Belly Up in the Koi Pond

by Cheryl Zelenka

  Pushing a wisp of hair out of her eyes, Whinny responded, “Yes, I thought I should meet a man with amazing luck. I had just divorced my first husband and was thinking all of my luck had run out. By laying down such a large bet, I knew Joseph was confident and self-assured. He was also dressed to the nines, so I figured a sharp dresser would be a fun dinner date.”

  Finishing the story, Mr. Wiley added, “So, she stood on the opposite side of the roulette table for over an hour. She watched as I enjoyed the best run of good luck in my life. That night, I walked away from the casino with over $30,000. While I was cashing in my chips, Whinny waltzed up to me and batted her eyes. I couldn’t leave her hanging, so I asked if she wanted to keep me company over a steak dinner. The rest is history.”

  “So how long have you two been married?” asked Lilly

  “Just over a year,” Whinny answered. “We had a very quick romance and flew to Las Vegas on a whim to get married. I quit my job at the Casino and moved up to Portland to be with Joseph. I left my first husband the year my son, Paul, started junior high. It was about seven years ago. The Seven Feathers Casino offered me a job, so I moved to Canyonville. I didn’t want to commute. My Ex and I thought it best to keep Paul in Rogue River. I’d visit him every week and even stayed at our old house, but in my own bedroom. Stephen and I are on good terms, but just not in that way. Anyway, Joseph and I had a baby girl six months after we were married. We named her Bella and Paul adored her.”

  Sadie noticed Whinny used the past tense when speaking of her son and had suddenly become sullen and quiet.

  Mr. Wiley put his arm around his wife saying, “Whinny’s son was killed a few months ago by a hit and run driver. The police are still investigating, but so far they have no leads.”

  “Mrs. Wiley,” murmured Zachary, “I knew your son, Paul. We became friends in junior high after you moved to Canyonville. That’s why we’ve never met. He often spoke highly of you and bragged he had the smartest mom on the planted. I’m very sorry for your loss. I had no idea he was dead. We sort of, umm, parted ways the last few months of our senior year. We had an argument over a girl, Ashley Sweetwater. I’m afraid she’s also dead.”

  “Yes, Dear, I know,” Whinny said, patting his arm, “My husband was just telling me about the horrible scene at the Koi exhibit. When Joseph told me Paul’s old flame, and our former nanny, was at the bottom of the Koi pond, I told him to stop kidding. I’m afraid I shoved him, which is why he almost landed at your feet, Ms. Sunshine.”

  Joseph Wiley smiled at his wife but it was obvious he was still distraught over Ashley’s death. His complexion was pale and blotchy. Sadie wondered if Whinny knew her husband was involved with their former nanny. By all appearances, they seemed to be happily married. Actually, like contented newlyweds with an infant daughter!

  Mr. Wiley is not scoring any points with me, thought Sadie. He cheated on his new wife with their former nanny! Poor woman, both of her marriages have gone awry. Maybe I should ignore Mark and Detective O’Cleary and stay clear of men for the rest of my life, except Pop. Willow and Bosco are faithful and true blue. Their affection is probably all I need. But then, dogs can’t give foot massages. I really like foot massages.

  Looking at her watch, Lilly whispered to Sadie they only had 45 minutes to find some coffee and get back to the exhibit.

  Smiling at the couple Sadie spoke. “Joseph, Whinny, it was very nice to meet you, even under these unfortunate circumstances. I’m sure you have a lot to discuss and we have to hurry off. The detectives still need to question Zachary and they gave less than an hour to locate some coffee and a Danish.”

  “Horrible business. This news is all so very sad. Ashley was just too young to die,” remarked Mrs. Wiley while glancing at her distressed husband. Joseph’s eyes were welling up but he made an attempt to smile. “So long,” was all he was able to muster.

  Sadie, Lilly, and Zachary moved forward, riding the escalator up to the main level. Their quest for Dutch Brothers coffee led them back to the front entrance. Sadie observed Justin Coin was no longer standing behind the membership table. Remembering the angry encounter from the previous night, she wondered if he’d be happy to hear of Ashley Sweetwater’s death. I have a sick feeling he won’t be looking for a box of tissues when the word gets out.

  CHAPTER SEVEN: A Chance Encounter

  Sadie followed Lilly into the food court, right behind Zachary. The Dutch Brothers booth was conveniently located near several small tables. Sadie took Zachary’s order, a Dutch Freeze and a chocolate-chip muffin top, and then asked him to snag a table. Slipping into the customer line, she asked Lilly if she was up for another five star dinner experience.

  “Oh Sadie, would I be an ungrateful and insensitive friend if I say no, not tonight?” Lilly pursed her lips and added, “I had so much fun last night, and I want to do it again, but not tonight. Our morning has been so upsetting. Can we just go to a simple steak house and grab some wine and a nice prime rib? Maybe Dora can convince her detective friends to join us.” Lilly waited to see if Sadie would comment. When she didn’t, Lilly pressed on, “By the way, what do you think of that burly Detective O’Cleary? He seems pretty nice, or has your neighbor blinded you to his tantalizing possibilities?”

  “Really Lilly, the things you say! Yes, I did notice the manly Irishman, and no, you are not a horrible friend if you prefer a casual dinner at a steakhouse.”

  The ladies moved quickly to the front of the line and gave their orders. Lilly ordered a Dutch Cocoa and blueberry scone while Sadie gave Zachary’s order and asked for two White Chocolate Mochas with two Lemon Poppyseed muffins. “I’m sure Dora will appreciate a treat,” she responded to Lilly’s raised eyebrows.

  Picking up their goodies, the women walked over to the table Zachary had saved. They found him chatting with a middle-aged man who had the athletic build of a long distance runner. Apparently they knew each other, as they were engrossed in conversation while Lilly and Sadie took their seats.

  “Ms. Sunshine…Mrs. Pierce…let me introduce you to Mr. Sproutman. Steven Sproutman, Paul’s dad. He’s the gentleman I shadowed one summer, the editor of Digger Magazine. He drove up from Rogue Valley early this morning. Of course any decent writer needs coffee to think straight, and Dutch Brothers, as you know, is the only coffee worth drinking.

  Mr. Sproutman reached across the table to shake their hands. He had long fingers. Sadie wondered if he ever played the piano. The editor was dressed in jeans, a corduroy shirt, and bright red Nike running shoes. His long brown hair was parted down the middle and pulled back in a ponytail.

  “Ladies, while you were in line, Zachary and I were catching up. I was thrilled to hear he’ll be attending OSU this fall as an ornamental landscape major. He also told me about his scholarship. We lost touch but my son was his friend.” Pausing, he then added, “Paul was hit by a car several months ago and passed away.” Mr. Sproutman swallowed hard and took a sip of coffee. The ladies gave their condolences.

  Sadie mentioned they had just met his ex-wife, Whinny.

  “Yes, she’s now married to Joseph Wiley but we still keep in touch. Paul’s death took a toll on both of us and we’re still reeling from our loss. At least she has a little girl to distract her, but I know Paul will always hold a special place in her heart.”

  Zachary took a bite of his muffin then added, “"Mr. Sproutman drove up to Portland because he wanted to write an article about the Koi pond exhibit.”

  Mr. Sproutman looked at the ladies and elaborated. “A lot of folks are into Koi these days, so it would have been a great article for Digger. But then, Wowsers!

  Zachary told me the reason for the closed exhibit. Blew my socks clean off. Ashley Sweetwater, my son’s High School girlfriend is dead. Zachary said the police found her body on the bottom of the Koi Pond. Man-oh-man!”

  Sadie first frowned at Zachary, then made an appeal to the magazine editor. “Mr. Sproutman, that information hasn’t been released to the public, as I’m
sure Ashley’s family hasn’t been notified of her passing yet. I know you’re a writer, but please, out of respect for the dead, can you keep her identity out of your article. The police are collecting facts as we speak and the exhibit is an active crime scene. So, I’m afraid you won’t get a chance to view the amazing design Joseph Wiley and Professor Drainer created.”

  “Ms. Sunshine, no worries. I’m not planning to write about her death. I’ll find some other exhibit or topic for the March publication of Digger. Readers are really into recycling, so I might write about reinventing items normally tossed into landfills.”

  “That would be an interesting article,” Sadie raved.

  “Anyway, Ashley was, um, always looking for a way to gain popularity, even at the cost of others and their feelings. To be honest, I didn’t like her one bit. Paul fell for her good looks and sense of humor, but on the night he died we had a very interesting conversation. He told me he was going to break up with her. She was mean, a bully to be frank, and Paul was tired of her drama.”

  Turning to Zachary, “I’m sorry, son. I know you were fond of Ashley but you should know the truth about her true nature. She was always bad mouthing kids from your school and posting rude comments on her Facebook page. Paul didn’t approve of her belittling the less popular crowd, and that was a big reason he decided to end things.”

  Zachary had a blank expression on his face. Realizing he may have overstepped, Mr. Sproutman made a gesture to cheer up the young man. “Paul also said he regretted breaking up your relationship with her, and wished he still had your friendship. Life is filled with mistakes and he said breaking your trust was one of the biggest mistakes of his life.”

  Zachary’s face softened. Mr. Sproutman’s words were an unexpected balm to the hurting young man. “Thank you for telling me this, Mr. Sproutman. I’m sorry I missed Paul’s funeral. Things were crazy back in High School, and it’s true, Ashley did thrive on drama.”

  Out of curiosity and concern Lilly asked, “Do the police think it was some irresponsible drunk who killed your son, or is there a chance it was intentional?”

  “Mrs. Pierce, the hit and run took place on a very rainy night, so there’s a chance it was unintentional. Statistics state alcohol is often the cause for accidents such as these. There is a bar very close to where my son was found. But I also have my own suspicion. I actually wonder if Ashley had something to do with Paul’s death. I don’t think she’s the kind of person who would take rejection very well.”

  Sadie asked, “Did you mention your hunch to the police?”

  “Ms. Sunshine, Portland is a much bigger city than dear old Rogue River, so locating my son’s murderer doesn’t seem to be a priority for Portland’s police force. I drive up here every week to remind the officers about my son’s case, but they roll their eyes when they see me and try to send me back home as quickly as possible.”

  By this time, Sadie had finished her muffin top and calculated there were only eight minutes to get Zachary back to the detectives. She wanted to hear more about the editor’s suspicions but decided it would have wait for another time. As she stood up, she smiled at Mr. Sproutman and said, “It was a pleasure to meet you, Stephen. I enjoy Digger Magazine and will look forward to the March issue. My friend, Dora Flores, is a detective from Rogue Valley. She came up with us to enjoy this Garden Show. Right now she’s helping some friends, Portland detectives, with Ashley Sweetwater’s murder. I’m sure Zachary told you she was electrocuted with a hedge trimmer.” Mr. Sproutman nodded to confirm her assumption. “Well, I’ll make a point of mentioning your son’s case to Dora, and to the Portland detectives if an opportunity arises.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Sunshine. I appreciate your offer to help. Hopefully, you can enjoy some of the venders and exhibits, despite the murder case you seem to have stumbled upon. I’ll be driving home tonight, but feel free to stop by the magazine if you ever want a guided tour.”

  Thanking him for the invitation, Sadie led Lilly and Zachary to the escalator and back down to the murder scene.

  CHAPTER EIGHT: The First Murder Suspect

  Sadie returned Zachary to the Koi exhibit with three minutes to spare. Dora saw the group return and left O’Cleary and detective Pointman as they finished packing up their gear. The other officers had left the scene and Ashley’s body was no longer in the Koi pond. Zachary excused himself saying he wanted to make a quick phone call to his mother. “I don’t know if she’ll come, but I want to give her another chance to show up for the award ceremony. It’s been moved to tomorrow afternoon.” He took out his iPhone and walked over to the deck.

  Eying the Dutch Brothers cup holder and pastry bag in Sadie’s hand, Dora titled her head and meowed. “Is that for me?”

  “Yes, Kitty…but it’s not a bowl of milk.”

  “All the better,” Dora smirked. She pulled one of the coffees free from the cup holder and waited for Sadie to hand her one of the lemon muffins. “Yum!” Never willing to pass up an opportunity to rib Sadie, Dora needled her with, “O’Cleary and Mary are gonna be hurt you didn’t bring them some coffee, Sadie. I guess you’ll have to make it up to them another way.” Dora winked at Lilly, who couldn’t help but let out giggle.

  “Oh, you two are impossible! Yes, Dora, I do have a plan. I’m going to invite both detectives to dine with us tonight. Lilly wants to eat at a steakhouse and enjoy a good bottle of wine. I thought we could postpone our next five star dinner until tomorrow night. I’m hoping your friends will keep us up to date on this investigation but also share in some fun.”

  “Lilly,” Dora beamed, “you came up with a great idea. I think Timothy and Mary would love to have a meal with us and I’ve never known O’Cleary to turn down a free steak dinner.”

  As if Dora’s words were a line from a Broadway play, Detective O’Cleary and his partner entered stage left, or rather, moved forward to join the group.

  “Did I hear someone mention a free steak dinner?” O’Cleary stood next to Sadie and again her heart started to beat faster.

  Facing the blue-eyed Irishman, Sadie tried to contain her excitement. “Yes, you did, detective! I was hoping both of you would join us for a steak dinner tonight. My treat. It’s ‘my bad’ for not bringing you both a coffee.” Dora held up her cup of Joe and gloated. Sadie continued, “I know you still need to question Zachary, and work on this investigation, but I’m hoping I can convince you to take a break from work and just hang out for an hour or two.”

  Mary smiled at her partner then spoke on his behalf. “Ms. Sunshine, one of us has to stay on this case late into the night, but I know how much my partner loves a good steak. Personally, I eat very little red meat, so I’ll let him play hooky for a few hours. However, you’ve got to promise to bring me a mocha latte before you head back to Rogue Valley.” Pausing, as if not sure to add something, she continued. “To be honest, Dora’s been talking about you, Ms. Sunshine.”

  Sadie looked in Dora’s direction but her best friend ducked her head.

  “My partner hasn’t met anyone lately, well…nobody who can hold his interest.” O’Cleary looked uncomfortable and scratched his five o’clock shadow.

  “He keeps telling me he wants to meet a lady who shares his faith, loves dogs, and isn’t embarrassed by his hobby, which is gardening. Every summer he has the most amazing vegetable garden. When Dora told him you meet everything on his list, and then some, you definitely caught his attention.”

  If O’Cleary had been a middle-aged woman, Sadie would have assumed he was experiencing a major hot flash. His face was bright red and sweat was dripping from his forehead. Fortunately, Zachary returned from his phone conversation before the detective had to respond to his partner’s matchmaking attempt.

  “Did you get ahold of your mom?” asked Lilly?

  “No,” Zachary replied in a low voice, “just her voice mail. It is what it is.”

  Dora, Lilly, and Sadie felt sorry for the young man but knew he would rebound quickly. A life of sorrow builds
resilience and Zachary was not one to be kept down, although he did seem very depressed. The ladies said goodbye to Zachary, trusting he was in good hands with Timothy and Mary. Before leaving, the group agreed O’Cleary would give Dora a call when he was free for dinner. The ladies decided to salvage the rest of their afternoon by touring the giant Convention Center and catching the class on Deer-Resistant Landscapes.

  When their seminar ended, all three ladies returned to the hotel and enjoyed a late afternoon swim.

  This trip doesn’t have to be a complete disaster, thought Sadie as she wiggled herself into a lavender swimsuit. Lilly was in a modest black suit with a skirt but Dora had proudly donned a red two-piece number. “Sister-friend, you sure know how to show off the 10 pounds you lost.”

  Dora smiled at Sadie’s observation and pranced across the room, over to her flip-flops and towel.

  Dora’s prancing made her think of Bosco. Poor boy. He’s white and fluffy; prances when he walks, and pees like a female. No wonder he’s always howling at me and showing attitude. He’s trying to express his manliness. I need to teach him to lift his leg and remind him just how macho he really is, at least in my eyes.

  Making sure they had a room key, the ladies rode the elevator down to the lobby and made an immediate hard right down the smaller hallway leading to the pool. They were thrilled to find the swimming facilities empty. After an hour of laps, races, and time in the hot tub, the ladies headed back to their room. As they started to undress and ready themselves for dinner, Sadie’s phone rang. Zachary was on the other end.

  “Ms. Sunshine, I’m freaking out. The Portland detectives told me I’m on their suspect list. I mean, they actually think I might be Ashley’s killer! I was the last one in the exhibit and the one using the electric hedge trimmer, so I guess that makes me a killer. Argh!! They even said I had a motive, just because Ashley broke up with me! ” Realizing the trauma of his day was finally sinking in, Sadie was sympathetic and tried her best to sooth his nerves.