Belly Up in the Koi Pond

by Cheryl Zelenka

  The lady smiled and moved closer to the map. “I hope they aren’t fighting off some rabbit in a magician’s hat. Do you know the magic words to make them reappear?”

  Dora giggled. Looking to her left, she recognized Lilly and Sadie standing in the membership line. “Sure do! In fact, they’re standing by the membership booth. It’s amazing how people can move through thin air.”

  Not wanting to miss even a minute of Professor Drainer’s seminar, Dora walked over to the line and tapped Sadie on the shoulder. “Hey, let’s go! The Koi class is about to start and we have to take the escalator down to the lower level.” Sadie nodded to the man behind the membership booth. Dora recognized him instantly.

  “Just three minutes! There is no guarantee he’ll be here after our class or the scholarship ceremony. I just want to ask him a few questions,” Sadie begged. Sighing, Dora nodded and looked at her watch. “Three minutes, then we leave!”

  Just 30 seconds later, the line cleared and Sadie found herself facing the man with ginger hair. He was about 5’10” and dressed in a black suit.

  Smiling at the three women, he asked, “Do you ladies want to become members of the Oregon Association of Nurseries? Are you retailers? Nursery owners? Politicians? We offer great perks with our membership.”

  Sadie jumped right in and started to fish. “No sir, I’m already a member. My friends and I are actually hoping you can offer some restaurant advice. We live in Rogue Valley, so we’re unfamiliar with good places to eat up here. We heard about this wonderful French restaurant called Le Pigeon. Do you know if it’s any good?”

  The man blinked. There was an awkward pause but he quickly regained his composure. “Why, funny you should mention that restaurant! I was actually there last night. I’m afraid you have to make reservations a few weeks in advance with that place. It’s really small so you won’t get in tonight, unless you know the owner or one of the chefs.”

  Before Sadie could respond, a man in a blue power suit walked up to the redhead and growled softly, “Justin, I went over the accounts last night and noticed some discrepancies in the membership funds. I need you to finish your shift here then meet me at the main office.” Looking a bit anxious, Justin nodded. “Yes, Mr. Banks. I’m filling in for my friend Cody. He should be back in about 15 minutes.” The man in the blue suit gave him an irritated look then walked off.

  Justin returned his attention to the three ladies. “Sorry for the interruption. I’m the membership accountant for OAN. Mr. Banks is the treasurer and a bit of a jerk.

  I mean, he can be very abrupt in his manner. In my opinion, he’s over his head when it comes to finances. I think he volunteered for the position because he likes the prestige that comes with being on a Board of Directors. Anyway, he can’t keep track of the membership money. He’s hopeless! We invest the funds and make huge profits for our members. However, I’m always getting called to his office to reassure him the funds are safe. He’s a bit of a Crying Ryan.”

  “My, I didn’t know we were speaking with such an important man! How long have you been working for OAN as an accountant?” Lilly inquired.

  “Oh, I’d say about five years. It’s a great organization, growing leaps and bounds. I think this annual garden show really helps to give it public notice and gain community support. The local businesses appreciate the customers we bring their way and the tree huggers love us.”

  Looking at her watch, Dora nudged Sadie.

  Catching the hint, Sadie asked, “Well, Mr. umm… what did you say your name was, young man? We need to head off to the Koi pond exhibit. My friend Dora is hoping to install one herself this spring. She needs a ton of advice, so we’re taking the class Professor Drainer is offering this morning.”

  “First, my name is Justin Coin. It’s nice to meet all of you. Second, I’m sure any class you attend taught by an OSU professor will be informative and very helpful. Finally, I’m sorry I couldn’t help you with Le Pigeon. But you might want to try Veritable Quandary. It’s a bit pricey but has terrific Pacific NW cuisine. There are also some nice Tapas restaurants in Portland, if you like Spanish food. My favorite is Toro Brava on Russell Street. You can get a table without making a reservation weeks in advance, but I’d call before 1pm if you want a table tonight.

  The ladies thanked Justin and followed Dora as she led the way to the escalator. Sadie’s brain churned while she tried to keep up with her friend’s lightening quick pace. How was she going to focus on a water garden seminar when Justin Coin was still in her head? He seemed pleasant enough, and kind. So, what on earth was last night all about? He was not so friendly to Ashley and Joey. In fact, he was downright angry and rude. One didn’t normally shake a fist at somebody. And, the treasurer did say he was upset with some financial discrepancy.

  Jumping off the escalator, Dora led Lilly and Sadie down a big open space filled with event booths. Sadie made a mental note of several she wanted to visit later on that day. She was especially drawn to a booth selling clever garden art and another one with unique flower jewelry. Some ladies liked buying shoes, but jewelry was Sadie’s indulgence…and unique garden plants. Dora took a turn to the right and stopped. There were nearly 20 people milling around a door, which Sadie assumed led into the Koi Pond exhibit.

  “I wonder what’s going on,” queried Dora. “The class should be starting any minute.”

  “They probably have some last minute touches that need attention,” assured Lilly. Looking around, Sadie noticed Zachary dressed in a nice jacket near the entrance of the exhibit. Catching his eye, she waved him over. He didn’t look happy.

  “What’s going on, Zachary? I see you were able to run back to the hotel and change. We didn’t think the scholarship committee would be happy presenting you with a scholarship while dressed in swimming trunks.” Sadie noticed Zachary’s usual good humor was absent and his facial expression was filled with worry and stress.

  “Yep, I got back to the hotel around 11 pm, so I actually slept for over six hours but I’m still feeling really tired. I just don’t know where my energy is lately. I’m always feeling zonked. Anyway, Professor Drainer had me replace some of the ornamental grasses and trim up a few Viburnum and Azaleas. I was thankful the lady at the Azalea and Rhododendron exhibit had an electric hedge trimmer and agreed to let me borrow it. I was able to get the job done a lot quicker. Professor Drainer felt good about the changes we made and left for home while I finished up the azaleas around the Koi pond waterfall. I left around 10:30pm.” The ladies waited for him to continue.

  “This morning, I wanted to make sure everything was perfect for the Professor, so I got here really early, before seven. I can’t tell you how upset I was when I walked into the exhibit. All the beautiful Koi we released yesterday morning were belly up in the Koi pond!”

  CHAPTER FOUR: The Black Boot

  Sadie made a gagging noise as a wave of nausea hit her stomach. The thought of fish swimming in a body of water is what kept her out of rivers, lakes, and oceans. She feared they would brush up against her skin or nibble her toes. Swimming pools were the only place she felt safe enough to swim (and maybe the Dead Sea), but even then the thought of JAWS would give her pause. She never watched the movie but Dora had made sure to reveal the plot, thus aggravating her phobia. Her nerves were already elevated because of the class on Water Gardens and the dreaded Koi Pond. She didn’t want to see live fish swimming on the water surface, but the thought of dead Koi floating on the surface made her sick.

  Observing Sadie’s pale complexion, Dora stepped in and asked, “What happened? Why are they all dead?” Zachary was shaking. Dora noticed his eyes were welling up and it seemed like his balance was off. Patiently, they all waited for him to answer.

  With a big sigh Zachary replied, “I think they were electrocuted.”

  “What?” Sadie blurted out. “How?”

  “I saw the electric hedge trimmer I borrowed on the bottom of the pond. It was red, so I could make it out, even with all the submerged bog pl
ants. I know I unplugged and laid it on a chair when I left last night. My plan was to return it this morning, before Professor Drainer got here. Of course the minute I saw the floating fish, I told him to get down here fast. I have no idea how the trimmer moved from the chair to the water.”

  Zachary lifted his left arm to wipe his tear filled eyes but missed his target and ended up scratching an eyebrow. Continuing with his story, Zachary added, “Someone must have plugged the trimmer back into the socket and tossed it into the pond. Anyway, when the professor saw the mess he called Joseph Wiley, the man who set up the exhibit. He’s on the OAN Board of Directors and owns a local nursery in Portland. He donated all the supplies and was hoping the exhibit would boost his sales. He’s still in there talking to the Professor. With all the dead fish… they can’t open the exhibit.”

  “At least not for now,” murmured Lilly.

  Still feeling dizzy, Sadie tried to focus on the mystery. “Maybe it was sabotage. A competitor could have been jealous of the exhibit and nervous about the possible sales it would bring to Mr. Wiley’s store.”

  Putting on her figurative detective hat, Dora asked, “Has anyone called the police?”

  Zachary looked dismayed and said no.

  “Well, I know a few officers on the Portland police force. I think I’ll give them a heads up and ask if they’ll take a look. I’ll be sure to mention they should dress in plain clothes, so as not to alarm anyone at the Convention Center. Since you were the last one at the Koi exhibit and used the electric hedge trimmer, you might find yourself on their suspect list. So long as you tell them the truth, you shouldn’t have any worries.”

  “Mrs. Pierce and I will vouch for your good character and help in any way we can,” remarked Sadie. Her color was starting to return. Unfortunately, Zachary was now turning as white as a ghost.

  A tall man with salt and pepper hair walked out of the Koi exhibit and waved to Zachary. “That’s Professor Drainer. I better see what he wants,” he ambled over to the educator.

  Dora, Lilly, and Sadie followed behind hoping to help in any way possible.

  Complaining to Zachary, barely aware of the ladies now standing beside him, he said, “This is awful, just awful! Mr. Wiley is furious about the dead Koi and the fact we can’t open the exhibit this morning. He’s blaming me for this mishap! Can you believe that? He’s carping about lost sales and even threatened to sue. If he weren’t on the Board of Directors, I’d be giving him a piece of my mind right now! As it is, I need to hold my tongue. He has influence over my position at the University. I can’t risk having him bad-mouth me to the dean. I don’t have tenure yet.”

  Zachary gave the professor a sympathetic look. He then asked if he should go to the event headquarters and inform the event planners of their situation.

  “They could make a public announcement saying the Koi exhibit is closed for the day and the class on Water Gardens and Koi ponds has been canceled.” Professor Drainer nodded his head to Justin’s suggestion and waved him off.

  Taking a step forward, Dora addressed the educator.

  “Professor Drainer, my name is Detective Flores. I work for the Rogue Valley police department and these ladies,” nodding to Lilly and Sadie, “are Zachary’s friends. They taught him way back, when he was still in elementary school. Since Zachary was the last to leave the exhibit last night, and was the person who borrowed the electric hedge trimmer, he will certainly be a suspect in this case. They will vouch for his character.”

  The Professor nodded his head while Dora continued. “We want to help in any way possible. I have friends on the Portland police force. With your permission, I’d like to ask them to investigate. They’ll be discrete and I’ll volunteer my time as well, so we can figure out who threw that hedge trimmer in your Koi pond. Would it be okay if my friends and I took a quick look inside the exhibit?”

  “Certainly,” smiled the Professor, “so long as you can assure me of your discretion and police identification credentials. I’m feeling so overwhelmed, I can hardly think. Any police assistance would be appreciated. The exhibit is beautiful and I’ve spent weeks preparing for my presentation. I’m so disappointed I can’t teach this morning. I don’t understand why anyone would do something like this. What motive could there be?”

  Sadie spoke up, “There are all kinds of reasons, Professor. That’s how the police department will help. Do you have any enemies at OSU who might want to see you fail or lose face?”

  Professor Drainer responded with, “Every educational establishment is brimming with gossip, accusations, jealousies, and so-called nemeses’. Professors are an ambitious sort and strive for recognition. I’ve had a few arguments and awkward moments with collogues over the past year, but nothing serious.”

  After looking at Dora’s identification he continued, “Let me take you inside the exhibit and introduce you to Joseph Wiley. He owns one of the largest landscape and nursery businesses in the Portland area. We worked together designing the water garden and he donated all of the supplies, including the 15 Koi fish. He’s also on the OAN Board of Directors.”

  Before moving three steps, they heard a female voice over the intercom announcing that the Koi exhibit was closed for the day and the Water Garden and Koi Pond class had been cancelled. She suggested several other classes that were just getting started and mentioned their room numbers and location. Several people near by groaned in disappointment but quickly dispersed to other parts of the Convention Center.

  “Looks like Zachary was able to handle things with the event planners,” Professor Drainer commented as he waved the ladies into the closed exhibit.

  Still queasy over facing a pool of water filled with dead fish, Sadie lagged behind and was the last of the group to enter. Her head was down and she was sweating profusely. She wasn’t sure if it was due to a possible panic attack or an oncoming hot flash. Forcing herself to look up, Sadie drew in a big breath as she took in the beauty of the large exhibit.

  The Koi pond had a waterfall with two tiers and the sound of running water helped ease her anxiety. Azaleas, viburnum, bee balm, daylilies, and meadow sage were mixed in with grasses of various heights. She recognized several ground covers and liked how the waterfall structure had been designed as a rock garden with trailing vines and colorful flowers.

  Turning her gaze to the inside of the pond, and trying her best to ignore the large belly up Koi, she noticed a colorful display of water lilies, water hyacinth, and lotus flowers. There were a good number of submerged plants, but she located the red hedge trimmer by following the electric cord. It was still plugged into an outlet by the decorative light feature built into a stone pillar. Dora and Lilly were standing at the pond’s edge shaking hands with the attractive man they had observed at Le Pigeon. Not wanting to miss any part of their conversation, Sadie willed her feet to move closer to the group.

  “Nice to meet you, Detective,” said the attractive man with curly brown hair. Joseph Wiley was dressed in jeans and a corduroy jacket. He didn’t seem to recognize them from the previous night, so the ladies followed Dora’s lead as she questioned the businessman.

  “Mr. Wiley, I’ve put in a call to some friends on the Portland police force and they should be here within the hour to investigate this bizarre situation. Do you have any idea who might want to sabotage your exhibit?”

  Placing his hand on his forehead, Joseph took a moment to think. “To be honest, Detective Flores, there are several folks who probably wanted this exhibit to fail, or never even open. I have a lot of competitors and my business is growing in popularity. My nursery and landscape sales were certainly going to boom after this exhibition. Several local nurseries are close to bankruptcy, so they see me as a threat to their future business success.”

  Sadie decided Dora had things under control and would fill them in on the details later. She touched Lilly’s shoulder and whispered, “Let’s take a look around the pond for anything that might look suspicious.” Together, they backed out of the
group as Dora continued her questioning.

  Still sweating, Sadie swallowed hard as they walked past several dead Koi grouped together by the submerged red hedge trimmer. There was a large cluster of water lilies nearby, hiding a few additional dead fish. Gagging, she told herself to focus on the crime scene. She often had long conversations with herself so she tried ‘talking turkey’, a thing her recently deceased mother would often suggest when she was faced with a fear or obstacle. Honestly Sadie, this fish phobia is ridiculous. The Koi are dead! They aren’t going to jump out of the water and land in your arms. They can’t hurt you.

  Sadie gazed deep inside the pool of water and thought she saw something that wasn’t a plant. Moving as close to the edge as her mind would permit, she thought she recognized a black boot.

  “Lilly, look past those dead fish and to the right of the water lilies. What do you see?” Lilly stepped to the very edge of the pond and looked down. Moving a little to her right, she stopped and put her hands on her hips. Turning to face Sadie she said, “I think someone lost a boot. Now, why would someone throw a boot in the pond after tossing that hedge trimmer down there?”

  Sadie’s stomach did a flip-flop. What if it really was a boot and it was attached to a leg or someone’s entire body?

  “Dora,” she called, “I think you need to take a look at something.” Dora and the two gentlemen moved in their direction. Sadie pointed to where they should look. All three of them gasped. “Is that a boot?” the Professor gulped.

  Joseph Wiley went white. “I think it's a boot and the style looks familiar. It’s hard to make out from here, but it reminds me of a pair my daughter’s nanny used to wear.

  Sadie’s heart was beating fast. “Not another murder case! Honestly, I thought Fort Follyfield was behind me. I hope there isn’t a body attached to that boot.”