He entered the room, flipped on the lights, and waved us in.
I entered the vault and gasped. I didn’t know what I had expected, but the sight before me took my breath away. I heard a quick inhalation from Deputy Stanton. Intricate tapestries hung from the walls. Shelves held Russian icons similar to the one in Koskov’s store, but these were covered in gems and appeared to be painted with gold. The silver dagger case sat among them. Other items sparkled and gleamed in the bright overhead light.
“Rudy…Ivan…” That was all I could manage to say.
“We display them to keep the old country and our relatives close to us,” Rudy said. “The United States is our home, but these objects are part of our history and our ancestors’ lives.”
Ivan pointed to two dark green stuffed chairs, one with a knitted navy throw over its arm, and a table with a reading lamp in the corner. “Mother made the blanket as well as this cap.” He picked up a matching woolen hat that had been nestled in a corner on a shelf. “This was my father’s.”
I walked over to the bookcase next to the sitting area. All the titles were in Russian. “Did you bring these with you when you left your home?”
“No,” Rudy replied. “There was no room for books, and they were heavy. We’ve built the collection over the years we’ve been here.”
Ivan replaced the hat. “Yah. Help us to keep our language.”
“We come down and read, spend time with our ancestors, so to speak.” Rudy gave a slight smile. “Sometimes it feels like they are with us.”
Deputy Stanton cleared his throat.
Rudy knelt at one of two safes along the wall. He turned the knob several times, first one way and then the other, and swung the door open. Stacks of gold coins of different sizes filled the interior.
“This is what I wanted you to see, Deputy Stanton. These are what I was selling to Alexander.”
Ivan knelt beside his brother, reached in, and removed a jewelry case. There were others in the safe.
He opened the box, pulled out a necklace, and caressed it with his callused hands. “This was Mother’s. Gift from prince. Very special to her.”
The sparkling stones in the store had been crystals. I had no doubt what glittered in front of me now were diamonds.
He replaced it carefully in the box and put it back in the safe.
Deputy Stanton had taken out his notepad. “What types of coins are they?”
“Many different ones. Depending on the market, the value varies.” Rudy took a notebook out of the safe and handed it to the officer. “I have an inventory. I will make a copy for you.”
Ivan bent over and closed and locked the safe.
“Let’s go back upstairs, and I will tell you all over some hot tea,” Rudy said.
I turned to go, then stopped and shuddered as I saw a black braided leather whip hanging to one side of the door. I felt Ivan’s heavy hand on my shoulder.
“No. Not what you think. Never used to hurt animals unless attacked.” He pulled it down and uncoiled it.
It must have been over six feet long. Small gold stars adorned the sides of the handle and a large gold star was embedded on the top. Clearly, another Russian treasure. I ran my fingers down the smooth, supple leather and shivered again, thinking of the harm it could inflict.
“Cossacks used them to protect themselves and their horses from wolfpacks when riding through the forest,” Rudy said.
“Never use on their horses.” Ivan put the whip back on its hook. “Some said they love horses more than wives.”
A sword in its sheath had been mounted on the wall next to the whip. Another fine example of ornate workmanship with its engraved metal. The handle appeared to be a silver snake.
Ivan patted it. “Rudy got dagger, prince gave me sword.”
The three of us trudged up the steep stairs, while Rudy stayed behind to lock up. In the kitchen, Ivan again put on water and pulled out the tea choices and mugs. He took out the blue-and-white tin of shortbread cookies I’d seen on my previous visit and placed it in the center of the table. I helped myself to one. Rudy was back by the time the kettle began to whistle.
Deputy Stanton flipped through the pages of the notebook. “I see this is more than an inventory. It looks like you have been tracking your sales.”
“Yes. The transactions from the last couple of months were all with Koskov. I was using a dealer, Harvey Goldstein, in Fort Peter for years. I switched because Alexander offered better prices, and he had interested buyers in the Russian community of San Francisco as well as in Russia.”
“How did your previous dealer feel about that?” Stanton asked.
“Upset. Unhappy. But this was about business. It’s what Ivan and I live on.”
Ivan filled the mugs with water. We made our tea choices and let the beverages steep. Rudy put a plate out for the tea bags.
“I assume what we saw downstairs came from the Russian aristocratic family you told us about,” Stanton said.
“Correct,” Rudy replied. “Our uncle was able to smuggle it out. The family had split the treasures and money among the three groups. Most of it came with us because we had more room and could move faster. Ivan and I had some gold coins sewn into the lining of our coats, but we were kids and didn’t know anything about the treasure we were carrying.”
Ivan took a sip from his steaming cup. “Yah. Not know until uncle dying.”
Rudy nodded. “He wanted us to learn the value of hard work and not have money until our retirement years.”
“He make cellar and special room when he build house,” Ivan added.
“Deputy Stanton…” Rudy paused, then continued. “Ivan and I never talk about what you and Kelly saw to anyone. I only sell a few coins at a time. We don’t want to attract anyone’s unwanted attention.”
Stanton nodded. “I can certainly understand that.”
“I know you need information to solve your case. I trust you implicitly. However, please take no offense, but some of your colleagues might not be so careful.”
Stanton frowned but nodded in agreement. “I understand. I won’t say anything to anyone.” He flipped through the notebook again. “Just give me a copy of your transactions with Koskov and then you can hold on to this. If I need anything else, I’ll let you know.”
“Thank you, Deputy Stanton. I’ll make a copy now,” Rudy said.
Rudy left while I nibbled on a cookie and finished the last of my tea. “Ivan, do the other Silver Sentinels know about what you have?”
“No. Nobody knows. Dangerous knowledge to have.” Ivan took my empty mug. “If people suspect what is here, might injure someone to force them to tell.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” I said.
Rudy returned and handed a couple of papers to Stanton.
“Rudy, I don’t believe you or Ivan killed Alexander Koskov. However, I have to ask you both not to leave the area until this is cleared up.”
Once again, Rudy’s face paled.
Deputy Stanton departed, and Rudy stared at me. “Kelly, I’m scared. I’m a suspect in a murder case.”
My heart went out to him. I’d never been in his situation, but I could imagine the terror it would bring. My stomach clenched. We needed to get to the bottom of what was going on.
Chapter 8
Ivan put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Stanton good man. He find truth.”
“I agree with Ivan,” I said. “And you know how much he cares for you and all of the Silver Sentinels.”
Stanton called them his crime-solving seniors, always with affection in his voice. Gertie, one of the members, had been his fifth-grade teacher. She called him William, which he allowed no one else to do.
“I know,” Rudy said. “But first the family knife and now a body on the boat…a man I did business with. What if someone is trying to
frame me? What if they plant evidence in a way that points to me as the killer? If Deputy Stanton didn’t take action, someone else would.”
He had a point. I believed Stanton would find a way to help Rudy, but it might not be before he was put through some difficult times.
“Time for the Silver Sentinels,” I announced.
Ivan nodded. “Yah. We solve cases for others. Now it is our turn.”
Rudy’s tense face relaxed a bit. “You’re right. We need to meet with our friends and get busy. We’ve solved other crimes. Now we can all work together to find out what’s happening. We’ve done it before, and we can do it again.”
I smiled. I was an honorary member of the group, because I didn’t have the required silver hair for membership. I’d worked with them a number of times now on various cases. They were efficient and smart and had numerous connections in the area because of the many years they’d lived in Redwood Cove. Time to get the group involved.
“I’ll go back to the inn and check the conference room schedule. I’ll text everyone about when we can use it. Are both of you available tomorrow?”
They nodded. We said our good-byes, and I drove back to the bed and breakfast. It was past ten. I checked the fire in the parlor, and it was almost out. Only a few glowing embers remained to be seen behind the closed screen. Helen had put away the dishes and gotten the breakfast baskets out for tomorrow morning.
I went to the conference room. There were no meetings scheduled for the next day. I suspected the group knew about the knife and probably about the body, knowing how fast news traveled in our small town. I texted them, suggesting we meet at ten, but I let them know the day was open if there was a better time.
I retired to my quarters. Glancing toward the kitchen, I thought about dinner, then realized I wasn’t hungry. The peanut butter sandwiches and cookies had filled me up.
I was tired and thought I’d go to sleep right away, but that didn’t happen. I tossed and turned, thoughts and questions bouncing in my head. How and why had the knife and body ended up on the Doblinskys’ boat? Who was responsible?
Finally, sleep crept over me, my dreams full of images of Russian treasure.
* * * *
I checked my phone the next morning. All the Sentinels had responded that ten would work.
I found Helen in the kitchen, working on the breakfast baskets. She routinely came in early to get coffee going for the guests.
“Did everything work out okay with Rudy and Ivan?” she asked.
“Not exactly. The police found a murdered man on the brothers’ boat.”
Helen had been about to reach for a cup. Her hand stopped in midair, and she jerked around. “Someone was murdered?”
I filled her in about what had been discovered, and that the brothers had been questioned. I left it at that. I trusted Helen, but I’d made a promise to Ivan and Rudy regarding their treasure. I also didn’t know if Stanton wanted us talking about Rudy’s gold coin sales.
Helen and I were putting the final touches on the guests’ breakfasts when a deputy sheriff’s car drove by the side window. I walked to the back door and looked through the glass. Deputy Stanton’s large frame emerged from the car. He opened the back door of the vehicle and Gus slid more than jumped out.
He looked like a droopy version of Fred. Long ears, loose skin, sagging jowls, and an ever-wagging tail.
I opened the back door. “Good morning…Bill.”
It would take a while to get used to calling him that after all the cases when I’d called him Deputy Stanton…and I’d be going back to that title shortly. I decided not to tip him off that the Silver Sentinels were about to launch. He’d find out soon enough. He didn’t need anything else on his mind.
He and Gus entered. “Hi, Kelly. You’re using my first name, so I’m assuming you and the Silver Sentinels aren’t sleuthing right now.”
“Right.”
That would change later that morning.
“Good.” He turned to Helen. “Thanks for offering to take care of Gus for me.”
“No problem. Fred just lies around waiting for Tommy all day. Gus and Fred play together really well. The exercise and activity are good for him.” She reached for a mug. “Do you have time for coffee?”
Stanton checked his watch. “I have about fifteen minutes.”
Helen handed him a steaming cup of dark brown French roast.
“I’ve got meetings all morning,” Stanton said. “We’re finalizing plans for the festival. Along with tourists come pickpockets and thieves. Our car break-ins skyrocket. Then another meeting to discuss a new case.” Stanton shot a glance at me.
“I filled Helen in about the body on the boat. She covered for me while I went to help the brothers, and I wanted to let her know what was going on. Helen knows about the knife as well.”
Stanton nodded. “It’s an unusual situation, for sure. I have no idea if the murder and the knife are connected. The only two things they have in common are the boat and Rudy.”
The door flew open, and Tommy bounded in with Fred bouncing behind. “Hi, Deputy Stanton.”
“Hey, Tommy. How are you today?” Stanton asked.
Tommy dropped his backpack on the floor by the counter and clambered onto the stool next to the officer. Fred and Gus touched noses and wagged a greeting, then settled next to their respective person.
“Great! We’re having a math contest today. I love math!”
“Tommy, you need to leave for school in five minutes,” his mother reminded him.
“I know.”
“Do you have any projects coming up you’d like help with?” Stanton asked. “I enjoyed doing the science one with you.”
“Not right now. There’s supposed to be a big history assignment starting next month.”
“Okay. Let me know when, and I’ll put time aside to work with you.” He sipped his coffee. “Since we won’t be doing any schoolwork, how would you like to come to watch Gus in training?”
“Cool! Can Allie come, too?”
Allie was Daniel Stevens’s daughter. He managed a sister property called the Ridley House, and we shared some of the chores associated with running the inns. Tommy was far beyond his fifth-grade level in math and science and was able to tutor eighth-grade Allie.
The two kids had become good friends. Tommy’s Asperger’s had made it difficult for him to fit in socially when he and his mother moved to Redwood Cove not long ago. Allie had made a big difference in Tommy’s adjusting to the town.
“Sure,” Stanton replied.
“Oh, boy. I’ll text her.” He reached for his phone.
“Not now. You need to get going,” his mother said.
“Okay, Mom.” He knelt on the floor and gave Fred a hug around his thick neck. “I’m coming home right after school today, Fred.”
The hound grinned as if he understood.
“Bye, Deputy Stanton. Thanks for inviting me to watch you train Gus.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Love you, Mom,” he said over his shoulder as he grabbed his bag.
Tommy was out the door and on his bike in a flash. Sometimes I got tired just watching the speed at which he moved.
“Thanks for the coffee, Helen,” Stanton said. “I’ll be back around noon for Gus.”
“Okay. See you then.”
We finished preparing and delivering the baskets. As we cleaned up the kitchen, I told her the Sentinels were meeting at ten. She assured me she’d have refreshments ready. I went to my rooms and prepared a quick breakfast of cereal. When I saw it was nine thirty, I left for the conference room. The Silver Sentinels were usually early.
I put several sheets of chart paper on the wall and pulled out thick felt pens. Helen entered with a pitcher of ice water and set it on the sideboard next to the row of glasses we kept there, along with
coffee cups.
She pulled a wooden box containing a tea selection from one of the drawers. “The coffee’s brewing. I’ll bring it in shortly, along with hot water for tea and a plate of fruit.”
“Thanks, Helen.”
The Professor was the first to arrive. He was a slight man with neatly trimmed silver hair. He took off his brown tweed cap and put it next to the place he usually occupied at the table. He straightened his bow tie, then turned to me. “So…I understand we have a murder to solve.”
Chapter 9
I wasn’t surprised the Professor knew about the murder, but it was always interesting to learn how the communication system worked.
“How did you hear about what happened?”
“There’s a fish market at the marina. I stopped there to buy some salmon for dinner last night. They have a coffee area, and Joe from the bait shop was holding court.”
Puzzled, I asked, “What do you mean?”
“Seems he’s become the unofficial crime scene reporter for the area. Had quite the group listening to him talk.”
Remembering some of the comments he made to me, I warily asked, “What did he have to say?”
The Professor pursed his lips. “Let me see if I can remember his exact words.” He paused for a moment. “Can’t wait to see what happens the next time that pretty lil redheaded gal shows up. Live action—much better than television.”
The familiar warmth of a blush crept up my face. “I hate to disappoint him, but I have no plans for providing him with any more entertainment.”
The Professor nodded. “There’s certainly been enough going on.”
“Yes, Rudy and Ivan are very worried.”
“I can certainly understand why… a murdered man on their boat,” he said.
“And a knife possibly covered with blood,” I added.
The sound of female voices in the hallway preceded the arrival of Mary Rutledge and Gertie Plumber. Mary had a purse slung over one shoulder and what I knew to be a dog carrier over the other. She carried a plastic container.
The Professor stepped forward. “Let me help you.”
Murder at the Marina Page 5
