“No. It’s as if Amber disappeared into thin air. Just like I told you earlier, Ginger saw her this morning when she left the house and that was the last time anyone has seen her. I’m really worried. Did Brandon know anything?”
“No, and I believe him. He was really distraught and I don’t think he was faking it. I talked to his parents, Jeff and Marcy. They said the last time they’d seen Amber was a couple of days ago when she joined them for dinner at the ranch. I’ve told you before I don’t have a good feeling about Brandon’s dad. They may be running cattle on that ranch, but I can’t shake the feeling he may be doing something more. Looks like Marcy’s got a big new diamond ring, at least I’ve never seen it before. That thing must be three carats. You’ve got to sell a lot of cattle to afford something like that, more than I think Jeff has. His place is fenced with barbed wire and I would swear I saw a couple of guys with guns on their hips towards the back of the property, but I don’t have a valid reason to search it. I’m not even sure Brandon would know if something was going on back there. At that age, kids seem to be pretty oblivious to everything with the exception of what’s directly affecting them.”
“Well, what do you plan to do now?”
“If Amber doesn’t show up tonight, I’m going to go see Ginger and Bob in the morning and get a list of all her friends and relatives and then start making some calls. Someone must know something. It’s as if she’s completely vanished.”
“You might want to start with Madison Riley. I know she’s been Amber’s nemesis for a long time. Amber told me once that Brandon stopped seeing Madison so he could be with Amber. Evidently she also resented Amber being the head cheerleader and homecoming queen. I don’t know if that will help, but…”
“I’ll talk to her after I see Ginger. To change the subject, what’s for dinner tonight?”
“Well, since you didn’t eat lunch at the coffee shop, I thought you’d enjoy the brisket, potatoes, and mini monkey bread. I made a salad from the garden and there’s some leftover cheesecake. That should hold you.”
He stood up and walked over to her. “Kelly, I know you think I like you just for what you cook…”
Mike was interrupted by his ringing cell phone. “Sorry, I better pick up that call.” He listened for a few minutes and grimly told the person on the other end that he’d be there momentarily. He pushed end on the phone and turned to Kelly.
“Kelly, that was Rick who works the night shift at the gas dock down at the marina. A man was fishing from shore and snagged something heavy on his line. It was so heavy he was afraid he’d break his rod, so he kept backing up until he brought it onshore. It was Amber. She was dead. Her body was tied to a burlap bag that had weights in it. He said it looked like she was murdered. From what he told me, I’d have to agree. I think you better go over to Ginger and Bob’s and tell them. They shouldn’t hear it from someone on the phone.”
“Oh no! I can’t believe it. You’re right. It’ll be all over town in minutes. I’ll go there right now.”
“I’ve got to get down to the dock. Poor kid. I’ll call you later.” Mike grabbed the white Stetson hat he always wore and turned to Rebel who sensed something was wrong. He let out a low growl. “Hold the fort, boy. Everything’s going to be okay.”
CHAPTER 3
Kelly rang the doorbell on the old, dilapidated house which was badly in need of a paint job. Bob was a handyman and could have easily fixed the sagging porch and replaced the broken shutters, but there wasn’t any extra money for the needed materials. Bob and Ginger Cook lived a hand-to-mouth existence and were thrilled when they learned Amber had been accepted at Oregon State and awarded a scholastic scholarship. She was her parents’ pride and joy. They knew it was a chance for her to have a much better life than they had led.
Bob answered the door. He took one look at Kelly’s face and knew something had happened to Amber. “Have you found something out about Amber?” He turned and yelled down the hall. “Ginger, Kelly’s here.”
Seconds later a short red-haired freckle faced woman joined them. “Kelly, what is it? What’s happened to Amber?”
Kelly put her arms around her best friend and the mother of her godchild. “Ginger, I’m so sorry to have to be the one to tell you this. Amber’s body was just brought up on shore. A fisherman thought there was something uncommonly heavy on his line and discovered Amber. Evidently she drowned and before you hear it from other people, I need to tell you that the man who called Mike said it looks like she was murdered. Mike’s at the scene right now.”
Ginger began screaming and crying at the same time. “No, no, no, not Amber! What did she ever do to deserve this?” Bob put his arms around Ginger who was shaking and led her to the couch. Tears were streaming down both of their faces.
“I’m going to call Dr. Amherst,” Kelly said, “and see if he has something he can give me for both of you.” She quickly punched in some numbers. “Doctor, it’s Kelly Conner. I’m sorry to bother you, but something terrible has happened.”
“Yes, Kelly. I just heard about Amber from Mike. I’m on my way to the dock right now. What do you need?”
“I just told Ginger and Bob about Amber. Any chance you could swing by their house and give them something to help them get through the next few hours?”
“Yes, I’ll be there in a couple of minutes. Why don’t you meet me in their driveway? Mike wants me down at the dock immediately.”
“Thanks. See you in a few minutes.”
She walked outside and within a few short moments saw Dr. Amherst’s old red truck turning the corner. He rolled down the window and handed her a plastic drug bottle. “They can take one of these pills every four hours. It won’t bring Amber back, but it might help them make it through the next couple of days.”
“I’ll make sure they take them. Ginger’s sister lives up in Sunset Bay. I’ll give her a call and see if she can come over here and stay with them. Remind Mike to give me a call when he knows something.”
Several neighbors came to the Cook house as soon as they heard the news about Amber and offered to stay with them until Ginger’s sister arrived. Kelly gave the bottle of pills to Ginger and Bob, thanked the neighbors and left, telling them she needed to make some calls. She drove the few blocks to her house, mentally planning who she needed to call. The first call she made was to the high school principal who said he would hold a meeting at the high school first thing in the morning to tell the students and faculty.
Next on her list was the editor of the town newspaper. He’d already had a call from someone who had seen the body brought up. “Kelly, I’ll write a eulogy to Amber as well as a story about her death. Based on the call I got, I’m calling it a murder, but of course there’s also the possibility that it’s a suicide or an accidental drowning. I know she worked for you. Any hint she was having problems?”
“None. You know as much as I do. If she was having problems, I sure wasn’t aware of them. It looked like she was headed for a far better life than Ginger and Bob have had. Oh gosh, I just realized no one has probably told Brandon. I better go out there and tell him before someone calls him. If you find out anything, let me know.”
She drove as fast as it was safe to the Black’s ranch. The large house was situated on a cliff overlooking the ocean accessible only by the long driveway that led up to it from the road. Kelly heard the roar of the surf as soon as she opened the minivan door. This has got to be the most beautiful location in the world for a house, she thought, but if I lived here I’d do something about that smell. She knocked on the front door of the sprawling ranch house and was greeted by Brandon’s father, Jeff Black. “Well, Kelly, I’m hoping you’re here because you’re bringing me some sweet rolls to go with my morning coffee, but somehow I doubt that’s the reason for your trip out here. What’s up?”
“Jeff, is Brandon here?”
“Yes. What’s the problem? He’s in his room studying for a final exam he has tomorrow. Want me to call him?”
&nb
sp; “Please, and while you’re at it, better ask Marcy to come as well.”
He was back in moments with Marcy and Brandon, all of them wondering why Kelly was there. Each of their faces showed concern.
“I’m really sorry to have to be the one to tell you this Brandon, but Amber’s body was recovered from the bay a couple of hours ago. It looks like she drowned.” She took a deep breath and continued, “Brandon, the man who called Mike and told him about it said it looked like she’d been murdered. Mike and Dr. Amherst are at the scene. Evidently she was discovered by a fisherman.”
Everyone in the small town knew that Marcy Black liked to spend money and some said that her husband, Jeff, was pompous and thought he was far better than the other citizens of the small town, but it was very evident to Kelly that Brandon was the number one priority for his parents that night. Tears streamed silently down Brandon’s face, as his parents sat beside him on the couch, showing their support for him even though they knew there wasn’t much they could do. It was something he would have to go through by himself.
“Are you sure it was her?” Brandon asked. “Who identified her? Maybe it was someone who just looked like her.”
“No, Brandon, there were several people on the dock who knew her. I’m sure Mike will be out to talk to you about it, but I didn’t want you to hear about it over the phone.”
“Kelly, thanks for coming. I know this must have been hard for you. I’ll walk you out to your car,” Jeff said.
“You’re right, this is not the kind of news anyone wants to deliver.”
When they got to her minivan, Jeff opened the door for her and asked, “Do you know if she left a note? Could it have been suicide? Do you really think she was murdered? Had she said anything recently about the ranch?”
“Not to my knowledge. I’m sure Mike will discover things, but I’ve told you everything I know as of this moment. Again, I’m sorry. Death is hard for anyone to accept, particularly when you’re eighteen and you think you’re invincible. I feel so sorry for Brandon.”
“Yeah, this is not going to be easy. I’ll wait to hear from Mike. Thanks for driving out here and telling us.”
Something about the conversation with Jeff niggled at Kelly as she drove home. Why would he want to know if Amber had said anything about the Black’s ranch? Did Amber know something about it? That’s really a strange thing for him to say.
When she got home, she remembered she needed to call Roxie and ask her to come in a few minutes early the next morning to help her open up the coffee shop. She also made a mental note that she needed to hire someone to replace Amber.
CHAPTER 4
Early the next morning, after a long night of tossing and turning, Kelly sleepily rolled out of bed and turned off the alarm clock before it began its shrill ring. Her cell phone rang a moment later. She looked at the screen and saw it was Mike.
“Good morning, Mike. Waited for you to call and then decided I had to get some sleep. What happened last night? Did you find out anything?”
“Sorry. By the time I finished, it was too late to call. It looks like Amber was murdered. Her body was tied to a burlap bag filled with heavy weights like the kind people use when they’re working out at home or at the gym. From what Dr. Amherst found in his preliminary investigation, the cause of the death was drowning. She had a large contusion on her head, so he thinks she was hit with some type of blunt instrument and was unconscious when she went into the water.”
“Oh, Mike, that’s horrible. Why would anyone want to kill her? I feel so sorry for Ginger and Bob. Anything else?”
“Not really. I talked to a lot of people, but no one knows anything about it. Dr. Amherst said he thinks she was probably murdered early yesterday morning and that would fit in with what Ginger told you about her leaving home early. I just can’t come up with a motive. From what I know about Amber, everyone liked her. She was popular, the head cheerleader, homecoming queen, and an outstanding student. I never heard anything negative about her. Do you know of anything?”
“No, I’ve never heard a bad word about her. Other than what I told you about Madison, I don’t think she had an enemy in the world. After I left Ginger and Bob last night, I called a few people, then I went out to the Black’s ranch to tell Brandon. I decided that wasn’t the kind of news he needed to get over the phone.”
“I’m glad you did. How did he take it? Hate to say this, but he could be a person of interest in the case. I’m going out to the ranch first thing today to talk to him.”
“Mike, I can’t believe Brandon had anything to do with such a terrible crime. He was clearly devastated. Say whatever else you will about Marcy and Jeff, but they were really there for him. Poor kid. What a wake-up call to the real world.”
“Well, you better dress and get ready to open the coffee shop. We both know half the people who live in Cedar Bay will probably come to the coffee shop this morning, hoping to hear a fresh tidbit of gossip.”
“Wait a second, Mike. Something about the conversation I had with Brandon’s dad bothers me. He asked me if Amber left a note or said anything to anyone recently about the ranch. What do you think that was all about?”
He was quiet for a moment. “Well, you know I’ve always been suspicious of what the main money-making business of the ranch is, but I can’t believe Jeff would be involved in something like this. It’s pretty clear from Marcy’s jewelry and how she dresses that she likes the good life, but I just don’t see him doing something that would hurt Brandon. Then again, you never know. Money’s a powerful motive for a lot of things. I should know more later on today.
“The county coroner’s a good friend of mine and he agreed to perform an autopsy on Amber this afternoon. Usually it takes the coroner’s office days, if not weeks, to file an autopsy report. Think my friendship with him helped speed up the process. I’ll let you know if I find out anything. See you later.”
Kelly and Roxie arrived at the coffee shop at the same time. “Roxie, get the coffee going and put a couple of those breakfast casseroles in the ovens once they warm up. I have a feeling we’re going to be jammed today. Matter of fact, think I’ll bake a couple of batches of bacon chocolate chip cookies. Most people can’t resist chocolate or bacon. Might help to keep the hungry locals at bay. I know it will help calm me down. I’m so sad about this whole thing, it’s all I can do to keep from crying,” Kelly said, chewing on her lower lip.
The morning flew by as Roxie and Kelly struggled to keep up with the orders. Charlie, the short order cook, never even had a chance to step out for his morning cigarette. He cooked one order after another as Kelly and Roxie brought them to him. It seemed like everyone in the small town stopped by Kelly’s Koffee Shop that morning, hoping to get a fresh crumb of gossip. Kelly called Ginger about 11:00. Her sister answered the phone.
“I’m just calling to see how Ginger and Bob are doing. I haven’t heard anything more and was wondering if you knew something.”
“No. None of us slept last night. Both Ginger and Bob are in shock. I’m going to stay with them for a couple of days. Father Brown’s coming by this afternoon to help them make arrangements for the funeral. Ginger remembered that Amber used to keep a diary, but she couldn’t find it. She hoped maybe there was something in it that would give us a clue as to why this happened. She doesn’t remember Amber mentioning it lately and thinks Amber may have outgrown it and thrown it away. The three of us searched her room for something that might help us figure this out, but we couldn’t find anything.”
“Well, tell them I called and I’m thinking of them. Also tell them the coffee shop has been jammed with people concerned about them and talking about the tragedy. I just want them to know they’re very much loved by everyone in this town. It won’t take away the pain they’re going through, but maybe it will help a little.”
“Thanks, Kelly. I’ll give them the message.”
Kelly felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around. It was Doc.
“Is it tr
ue what everyone’s saying – that Amber was murdered? I don’t have a television out at the ranch and I just heard about it when I walked in. What do you know about it? I really liked that young woman. Always thought she had a bright future. She and I talked a few times. You know I was a doctor before I retired and I saw a lot of people over the years – good and bad – she was a good one.”
“Yes, I agree. She was a good one.” She told him the limited information she knew.
When he finished eating, he walked over to the cash register where Kelly was standing. “Kelly, I don’t give my phone number out very often, but I’d appreciate it if you’d give me a call when you hear something. Don’t know if there’s anything I can do, but if I can, I’d be happy to help.”
“Thanks, Doc. I’ll call you if I hear anything,” she said, slipping the piece of paper into her pocket. She watched him as he got in his old battered grey pickup, thinking that was very strange. He’d been coming to Kelly’s Koffee Shop for three years and had never become close to anyone, and as far as Kelly knew, he had no friends in the town at all, yet he mentioned he’d talked to Amber several times.
Now what could that be all about? I wonder how he and Amber became friends. What could they possibly have in common? An old grizzled guy trying to live off the grid and a bright young schoolgirl with the rest of her life ahead of her. It makes no sense at all and it’s just too strange. I better tell Mike about it.
As Kelly was walking into the kitchen with another order for Charlie, Roxie motioned to her from the storeroom. “Kelly, I’m sorry,” she whispered, “but would you serve this to Chief Many Trees? I swear, that Indian is the surliest, nastiest person who comes in here. Usually I can take his son Charlie talking about their sacred tribal grounds while he’s cooking the short orders back in the kitchen, but today I’m having a real problem with both of them. I know it’s me, but I just can’t deal with the Chief right now. This may be the hardest I’ve ever worked. Anyway, you’re much more tolerant than I am. Here’s his order.”
Kelly's Koffee Shop (A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystey Book 1) Page 2
