Murder at the Big T Lodge: A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery (13 page)

Liz had just put her
laptop back on the table after writing a long email to Sean when Roger flung
the door open. “Liz, what’s going on? Jesse told me you were up here and wanted
to see me. That is so unlike you. Are you all right? You look awfully pale.
Liz, you’re shaking. What’s happened?”

“Better sit
down, Roger. It’s kind of a long story,” she said as the tears she’d been
holding back started to flow.

“Liz, Liz,
what is it? You never cry. Please, tell me what’s going on.”

“Roger,” she
said sniffling, “I just realized how much I love you, and how lucky I am to be
alive.”

“Well, believe
me, I’m pretty glad you are too, but…”

She
interrupted him. “It all started after you left this morning.” She told him
everything concluding with the long email she’d just finished writing to Sean.

“Oh,
sweetheart. I can’t believe how lucky we are that Wes found that pill bottle. I
don’t even want to think about what might have happened if he hadn’t. Liz, Jack
has to be told about this. After all, one murder happened on his property and
another one almost did. I’m going downstairs and getting him. I’d like him to
hear it from you.”

A few minutes
later Jack and Roger entered the room, both of them wearing grim looks. “Liz,
Roger tells me Cassie tried to poison you. Please, tell me everything. The
reputation of my lodge is at stake here.”

Roger looked
at him incredulously and said in an angry voice, “The reputation of your lodge?
How about my wife almost being murdered by your employee? Think her life is a
heck of a lot more important than the reputation of your lodge. Let me tell you
something, Jack, with that kind of an attitude I’m inclined to file a lawsuit
against you on Liz’s behalf seeking damages for the emotional fright and
distress you’ve caused her to suffer. Go ahead, Liz, tell him what happened.”

Liz recounted
everything that had happened and concluded by saying, “If it hadn’t been for
Chef Jackson, I wouldn’t be talking to you now.”

All three of
them were quiet for a long time, and then Jack began to speak. He looked down
at his hands as he spoke, unwilling to meet Liz’s glaze. “Liz, I’m sorry for
everything you’ve been through, and I’m truly glad you’re alive. I know I
sounded callous a few moments ago, and I apologize for that, but this lodge is
my life. My wife died many years ago from cervical cancer, and I didn’t know
what to do with myself. We never had children, and I was almost suicidal with
grief. I’d inherited this property from my parents, and my doctor in El Paso
suggested I build a hunting lodge on it. With my elevated blood pressure and
stress test failures he felt if I didn’t take my own life, I was probably going
to die anyway.

“My daddy taught
me how to hunt as soon as I was big enough to hold a gun. It’s second nature to
me. Dogs and guns were my second love, but Abby, my wife, was my first. I built
this lodge from the ground up, and I’ve seen it become perhaps the most
prestigious hunting lodge in the Unites States. I’m very proud of what I’ve
done, and I really feel it saved my life.

“I know this
is a lot to ask, but would you be willing to say nothing about what’s happened
to you to the other guests? They’ll be leaving tomorrow, so it would just be
for the rest of today, and they’ll all be out hunting anyway. I’ll get in touch
with Stanley and the sheriff tomorrow and do whatever they want. Please, give
me today. I know what’s happened will get out eventually, but perhaps the
current guests won’t find out about it until much later. If it hits the hunting
magazines and media, it could mean the end of my lodge, and I think it would be
the end of me. I’m sure my competitors would have a field day with it.”

“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.”

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.

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.”