White Cloud Retreat (10 page)

Kelly happened to look up just as the door of the
coffee shop opened and Diedre walked in. “Good morning, Deidre. How are you
doing today?”

“Much better. I wanted to
come by and personally thank you for bringing my wallet to me, so I decided to
take an early lunch. Is there any special table I should sit at?”

“No, this is the calm
before the storm. Sit wherever you want. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

Kelly went into the
kitchen to check on Charlie and see how he was doing. He’d stepped out the back
door and was smoking a cigarette. “Jes’ takin’ a little break before the lunch
crowd gets here, Boss.”

“Take your time. We have a
lull in the action at the moment.”

“Got a message for you
from Dad. He says he had a dream that you were in danger. Ya’ better take it
seriously. Dad’s dreams are kinda legendary on the reservation. If he dreams
something, you can almost take it to the bank that it’s probably gonna happen.”

“Did he say what kind of
danger I was in?”

“Nope. Only that you
better be very careful for the next few days.”

“Swell. That’s just what I
wanted to hear. Okay, tell him I’ll be extra careful.”

“That’s not all, Kelly. He
said to tell you that Mike’s in more danger than you are.”

Kelly felt a chill run
along her spine. She considered Charlie’s father, Chief Many Trees, to be a
friend and knew he was not one to speak lightly. If he said she and Mike were
in danger and should be careful, they probably should.

“Charlie, we better get
back in there. Tell your dad thanks and we’ll be very careful.”

“Have you decided what
you’d like to eat, Deidre?”

“Yes. I’ll have a bowl of
chili and a cup of hot tea. It’s cold outside and that sounds good.”

“I’ll be right back with
your order.”

“Oh, I’m in no hurry. Phil
thinks my work is pretty good, so he cuts me some slack if I run a little over
for my lunch break. I understand you’re going to be marrying the sheriff in a
couple of weeks. How did you two meet?”

“The same way I met you.
Here at the coffee shop. He’d been coming in here for a long time and one day
he said how much he liked my cooking. I invited him to dinner and that was how
it all began. He was divorced and I was widowed. He’s a fine man and I’m
honored that he’d want to marry me. Why do you ask?”

“He interviewed me the
other day out at the Center, you know, the day Scott was killed. He was very
kind to me. I was crying so hard I had trouble talking and he put his arm
around me and consoled me. I thought that was a very nice thing for him to do.
He made an impression on me because he knew about my shoes.”

“I’m sorry, but I have no
idea what you’re talking about.”

“Well,” Deidre said. “I
was in the group of students that had assembled near the murder scene right
after you discovered Scott’s body. Sheriff Mike interviewed each of us and then
we were released. I went to my car to change my shoes and I put on some
different shoes, actually they were Christian Louboutin sandals. You know,
those are the ones with the red soles. After I changed shoes, I decided to go
back into the Center to go to the restroom before driving home. As you know,
the Center has a policy that no one can wear shoes while they’re inside it.
After I used the restroom I went back out to the porch to put my sandals on.
While I was putting them on the sheriff walked by and asked me if they were
Christian Louboutins. I was curious how he knew and he said he’d just read an
article about them in the business section of the Portland Tribune. He said he
spotted the red soles on my sandals. I was impressed. I’ve never met a man who
knew something like that. You’re a lucky woman.”

“Yes, I am,” Kelly said.
“I don’t want to make Phil over at the photography shop mad at me for keeping
you so long, so let me get you your chili and tea.”

Mike knows about Christian
Louboutin shoes? That’s strange. And even stranger that someone would remember
that.

A few minutes later Kelly
returned and said, “Here’s your order, Deidre. Enjoy! I need to talk to some
other customers. See you later.”

“You’re going to the
service for Scott this afternoon, aren’t you? I’ll see you there.”

“Yes, I’ll definitely be
there,” Kelly said.

Kelly locked up the coffee
shop as soon as she and her employees finished cleaning it up and getting ready
for the next day, anxious to get home and change clothes. Mike was meeting her
at home and they were going to drive to the service together.

*****

“Hi, Sweetheart, be with you in a minute. I need to
change clothes,” Mike said when he opened the front door.

“Actually, Mike, I think
you better wear your sheriff’s uniform. Luke told me that people usually wear
white to solemn occasions like this and I don’t think you have a pair of white
pants. As you can see, I’m in white, but it’s a lot easier for me to be dressed
that way than it is for you. Everybody knows you’re the sheriff and it might
make some of the visiting dignitaries feel good, knowing that the sheriff is
there.”

“That’s a good point.
Okay, you sold me. Let me wash my face and hands. Why don’t you let the dogs
out before we go and I’ll be back in a couple of minutes?”

On their way to the
Center, Kelly said, “Deidre was in the coffee shop today and told me you’d
complimented her on her Christian Louboutin shoes. She said no one else had
ever done that. I think you’re a hero in her eyes because of it.”

“That was the strangest
thing. I’d read about them in the paper just the day before and then I saw this
pair of sandals with red soles. Talk about coincidental!”

“We’re almost at the
Center, but I need to tell you what Luke told me today about Blaine.” She recounted
her earlier conversation with Luke about how Blaine had mysteriously
disappeared.

“That certainly is
suspicious. You’d think he’d at least wait until after the service to leave.
That’s really odd. Any idea where he went?”

“No, from what Luke said,
he and Zeb talked to all of the other people who were in the residential
training program and no one knew anything. Evidently he wasn’t well-liked by
them. They thought he’d changed recently.”

She thought back to the
note she’d found early that morning. “Mike, did you find any notes today?”

“No. It seems to have
quieted down. I’ve decided it’s just paranoia on my part.”

“I wish that was true, but
I don’t think it is. When I walked out the door this morning to leave for the
coffee shop, I saw someone running away from your car. I would have thought I
was imagining it, except Lady growled and barked. Her hackles were raised, so
I’m pretty sure it wasn’t my imagination. Then I went over to your car and
there was a note on it that said, ‘Be very careful. I know where you are.’ Here
it is,” she said, opening her purse and handing it to him.

“Okay, this is definitely
not imagination working overtime for either one of us. Remember that gun I
bought you a few months ago? Well, as soon as we get home I want you to put it
in your purse and carry it with you all the time. I have mine and just like you
asked me to do, I’ll make sure to take Rebel with me wherever I go. You do the
same with Lady. I know she’s young, but from what I’ve seen, she’d protect you.
Deal?” he said as he parked the car in the Center’s parking lot.

“Yes, although it’s a deal
I wish I really didn’t have to make. I don’t like to think of either one of us
being in danger. Oh, there’s one more thing,” she said, putting her hand on his
arm to keep him from opening the car door. “Charlie’s father wanted to get a
message to us. Charlie told me that Chief Many Trees had a dream about us and
he wanted to warn us to be careful, because we’re both in danger.”

“That’s just great. It’s
not bad enough that I feel like I’m being watched, I’m getting threatening
notes, and you’re seeing people running away from my car, now Chief Many Trees
has some vision or dream that we’re both in danger. And the thing is, I’ve
heard that old guy is usually right about his dreams and visions. I’ll be so
glad when this case is solved. I’m starting to get spooked and that’s a pretty
new feeling for me.”

“Well, we need to put it
behind us for now. This is a service for Scott and I want to honor his memory.
I know you do to. Let’s go in.”

The large meditation room of the Center was completely
filled with mourners who stood, looking at the altar and the robed priests who
were in front of it. Most of the people wore white with the exception of the
priests, including Luke, who were dressed in brown and black robes. Kelly
looked around and nodded to several people she knew. A few minutes before 4:00,
Deidre entered the room and stood behind Mike and Kelly. Promptly at 4:00, Luke
asked the mourners to put their hands together, hold them in front of their
hearts, and keep them there for the duration of the service. He told them that
each aspect of the service had a special significance. The chanting they would
hear was the teaching of the Buddha; the scent of incense purified the
participants; and the smoke rising from the incense is said to deliver the
thoughts and prayers of the mourners to the decedent. At the conclusion of the
one-hour service Luke stepped forward and thanked everyone for coming. He asked
them to stay and enjoy the light refreshments which had been placed on tables
on the porch.

Kelly and Mike walked out
to the porch and helped themselves to the fruit offerings many people had
brought as well as tea. Mike looked around to see if any of the people he had
put on his list of suspects had attended the service. He knew it was very
common for the killer to attend a service or funeral for the decedent. The only
people there who were on his list were Deidre and Luke. She wasn’t anywhere
near the top of his list and she’d been attending classes and workshops at the
Center ever since it had opened, so it was to be expected that she would be
present. And since Luke was Scott’s brother and the managing director of the
Center, as well as a Zen priest, he would certainly be expected to be there as
well. There was no sign of the Pellino brothers, Blaine Wright, or Jim Duncan,
which didn’t surprise Mike given his strong aversion to any Eastern religions.

Kelly felt a tap on her
shoulder and turned around. It was Jesse, the owner of The Crush. “Hi, Jesse. I
don’t know much about Zen Buddhism, but that was a lovely service, don’t you
think? Have you ever taken any classes or workshops from the Center?”

“No. I came because of the
relationship Scott and I developed over our mutual interest in wine. I’ll be
curious to see what happens to the wine produced here. I know he was interested
in spiritual matters, but he was also very well versed in all things related to
wine. He constantly read up on the latest techniques and what he could do to
improve his wine. He was one of those people who had a very refined sense of
taste. Scott could tell you if there was a hint of a berry or smoke or whatever
with one sip of wine. Actually, I’ve seen him smell wine while he swirled it in
his glass and identify every flavor in it. I’ve been around wine a long time,
and my nose and taste is a lot better than most people’s, but he had me beat by
a mile.”

“I really never knew that
side of him. The only thing I know about wine is whether I like it or not and I
always seem to like the Center’s wine. I wonder what the Pellino brothers will
do now that Scott’s dead.”

“I heard a rumor they were
going to try and buy the Center. One of my customers told me that the brothers
had some ties back East and they were being financially backed by them. Given
the brothers’ Italian names and everything, I wonder if we’re going to see some
Mafia money roll into Cedar Bay.”

“Oh, I hope not. We’ve got
enough problems as it is.”

“To change the subject.
I’ve ordered the wine for your wedding. Since it’s winter, I ordered more red
than white and I also ordered some Pellegrino sparkling water in case people
don’t drink alcohol or prefer not to drink during the day. Since you’re being
married at 10:00 a.m. and the wedding celebration is at noon, I’ll come to the
house directly after the wedding and get set up. I’ll have the white wine on
ice in the van. I’ve got napkins and glasses, so you don’t need to worry about
anything.”

“That’s wonderful, Jesse.
I really appreciate you taking care of it and thanks for giving me a discount
on the price!”

“My pleasure. I’ve got to
leave and get back to the shop. Talk to you later.”

Kelly turned around and
noticed that Mike was talking to Deidre. She walked over to them and heard Mike
say, “Since you’re off tomorrow, I’ll probably be there around two or three.
See you then.” Deidre walked away and Mike turned to Kelly.

“Are you about ready to
leave? I need to go into my office for a few minutes, but I’ll take you home
first.”

When they were in the car,
Kelly asked Mike what he and Deidre were talking about. “I told her I needed to
talk to her and asked when would be a good time. She told me she was off
tomorrow. You heard me tell her I’d be at her apartment in the afternoon.”

“She seems to have calmed
down since I saw her at the coffee shop the other day. I noticed she had tears
in her eyes during the ceremony, but I did too. I guess maybe the passage of a
little time is helping her. Oh by the way, I learned something interesting from
Jesse. He heard from one of his customers that the Pellino brothers had ties to
people back East who wanted to bankroll them so they could buy the Center.
Jesse wondered if those were Mafia ties.”

“That’s interesting.
Particularly since the ballistics expert said that the bullet placement that
killed Scott was very similar to those seen in Mafia murders. Wonder if the
Pellino brothers had a contract out on Scott? Maybe someone came out here to
kill him. Wouldn’t that be something? The Mafia in sleepy little Cedar Bay.
That really would be a case of truth being stranger than fiction.”

He stopped the car in the
driveway to let her out. “See you in a little while. I shouldn’t be too long.
Remember, I asked you to get your gun and keep it with you.”

“I will, but wait a minute
while I get Rebel. I want him to be with you. Deal?”

“Deal!”