Murder at the Big T Lodge: A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Read online

  “All right Jack, given those circumstances I’m willing to do as you ask. Now you both better go and get some breakfast. I don’t want you to miss the quail hunt.”

  “Are you crazy, Liz?” Roger asked. “I’m not leaving you alone. I’ll stay here with you.”

  “Fraid not, love. My mind is made up. This is your last chance to hunt, and I want you to have a good time. As a matter of fact, I’ve decided to go down to the kitchen and see what I can do to help my friend Wes, now that Cassie isn’t here to help him. It’s the least I can do to repay him for saving my life. Please believe me when I tell you that I really do feel almost back to normal.”

  “Roger,” Jack said, “I think Liz means it. Come on, you paid for this hunt and from what I hear, you really did well yesterday. Might as well go out with a bang, literally. I’m going down to the kitchen and see if I can scare up a couple of breakfasts to take with us, but I promise you, no muffins.” He walked over to the door and motioned for Sam to follow him. It had been a rough morning for Sam, and he was perfectly willing to follow his master. Who knew? Maybe his master would feel he deserved a special treat.

  “Liz, I’m only going to go if you’ll promise me that if you don’t feel good at any time, you’ll tell Chef Jackson. I’m sure there’s someone else he can call on. I’m certain he must have some kind of a back-up plan in place in case either he or Cassie became ill.”

  “I promise. Now go and have a wonderful last hunt. Actually, I’m looking forward to being Wes’ sous chef. Bet I’ll learn a lot, and Roger, I’m so glad to be here. I love you so much.”

  “Likewise, sweetheart, likewise.”

  CHAPTER 33

  Liz knocked on the kitchen door and heard Wes say, “Come in.”

  “Hi, Wes,” she said. “Thought you could use a couple of extra hands in the kitchen. I’m here to help. Point me in the right direction, and I’ll get started.”

  “Are you kidding me? After what you went through this morning you need more than a couple of hours to recuperate.”

  “Honest, Wes, I feel great. Believe me, I’m just happy to be alive, considering the alternative. I can never thank you enough for what you did. I shudder to think what might have happened if you hadn’t lost that scrap of paper and decided to look in the trash for it. By the way, I’ve been wondering why you had the activated charcoal here in the kitchen. That’s kind of a strange thing to keep on hand.”

  “If you really feel you’re up to it, yes, I could use your help. As far as the charcoal, when I was a sous chef in San Francisco the chef told me once that he felt the most important item in his kitchen was the activated charcoal. He said you could substitute ingredients for everything else, but if someone was inadvertently poisoned, and it happens from time to time, there is no substitute for activated charcoal.

  “I’ve heard of cases where a waiter or waitress was tired and not really paying attention to what they were doing. Instead of filling a glass with sparking water they poured lye or whatever in it and took it to a customer. Anyway, the chef told me to always have some handy for that one in a million time when you’re going to need it.

  “When I saw the sleeping pill bottle and the muffins, I don’t know how I knew, but I did, that Cassie was going to poison you. I didn’t even think. I just grabbed the bottle with the charcoal and my gun, both of which came in handy. Actually, it’s the first time I’ve ever had to use either one. I keep the gun in the desk because I often spend a lot of time completely alone here, and the lodge is pretty remote. Jack insisted on it, and a couple of the guides taught me to shoot. Anyway, glad to be of help. Now, let’s get started, but first I want you to promise me something.”

  “Of course. What?”

  “You might have a delayed reaction to everything that happened this morning or even because of the events of the last few days. If for any reason you don’t feel quite right, let me know immediately. If you can promise me that, I’ll let you help me.”

  “That I can. What’s first?”

  “Here’s the menu,” Wes said. “We’re serving prime rib, scalloped cheesy potatoes, green beans with slivered almonds, and for dessert, lemon buttermilk pie with blueberries steeped in Grand Marnier and topped with grated white chocolate.”

  “I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. That sounds absolutely decadent.”

  “It is, but we want the guests to leave with a good taste, literally. I made sweet rolls for them to take when they leave for the airport or whatever tomorrow morning. Some of them have very early flights out of El Paso, and a few who have their own planes like to get an early start. You can start by wrapping each sweet roll in plastic wrap, then put two of the sweet rolls and a napkin in each paper bag. When you’re finished put them on the long table in the pantry, and I’ll put them out in the dining room after dinner.”

  Liz carefully wrapped the yeasty rolls in plastic wrap and placed them in the paper bags as directed. Chef Jackson had filled them with a variety of wonderfully smelling things such as caramel, lemon cream, and berries. Liz knew they’d all be eaten long before any planes took off.

  She walked back into the kitchen after taking the last of them to the pantry and said, “What’s next?”

  Wes wiped his hands on his apron and said, “Are you sure you’re up for this? Tell me how you’re really feeling.”

  “I feel absolutely great, but I just need my marching orders.”

  “In that case I’d like you to prep the green beans by snapping the ends off, breaking them into bite-size pieces and putting them in a big bowl of cold water, so they’ll be ready to go. You can also get the slivered almonds from the pantry, lightly toast them in a frying pan, and have them ready for me to add to the green beans when I flash-fry them in a little olive oil.”

  “No problem. I can do that.”

  Liz usually cooked for around twelve to fourteen people when she did the evening meals at the Red Cedar Lodge and Spa. She’d prepared green beans many times for her guests, but she decided that preparing for the additional six people made for a lot more work. She easily found the slivered almonds, toasted them, and put them in a bowl next to the stove.

  “Here’s the recipe for the potatoes. I want it quadrupled,” Wes said. And so the afternoon went. Liz became completely absorbed in what she was doing, and when she heard sounds coming from the entryway, she glanced at her watch and realized it must be the hunters returning from the afternoon quail hunt.

  “Liz, I’m going to take this platter of different kinds of cheese and crackers out to the great room. I opened the wines a little while ago to let them breathe, and Jesse will tend the bar. You’ve been a huge help, and I can’t thank you enough. Now go on up to your room and get ready to join the other guests in the dining room when dinner is served.”

  “I’ve already decided I’ll enjoy my dinner here in the kitchen with you, Wes. I’m not going to abandon you now. You’ve got hungry guests out there, and I know there’s more to do in here, although I’m having trouble concentrating on anything other than the smell of those three gorgeous prime rib roasts in the oven.”

  “Well, don’t say I didn’t offer, but if you’re serious I’d love to have you help me. We make a good team.”

  “Give me a couple of minutes to go upstairs and tell Roger, although I know he’ll agree it’s the right thing to do.”

  She was back in a few minutes and gave Wes the thumbs up sign when she walked into the kitchen. The next two hours were a blur for Liz as she plated, garnished, and did whatever needed to be done to get the final meal for the guests on the table with a flair for presentation. She doubted that the guests ever suspected she was filling in for Cassie, and she was sure they didn’t know that Cassie was in the county jail, charged with murder.

  CHAPTER 34

  Just after Jesse and Zach had cleared the last dessert plates, there was a knock on the kitchen door. Liz was standing nearby and opened it. “Hi sweetheart,” Roger said, “I just wanted to check and see how you’re
feeling.”

  “Roger, I’ve never had so much fun in my life. I’ve really learned a lot. I feel like I’ve been at an exclusive cooking school. Wes has given me a gazillion cooking tips. I just hope I can remember them all.”

  “Thanks for allowing Liz to help me in the kitchen. I know said I could do it by myself, but truthfully, I’m not sure I could have.”

  “Wes, I’m glad she could help you, but believe me, I don’t allow Liz to do anything. The lady does whatever she wants,” he said, fondly smiling at her.

  “Roger, why don’t you go on up to the room,” Liz said. “As I recall, our flight leaves El Paso around nine in the morning, and it’s a bit of a drive there, so we probably better pack tonight. I’ll be up in a little while. I want to help Wes put the food away and finish up. Plus, I haven’t had time to eat dinner, and there is no way I’m leaving here without having some of that prime rib and the dessert that’s definitely been calling my name.”

  “Take your time. I’ve got to get my hunting gear organized and packed in its special bag. That’s going to take a little time.”

  When the last of the food had been put away, Wes and Liz sat down to dinner and poured themselves a glass of wine. “Liz, in many ways this is my favorite time of the day. Everything’s been done, it’s all gone well, and I can relax until tomorrow, and then I do it all over again. I really want to thank you for not only helping me tonight, but also causing me to make a decision that’s probably long overdue.”

  Liz put her fork down and looked at him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I think I mentioned to you that if I found out that Milt was murdered, I might rethink whether or not I wanted to stay here at the hunting lodge. I understand Jack’s reasoning for not telling the guests about Milt’s murder or about Cassie, but I don’t want to work for someone who thinks like that. It’s time for me to open up my own restaurant. I’m going back to the town where I grew up and open one. I go back there from time to time to visit my parents, and I’ve noticed that the town has been able to support a couple of good restaurants. I’m going to see what happens when I open mine, but I’m optimistic it will work out okay.”

  “Wes, if the food I’ve eaten here in the last few days is any indication of what you’re capable of cooking, the town won’t only support it, I predict you will definitely be the recipient of a Michelin star. Just think, I can say I knew you when,” she said laughing.

  They both heard the sound of a ringing phone. Liz walked over to where she’d put her purse earlier in the afternoon, took her phone out of it, and answered the call. She didn’t recognize the number. “This is Liz Langley.”

  “Mrs. Langley, it’s Sheriff Brown. I called you earlier, but I guess you didn’t get my message asking you to call me.”

  “I’m sorry, Sheriff. I decided to help Chef Jackson in the kitchen, and I’ve been focused on that for the last few hours. We’re just finishing up.”

  “Well, Mrs. Langley, I called to tell you your instincts were right about everything. The medical examiner confirmed that both Paul and Julia were poisoned. Both of them had ingested large amounts of sleeping pills and potassium cyanide.”

  “I’m sure Stanley feels vindicated,” Liz said, “because he had a feeling for all these years that something wasn’t quite right about their deaths.”

  “Yes,” Sheriff Brown said. “I talked to him earlier this evening, and he said if it hadn’t been for what you discovered about Mr. Huston’s death he never would have pursued it. I hate to look at it this way, but maybe that’s the justification for his death, although I don’t think murder is ever justified.”

  “What will happen to Cassie now?” Liz asked.

  “Kind of an interesting thing happened. I guess she’s pretty religious, and when I told her she could make one phone call, I figured it would be to an attorney, leastways that’s always been my experience in the past when suspects get to make their allotted phone call. But she called her pastor, a man by the name of Billy Bob Benson. I’ve never met the man, but I’ve heard he’s a real fire and brimstone old-time preacher, but here’s the kicker.”

  “I’m all ears,” Liz said.

  “Billy Bob told her if she was the one who killed Paul and Julia, and if she didn’t admit it, she’d never be admitted into heaven. He told her the only way she could get there was to cleanse her soul and admit what she’d done. She was quiet for a long time, and then she told me she’d murdered both of them as well as Milt Huston, and she hoped the court would be lenient on her when she was sentenced. I told her I couldn’t promise her anything, but when a public defender was appointed for her, he might be able to work out some kind of a deal. Don’t that beat all?”

  “So it really is over. All the deaths have been accounted for, and she was the one responsible. Thank you for calling to tell me.”

  “Mrs. Langley, the citizens of the county are very much indebted to you, and I for one want to thank you again.”

  “Sheriff, I had no idea this would be the outcome when I sent that bottle of red beet juice to San Francisco. I’m as surprised as anyone. Strange, isn’t it, the secrets that are sometimes buried for years and then are suddenly uncovered.”

  “Yes, ma’am, except in this case, the secrets have been made public. You have yourself a good rest of the night. You sound pretty good. Feelin’ all right?”

  “Yes, thanks, I feel absolutely great. Good night.”

  She looked over at Wes. “You heard?”

  “Yes. I can’t believe all this time I was working with a murderer. When I hire the staff for my restaurant, I’m going to be far more careful than I was with her.”

  “Wes, from what I’ve seen of this area I’m not sure you had much of a choice. If you don’t mind, I’m going to do an Emilio, but instead of taking a brandy to my room, I’m going to take a piece of that pie. I don’t know if I’ll see you in the morning, but if not, I wish you all the luck in the world, and I’ve really enjoyed being with you the last few days. Here’s my business card with my email address on it. I’d like to stay in touch.”

  “After finding the sister I never thought I’d have, there is no way you’re going to get rid of me that easily,” he said lightly kissing her on the cheek. “Off to your husband and a good’s night sleep. You’ve put in a full day. I’ll be in touch.”

  CHAPTER 35

  The day after they returned to Red Cedar, Roger walked into the lodge kitchen with a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle in his hand. “Liz, there’s an article in here about Milt Huston. Thought you’d want to see it.”

  “Roger, please summarize it for me. I’m trying to make that pecan pie you liked so much, and I can’t stop to read it.”

  “It says Milt Huston died on a hunting trip when he was in Texas. His widow decided to hold a closed family service for him. Evidently there will be a special election to fill his Attorney General position. It made no mention of him being murdered. I guess his widow didn’t want the media frenzy that would have come with that revelation.”

  “If I was a betting person, I’d bet she’s trying to save every ounce of her strength in order to deal with her pregnancy. My heart goes out to her,” Liz said.

  “So does mine, but at least you were able to ease any fears she might have eventually had about there possibly being a killer on the loose. I’m sure it crossed her mind whether or not she could have been a target as well.”

  “Roger, I’m so glad it’s over now. We’re back home, the guest cottages are completely sold out, and quite frankly, I’m glad there wasn’t much press about Milt’s death or those of Paul and Julia. I’d just as soon people didn’t know I had anything to do with solving more murders. At some point it could adversely affect my business here at the lodge and spa. I mean who wants to stay where the owner is constantly getting involved in solving murder cases? If I were a guest, I might begin to wonder if I was next on the list.”

  “Liz, as long as you keep serving the food you do, and if
you could master that pie, I think you could solve hundreds more murders, and people would still come here, just for the food.”

  “Out, out! If you want me to get this pie crust right, leave me to my pastry,” she said laughing. “You do realize that if it wasn’t because I love you so much, there is no way in the world I would even try to master this impossible task.”

  “Liz, everything is possible. The impossible just takes longer. I read that in one of Dan Brown’s books, you know the guy that wrote The Da Vinci Code. I think you and your pie crust are one of those things.”

  He preferred to ignore the piece of dough she threw at his back as he walked out of the kitchen wearing a grin on his face.

  Recipes!

  Risotto with Pancetta and Mushrooms

  Ingredients:

  8 thin slices of pancetta (I prefer this, but if you can’t find it, you can substitute bacon)

  1 tbsp. olive oil

  1 pound mixed mushrooms, thickly sliced (This completely depends on what you can find at the market. Sometimes my only choices are the brown and white ones. Once you start buying the others, it can get a little pricey. Be forewarned)

  ¼ tsp. sea salt

  3 tbsp. unsalted butter (I always use unsalted, so I can control the amount of salt in the dish. If you use salted butter, you’re at the mercy of the butter producer)