Murdered in Argentina: A Jack Trout Cozy Mystery

by Dianne Harman

  Carola stood up and walked over to the window deep in thought. After several minutes she turned around and said, “Lisa, what happened in Cuba was a fluke. I’m not an investigator. I really don’t know anything about murders and clues and things like that. I would be happy to help if I can, but you must understand that I have no training at all in something like this, and I definitely would not want to be paid. There’s another reason this murder needs to be solved. The reputation of my husband’s business could be in jeopardy. He is very well known in the fly fishing industry, and there are a number of his competitors who would like nothing more than to put it out all over social media that Jack Trout’s client was murdered in Argentina, and the killer was never found. That could be very bad for business.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. I never thought of that. I’ve made my mind up, Carola. I know you don’t like me very much, and I don’t blame you, but I’m pleading with you to do this for me. I have nothing else to do until we leave. I’m smart, and I can help. I’d like to work with you. I have some ideas. Please say yes, Carola.”

  Carola looked directly at Lisa and saw both sincerity and deep pain in her eyes. “Lisa, I can’t promise you we can discover who murdered your husband, but yes, I will be happy to see what we can find out, and I would like you to work with me. Two heads are always better than one, and you probably have a lot more knowledge about your husband’s business and the people in it than you think. Get dressed, and I’ll be back here in an hour so we can get started.”

  “Thank you, Carola. I’ve thought for a long time that there had to be more to life than getting my hair and nails done. This may just be the jumpstart for a whole new life that I’ve needed for a long time. I’ll see you in an hour.”

  Carola walked out the door and down the hall to her room. I have no idea how this is going to play out, but I’ve always believed things happen for a reason. Who knows? Maybe Ray had to be murdered so Lisa could find her purpose in life. Wouldn’t that be something? Jack is not going to believe this, but then again, I’m not so sure I do either.

  CHAPTER 16

  The door to Lisa’s room was open when Carola returned an hour later. Lisa was sitting at a table writing on a pad of paper. She looked up at Carola’s knock and said, “Come on in. I started making some notes.”

  Carola sat across the table from her and said, “What have you come up with?”

  Lisa gave her an embarrassed smile. “Carola, you’re going to think this is crazy, but I think I’ve read every mystery book that’s ever been written in the last fifteen years. For some reason, I enjoy them, and since Ray worked such long hours I always had a lot of free time on my hands. Once I’d worked out, shopped, and kept myself looking like the wife of a successful businessman, I still had a number of hours to fill every day, so I read mysteries. I don’t mean I read one or two a month, no, it was like one every day or two. I’m a very fast reader.”

  “I like mysteries, too, but I’ve never read that many,” Carola said. “You may be better at this than I am.”

  “Well, we’ll find out. One of the things I remember from reading those mystery books is there are always two suspects you want to take a long look at right away. First the spouse, which would be me. I know I didn’t do it, and since the chief of police doesn’t seem to care about the case, I rather doubt he’s going to look at me as a suspect. The second one could still be the spouse, because it’s the person who has the most to gain.”

  “My friend Kelly, the one who was with me in Cuba, also said pretty much the same thing about who had the most to gain from a murder. I’m sorry, Lisa, but not only are you the victim’s wife, you also just got a lot wealthier because of Ray’s death.”

  “That’s true, but we’re going to forget about that, because I know I didn’t do it. I mean why would I try to find the murderer if I knew I was the murderer? Makes absolutely no sense. No, we need to start with the company. Since Ray didn’t have any family other than me, there are people in the company who might profit from his death.”

  “The one who comes to mind immediately is Mitch Graham,” Carola said. “Jack mentioned he was in line to become president of the company when Ray retired. I think Jack even said that Ray and Mitch joked about it last night before dinner. Do you know him well?”

  “No. Carola, I’ll be honest. I don’t know what’s come over me, but I’m beginning to not even recognize the person I was, and that person didn’t know or care much about anything other than shallow personal matters related solely to me. Business was not a shallow matter. Enough said.”

  “Let’s talk more about Mitch. Is he married? What about his family? How badly did he want to be president? Did Ray ever say anything about him?”

  Lisa sat back in her chair thinking. “I’ve met his wife several times. She’s a nice woman. I believe her name is Nina, and I think she talked about her children. Ray did mention that this trip occurred during Mitch’s thirtieth wedding anniversary, and he was sorry about the timing of it. On a number of different occasions Ray told me about how Mitch was beginning to pressure him to step down.”

  “When we were in Puerto Montt having dinner, Jack and Ray were talking about another company that is a competitor of Moving Graphics. This morning I asked Jack if he could remember the name. He said the company’s name was WrapAround Graphics. Does that mean anything to you?”

  “I’ve certainly heard the name from Ray a number of times, but I don’t see what it has to do with his death.”

  Carola took a deep breath. “Okay, Jack says I have an overactive imagination, and there may be some truth to that, so here’s what I’m thinking. What if the head of that company hired someone to kill Ray?”

  “Wow! Yeah, I’d have to agree with Jack. That’s a pretty big stretch. Let me think about it.” She was quiet for several moments and then said, “I suppose one of Ray’s employees could have been hired by WrapAround to kill Ray while he’s here in Argentina and then get a nice fat job with that company, but I have no idea who it would be.”

  “Let’s go through the people from Ray’s company who are here. Although it may have been a ranch hand or some stranger passing through the area, I think the Moving Graphics employees are where we need to look first. We’ve talked about Mitch. What about Kevin, the art director?”

  “I’ve only met him a couple of times. I never heard Ray say anything but glowing things about him. I understand he’s regarded as a wunderkind in the industry. You know, someone who makes it really big while they’re young. Ray said he was very non-corporate, all the way from his looks to his lifestyle, whatever that means. I don’t see where he’d have anything to gain by jumping ship when he’s already the head of the art department of the largest commercial vehicle graphics company in the United States. I’d put him at the bottom of the list,” Lisa said.

  “Based on what you just said, I agree. What about Dean Lewis? I met him briefly last night, but I don’t even know what he does for the company,” Carola said.

  “He’s in charge of new accounts, and from what I can remember Ray saying about him, very good at what he does. As a matter of fact, I remember Ray saying that of all his employees, Dean was probably the most loyal. Ray even said he and Dean kind of had a father-son relationship. Ray was a pretty good judge of character, and I don’t think he’d say that unless he meant it. He’s another one I’d probably put pretty far down the list.”

  “All right. What about Brad Dixon? What does he do for the company?”

  “I think he’s the head of marketing. Ray strongly believed in the power of advertising and said on several occasions he thought that was one of the reasons the company had done so well. Ray said something once about Brad. Give me a minute to think about it. As I recall, it wasn’t very flattering.”

  She stood up and paced back and forth as if the very action of walking would unleash that part of her brain where the memory was housed. She stopped and snapped her fingers. “I remember now. It was just before we came on t
his trip. He and Brad had a working lunch one day. Evidently they were planning the advertising budget for the next few months. Ray was irked because Brad kept turning the conversation back to Ray’s antique fly fishing gear. Every time Ray tried to talk about the budget, Brad would divert it to the fly fishing gear. Ray told me he said something sarcastic like, ‘If I promise to will my antique fly fishing equipment to you when I die, can we get this budget finished?’ Carola, you don’t think…” Lisa said, her eyes wide with horror.

  “I don’t know what to think other than I sure wouldn’t put him at the bottom of your list. Think I’d put him a little closer to the top of the list. Lisa, I need another cup of tea. I’m going down to the kitchen and get it from Pilar. Would you like another cup of coffee?”

  “Please. Thank you. While you’re gone, I also need to make some notes on whether or not to have a funeral for Ray. He wasn’t very religious. As a matter of fact, we didn’t even attend church. I remember once we were at dinner having a glass of wine, and he said when he died all he wanted was a Celebration of Life party where everyone would raise a glass of wine in his memory and say, ‘He was a very good man.’ I think that’s what I’m going to do, because he was a very good man, and at some level he may know I did that for him. I’ll call a few people in San Francisco this afternoon and get it started.”

  “Okay. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Carola said.

  CHAPTER 17

  Carola knocked on the kitchen door and a voice she recognized as Pilar’s said, “Come in.”

  When Pilar saw Carola, she walked over to her and gave her a hug. “It is not a good day here at the lodge,” she said.

  “No, it’s not,” Carola said. “I’ve been talking to Lisa Martin, but we both needed a refill, tea for me and coffee for her. In about an hour, I thought we’d go into San Martin. I’m hoping walking around in town and going in the shops might take her mind off of what has happened, at least for a little while. None of us can leave San Martin before our regularly scheduled flight on Thursday, because we can’t get an earlier flight out, so I’m trying to help her as best I can. Would you ask one of the staff to take us into town?”

  “Of course. I’ll have my assistant, Rico, take you and pick you up. How is Senora Martin doing?” Pilar asked.

  “Much better than I would have thought. It’s as if something in her has snapped because of her husband’s murder. She’s nothing like the shallow woman I’ve spent the last few days with. It’s actually quite amazing. She’s grieving, but she’s making plans about what to do next. I find it hard to believe that someone can change that much in a few short hours.”

  “Miracles are always around us. We’re the ones who fail to see them. This sounds like a miracle to me. Don’t question it. Accept it.”

  “I’m not sure I have a choice in the matter. How is your family, Pilar? How are things here at the lodge?”

  “They have been very good until I got a call this morning from my sister. The doctor said her daughter probably has breast cancer. Actually her husband, my nephew Pablo, is one of the guides here. He’s out with the guests today. He is a wonderful man, and so devoted to his family. All he cares about is his wife and his children. I feel so sorry for them.”

  “Yes, I know Pablo. What a shame. What are they going to do about her cancer? I know there are a number of options available.”

  “For people of means, yes. For poor people who live near a small town and have no money, no. Pablo and Catalina can’t even afford a car. My sister is beside herself with worry. They have four children, all very young. The doctor says he can do nothing for her, because he doesn’t have the equipment or the knowledge to deal with it. He told her she needs to go to a large city like Buenos Aires where they have specialists who can advise her on the best method of treatment. Unfortunately, she will probably die here on the ranch.”

  “Oh, Pilar. I am so sorry! That’s tragic. How is Pablo doing?”

  “I don’t know. He was here for dinner last night. He must have just found out, although he never said anything about it. The night before a new group of guests goes out for the first time, I fix dinner for all the guides, so they can decide who is going to fish in which boat and with which guests. The conversation at the table was mostly about the antique fishing gear that the man who was murdered owned and how valuable it is.”

  “How did they know about it?” Carola asked.

  “Marco Diaz, who is one of the other guides, saw it when Senor Trout and Senor Martin were down at the lake. He’d never seen anything like it before, and he walked over to Senor Trout and his client to find out what it was. From what Marco said it was very expensive. I think they told Marco it was worth as much as several of the shops in San Martin, but I don’t know how that could be. Pablo was looking out the window when Marco walked in. Marco told him all about it. I overheard Marco say the fly rod is called a Winston split bamboo rod, and the reel is known as a Hardy Perfect. Both of them are very old and very valuable. He also said an American president had owned them and fished with them. As I said, that was about all the guides talked about last night. What is Senora Martin going to do with them now? Is she going to keep them or sell them?” Pilar asked.

  “I don’t know. We haven’t discussed it,” Carola said. “Thanks for the coffee and tea. I probably should get back to her. We’ll meet Rico in front of the lodge at ten.”

  Carola didn’t like what she was thinking. An Argentinian fishing guide’s wife has breast cancer. They have no money for treatment, much less to even find out what the treatment should be. He learns that one of the guests at the lodge has an extremely valuable fly rod and reel, and what I didn’t tell Pilar is that the rod and reel are missing. I seriously hope the dots do not connect here, and if they do, is Pablo capable of committing murder so his wife can get the cancer treatment she so desperately needs? I need to find a way to talk to him when the boats get back this afternoon.

  CHAPTER 18

  Carola walked back upstairs, carrying the two cups. Fortunately, Lisa’s door was still open, so she didn’t have to put one down in the hallway, knock, have the door opened, and then pick up the other one.

  “Here you are, Lisa. I had a talk with Pilar, and she told me something that might be relevant to our list of suspects.” Carola told Lisa about her conversation and her concerns about Pablo.

  “That’s so sad,” Lisa said. “Sounds like a no way out situation for poor Pablo. I really feel sorry for him and his family, but it’s kind of a stretch to think he’d be so desperate he’d sneak into the lodge, go up to our room, and murder Ray just to steal Ray’s Winston rod and Hardy reel. Maybe I don’t want to believe it.”

  “I have trouble with that scenario too,” Carola said raising her cup of tea to her lips and taking a sip. “Since you don’t speak the language, I thought I would see if I could talk to Pablo after the group returns from fishing today.”

  “What would you say? Ask him outright if he murdered Ray? After all, Jack told us Ray’s fishing gear was not in the room when he went in.”

  “No, of course I wouldn’t do that, but you just said something we’ve kind of overlooked while we’ve been concentrating on Ray’s business. What if his death had something to do with the antique fishing gear? I wonder who would be interested in it? You mentioned his conversation with Brad. Can you think of anyone else?”

  “Not really,” Lisa said. “It just occurred to me Ray used a storeroom at his plant to house all the fishing gear he’d bought over the years. I suppose I’ll have to sell all of it.”

  “Probably. Let’s see. We know Pablo and the other guides were interested in the gear. Put his name on your list. Money would certainly be a motive there. He probably knows the inside layout of the lodge, so it would be easy for him to sneak in without being seen, plus he almost surely knows where the whip was displayed,” Carola said, making a grim face.

  “What’s wrong?” Lisa asked noticing the scowl on Carola’s face.

  “If t
hat poor man did it, there is something basically wrong with the world. There should be a place where people who have a medical problem like his wife has can go and get help.”

  “Think you’re referring to a perfect world, and that doesn’t seem to exist,” Lisa said. “Let’s get back to the list.”

  “You mentioned something about Brad being interested in Ray’s fishing equipment. I think you even said Ray was irritated about him seeming to obsess about it. Wanting something that badly could be a motive. What do you think?” Carola asked.

  “I think Brad should be moved farther up the list. Why don’t you see if you can talk to him tonight at dinner? Maybe you can find out something then. Anything or anyone else?”

  “There are two more people from Ray’s company that are here on the trip, Allen Nichols and Janelle Byers. Do you know anything about either one of them?”

  Lisa put her pen down. “I don’t know anything about Allen Nichols other than he’s the head of Human Resources. Ray told me he asked him on the trip because he’d handled a number of potential HR problems so well he felt Allen should be rewarded. Coming here was his reward. I never heard Ray say anything negative about him, and I don’t see any tie-in with him to the murder.”

  “In that case, put him at the bottom of the list. The last employee is Janelle Byers. What did Ray think of her?”

  “She presents a little more difficult situation. I can’t think of any reason why she would want Ray murdered, but I do remember when Ray hired her he said he hoped he was doing the right thing.”