Cozy Mystery Boxed Set: Rare Catch Cozy Mystery

by Liz Turner

  “I think so. I’ll make sure dinner is all done, and everything is cleaned and packed up before then,” Sakura explained. “Would that be okay?”

  “Of course. You know that as long as the work’s all done by the end of the day, I’m not going to tell you what to do off hours.”

  “Thanks. Like you said, it’s probably not something I’ll get to do again. It’s not like I can afford to stay at a place like this, even for just one night.”

  “Don’t say that,” Veronica said. “You’ll be able to do that one day. It’ll just need to be a special occasion.”

  “Will I ever become a millionaire chef?” Sakura joked. “Yeah right.”

  “Why not?” Veronica insisted. She got out of the car, and Sakura followed. “If anyone can do it, you can.”

  Sakura was quiet as they began to unload the supplies. “Do you think so?”

  “I know so.”

  Just as the two chefs were carrying boxes to the back entrance, the doorway burst open, revealing Sandro with hair that was wilder than he normally wore it, and that was saying something considering how impeccable he normally kept his appearance. His suit seemed slightly ruffled as if he put it on in a hurry and didn’t take the time to smooth it down as meticulously as he normally would. His head snapped back and forth between the two women, his mouth moving like he wanted to say something but his voice refused to cooperate.

  Veronica put the box down. “Sandro? Are you all right?”

  He put up a hand and waved it in a circle. He still couldn’t speak. Sakura ran back to the van and grabbed her water bottle, opening it as she hurried back.

  “Here, have a gulp,” Sakura directed him. He did so, and his voice came out as a gasp after he swallowed. “There. Now, whatever it is, calm down and tell us.”

  “I only drink bottled mineral water,” Sandro said. His comment would have come across as haughty if his tone wasn’t so worried. “You need to know, and I don’t mean this as anything against you or your company, but your catering services are not longer needed. ”

  “Cancelled?” Veronica echoed. “Why’s it canceled?”

  “I meant to phone you earlier, but I didn’t want to wake you too early,” Sandro described. “But as it turns out you’re here early regardless.”

  “We were here this early yesterday too,” Veronica reminded him. “Why’s the catering canceled?”

  “This is just so shocking!” Sandro declared. “I never expected something like this to happen! And at the Starlight Resort! How could this happen?”

  “What happened?” Sakura demanded. “Sounds to me you’re just trying to make an excuse for us to stop working here.”

  “That’s not the case!” Sandro yelled. “Not at all!”

  “Then why won’t you tell us?” Veronica inquired.

  Sandro took multiple deep breaths and another gulp of Sakura’s water, despite it not being the normal mineral water he drank.

  “There’s been an a…an accident.”

  “What sort of accident?” Veronica questioned. “What happened? Is anyone hurt?”

  “Yes…someone was hurt. Badly. Not just hurt.” Sandro’s sentences were becoming more and more irregular. “There’s been a…been a…Oh, I can’t even say it!”

  “Oh for crying out loud!” Sakura threw up her hands in exasperation. “If you don’t tell us, I’m going to assume you’re panicking over nothing and force our way into the kitchen. If nothing’s happening, we need to get to work.”

  “Sakura!” Veronica shouted. “Calm down! Whatever it is, this is clearly very stressful for him. Give him a moment to collect himself!”

  Sakura sighed. “You’re right. Sorry Mister Hoffstad.”

  Sandro just nodded and took another drink.

  “Maybe we should’ve given him some whiskey,” Veronica attempted to joke. “Okay, Sandro. Deep breaths, okay? Now, calmly and slowly, tell us what happened.”

  “All right...All right,” he said at last. “There was an accident, at the swimming pool. Everything involved with the resort is shut down, and that includes the catering. The only things left running as per normal is the hotel itself and the restaurant, and even that is preparing minimalist meals. Oh goodness, I’m going to need to refund or reimburse the customers for everything they’ve scheduled. It’s a disaster!”

  “What kind of accident?” Sakura asked.

  “In the pool. Someone drowned,” Sandro described. “Some are saying it’s murder…Oh, this is horrible!”

  “A murder? Really?” Sakura’s voice pitch suddenly went up an octave. “But that’s so exciting! I love reading mysteries! I’ve even written a few of my own! This story could be great inspiration for my next book! Maybe I can even get it published!”

  “Sakura,” Veronica said with a flat voice. “Someone has died. Do you think you should be thinking about how you can write a novel about that?”

  Sakura’s eyes lowered to her feet, and she bit her lip. “No, I guess not. Sorry.”

  Veronica turned back to Sandro. “Mister Hoffstad. Would it be all right if we see the crime scene?”

  Sandro’s eyes widened, almost taking up his whole head. “Why in the world would you want to do that?”

  “Humor us.” Veronica stood with her hands on her hips. “We’d like to see it with our own eyes.”

  Sandro shrugged his shoulders helplessly but waved his hands in a signal for them to follow.

  Veronica shouted for Hannah, to wait to unload the van. Sandro guided them back to the twin swimming pools. They knew the way from their visit yesterday, but Veronica had a feeling that Sandro needed something to keep his mind occupied, even if it was something as simple as leading a pair of chefs through the resort.

  When they arrived the first thing Veronica noticed was the ambulance, idling to the side of the topmost pool. A couple of paramedics stood by but didn’t seem to have anything to do. Another van sat beside the ambulance, and a few people carried a large, black bag with a zipper set lengthwise on it. She couldn’t tell what was in the bag, but she had a pretty good idea.

  Yellow police tape blocked off most of the area, with a couple of officers standing by at the corners, making sure no one entered or left the area without authorization. They were vigilant in their duty, although Veronica spotted one yawning widely. He was not the only one who seemed tired either.

  How long had they been here? She wondered. When exactly was the body found?

  Other than the police, the whole area was evacuated. A couple of forensic experts (or Veronica assumed they were, given their Crime Scene Investigator logos on their uniforms) were searching the area for any evidence of murder. No stone would be left unturned, although they were clearly careful to leave everything the way they had found it. Pictures were being taken of the entire area before anything moved.

  Sandro stopped a few feet from the tape. “Here it is.”

  Sakura sped past him, following the sight of the body bag, She stopped at the tape by one of the officers, who warned her not to come any closer. Once the bag had been loaded into the black car, she turned her attention to the forensic scientists. She was spouting out questions using vocabulary Veronica had never before heard. Clearly, she was not as familiar with that sort of jargon as Sakura was.

  “Ma’am, please, you must stay behind the yellow tape!” One of the officers demanded, holding up a hand to stop Sakura in her tracks.

  “Have they done an autopsy yet? Any fingerprints? What about DNA? Were there signs of a struggle? Was it an accident or was it murder?”

  “Ma’am, enough! I'm not going to warn you again!”

  “Sakura!” Veronica pulled on the younger chef’s arm, forcing her backward and away from the officer. “Do you want to get arrested for disobeying a policeman?”

  “But I want to know what happened!”

  “You’re not going to learn anything this way.”

  “That’s the first reasonable thing I’ve heard someone say this morning.” Veronica
and Sakura turned their heads to see another man in a suit walk towards them. “Most people can’t keep their heads at a scene like this.”

  The man was clearly a detective. Veronica could tell without looking at the “Private Investigator” badge pinned to his chest. He wore a black suit jacket and tie, matching his black wristwatch on his right arm. His broad shoulders seemed a little out of place for the rest of his slender body, but he still had a very strong look to him. His wavy brown hair went down to the bottom of his ears, longer than Veronica always imagined a detective having.

  Well, first time for everything. “Hello. I’m Veronica Koche, and this is my friend Sakura. We didn’t mean to get in the way.”

  “That’s all right,” he replied, sticking out his hand. “I’m Maximilian Bernard, Private Investigator in association with the Meloda PD. I seem to remember someone mentioning a Koche to me during the briefing.”

  “I’ve been working here as a caterer for a few of the guests,” she explained. “Though how my name came up, I have no idea.”

  “Can we have a look at the crime scene?” Sakura asked, jumping into the conversation. “I love a good mystery, and murder no less! I’d love to learn how you do your investigation!”

  “I’m sorry Miss Sakura, but I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Detective Bernard said.

  “Oh please!” she begged. “What harm could it do?”

  “Sakura, aren’t you always telling me how any mystery can have clues or evidence?” Veronica reminded her. “He probably doesn’t want us to contaminate anything before they’ve had the chance to look through it all.”

  “That’s exactly it,” the detective confirmed.

  Sakura pouted but relaxed. “Okay. I see your point.”

  “I’m a little surprised that you seem so calm.” Detective Bernard observed, paying particular attention to Veronica. “Most people are upset at the news of someone’s death.”

  “I am sorry to hear about it,” Veronica defended. “It’s never okay when someone dies.”

  “You normally don’t work at the resort, correct?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Can you tell me where you were last night?”

  Veronica frowned a little. “I was at my restaurant, The Rare Catch, for a few hours, planning out the catering for today. After that I was home, watched some television and read a book. Why?”

  “When did you leave the resort last night?” The detective was writing this all down in his notebook, and Veronica noticed he was left-handed.

  “About eight o'clock. We needed to clean up after catering dinner, and then we drove back to the restaurant.” Veronica crossed her arms. “Why am I being treated like a suspect?”

  “Please understand,” he replied. “I have to look at every possibility, and someone who normally doesn’t work at this resort being here is highly unusual.”

  “I assure you, Detective, I had nothing to do with this accident, or murder, or whatever it is,” Veronica asserted.

  “Yeah, why would Veronica do something like that?” Sakura interrupted. “I can vouch for her movements yesterday. So can the rest of the cooks. She’s got a solid alibi and no motive to kill someone.”

  “Hey, I don’t even know who has died,” Veronica proclaimed. “Whether it was a murder or not!”

  Detective Bernard lowered his notebook and looked at them with sad blue eyes. “A young woman named Amber Buckner was found in the swimming pool early this morning. We believe she drowned, although we haven’t concluded if it was a murder. It looks more like an accident than anything right now.”

  Veronica gasped as Sakura stared in shock. She slowly sat down where she stood.

  Chapter 7

  “So was it murder or not?” Veronica asked. Sakura was following her, still silent from the shock that her new friend was dead. “How could it be an accident?”

  “Drowning accidents happen,” Detective Bernard stated as he headed into the main part of the resort. “I need to write up my report. The police are going to want it ASAP. Horrible thing like this is happening to the Buckners of all people.A suspicious death like this is going to be a bureaucratic nightmare. ”

  “Someone’s died, and all you can think about is the paperwork?” Veronica demanded.

  Max stared at her. “Yeah, that was insensitive of me. Sorry. It’s a coping mechanism. Try to keep the idea of the victim separate from the family. It’s the hard part of my job, speaking with the families. I can’t imagine how David Buckner’s feeling right now.”

  “Me neither, but that’s why this is important,” Veronica declared. “What if I told you this wasn’t an accident?”

  That got the detective’s attention. “What do you mean?”

  “I take it you didn’t talk much to the family? You did say that was the hard part of your job.”

  “Stop beating around the bush. What are you talking about?”

  “If you asked the family, you would know it would be impossible for Amber to drown in a swimming pool.” Veronica stared at him with intense eyes. “Amber Buckner was a trained lifeguard.”

  “That’s right!” Sakura had finally found her voice again. “Amber knew the dangers of being around water and how to avoid them! The chances of her drowning without someone else causing it. It just wouldn’t happen!”

  “How could a trained lifeguard possibly drown?” Veronica repeated. “And I saw her swimming yesterday. She was very skilled. If she drowned, it was no accident.”

  Detective Bernard watched them intently, clearly paying attention to what they had to say. He observed their eyes and their lips, and he could perceive there was nothing to indicate that either woman was lying, or making up a fanciful story. Once they finished talking, he stood in thought for a moment before nodding.

  “I didn’t know that, and I agree that is very strange.” He rubbed his chin, where a bit of stubble was forming from not shaving that morning. “But that’s not enough for the police and me to do a full-blown investigation.”

  “Why not?” Sakura demanded through her teeth.

  “There’s not enough evidence yet to call it murder. It’s strange that if it was a murder that the body finished up in the pool. It would make more sense to dump the body in the lake if the killer wanted to get rid of it. Besides, we need the autopsy to confirm signs of foul play for one thing, but that can take a while.” Max visibly groaned as he grabbed his side pack. “I hate waiting for that. If only autopsies could happen instantly, but that’s wishful thinking.”

  “Well, why do you have to wait?” Veronica persisted. “Why not still ask around for some information while you wait for the autopsy? Surely it wouldn’t hurt to do that?”

  Max smiled. “You and I are of the same mind, Chef Koche, but I act in association with the police. They don’t like it when I start an investigation that’s not going to pan out into anything. What if it was just an accident?”

  “Then you’re no worse off than if you waited,” she reasoned. “But you’ll be ahead of the game if you start asking around now.”

  “I appreciate your enthusiasm, Chef Koche. I do,” Max insisted. “But until and unless more evidence of murder comes up, the whole thing’s out of my hands. I normally wouldn’t even be here before the police decide it’s a murder, but that’s part of our agreement. I’m called in as part of procedure, but I can’t do anything else right now.”

  “You’re going just to wait?” Sakura whispered. “What if the criminal can hide evidence? Or skips town? The longer you wait, the greater the chance the murderer will get away!”

  “Trust me, Miss, I know the statistics very well,” the detective debated. “And that’s why I hate waiting for the go-ahead, but my hands are tied. I’m sorry.”

  Max picked up his pack and started to walk away. “I’ll see you two later if any murder evidence does come up.”

  Detective Bernard left through the front lobby door, leaving the two chefs in front of the unlit fireplace. They watched him go, one in di
sbelief and the other in great annoyance. Sakura took a few steps towards the entryway before spinning to face Veronica.

  “I can’t believe it! He’s going just to let this go?!” she hollered. “This is the most absurd investigative procedure I’ve ever heard!”

  “Not everything’s done the way you see on TV or read in books,” Veronica reminded her. “But yeah, it is silly that he plans to wait. Who knows how long autopsies take?”

  “He’s just not taking this seriously!” the other complained. “What a lazy detective!”

  “I don’t think that’s it. I think he’s just following what the police want him to,” Veronica decided. “Since when have police ever been cooperative with something this serious?”

  Sakura sighed. “Yeah, good point. But what can we do about it?”

  “You know as well as I do that Amber wouldn’t have just drowned,” Veronica proclaimed. “This wasn’t an accident. I just don’t have any way to prove it.”

  “We’d need either access to Amber’s body – feels awful saying that – or to her autopsy report to know if it’s murder or not,” Sakura concluded. “But how much do you want to bet the police or Detective Bernard won’t let us anywhere near those things?”

  “I won’t take that bet. I’m not an idiot.” Veronica replied with a thoughtful hum. “We can’t look for any physical or forensic evidence either. Even if the police did let us near the crime scene, I don’t know anything about finding or analyzing that sort of thing. Do you?”

  “Not one bit,” Sakura answered. “I’ve read about it, sure, but doing it? That’s a whole other league.”

  “There is one thing we can do, though.”

  Sakura smiled at her friend. “Question the family?”

  “Exactly!” Veronica declared. “If someone did murder Amber, one of them might be responsible.”

  “Well I can already think of one or two of them that might hurt Amber,” Sakura said, regret laced in her tone. “Though it’s hard to imagine someone hurting a family member.”

  “Yeah, I have a hard time believing it too, but you never know,” Veronica agreed. “I once heard a story about a woman who killed her three children. Something about them possessed by the devil. I guess some people will be driven to do horrible things sometimes.”