Northwest Cozy Mysteries #1 Read online

  Balto seemed to have something else in mind. Straining on his leash, he led DeeDee over to a stand of trees and a fence that separated Marlene’s property from the home next to hers. Balto started frantically sniffing and pawing at an area beneath the trees as if something was there. DeeDee didn’t see anything, but it was very evident Balto was distressed by something. DeeDee had never seen him act like this before, and she wondered if perhaps there was a dead animal or something like that in the undergrowth. He looked up at her and then down at the ground as if he was trying to tell her something.

  “It’s okay, Balto,” DeeDee said, as she knelt down beside him and petted him, trying to calm him down. He stopped pawing the ground and again looked up at her. DeeDee looked down at the spot where he’d been digging and saw something brown lying on the dirt, which had been easy to miss, because it was the same color as the earth beneath the trees. She reached down and picked up the object. It was a wallet. She looked around and didn’t see anyone. Opening the wallet, she saw the name Katie Harris printed on the driver’s license inside it. “What the…”

  Balto rubbed up against DeeDee’s leg as she stood in stunned silence. Suddenly it all became clear to her. The wallet was the one Katie had been frantically looking for when Cassie had seen her in the restroom at the museum. Katie had told DeeDee she’d only been on the island one time and knew nothing about Bainbridge Island, but she or someone else had left her wallet behind at Marlene’s house about the time of the murder, and that was just too coincidental. The more DeeDee thought about it, the more certain she was that Katie Harris was the murderer, but the one thing she didn’t understand was why Katie would want to kill Lisa. That didn’t make any sense at all. Why not Marlene? She was the one responsible for getting Katie fired from her job at the museum, not Lisa.

  She was deep in thought when she heard a low growl come from Balto. “What is it, Balto?” she whispered, looking down at him. DeeDee looked up and saw Katie Harris standing in front of her, a gun in her hand. It was pointed directly at DeeDee’s head.

  “You think you know everything now, don’t you?” Katie snarled. “I didn’t believe you when you came to my apartment today with that cock and bull story about needing someone to research early Bainbridge Island artists, so I did a little computer search and found out you were the caterer the night of Lisa’s murder.” Katie took a step closer to her.

  DeeDee was trembling, and she couldn’t remember if she’d put her phone in her pocket or if she’d programmed it to respond to audible commands. If she shouted 911 now, would it go through? She swallowed and tried to speak, but her throat was so dry nothing came out. Even if she could shout, Katie would put a bullet in her head before the police ever got here, but if she didn’t, she was going to end up dead anyway.

  Katie continued talking, “I would have preferred it if I could have gotten Marlene out here and killed her, but sometimes you just have to work with what’s second best.” She sneered, taking another step closer. Her aim at DeeDee’s head never wavered. “If I’d called Marlene, she would have taken my call in another room in her house, not outside. When I realized I couldn’t get Marlene to come outside, so I could kill her, I decided to call Lisa. I had Lisa’s phone number and called her, knowing she’d come outside if she got a call. I smothered Lisa with a towel I’d brought with me. It was easy because she was so little, and I’m pretty strong from all the rowing I do on the Sound.”

  DeeDee found her voice. The longer she could keep Katie talking, she knew the better chance she had of staying alive. “What did you think you’d gain by killing Lisa?”

  Balto started growling, and tugged on the leash like he wanted to get to Katie. She lowered the gun and pointed it directly at Balto, while DeeDee strained to pull him back.

  “That’s better,” Katie said, concentrating on DeeDee again. “I knew the publicity about a death occurring at Marlene’s home would cause problems for her and maybe even make her get rid of that holier-than-thou attitude of hers. I thought there was a good chance the museum might let her go because of the bad publicity attached to Marlene from the murder. I know Marlene was the reason I was fired. She was jealous of me, because it was only a matter of time until I took over her job. Lisa just happened to be collateral damage.”

  “Why were you arguing with Lisa?” DeeDee asked. “I saw her from the window of the kitchen. She seemed upset when she was talking on the phone with you.”

  “I told her I had a contact for the new emerging artist she’d been trying to sign on for her gallery,” Katie said. “Lisa was so determined to pull off a coup for the Pioneer Art Gallery that she’d do anything to get him to go with her gallery. I told her that the only way I’d give her the contact’s name was if she made me the Head of New Acquisitions for her gallery. She argued that she wasn’t in a financial position to take on any staff at that level. I told her that was my proposal, so she turned on the waterworks. That woman was a precious little princess. Boohoo, no great loss.”

  DeeDee’s fear was replaced by a surge of adrenalin. She was certain she was going to die, so she decided there was no reason not to stand up to Katie. “I should have looked out the window a few minutes longer, and then I would have seen you.”

  “Then you might have been dead as well, like you’re about to be right now. Say goodbye to your furry friend.”

  DeeDee had her hand on Balto’s collar and felt him relax. The low guttural sound he had been making changed, and his tail started wagging.

  “Why is that stupid dog wagging his tail?” Katie asked. DeeDee looked over Katie’s shoulder and saw Jake only a few feet away, steadily advancing toward Katie, gun drawn. He was shaking his head from side to side indicating DeeDee was to remain quiet. A few seconds later his voice rang out through the air. “Drop your gun.”

  Katie whirled around and at that moment Jake fired his gun, hitting her high on her shoulder, the impact of the bullet knocking her to the ground and making her drop her gun, which came to rest out of her reach. “Balto, come,” Jake said to the dog, who went to Jake. He gave Balto the command, “Stand guard.” The big dog pounced on Katie as she lay on the ground and placed his large front paws on her back, pinning her to the ground.

  Jake took his phone from his pocket and pressed in a number. A moment later DeeDee heard him say, “Chief, it’s Jake Richards. I’ve got the murderer in the Sanders case. She’s on the ground behind the house where the murder took place. Hurry. See you in a few minutes.”

  Moments later, the sound of sirens and cars racing up to the house was followed by the heavy footsteps of police officers rushing around the side of the house and into the back yard. For the second time in a matter of days, Marlene’s house was a crime scene. DeeDee hoped Marlene was going to be able to cope with the trauma.

  She watched Jake greet the police chief, Dan Hewson, who slapped Jake on the back. The men stood in a huddle, while Jake filled Dan and the other officers in on what had happened.

  Balto walked over to DeeDee, his sentry duty ended now that a policeman had arrived to handcuff Katie and take her away. Jake had given him the “Stand down” command.

  “Good boy, Balto, good boy!” DeeDee said, squatting down to pet him. “You’re the best dog ever.” She heard the Miranda rights being read to Katie, right before a policeman unceremoniously escorted her towards the front of the house and into a waiting police car.

  Jake walked over to DeeDee. He put his arms around her, and she sank into his chest, the thudding of her heart eventually slowing while he stroked her hair. She felt safe when she was with Jake. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “Yes, but I’ve never been so scared in my life. I don’t even want to think about what might have happened if you hadn’t come.” DeeDee was half laughing and half crying. Her eyes were shiny with tears. “By the way, how did you happen to show up at that particular moment?”

  He started to answer when the chief walked over to them. “The police department owes you a big thanks, Mr
s. Wilson,” Dan said, smiling at her. “I was getting nowhere with this case. It was becoming a nightmare for my department. It was one where a wealthy gallery owner was murdered on the property of a big name in the Seattle art world, and for no apparent reason with no viable suspects. If your catering business doesn’t work out, give me a call. Maybe I can find something for you in law enforcement.”

  “Thanks,” DeeDee said laughing, “but I feel a lot safer with a stove than I do looking down the barrel of a gun.”

  As the police cars were leaving, Marlene walked out into the back yard through the door from the kitchen. Although she supposedly was at home in bed suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, her immaculately coiffed hair looked like she’d just stepped out of a salon. Seeing the police, she purred, “My darling, what in the world is going on out here?”

  “They caught the murderer, Marlene,” DeeDee said gently. “It was Katie Harris.”

  “Good grief,” Marlene said, clutching DeeDee’s arm. “Is everybody safe?”

  “Yes, Marlene, we’re fine.” DeeDee didn’t think there was much point telling Marlene that only a little while ago, Katie had been pointing a gun at DeeDee’s head, or that if Jake hadn’t come along when he did, Marlene would have walked out into her back yard and found a dead DeeDee and a dead dog lying under the trees. “Katie lost her wallet here on the night of Lisa’s murder. She’d come back to get it, and I just happened to be here to collect a pan I’d left in the kitchen the night of your dinner party.”

  Marlene gasped and raised the back of her hand to her forehead. “Darling, I am so glad I missed the whole thing. What if, as well as getting her wallet, Katie had decided to come inside and kill me? This is really too much. I think I need to take that cruise I’ve been talking to my husband about. Maybe that will help me forget about all of this. Thank you, DeeDee.” Marlene kissed the air on either side of DeeDee’s face and returned to her house, talking to herself as she went.

  DeeDee watched her go, Jake’s arm around her waist. She turned, and looked up into his deep blue eyes. “Thank you, Jake. You saved our lives.”

  “That’s what I’m here for,” Jake grinned and kissed her forehead. “Just don’t make a habit of getting involved in things like this, okay?”

  “I don’t intend to,” DeeDee said, returning his grin. “I think we could both use some dinner. See you back at my place.”

  DeeDee drove home with Balto, and Jake followed after talking to the chief for a few more minutes. She knew she should call Roz, but she decided tomorrow morning would be soon enough. All she wanted to do tonight was relax and put the business of Lisa’s murder behind her.

  Jake found DeeDee looking for something in a drawer when he arrived a few minutes later. “What’s for dinner?” he asked. “Catching murderers is hungry work.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” DeeDee said, finding what she was looking for, a takeout menu. “Pizza,” she grinned. It was too late to make lasagna, and with everything that had happened, she never did get her pan from the kitchen.

  Later, as they were unwinding with a glass of wine and waiting for the pizza to be delivered, DeeDee said. “Jake, you never did answer my question about how you happened to be there.”

  He turned to DeeDee and gave her a sheepish smile. “You’re probably not going to like what I’m going to say, DeeDee, but just from the way you were pursuing this I knew you wouldn’t take my advice. I put a small electronic tracking device on Balto that let me know where he was at all times. Since you promised me you’d take him with you, I could see where you were, too.

  “I looked at the device’s GPS feed every few minutes, and when I realized you were at the Palmer house I became alarmed. Since murderers often return to the scene of the crime, I decided to drive over there and see what was happening. You know the rest.”

  DeeDee’s mouth dropped open. “You kept track of where I was with an electronic device?”

  Jake looked at DeeDee earnestly. “I did. You’ve become important to me, and I didn’t want anything to happen to you.”

  DeeDee thought about what Jake had just said, as she let the meaning of the words sink in. She walked over to where he was standing by the kitchen counter. “You know, Jake, I’m glad you did. You saved my life in more ways than one, and quite frankly, you’ve become important to me, too.”

  Jake put his arms around her and pulled her to him. DeeDee felt a flutter in her chest as he bent down to kiss her. She didn’t want him to ever let her go.

  They were interrupted by Balto’s barking as a car drove into the driveway, followed by the sound of footsteps on the deck. The ringing doorbell signaled that the pizza had arrived. Jake lingered with DeeDee in his arms a moment longer.

  “I’d like to continue this another time,” he murmured, before DeeDee pulled away to answer the door.

  “Hold the thought,” she said.

  ***

  Balto was lying on the floor watching DeeDee and Jake as they snuggled up together on the couch, laughing and eating pizza. “DeeDee,” Jake said very nonchalantly, “you mentioned that your sister was going to Whistler for several months to live with the man she’s been seeing while he works on some special project. What would you think if we took my motorhome up there and visited them after they’ve had a chance to get settled?”

  DeeDee looked at him and knew this was a pivotal moment in their relationship, and she knew he knew that if she chose to travel with him in a motorhome, it definitely was a relationship.

  She smiled broadly and said, “Jake, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do, but I do have one request.”

  “And that is?”

  “Since Balto was part of the reason I’m here tonight, safe and sound, I’d like him to come with us. Would that be okay with you?”

  “Consider it done,” he said, pulling her towards him. They both looked over at Balto who was about to fall asleep but still looking at them with one eye open, and they were sure he knew exactly what they’d just said.

  Recipes!

  BAKED COPPER RIVER SALMON WITH MUSTARD DILL SAUCE

  Ingredients:

  2 tbsp. olive oil

  48 oz. Copper River salmon fillets

  Salt and pepper to taste

  ¼ cup Dijon mustard

  1 tsp. ground dry mustard

  3 tbsp. sugar

  2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

  1/3 cup olive oil

  3 tbsp. chopped fresh dill

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Heat olive oil in a nonstick large ovenproof fry pan. Add fillets, skin side down. Salt and pepper to taste. Sauté for about 1 minute and place pan in oven. Roast for 8 – 12 minutes or until medium-rare. Remove the pan from the oven and place it over high heat until the salmon skin crisps, about 2 minutes. Remove fillets and place on a cutting board, skin side up. Peel the skin off and discard. Scrape off the grey matter under the skin with a sharp spatula. Flip over, divide into serving portions, plate, and drizzle with sauce. Enjoy!

  NOTE: Copper River salmon is only available in early summer. It comes from British Columbia, and if you can’t find it, you can substitute wild salmon. I don’t advise using farm-raised salmon.

  MUSTARD DILL SAUCE

  Directions:

  Combine mustards, sugar, and vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil and dill. Serve in a bowl to be spooned over the salmon.

  NOTE: I’ve had problems getting the oil to combine with the other ingredients, so I’ve started using a mini food processor.

  CUCUMBER SALAD

  Ingredients:

  1 cucumber, ends removed

  1 cup plain Greek yogurt

  1/3 red onion, finely diced

  1 clove garlic, finely minced

  Juice from one lemon

  ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped

  ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped

  1 tsp. kosher salt

  ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

  Directions:

 
Thinly slice the cucumber and put slices in a bowl. (If you have a mandolin type of slicer, I recommend using it.) Add the onion and top with the yogurt. Add garlic, lemon juice, dill, mint, salt, and pepper. Toss and enjoy!

  SHRIMP PIZZA APPETIZERS

  Ingredients:

  2 pizza crusts (I get these from the supermarket, but you can make your own dough or even use refrigerated pizza dough.)

  8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

  1 tbsp. olive oil

  1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined and split

  2 tbsp. finely chopped garlic

  ¼ cup white wine

  2 tbsp. chicken stock (You can use canned, homemade, or chicken stock made from a concentrate which is usually what I do.)

  Juice from ½ lemon

  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  2 one oz. cubes of butter

  2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves

  Pizza pan or stone

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 550 degrees. (I know that sounds high, but it works. The only problem can be if the oven’s a bit dirty and it sets off the smoke detector. Trust me, that’s not fun.)

  Top the pizza crust with the mozzarella cheese. Put it in the pan or on the stone and bake 5 minutes. The crust will only be partially cooked. Remove from oven.

  In a medium skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil until it’s very hot. Remove it from the heat and add the shrimp and garlic. Toss lightly. Add wine, chicken stock, lemon juice, and bring to a simmer. Add butter and heat until melted. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. The shrimp will finish cooking on the pizza.