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  Mike had been on his phone while Kelly spoke to Luke. He turned to face what had quickly become a crowd of people. “I want each one of you to remain here. My deputy and I need to talk to you. We’ll be with you shortly. While you’re waiting, try to think if you saw or heard anything unusual.” He turned to Kelly. “I’ll begin with you. I want you to tell me everything you saw and heard from the moment you drove up the road leading to the Center.”

  She recounted everything to him. “Kelly, were there any unusual people in the class? Was there anything different during the class or did you notice something or hear anything when you were out here walking?”

  “This is my first class at the Center in a couple of months, so I really don’t know much. I recognized some familiar faces from when I’ve taken workshops and classes here over the years, but that’s about it. As for when I was walking in the forest, I didn’t see or hear anything unusual. I sure didn’t hear anything that sounded like a gunshot.”

  Mike turned to Luke. “I’ll need to talk to you at length. I recall Kelly telling me that you moved here from the East Coast and were helping Scott run the Center. I’d like you to try and think of anyone who might have a motive for killing your brother. I know this is terribly painful for you, but tell me everything that comes to you, no matter how trivial you may think it is. I’ll get back to you later.

  “Rich, I’ve called Dave and Joe. I told them to get to the Center as fast as they could. I’ll start interviewing these people here, but in the meantime, I want you to go back to the Center and put the people who are there in one room. When Dave and Joe get here they can interview them, then I need you to come back here and help me with these people. Dave and Joe should be here within minutes. Kelly, you can go home now. Do you think you can drive?”

  “Yes,” she said in a shaky voice. She walked over to Luke. “Your brother was one of the finest men I’ve ever known. I promise you we’ll find out who did this.” She looked up at Mike and noticed him shaking his head when she said “we.” He wasn’t very happy with her involvement in his cases. That had been the only disturbing element in their otherwise perfect relationship. She didn’t know how she was going to find out who killed Scott, only that she would. She wished she could have stayed and listened to what everyone had to say, but she knew that for now, Mike wanted her to leave. She was already planning on finding a way to talk to Luke tomorrow without offending Mike or making it look like she was once again getting involved in one of his cases.

  CHAPTER 4

  Rich felt the tension and unrest as soon as he opened the front door of the Retreat Center. The crowd of men and women couldn’t figure out why there were two sheriff’s cars in the Center’s parking lot. He heard snippets of conversations indicating that rumors were being born. Within minutes the sound of sirens was heard and soon blue and red flashing lights filled the lot. Dave and Joe threw open the doors of their patrol cars and raced up the steps to the front door.

  Students from the different classes held at the Center, people taking part in the residential training program, and workers at the Center were all talking to one another, trying to find out what happened. The rumor that Zen Master Scott was dead was circulating like wildfire, but everyone hoped it was only that, an unfounded rumor. They’d gravitated toward the large yoga room and Rich sequestered them in it. He saw Dave and Joe in the hallway when they entered the building.

  “Dave, Joe, stay where you are, there in the hallway.” He turned to the crowd of concerned people gathered in the room. “I’m sorry to confirm what you may have heard, that Zen Master Scott was killed earlier...” He was interrupted by a number of people asking him who had done it, when it had happened, how it had been done, and every other question that popped into their minds. Several people began crying, some openly sobbing, others silently weeping. Zen Master Scott was beloved by all of them.

  Rich continued, “There are two officers out in the hall who will be interviewing you shortly. If you think of anything you may have seen or heard which seemed unusual, please tell them. They’ll want to know where you were between 3:00 p.m. and 3:20 p.m. this afternoon. Evidently Mr. Monroe was killed sometime during that time frame. He was in this room teaching a yoga class until 3:00 p.m. when he took the class into the forest for a walking meditation. His body was found by one of the students at 3:20 p.m., so it’s a pretty safe guess to say he was killed sometime between 3:00 p.m. and 3:20 p.m. Please cooperate fully with these officers. Finding the killer of Scott Monroe is our primary concern. I’m returning to the scene of the murder to interview the students who gathered there following the walking meditation.”

  He walked out of the room and into the hall. “Dave, Joe, the people in that room all have something to do with the Center. Some are students who take classes here and others live on the property, either working here or taking part in the residential training program. I understand there are some priests and nuns who live on the property, probably in one of the other buildings, and Mike and I will interview them. Anyway, I want you to find out where each of these people was between 3:00 p.m. and 3:20 p.m. this afternoon as well as any other relevant information you can find out from them. When you’re finished, give Mike or me a call. If you’re comfortable releasing them, go ahead, but make sure you have contact information for each of them. If there’s anything you think we need to know, don’t hesitate to call us. Talk to you later.

  *****

  Well, I guess he should have taken me up on my offer to come to my apartment. If I can’t have him, I’m glad no one else can either. He may have said he was celibate, but I never believed him. Guess now I’ll never find out. He was the only person beside my mother who ever really cared for me. I remember when he told me I had pretty feet, just like she used to tell me. I wonder if I’ll miss him as much as I miss her.

  CHAPTER 5

  Kelly quietly got out of bed and tiptoed out of the bedroom. She didn’t want to wake up Mike. He’d called her the evening before, telling her he wouldn’t be home for several hours and not to wait up for him. He’d been tied up at the Center interviewing people and then he had to go to his office to do the necessary paperwork on the case. She let Rebel, the guard dog she’d had for several years, and Lady, her new Labrador retriever puppy, out the back door, and made some coffee.

  I need to talk to Luke. He and Scott were close, plus he was helping Scott run the Center. He must know something. Think I’ll go to the coffee shop, make a casserole, and take it out to the Center and give it to him. He can either eat it today or freeze it and have it later.

  She opened the door and let the dogs back in. Lady stayed next to Rebel, imitating whatever he did. The drug agent who had trained Rebel and then was killed in the line of duty had made sure Rebel was housebroken, stayed off of the furniture, and didn’t chew on non-doggy treats. Lady was so enamored of her “big brother,” she wanted to be just like him. Fortunately, he was a very good role model for the growing little bundle of fur to follow. At four months old, she was stepping out of puppyhood. She slept next to Rebel, ate next to him, and accompanied him when he patrolled the property to make sure Kelly was safe. Privately Kelly thought Lady was as observant as Rebel. She’d noticed in the short time she’d had Lady that she was becoming as devoted to her as Rebel had once been. She was pretty sure that one of the reasons Mike had gotten Lady for her was because Rebel was gradually switching his loyalty from Kelly to Mike.

  “Rebel, you stay here with Mike. Lady, come. We’re going to the coffee shop.” She wrote a note to Mike telling him she was going to the coffee shop so she could get ready for the coming week.

  Several hours later she headed south along the coast thinking how typical the day was for January – drizzly and cloudy. No wonder the grapes grow so well at the White Cloud Retreat Center. It’s always misty and cloudy there. Then a little sun comes out to help ripen the grapes and voila, you have perfect weather for a killer pinot noir wine. And the Center definitely makes a killer pinot noir! />
  She pulled into the parking lot of the Retreat Center and told Lady to stay. She noticed that Lady positioned herself in the exact spot Rebel always occupied when she left him in the minivan – standing on the passenger seat until she returned, protecting the turf. As she walked up the steps to the front door of the Center, she saw a piece of white paper tacked to the door with the words “Classes Cancelled All Week. Will Resume on Saturday” written on it.

  Kelly knocked on the door. Usually students simply opened the door, walked into the center, and went to the room where their class was going to be held. When no one answered, she knocked again. There was still no answer. She tried the door knob and it opened easily. She took a tentative step into the hallway and didn’t see anyone. She was debating what to do next when a tall, athletic looking man wearing yoga pants and a T-shirt walked up to her. “May I help you?” he asked.

  “Yes. My name is Kelly Connor and I’m here to see Luke Monroe. Is he available?”

  “He’s in the office, looking over some papers. I don’t think he’s in the mood for visitors, but I can ask him, if you’d like.”

  “Please. I was the one who discovered his brother’s body yesterday. I’ve come to give my condolences and I brought him some food.”

  “I’ll go ask him, but don’t be disappointed if the answer is no.”

  “I understand.”

  He returned a few minutes later. “Luke said he could talk to you for a few minutes. Please follow me.”

  She walked into the large room which prior to Scott’s death, had served as his combination office and study. Bookcases filled with books lined the walls. A large roll-top oak desk was situated in front of the windows, providing an excellent view of the vineyard and the ocean beyond. Luke Monroe was sitting behind the desk. He looked up from a file he was reading and greeted her.

  “Hello, Kelly. I know my brother was a friend of yours. Scott’s death must be hard on you as well. Please, sit down.”

  He turned to the young man who had escorted her into the room. “Blaine, I’d appreciate it if you would handle any other calls or people who stop by for the rest of the day. If it’s something you can’t handle, ask Zeb to take care of it. Thanks.” He turned back to Kelly. “Zeb’s the second priest in charge after Scott. He’s taking care of the day-to-day matters relating to the Center.”

  “I just want to tell you again how sorry I am about the loss of your brother. I can’t understand why anyone would want to kill him. I considered Scott to be a good friend. I’m getting married in a few weeks and he told me if my Catholic priest couldn’t marry us because my fiancé’s divorced, he’d be happy to perform the ceremony. It was a very kind and thoughtful gesture for him to make and I really appreciated it.”

  Luke wiped a tear away from his eyes. “I’m sorry. As much as I’ve cried in the last twenty-four hours, I didn’t think I had any more tears left. It seems surreal and although Scott and I were estranged for a number of years, in the last year we really became close. It was a brother thing, I guess. He couldn’t understand why I was so intent on following the gods of commercialism and I couldn’t understand why he was following the teachings of the Eastern ways. What a stupid waste of time for both of us! And now he’s gone.” He shook his head from side to side as if that would get rid of the grief he was feeling.

  “I know it may be premature, but are you planning on running the White Cloud Retreat Center yourself or will you be asking some other Zen priest like Zeb to assume the role of Master?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve been a Zen student for a few years and although Scott was a Zen Master, the Center has never been strictly a Zen Center. By that I mean all kinds of different beliefs were studied here, not just Zen Buddhism. Scott embraced all beliefs. I could run the Center as a non-denominational Center, but what most people don’t know is that Scott actually ordained me recently as a Zen priest.

  “He conducted a very simple ceremony called a Tokudo for me. It was attended by only the nuns and priests who are in residence here. I took some vows and agreed to devote my life to Buddhism. He chanted a few verses from the Buddhist texts and gave me some robes and food bowls.

  “The bowls he gave me were strictly ceremonial. In some countries, even today, the monks leave their monasteries at dawn with their bowls and the villagers put food in them. According to tradition, giving food to the monks is considered a way of gaining merit. In some monasteries a monk isn’t allowed to consume food after midday and isn’t allowed to store food overnight. The monk is expected to live on whatever’s offered by the villagers, that’s why so many monks are vegetarians. That was it.”

  “You’re kidding! I thought you had to do a lot more than that to become a Zen priest.”

  “No. Some ceremonies are very elaborate and others are almost dirt simple. Knowing Scott, you can imagine he’d go for the dirt simple, so theoretically I’m a Zen Buddhist priest. I became a vegetarian after I’d been here at the Center for a few weeks. The cook here is so good that I’ve never missed not eating meat. I’m divorced, so although I haven’t been celibate, I could be, even though that’s not a prerequisite to being a Zen priest. Scott certainly took his vow of celibacy seriously, probably to the regret of some of our female students. Drinking wine isn’t a problem, although there are a couple of winemakers in the area who would love to see the Center no longer produce wine. I’ve heard rumors they’re pretty jealous of our success. I’m not surprised to hear that given how good the Center’s wines are and their reputation for excellence in the wine industry.

  “Luke, let’s talk for a minute about who might have killed Scott and why. What about religious zealots? Cedar Bay is a small town and this whole area is pretty conservative. Did Scott ever mention that someone may not have been happy that the Retreat Center was here? It’s certainly not a bastion of old line Christian thinking.”

  “Kelly, I’ve racked my brain trying to come up with who might have had some motive for wanting to kill Scott and I haven’t come up with an answer. Sure, some wacko could be responsible, but they would have had to have taken part in the walking meditation or else laid in wait for Scott in the forest. The forest area that surrounds the Center is pretty impenetrable. Neither of those options seems to make a lot of sense.”

  “Well, I’m sure this is a distasteful thought, but could it have been someone who’s a resident here at the Center?”

  “It could be anybody, but the nuns and priests here loved him. And why would someone come here to study with him and then kill him? That doesn’t make any sense either.”

  “I agree. I don’t want to take up any more of your time, but here’s a casserole I made for you. You can freeze it or eat it right away and fortunately, it doesn’t have any meat in it!”

  “Thank you very much, Kelly. My brother mentioned that you were very involved in helping solve a couple of murders which happened recently in the local area. How about you? Do you have any thoughts as to who might have killed Scott?”

  “I wish I did. If something comes to mind, I’ll call you. To change the subject, and I know you haven’t had much time to think about it, but have you made a decision regarding a service for Scott?”

  “Yes. Zeb and I met this morning. It’s traditional for Buddhists to be cremated upon their death. That’s what we’re going to do. Zeb and I will conduct a simple ceremony here at the Center Thursday afternoon he’s been cremated. Anyone is welcome to come.”

  “Luke, I’ve never been to a Buddhist funeral service. What’s expected? I’d very much like to come.”

  “Nothing is expected. Often mourners will bring offerings of flowers or fruit. Incense will be burned and usually the mourners wear white. We’re planning on doing it Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. You’re more than welcome to come. In fact, I hope a lot of people from Cedar Bay come. I know that Scott believed death is simply a transition from one form of life to another, but even though I’ve taken the vows of Zen Buddhism, I’m struggling with that concept at the
moment. Seems like there’s a lot of finality in death when you can’t talk to the person anymore.”

  Kelly stood up and walked over to him, putting her hand on his arm. “Luke, I know a lot of people are going to depend on you in the next few weeks, but if you ever want to talk to someone, I’ve got a big ear and a strong shoulder to cry on. I’d consider it an honor if you would.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but I hope I won’t have to take you up on it. I’m curious how you and Scott came to be friends. When did you meet Scott? As soon as he bought the property or later?”

  “I think it was several months afterwards. He came to the coffee shop one day and we talked about food and wine and the Center. I told him I wasn’t getting any younger and I was often tired and tense after spending most of the day on my feet. He suggested I come to the Center and take a yoga and meditation class. I took a number of classes as well as some workshops and I always felt better afterwards, so it was after the Center had been operating for a few months that I first met him.”

  “I just thought of something. It’s probably nothing, but last week he mentioned he’d been getting phone calls. As soon as he answered, whoever was on the line hung up. We have a telephone number for the Center, but these hang-up calls went to his cell phone. He thought it was just some wacko. Now I wonder.”

  “Where’s his cell phone?”

  “I gave it to Sheriff Mike when he talked to me yesterday.”

  “I’ll be seeing Mike when I leave here and I’ll mention it to him. It’s probably nothing, but he should know about it.”

  “I agree. Thanks again for coming, Kelly, and let’s stay in touch.”

  “Well, if I don’t hear from you this week, I’ll see you Thursday afternoon at Scott’s service.”