Murder and Tainted Tea

by Janet Lane-Walters

  “Is Damon there?”

  “Yes.”

  “Put him on.” I turned to Lars. His color had improved. “Damon’s coming to the phone.”

  “I’ll talk to him.”

  “Are you all right?”

  “In shock. Angry. Bewildered and scared, but I’ll do.” He eased into a sitting position. “Damon, don’t do anything until Kate and I get there. We’ll come as soon as we can. Have you notified the police?” He frowned. “I see.”

  For what seemed like an eternity, he held the phone against his ear. I took the receiver from his hand. The dial tone buzzed.

  “Lars.”

  “Let’s get on the road.”

  I placed the receiver in the cradle and put my arms around him. “I’ll go change.”

  He kissed me. “Why didn’t he call when she didn’t come home?”

  “He said she’s done this before.”

  Lars nodded. “Too many times.” He released me. “Go change. We need to hit the road.”

  “Dress, pack and breakfast first.”

  “I can’t eat.”

  Though he wanted to rush off, I heated the rest of the cinnamon rolls and made coffee. After eating we loaded the car and left for Santa Fe.

  Chapter 6

  The drive back was made in near silence. I couldn’t think of a way to ease Lars’ fears. If I voiced my doubts about the danger to his daughter, he wouldn’t believe me. He might react with anger, thus damaging our friendship and destroying our love. Right now it seemed as though he hadn’t been right about his own kidnapping. If there’d been no ransom note, Bonnie’s disappearance could be part of her game.

  His tension showed in his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. He leaned forward as though this would coax more speed from the car. My hands clenched in my lap. On the winding mountain roads, I feared more speed would send us hurtling into space. I prayed we would reach our destination safely.

  Finally, I couldn’t hold my fears in. “Lars, please slow down.”

  “I know the roads.”

  For a few brief moments, the car slowed. Then the line on the speedometer edged upward again. I sucked in a breath and swallowed my fear.

  To divert myself, I thought of the list of people and their motives. Carl’s gambling headed the list. Gambling is a sickness and owing money to gambler isn’t smart. If Bonnie planned to divorce him, Carl might be desperate enough to try something foolish.

  Bonnie definitely had an agenda. She wanted to control the company and her father. Perhaps she wanted to divorce her husband and needed money for a settlement.

  When we arrived at the gates, Lars used the opener. My thoughts flashed to the day I’d arrived. “Can someone enter the estate without one of those gadgets? Is there a back road?”

  He shook his head. “You either have to have one of these or stop and announce yourself.”

  I filed this under facts and began to speculate. Lars’ disappearance had to have been an inside job. He must have been taken from the house in a vehicle. The gate had been open when I’d arrived. Who had let the kidnapper in and why hadn’t the gate been closed when they left?

  “Did you buzz someone in the day I arrived?”

  “I don’t think...no. Why do you ask?”

  “I drove right in. The person who took you must have left the gate open. Maybe they didn’t have an opener.”

  He stopped the car so abruptly I jerked forward. “This isn’t about me.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “The gate could have been open because of deliveries for the party. Consuela might have forgotten. She often does.”

  I turned to him. “Where does she live? Do you have her phone number? We need to call her.”

  “Impossible. She’s visiting family in Mexico. Kate, please put this nonsense aside.”

  My spirits plummeted. Why didn’t he see that his and Bonnie’s kidnappings were related? “It’s not nonsense.”

  “I know why I was taken,” he said. “Finding my daughter is what matters.”

  I knew how worried he was about her. What he believed about his kidnapping seemed logical. Still, I couldn’t force myself to accept his reasoning. “Look at the similarities between the incidents.”

  “Granted there are several, but there are also some differences.”

  He swerved to avoid a dark sedan parked in front of his house and pulled into the carport. When the car stopped, he jumped out and ran to the house.

  With the keys in my hand, I opened the trunk and took out my suitcase and the bag of mint. Lars’ panic failed to spur me. The puzzle of how the kidnappers had entered the estate intrigued me.

  Maybe there was a record somewhere that showed when and from where the gate had been opened. A sigh flowed across my lips. What did I know about this kind of technology?

  I slammed the trunk lid. Why had this happened? My thoughts reverted to my earlier musings.

  Don wanted to leave Santa Fe. He disliked his sister. Was it enough reason for him to kidnap her and his father? Probably not. Unless he had help, his taking these actions was impossible without involving his daughter. How would he react if he’d learned his sister had played a part in his wife’s death?

  What if Bonnie died? Or Lars? Who would inherit the assets of the company? Lars had said Don was still a partner.

  Damon wanted—maybe Bonnie—maybe something else. While he was polite and smooth, he made me feel ill at ease. Maybe a knee-jerk reaction on my part. Damon’s charming manners reminded me of Rodger’s behavior. Something else about Damon bothered me, but I didn’t know what. Was Damon pitting Bonnie and Carl against each other? What would he gain?

  Could the scenario have been created by someone unknown to me? Who had written the notes to Lars, the ones he’d thrown away?

  As I carried my suitcase to the house, this list of suspects played in my thoughts. Good grief, I sounded like the detective Lars had accused me of playing. That notion didn’t halt my speculations or ease the tension that threatened to blossom into a headache. A good case could be made for all of them.

  Bonnie was missing. Carl had mentioned a ransom demand. How much?

  I left my suitcase in the foyer and carried the stash of mint to the living room. Lars slumped on the couch. Carl and Damon stood at the fireplace.

  “What are we going to do about the ransom?” Lars asked.

  Carl scowled. “How would I know? You and Bonnie are the only ones able to transfer funds. You should have given me that authority.”

  “You?” Damon asked. “There’d be nothing left. Lars, if you give me an authorization, I’ll go to the bank and handle this for you.”

  Lars held out his hand. “Let me see the note.” He took a sheet of paper from Damon. “A million.”

  Damon nodded. “Whoever set this up was clever. As you can see, the funds are to be wire transferred to the Florida account of that plastics company Bonnie found almost a year ago.”

  Bells and sirens sounded in my thoughts. Clever indeed. Would Lars smell the same stench as I did?

  “We have to do this today.” Lars put the paper on the coffee table. “Can we make the arrangements in time?”

  “Not without tapping into the reserve account,” Carl said.

  “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  Though I wanted to protest Lars’ decision, I knew he wouldn’t listen. I headed to the kitchen where I made coffee and tea.

  When I entered the living room with a tray, Lars looked up. “Thanks, I’ll have tea.”

  I poured two mugs and stirred honey into his. Though he didn’t look as drained as he had earlier, I felt he needed the energy boost.

  Damon reached for the coffee carafe. “Carl?”

  “Nothing. My stomach is in knots.”

  I sat beside Lars. “Is that the note?”

  “Go ahead,” he said.

  Though any fingerprints would have been marred by the men’s handling, I held the paper by the corners. The letter had been typed or p
rinted on a computer. Several words were blurred by a stain. The instructions were detailed but no mention of Bonnie. Could the note have been meant for Lars? Had his escape forced the kidnappers to take his daughter?

  Carl paced in front of the fireplace. “Why did this happen?” He sounded like an actor in an old-fashioned melodrama.

  “Why didn’t you do something when she didn’t come home?” Lars asked. “Did you call her friends? Have you tried to find her?”

  Carl released a breath. “Why? She’s done this before and I ended up looking like a fool.”

  The anger in his voice startled me. My gaze strayed to Damon. He stared toward the window. One of his legs moved in a syncopated rhythm.

  “The police need to be called,” I said.

  “No!” The volume of the men’s voices hurt my ears.

  “Why not?”

  “Read the note again.” Lars glared. “My daughter’s safety depends on keeping this quiet. We can’t even tell her brother.”

  I picked up the note and read aloud. “We have something that belongs to you. Follow these directions for its return. Do not call the police. The money is to be paid in the following fashion.” I placed the paper on the coffee table. “What guarantee do you have that she’ll be released even if you do all this?”

  “None,” Damon said. “We have to proceed as though we believe she’ll be all right.” He rose. “I need to get to the office. Lars, since you won’t deputize me, you’ll have to go to the bank.”

  Carl pushed away from the mantle. “I’ll go to the office with you.”

  Lars followed them toward the foyer. He paused. “Kate, I won’t be long.”

  Once the men left I carried my suitcase to the bedroom and unpacked. When I opened the drawer where I’d put Lars’ gift, the case was there. Relief washed over me until I opened the box. The necklace and earrings were gone.

  Anger made me want to scream. I couldn’t tell Lars, not while his attention was on the rescue of his daughter. I closed the case and returned to the living room for the tray.

  * * *

  Lars returned sooner that I had thought he would. He came into the kitchen. “Any calls?”

  I shook my head. “What would you like for lunch?”

  “I don’t think I can eat.”

  “Starving yourself isn’t a good idea.”

  “I’m sorry your visit has been such a mess.”

  “Certainly isn’t your fault.” I sat on one of the chairs at the table. “Something about her disappearance troubles me. Are you sure paying the ransom was the right thing to do?”

  “What other course did I have?”

  “I don’t know. You need to ask questions. Why did it take so long for the note to arrive? Why didn’t Carl and Damon seem more upset?”

  He shook his head. “Stop seeing villains in every face.”

  “Was there a reason to rush the transfer of funds?”

  “Yes. The sooner the money’s paid the sooner Bonnie will be safe.”

  I walked to the door into the sunroom. “I would like to believe that. I just don’t understand why Carl wasn’t completely panicked when she didn’t come home, especially after what happened to you.”

  “Kate.” He put his hands on my shoulders. “They may not have the smoothest marriage, but he loves her.”

  “Her money. He knows she’ll soon have the company. He knows you won’t bail him out again. If they’re divorced, neither will she.”

  “You don’t know that’s what she intends to do.”

  “It’s just a feeling I have.” I shook my head. “Nowhere in that letter was her name mentioned. We have something, not someone.”

  He slumped at the table. “I feel inept. I can’t call the police. I have no idea where to look for her. All I can do is sit and wait.”

  “What about Rafe Diaz? He’s already looking into what happened to you.”

  Lars eyes held despair. “How can I call him when Carl and Damon don’t even want me to let her brother know?”

  “Are they running the show? You’re paying the ransom. You can’t just sit and do nothing.”

  He reached for the phone. “I’ll try this your way. I pray I don’t regret it.” A moment later, he spoke. “Rafe, Lars here...We left right after midnight. Why don’t you drop by for lunch? I have a project...Tell you when you get here.” He hung up and turned to me. “Are you happy?”

  “Not happy, just glad you’re getting a professional involved.” I walked to the stove. “I’ll start lunch.”

  In the freezer I found chicken breasts, cut them into strips and seasoned them ala Lars’ suggestion. Then I sliced potatoes to go in the broiler and made a cheese sauce to pour over them.

  Lars removed the last of the chocolate cake from the freezer. “What’s a party without your cake? I knew something was missing at Bonnie’s...” His voice broke. “I’d better call Rafe and cancel.”

  “Don’t do that.”

  “Bonnie’s safety depends on keeping this quiet.”

  “Does it? Will it stop with her? What if the kidnapper goes after Megan or Don next?”

  He heaved a sigh. “Kate, please. I would give every cent I have to see Bonnie at home.”

  I felt sure the kidnappers knew that.

  * * *

  Just as I finished cooking, Rafe arrived. He grabbed Lars’ hand. “Amigo, you look...harried. Problem with one of the ventures?”

  “Not exactly,” Lars said.

  The dark-haired man flashed a smile. “Kate, it’s good to see you again. Something smells good.”

  “Let’s hope it tastes that way.” I retreated to the kitchen.

  Lars appeared in the doorway and took one of the dishes from me.

  “So what’s this project?” Rafe reached for the chicken.

  “Tell you in a bit.”

  “I found the cab driver who took you to the hospital. Have you remembered more?”

  Lars shook his head. “Wish I had. That’s not why I called. Kate suggested I do.”

  Rafe’s dark eyes twinkled. “I’m flattered that you wanted to see me, but why am I here?”

  Lars cleared his throat. “Kate has a theory that money was the motive for my kidnapping. I don’t agree.”

  “It’s very possible.” Rafe spooned some of the potatoes onto his plate.

  “No ransom was demanded,” Lars said.

  Rafe shrugged. “You escaped before one was sent. Did you call the police to report what happened?”

  Lars put his fork down. “No.”

  I filled my plate. “Lars, would you stop hedging?” I turned to Rafe. “Bonnie’s missing.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “Maybe as early as New Year’s Day,” I said. “Carl thought she’d gone off in a snit because they quarreled. She’s done that before so he did nothing. This morning, he called Lars.”

  Rafe’s fork halted half-way to his mouth. “So like Lars she just vanished?”

  Lars shook his head. “It’s different.”

  “How so?”

  “Her car’s missing and there’s been a ransom note.”

  Rafe pulled a notebook from his pocket. “Start with the car. Make, model, license number.”

  Lars supplied the information.

  I leaned forward. “I believe they took Bonnie because Lars escaped.”

  “A possibility,” Rafe said. “Tell me about this note.”

  I recited as much of the wording as I could remember. “So you see, her name wasn’t mentioned, but the directions for how the money was to be paid was detailed.”

  “Let me see this note,” Rafe said. “The wording is rather odd.”

  “I thought so, too.” I went to the living room. The paper wasn’t on the coffee table where I’d left it. Which one of the men had taken it? I tried to picture the scene before Carl, Damon and Lars had left, but I drew a blank.

  “The note’s gone.” I paused in the doorway.

  Rafe turned in his chair. “Did either of yo
u see the envelope? Was it postmarked in town?”

  “I didn’t.”

  Lars shook his head. “Carl handed me a sheet of paper. He said the maid had found it when she arrived at eight.”

  “What’s her name?”

  Lars shrugged. “She’s fairly new. Bonnie changes maids the way some women change their shoes.”

  “Is she still at the house?”

  “Don’t know her hours,” Lars said. “I could call the house.”

  Rafe shook his head. “I can stop by when I leave here.”

  I returned to my seat and pushed my plate aside. There was something about the note that had seemed strange. I closed my eyes and thought back to when I’d read it. I straightened. “The paper had no crease lines.”

  “You’re right,” Lars said.

  “So it probably wasn’t mailed.” Rafe’s eyes narrowed. “Do you think this could be part of a scheme for money?”

  “Yes,” I said.

  “No.” Lars shook his head. “Who would set something like this up?”

  “Carl,” I said. “Remember his debts.”

  “I doubt Bonnie would cooperate. After all the company’s assets will be hers and Don’s when I retire. My daughter would never willingly part with something she believed was hers.”

  Like the jewelry, I thought.

  “Does everyone involved know how things will be divided?” Rafe asked.

  “I’ve said it often enough, though Damon...” Lars looked away. “That’s a different matter.

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  I removed the plates and cut three slices of cake, then refilled our coffee cups. Once Rafe left I planned to question Lars about Damon.

  Rafe tasted the cake. “Delicious.”

  Lars grinned. “One of Kate’s specialties.”

  We finished lunch in silence. My thoughts were filled with more questions. Always questions that seemed to have no answers.

  Rafe pushed his chair back. “My thanks for a fine meal. Hate to eat and run but I have an appointment to keep and I’d like to see if I can catch that maid.”

  “Call and let us know what you learn,” I said.