White Cloud Retreat Read online

  White Cloud Retreat

  By

  Dianne Harman

  (A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series - Book 3)

  Copyright © 2015 Dianne Harman

  www.dianneharman.com

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form without written permission except for the use of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Website, Interior & Cover design by Vivek Rajan Vivek

  Paperback ISBN: 978-1505333701

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  To all of my readers who made this series so popular, I thank you for buying my books, reading my books, and sharing them with others. To Vivek for his constant support and wise guidance, I thank you. And to my husband, Tom, for his unwavering support. You’ve made all of this possible! Plus you’ve gotten to be a good cook in the process. Thanks!!!

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  EPILOGUE

  Recipes!

  ABOUT DIANNE

  CHAPTER 1

  Kelly drove up the road leading to the White Cloud Retreat Center, looking forward to taking a yoga and meditation class from Zen Master Scott to try and get rid of some of the stress she was feeling.

  The last few months are catching up with me what with the holidays and the two murders in the Cedar Bay area that I helped Sheriff Mike solve. I can just imagine how busy the next few weeks are going to be while I try to find the time to put the final touches on our wedding plans. It’s only three weeks away. I am so ready for this class. This is my wedding gift to myself – weekly yoga classes.

  She smiled thinking of the wedding present that her fiancé, Mike, had given her. He was the local county sheriff and after she’d helped him solve the recent Jeff Black murder case he’d given her a little female yellow Labrador retriever puppy. The young dog had already claimed a soft spot in her heart. Since Mike and her other dog, Rebel, were continuing to bond together, it was a good thing she had a new dog. The little puppy with the chocolate brown eyes was now four months old and Kelly had named her “Lady.” She knew it was probably a trite name, but it just seemed appropriate for a female dog that carried herself with such dignity. She could almost feel her soft fur and warm, wet puppy kisses whenever she thought of Lady. It brought a wide smile to her face.

  True to its name, puffy white clouds had settled on the upper portion of the Retreat Center and Kelly could see people working in the vineyard, pruning the dormant vines and getting them ready for the spring growth.

  She parked her minivan and took her yoga mat out of the trunk. Scott only taught once a week and from the number of people walking up to the front door, it was pretty clear his class was very popular with the students. She entered the room where the class was going to be held and spread her mat on the floor, smiling and nodding to several people she knew. Kelly glanced at the clock and realized she had a little time to do some stretches and warm-up exercises before the class started.

  When Scott walked into the class he smiled at her as well as at a number of other students. Kelly had taken classes over the years from Scott and they shared a mutual love of food. He occasionally stopped by the coffee shop she owned, Kelly’s Koffee Shop, and when he did he usually brought her a bottle of White Cloud Pinot Noir wine from the Center’s vineyard.

  Scott was one of the most admired and sought-after Zen Masters in the United States. People came from all over the country to take seminars from him or be a part of the residential training programs he conducted several times a year. His brother Luke, who, according to Scott, had been a successful securities broker in New York, had recently quit his job because of burnout and had come to the Center to help Scott run the rapidly growing non-profit business. Although the Center employed seven priests and five nuns who handled a lot of the Center’s day-to-day work, Scott still couldn’t keep up with the number of people who wanted to study with him. He rarely wore Zen Buddhist robes, preferring blue jeans and flannel shirts which barely covered his growing girth. His appearance was completely unconventional for what one thought a Zen Master should look like.

  I can’t believe he’s so revered in the Zen and yoga circles throughout the country. He’s got to be one of the most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. I believe he’s celibate, but as charismatic as he is, that must present some problems. She looked around the room and noticed that the first three rows of students seated on their yoga mats waiting for the class to begin were women. I’m not surprised. He’s a totally charming and totally unique man. Women adore him, but men like him just as much.

  Scott rang a small hand-held brass bell, indicating that the class was starting. For the next hour he led the assembled students in a series of physical movements the yogis called asanas which worked every part of their bodies.

  At the conclusion of the regular class, an Italian looking man two rows ahead of her raised his hand. Kelly didn’t recall seeing him in any of the classes she’d taken before, although it had been awhile since she’d been to the Center. “Yes, Guido,” Scott said.

  “Are we going to have the walking meditation today? I remember last week you mentioned we might.”

  “You’re a step ahead of me, Guido. I was just getting ready to announce a five minute bathroom break. Please meet back here and then we’ll go outside for the walking meditation.”

  A few minutes later he told the assembled students to follow him. “It’s a sunny day and as Guido said, I told you last week that if it was sunny today, I thought that rather than our usual sitting meditation, we’d end the class by doing a walking meditation in the forest behind the buildings. Some of you have done them before in the forest. It’s really one of my favorite ways to meditate. If you’re new to a walking meditation, simply put your hands together and mindfully be aware of each step you take.

  “If you haven’t been in our forest meditation area yet, you’re in for a treat. Each path is unique and has its own name such as Serenity, Peace of Mind, Bodhi, Enlightenment, and Wisdom, to name a few. There are a large number of designated and named paths in the forest and I think we can each walk down a separate path and quietly meditate. Take a moment and choose the one that speaks to you. At the end of each path you’ll find a bench which overlooks a small pond or beautiful green foliage of some type. Stop and sit on the bench for a few minutes while you complete your meditation. Take time to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the forest. You’ll hear me strike the big gong in front of the center at the end of fifteen minutes. Please come back here when you hear the gong. Let’s go.”

  The students followed him on a dirt path to the forest’s edge and dispersed in silence, each one looking inward. Kelly walked to a path on the far right that led into the forest with its deep green ferns and dappled sunlight. Out of the corner of her eye,
she saw Guido and a woman with bright red hair hurrying to get to the paths near her. It was a beautiful and peaceful setting. The path Kelly chose was marked with a sign that said “Tranquility.” She put her hands together and began slowly walking.

  Seems like an awful long time has gone by, Kelly thought. I wonder how long it’s been.

  When she’d arrived at the Center, she’d taken her cell phone and keys with her, leaving her purse locked in the van. As she prepared to go on the walking meditation she’d slipped both of them in the pocket of her yoga pants. Now she took her phone from her pocket and looked at the time. Twenty-five minutes had gone by and she hadn’t heard the sound of the gong being struck.

  Well, I must have missed it. I was pretty focused on the walking meditation and keeping my mind clear of outside distractions. Guess I overdid it. Better get back to the Center. Obviously I’m late. I think this path to the left is shorter and will take me back to the Center a little faster rather than trying to retrace my steps on the Tranquility path.

  She hurried along the dimly lit forest path which was thickly littered with soft needles that had fallen from the cedar trees. She hadn’t gone very far on the shortcut path when she saw a large shape on the ground to her left. Oh my gosh, she thought. I’ve heard there are black bears in some of these forests. I hope that isn’t one. She remembered hearing somewhere that if you ever encountered a bear, you should stand perfectly still. Kelly didn’t move a muscle while she looked at the shape. She suddenly realized it wasn’t a bear at all, but instead what she was looking at was a human form. She walked over to it, and gasped. It was Zen Master Scott. Blood was pooling around his body and Kelly could clearly see a bullet hole in his head. He was dead.

  CHAPTER 2

  Jim and Ellie Duncan were at home reading the Bible like they did every Saturday morning when the phone rang. Jim reached over and picked it up.

  “Hello, this is Jim Duncan.”

  “Hi, Jim. This is Leroy down at the Cascades Electric dispatch center. Sorry to have to call you out on a Saturday, but your name was at the top of the rotation list for emergency call out duty. We’ve got two problems that Charlie over in maintenance and repair wants you to take care of today.”

  “Okay. Where does he want me to go?”

  “The first one is out at the Bar Z cattle ranch and feed lot. They had a lightning strike last night on the transformer next to their feed lot and they’ve lost all their power. They’ve got 1,500 cattle in the feed lot that are all fed using an electrical powered conveyor system that brings the feed directly to each holding pen. To say they have a big problem that needs to be fixed as fast as possible is an understatement. Their ranch is about twenty-five miles north of Cedar Bay off of Henderson Road.”

  “Yeah, I know where it is. I’ve driven by it a number of times. It’s the one where you can smell the feed lot three miles before you get there and can see it. What’s the other job?”

  “We have an ongoing problem out at the White Cloud Retreat Center. Their lights keep flickering on and off because of some kind of power interruption. The maintenance records indicate you were out there last week and did some repair work in their utility vault, but apparently that didn’t do the trick, because they’re still having problems. Charlie wants you to check out the power lines located in the right of way that leads from our substation to the Center. The substation is located about a mile from the Center and the right-of-way cuts directly over the ridge behind the substation and then goes through the forest to where it terminates at the Center. Charlie thinks maybe some tree branches are coming in contact with our power lines and causing the intermittent electrical outages at the Center.

  “He wants you to take one of our big four wheel drive service trucks that are equipped with both a power wench and a cherry picker basket. The ground in the right-of-way where the lines are located is relatively smooth and you shouldn’t have any trouble driving the truck in the right-of-way while you look for overhanging tree limbs that need to be trimmed back. You can use the cherry picker basket to get up high enough to trim any tree limbs that might need to be trimmed.”

  “Sure. I can do that.”

  “Charlie said for me to tell you he’s sorry about this, but he’s shorthanded today and doesn’t have any other maintenance crew members available that can go with you on these two jobs. He wants you to do the Bar Z ranch job first as it’s the most important of the two. He said you should probably be finished with that job by 2:00 and then you should be on site and ready to work on the Center job by 3:00.”

  “Sounds like a good plan to me, Leroy. By the way, I worked on some tree removals in that right-of-way that leads to the Center about three years ago. When I was there, I saw a female black bear with two cubs and she wasn’t very happy about my presence in the area. That whole area is prime black bear habitat and because I’m going to be working alone, think I’ll take my gun with me for protection. I know my little ol’ .22 pistol can’t kill a bear, but it sure might put a scare into one and give me time to get away.”

  “Better think twice before you take your gun with you. You know company policy prohibits employees from having a loaded firearm in their possession at any time while they’re on duty, and that includes while you’re working alone in a company truck.

  “Okay, I get it. Tell Charlie I’ll do my best to find the cause of the service interruption at the Center and fix it, however, between you and me, I really don’t care if they never get their electrical service properly restored. Those people that run the Center, especially the guy that calls himself the Zen Master, Scott Monroe is his name, are evil non-believers who are doing everything they can to destroy the work of our Lord. The next time God delivers a lightning bolt like the one that hit the transformer over at the Bar Z, I hope it hits Zen Master Scott right on top of his head. If God doesn’t take care of him pretty soon, then some earthly human needs to take him out and eliminate this cancer that’s growing in our community.”

  “Whoa, Jim, be careful what you say. This is your old buddy Leroy talking and let me tell you if Charlie ever heard you say something like that he’d have you back digging utility trenches by hand or worse yet, it could get you fired. Don’t forget the company motto we have here at Cascades Electric Company, ‘The customer has the power; we provide the service.’ See you later Jim. The big service truck is loaded and waiting for you in the maintenance yard.”

  I’m going to take my gun with me. I don’t care what the company policy says and anyway, I might need it for my personal protection. And yes, if I saw that evil Zen Master out in the forest, I wouldn’t mind taking a pot shot at him just to scare him or better yet maybe I ought to blow his head off. Good riddance to that fountain of evil in our community. It would be for the best and I’m sure the Lord would understand and forgive my actions.

  “Ellie,” Jim said as he stood up, “I’ve got to work today. I’ll be back in time for dinner.

  CHAPTER 3

  Kelly grabbed her phone from her pocket and with a trembling hand, punched in Mike’s number. He picked up the call immediately. “How was class, Sweetheart?” he asked.

  “You need to come to the Retreat Center right now,” she said shakily. “Scott’s been murdered. I just discovered his body in the forest behind the Center. Hurry!”

  “I’m on my way. Don’t hang up. Okay, I’m in my patrol car and heading out. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Tell me specifically where you are.”

  She was dazed with an uncomprehending look on her face as she stood staring at Scott’s body, the phone in her hand. “Kelly, answer me,” she heard Mike saying. “Tell me where you are. Are you all right? Whoever killed him could still be in the area. You might be in danger. Is anyone with you?”

  She shook her head, trying to clear away the image in front of her. “No, I’m alone. I’m in the forest behind the center, on the far right side. Take the path named Tranquility and about halfway down it you’ll see a path that leads to the right. It’s a shor
tcut. I’ll wait for you.”

  “All right. Stay there. You’re probably safe. I imagine whoever did it is gone by now. I need to call Rich. Don’t touch Scott or anything else.”

  She continued to look at Scott, trying to understand why anyone would want to kill him. No one came to mind. All she could think about was how everyone loved and respected the man. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps behind her and whirled around. “Oh Mike, I’m so glad you’re here.” She ran over to him and tearfully threw her arms around him.

  “Kelly, it’s okay. I’m here.” He held her closely, gently stroking her back. Soon, he could feel her body stop shaking. “Stay here,” he said, releasing her and walking over to Scott’s body. He was quiet for several minutes and then he turned back to her. “Kelly, you were right. He’s dead and it’s an obvious homicide.”

  They heard footsteps and saw Mike’s chief deputy sheriff, Rich, striding towards them, gun drawn. Several students were following him. “Rich, secure the area as an active crime scene and call the coroner. Also, you need to alert our crime scene investigators and have them come out here as soon as possible.”

  “Step back, everyone,” Rich said. He took his phone out of its holster and made the calls Mike had requested. A large man pushed through the quickly gathering crowd and ran past Mike and Rich. He stopped and stared at Scott’s body lying on the forest floor.

  Mike walked over to him and put his hand on the man’s arm. “Don’t touch the body. This is now a crime scene. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

  “That’s my brother and I’m not leaving him! What happened?” he screamed. “Who did this?” He fell to the ground, sobbing, and put his arms around Scott’s immobile body.

  Kelly had met Scott’s brother, Luke Monroe, on several prior occasions and had taken a couple of yoga classes from him. She walked over to where Luke was lying prostrate on the ground. “I’m so sorry. I was coming back from the walking meditation and took a shortcut. At first when I saw Scott’s beard I thought it was a black bear.” She began to cry again and was so overcome with emotion she couldn’t speak.