Greed with Envy (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 15)

by Hope Callaghan

  “Yep.” Lucy gave two thumbs up. “We have money to invest and we’re looking to get rich quick.”

  Liz had already set the tee time for 1:10 p.m., hoping they would run into Don’s former golf partners either in the clubhouse or on the green. It looked like their gamble might actually pay off.

  The women strode across the parking lot. “We should use Andrea as our lead in. Those men will swoon all over her,” Liz said.

  Gloria had to agree. Andrea, who had had a country club membership when her first husband, Daniel, was alive, was dressed to impress in a pastel print skirt she explained was a skort. Her matching pink polo blouse and bright yellow visor completed the ensemble.

  Gloria eyed the color-coordinated outfit. “I should shop with you more.” She glanced at her own drab gray Capri slacks, short sleeve button down blouse and dull black visor she’d borrowed from Paul.

  “You look fine,” Lucy said. “This isn’t a fashion contest.”

  “True.”

  The women waited outside while Liz headed inside to get the key to the cart and a set of rental clubs. Andrea brought her own clubs and offered to share so they would only have to borrow one set of clubs.

  Gloria glanced at her watch. “What is taking Liz so long?” She started to follow her sister into the building when Liz popped out, dangling the golf cart key. “I managed to find out Don’s former golfing buddies are already on the green. They’ve got about a ten minute head start on us.”

  The women hurried to the golf cart, parked next to the building and climbed in. Andrea and Liz sat in the front while Lucy and Gloria settled onto the bench seat. “We can hurry through the first hole and hopefully catch them on the second or third.”

  Liz stomped on the gas and Gloria gripped the side of the cart. “Easy Liz. This isn’t a race cart.” Liz ignored her sister as she zipped along the winding path to the first hole. She came to an abrupt halt and hopped out.

  “You go first.” Liz told Andrea.

  “10-4.” Andrea saluted Liz and hurried to the first tee.

  Although Gloria knew next to nothing about golf, she could see Andrea was a natural as she eyed the ball and the flag before pulling her club back and effortlessly hitting the ball.

  “Nice shot,” Liz said. She turned to Lucy. “You said it’s been years since you golfed with your old beau, Ben. You might want to take notes.”

  “Bill,” Lucy said. “His name was Bill.”

  Gloria leaned on her golf club. “I wonder if he’s still doing time.”

  “I hope so,” Lucy said. “What a jerk. How I ever got involved with that man, I’ll never know.”

  “Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Gloria said. “Look at how many questionable choices Liz has made in men.”

  Liz shot her sister a death look. “So I made one bad judgment of character.”

  “One?” Gloria laughed. “Not counting the traveling salesman who talked you into accompanying him to Florida where he took all your money and you called me and begged me to send you some cash for the bus fare home.” She tapped the golf club on the green. “Now that I think about it, maybe you should move back to Michigan. You don’t have much luck with Florida men.”

  Liz ignored her sister’s jabs as she studied the ball she’d placed on the tee. “Watch and learn.” She swung at the ball and hit it first try.

  “Nice shot. I guess I’ll give it a whack.” Lucy set her ball on the tee and took a swing. She missed the first and second try.

  “Focus,” Liz said. “You need to focus.”

  “I’m better at firing weapons, not swinging them.” Lucy studied the ball, lifted her club and swung, making contact with the ball on her third attempt. “Third time is the charm.”

  Gloria was next and she was able to send the ball flying on her second attempt.

  “Pick it up gals.” Liz darted across the meticulously manicured green and hurried to the cart. Gloria was barely on the bench seat when Liz sped off down the path.

  They hurried to finish the first hole and unanimously decided to skip the second hole in an attempt to catch up with Ed Shields and the others.

  “I think we found Club NED.” Gloria pointed at a golf cart. It crested a small hill and disappeared over the other side.

  “Hang on ladies.” Liz stomped on the foot pedal. The cart picked up speed as it careened off the paved path and climbed the hill.

  They crested the hill and Gloria squeezed her eyes shut when she realized the other golf cart had stopped on top of the hill.

  Liz stomped on the brake and jerked the wheel in an attempt to avoid a cart collision.

  “Liz,” Gloria gasped.

  “Sorry.”

  The golfers, who stood next to the tee, spun around when they caught a glimpse of the speeding cart coming toward them.

  “Watch where you’re going,” one of the men shouted. “You almost hit our cart.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t park on the top of a hill,” Liz shot back.

  Andrea sprang from her seat and hurried toward the tee. “I’m so sorry. We’re new and the course is unfamiliar to us.”

  “I’m a guest.” Andrea pointed at Gloria. “She’s a new member.”

  “Not for long at this rate,” Gloria mumbled under her breath.

  “Ah.” One of the men rested his hands lightly on top of his golf club. “Kind of late in the season to take up golfing, isn’t it?”

  “I live in Florida and can golf year-round,” Liz answered haughtily, still put off by the gruff reprimand of her driving skills. “Ever heard of Royal Palms Plantation Country Club in Windermere?”

  The man lifted a brow. “Yeah. Royal Palms is a championship golf course. I’ve played there a time or two. You live in Windermere?”

  “Close,” Liz said.

  “If you have such a great golf club down there, why are you playing at Montbay Hills?”

  “I’m here visiting my sister, Gloria.” Liz pointed to her sister. “I’m in town trying to help her set up some local investments.”

  Gloria hurried forward. “I’m trying to leverage some money.”

  “She needs to make some quick cash,” Liz said bluntly. “I’ve got a small amount of expertise in that area and am here to try to help.”

  Gloria choked on Liz’s words and her sister shot her a dirty look.

  “Interesting. I might be able to assist you.” One of the other men stepped forward and held out his hand. “I’m Ed Shields, sales trader by day. I also help friends secure killer investments.”

  “What’s a sales trader?” Gloria had never heard the phrase.

  “In a nutshell, I represent institutional accounts in the equity marketplace by serving as the communication conduit between clients and equity traders. I also provide clients with research, trading suggestions and capital commitment, acting as the "eyes and ears" of my clients in the equity marketplace by identifying trends in the marketplace and providing market color to clients.”

  The lengthy explanation went right over Gloria’s head and it sounded like a bunch of mumbo jumbo.

  “In other words, you help your clients make money,” Andrea said.

  “Exactly.” Ed smiled at Andrea. “Perhaps fate brought you here. I think I…we…might be able to help.”

  Another man in Ed’s party stepped forward. “You know the rules…no shop talk on the greens.”

  “True.” Ed smiled a toothy white grin. “Perhaps we can meet in the clubhouse for a drink after we finish?”

  “Yes. I mean maybe.” Gloria didn’t want to appear too eager.

  “Of course,” Liz said. “We’ll meet you in the clubhouse.” They waited for the foursome to move onto the next hole before speaking.

  “We need to dig into this a little deeper,” Lucy said. “I say we see what he has to say.”

  “Agreed. I just didn’t want to seem too eager,” Gloria said.

  “Remember, you’re desperate to make money,” Lucy reminded her.

  “Good point.
” The women played the next hole. They gave up after playing fourteen holes and made a unanimous decision to head to the clubhouse in an attempt to talk to some of the other members.

  Liz returned the cart while Andrea, Lucy and Gloria headed to the club’s lounge. The day had become overcast and it added to the gloom of the darkly paneled room. The lingering smell of stale cigarette smoke filled the air.

  There was a sign next to the entrance. ‘Open to the public.’

  The room was virtually empty, except for the bartender and a couple of men who were sitting at the bar watching a golf game on the television.

  “Go where the action is,” Andrea joked in a whispered voice.

  The trio headed to the bar area and settled in not far from the men.

  The bartender meandered over. “What can I get you lovely ladies?”

  “What kind of iced tea do you have?” Gloria asked.

  “Raspberry, Blackberry, Mint Julep, Sweet and unsweet,” he said.

  “Raspberry sounds good,” Gloria said.

  “Make it two,” Andrea said.

  “I’ll make it easy,” Lucy said. “Make it three.”

  Liz wandered in as the bartender placed the drinks in front of the women. She hopped onto an empty barstool. “Whatcha having?”

  “Tea.” Gloria swirled the ice cubes with her straw and sipped.

  “Perfect,” Liz said. “Make mine a Long Island.”

  “Liz,” Gloria said.

  “What? Make it a double,” she told the bartender. “I’m not driving.”

  Her sister’s eyes narrowed.

  “Okay. Make it a single.” She tilted her head and gazed at the men sitting at the other end of the bar.

  Gloria shook her head. “We haven’t talked to them yet.”

  The bartender returned moments later, placed a paper napkin on the bar and the mixed drink on top.

  Liz sipped the drink. “Perfect.” She grabbed the napkin and hopped off the barstool. “Watch and learn.”

  Chapter 18

  “Mind if I sit here?” Liz didn’t wait for an answer as she hopped onto the barstool and set her drink on top of the bar. “You fellas members here?”

  The man closest to Liz nodded. “Yeah. You?”

  “Just visiting,” Liz replied. “We’re waiting for someone. Ed Shields.”

  The man grabbed his drink and sipped. “Club NED.”

  “I heard the nickname before. What does it mean?”

  “They’re a group of bigshot shysters.” The man next to him blurted out.

  “Crooks?” Gloria wandered over and stood behind Liz.

  As if on cue, Ed Shields and his golfing partners entered the pub and headed their way.

  “They prey on newbies,” the second man said in a low voice. “I gotta go.” He slid off the barstool and quickly exited the bar, passing Ed and his group of friends on his way out.

  “Afternoon Gus.” Ed nodded at the lone man seated at the bar.

  He turned to Liz and the other women. “Let’s have a seat at a corner table where it’s quiet and we can talk.”

  The women followed Ed and the others to the far side of the room, to a table situated in front of the large picture windows that overlooked the golf course.

  Gloria pulled out a chair and sat. “How does your investment program work?”

  “What’s the minimum?” Liz asked.

  “The minimum is ten thousand but we prefer twenty. That’s when you really start seeing a significant return,” Ed said.

  “How long before we start seeing a return?”

  “Within 30 days, guaranteed 30% ROI…return on investment…or your money back.”

  Gloria lifted a brow. “That’s impressive.”

  Nolan Bolton leaned forward. “These gentleman use the money for a variety of investments, mostly unsecured, but rest assured they personally screen each one and as partners unanimously agree on the venture.”

  “Who are the partners if you don’t mind me asking,” Lucy said.

  “Actually, we do mind.” A man who hadn’t introduced himself yet but Gloria recognized him from the internet photo as Phil Holt, one of the co-owners of the golf club. “They are silent partners by choice.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “If you don’t trust us, then don’t invest.”

  Gloria lifted a hand. “No need to be defensive. I believe it was a legitimate question.”

  “The main contacts are us.” Ed nodded to his colleagues. “We can provide you with financials from last year if you like.”

  “Yes, I would like to see them,” Gloria said. “We plan to attend the after tournament party tomorrow evening. If you could email a copy of the financials and everything looks acceptable, I’ll bring a money order/cashier’s check with me tomorrow.” She wanted to get her hands on the financials to see if she could glean any information on the scammers.

  “If Gloria is happy with her investment, I might look into investing as well,” Andrea said.

  Ed rubbed his hands together. The look of glee on his face made Gloria want to laugh. She was certain the word sucker was running through his head. It was like a cat and mouse game. She wondered how Don had ever gotten involved in such a racket.

  Ed plucked his cell phone from his jacket pocket. “Give me your email address and we’ll have the financials sent over within the hour.”

  Gloria rattled off her email address and stood. She turned to a woman who had wandered over during the conversation and who so far had remained silent. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name.”

  The woman smiled. “Becky.”

  “Becky?” Gloria already knew her last name was Stone but wondered if she would tell her and if not, why she was keeping it a secret.

  “Just Becky,” she said.

  “Are you a partner, too?” Lucy asked.

  “In a roundabout way,” Becky replied.

  Phil Holt stood, a sign the meeting had ended. “I need to take care of some paperwork in my office.” He turned to Gloria. “It was a pleasure meeting you lovely ladies. Are all of you attending the party tomorrow night?”

  “I’m not sure,” Gloria said.

  “It’s invitation only,” Phil said.

  “Yes. We met…” Gloria couldn’t remember the man’s name who’d invited them.

  “Rex invited us,” Liz said. “We met him the other day at the Snack Shack.

  “Rex Wetzel.” Phil gave Ed a quick glance. “I’ll see you ladies hopefully tomorrow evening then.”

  Phil exited the pub.

  Gloria waited until he was out of sight. “We should be leaving, as well.”

  Ed and Nolan stood.

  Becky remained seated.

  “It was a pleasure meeting you.” Ed shook Gloria’s hand. “I hope we can do business and make you an even wealthier woman.”

  “Your venture sounds intriguing,” Gloria said. “I can’t wait to take a look at the financials and discuss it with my friends.” She almost said ‘my husband’ but didn’t want them to know she was married. If the men and Becky found out she was married to a retired cop, it would throw off their sting.

  They parted ways on the sidewalk out front and the women walked to the car.

  “What do you think?” Andrea asked.

  “I smell a rat,” Liz said.

  “Don was a bank vice president for many years,” Lucy said. “How could he possibly have become caught up in a Ponzi scheme? I mean, he would be savvy to stuff like that.”

  “Greed,” Andrea said. “I’m not saying this was the case, but greed can blind you to a lot of things.”

  “Including common sense,” Gloria said. “What happens if we show up tomorrow, I don’t have the cash on hand and these four call my bluff?”

  “We’ll think of something,” Liz said. “Maybe you can tell them the money is tied up in CDs and you’ve got to wait for the paperwork to process before you can take it out.”

  “Or tell them you’re still thinking about it. You want
to mull it over for a couple days,” Andrea said.

  “Yeah.” Gloria nodded. “That’s what I’ll do…tell them I need a couple more days to think about it.”

  Gloria dropped Andrea off at home first and then Lucy, before she and Liz headed to the farm. It was late afternoon and Paul was still at the museum. It had been a long golf game and she was stiff from the physical exertion, not to mention the tennis game from the previous day.

  Liz headed to her room while Gloria and Mally made their way outside. There was still several hours of daylight left and she decided it would be a good time to take a walk through the gardens and flowerbeds. Mally trotted ahead and then circled back as if to tell Gloria to hurry up.

  The fresh air helped clear her head and she wondered once again if Don’s death was a suicide, or perhaps it was an accident. Perhaps he hadn’t meant to kill himself. There was still the possibility someone had murdered him and attempted to make it look like a suicide, although the police had officially called it accidental.

  A shiver ran down her spine at the thought. If there were a killer running around, would he or she suspect Margaret knew something and they planned to take her out, as well?

  Perhaps Don had been taken in the Ponzi scheme and when he threatened to expose the schemers, they murdered him.

  From the brief interaction with Don’s former golf partners, Gloria guessed Ed Shields was the speaker of the group. Nolan Bolton was right behind him. The other two, Phil Holt and Becky Stone, seemed more subdued. Perhaps they were the leaders and the other two the recruiters.

  Rex Wetzel knew something. She remembered the comment he’d made, alluding to the schemers. Maybe he was part of it, too. Maybe he was a “recruiter.” She made a mental note to have Liz cozy up to him at the party since he seemed to have taken a liking to her.

  By the time Gloria circled the barn, Paul was pulling in the drive. He’d called to tell her not to fix dinner and had stopped to pick up some food on his way.

  While they walked to the house, she reminded him she wouldn’t be home Sunday evening because Liz and she planned to attend the tournament’s evening party and then she told him what they’d discovered earlier in the day.