Cozy (Stanley Hastings Mystery, #14)

by Parnell Hall

  Pinehurst turned to me. “However, Mr. Hastings, let me fill you in. When I arrested Lars Heinrick last night, he had a vial on him, which proved to contain cocaine. On the basis of that information, we questioned Delmar Hobart. Who, as I say, has confessed. I’m sure one of the reasons he’s confessed is we happened to catch him with a considerable quantity of drugs, but the fact is, the man is cooperating. And, according to him, Lars Heinrick purchased cocaine on several occasions. Including the afternoon at Champney Falls.”

  “So that’s what he was doing there,” Jean said.

  “Absolutely. And his statement tends to corroborate our theory that Lars was following Florence around. According to Delmar Hobart, Lars Heinrick had him come to Champney Falls because he had to be there, and could not wait for him at the inn, even as much as half an hour. Why? Because he was following Florence.”

  Pinehurst shrugged. “Granted, Delmar Hobart doesn’t know that. But it raises the inference, and, taken with everything else, it is corroboration.”

  “But is it enough to convict?” Louise said. “If he gets off, people will always wonder.”

  “I can’t promise you what a jury will do. But the evidence will be there. Even if a jury fails to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, there will be no doubt in the eyes of the public. That I can promise you.”

  Florence came around the side of the building with Prince on a leash. Jean and Joan sprang up and ran over to her, ostensibly to offer support, but more likely to relate their thrilling tale of following a drug dealer. Talking animatedly, the three women followed Prince across the lawn.

  “Well, I’ll be off,” Pinehurst said. He gulped the last of his coffee, set down the cup. Gave me a meaningful look. “Just wanted to let you know about the cocaine.”

  I got it. I had without him underlining it, but it was nice to have the confirmation. Lars’ connection with drugs would be established by the vial he was carrying when he was arrested. The cocaine I’d pilfered from his room would disappear.

  I watched with satisfaction as Pinehurst got in his car and drove off. No, he hadn’t really had to come by this morning. But it was nice to hear him go over it one more time.

  Johnny Mclnnerny appeared, lugging two suitcases from the direction of East Pond. He plodded down to the parking lot, opened his trunk, put them in his car. He slammed the trunk, came back up to the porch.

  “I’m checking out,” he said to Louise. “Is there anything I need to do?”

  “No, just give me the keys.”

  Johnny passed them over. Like the suitcases, there were two. A sobering fact.

  I got up, extended my hand. “Good-bye, Johnny. I’m sorry about anything I may have said last night. About considering you a suspect. It wasn’t meant to hurt you, just to fool Lars.”

  “I know,” Johnny said. “You had to get him. I’m glad you did.”

  He shook my hand, nodded to Louise, turned and plodded off, climbed into his car, and drove away.

  Moments later the door banged, and Alice came out on the porch.

  “I got through to the camp,” she said. “According to his counselor, Tommie hasn’t asked for us once. He’s signed up for tennis, basketball, baseball, soccer, archery, and riflery, his only problem is choosing, because he wants to do everything. He couldn’t talk to me because right now he’s in a canoe in the middle of the lake. He supposedly wrote to us yesterday, so we should have a letter by the time we get home.”

  “We’d better write to him,” I said. “But what can we say? I can’t imagine explaining all this in a letter.”

  “You’re leaving today?” Louise said.

  I nodded. “As soon as we get packed. I’ll stop by the front desk and settle the bill.”

  I half expected her to say, “Don’t bother, there is no charge.” I was glad when she didn’t. I would have found it embarrassing. And I preferred to remember her as a shrewd businesswoman.

  Max came around the corner of the porch, his tail held high. He marched up to us, dropped his hindquarters, sprang up onto the table.

  “Max,” Louise said, “behave yourself. And in front of the guests.”

  I reached up, scratched him under the chin.

  “No, I think he’s entitled. After all, he solved the murder.”

  “Yes, he did,” Louise said. She smiled. “I can still see the look on Lars Heinrick’s face.”

  So could I. Shock, terror, disbelief. The man had to be terribly disconcerted to suddenly have a cat accusing him of a crime.

  Which Max wasn’t, of course. He hadn’t really been in East Pond, and even if he had witnessed the murder, I doubt if he could have picked out the killer.

  No, Max was merely doing his Stupid Pet Trick. When I’d helped Lars out of the booth and led him to his chair I’d slipped a sardine in his jacket pocket.

  Max had done the rest.

  He was a truly remarkable cat. I scratched him behind his ears, and he lay down on the table and began purring.

  The chef came out on the porch. Charlie. Louise’s husband. As always, he seemed somewhat stiff and unnatural out of the kitchen. He smiled when he saw me petting the cat.

  “I understand you’re leaving,” he said. “I just wanted to say thank you.”

  “I think it’s Max that deserves the thanks,” I said. “You might give him a special treat for dinner.”

  “I will,” he said. “But anyway, I’m no good at this sort of thing, but ... well, here.”

  He pulled something from behind his back. A large manila envelope. But he didn’t hand it to me, he handed it to Alice.

  “Me?” she said. “What is this?”

  Alice undid the clasp, opened the envelope. Pulled out a sheaf of papers. As she looked at the top one, her face lit up with a smile.

  I leaned across the table to look, though I didn’t need to. Alice’s reaction told me what they were.

  Recipes.

  Books by Parnell Hall

  Stanley Hastings private eye mysteries

  Detective

  Murder

  Favor

  Strangler

  Client

  Juror

  Shot

  Actor

  Blackmail

  Movie

  Trial

  Scam

  Suspense

  Cozy

  Manslaughter

  Hitman

  Caper

  Stakeout

  Puzzle Lady crossword puzzle mysteries

  A Clue For The Puzzle Lady

  Last Puzzle & Testament

  Puzzled To Death

  A Puzzle In A Pear Tree

  With This Puzzle I Thee Kill

  And A Puzzle To Die On

  Stalking The Puzzle Lady

  You Have The Right To Remain Puzzled

  The Sudoku Puzzle Murders

  Dead Man’s Puzzle

  The Puzzle Lady vs. The Sudoku Lady

  The KenKen Killings

  $10,000 in Small, Unmarked Puzzles

  Steve Winslow courtroom dramas

  The Baxter Trust

  Then Anonymous Client

  The Underground Man

  The Naked Typist

  The Wrong Gun

  The Innocent Woman