The Blue Butterfly: A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Read online

  “Do you think I should call Gertie?”

  “No, the only thing it would do is cause her more worry. Let’s see what happens in the morning. Fortunately I don’t have anything at the office until tomorrow afternoon. I’ve got to go into San Francisco for a partnership meeting at the firm. Winston took care of business during our walk, so he’s fine.” He turned off the lights, and he and Liz walked down the stairs to their living quarters.

  When he got to the bottom of the stairs he hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Now I remember where I heard the names Ruby and George. When I had the meeting with Lewis Jefferson today he mentioned that for the first time in a long time he didn’t seem to have any employee problems. He said occasionally a guy named George Myers used to be a problem. Got drunk and missed work from time to time. Said he got into fights a lot, but he’d fallen in love with a woman named Ruby and after getting some anger counseling, he seemed to have left those days behind him. Pretty much a coincidence, don’t you think? I mean Lewis tells me about this guy, and Seth calls you about him, and then Gertie mentions him.”

  “Well, this seems to be the day for them. First the blue butterfly and now this one. Hopefully, Ruby will be home in the morning, and David will show up at Gertie’s Diner for breakfast. I thought he was attractive, so maybe he met up with someone, and they decided to spend a little time together.”

  “I really don’t like to hear that you find another man attractive. What have I become, chopped liver?”

  “I guess I didn’t phrase that very well. What I meant was that someone else might find him attractive, but I still think you’re the most attractive man in the world.”

  “Nice recovery, Liz,” he said grinning.

  Liz didn’t tell Roger that she felt the niggle, that inner knowing she occasionally got when something wasn’t quite right. And the niggle had never been wrong.

  CHAPTER 9

  Brad Cassidy stared at the IV bag holding the chemotherapy chemical that was slowly dripping into his arm. Although he became terribly ill after each treatment, his doctor told him he had to have the chemotherapy treatment. He said if it worked there was a good chance his cancer would go into remission. If his cancer did go into remission, it would be worth losing his hair and being so weak at times it was all he could do to get out of bed. Days went by when he could barely function, and he felt like a shell of the man he had once been.

  His doctor had also been very clear he couldn’t ever go back to work at the plywood plant, and there was a very good chance he would never be able to work again. Brad worried about what the loss of income would mean to his wife and his two little children, much less his death, if it came to that.

  I guess I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. I thought when I left Afghanistan that nothin’ could be worse than what I saw over there. I was wrong. My life has become far worse. The doctor says I have a form of myeloid leukemia that was probably caused by bein’ exposed to formaldehyde for so many years at the plywood plant. He thinks I got a good chance of gettin’ some type of a settlement from Jefferson and said he’d testify if I sued ‘em. Good thinkin’ on his part, because the letter I wrote to Lewis Jefferson sure didn’t get me nowhere. If I die what are Becky and the kids supposed to live on? And if I can’t work, what are they supposed to live on? And if I did sue Jefferson, what would happen to Jimmy and my other friends out at the plant? The way the lumber industry’s been goin’ they’d probably all be out of work if I won a large settlement. Heard some talk that Jefferson’s barely able to keep the plant open as it is. I don’t want to be the one responsible for them not havin’ any money and their families goin’ through what we’re goin’ through.

  I don’t know how much longer we can hang on. I’ve maxed out all of our credit cards, my car’s been repossessed, and the house is in foreclosure. Some husband and father I am. I can’t even take care of my family.

  Becky had told him she’d stick by him no matter what and so she had, but it killed him to see her working two jobs to support the family. Week by week he saw her aging before his very eyes trying to do everything. Her mother had been great about keeping the kids when Brad was just too exhausted or in too much pain to even get out of bed, much less try and babysit two rambunctious little boys that were too young to be in school.

  The pain and worrying about his young family had taken its toll on Brad. His future looked bleak, and his mounting anger began to focus on the president of Jefferson Lumber Company, Lewis Jefferson.

  Livin’ in that fancy house of his and driving that big Cadillac SUV, he sure don’t know what it’s like for someone like me. I hate him. Least he could do is give me somethin’ to live on, somethin’ for Becky and the kids. Jimmy tol’ me he goes out to where the crew’s been loggin’ every day to make sure the work is getting’ done on schedule. Jimmy said somethin’ about a blue butterfly, and that it might cause some problems fer the company. Sure would like to find it and make some problems for mister big shot Jefferson. Maybe he’d understand what I’m goin’ thru if he had to stop loggin’ because of it. Might not be able to afford his fancy car and house anymore.

  While Brad was reclining in the chair waiting for the IV drip to finish, a plan began to form in his mind, a way that he might be able to get what he felt was owed him because Lewis Jefferson hadn’t made sure that his manager at the plywood plant followed the required industry safety standards when working with formaldehyde.

  CHAPTER 10

  “Roger, we really slept in. I can’t believe it’s almost 8:00. Good thing you don’t have any early appointments with clients this morning,” Liz said as she leaped out of bed and headed for the shower. “Mind if I go first?”

  “No, like I told you last night, my morning is free, so if we had to pick a day to oversleep, this is a good one to do it. Take your time. I’ll make us some coffee and let Winston out.”

  A few minutes later she walked out of the bathroom in her favorite white terrycloth bathrobe, a towel wrapped around her wet hair. “I can’t wake up. I really need coffee this morning, thanks,” she said as she took the cup he handed her. “If you’re okay with it, I’ll finish up in the bathroom, and then it’s all yours.”

  “No problem. I’ll watch the news and see what’s happening in the world. If it’s like most days, I’ll probably turn it off after a couple of minutes, because I’m so disgusted by what’s in the news these days.” A few minutes later he poked his head into the bathroom and said, “Liz, your phone’s ringing. Want me to get it?”

  “Please. Tell whoever it is I’ll be with them in a minute.”

  When she walked out of the bathroom and took the phone from Roger, she mouthed the words “Who is it?”

  Roger covered the phone and said, “Seth, and he doesn’t sound like himself.”

  “Good morning, Seth. How are you?”

  “Not good, Liz, ain’t good at all.”

  “What’s the problem>”

  Seth sighed and said, “Got me a murder on my hands and much as I hate to ask, need your help.”

  Liz sat down on the bed and asked, “Is it anyone I know?”

  “Don’t know, but you sure know his step-sister, cuz it’s Gertie’s step-brother who done gone and got hisself shot and killed.”

  “Oh no, poor Gertie! How’s she taking it?”

  “Here’s the thing. She don’t know ‘bout it yet, leastways I don’t think she does. See, I gotta stay here with the body. You remember Wes, the coroner. Well I called him and ‘tol him to bring the meat wagon, cuz I got’s him a fresh dead body. He’s on his way, so I can’t leave. That’s why I need yer’ help. You bein’ such a good friend of Gertie’s, I was thinkin’ maybe you could go get her and bring her out here. Gotta have next of kin identify the body. Don’t know if he’s got a wife or kids, but a sister’ll do even if she is a step-sister.”

  “Where is here?”

  “There’s a section of land owned by the Jefferson Lumber Company that’s in the city l
imits of Red Cedar out on the east side of town. That’s where the body was found, so it’s in my jurisdiction,” Seth said importantly.

  “Who found the body?” Liz asked.

  “Well, this is kinda strange. I had a ‘nonymous call from some woman ‘bout an hour ago tellin’ me that David Sanders had been shot and killed. She tol’ me where the body was, so yours truly’s the one who found him. She wouldn’t give me her name or where she was callin’ from. Don’t know nuthin’ more than that. I gotta go Liz, I hear a lot of loud sounds, and I think some lumbermen are gettin’ ready to cut down some nearby trees. Gotta stop ‘em. This here location is now an official crime scene. Can ya’ get Gertie and bring her out here fer me?”

  “Yes,” Liz sighed. ”I’ll go over to the diner now and tell her. I’ll take Roger with me, and we’ll be out there as soon as we can. Tell me specifically where you are.” She listened to his directions and ended the call. “Roger, I assume you heard that.”

  “Yes. I need to call my client, Lewis Jefferson. He should be notified, because it happened on his property. Since we’re both going to go to the diner, why don’t you drive, and I’ll call him on the way over there to save time? I really don’t want Gertie to hear this from someone else and who knows who that oafish police chief might call. He’s a legend only in his own mind. I still can’t figure out how he gets elected every time he runs for police chief.”

  Minutes later they were dressed and on their way. When Roger had finished talking to Lewis he said, “Lewis is going to meet us out at his property. I’m not looking forward to you having to tell Gertie about her step-brother. Having that argument with him yesterday sure doesn’t help the situation.”

  “Yes, I’m sure she’s going to really regret they had bitter words the last time she saw him.”

  “Liz, that’s not quite what I meant. From what Seth was saying, I got the idea that he’d been murdered. Having an argument that was heard by a number of people probably on the same day he was murdered doesn’t make it look very good for Gertie.”

  Liz looked over at him wide-eyed and said, “You’ve got to be kidding. Gertie doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. You can’t possibly think anyone would even suggest she would do something like that.”

  “I couldn’t agree more with you, but everyone may not share our feelings. Look, there’s an empty parking spot right in front of her diner. Why don’t you pull in there?”

  They walked into the diner and were greeted by Gertie. “Two days in a row? You may jes’ become my two most favorite customers. Course handsome here’s already my favorite tenant now that he’s rentin’ that office next door.”

  “Gertie,” Liz said somberly, “could we go into your office? We have some bad news and need to talk to you privately.”

  She looked from Liz to Roger and said, “It’s about David, ain’t it? Somethin’s happened to him. I felt it in my bones all night.”

  Liz put her arm around Gertie and led her into her office, while Roger spoke to one of the waitresses he knew from his frequent lunches at Gertie’s. He told her Gertie would be leaving for the day and to call him if there was a problem. Roger jotted down his cell phone number, gave it to her, and then walked into Gertie’s office.

  “Liz, I know George Myers had somethin’ to do with David’s death. Has Seth talked to him?” he heard Gertie say.

  Roger realized Liz had already told Gertie about David’s death, and said, “Gertie, I am so sorry. We’ll help Seth find out who did this, but speaking as an attorney who specializes in criminal defense work, I don’t want you saying anything to Seth or anyone else about the murder without me being present.”

  “That’s about the silliest thing I ever heard. Seth and me go way back. Course I’ll talk to him and tell him everything he wants to know.”

  “Gertie, I don’t quite know how to tell you this, so I guess I’ll just say it straight out. You and David had an argument yesterday. Almost everyone who was in the diner heard it. As lazy and as bad a police chief as Seth is, he’s going to look for the low lying fruit when he’s trying to solve this case. What I’m saying is you could be considered a suspect, and since Seth is a lot more worried about giving out tickets to speeders than anything else, he might not spend the time necessary to find out who murdered your step-brother. He might prefer to blame it on someone more convenient…”

  Gertie interrupted him, “Roger, are you sayin’ what I think you’re sayin’? That I could be considered a suspect in my own step-brother’s murder? That’s jes’ plain crazy. Mark my words. What that stupid fat police chief oughta be doin’ is talkin’ to George Myers.”

  “Seth asked me to take you to where the murder occurred and have you identify David’s body,” Liz said. “Let’s get it over with, and then we’ll go to the lodge. You may not realize it, but right now you’re probably in shock. You need some time to get over it. Staying out at the lodge with me for a few hours will be good for you. Roger, I know you have a meeting later this afternoon, so you can get your car when I take Gertie to the lodge and then you can come back here and check on things at the diner before you go to your office. Gertie, let’s leave through the kitchen door.”

  “I told Suzie to tell the staff you had a family emergency and had to leave for the day,” Roger said, “so you don’t need to say anything to them. Follow me.”

  The three of them walked out the back door of the diner and got into Liz’s van. Tears had started streaming down Gertie’s face. “I can’t believe I yelled at my step-brother the last time I saw him. I’ll never forgive myself for the things I said. Maybe if I hadn’t said those things, he’d still be alive.”

  “Gertie, I was afraid you’d feel that way. What happened was a family argument, and those are pretty common occurrences. You had no way of knowing what was going to happen. It’s going to be hard enough to get over his death. Don’t make it any worse by blaming yourself,” Roger said. Gertie looked out the window and continued to sob as they drove towards the east side of town where the Jefferson Lumber Company property was located.

  CHAPTER 11

  “The Jefferson Lumber property is up here on the right,” Roger said to Liz who was driving her van.

  “I’ve never been down this gravel side road before. The forest is really dense here,” Liz said. “It comes right up to both sides of the road. It’s so dark you can barely see twenty feet back into it.”

  “It’s interesting,” Roger said. “I drove down this road once when I found out that Jefferson Lumber Company was going to be my client. Evidently years ago all of this land was a national forest, and then the government decided to sell a portion of it. Lewis Jefferson’s grandfather bought the property, and it’s been in the family ever since. When I called him a few minutes ago he told me there’s a parking lot about a half a mile down the road from where we turned off the main highway. He said the boundary line separating the Jefferson Lumber Company property from the U.S. Forest Service land starts at the parking lot. He also said the lot usually has cars in it because people go on day hikes on trails maintained by the Forest Service, and some of his employees use the lot too. He told me to take the trail on the right, and it should lead to the place where we’re to meet Seth.”

  “Roger, look over there at that building in that large cleared out open space. It’s an art gallery, for crying out loud. Guess whoever owns it figures he or she will get some business from the people who come out here to go hiking.”

  Gertie cleared her throat and said, “That’s Joan Markham’s gallery. Been here a long time. Specializes in paintings of people set in Northern California scenes. Sends a lot of her work to some gallery down in San Francisco. Hear she’s purty good, but I don’t really know nothin’ ‘bout what’s good and what’s not when it comes to art.”

  “I’ve been looking for some artwork to put in the lodge that’s been done by a local artist. I’ll have to pay her a visit. Smart of her to put her gallery directly across the road from the parking lot. I imagi
ne a lot of people stop at her gallery after a hike on some of the local trails.” She slowed the van down and turned right into the parking lot.

  Liz, Roger, and Gertie got out of the van after Liz parked in the parking lot, and the three of them started walking down the path on the right that led into the forest and the area Seth had described to Liz. Roger held Gertie’s arm, so she wouldn’t stumble on the uneven ground, since she was wearing her customary five inch high stiletto heels. They hadn’t gone far when they saw Wes, the coroner, and Seth standing next to a sheet on the ground covering what appeared to be a body. Standing a short distance away from them were several lumberjacks and a man Liz assumed was Lewis Jefferson.

  “Gertie, sorry ‘bout your loss. Need ya’ to take a look-see under the sheet and tell me if’n that’s your step-brother, then I wanna talk to ya’,” Seth said.

  Supported by Roger, she hesitantly walked over to where the body was lying on the ground. Gertie knelt down and gingerly lifted up a corner of the sheet. She gasped, hastily replaced the sheet, and said with her voice shaking, “Yes, that’s, that’s David. I can’t believe it. Who coulda done this?” She backed away from the body and looked at Seth.

  She pointed her finger at him and said, “Ya’ need to talk to George Myers. He hated my brother, because David and his wife lived together when they was in Sacramento. I know he’s the one who did it.”

  “Well, Gertie, don’t know nothin’ ‘bout that, but lotta people tol’ me you and yer’ step-brother had a real dustup yesterday at yer’ diner. What about that?”

  Roger stepped between them and said, “Seth, I’m representing Gertie, and she has no comment. If you have any further questions for her, you’ll have to go through me.”

  “Whatcha talkin’ ‘bout Roger? All I’m doin’ is jes’ tryin’ to find out ‘bout some mean words said to a man who was murdered later in the day.” From the tone of his voice there was no doubt he was convinced Gertie was the murderer.