Murder in Calico Gold: A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery

by Dianne Harman

  “No, you closed it. As soon as you left Rebel put his mouth next to my ear and growled. I saw that you were gone and jumped out of bed. Rebel was already at the bedroom door. I figured he knew what he was doing, so I opened the door, and you know the rest. Evidently he decided you might need some help.”

  “As a matter of fact I did. If he hadn’t come, I don’t know what might have happened. Daniel shot at me once and missed, but who knows, he might have hit me with his next shot if it hadn’t been for Rebel. Come here, boy,” he said, scratching his ears. “Thanks.”

  Lady stood next to Kelly and looked up at her as if to say, “Hey, what about me? I got there as fast as I could, and I was standing right next to Rebel. At least I deserve an ear scratch, too.” Kelly reached down and scratched Lady’s ear as if she had understood everything Lady had told her.

  “Time for all of us to go back to bed. Maybe we can get a couple of hours of sleep before morning.” He looked at Rebel, Lady, Brad, and Kelly, and said, “If it wasn’t for all of you, I’m not sure I’d be standing here right now. Thank you.”

  They walked up the stairs, Mike mentally adding a new item to his “to-do” list - get a new patio glass door.

  CHAPTER 32

  “For breakfast, I’ve fixed a plate of bagels, strawberry jam, whipped cream cheese, and some lox that Aunt Agnes had. You can also have some fresh orange juice,” Kelly said.

  “Grandma, what’s lox?” Olivia asked.

  “Fair question. It’s a fish that’s been prepared a special way. Lots of people like it served in thin slices on their bagels. You might try it and see what you think.”

  “No,” Olivia said, “I don’t like fish.”

  “Me neither,” aped Ella.

  “Girls, that’s probably why Grandma put the strawberry jam and cream cheese out. Bagels with that on it will taste great.”

  “Julia, the three of us need to go to the police station to give our statements about last night. Why don’t you take the girls to the barn and comb Missy? I’m sure Sam would love to go with you,” Brad said.

  I’m glad the girls slept through the commotion last night, and we can get a new glass door installed today. Shouldn’t be that difficult. I’ll call as soon as I get back from the police station. With their mother dying from a cocaine overdose, they’ve had enough tragedy in their young lives. They don’t need to know that someone broke in last night intent on killing their grandfather, Mike thought as he, Kelly, and Brad got in his car and headed for the police station.

  An hour later they returned from giving their official statements. Daniel was going to be arraigned that afternoon, and Chief Robbins felt confident he would go to prison for a long time, if not life. Judges and juries don’t look too kindly on murder and attempted murder. Chief Robbins told them they would need to testify at Daniel’s trial, if it came to that. With as much strong evidence as there was against him, there was a good chance his public defender would try for a plea bargain.

  “Kelly, Brad, I need to make some phone calls,” Mike said, “and then I’d like to have a little talk with both of you as well as Julia later today. I don’t know what you have planned for the rest of the day, but carve a little time out for me. I’ll be in the office.”

  Kelly heard Mike talking to several people on the phone, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. It was unlike Mike not to share what he was doing with her, and she couldn’t help but be more than a little curious. She made sandwiches for lunch for everyone and took a plate into the office for Mike.

  “Thanks, Kelly,” Mike said smiling.

  “You look like the weight of the world has been lifted from your shoulders.”

  “It has, sweetheart, believe me, it has. Any chance we could have that little meeting I mentioned earlier in about an hour? I have one more phone call to make, and then I’d really like to talk to the three of you. Any chance you could find some kid’s show on television for the girls to watch while we’re talking?”

  “I don’t know about that, but Julia said she brought a couple of movies on her iPad for the girls, and that should work. Shall we join you here in the office in about an hour?”

  “Yes, please, and Kelly, I think you’re going to be happy with what I have to say.”

  “Mike, if you’re happy I’m happy, but I have no clue what’s going on.”

  “That’s okay, just trust me. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  *****

  An hour later Kelly, Brad, and Julia walked into the office, while the girls were in the family room, happily watching their favorite movie on Julia’s iPad. “Here we are, Mike, what’s up?” Brad asked.

  “Please, sit down. As you know, I’ve been trying to figure out what I’m going to do with all of this – the ranch, the house, and the money – ever since I found out I was the sole beneficiary named in Aunt Agnes’ Will. I honestly didn’t know where to start. Kelly and I have a good life in Cedar Bay. She loves owning and managing Kelly’s Koffee Shop, and I love being the Beaver County Sheriff. May sound pretty schmaltzy, but that’s the truth.”

  “Mike, no one needs to apologize for being happy living in a small town. Matter of fact, wish I could,” Brad said.

  “Well, you just might,” he said to Brad who had a surprised look on his face, clearly befuddled by Mike’s words. “Here’s what I’ve been dealing with. Aunt Agnes had this property and the house as well as a lot of other assets. She’d invested very well, and her estate is worth about twenty million dollars including the ranch and the house. I’d like to make a proposition to you, and before you answer, please hear me out.

  “I’m the last of the legitimate relatives of Aunt Agnes. Yes, Daniel is her nephew, but for numerous reasons which all of us know, I’m taking him out of the equation. Anyway, if I were to keep the property, there is no other heir for me to leave it to, since I’ve never had children. It would have to be sold when I died. I could choose to sell it now, but Aunt Agnes didn’t want to sell the ranch, and I want to respect her wishes.”

  “So you’re kind of back to square one, aren’t you, Mike?” Kelly asked.

  “Not really. Julia, I would like to adopt you. I’ve talked to Jim Weaver, Aunt Agnes’ attorney, and he tells me that while adult adoptions are somewhat uncommon, they are legal. I have several reasons for wanting to do this. I’d like you and Brad and the girls to live here. Brad, you could run cattle here or do whatever you wanted to do with the property other than sell it or develop it. You both have said you’d like to live in a small town. The girls have indicated they’d love to live here. I was thinking you would live here rent free, and I would pay you an annual fee for managing the property. At my death, the property would go to you, Julia. After the adoption you would legally be my daughter, and by leaving the ranch to you it would stay in the family. I would hope you would leave it to one or both of the girls when you die, and the family lineage and ownership of the Robertson Ranch would continue to remain in the family. Oh, I almost forgot. I’d like you to keep Sam for the girls. He certainly seems to be taken with them. Of course Missy would continue to stay here.”

  Kelly looked over at Julia who was sitting in shock, her mouth open, and tears beginning to stream down her face. “Oh, Mike, your offer to adopt me is the biggest compliment I’ve ever had. I would be honored to legally become your daughter. Brad, can we do it?”

  “Absolutely. I don’t even need to think about it. We’ll go back to San Francisco, sell our condo, and move here. This is like a dream come true, Mike. I’ve wanted to leave San Francisco forever. Maybe I could set up a psychology practice here in town. Who knows? We can never thank you enough.”

  Mike looked at Kelly. “I know you’re wondering about Cash, and if Julia gets the ranch, is this is fair to him? I’m prepared to give Cash an amount equal to what the ranch is worth. He has his career in the military service, and he isn’t in a position to move here. Julia and Brad are. Is that all right with you? I probably should have cleared my proposal
with you first. What do you think about it?”

  “I say it’s the most generous thing I’ve ever seen or heard. On behalf of Cash, thank you,” Kelly said.

  “Brad, I had a long conversation with John Wilson this morning about the stream. I’m going to open the dam. He’s a good man, and he’s desperate for water for his cattle. I know my uncle wanted to live completely self-sufficiently, but I think if he knew how critical the water shortage has become, he’d agree to open the dam. To say that John was grateful would be the understatement of the year. Actually, I feel really good about it. It was the right thing to do.”

  “I’m glad you did that, Mike. He seems like he has best the interests of his family and his animals at heart, and I’m sure he’s thrilled about your decision,” Brad said.

  “I left a message for Richard Martin informing him I wouldn’t be selling the property to him. I’m sure it won’t make him happy, but from the brief time I spent with him, I’m certain he has other places where he’s looking. Of course, since John’s getting the dam opened, he won’t be selling to Richard either. Can’t say I feel too sorry for Richard. I didn’t trust or like that man from the get go.”

  “Mike, that takes care of the house and the property, but what about the rest of Agnes’ assets?” Kelly asked.

  “I’m getting to that. In about ten minutes Huston Brooks will be coming here. It’s very hard to beat an incumbent whose already been elected to office three times, and I think there’s a very good chance he’s going to lose the election to Judge Lane.

  “I’m going to offer him the position of being the Executive Director of the Agnes Johnson Calico Gold Preservation Trust. I’ll put the rest of her assets into a special trust, and he can oversee it. I envision it being for the purpose of keeping Calico Gold free from outsiders coming in and taking over the town. He and my aunt were very close, and I would make it worth his while, financially. It’s something I think would make her happy.”

  “That’s a wonderful idea. Do you think he’ll do it?” Brad asked.

  “I don’t know. We’ll find out fairly soon. Oh, Kelly, there is one more thing. Every time we try to take a honeymoon it seems like it gets cut short. First of all, Jesse was murdered and then Aunt Agnes. I think it would be a good idea for you and me to take a real honeymoon. How does Italy sound? I even looked on the Internet, and there’s a cooking school not far from Florence that I think would be fun for us to attend. We could go there and then spend a couple of days exploring ...”

  Before he could get the word “Italy” out of his mouth, Kelly had jumped out of her chair and ran over to him, hugging and kissing him. “Well, if that’s the reception the idea gets, I should have done it a long time ago,” Mike said, laughing.

  “Wow! You’ve thought of everything. We need to make some plans about Italy and Cash and…”

  Before she could finish, they heard a car approaching. Kelly looked out the window and said, “Huston’s here. Why don’t we go in the other room? It would probably be best if you talked to him privately.”

  “Thanks. I think that’s a good idea. I’ll answer the door. By the way, Kelly, the man who’s going to replace the patio glass door should be here any minute. Would you take care of it? I’ve already written a check out for him.”

  “Of course.”

  Julia and Brad went upstairs to tell the girls the news. A moment later Kelly heard Olivia and Ella’s joyful voices screaming, “Really, really? We can have a horse? Each one of us? And Sam can live with us?”

  *****

  While Mike met with Huston, Kelly made sure the glass door was properly installed and the new lock worked. Just as the repairman was leaving, Mike opened the door to the office. “Would you come in here for a moment?” he asked, smiling broadly at her.

  “Kelly, I want you to be the first to congratulate the Executive Director of the Agnes Johnson Calico Gold Preservation Trust.”

  “Huston, I’m so glad you decided to do this. You’re perfect for it, and I know it would make Aunt Agnes happy. You have my absolute congratulations and support.”

  “Thanks, Kelly. I certainly wasn’t planning on this happening when I got up this morning, but it actually comes at a good time. Several of my clients have begged me not to close my law practice, and my wife is not very fond of politics. With this opportunity, I can keep my practice, my wife will be happy, and I’ll feel like I’m doing something good for Calico Gold. Plus, there’s a very good chance I would have lost the election to Judge Lane. She definitely has a number of people in her pocket who want to keep her in office. I still think she’s got some baggage, actually a lot of baggage, but I don’t think this is the right time for me to take her on. Who knows? Maybe I will at a later date. Mike, thanks for your faith in me. I’d like to get together with you and the banker in town and figure out how we should set this up. I can do the legal part, but I want to make sure the bank is on board as well. Are you planning on staying here for a few more days?”

  “Yes, I still need to take care of some loose ends, but as soon as they’re finished, Kelly and I need to get back to Cedar Bay and start planning our trip to Italy. Deal, Kelly?”

  “Deal!”

  Recipes!

  There's a surprise following the recipes.

  TOMATO SALAD

  Ingredients:

  4 large ripe tomatoes

  ½ tsp. salt

  4 garlic cloves

  1 tbsp. olive oil

  4 lettuce leaves

  Directions:

  Core tomatoes and finely chop. Put the tomatoes in a colander and drain. Finely chop garlic. Combine drained tomatoes, garlic, and salt in mixing bowl. Stir in olive oil. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour. If desired, drain in colander again to get rid of excess liquid (salt draws liquid out of tomatoes) and spoon over lettuce leaves.

  SUPER EASY ENGLISH TRIFLE

  Ingredients:

  6 cups sponge cake, torn into pieces (about 1" in size)

  1 basket strawberries

  1 basket blueberries

  1 basket raspberries

  3 bananas peeled and sliced in 1/4" rounds

  3 tbsp. raisins

  3 ¼ oz. package vanilla pudding mix

  2 cups milk

  1 8 oz. carton whipping cream

  2 tbsp. slivered almonds

  3 tbsp. powdered sugar, sifted

  Optional: 1 ½ oz. brandy

  Directions:

  Chill mixing bowl and beaters of electric mixer in freezer. If desired, sprinkle brandy over sponge cake pieces.

  In a separate bowl, mix pudding mix and milk together according to package instructions. Place 1/3 of the sponge cake pieces in large bowl that is 10 – 12 inches deep. (If you have a large glass bowl or trifle bowl, use it for a nice presentation.) In a separate bowl gently mix blueberries, bananas, strawberries, raspberries and raisins together, and place 1/3 of them over sponge cake. Smooth 1/3 pudding mix over the fruit mixture. Repeat layers as above until you have assembled three layers in the bowl.

  Take the mixing bowl and beaters out of the freezer and pour in the whipping cream and powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until whipped cream holds stiff peaks.

  Spread whipped cream on top of the last layer of pudding mix. Sprinkle the slivered almonds on top of the whipped cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

  Note: Feel free to experiment with different seasonal fruit.

  APRICOT BREAD

  Ingredients:

  1 cup dried apricots

  1/2 cup water

  1 cup sugar

  1 egg

  1/2 cup orange juice

  2 cups flour

  1/2 tsp. salt

  1/4 tsp. baking soda

  2 tsp. baking powder

  Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut apricots up into small bite-size pieces and soak in water for 30 minutes.

  Mix rest of in
gredients together in a bowl. Drain the apricots and add to the mixture in the bowl. Place in greased and floured loaf pan for 20 minutes before baking. Bake for 55-60 minutes.

  BIG SMILE CAKE

  Cake Mix Ingredients:

  1 box of yellow or lemon cake mix

  3 eggs

  ½ cup oil

  1 cup water

  Rest of Ingredients:

  2 lbs. ricotta cheese

  1 cup sugar

  2 eggs

  3 tbsp. powdered sugar

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake mix according to directions on box and place in lightly oiled 9” x 13” Pyrex glass pan. Mix ricotta cheese, sugar, and eggs together. Spread evenly over cake mix. Bake 1 hour. When cool sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

  STUFFED BAKED JUMBO PASTA SHELLS

  Ingredients:

  4 mild Italian sausages

  1 box jumbo pasta shells

  15 oz. ricotta cheese

  1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided in half

  1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided in half

  2 egg whites

  10 oz. box frozen spinach, thawed with moisture pressed out

  ½ tsp. garlic powder

  ½ tsp. onion salt

  1 tsp. Kosher salt (for pasta water)

  ½ tsp. salt

  ½ tsp. pepper

  2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley

  3 ½ cups prepared marinara sauce

  1 cup water

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the sausages on a microwave-safe plate, place a paper towel over them, and microwave for 8 – 10 minutes on high, until cooked through. Let cool and cut in half lengthwise, remove casings and discard. Cut into bite-size pieces.

  Fill large pot with water and bring to a boil, add Kosher salt and the pasta. Cook 10 minutes. Drain but don’t rinse.

  In large bowl place chopped sausage, ricotta cheese, ½ of mozzarella cheese, ½ of parmesan cheese, egg whites, garlic powder, spinach, onion salt, salt, pepper, and parsley. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.