Belly Up in the Koi Pond

by Cheryl Zelenka

  A few months ago, Sadie had agreed to be her friend Mandy’s long-term sub while she was on maternity leave. Coming out of early retirement had been hard enough, but discovering a dead body on her first day back to work had been a shock. With Dora’s help, she discovered the murderer, but only after an unexpected attempt on her own life.

  A soft splash knocked Sadie back into the present. After unplugging the trimmer, Dora had jumped into the Koi pond. Diving underwater, she swam over to the black boot. Everyone held their breath. Swimming to the side of the pond Dora emerged. The two men lifted her out of the water. Sadie took off her jacket and placed it on the shoulders of her dripping friend.

  “Gentlemen, this is now a murder investigation. There’s a woman with blonde hair still wearing that black boot. She’s also sporting a diamond tennis bracelet and wearing a white top. I’ll call my police friends and update them on the situation.”

  Joseph Wiley let out a slow groan. “No, it can’t be!” Turning to Dora he asked, ”Was this blonde wearing black leggings? Was she young, in her early 20’s?” She nodded then stepped away to make her phone call.

  Professor Drainer looked concerned. “That sounds a lot like my housekeeper. Joseph, you don’t think Ashley is in our Koi pond, do you?”

  Mr. Wiley turned to the professor, “I touched base with her last night, William. She was wearing the going away present I gave her, a diamond tennis bracelet. I know my wife asked you to hire her, so yes. I think it might be our Ashley. The officer described what she was wearing last night and she never takes off that diamond bracelet.”

  Both men seemed devastated. Dora returned and tried to reassure the men. “Let’s not jump to conclusions, gentlemen. The police will be here shortly and we’ll have the answers to your questions. In the meantime, both of you should try calling Ashley and see if she answers her phone. In a burst of anxious energy, the two men retrieved their iPhones and stepped away in opposite directions to make their calls.

  The ladies had a moment to themselves.

  Lilly started, “Is it the lady we saw last night at Le Pigeon, Dora?”

  “Yes, I think so, but I want to wait until she is pulled from the water to make a positive identification.”

  “This weekend of fun has quickly capsized and turned into a weekend of murder and mystery,” added Sadie. The ladies both nodded in agreement. A few minutes later, Dora’s friends from the Portland police force walked into the Koi exhibit, confident and ready for work.

  CHAPTER FIVE: Convention Center After Hours

  “Detective Timothy O’Cleary,” boomed the self-assured voice connected to the rugged officer shaking Professor Drainer’s hand. Dora was in charge of introductions and made sure to include Sadie and Lilly. Taking in the detective’s build, Sadie predicted he was carrying around an extra 15 pounds. With his wavy black hair, he reminded her of a husky George Clooney, but with blue eyes. She really liked how they twinkled. When the Portland Detective finally got around to shaking her hand, a burst of electricity seemed to jolt her heart, causing it to beat two times faster.

  His partner, Detective Mary Pointman, was in her early 30’s and athletic in build. She sported a wedding band, but Sadie hadn’t noticed one on O’Cleary’s hand. Gazing off to the waterfall, Sadie thought, Things are already interesting, but now that this handsome Irishman is on the scene, it’s become fascinating. I can’t believe how fast my heart is beating. Geesh, I know I’ve been flirting with Mark Sportly, but if O’Cleary is as nice as he is dashing, Mark may have some competition for my affection. I wonder if Detective O’Cleary likes dogs. Looking back at the group, she reminded herself the detectives were working a murder investigation, not around to flirt with perfect strangers.

  She caught up with the group, noticing they had positioned themselves directly above the red hedge-trimmer. Although she kept a safe distance from the water’s edge, Sadie was close enough to overhear the ongoing conversation.

  “Yes, I see the boot,” remarked Detective Pointman. “The police Chief gave me orders to get in the Koi pond and investigate further. I have swimming gear and a digital underwater camera in my bag.” Pointing to an area by the waterfall, “I’ll slip behind that partition and change.” With that, Detective Pointman left the others.

  Detective O’Cleary then turned his focus on the two men. Starting with Professor Drainer he asked, “Professor, tell me about your evening. What were you doing between 8 pm and midnight? Were you with anyone?”

  “Why, I was here at the exhibit.” Staring Mr. Wiley down, he continued.

  “I was working on some much needed and last minute improvements. One of my future students, a scholarship winner named Zachary Fry was with me. He’s been working as my personal assistant for the past few days. We needed to fix some things so the exhibit would really shine; getting it back to its original design was quite laborious. The young man will be back any moment. I sent him off to inform the Event Planners that our exhibit was closed.”

  Pointing to several locations around the Koi pond he continued, “Anyway, we had to switch out plants that were visual disasters and get the Koi pond up to snuff.” Feeling the digs, Mr. Wiley crossed his arms and glared back at the Professor but held his tongue. “I wanted the azalea’s trimmed and asked Zachary to borrow a hedge trimmer from the Azalea and Rhododendron exhibit, which is just down the hall and to the left. I directed him on how much to remove from the bushes over by the waterfall. After seeing he was quite skilled at following directions,” again looking directly at Mr. Wiley, who made a sour face, the professor added, “I felt comfortable he could manage the last few specimens on his own so I headed for home. The place was pretty much empty. We had to ask special permission to be in the Convention Center after 9 pm. It was around 10 o’clock when I left.”

  At this point, Detective Pointman materialized from behind the partition dressed in a navy swimsuit, with a pair of flippers, an oxygen mask, and a digital underwater camera in tow. Walking to the edge of the Koi pond, she attached the single tank of oxygen to her equipment and checked it was working properly. Giving her partner a thumbs-up, she threw the tank on her back and descended below the surface of the water.

  The others watched as she swam under the dead Koi and lily pads. For a while she was hidden from sight, thanks to the large underwater grasses. Everyone was silent when she reappeared holding the camera, busy snapping pictures. Both Mr. Wiley and Professor Drainer were entranced, wanting to see a picture of the victim wearing the black boot.

  “I can’t take this stress! Ashley just can’t be attached to that boot,” murmured Professor Drainer. “Where is Zachary? He should be here by now. I want to ask him if anyone showed up after I left last night.” He nervously ran his fingers through his salt and pepper hair. As if on cue, Zachary Fry appeared looking frazzled and confused. “What’s going on, Professor? Why is someone in the Koi pond? Have you called the police?” Lilly and Sadie stepped closer to their former student, hoping their presence would calm him while Dora shared about the latest discovery.

  “Zachary,” Dora explained, “while you were speaking with the Event Coordinators we made a new discovery, a deadly one. The two people you see here are my friends from the Portland police department. They are investigating a murder.”

  Zachary’s mouth opened wide and the ladies all heard a large intake of air. Lilly patted his back as Dora went on. “We found a young woman on the bottom of the Koi pond.” When Sadie saw the dazed look on Zachary’s face, she was sure a gentle breeze would have knocked him over had they been outside. She put her hand on his back to steady him. Speaking in a soft and gentle voice she asked, “Did anyone visit this exhibit after Professor Drainer left last night?”

  “No, Ms. Sunshine. It was just the hedge trimmer and me. Like I said before, I finished up with the azaleas, unplugged the trimmer and placed it on the bench over there by the deck.”

  While Dora spoke with the young man, Detective O’Cleary had been observing Zachary’s reaction
to the new development. Stepping over to Dora’s side, he introduced himself.

  “Young man, my name is Detective O’Cleary and I work for the Portland police department. The young woman is under some lily pads close to where the hedge trimmer fell. We saw a black boot and well, one thing led to another. My partner is in the water now taking digital images. Hopefully, we can get the body out of the Koi pond within the next hour. Do you know the exact time you left this exhibit, and did you noticed anyone in the Convention Center as you made your way home for the evening?”

  Heaving a big sigh, Zachary replied, “Officer, I was completely alone. I didn’t see anyone. Professor Drainer told me to use the exit in the back of the building, by the pergola and decking exhibits. I called my hotel and asked if they would send a transport to pick me up out front, so I walked around to the entrance. That probably took about four minutes. I only stood in front of the Convention Center for five or six minutes before my ride arrived. If I’m doing the math right, they picked me up around 10:25pm.”

  The whole time Detective O’Cleary was interviewing Zachary, Joseph Wiley was frantically trying to reach his former nanny. Speaking to no one in particular he moaned, “I keep getting her voicemail!” Then, turning to the Professor, he pointed a finger at him and said, “If Ashley’s on the bottom of our exhibit, William, I’m sure it’s because you ordered her here. Why else would she head this way and not return to your place? You’re always making demands of her time that are not a part of her housekeeping duties. I treated her to dinner last night at Le Pigeon, an early birthday present. She said you were constantly making her run errands, like she was your personal assistant. Anyway, we both left the restaurant around nine o’clock. And, if the Convention Center was closed by 9 pm, how did she get inside and find her way to the Koi exhibit? Since she left Le Pigeon after nine o’clock, there is no way she made it here before everything was locked up for the night.”

  “Those are all very good questions, Mr. Wiley. I was wondering the about those things too.” Dora moved closer to the businessman. “I’m sure there must be Surveillance Cameras on every door outside the Convention Center. Hopefully, my detective friends will look into this matter later on today.”

  CHAPTER SIX: Positive Identification

  Detective Pointman surfaced near the edge of the Koi Pond, close to where the others were standing. She removed the oxygen mask from her face and handed her partner the underwater camera. Slipping off the oxygen tank and harness, she shoved it over to Dora who reached down and lifted it from the water. With athletic ease, Detective Pointman lifted herself from the water and stood next to O’Cleary. Together, they looked through the digital images. Agreeing on several, they shared the photos with Dora. She also nodded before facing the three men.

  “Gentlemen, we want to share three photos with you. The first image is of a diamond tennis bracelet; the second image is a close-up of the black boot we all noticed from the waters edge. Finally, the last picture is a close-up of the woman’s face and torso.”

  Zachary, Professor Drainer, and Joseph Wiley stood beside Detective O’Cleary as he brought up the image of the tennis bracelet. Both Professor Drainer and Mr. Wiley went white. The detective then brought up the image of the black stiletto boot. Joseph Wiley collapsed to the ground. “It’s Ashley’s boot and bracelet. I know it. I can’t look at the last image.” As he placed his hands over his eyes and wept, O’Cleary brought up the last image. Both Zachary and the professor let out a gasp.

  “Yes, detective. That’s my housekeeper. I can positively identify her,” choked out William Drainer. Turning away from the photo, he walked over to the small bench resting near the deck and sat down. O’Cleary and Detective Pointman moved some distance away to have a private conversation.

  Zachary was standing with his head down and his arms crossed. Slowly, he lifted his face to speak. “I knew her, the lady in the Koi pond. She was my High School sweetheart. We dated my junior and senior year of High School, that is, until Paul Sproutman broke us up. Paul was my best friend, but he still went behind my back and asked Ashley out. The crumb! Ashley would still be my girlfriend if he hadn’t sent her all those stupid love notes. Paul’s dad is the editor of Digger Magazine. I guess he inherited his father’s talent for penning words.”

  “I’m so sorry, Zachary. This must be a huge shock for you,” remarked Lilly.

  “Sproutman. Hmm, that name sounded familiar,” Sadie revealed. “I subscribe to Digger. You gals know how I’m always looking for new and unique plants for my back garden, right? Well, Digger informs readers about new cultivars coming on the market, woody ornamentals to perennials, and bedding plants too. I wouldn’t say the writing is poetic, Zachary, but it certainly is informative.”

  Zachary shrugged his shoulders but added, “I actually considered a writing career before deciding to pursue a degree in ornamental horticulture. The summer before my senior year, I volunteered for Digger Magazine. I worked alongside Paul’s dad, Stephen. He gave me an opportunity to shadow him since his son was my best friend. That’s how Paul met Ashley. She’d drop by the magazine and bring by my favorite coffee from Dutch Brothers. Paul would often volunteer too and helped with the photo layouts. When he decided a date with Ashley was more important than our friendship, I cut all ties with the Sproutmans.”

  Sadie’s heart went out to her former student. She could only try to comprehend his feelings of devastation. After all, it wasn’t every day you discovered your first love on the bottom of a Koi pond.

  Trying to ease some of his angst, Sadie suggested they go up to the main floor and grab a Danish and some coffee. Lilly and Zachary both thought a break was a good idea. Dora was busy with the other detectives and a new team of officers had just arrived carrying scuba gear. Sadie caught Dora’s attention and waved her over.

  “Lilly and I are going to take Zachary upstairs for some coffee and a treat. We’ll be back in a little while. It turns out Miss Sweetwater was his old girlfriend. You’ll probably need to ask him some questions about that. Should we find Zachary a lawyer? What about the Professor and Mr. Wiley? Are you going to question them too? Are they suspects?”

  “Chica, slow down! Yes, Zachary needs to be questioned. Timothy and Mary will be very interested to hear he knew the victim. If she broke off their relationship and he was unhappy about it; that gives him a motive, not to mention opportunity. Looks like he may need a lawyer. They’ve already questioned Mr. Wiley and the Professor, so they’re free to go. In fact, Mr. Wiley left about five minutes ago. I’m placing Zachary in your care for one hour. Don’t let him out of your sight and please be back here promptly. I’m hoping the body will be removed from the water and transported to the Oregon State Hospital before you return. The hospital is close, just five minutes from the Convention Center. An autopsy has been ordered; so we’ll have a report by late afternoon or early tomorrow morning.

  Saddie added, “This is a crime scene, so the Koi exhibit won’t ever open to the public. You can imagine how Mr. Wiley and the Professor took that bit of news.”

  Dora flinched and pulled a face. Then said, “It can’t be helped. The Garden Show ends in two days and the police need time to search for clues.” With that, Dora left the group and returned to the water’s edge, where the new team of officers were dressing in scuba gear.

  Lilly put her arm through Zachary’s and led him to the exit. Sadie was close behind. As they started down the hallway leading to the escalator, Sadie observed Mr. Wiley about 10 feet in front. He was speaking with an attractive brunette in her early 40’s. Just as they were about to pass the couple, Mr. Wiley suddenly took two steps back and nearly fell into Sadie’s arms. Getting his balance he apologized, “Ms. Sunshine, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you.” The brunette looked annoyed but stepped forward for an introduction. After an awkward moment, Mr. Wiley gained back his composure. “Let me introduce you to my wife, Whinny Wiley.” The brunette sported a black form fitting sweater dress. Holding out her manicured hand,
Sadie reached for it, noting a missing red acrylic nail.

  Ouch! Sadie thought to herself, Losing an acrylic nail really hurts. Mrs. Wiley must have smacked her hand down hard on something. Or, maybe she likes to garden without gloves. I’ve lost several acrylic nails that way myself.

  Ever curious, Sadie asked, “Mrs. Wiley, I notice one of your lovely red nails is missing. How ever did you loose it?”

  Surprised by her question, Mrs. Wiley looked down at her right hand. “Darn, is it that noticeable? I just had my nails done three days ago. I wanted to look extra special for the scholarship award ceremony. I’m on the committee and was elected to present the honors. I’m afraid Professor Drainer was miffed I got the privilege. He’s on the committee too. Anyway, I usually don’t bother with such nonsense. I’m always in the garden, but you know… vanity, vanity. Well, it ripped off my finger yesterday when I tried to change my flat tire. The roadside service was taking forever and I thought I could remove the lug nuts all by myself. Ha! Turns out I should have waited patiently for help to arrive.”

  Lilly overheard Mrs. Wiley’s comment about being on the scholarship committee and spoke up. “This is Zachary Fry. He’s one of your honorees. He’ll be attending OSU next semester and hopes to graduate with a degree in ornamental horticulture.” Zachary gave her a half smile.

  “Zachary Fry, yes, I remember that name! Young man, I remember reading your application. You got my vote when I read how determined you were to overcome your difficult life circumstances. I also have an alcoholic parent, but it didn’t stop me from attending OSU. You sounded like a real go-getter.”

  “Oh, he is, Mrs. Wiley,” affirmed Lilly. Then, “You mentioned you like to garden. Do you work with your husband running the landscape business?”

  Mr. Wiley smirked. “No, Mrs. Pierce. My wife is strictly a home gardener. We met at the Seven Feathers Casino about a year and a half ago. She was watching roulette tables and fell for me when I won over two thousand on a single bet.”