Murdered in Argentina: A Jack Trout Cozy Mystery

by Dianne Harman

  “There is a spare bedroom we always keep for emergencies at the end of the hall. It is empty.” Santiago turned to Lisa and said, “I imagine you don’t want to sleep in your room tonight. I’ll show you to the other room. Would you like me to get something from that room for you?”

  “Thank you. Yes, I would like the make-up kit that’s on the bathroom counter and the pajamas and robe I laid out earlier should also be in there. I’ll wait and decide what I’m going to do about all this tomorrow.”

  “Santiago, thank you for everything. Go on home. There’s nothing more that can be done here tonight. I’ll take care of Lisa and get her things out of her room. I have a tranquilizer I keep on hand for emergencies, and I’ll give one to her, so she can get some sleep.” Jack said as he turned to Lisa and said “I think it’s time for you to go to bed.”

  Lisa looked faint when she stood up, and Carola and Jack each put an arm around her, gently guiding her up the stairs. They walked her to the far end of the hallway and opened the door to the room Santiago had mentioned. Jack led her over to the bed and helped her into a sitting position. “Carola, stay with her. I’ll be back in a moment with a sedative and her things.”

  He returned a few moments later with a glass of water, the sedative, and the other things she’d requested. “Carola, I think you should help her get in bed, but I do have one question. Lisa, when I went into your room before the police chief came, and I got Ray’s Rolodex, money, the passports and his ring, I didn’t see his antique fishing gear. Was it in the room when you left?”

  She wrinkled her brow deep in thought. “Yes. Ray had propped that stupid fly rod up by the door. I remember when I slammed the door it clattered to the floor behind me. Why?”

  “Whoever murdered Ray must have taken his fishing gear, because it’s missing from the room. Maybe that was the motive. Lisa, if you don’t mind, I’ll keep the things I picked up from your room. I think that’s probably too much for you to deal with right now. Carola, I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  *****

  Ten minutes later Carola walked into their room. “Were you able to get her settled down enough to sleep?” Jack asked.

  “I think so. She took the sedative, and she has to be exhausted from crying so much. Jack, what is going on? It was as if the chief of police didn’t even care that a man had been murdered in his jurisdiction. How can that be?”

  “Carola, you know we don’t have secrets from each other, and I’m going to tell you something I promised Santiago I wouldn’t tell to anyone, but in this case, if I keep the secret, justice won’t be done, and I can’t live with myself if that happens. I sometimes think we have to obey a higher law.” He proceeded to tell her about his conversation with Santiago.

  “Are you telling me this police chief probably won’t investigate this murder because it happened to an American, and as far as he’s concerned he thinks that’s a good thing? Is that what you’re telling me?” she asked with a horrified look on her face.

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  “Well, that’s totally unacceptable to me. If he won’t investigate it, I will,” she said tossing her head in anger, her jet black hair creating a swirling cloud around her while her big brown eyes blazed in anger. Bright spots of red on her cheeks conveyed how angry she was. Carola was a South America beauty, and anger only intensified her coloring and her beauty.

  “Sweetheart, this is a little out of your league. I know you and your friend Kelly Reynolds did a good job solving a murder mystery in Cuba and at the same time pretty much saved my life, but this is different. I don’t know what you can do.”

  “Jack,” she said looking at her watch. “It’s only ten at night in California. I’m calling Kelly. I’m sure she can give me some ideas.” With that being said, she picked up her phone and punched in a phone number.

  CHAPTER 14

  Carola’s friend, Kelly, the wife of Sheriff Mike Reynolds, lived in Cedar Bay, Oregon. The two women became friends when they met on a fishing trip to Cuba that had been arranged by Jack. She answered her phone on the third ring. “Kelly, it’s me, Carola. I’m sorry to bother you so late at night, but I didn’t know who else to call.”

  “What’s wrong, Carola?”

  Carola spent the next twenty minutes telling Kelly about the events of the evening and asking her opinion on what she should do to try and solve the crime.

  “I can tell you some places to start if I were you, but keep in mind, these are just suggestions. Since I’m not there, I really don’t know exactly what you’re dealing with,” Kelly said. “Actually, Mike just walked in. I’m usually in bed before now, because I have to get up so early to open up the coffee shop, but I decided to take the day off tomorrow and do some personal errands I’ve been putting off. Let me get his input, and I’ll get back to you.”

  Carola put her phone down and took a pad of paper and a pen out of her large purse. She looked at Jack who was about to drift off to sleep and said, “I want to be ready when she calls. It looks like I’m going to be very busy for the next couple of days. I’ll go in the bathroom, so you can get some sleep. See you tomorrow.”

  A few minutes later her phone rang. “Thanks for getting back to me, Kelly. What did Mike have to say?”

  “Well, first of all, being a sheriff he’s appalled that nothing is being done to find the murderer. Secondly, he thinks there are several things you can do. You need to find out everything you can about each person in the group Ray brought on the fishing trip. I don’t know how you can do that, but I’m sure you’ll think of a way. You can start with an Internet search like we did in Cuba when we wanted to get some background information about the possible suspects when that English fishing guide was murdered. Maybe Ray had some kind of a competitor in his business. It might be a good idea to see if you could find out something from that angle.”

  “I remember Ray saying something on the drive here about a competitor who had taken away some of his company’s business. When I get off the phone I’ll try and remember the conversation. I might even wake Jack up, although that probably won’t make him very happy,” Carola said.

  “You speak the language of Argentina. I’d talk to some of the people at the lodge. They might know something. Since Ray’s prized fishing gear is missing, maybe one of the maids or fishing guides knows where it is. I’d spend some time with his wife. You said they argued a lot. I’d also see if Ray has any relatives or if his wife does. Maye one of them wanted something bad to happen to him for whatever reason. Who gets the company when he dies? Did he and Lisa have a prenuptial agreement? Who was in line to take over the company if something happened to him? Those are a few things that immediately come to mind. I’ll think about it some more, and then let’s talk tomorrow. Good luck.”

  “Thank you so much, Kelly. I do have something to tell you that I was going to surprise you with. Actually, I was going to send you some pictures when we got back to Chile. Remember that cat, Cayo, that fell in love with you when we were in Cuba?”

  “Of course. I’ve thought about him often. I really wished I could have brought him home with me, but between Mike’s resistance to the idea and getting a cat into the United States, to say nothing of introducing him to my dogs, it wasn’t meant to be. I named him for the island we were on. Why?”

  “Well, I think I previously mentioned we were going back to Cuba for another fishing trip, which we did. Cayo was there and seemed to recognize me. A client of Jack’s had brought several friends of his from Chile in his private plane, as well as Jack and me. I asked him if I could take the cat back with us to our home in Chile. He agreed, and Cayo is here with me now.”

  “I’m so glad to hear that, Carola. If I couldn’t have him, you’re the person I would have liked for him to be with. If it hadn’t been for him, I’m not so sure you wouldn’t be a widow about now.”

  “Yes. I think of that almost daily. He is very sweet, and I’m so glad I could bring him with me. Anyway, thanks
for your help, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  Carola walked out of the bathroom and was surprised to see Jack sitting up in bed with the light on. “I thought you’d be sound asleep by now,” she said.

  “I’ve been thinking, Carola. This could be a disaster for my business. I mean, what if the word gets out, and it will, that one of my clients was murdered in a fishing lodge on a trip where I was the one who arranged the trip and planned everything. It would be a public relations nightmare for me.” He looked steadily at her. “You have to find out who murdered Ray. It won’t be easy, but I’m depending on you. This could affect us in a big way, and not in a good way, I’m afraid to say.”

  Carola took a deep breath. “Jack, I’ll do everything I can to find the murderer, and I have several reasons for wanting to do so. Of course for you, but I am a South American, and I cannot have Americans thinking that our police are totally corrupt. I don’t care for Lisa, but she deserves better than this.”

  “You’re going to have to do it pretty much on your own, because I need to be fishing with the guests. Since Ray’s dead, I’m going to have to take over the leadership role for the balance of the trip as best I can.”

  “I agree. You need to get some sleep, but first I need to ask you something.”

  “Shoot,” he said as he laid back down in bed.

  “Remember when you and Ray were talking about his business when we were having dinner with Lisa and Ray in Puerto Montt? He was talking about a competitor who had taken away several customers of his. Do you remember the name of the company Ray mentioned?”

  Jack was quiet for several moments. “I can almost see the name in my mind. Give me a minute. He said something about the company being relatively new, and they had a lot of hot shot graphic people working for them, but he didn’t think any of them were as good as Kevin.”

  “That’s right. I remember that part, because when I met Kevin that conversation came back to me.”

  Jack clicked his fingers. “The name of the company is WrapAround Graphics. I thought at the time it sounded like it would be plastic wrap. Yes, that’s definitely the name of the company. I know I’m changing the subject, but I wonder if Lisa still wants her coffee at eight-thirty tomorrow morning.”

  “You have other things to do. No need to arrange for that. I’ll take care of it. Actually, I might still take her to San Martin. Maybe some retail spending therapy will help. Anyway, with the time difference, I can’t call Wraparound until at least one or two tomorrow afternoon. Good night, Jack. I love you,” she said as she got into bed and turned off the light.

  CHAPTER 15

  The next morning Carola woke up when she heard Jack in the shower. She quickly dressed and was waiting when he came out of the bathroom.

  “Good grief, Carola, the only time I’ve ever seen you up this early is when you’re preparing lunches for my guide trips in Northern California, and you know you don’t have to cook here. Have a hard time sleeping last night, sweetheart?” he asked as he got dressed.

  “My mind was whirling. There is so much I have to do today. While you were in the bathroom, I made a list, so I won’t forget something. I’m going downstairs with you and have a much needed cup of tea, and then I’ll bring a cup of coffee up to Lisa. I need to talk to her. She must know if Ray had a will and if he’s made any provisions for who he wanted to take over the company if anything happened to him. I also wonder if he’s been married before, and if he had any children or other relatives. They need to be notified. After we get back from San Martin, I want to call WrapAround Graphics and see what I can find out from them.”

  “Thanks for taking care of all of those things,” Jack said. “I wish I could help you, but I need to be with Ray’s guests. As I mentioned last night, he’s paid in full for all of them, and they might as well have a good fishing experience in spite of what happened to Ray.”

  “If one of them did it, you’d think they’d feel a little guilty about killing Ray and then letting him pay for their fishing.”

  “Think you’ve got the cart before the horse, Carola. We really don’t have a clue who did it. Maybe it was someone who walked into the lodge and had a grudge against an American. Who knows? Anyway, I’m ready to go downstairs I’ll see you tonight. Good luck sleuthing.”

  *****

  An hour later Carola knocked on Lisa’s door. She heard Lisa ask, “Who is it?”

  “It’s Carola, Lisa. I thought you could use a cup of coffee.”

  Lisa opened the door and Carola had to stop herself from saying anything. Lisa looked like she’d aged ten years overnight. Her face was haggard and blotchy from crying. She wore no make-up and black circles ringed her eyes. “Thank you, Carola. I couldn’t bring myself to go downstairs and face everyone. I think I’ll skip my yoga and exercises this morning. I’m just not up to it.”

  Carola closed the door behind her, walked over to a nearby table, and put the cup of coffee on it. “Lisa, I’d like to talk to you for a few minutes. We have plenty of time before the shops open in town. We can go downstairs and have some breakfast if you’re up to it, or I’d be happy to bring some up to you.”

  “No, the thought of food makes me sick, but this coffee does look good. I still can’t believe all this is happening.”

  “I imagine you’re in shock, and that’s perfectly normal. I wish you could rest for several days, but there are some things that need to be done. First of all, what about Ray’s relatives? Did he have a family? What about children?”

  “No,” Lisa said. “We used to say it was a good thing we found each other, because neither one of us has any family. I think he told you about his father. His mother’s deceased, and there’s no one else. He was never married to anyone before he married me. He’d more or less married his business. I’m sure people probably thought he married me strictly because of my looks and that he could afford me, but there was more to it than that. We argued a lot, but that was our way of interacting. I loved him very much, and I know he loved me.

  “I came from a very wealthy family, but there was no love there. My father and mother were divorced when I was very young, and I was actually raised by my grandmother. The only good thing my parents did for me was to name me as their beneficiary, because each of them died before I was twenty years old. Ray and I really had no role models for what makes a good marriage. I’m sure others wondered about our marriage, but we did the best we could do.”

  You’ve got that right, Lisa, Carola thought. I was one who certainly wondered about your marriage, but this explains a lot.

  “Lisa, did Ray have a will or a trust? Do you know who his lawyer is? Did he ever tell you what he planned to do with the company if something happened to him?”

  “Ray and I had trusts. Even though Ray used to joke around about how much money I spent, I’m actually quite wealthy in my own right. Ray had a bit of an ego and wanted people to believe he was the wealthy one. His lawyer insisted we have trusts. If something happened to me, Ray was to get all of my money and assets and vice versa. I guess now I’m the owner of Moving Graphics,” she said looking down at her perfectly polished fingernails. “I probably should call our lawyer. It would be better for him to hear it from me then from someone else. Even though the top people in his company are here, I’m sure they have phones, and they’ve already probably made some calls.”

  “I agree. That’s a call you definitely need to make today. I imagine the company will be fine for a few days, since I’m sure the people who are here made plans so their departments would operate smoothly while they were in Argentina,” Carola said.

  “I really don’t know much about the company. I know that Ray talked a lot about how Mitch Graham was ready to take over the company, but Ray wasn’t ready to step down. I probably should talk to Mitch.”

  “Do you think you’ll keep him on as president?” Carola asked.

  “I’ve never thought about any of this. I suppose it should keep going the way it has, and I could stay in the
background as the silent owner. That’s something else I probably need to discuss with our attorney.”

  “Why don’t you shower and get dressed? It’s eight now. I’ll arrange for us to go into town about ten. We can look around and then have lunch. I know you’re probably not hungry, but with everything that’s happened, you need to keep your strength up. I want to talk to a couple of people here at the lodge before we go. When we get back you can call your attorney. It’s too early now. Does that sound good to you?”

  “Not really, but I suppose there’s nothing else for me to do until we leave San Martin on Thursday. Carola, let me ask you something?”

  “Of course. What is it?”

  “When I couldn’t sleep last night I got to wondering why the chief of police didn’t take statements last night from the people who worked for Ray. I also don’t think he talked to any of the people here at the lodge who might have seen something. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?” Lisa asked, biting her lower lip as she tried to keep from crying.

  “Lisa, Jack and I wondered the same thing. I’m really not familiar with how something like this is handled in Argentina, but I agree with you. The whole thing strikes me as odd, but I’m not sure there’s anything we can do about it.”

  Lisa was quiet for several moments, seemingly deep in thought, then she began to speak. “Carola, when we were in the car driving here from Chile, I remember you and Jack talking about a murder that had happened while you were in Cuba. The reason I remember is it had something to do with that cat you had in the back of the SUV. I also remember Jack saying something about you and a woman, I think her name was Kelly, solving the murder. Is that true?”

  “Yes, more or less, but I don’t think that has anything to do with your husband’s murder.”

  “No. I’m sure it doesn’t, but if you were able to solve a murder in Cuba, why couldn’t you solve a murder here in Argentina? Carola, I don’t think the chief of police is going to do anything about Ray’s murder. Call it a gut reaction, woman’s intuition, or whatever you want, but I have this strong feeling that he’s going to do nothing. I want to hire you to solve my husband’s murder. I would pay you very well. I was wealthy before Ray died, but now with his money, I am very, very wealthy. Will you?” Lisa asked.