Death By Chocolate 6 (Mystery and Women Sleuths) (Josiah Reynolds Mysteries) (2 page)

My name is Josiah Reynolds.

I’ve worked hard all my life. I was a tenured art history professor at the University of Kentucky until I took up beekeeping. It wasn’t that I wanted to retire from teaching. I loved it, but my personal life got in the way.

Mainly I was chased out by the constant gossiping in the office after my husband left me for a younger woman and colleagues stabbing me in the back when I was a candidate for the Department Chair’s position.

I hate office politics. Good riddance was what I said as I turned in my resignation. I didn’t have to put up with those jerks’ smug knowing looks or cruel remarks – just loud enough for me to hear. Screw them!

Bees are how I make my living now . . . if that is what you can call it. They are much more civil creatures. The honeybees just want to collect their nectar. They don’t have a back-story. They don’t bring baggage to work. Their only agenda is to make lovely golden honey.

Every Saturday, I sell their honey at the Farmers’ Market.

I have other sources of income. I rent out my house, the Butterfly, for tours and weddings, which makes a tidy little profit for me now. I also board horses, mainly racing Thoroughbreds. That money goes back into the farm.

My vices are cut flower arrangements, having my hair done every so often and my animals. I love animals. I have sheep, chickens, a couple of goats, lamas, peacocks, two rescue racehorses, numerous barn cats and one mangy lazy slobbery English Mastiff named Baby.

I live in a large iconic house called the Butterfly because its second roof looks like wings from a distance.

It is a modern-style house that was an experiment in complete sustainable living from the cradle-to-the-grave. There are no steps in the house and the hallways are extremely wide.

The entire back of the house is bulletproof glass overlooking the Kentucky River. The bulletproof glass was installed to protect the residents, mainly me, from stray bullets shot across the Kentucky River by drunken deer hunters.

The house sits on a cliff overlooking the Kentucky River. This area is called the Palisades, which is one of the most fragile and sensitive environments in the world. I do everything I can to protect it, but it seems everyone from developers to the Kentucky Department of Transportation wants to destroy one of the great wonders of the world.

Greedy moneymen can’t wait to get their hands on a failing horse farm so they can turn it into a tacky little subdivision. It’s like the devil is pushing folks out of one of the last paradises on earth so they put up another strip mall.

Speaking of the devil, last year I had an accident. Accident – hell! I was thrown off the cliff at my house by a cop who hated me. Anyway, that’s another story.

While I recovered in Key West, my daughter, Asa, along with my best friend, Matt, had the entire estate upgraded. Things had gotten a little shabby after my husband left and took our money with him. I guess he figured that if he had already stabbed me, he might as well gut me, too. That’s in the figurative sense.

Anyway, he died of a heart attack leaving me with nothing but a headache.

His girlfriend, Ellen Boudreaux, thinks their child should have some sort of legal interest in the Butterfly, as it was Brannon’s masterpiece.

Actually, it was my idea and design. He just built it. His specialty was restoration of antebellum homes.

I guess Ellen thinks that since she got my money, some of my couture dresses and my best jewelry, she should have the roof over my head as well. She threatens all the time to take me to court. “Well, get on with it, girl” is what I say.

But I don’t want to talk about Brannon. I get riled up just thinking about him. It was with our daughter, Asa, that I currently was having a hissy fit. We were having a discussion in the great room. No, it was more like an argument.

“You simply must not see Kelly anymore,” I demanded.

“I don’t think that is going to happen, Mother.”

I held out my hands. “Asa, he has a wife and two young children to consider. He loves his wife.”

“He loves me too.”

“If you loved Kelly, you would not make him choose between you and his family. You could have had him, but you left him high and dry after high school without even saying goodbye. Since then he has made a life and you shouldn’t break that up.”

“So, because I made a mistake when I was young, I should suffer the rest of my life? He should suffer?”

“There are other people to consider now.”

“Lots of people get divorced who have children and they get on with their lives.”

“But Kelly is happily married. There is no reason for a divorce.”

“He will be happily divorced then.”

“Oh, Asa, how can you be so selfish? Really. This is not a game.”

“I’ve done nothing but sacrifice my whole life. I had a career, but that was taken from me. I did the right thing, but got hammered for it. Now I want what I want. I’m tired of being left empty-handed.”

“If you force Kelly to forsake his family, he will eventually resent you. After the thrill of being with you wears off, he will feel guilty and go home. You will be heartbroken and alone. This is not right for either of you. No happiness will come from this.”

“What about your affair with Jake? He was married,” retorted Asa.

“That was not the same thing at all. Jake didn’t know he was still married. He thought he was divorced and, Miss Know-It-All, his wife had been cheating on him. He wanted a divorce.”

I was getting angry because hearing Jake’s name makes me sad. “Don’t bring up Jake. You don’t know what you’re talking about, but look at what happened. As soon as his wife got sick, he ran home. Both Jake and Kelly are honorable men, and they will do the honorable thing in the long run.”

“I’ll take my chances,” spat out Asa.

She could be such a little cuss. “You’re so stubborn.”

“But you still love me?”

“Just because I love you doesn’t mean I have to approve of your behavior. I’m very sorry to say this, but you’re acting just like your father,” I accused.

I could see that made Asa blanch.

“That’s not fair, Mother.”

“It’s accurate. You go watch Kelly with his family. See if I’m not right. He loves his wife. Yes. Yes. Yes. I know that you are the love of his life, but he still loves his wife and his children. They are his life now, Asa.”

“Ahhh, crap. Why does everything have to be so complicated?”

“My advice to you is to clean up this relationship with Kelly. Give it an ending. Tell him that you’ll always love him, but that nothing can come of it.”

“I’ll think on it.”

“You do that.”

“By the way, he’s coming over for dinner.”

“Oh, for goodness sake, Asa.”

“He doesn’t know that I told you about our . . . relationship. As far as you know, he’s just a friend coming over to see us both.”

“Asa, you really take the cake.”

My daughter gave me a willful grin. “You can pump him for information about Dwight Wheelwright.”

“Okay, but no hanky-panky. I have to look his wife in the face.”

“I promise.”

“You’ll study on what I said?” I begged.

“I’ll bend my mind around it.”

“Ain’t fittin’. Ain’t fittin’.”

I knew that my beautiful daughter was playing with matches and she was going to set herself on fire.

I served poached Cumberland River rainbow trout on a bed of polenta, with side dishes of wilted spinach flavored with bacon grease, and honey-glazed carrots. Dessert was a homemade cheesecake prepared with Kentucky-made soft goat cheese with a drizzling of pureed raspberries.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had one of your home-cooked meals, Josiah,” commented Officer Kelly.

“Thank you. Asa helped me, as I can’t stand for long periods of time.”

“Well, you both did a tremendous job. I’m really enjoying eating this. We usually don’t have time to cook a really good meal . . . with the kids and all. It’s just ‘get something hot on the table that the boys will eat.’ You know how it is when you’re busy.”

“Too bad your family is not here to join us,” I said.

Asa shot me a dirty look.

“The wife took the boys to her parents for the holidays, since I had to work.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I replied, thinking Kelly had just told me a big whopper. “So that means you’ll be alone for Thanksgiving?”

“I’m sorry to say I will be,” Kelly gave me a big grin, “unless you give me sanctuary.”

“I will always have food and a roof for my good friend and the savior of that mangy mutt who has buried his snout in your lap.”

Kelly gave a loud hoot while rubbing Baby’s ears.

Baby responded by swallowing a large amount of saliva as he looked up adoring at Kelly.

Asa advised, “You can push him away. He just wants something to fall from your plate.”

“That’s not it. Baby knows that Kelly saved him and is giving him much deserved doggy love.”

“I don’t mind, Asa,” assured Kelly. “I love the attention. We’re old buddies, aren’t we, Baby?”

Baby swallowed again, and flicked his nose with his long raspy wet tongue before licking Kelly’s hands.

“Ooooh, Mother, see what Baby’s done. He’s got drool all over Kelly.”

“Asa, it’s okay,” repeated Kelly, grinning. “Really.”

I kind of got the idea that Kelly loved the ruckus centering on him as I rose to get a wet dishtowel.

Breaking his concentration on Kelly, Baby followed me into the kitchen and then back again to the table . . . a two-hundred-pound shadow thudding behind me.

“Here you go, Kelly,” I said, handing him the wet cloth. “Baby, leave Kelly alone. He’s trying to eat.”

Asa opened the patio door and pushed Baby out. We were finally able to enjoy our food in peace.

“Kelly, the rainbow trout was caught by Dwight Wheelwright. He always gives me about six to a dozen trout when he goes on his fishing trips. He takes several a year. I guess I should say ‘gave’ instead of ‘gives’. Any break in the case?”

Kelly took a bite of his cheesecake before committing himself. “It’s the darndest case I’ve ever worked on. We can’t come to any conclusion. Right now, it’s a cold case, as we have nothing to decide whether his disappearance was foul play, an accident or that Dwight just walked away.”

“You don’t think he left town without saying a word to anyone. That doesn’t seem like Dwight to leave his family high and dry.”

Asa spoke up. “People do walk away from their lives all the time.”

“Was something going on in Dwight’s life that would make him just up and leave?”

Kelly shook his head. “We talked to dozens of people – friends, relatives and no one had a bad word to say about Dwight. Hard working. Loyal family man. Good to his mother.

“We couldn’t find any evidence of gambling, bad debts, women, drinking . . . nothing. Dwight was as clean as they come. I think the most trouble he got into was several speeding tickets. He liked to put the pedal to the metal.”

“Ginny told me that Dwight always goes to the Falls for a fishing trip right before his birthday. This year it was going to be special as the moonbow at Cumberland Falls was going to be visible while he was staying at Dupont Lodge,” I related.

“Ever since Dwight was in high school, he always went trout fishing around his birthday. He used to go with his dad, but since his dad’s passing, Dwight went by himself,” related Kelly.

“The funny thing is that I ran into Dwight at a filling station several weeks before he disappeared. He told me that everything was great. His business was doing fine,” Kelly continued.

“Did he mention the fishing trip?” asked Asa.

“Yep. Said he was going around the first and would be back before the third. Said fishing trips were his time to reflect. You know, get his head straight.”

“Did you notice anything odd about Dwight?” I inquired.

“No. Dwight was Dwight. Happy. Bright. I never saw that guy down. The whole thing’s a mess,” remarked Kelly. “Asa, remember how much fun Dwight was in school?”

“Yes, he was a very pleasant boy.”

“So he wasn’t in debt. He had no vices that you know of?” I questioned.

Kelly took another bite of his cheesecake before confiding, “His wife, Selena, said he left early on the morning of the first to go fishing. He was to be back on the night of the third. She was planning a birthday party for him.”

I nodded in agreement. “Yes, I was invited. We waited hours, but Dwight never showed. Finally Ginny called the police to file a missing person’s report.”

“She called the Kentucky State Police and they called the local authorities. They found Dwight’s truck at the Grove Marina on Laurel River Lake. No signs of foul play. The car was locked and his wallet was in the car’s glove compartment with his ID, credit cards and two hundred dollars,” related Kelly.

“And he had already checked out of the Dupont Lodge?” asked Asa while cutting another piece of cheesecake for Kelly.

“Yeah. To me it looked like he checked out but wanted to get in a few more hours of fishing before heading home.”

“I always thought he fished on the Cumberland River. I’m confused,” I stated.

“The Cumberland River and Laurel River Lake are really a stone’s throw from each other, but I can see where Dwight might fish on the Cumberland one day and then try his luck on the lake the next,” answered Kelly, tracing a map on the table with his knife.

“Were fingerprints taken?” asked Asa while folding her napkin.

“The truck was processed but only fingerprints of Dwight and Selena were found.”

Asa interrupted, “I take it the lake was dragged.”

“Don’t know. The lake’s awfully deep. I know they had scuba divers.”

I thought for a moment. “Was the Falls’ pool checked? I was thinking that perhaps he changed his mind and fished on the Cumberland River . . . fell and then was swept away by the current going over the Falls.”

“An entire stretch of the Cumberland River down to the Cumberland Falls was searched including the Falls’ pool in case he had changed his location, but we are talking about two separate water systems. They found no sign of him at all in either the Cumberland River, the Laurel River or the Laurel Lake,” related Kelly.

“But his cap was found six weeks ago in the lake,” I interjected.”

“But that is the weird part, Josiah. The cap was his to be sure, but it didn’t look like it had been in the water for months. There was no discoloration. No mold. It looked almost new, just wet. Some fisherman found it in the water where the lake had been searched weeks earlier.”

“Do you think it was a plant?”

“Could be.”

“So you privately think it was foul play?”

“I knew Dwight. You knew Dwight. Did he seem like the kind of person to leave his widowed mother, his wife and baby girl? Not this guy.”

“Yes, I’ve known Dwight since he was very little. I don’t think he left of his own accord,” I agreed. “I’ll tell you another thing that bothers me is Selena’s behavior. It’s like she’s not even grieving.”

“What do you mean, Mom?” Asa asked.

“It wasn’t but a few weeks after they found Dwight’s hat that she wants to have a memorial for him. It would seem to me that a distraught wife would hold out for a few more months before declaring her beloved husband dead.”

Asa countered, “Maybe he wasn’t so beloved.”

“I was thinking the same,” I replied. “Have the police looked into Selena?”

“I’m not supposed to tell you this,” divulged Kelly, “but Dwight had a half million dollar life insurance policy.”

“The wife did it,” declared Asa. She reared back in her chair with a smug smile on her face.

Kelly shook his head. “That’s where this gets creepy. The beneficiaries are Dwight’s mother and his daughter. His wife was not included at all.”

“That’s odd,” I responded, watching Asa pour some Port into glasses. “What does his will say?”

“There is no will. I guess Dwight thought he had plenty of time to draw up one.”

“If he was far-thinking enough to buy life insurance, why didn’t he have a will? It doesn’t make sense.” Now that I had Kelly in a talkative mood, I was going to squeeze every ounce of information out of him that I could. Yeah, I know I was taking advantage of his kind nature, but I had promised Ginny so I had to make good.

“Not having his wife’s name on the life insurance policy tells me that their marriage might have had problems. That’s just not normal for Dwight not to include her,” professed Asa.

“That’s what we thought,” revealed Kelly, “but she’s clean as a whistle. No one has a bad thing to say against her, except for Ginny Wheelwright.”

“That doesn’t mean there weren’t issues. It just means Dwight and Selena kept their business at home,” I stated.

I was suddenly tired. The thought of Dwight missing overwhelmed me. I was tired of death. I was tired of seeing good people get the shaft. It made me afraid. It made me angry.

Kelly and Asa began clearing the table as I lumbered off to bed, but not before I let Baby in. He was miffed that he had been put outside earlier.

“Baby, don’t be mad,” I whispered. “I’ve got treats in the bedroom for you.”

Baby’s ears perked up at the mention of the word “treats.”

Suddenly a thought flashed in my mind and then fizzled out like a burned match. It was something important about Dwight. Realizing that I knew an important fact about Dwight, I tried but couldn’t pull it up from the depths of my subconscious.

It must have been something that I had seen or heard, but what was it?

I could only hope that it would emerge on its own. Perhaps it would be enough to set things right.

I could hope, couldn’t I?