Murder in Cottage #6 (Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) Read Free

Lodge.
Barbara seemed fine then. She was probably jes’ glad his girlfriend didn’t show
up at the celebration. When did Barbara get here?”
    “She checked in yesterday morning,
had two spa treatments, and ate dinner at the lodge with the other guests last
night.” Liz put her key in the lock and opened the door. They both stared at
Barbara lying in the bed. Liz noticed the half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels on
the nightstand that Bertha had told her about.
    Seth walked over to
Barbara. “Yup, she’s deader ‘n a doornail. Better call the coroner. Ain’t
nothin’ no one can do fer her now.”
    “Wait a minute. What kind
of a vehicle will he come in? I really would like to avoid having to tell the
other guests about this until we know more.”
    “He drives a big white
van. Looks kinda like a bread delivery truck. Guess it kinda is, if ya’ know
what I mean. Ain’t much difference between deliverin’ a loaf of bread and
deliverin’ dead bodies,” he said laughing obscenely. “Yer’ guests’ll just think
someone’s deliverin’ somethin’ to you.”
    Liz steeled herself not to
comment on his insensitivity. This man is disgusting, she thought. Is
he the best the city of Red Cedar can do? And what was that reference to Dave’s
girlfriend all about?
    “Go ahead and call him.
How long do you think it will be before he can come out here?”
    “Don’t know. I’ll call him
now, and then I need to call Leroy, my deputy chief. Need to figure out what in
the blazes happened out here, although it looks pretty obvious to me.” He
punched in a number on his cell phone and she heard him say, “Wes, got a cold
one out here at the Red Cedar Spa. Dave’s wife. How soon can ya’ be here?” He
hung up and turned to Liz. “He’ll be here in about fifteen minutes. Give me a
minute while I call Leroy, then I’ll need to ask ya’ some questions.”
    He spoke with Leroy who
carried the ceremonial title of deputy chief, which had been bestowed on him by
Seth in exchange for passing on a pay raise, but he was actually nothing more
than a patrol deputy on the small six man Red Cedar police force. After talking
to Leroy for a few minutes he turned to her. “Sorry, Liz, but he’s gonna have
to drive a police car over here cuz his personal car broke down this mornin’
while he was drivin’ to work. No big surprise there. Dang thing’s been smokin’
like a chimney for the last two weeks.”
    “Well, I guess that can’t
be helped. Hopefully, the guests will be in town or having a spa treatment.”
    Seth took a stubby pencil
and a tattered notebook out of his shirt pocket. He flipped the notebook open
to an empty page that appeared to have a catsup stain on it and asked Liz, “Who
discovered the body?”
    “My manager, Bertha.”
    “Wouldja call her and tell
her to get over here? Gonna need to get a statement from her. Ya’ said Barbara
had two spa treatments yesterday. Need to talk to the people who gave her them
treatments.”
    Liz called Delores, the
spa receptionist.  “This is Mrs. Lucas. Would you check the reservation book
and tell me what treatments Barbara Nelson had yesterday?”
            She listened for a moment. “Are Gina and Cindy free, or are they
busy with clients?” She waited while Delores checked the reservation book.
“Good. Please ask both of them to come to cottage #6 immediately. I also want
you to have them bring the spa registration form that Barbara Nelson filled out
yesterday. Thanks.”
    A few minutes later Bertha
came to the cottage, still clearly shaken by the morning’s events. She was
followed by Gina and Cindy who handed Liz the spa registration form for Barbara
Nelson.
    “Good morning, Seth,”
Bertha said.
    “Hey, Bertha. Liz tells me
you was the one who found Barbara. Need ya’ to tell me everything.” Bertha
related to Seth essentially what she’d told Liz earlier.         
    When it was obvious that
Seth wasn’t going to ask Bertha any more