Murdered by Superstition Read online

  MURDERED BY SUPERSTITION

  By

  Dianne Harman

  (A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery - Book 9)

  Copyright © 2018 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.

  Paperback ISBN: 978-1722114664

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  To Tom, Vivek, and Connie, thank you for making me look good!

  And to you, my loyal readers, thanks for giving me a reason to write!

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  Table of Contents

  PROLOGUE

  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

  PROLOGUE

  Nicole Rogers stepped off the scale at her fitness center and smiled. One hundred fifty-one pounds. That’s a personal best. I did it! The surgery, the shrink, the workouts – all worth it now.

  She turned and admired her reflection in the mirror. She saw a tall auburn-haired woman with generous lips and large green eyes. After all the years of being fat, she had a hard time identifying with the polished, attractive woman who looked back at her. She turned away from the mirror and opened her locker. Something fell out of it. She bent over to pick it up and held it in the palm of her hand. It was a small wooden doll, put together with clumsy detail, right down to the strands of red wool stuck onto its tiny little head, where clumps of glue were still visible.

  “Nicole, are you all right? You look awfully pale,” Judy, the woman whose locker was next to hers said. She reached over and put her hand on Nicole’s arm. “Maybe you should sit down for a minute. Here, let me help you.”

  Nicole allowed Judy to steer her towards the wooden bench in the center of the locker room and stared down at the doll she was holding in her hand, a stunned look on her face. The green dots that were the doll’s eyes seemed to look back at her.

  “Mind if I take a look at it?” Judy asked, sitting down beside her on the bench.

  “No, here,” Nicole said, handing the doll to her.

  Judy turned it over and looked at it. The doll was no more than three inches high, wrapped in a scrap of fabric for a dress. All of the detail was focused on its face, and whoever had made it had gone to a lot of trouble to make it resemble Nicole, right down to the exaggerated drawn-on lips. “That looks like something I saw recently in a magazine. I think it was called a voodoo doll. I kind of remember it from when I went to New Orleans with my parents when I was a kid. We went to some museum, and they had several of them on display. Is this a voodoo doll?”

  Nicole nodded. “Yes, but why would someone put a voodoo doll in my locker? In Louisiana, where I grew up, if you got one of these it meant someone wanted to hurt you or kill you.” Her chin wobbled and her eyes were bright with unshed tears.

  “I don’t know much about them,” Judy said, pulling out a torn piece of paper that was sticking out from under the fabric. “Hate to tell you this, but your name’s written on this piece of paper that was attached to the doll. Maybe someone’s playing a joke on you. Can you think of anyone who doesn’t like you that would have access to the gym?”

  “No,” Nicole said, her hand trembling as she took the doll back from Judy. “I can’t imagine what this is about.”

  Judy’s eyes displayed her concern as Nicole stood up. “Nicole, you’re shaking. Are you going straight home?”

  Nicole nodded. “Yes, I think I’m too upset to do anything else.” She hesitated before continuing. “What if someone is waiting for me outside? I’m really scared. This isn’t the first one of these that I’ve gotten.”

  Judy was taken aback. “What do you mean?” she asked.

  Nicole’s hand was still shaking as she tried to put on her lipstick. “I’ve found them in my mailbox, in my desk drawer at work, and even in the glove compartment of my car. Like I said, I’m from Louisiana, and I know what getting a voodoo doll means.”

  “Let me look at it again,” Judy said, walking across to where Nicole was standing by the mirror. The doll was on the counter beside her and Judy turned it over in her hands several more times before addressing Nicole. “Did the others have all of these pins stuck in their necks?”

  Nicole’s eyes were fixed on the mirror, and she nodded as she continued to apply her lipstick. “Yes, I’m pretty sure they did. Actually, I think I’ve got one of them in my purse.” She pulled out a white miniature figure, this one made of Styrofoam, and handed it to Judy.

  “Do you mind if I take both of them? I’d like to see what I can find out about voodoo dolls like these.”

  “Feel free to, I really don’t want anything to do with them,” Nicole said with a flick of her hand, before placing her lipstick in her gym bag and zipping it closed.

  “Nicole, I’m dressed.” Judy said as she lifted up her gym bag. “Let me walk you to your car. You have my cell phone number. When you get home, go directly into your house. Lock the door and call me. You might want to think about getting a bodyguard.”

  Nicole looked at her, wide-eyed. “Are you kidding? Do you think it’s that serious? Do you think someone really wants to hurt me? I’ve never done anything to anyone.”

  Yes, the dolls were an annoyance, but surely nothing more dangerous than that. Nicole’s usual way of dealing with problems was to ignore them until they went away, and it had been her experience, that most of the inconsequential stuff, like these dolls, did just that.

  Judy sighed. “I have no idea how far a person is willing to go with this, but it looks like you definitely have someone who would like to see you harmed.”

  Nicole’s expression faltered. This stupid doll thing had gone on for long enough. She decided to talk it over with Cody later, to see what he thought she should do.

  “Just think about it,” Judy said, as they made their way to their cars in the parking lot. “There’s no harm in being careful.”

  *****

  When she got home, Nicole pulled into the driveway of her house, wishing she’d taken the time to clean out her garage, so she could just drive into it, rather than having to get out of her car and walk to her front door, where she would be exposed and out in the open.

  It was a short-lived regret, because it was the last thought she had before a steel wire snapped around her neck. She struggled for a few moments, as she unsuccessfully tried to breathe. Her lifeless body went limp, and as the pressure from the steel wire was released, she fell to the ground. Her attacker pulled her body to the far end of the porch where it would not be visible from the street.

  CHAPTER
1

  After she left the fitness center, Judy returned to the cottage where she was staying at the Red Cedar Lodge and Spa which was owned by her friend, Liz Lucas. Judy liked to come to the spa every six months or so and see if she could pick up any ideas for the hotel and spa she owned in Calistoga, California. Two years earlier she’d joined the upscale fitness center about a mile from the Red Cedar Lodge to augment the facials and massages she got while staying at the spa.

  Usually she felt re-energized when she returned to the cottage at the end of the day, but not this evening. The incident with Nicole had been unsettling, and although she and Nicole were only casual friends, she couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling she had of some sort of impending danger.

  She remembered Nicole had given her a card with her cell phone number on it the day before, suggesting they get together for lunch at Gertie’s Diner for a hamburger. Gertie’s was known as far away as San Francisco for having the best hamburgers in Northern California.

  Judy opened her purse, took out the card, and punched in the number on her cell phone. She was immediately switched to a recorded message, which she thought was unusual, since Nicole had told her earlier, when they were working out together, that she planned on spending a quiet evening at home and finishing the book she was reading.

  She looked at the clock on the nightstand and realized she needed to change clothes if she didn’t want to be late to the evening dinner at the lodge, a meal she always looked forward to. Her friend, Liz, was a great cook, and even though Judy had previously been more of a “using the oven as an additional storage area for purses and shoes,” sort of woman, now that she owned the Calistoga spa and had a cook who fixed the meals for her guests, the food Liz prepared had become important to her for reasons other than enjoyment. She was always looking for new things that could be added to her spa’s dinner menus.

  *****

  Liz opened the oven to see how the two large stuffed pork loins were doing, and decided they were coming along a little faster than she wanted. She turned the heat down, and then she opened the bottom oven and reversed the pan that held the garlic roasted tomatoes which were resting on a bed of rosemary.

  Looks good. Salads are ready, soup’s simmering, and the appetizers are on the table in the great room. I’ll put the rolls in a few minutes before we eat. Since some of the guests in the cottages have told me they came here for the food based on what their friends told them, I guess I’ve developed a reputation I better live up to. Don’t think anyone will find fault with the sticky toffee pudding cake for dessert. Every time I’ve served it, someone has asked for the recipe.

  “Thought I’d find you in here,” Judy said as she walked into the kitchen. “Got a minute to talk to me before the guests arrive?” Her big brown eyes showed concern.

  “Of course.” Liz removed her oven gloves and set them on the countertop. “You look worried, Judy. What’s happening?”

  Judy told her about Nicole and the voodoo doll, then she opened her purse and handed the doll that had fallen out of Nicole’s locker to Liz. “I know you’re going to New Orleans the day after tomorrow. I was wondering if you could kind of ask around and see what you could find out about voodoo dolls, like this one.”

  Liz peered down at the doll. She’d never seen anything like it before. If it didn’t look so sinister, she would have dismissed it as a child’s toy. “I suppose I could, but I don’t have much to go on.”

  “Liz, I’m really worried about Nicole.” Judy’s brow creased. “I didn’t want to tell her how serious this doll incident could be, particularly coupled with the picture of the skull and crossbones and the word Bacalou written on another doll which she told me someone put on her front porch last week.”

  Liz raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

  “When I was a child my parents and I went on a trip to New Orleans,” Judy continued, “and we visited some museum that was all about this kind of voodoo stuff. I’ve never forgotten it. I had nightmares for months afterwards. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to harm Nicole. From the little I know about her, she seems to have really made some major changes in her life. She’s come so far, it doesn’t seem fair that someone would want to hurt her or even do something worse to her. Take a look at this doll and tell me what you think.”

  “This is the one that fell out of her locker?” Liz asked, as she looked at the stick doll again. The longer she held it, the more she had a sense that something was very, very wrong. “It’s creepy, I’ll grant you that.”

  “Yes,” Judy said, “that’s the one that was in her locker. Although I have nothing to base this on, I’m worried about her. She told me this wasn’t the first doll she’d found. Nicole’s from Louisiana and was familiar with them. She said some of them had pins that had been stuck in the neck as well. I don’t know her all that well, but it makes me nervous that she didn’t answer her phone when I tried to call her a little while ago. It’s probably nothing, just a joke someone’s playing on her, but…”

  The longer Liz held the doll, the more concerned she became. When Liz and Judy had been in Bellingham, Washington, a few years earlier, Liz had heard a little voice warning her of impending danger. She’d listened to the voice and because she’d listened to it, she’d been able to save a number of people’s lives. Judy was with her and she remembered telling Judy about the voice at the time, but tonight was the first time she’d heard it since then. “Tell Nicole to be very careful,” the little voice said. “Someone is trying to kill her.”

  Liz tried to ignore the little voice and the uneasiness that had washed over her, but it didn’t work. Once again, she heard the voice saying, “Tell her to be very careful. Someone is trying to kill her.”

  “Liz, what is it? You’re as pale as a ghost,” Judy said.

  “Judy, do you remember when we were in Bellingham, Washington after those horrible facials we had, and a little voice inside me kind of told me what to do and warned me?”

  “Yes, I remember it well. I haven’t heard you mention it for quite a while. Are you hearing it now?” Judy asked as her eyes narrowed.

  “Yes, and it’s telling me that Nicole needs to be very careful, that someone is trying to kill her.”

  Judy let out a gasp. “Oh, Liz, no. That’s just horrible. What can we do?” She took the doll back from Liz and returned it to her purse.

  Liz shrugged. “At the moment, nothing. All the cottages are full, and the guests will be here for dinner in a few minutes, as well as some people who aren’t even staying in the cottages. As the spa’s reputation has grown, so has the number of requests from people wanting to come to dinner.”

  “Liz, you do yourself a disservice. You’re one of the best cooks around, and I’m not at all surprised that they’re coming for your dinner, but that still doesn’t help us with Nicole.”

  “I know.” Liz made a decision. “Judy, I think we should go over to her house after dinner. I wish Roger was here so he could go with us, but he’s spending a couple of nights in San Francisco. He has a bunch of client meetings at his law firm, and it just made more sense for him to stay in the city rather than trying to commute back and forth.”

  “Thanks, Liz. That would make me feel much better if we went over to Nicole’s house after dinner. She was having car trouble last week, so I picked her up at her house and took her home a couple of times after working out at the fitness center. I can easily find it again.”

  The sound of chattering voices reached them from the great room.

  Judy smiled at Liz. “I think your first guests have arrived.”

  CHAPTER 2

  “Liz, you really have become a superb chef, definitely a notch up from a cook,” Judy said later on the drive to Nicole’s home. “That was a pretty impressive dinner. As a matter of fact, I went into the bathroom and wrote the menu down. I want to give it to my cook and see if she can duplicate it.”

  Liz smiled. “Thanks, but I’m hardly a chef. I don’t have any credentials for that. I just
like to cook tasty and interesting food. The good thing is that people seem to like my cooking. I told you I’m going to New Orleans day after tomorrow for a few days to a cooking school. I love the New Orleans style of cooking, and I’d like to learn more about it from some people who know what they’re doing.”

  “I’m envious. I’d love to do something like that.”

  “Judy, you have the money, and you’ve told me that your hotel and spa business has gotten to the place where it’s practically running itself because of the manager you hired.” Liz glanced sideways at her friend. “Why don’t you come with me? I called the cooking school last week just to see if there was anything special I needed to bring with me, and they told me they still had several openings. I’d love for you to join me. You mentioned you’d been to New Orleans when you were a child. Have you been back since then?”

  “No, and it’s been on my list of things to do.” Judy’s face broke into a grin. “I guess there’s no time like the present. I’d love to go with you if I can get airline tickets and confirm that they still have an opening at the cooking school. I’ll call the airlines when I get back to the cottage tonight and first thing tomorrow morning, I’ll call the cooking school. You’ll have to give me their contact information.”

  “Not a problem. I’ve done a lot of research on New Orleans, and in addition to learning a lot of stuff about that style of cooking, we’d have fun. Plus, we can see if we can find out anything about the voodoo dolls that have been delivered to Nicole.”

  Some would say that researching voodoo in connection with a murder is not their idea of fun.

  *****

  Judy pointed in the direction of a cluster of pretty single-story homes on a quiet tree-lined street. “Nicole’s house is the one with no lights on and the gray car in the driveway. It’s pretty early, but maybe she’s gone to bed. She told me she was in the middle of a good book and planned on reading tonight. Guess it put her to sleep.”

  “I’ll park behind her car, and we can knock lightly on her door. I don’t want to scare her if she is asleep,” Liz said, pulling into the driveway.