Murder in Cottage #6 (Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) Read online

  Murder in Cottage #6

  By

  Dianne Harman

  (A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Series - Book 1)

  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: 978-1508924920

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  First of all, I want to thank you, my readers, who have made my books so popular. This is the first book in a new series, and I hope you’ll enjoy this series as much as you’ve obviously enjoyed my other cozy mystery series, the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series. There is nothing more gratifying for an author than to have readers tell them how much they enjoy their books or let the author know by buying other books in a series that they’ve enjoyed them. Your reviews are always appreciated. Thank you so much! I’d love to hear from you about this book or any of the others. Here’s my email address: [email protected].

  I want to extend a special thanks to Vivek Rajan for the fabulous book covers he creates, his unending sound advice, and his taking the time to answer the multitude of questions I always have. I not only think of him as my editor, formatter, and marketing guru, I think of him as a friend and highly recommend him to other authors.

  Finally, I want to thank my husband, Tom, for his support, belief in me, and love. He spends countless hours reading what I’ve written, and I value his thoughts and connemts. Without him, I wouldn’t have the time and the freedom to spend doing what I love – writing! Thank you!

  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

  Sitting in her favorite chair in the great room of the lodge, Liz gazed out the large window that wrapped around the outside deck of the lodge. The view from the window was breathtaking, and she never tired of simply sitting and watching as the natural beauty of the scene before her constantly changed and unfolded. She heard the cries of sea gulls circling overhead, diving and twisting as they rode the air currents looking for a tasty morsel of food that might be floating on the ocean’s surface.

  The lodge and the adjacent spa were located about an hour north of San Francisco on the outskirts of the charming little town of Red Cedar. Perched nearly eighty feet above the ocean on a rocky point that jutted out into the ocean, it was a popular place for San Francisco residents to visit for some much-needed rest and relaxation. The great room where she was sitting contained a fully equipped kitchen at one end and a large wood-burning fireplace at the other end. One area of the great room contained comfortable upholstered chairs where guests could sit while enjoying the spectacular view and the surrounding scenery.

  The section of the great room closest to the kitchen was furnished with a massive highly polished red cedar dining room table that had been hewn from a single slab of wood. The table easily accommodated twenty guests when the family style breakfast and evening meals were served.

  Sipping her morning coffee, she heard the roar of the ocean as the waves crashed against the cliff far below. She turned her head slightly and had a clear view of several of the ten cottages which surrounded the lodge and spa and were set back among the towering red cedar trees. The beautiful ancient trees had been the reason she and Joe had named the spa the Red Cedar Spa when they bought it.

  Joe had died almost a year earlier of a sudden heart attack, and now she was running the spa by herself with the help of her employees. Bertha was the manager, Zack was the handyman she relied on to keep things in working condition, and Sarah was the young woman who came daily to clean the cottages. Additionally, there were numerous employees that worked in the spa located just a few steps from the lodge. It was a lot of work, but she’d never regretted the day she and Joe decided to buy the spa. After he’d died, Jonah and Brittany, her two adult children, wanted her to sell it, telling her it was too much work for her to do alone.

  She had loved the rustic spa and the surrounding cottages from the first moment she’d visited them when she and her friend of many years, Judy Rasmussen, had spent a long “girls’ weekend” as guests at the spa. She smiled thinking back to what she’d thought when she first opened the door to their large cottage. When the brochure said “cottage,” I never expected something like this!

  Two king size beds were flanked by cedar chests used as nightstands. A large bathroom with a tiled shower was filled with numerous amenities from the spa. Each cottage had a view of the ocean on one side and the cedar forest on the other. Fluffy white towels and robes were neatly stacked on the marble counter for the guests to use.

  She remembered overhearing the manager of the spa telling one of the employees that the then-owner of the spa was having financial problems and needed to sell the spa. When Liz returned to her home in the San Francisco area, she’d convinced Joe to sell his three auto dealerships in the city and start one in the small town of Red Cedar. The spa was located within the town boundaries, but the main business district was about a mile inland from the spa. It hadn’t been very hard to convince him that the stress that came from owning the dealerships would be gone, and it would greatly benefit his health. She told him it would also make his doctor happy, because he was very concerned about Joe’s health. His doctor had prescribed eight different types of pills for Joe’s high blood pressure, “bad” cholesterol, and for his constant battle with stress management. But even with the medication and a strict low calorie diet, the condition of his health remained guarded.

  Unfortunately, the move to a slower paced lifestyle in a rural area came too late for Joe. He’d been under extreme business pressure and stress for many years, and according to his cardiologist, his heart had suffered considerable damage. He died of a massive heart attack at his car agency in Red Cedar three years after they had moved to the area and purchased the spa.

  Liz walked over to the kitchen counter and poured herself another cup of coffee as she reflected back on the events of the last year. Joe had used the services of a large law firm in San Francisco when they lived there. The attorney Joe worked with had handled the probate of his will, and one time when Liz was at the attorney’s office she’d met a senior partner in the firm who specialized in criminal law cases. Roger was a widower, and one day he asked her to join him for a cup of coffee. They’d gotten along well, had gone out together on several casual dates, and he’d even come to the spa to visit her several times. She had mixed feelings about him. Part of her was
very attracted to him, but when he indicated he’d like to take their relationship to a level that was beyond friendship, she struggled with feelings of being disloyal to the memory of her wonderful marriage to Joe. Even though it had been nearly a year since Joe died, she didn’t know if she was ready to enter into the romantic type of relationship Roger was hinting at. They’d shared a few kisses, and she couldn’t deny that there was a strong physical chemistry between them.

  I know I’m going to have to make a decision fairly soon, and I think the answer is going to be yes, but I don’t have to decide today. Anyway, Judy’s coming up in a couple of days, and we’re going to try some of the new treatments the spa has started offering. I’m ready for a little pampering.

  Little did she know what the future held for her and what an important part Roger was going to play in it.

  CHAPTER 2

  Liz’s reverie was broken by the sound of someone barging through the front door. She looked up and saw Bertha shaking and crying. “Bertha, what’s wrong?” Bertha was crying so hard she wasn’t able to answer.

  Liz put her arm around her and led her to one of the chairs that surrounded the large cedar dining table. “What is it, Bertha? Has something bad happened?”

  Bertha gulped and said, “I was in my office when I got a call from Delores at the spa. She said Mrs. Nelson hadn’t checked in this morning for her 8:00 warm stone massage and asked if I would go over to cottage #6 and remind her of her appointment. I went over there and knocked on her cottage door several times. She never answered. You know I have the keys to all the cottages, and I keep them with me all the time, so I opened the door and saw her lying in bed. She wasn’t moving. When I walked over to her I realized she wasn’t breathing. She was dead.”

  Liz’s hand flew up to her mouth. “Oh no! I can’t believe it! Does anyone else know?”

  “No. I came directly here from her cottage. She was in cottage number six. I locked the door when I left. I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “That was exactly the right thing to do,” Liz said, patting her hand. “Sit here for a minute and try to calm down. Did you notice anything out of place? Do you think she had a heart attack or something? I know the last few weeks have been very stressful for her what with Dave trying to win another term as mayor and the Red Cedar Tribune writing all those articles about him insinuating he was illegally skimming money from the city coffers. I didn’t see her when she checked in yesterday, but she seemed perfectly normal last night when she was here with the other guests for dinner. She said she’d loved her facial and massage treatments and was looking forward to having two more today and then going home after she had her last treatment this afternoon.”

  “Liz, there was a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels on the nightstand next to her bed. Do you think maybe she mixed sleeping pills and alcohol and committed suicide? I just don’t know what to think,” Bertha said, her brown eyes large with fright against her pale complexion.

  “Let me get you a cup of coffee. I really need to call Seth Williams and report this.”

  I don’t want to have anything to do with that lecherous obese stupid man, but I don’t have a choice. He is the chief of police and having the mayor’s wife found dead in one of my cottages is something he needs to know about immediately.

  *****

  “Red Cedar Police Department. How may I direct your call?” the young receptionist asked.

  “I’d like to speak with Chief Williams. Please tell him Liz Lucas is calling,” she said, nervously twisting a strand of her auburn hair.

  The receptionist put her on hold, and a few moments later she heard Seth’s oily voice. “Liz, to what do I owe the pleasure of your call? I’m hopin’ you’re gonna tell me yer finally goin’ to accept the long-standin’ dinner invitation I’ve been offerin’ for the last few months.”

  When pigs fly, Liz thought. I need him to be on my side right now, so I better make nice. If word gets out that someone died here at the spa, it sure could be bad for business. I need to think about damage control, and Seth can provide that if I sweet talk him.

  “I wish it was something enjoyable like that,” she said in a sultry honey-toned voice, “but actually Seth, I have a little problem out here at the spa and need you to come out here right away.”

  “If it involves you, I’ll be there soon as I can. Wanna give me a head’s up what this is all about, pretty lady?”

  “No. It can wait until you get here. Can you come in your personal car, not your patrol car? I really don’t want the guests to see a police car on the premises. It might upset them.”

  “Sure can. Sounds interestin’. Keep in mind I’m real partial to black lace. See you in a few.”

  Yuck. I can’t stand that smarmy man, and now I’m going to have to deal with him.

  She ended the call and turned to where Bertha was standing. “Bertha, you heard my conversation. Seth will be here in a few minutes. Why don’t you tell Sarah you’ll make the box lunches for the guests who can’t get into town for lunch because they’ve booked back-to-back treatments? That might help to take your mind off of what you just saw. I imagine Seth will want to take a statement from you, and I probably better go into town and tell the mayor that his wife is dead. Not something I really want to do. Go on into the kitchen and I’ll let you know when Seth gets here.”

  She walked down the stairs to the lower level of the lodge where her personal living quarters were located. I need to get out of these pajamas and robe. Black lace? I don’t think so. Jeans and a sweater will work just fine. That man has a sick mind. Between the mayor and Seth, I am definitely not looking forward to the next few hours. And how am I going to keep the guests from finding out?

  CHAPTER 3

  Fifteen minutes later Seth came swaggering through the front door of the lodge, his thumbs hooked just inside his dark blue uniform pants that hung below a large belly which was threatening to pop the lower buttons of his blue uniform shirt. Gray, oily hair hung in tufts below a battered black police chief hat with a silver emblem inscribed “Red Cedar Police Chief.”

  Liz couldn’t help but notice the big yellow stain on his shirt. “See yer lookin’ at that spot on my shirt,” Seth said. “Egg yolk slipped off my fork this mornin’ when I was havin’ my usual breakfast of ham and eggs at Gertie’s Diner. Jes’ one of those things that seems to happen all the time to me. Ya’ know what I mean?”

  “Seth, thank you so much for coming out here on such short notice. I have a little problem, and I’m not real sure what to do about it. Please, follow me.”

  “Ain’t seein’ any black lace on ya’. I’ll git ya’ some if ya’ like. I read the Victoria’s Secret catalogue from cover to cover every month. You’d look good in some of them things they got for sale.”

  Ignoring Seth’s uncouth remarks, Liz walked out the door and almost tripped over what she privately called the “spa dog,” even though his name was Brandy Boy. A massive St. Bernard, weighing over one hundred sixty pounds, he was a favorite of the guests who visited the spa.

  Although the original St. Bernard dogs were bred by Augustine monks as rescue dogs in the snowy and cold Swiss Alps, Brandy Boy had little interest in any type of task that involved physical activity. The previous owner who sold the spa to Joe and Liz had asked them to keep Brandy Body because he couldn’t take the big dog with him. Despite his seemingly constant slobbering and drooling, Liz had grown attached to the big loveable brown and white giant who spent most of his time sleeping on the porch. He rarely acknowledged anyone going in or out the door other than to open his eyes when it slammed.

  Occasionally a guest wanted to take a hike on one of the many trails that led into the forest from the lodge. Liz always recommended that he or she take Brandy Boy along to act as an informal guide. Even though he was the easiest going dog in the world, he knew which trails were safe to travel and which ones weren’t. Many a guest had returned to the spa from their hike marveling that Brandy Boy had physically led the way and
showed the guest which trail was the right one to take to return to the lodge.

  Just like the famous rescue dogs in the Swiss Alps, the prior owner had equipped Brandy Body with a dog collar that had a small wooden cask attached to it. If a guest was in a cottage and wanted an after dinner brandy, he or she could call the lodge, and Brandy Boy would be dispatched to the cottage with the “rescue” brandy. When given the proper command, he even knew which cottage needed the delivery. Each cottage had a supply of dog treats that were to be given to Brandy Boy as a reward after he made his delivery.

  When they first bought the spa, Joe thought Brandy Boy was too big to sleep indoors, and he’d asked Zack, the handyman, to build a dog house for him. The huge dog house was located next to the lodge and at any given time you could find Brandy Boy either sleeping in his dog house or lolling around on the front porch of the lodge. Having the dog house near the lodge was an arrangement which worked out well for everyone. With his ancestors having come from the Swiss Alps, Brandy Boy was happy and content to stay outside in his dog house year round, regardless of any inclement weather conditions.

  After nearly tripping over Brandy Boy, Liz and Seth walked past the large rustic spa building with flowers spilling out of containers on either side of the front door and down the steps. Each of the ten cottages located on the premises was a smaller version of the spa, constructed as log cabin type structures with bright colored flowers surrounding them. Liz wanted the spa and cottages to project a warm welcoming feeling for the spa guests when they came for their stay, each of them hoping to leave refreshed and rejuvenated.

  She stopped at a cottage with a brass #6 on the front door. “Seth, Dave Nelson’s wife, Barbara, is in here. Dave told her she’d worked so hard on his campaign he was giving her a two day stay at the spa as a thank you gift. He wanted her to come here, have some treatments, and relax. My manager found her this morning. She’s dead.”