Mr. Scott,” Tommy said, “I’ll show you my room. You can even play with my Legos if you want. But please don’t take apart the ones on my bookshelf.”

  “That’s very nice of you, Tommy.” Scott gave me a wink. “Let’s go.”

  Tall man, short boy, and trotting dog left for the cottage. Helen and Allie followed closely behind.

  “I go now. Enough people here,” Ivan said.

  “Ivan, please thank the Silver Sentinels for their vigilance.” I looked at him with affection. “It’s greatly appreciated by all of us, and I’m going to let my boss know how much your group has done.”

  “You welcome.” He placed his black wool fisherman’s cap on his head and gave it a strong tug on the brim, securing it against the ever-present coastal winds.

  Daniel flipped through the notes he’d taken at the cottage. “I’m going to order pizza tonight for Helen, Tommy, Allie, and myself. We’ll eat at their place. That way I can s
tay with them while they’re getting their things together.”

  “Thanks for all of your help.” I sighed. “I hope they catch the person soon.”

  “Me, too.” Daniel filed his papers in a plastic tray on the wall. “Would you like me to order a pizza for you and Scott?”

  “No thanks. I appreciate the offer, but I’ve been enjoying way too many wonderful things not listed on my usual low cal diet.”

  “I’ll walk Helen and Tommy over about eight.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Daniel left to join the others.

  I spied a tray with two empty cups on the counter. That explained why Stanton and Charlie hadn’t joined the ruckus. Had the deputy learned anything helpful? I doubted he’d tell me if he had. Was there any way I could get Charlie to tell me about their discussion? Unlikely, but I’d try to find him tomorrow and give it a shot.

  I went back to my room to finish packing.

  Scott. What an awkward situation. While I struggled to keep him at a distance, Fate kept throwing us together. Should I be paying attention to the murmurs of the Universe?

  I shook my head. No, not now. Someone had tried to kill Tommy, and I believed Bob was murdered. Finding out who was responsible was where my focus needed to be.

  Sitting down on the window seat, I pulled out the two pieces of paper and unfolded them. Putting the list of suspects down on the couch, I studied the deciphered notes. They were similar to the ones I’d already seen. The Navajo words BESH-LAGAI and CH-CHIL-BE had silver and gold written next to them followed by 3P. Spidery handwriting under them read: money? color? Three PM. It would seem likely it had to do with money because of how much the abalone poachers were raking in. Maybe the time was when the money changed hands. But why two words? Was it something to do with how the payment was made? If they were colors, what did they refer to? Someone’s clothes? Jewelry? Color of cars? I could check on the vehicles tomorrow.

  I shook my head. Enough for now. Time to get ready. My light blue fleece hung from the back of the wooden chair at the table. I grabbed it and put it on top of my duffel bag. I reached under the pillow, pulled out my pajamas, and paused. They were my favorite ones—navy blue with running, cream-colored horses. Perfect for the ranch but probably not executive administrator wear. While I didn’t intend to parade around for anyone in my nightclothes, things could happen. I found a terry-cloth robe in the closet and tried it on. It stopped at my knees. Still lots of equines showing. Better than nothing. I threw it on top of the bag.