A Ghostly Affair: A cozy mystery series (Death by Chocolate Book 3)

by Pat Amsden

  “So what did you find out,” he asked as they came in.

  “I don’t know,” Maxine said shaking her head as Heather gravitated to the computer. “Travis was involved with Field and Stream through his school and then ended up working with Environment First, a radical environmental group.”

  “They do stuff like spike trees,” Heather said helpfully.

  “I’m not sure how that connects with Eagle First Nations but he’s in pictures on their website. Or how that connects with everything else,” she shook her head. “I’m more confused than ever.”

  “Maybe ask his mom,” Heath said. “See what she knows.”

  “No wonder she looked worried the other day,” Maxine said. “Environment First sounds scary. I’ll bet she didn’t want him to have anything to do with them.”

  “Not necessarily,” Heather said softly. “It looks as if that’s the group Karin was involved in herself when she was younger.”

  Maxine’s eyes grew wide as she looked at pictures of a younger Karin holding placards and read some of the accompanying headlines. “Looks like that’s how she met George. When he defended her.”

  “Maybe they’re still involved?”

  A shiver ran down Maxine’s back. Somehow everything tied together. She was sure of it. But how?

  Chapter Twelve

  Maxine gave Jake Jones a call. She wanted to see why he felt the area behind AZK’s development was so important and find out what he knew about his brother. Heath was going with her.

  Something that made her feel a lot better about going off into parts unknown with Jake Jones. “You know I’ve got your back,” he’d said when she asked him. “Does Patrick know?”

  “He knows I’ve talked to Jake,” she said evasively. “And if I find anything the police need to know I’ll tell them.”

  He gave her a look that told her he knew she wasn’t telling the whole story. To change the subject she asked him about his weekend.

  “Rad,” he said. “This is their best game over. It’s a shooter game. Victoria is almost like a pre-launch. Their big roll-outs will come when they go Vancouver and then the gaming con in Seattle in November.”

  “You sound really psyched about this.”

  “I am!” He paused for a moment. “You’ve probably noticed I’ve been busy a lot at night lately.”

  “I was thinking a girlfriend,” she said playfully.

  He smiled. “No girlfriend. I’ve been working with Rohan a lot. They liked what I did with the game pit for the New Years’ party so they got me to build a lot of candy holders for their gaming centers.”

  “Oh.” Just oh. She couldn’t think of what else to say. She knew she didn’t want to lose Heath. But how could she compete against a gaming company? “I understand if they’ve made you an offer,” she said not wanting to stand in his way.

  He nodded his head as if he’d known she’d say that. Then he surprised her. “I said no.”

  “No,” she said in shock.

  “I liked the challenge of designing the candy holders and helping with their game pits. But that’s already done. Now it’s moving them around and getting them set up in the different venues. I like my job here better.”

  He grinned at her. Besides you have a way of keeping things interesting.”

  “That’s me,” she said. “I like to make things interesting.” Hopefully not too interesting.

  Since she’d agreed to meet Jake Jones at his band office she was headed out to an area between Metchosin and Sooke. She turned off the Sookahalla, as it had come to be known by locals, onto a small side road. As she wound her way down the road, forest giving way to a small grouping of houses, many in need of repair she wondered if they’d made a wise choice.

  “Depends on how badly you want answers,” Heath had answered calmly as the road went from paved to dirt with more than one pot hole. Whatever the tribe was spending its’ money on, it wasn’t roads.

  “Tanya needs to know what happened,” she said sharply. And more and more so did she. But she still didn’t see how Travis and dognapping had anything to do with the Indians and the Eagle First Nations tribe.

  Hopefully she’d find some answers today. Before anyone else got hurt. A truck coming the other way left them in a cloud of dust. When the dust died down she couldn’t help but notice the ocean on the other side of the road as meadows sloped down toward the sea, stands of trees showing off fall foliage in the October sun.

  Some cows and horses grazed in the pasture and she could see round circles of hay waiting for the winter months when grass would not be so plentiful. A trailer park filled with trailers appeared while on the other side a large, beautiful school with Indian carvings out front, took pride of place as a sign welcomed them to Eagle Village.

  The band office was around the corner. It was by far the nicest building, with the exception of the school, she’d seen so far. She pulled into the parking lot. Multi-purpose, with signs telling where to find the Native Health Center, Day Care and After-School Care, Registry, Business office, Social Planning and Business Development the band office was clearly a community center as well. It wasn’t hard to see why the building was so big or why it was the busiest place they’d seen so far.

  As she stood in the large reception area wondering where they would find Jake Jones he came out of the Health Center laughing and talking to January Stevens. Whatever his feelings towards his brother it was clear he got on well with her.

  “Hi, I’m glad you took me up on my offer to show you around,” he said now as he greeted them. “I’ve been talking to one of our Nurse Practitioners’ January Stevens. She’s been active in preserving Indian healing traditions and ceremonies as well as modern medicine.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you,” Maxine said smiling at her and shaking her hand. “What Jake told me the other night was fascinating.”

  January gave her a polite smile while Maxine couldn’t help wondering if that was her real name. “Native ways are beginning to get more respect,” January said. “It doesn’t have to be one or the other.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Maxine said. “Are you coming with us?”

  “No, but I was suggesting different plants and herbs Jake might want to show you. Things that make the land important to preserve for everyone, not just First Nation.”

  “We’re looking forward to it,” Maxine said but she was glad when January went back to the Health Center and they got in Jake Jones’ Hummer. It practically screamed testosterone and probably had a gas mileage of one mile per gallon she thought sourly.

  Jake Jones caught her eyes with his. She could swear he knew what she was thinking when he said, “the Hummer isn’t as impractical as it appears. It can go over pretty well any terrain, has enough room for me to sleep in overnight if I’m travelling and is actually not that bad on gas. Not as good as your Smart car,” he said with a smile, “but it can go a lot of places your Smart car can’t.”

  She smiled at him. “Feel better now?”

  “Feel-“

  “That sounded like guilt talking. You don’t owe me an explanation for the vehicle you drive Jake.”

  He gave a good natured shrug. “I guess I’m kind of used to it. Look around the reserve and you don’t see a bunch of fancy houses. The housing is pretty basic and even then there’s not really enough of it. That’s just one of our problems. I’d say my brother’s doing a pretty good job with what he has but it’s never enough to make everyone happy.

  My father was a hereditary Chief, the title should’ve been passed on to me. Instead I took off and studied medicine. A lot of our band members wonder where the money for my fancy education came from, say my brother gets more than his fair share. After a while, explaining every purchase becomes second nature.”

  They headed up Triangle Mountain and over the backside where the new housing development was. The Hummer took them off road onto an area of trees and rocks. He went down a small hill, around a corner and drew to a stop under a stand o
f trees.

  She could hear the sound of blasting from the latest round of construction, of hammering and trucks going and coming and yet from here she saw nothing. She looked at Heath, sitting quietly in the back, at Jake.

  “I can’t believe it,” she said quietly. “It’s as if we’re in another world.”

  “Believe it,” he said coming around to her side of the Hummer and helping her down. Heath jumped down behind them.

  Jake said, “it doesn’t take long to get away from ‘civilization’ does it?”

  “No,” Maxine said and for the first time felt a hint of nervousness. What were they doing out here with a man they knew next to nothing about? And what they did know could give him reason to kill. Just how far would he go to protect the land, his people?

  But somehow she couldn’t make herself feel he harbored bad feelings for her. His eyes filled her with peace, a feeling of – she wasn’t sure what. She shook her head.

  “These are my people’s native lands. When I was younger I used to come here with my brother, with members of my tribe to hunt sometimes. I came with my grandmother as a young child to harvest plants and seeds.

  And there are many my people use. Devil’s club,” he said leaning forward and capturing a large green-leafed plant, “is useful for gout, for regulating blood sugar. She used the sap from the Sitka Spruce trees when we cut ourselves wrapping it in gauze to help heal and stop infection.

  Stinging nettle got boiled down and used for teas to help build up people’s blood, it was considered a superfood. Dandelions can be made into teas. There’s so much for us to use, so much to learn.”

  He turned to them, speaking passionately, “We know so little and yet we are tearing down our trees, ripping apart our forests without a thought to what we’re losing.”

  He pointed up to the top of a tree. “You see that. That’s an Eagle nest. There’s at least a dozen in this area that we know of. We’re disturbing their habitat for what, to build houses my people can’t afford.”

  “But it’s not part of the reserve,” Maxine said confused. “They had to have ownership of the land before they built.”

  “Reserves are an unnatural divvying up of our land. But First Nations have been here for centuries before the white men showed up.” He was striding through the trees now leading them to where Maxine had no idea. He stopped in area filled with what looked like piles of rock overgrown with bush.

  “Burial cairns of our ancestors,” he said, his voice taking on a tone of reverence. “I’m not sure our people had a chance to go over the development area to make sure there were no burial cairns there. It wouldn’t be surprising. Many cairns were quite large and it’s thought some of our most important elders may have been buried at the top of the mountain so that they would be able to look out over the water, over the lands below for eternity. Or until their remains were dug up for a housing development,” he said. His voice filled with anger.

  “I’m sorry,” she said hesitantly, meaning it. “I didn’t know, I can’t believe AZK developments knew. At least not Zak. From what little I knew of him he seemed a good man.”

  But Jake’s eyes were filled with pain and sorrow when he looked at her. His voice when he spoke was bitter. “I wish I could be as sure.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “It’s no help at all,” Maxine said in frustration. She was in the middle of putting spider webs on a batch of cupcakes while Heath worked with Heather putting together an elaborate cake with a trio of three witches flying around a large moon.

  “It’s one more piece of the puzzle,” Heath said. “You know Jake and his people feel entitled to the land Zak’s development was on, even though AZK had clear title. They seem to have managed to turn it into an environmental crusade.”

  “That’s all clear but then there’s Travis and the ghost attacker. And where do the dogs fit in?” She shook her head. “I’m missing something.”

  “Have you talked to Matt?” Heather asked. “He seems to have been on good terms with Zak if they were dining together.”

  “One dinner,” Maxine said sharply. “And Tanya didn’t know why. I thought maybe it was for bribes but if it is I sure don’t see much sign of it being spread around the Eagles’ First Nation reserve.”

  Heather shrugged. “Who said it was going to his people. He wouldn’t be the first person to pocket hefty bribes at the expense of his people.”

  “No, I suppose not,” Maxine said thoughtfully.

  But not having a plausible reason to talk to Matt she arranged a meeting with Environment First saying she’d heard good things about them and might be willing to donate some money.

  “Naturally I can’t promise anything but I’ve recently come into a windfall and since my business is doing so well I thought it was time to look at giving back,” she said as Heath rolled his eyes. She ignored him as she listened to an Environment First supporter on the other end.

  “My thoughts exactly. Without the environment where would we be? Could I meet with someone and get a better idea of what my money would be used for?” She glared at Heath as he hooked up a witch so she flew in circles giving Maxine the bird every time she came in Maxine’s direction.

  He grinned back with not the faintest hint of remorse.

  “You’re having a small lunch for some of your supporters? That would be perfect,” she bubbled. “And I’ll bring a friend, of course,” she said pressing end and looking up expectantly.

  Heath shook his head furiously. Heather started typing furiously on the computer while Marcus and Ally managed to avoid her eyes paying exaggerated attention to the cake they were carefully covering with fondant.

  “Fine,” she said. “I’ll ask Patrick.”

  “Ask me what?” he said as his head, followed by the rest of him, appeared on the stairs.

  “A lunch I’ve been invited to,” she said innocently.

  He looked at her with surprise, “as a guest, not a caterer?”

  “It’s not that surprising,” she said. “And it’s for a good cause, the environment.”

  “Uh-huh,” he said, looking at the cupcakes she’d just finished. “I didn’t know you were such a supporter of the environment.” His hand reached towards the cup cakes and she moved them out of reach. “Those are for a Halloween bash at Zara’s preschool.”

  “That’s more elaborate than anything I remember for pre-school.”

  “Sharlenes’ daughter,” she said as if that made perfect sense. “Anyway there’s not many to spare so have one of these instead.” She popped one of the brownies she’d made for the shop into his mouth.

  For a moment there was silence as he chewed, a look of bliss on his face. “Best breakfast ever,” he said finishing. “Tell me more about this lunch.”

  “Not much to tell,” she said, “it’s a lunch for people who are supporting or might consider supporting them, telling us more about what they do.”

  “And the name of this group?”

  “Environment First.”

  His eyes opened wider for a fraction of a second as his body tightened. She eyed him warily, not expecting such a reaction. “You know them?”

  “Know them,” he ground out. “They’re dangerous. What are you doing getting involved with them?”

  She held up a hand in front of him. “Don’t worry. I’m not really planning on donating or getting involved but someone said Travis is and I thought I’d learn more about them before I talked to Karin.”

  He relaxed slightly, but not a lot. “And this means we have to have lunch with them?”

  “I may have led them to believe I was considering a donation.”

  “Of ten or twenty dollars,” he said sardonically.

  “Well no. It would be a little larger than that. And I said I would bring a guest.” She smiled at him. “That would be you.”

  “And where is this being held?”

  “In a private room at the Five Mile Pub in,” she glanced at her watch, “about two hours.”

/>   He shook his head. “I’ll have to make a few calls.” He went over into a corner talking on his cell phone but try as she might she couldn’t catch what he was saying. Not without moving in closer and she knew that wouldn’t go over well.

  She gave a soft sigh of frustration. He clicked his cell phone off and turned to face her, a smile on his face. “I’m all yours now. But first we’re going to go over some ground rules.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said. “Can we go over them as I deliver the cupcakes?”

  “May as well,” he said. “We’ll take my jeep.”

  Thirty minutes later she was making her way into a brightly lit pre-school room where the teacher, a Miss Rachel, Sharlene had said, waved to them as she led her charges in a rousing song of Old McDonald had a farm.

  As a young girl sang and “the chicken goes cluck cluck,” while flapping her wings, Miss Rachel came towards them.

  “It’s about time now. We’ll put them out on the counter.” She led them into a good sized kitchen where another woman worked. Trays of finger sandwiches, devilled eyes and other assorted delicacies, awaited Halloween lunch.

  Patrick looked a little out of place at six foot two and had to stoop to fit through the doorway.

  “I’m sorry,” Miss Rachel said. “Apparently no one over five foot seven is expected to enter the kitchen.”

  He grinned. “But you’re molding young minds here. Surely you don’t want them thinking men don’t cook? I’ll have you know I make a mean omelette.”

  “He does,” Maxine said and then wanted to bite her tongue as Miss Rachel smiled. Miss Rachel herself looked to be all of twenty, not that age mattered. Nor should the omelet habits of her guest, but Maxine still felt herself flushing.

  Back in the jeep their spare time was rapidly disappearing. She could sense Patrick’s frustration as he drove through heavy traffic.

  “Whatever you do, don’t mess around with these people,” he said now, his jaw set as he maneuvered around a bus which had stopped to let passengers out. “They’re dangerous.”