Old Friends and New, Another Murder

by Christa Nardi

  “Here. We have a lot of reports and information to process. We’ll stay at the only hotel here. It’s not quite as quaint as the one in Alta Vista though. We’ll hash out what we have and what information we need while we eat dinner. I’ll give you a call later. Okay?”

  “Not a problem. Pot roast was on the menu and I’m sure there will be leftovers.”

  “Tempting me with one of my favorite meals. Not fair. Later. Love you.”

  CHAPTER 6

  T he shower felt good, Maddie was asleep, and Charlie and I were in bed reading a mystery novel. Without Brett, the bed seemed much bigger. I laughed as my phone chimed at the same time I thought of him.

  “How’s it going? Did you figure it all out?”

  “No such luck. The time of death? Best guess is sometime between Thursday and Saturday. No one is quite sure why there wasn’t more, uh, damage to the body from animals. James and I? We think because he wasn’t moved there until Saturday and the camper-hunter folks made enough noise, the animals stayed away.”

  “That would make sense. You said it didn’t look like he’d been dragged. Carried would make more sense then. Or killed there. Was he shot?”

  “Yes. Three times. Small caliber gun. They did retrieve two bullets. No quick match in the system. A full search to see if that gun has been tested before will take a long time.”

  “I guess I’m relieved he was shot. Max called me, all upset.”

  “I imagine he is. He started ranting as soon as he spotted me. I tried to blame it on James, but that didn’t fly. I plan to keep my distance though I think he spotted me today.”

  “Max thinks you want to arrest him for this man’s murder?”

  “All I can say is that Max Bentley is among the persons of interest in the case. We are working our way down the list. I know you work tomorrow at Millicent. Any chance you could come to Cold Creek on Thursday? He might more amenable to talking if you’re here. Or maybe you can at least keep him calm.”

  “Kim suggested the same thing. I can drive down in the morning, but have to be back at Millicent on Friday. I’ll check with Melina and see if Maddie can stay there in case it’s late on Thursday when I – or we – get home. I don’t really think my being there will help, though.”

  “Probably not, but you also might pick up on something we miss. And I don’t mean just from him.”

  “What else?” I sat up, jostling Charlie as I did.

  “Do you remember Jared Skinner? Sebastian Cabot? Names ring a bell?”

  “Vaguely. Drugs is the only connection I remember and somehow connected to Justin Blake’s murder. Skinner any way. Not sure I remember Cabot.”

  “Right. Connor Landry’s family is very close with the Cabots. In our conversation with Landry’s widow, she mentioned her husband met with Sebastian Cabot and a Chase Jarvit for dinner on Thursday evening and again for breakfast on Friday morning. From what she said, the three families – Landry, Cabot, and Jarvit – often socialized. The men were close and went back some time.”

  “Did he make those meetings? Wouldn’t that narrow the time of death?”

  “Yes to dinner. And he did go home Thursday night. Mrs. Landry said he was gone when she got up around 9 o’clock, her assumption being he went to meet the other two for breakfast.”

  “And?”

  He chuckled. “He never showed for breakfast. Cabot and Jarvit waited for him, ate breakfast, and left. We confirmed that.”

  “Ahh, so he was alive until he left the house Friday morning. At least that narrows the time frame for you and the suspects. Where did they go for dinner and breakfast? The local options aren’t that great.”

  “North Shore has added a few food options. There’s even a new brewpub type place. Brew their own beer. James and I ate there tonight and confirmed that the three men ate there on Thursday. As far as the help was concerned, the three men had a pleasant meal, nothing out of the ordinary.”

  “Kim mentioned something about that place. She and Marty were going there last night, only the road was closed.”

  “Open now. Breakfast was at a small organic diner. The Eggspot.”

  “Organic? Okay. Did you breakfast there?”

  He laughed. “Heck, no. Place was jammed and only open from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. We did chat with the owner and wait staff and perused the menu.”

  “And?”

  “You wouldn’t like the food. Not just because it’s organic, but it’s also over the top with tofu and soy and sauces; there’s not much plain on the menu. And you can only deconstruct a menu item so much to get it plain. Besides, they don’t serve coffee or expresso. Only herbal teas.”

  I groaned. Definitely not my type of place.

  “What about the breakfast meeting?”

  “Cabot, Jarvit, and Landry ate there frequently. The waiter was surprised Landry didn’t show up. Described Landry as the most down to earth of the three. And the best tipper.”

  “Cabot or Jarvit have a motive?”

  “We’re, uh, looking into both of them. A ‘red flag’ popped up when I visited Jarvit’s office and ran into Jared Skinner leaving. Only Jarvit wasn’t there so I couldn’t ask him about it. With Skinner around, I have to think drugs again.”

  Only a few years ago, there’d been a big drug bust in North Shore and a related murder in Cold Creek. Jared Skinner had been involved, was arrested, and went to jail.

  “You’ll keep chasing the information up in North Shore tomorrow and then branch out, like to Max, on Thursday?”

  “That’s the plan. Any new information could change that. Despite Max’s tirade when Tally, the police officer from North Shore, questioned him, I am not out to hang a murder on him. But even Max admits having a very loud disagreement with Landry over dog poop.”

  I snorted. “That is too funny.”

  “What are your plans for tomorrow?”

  “Teaching in the morning. I’ll get in touch with Melina about Thursday and over the weekend for Maddie, if we can get away. You know, friendships are very fragile with teen girls. I sure hope Maddie and Nedra stay friends for a long time. And Maddie should have Nedra over sometimes, so it’s not always Melina and Vincent with the extra person.”

  “Good points. Fabry is giving me signals to shut up already. He needs his beauty sleep.”

  “Okay, g’nite. Hope you can get home tomorrow night, with this case closed.”

  We disconnected and I hoped Landry’s death wasn’t just a local problem. I didn’t know Tally, and I liked Hirsch, but my experiences in Cold Creek with Chief Pfeiffe didn’t give me a lot of confidence when it came to local police officials in small towns.

  CHAPTER 7

  T eaching was the last thing on my mind as I made my way to Millicent College. My head was buzzing with what little information I had on the murder and the possible drug angle. It didn’t help that a news brief mentioned both a faculty member at Cold Creek College and drugs in the same sentence. For all that makes Max who he is, drugs? Nope.

  I almost frowned when I spotted Dr. Addison, however I quickly replaced it with a smile.

  “Good Morning, Dr. Addison. How are you?”

  “I’m fine, Sheridan. I heard on the news about the problems down in Cold Creek and North Shore. You don’t have anything to do with that, do you? Did you know the faculty member they think is responsible?”

  “I know as much as you do. There have been a few new faculty and others left. Of course, it’s possible I know their ‘person of interest’ of course.” I smiled my most innocent smile as I skirted the truth.

  He nodded his head. “We don’t want any of that stuff filtering up here. We dealt with the drug issue back when you identified the dealers. Millicent College doesn’t need any more untoward publicity. It upsets the Trustees.”

  “I understand. I will not do anything to reflect badly on Millicent.”

  And I could say that honestly, though I suspected that eliminating Luke and Caleb as dealers and pushers, and putting Shane Buchanan i
n jail, didn’t mean someone else hadn’t shown up to fill their positions. Where there were consumers, there would be new suppliers to provide the goods.

  He smiled and nodded as he walked away. My suspicious mind wondered if he planned to meet me in the parking lot each day or if it was a coincidence this week. I shook my head at the ridiculousness of the thought. After all, no one knew anything on Monday morning.

  Backpack in hand, my next stop was the Keurig machine. One of the other faculty, Leah Buxbaum, tapped my arm as she passed me.

  “Coffeecake and muffins in the lounge – homemade. You don’t want to miss it.” She smiled and headed in that direction. Leah’s office was next to mine, though somewhat bigger, and she shared my love of coffee. She taught sociology and criminology, not all that removed from psychology.

  The faculty lounge or break room was not a place I frequented, except when the Keurig lines were too long. The Mr. Coffee machine was a last, desperate choice for me. Coffeecake sounded good though. I hoped it was cinnamon or cream cheese, my two favorites, and I was not disappointed. Someone had made a cream cheese filled coffeecake with cinnamon and pecans. It looked and smelled delish.

  Grabbing a piece, I realized the topic of conversation was the murder and decided to sit down. I only knew a few of the faculty as a part-time adjunct, but smiled at the few I recognized. And tried not to stare at the man who seemed to be holding court. Him, I didn’t know.

  Dr. Austin Antos, as I learned later, recently joined the faculty, replacing a faculty member who died suddenly. That faculty member had taught economics and finance. My best guess put him in his thirties. Jet black hair, in curls to his shoulder, light brown skin, and eyes so blue he had to be wearing colored contact lenses. He smiled and his whole face lit up. And it was a very handsome face setting off an athletic build emphasized by his his snug polo shirt.

  “Austin, of course it’s just terrible. Forget all the psychology mumbo jumbo. What do you think, you know, from an economics perspective?” The cute blonde leaned toward him as she spoke, as did several of the others. I glanced around the room and Leah rolled her eyes. It was hard not to laugh out loud.

  “Kiera, you saw the last bulletin as did we all. For some reason, one man killed another. I’m not a detective, but I think the French would say ‘Cherchez la femme,’ don’t you?”

  Kiera about drooled at his use of the French. “So romantic.”

  If Leah rolled her eyes any more, no telling if she’d be able to focus by the time she finished her snack. And my attempt not to laugh came out a snort. And now everyone looked at me.

  “Excuse me. I missed the last bulletin, so I may not be up to date. On the news, they said something about drugs? Have they eliminated that possibility since then?”

  At least a few of the women turned from him and I noticed his facial expression freeze, his smile no longer friendly. He didn’t like losing the attention and I obviously wasn’t under his spell.

  Leah jumped in. “I heard the same thing, Sheridan. Not much information, but it was looking like it may have been related to drugs. There were some issues here a few years ago, before you arrived, Dr. Antos. Sheridan, you were involved and wasn’t the whole drug bust thing related to a murder?”

  Not happy she’d brought it up, I didn’t have a choice but to answer.

  I nodded. “A man was killed in Clover Hill. He was about to close down a drug dealer who used high school and college kids to get other kids hooked and provided the product across the state, including here. Apparently, it was a very lucrative activity, fueled by the dealer’s own drug habit and gambling debts. In that case, it was economics and not romance.”

  Dr. Antos made a big show of looking at his watch and gracefully stood up and stretched, showcasing his trim but muscular physique. With a big smile to most that seemed to disappear when he glanced at me, he commented, “Ladies, the bell is about to ring. Thank you, Claudia, for the delicious treats this morning.”

  His comment was directed to an older woman and she glowed. He strutted out of the room and there was a collective sigh. I finished my coffee cake, praised the woman who provided it, and left, Leah joining me. She shook her head. “Lunch? In the cafeteria with Mr. Keurig?”

  “Sure.”

  CHAPTER 8

  C lasses went well and cup in hand, I checked my phone as I walked to the cafeteria. I jumped when someone tapped my shoulder.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met. Austin Antos. I teach economics and finance.”

  “Nice to meet you, Dr. Antos.” He was not quite six foot tall. Still his torso was shorter than expected. I resisted the urge to check his shoes to see if he possibly had lifts.

  He put his hand up. “Austin, please. To deal with these students and administration, it’s best if we are all friends, don’t you think?” His mouth turned up but his blue eyes were narrowed, not as shining as earlier.

  I nodded. “I’m Sheridan Hendley. I’m a temporary, adjunct faculty in psychology. Part-time. One benefit of my job is steering clear of all the politics.”

  “Temporary. Adjunct. That explains why I haven’t seen you. You would be difficult to forget.” His gaze travelled from my face to my feet and back as he spoke. He seemed to think it was a compliment and I wanted to groan.

  “Sorry to rush off, but I have a meeting. And I need to call my husband.” I smiled and walked away.

  In the cafeteria, I grabbed a sandwich and coffee and looked around. Leah stood, waving, and I smiled. We sat a table for four, with only two chairs, in a corner of the large room. Not quiet, but much quieter than the cacophony of voices as I joined her.

  “I usually take my lunch back to my office. It’s too loud in here.”

  “In about five minutes, the masses will thin out. Many of them go out to the parking lot and play football as long as it’s not too cold. Others gravitate to the library or the computer lab. They can’t eat or drink in either. Library is a quiet zone, not so the computer lab.”

  Even as she spoke, students were exiting. One even slid a chair to our table. I nodded at him. “Thanks.”

  “Do most of the faculty eat in the teachers’ lounge?”

  “Not most. The younger crowd tends to gravitate there. Others, like you or me most times, eat in their offices or go to one of the fast-food places or the student center. No leftovers this morning, so here I am.”

  I smiled. “Was that the younger crowd this morning? Except Claudia, of course.”

  She nodded. “Definitely. And the gathering was typical of when Austin makes an appearance. Claudia, on the other hand, lives alone and loves to bake. At least once a month, we all reap the benefits.”

  “I remember once or twice going in there for a quick cup of coffee and seeing cake or cookies. And I recognize her from the library. Were those her goodies?”

  “Most likely. Many of us bring in stuff around the holidays – usually cookies, not cake. I walked in with her so I knew it was a good day in the lounge.”

  “Definitely an interesting dynamic.”

  She burst out laughing. “One of the reasons, I don’t hang out there since Austin joined the faculty. He has his own groupies and they fawn all over him. Most of them are first- or second-year faculty, in their late twenties or early thirties. Not surprisingly, some of them are single. You lucked out not having to be here for the retreat last month. He walked in and the reaction was palpable. One person noticed him and then the next. A chain reaction with everyone watching him. Especially Kiera.”

  “Let me guess. She teaches literature?”

  “Yup, and a fan of everything literary and romantic. She’s actually very bright and knowledgeable. I think she’s even written a book or two. She’s Claudia’s niece, by the way.”

  We had both finished our lunch before Leah spoke again.

  “I know how involved you got with that other murder. Isn’t this latest one in your old back yard?”

  I smiled. “Yes, North Shore is one of the nearest towns. My friends and
I would often go there or Alta Vista for something to do.”

  “Are you involved in the investigation this time? Anything I can do to help?”

  “Dr. Addison has made it quite clear that I am not to be involved and to keep Millicent College out of it.”

  “Ha! All you have to do is look around and know that like any college campus, there’s some faction that is involved in drugs. And I don’t mean marijuana. I’m friends with Craig Sims at the health center. Based on students showing up wired or not remembering what they did the night before, he suspects someone’s dealing here.”

  I nodded. “It only makes sense that if there was a market for drugs here before, that even when Shane Buchanan’s operation was shut down, someone would eventually step in and fill the void. Might not have anything to do with the murder in North Shore, even if it was related to drugs.”

  “True. I just love a good mystery.”

  Laughing, I agreed. “The only mystery I need to focus on now is how to wake up my sleepy afternoon class.”

  We bussed our table and it was back to work. I still needed to let Mrs. Chantilly know I wouldn’t be volunteering on Thursday. I’d left a message on voicemail, only she didn’t always listen to the messages or track what was said. Brett’s last message said he would be home late tonight and we needed to talk. I decided to stop at Pets & Paws on my way home.

  Luke and Mrs. Chantilly were both in the kitchen when I walked in. Luke scurried around but didn’t say a word. Slim, with white blonde hair, blue eyes, Luke had put on some muscles working at Pets & Paws. At the same time, he’d also lost his attitude. He opened his mouth a few times, shook his head and worked. Mrs. Chantilly, on the other hand, bustled around him, still dressed as a pilgrim.

  She paused when she saw me. “Sheridan, it’s not the right day. Did you get lost?”

  “Not at all. I needed to let you know I won’t be in tomorrow. I left you a voicemail.”