“Liz, when you’re asking Judy for recipes, see if she’ll give you the one for the frozen cantaloupe mousse we had for dessert last night. That left a great taste in my mouth. I really liked it.”
They’d just put their plates down on the table when a young woman walked over and said to Liz, “Good morning, I’m Nettie. May I get you some coffee or juice, ma’am?”
“I’ll take some coffee, and I imagine my husband would like some orange juice. Would I be right, Roger?”
“Definitely, thank you.”
“Are you sure you don’t want some, ma’am? It’s fresh squeezed.”
“Well, in that case, how can I turn it down? Yes, I would like some, thanks.”
A few moments later Nettie returned with their juice and Liz’s coffee. “Let me know when you’d like another cup. You can ring this little bell, and I’ll come right out of the kitchen. Enjoy your breakfast. You’re the last guests to arrive for breakfast this morning. The others wanted to eat early, so they could get to their treatments on time.” She walked away and disappeared into the kitchen, closing the kitchen door behind her.
“Liz, after breakfast, I’m going to drive into town and get a lay of the land. I’ve never been to Calistoga before. I know it’s a small town, but that’s about it. I won’t be gone long.”
“That’s fine. Why don’t you take Winston with you? He loves to ride in the car, and I need to talk to Chief Oliphant. Hopefully, I’ll have some information when you return.”
“Okay, but you have one thing to do that’s even more important than talking to the chief and that’s to get Judy’s recipes. I didn’t know she was such a good cook.”
“Hate to spoil the illusion, Roger, but I’d be willing to bet that most of the recipes are her cook’s. Other than clam chowder, I’m not sure Judy knows how to cook. When I lived in San Francisco and we became friends, she was famous for eating whatever she’d brought home the night before from when she’d been treated to dinner by her most recent male flavor of the month. I’m not sure the oven in her house has ever been turned on, and her inability to cook almost anything was an ongoing joke among her friends. I’m still surprised she opened a hotel and spa. She’s about the most undomestic person I’ve ever known, but I have to say she’s done it up right here at Serenity Hotel. If we can get this murder solved, I predict she’s going to be very successful.”
“She has the one trait that a good hotelier needs, and that is she sincerely loves to talk to people and be with them. She’s so friendly and warm people can’t help but be drawn to her.”
“We have to solve this murder if for no other reason than I really want her to make a success of the hotel and spa. I’ve known her for many years, and as I told you, she’s never worked. This is a first for her, and I’m really proud of her for tackling it. It’s not about the money she’ll make, it’s about doing something that will make her feel successful.”
“I agree, and although I won’t be here much longer, I think you need to stay for however long it takes to solve it. I think I’ll rent a car tomorrow and leave mine here for you.”
“Roger, I’d be willing to bet Judy has an extra one in the garage. She loves cars, and that was something else we always kidded her about. We were always asking her why one woman needed two or three cars. Her answer was that she never knew which one she’d feel like driving until she went out to her garage.”
“In that case, I’ll see if she’ll loan me one for a few days. Winston and I are off, see you later,” he said as he bent down and kissed her. “See what you can do to find the bad guy, but don’t get into trouble doing it.”
“Roger, you know me better than that. I’d never get into trouble solving a murder.”
“My lovely Liz, you forget that I have a very good memory, and when it comes to you and murder, I well remember how lucky you’ve been. I think you have some kind of a special angel that’s assigned to do nothing but look out for you. Anyway, that’s the only thing I can think of to explain how you’ve come through unscathed in so many situations involving a murder.”
“You and Winston have fun in town.”
CHAPTER 15
After she finished her breakfast, Liz knocked on the kitchen door and heard someone say, “Come in.” She opened the door and walked in. A woman wearing an apron was standing by the sink, and Nettie was standing next to her.
“Hi, I’m Liz Langley. You must be the cook. I just wanted to tell you how much my husband and I enjoyed breakfast. It was excellent. I own a lodge and a spa on the coast north of San Francisco, and I know how difficult it is to cook for a number of people. Thank you. This was a wonderful way to start the day out.”
The cook walked over to Liz and said, “My name’s Mary. I’m not really a chef, but I do like to cook and eat. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, particularly because this is the first morning I’ve cooked for guests. During the last month, I’ve been cooking for Mrs. Rasmussen, and we’ve been taste testing and deciding what we wanted to put out for breakfast for the guests. I wanted to find out what she liked best, so I could serve it to her guests when she opened for business, although I understand from Mrs. Rasmussen that there was an incident yesterday that could affect the future of the hotel and spa.”
“If you call murder an incident, yes, it could affect the spa, but I’m confident that the murderer will be found within a few days and then Judy can concentrate on filling the hotel and spa with guests. With your cooking, the way Judy has renovated and furnished the hotel, and what I assume will be wonderful experiences at the spa, I’m sure this will soon become the place to go in the Napa Valley for people who want to rest and recharge.”
“I hope you’re right. I saw an article about the murder in the paper, and when I got here early this morning, there were several reporters. I told them ‘no comment’ when they asked what I knew, and I told them to leave, that they were on private property, and not welcome here. I knew Mrs. Rasmussen wouldn’t want that kind of publicity on her opening weekend.”
“Absolutely not. It was nice meeting you, and if you would allow me to have a couple of recipes, particularly the ones for the banana walnut muffins and those little mini egg and ham casseroles, I’d really appreciate it.”
“I’m glad you liked them. Let me check with Mrs. Rasmussen, but I’m sure she’ll say I can give them to you.”
“I would imagine she will. See you tomorrow,” Liz said as she walked out the door and went down the hall to the suite where she and Roger were staying. The large honeymoon suite was the only accommodation for guests on the first floor and looked out on a private garden with vined walls and colorful flowers spilling out of containers. A king-sized canopied bed was in the bedroom and armchairs, a television, and a desk were in an adjacent room. A large white clawfoot bathtub was in the middle of the bathroom with a modern shower occupying the corner. Next to the bathtub was a bench piled high with fluffy white towels and spa products. Pillar candles were in all the rooms.
What a way to start a marriage or even re-energize one, Liz thought as she unlocked the door and looked out at the flowers and vines in the private garden. It’s absolutely delightful, and I feel like I’m miles from anywhere.
She walked into the room where the desk was and sat down in front of it. She took the police chief’s card out of her purse and called the number he had given her. It was his direct line.
“Chief Oliphant here,” the masculine voice said.
“Chief, it’s Liz Langley. I know you’re leaving in a couple of hours, and I wanted to fill you in on what I’ve learned so far.” She relayed the conversation she’d had with Judy the evening before. “I figured that you’d located her husband and told him, since the press was here very early this morning, and it was in the Calistoga News.”
He listened and then said, “Yes, her husband was informed of her death last night. We found a business card in Mrs. Evans’ purse with the name of Damon Evans on it. We were pretty sure it was her husband, because the comp
any was located in Sacramento, where she lived. I called the Sacramento police chief, and even though it was late, he sent one of his men to their apartment to inform Mr. Evans of his wife’s death. The policeman told me that although Mr. Evans said he was heartbroken, the officer didn’t feel it was at all sincere and thought it was more like some sort of contrived act. He said it might be a good idea to follow up and see where he was at the time of the murder. I’ll do that when I get back from my vacation. I don’t have time now.”
“My husband and I can do it for you. We’ll go over there this afternoon and see what we can find out. What kind of business was he in?”
“The business card said AAA Heating and Air Conditioning on it. Under Damon Evans’ name were the words ‘Installer’ so I guess he installs heating and air conditioning equipment for the business. I had one of my men look it up on the Internet, and the business has been around for many years. Kind of interesting he’d be working there now and from what you told me, it seems there was some kind of scandal about him when he was living in San Francisco. I wonder what that was all about.”
“I should have some information about that later today. Mrs. Rasmussen is going to call a friend of hers whose husband is in real estate development and see what she can find out.”
“Good idea. I’d like to know more about that. Spouses always bear looking into when murder’s involved.”
“That’s about all the news I have, Chief. I would like her husband’s address, and do you want to call me tonight or do you want me to call you?”
“I better call you. Finding enough bars on my cell phone to get a signal can be tricky in the area where I’m going, and I may have to leave the campsite to do that. What would be a good time for me to call? Here’s her husband’s address.”
Liz wrote it down and said, “Whatever works for you. I’ll keep my phone with me, although if you could call around eight or so, I might have more information for you. We were planning on going to the wine tasting room next door this afternoon, but I think we better go to Sacramento first and do that when we return. I don’t know what time they close.”
“That’s fine. I’ll call you around then, but I do want to caution you about something. A murder has been committed, and that means a murderer is on the loose. I want you to be very careful when you talk to people. The last thing I want is for something to happen to you. Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes, Chief, and I have to tell you that you sound exactly like my husband. Let me put you at ease. Shortly after I first met Roger I became involved in solving a murder mystery. Like you, Roger was concerned for my safety, and he purchased a large boxer guard dog for me. The dog pretty much goes everywhere with me, particularly if I’m involved in something like this, so Winston will be going to Sacramento with us, and if we can get him in, he’ll even sit next to me in the wine tasting room.”
“You didn’t hear this from me, Liz, but there’s a little shop in town, The Dog Spa, that carries therapy dog items. You might want to get one of those blanket-type things and put it around your dog. You know, one that says Therapy Dog in Training. That should get him into the tasting room.”
“Thanks, Chief, and if anyone ever asks, I’ll deny we ever had this conversation.”
“What conversation, Liz?” the chief asked just before the line went dead.
CHAPTER 16
Liz decided to spend some time making notes of what she needed to do. She had just written, “Call Roger’s private investigator at the firm” when she heard a knock on her door. She walked over to it and asked, “Who is it?”
“Liz, it’s Judy. Open the door. I talked to my friend in San Francisco and found out some interesting stuff.” Liz opened the door and a breathless Judy hurried in. “You know, Liz, part of me is sick about this, but the other part of me is kind of excited. Remember when we traveled to Washington and were responsible for the police catching the woman who’d murdered the mayor’s wife in cottage number six at your spa? Well, this is kind of like that. It’s scary to think it happened here, but on the other hand it’s kind of exciting to be involved in something like you see on TV. Know what I mean?”
“Afraid I don’t share your enthusiasm for murder, Judy, but yes, I do know what you mean. Sit down and tell me what you found out. Oh, before you start, your cook is going to ask you for permission to give me a couple of her recipes. I hope you’ll say yes.”
“Of course, now, here’s what I found out from my friend. Evidently it was quite the scandal. I find it hard to believe that Renee didn’t know about it, but you know, like I told you she’s…”
“Judy, you’re rambling. I want to know exactly what your friend said.”
“Okay. Damon Evans was really big in the real estate development world. He worked for one of the largest companies in the Bay Area. She said his wife, Nikki, and he lived a very good life there. Their pictures were in the paper all the time, and he made a lot of money. My friend has a lot of money so when she says that Damon made a lot of money, it had to have been a whole lot of money.”
“Judy, from what you told me, you didn’t seem to think Nikki looked like she had money, and you also told me Renee didn’t think she did. What happened?”
“Evidently Damon was caught with his hand in the cookie jar, or should I say two cookie jars. He was taking bribe money from different contractors and bidders for upcoming projects as well as holding money back that was supposed to go into the company’s funds. In other words, he was embezzling money from his employer.”
“Did she give you any idea how much was involved?”
“Evidently it was in the millions. According to my friend, the head of the company where he worked told Damon he was going to the police with the evidence and that Damon would go to prison for a long time. He said the only way Damon could save himself from going to prison was to pay the money back.”
“Wow. Since he’s not in prison, he must have paid it back. Where did he get that much?”
“According to my friend, he sold the house he and Nikki owned. Even though they owed a lot on it, it was in Hillsborough, one of the most exclusive suburbs of San Francisco, and according to her, even though they got a bundle for it, it still wasn’t enough.”
“So where did he get the rest of the money from?”
“My friend said this is pretty much speculation, but she’s certain that Nikki must have given it to him, because her parents died around that time, and she was an only child. My friend said Nikki’s parents were apparently quite wealthy.” Judy sat back with a satisfied smile on her face and looked like a child that needed to be told they’d done a good job.
“Nice work, Judy. Did your friend say anything about where Damon worked now?”
“Yes, she said he really got his comeuppance. No one in the real estate development industry would hire him, so he was forced to do what he did when he was in college, work as an installer in heating and air conditioning. Can you imagine? Here he and Nikki were really bucks up, and then they had to leave San Francisco under a dark cloud of suspicion and go to Sacramento where he was forced to work as an installer for some heating and air conditioning company to make money to live on. I wonder why Nikki stayed with him.”
“Good question. If I meet him I’m going to ask him.”
“What are you talking about?” Judy asked.
Liz told Judy about her conversation with the chief and that she wanted to go to Sacramento and then return to Calistoga and visit the wine tasting room.
“You know I’m not the best cook around, but my father was a bird hunter, and one of the few things I know how to make, other than clam chowder, is a great pheasant dish. Since you’re probably going to be tired with everything you have planned this afternoon, why don’t you and Roger join me for dinner? Sam, you know, the guy I’ve been seeing, is a hunter, and he gave me some pheasants recently. Renee and her group are going into town for dinner tonight, so it will be just the three of us. Okay with you?”
“Soun
ds wonderful. I haven’t had pheasant in a long time. Plan on it.” Liz heard the sound of a dog walking on the hardwood floor in the hall and said, “I think Winston has returned and if he’s here, Roger must be too. I need to tell him what I’ve found out, and then we need to drive over to Sacramento.”
She opened the door and Winston ran into the room, sniffed to make sure she was safe, sat down next to her, and waited for Roger to catch up.
“See you tonight,” Judy said as she turned towards the door. “Be careful.”
“I heard that,” Roger said. “It always makes me nervous when someone says be careful to Liz. Elizabeth, what have you done now?”
“See you both at dinner,” Judy said as she walked out into the hall.
“I’ll fill you in on what our plans are for the rest of the day, and there’s nothing to be nervous about. Promise.”
“When you say that, it makes me doubly nervous,” Roger said.
CHAPTER 17
“Roger, I had a long talk with Chief Oliphant, and we agreed that you and I need to go to Sacramento and see if we can talk to Damon Evans.”
“So the chief was able to find him and tell him about Nikki?” Roger asked as he changed into a short-sleeved shirt. Even though it wasn’t even noon, the weather had turned uncommonly warm.
“Yes, and here’s something interesting. It turns out that Nikki’s husband is a heating and air conditioning installer. It kind of makes him a suspect to my way of thinking. I’m sure he’d know how to control the heat in a sauna and even how to make it hot enough for someone to die.”
Murder in Calistoga: A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Page 6
