Murder strikes a chord, p.14
Murder Strikes a Chord, page 14
A moment before his hand turned the doorknob, Cassidy stopped him. “What dirty work?”
Bianca giggled, then blushed when Steve glared at her. “Let’s say Johnny had no restraint. If he saw something he wanted, he went after it. He bought anything and everything. He was pretty generous, too. He’d buy lavish gifts and take extravagant trips with entourages. And Johnny never worried about consequences or costs. He kept Beau and his accountants busy paying for excesses and tidying publicity messes he always managed to create. My guess is the estate isn’t as large as everyone thinks. When the dust settles and all the bills are paid, what’s left may not be worth fighting over. Who knows? We’ll have to wait and see how all this shakes out. I’m sure the tabloids will have a field day. See you around. Reach out to Bianca if you need us.” He turned and his magenta-haired assistant followed him to the porch.
Cassidy tapped the tip of her index finger to her chin. “Interesting.” She zipped in the back and added the new factoids about Johnny to her spreadsheet.
Standing and stretching, Cassidy glanced at the schedule Bianca had provided. “No concert tonight. We’re going to have to entertain ourselves. Come on. Let’s see what we can scrounge up for dinner.”
Elvis scurried to the back steps to be admitted into the residence. Flipping off the downstairs lights, Cassidy grabbed her laptop and followed the dog upstairs. “Another easy commute.” She patted the Chihuahua mix on the head.
Not finding a wide variety of dinner options, she looked at the little dog. “Nothing’s grabbing me here. Wanna see what we can find in town?” Elvis yipped and ran to the door as she flipped her purse strap over her shoulder.
Cassidy parked the van on a side street a couple of blocks from the main drag, and the pair hopped out. “Elvis, what do you feel like for dinner? Ivy Springs is a happening place tonight.”
The small dog strode along the block like he was a boss with his head held high and a determined step. He followed the scents from the nearby eateries and paused outside a wrought iron fence surrounding the patio for Meat and Greet, a bistro and hangout for the hip crowd in the valley.
“You like the name, huh? And you’re also trying to tell me I need to mingle more. You and the Pearly Girls. Okay, let’s find a seat.” The pair located a black metal table near the edge of the sidewalk where they could people watch.
Before Cassidy had settled herself on the cold metal chair, the waiter materialized and handed her a menu. “Hi, I’m Tim. Can I get you one of our drink specials this evening?”
“Hi.” She glanced at the menu. “I think I’ll have your barbecue slider plate with iced tea.”
“Are you okay with the fusion coleslaw, baked beans, and hush puppies that come with it?” Tim hadn’t even bothered to write down her order.
“No coleslaw. But everything else is fine.”
“Be right back with it and a treat for your friend here.” Tim pivoted on his heel and quickly disappeared.
Elvis’s ears perked at the magic word, and Cassidy patted him on the head. She scrolled through her emails and social media feeds while her dog lay facing the fencing, so he could get a good view of anyone passing by.
The Chihuahua mix let off a string of yips and danced at the edge of the patio. He was small enough to squeeze his head between the wrought iron bars. Cassidy looked up as Karl dodged people on the nearby sidewalk. He peered over in her direction, then abruptly turned and jaywalked across the street. “That was odd,” she said aloud.
“Everything okay?” Tim set her drink and plate in front of her.
“Yes, I thought I saw someone I knew, but maybe it wasn’t him. Thanks.”
“Be careful. That plate’s hot. I’ll be back in a few to check on both of you.” He bent over and placed a bowl of water next to Elvis, handing him a bone-shaped treat.
Cassidy dug into her meal. It had the right mix of savory and sweet in the barbecue sauce. Mmmm. They did barbecue right.
Movement across the street caught her eye. Karl paced in front of the gift shop and stopped next to a tall blue statue of a chubby bear with a hat. Deputy Turner approached and said something to the bass player. Karl scowled and waved his arms around as Deputy Turner continued to talk.
Cassidy wished she were closer so she could hear what they were saying.
Then Karl threw his hands in the air and stomped off. The deputy watched but didn’t follow. He eventually blended in with the crowd headed in the opposite direction.
That was interesting. I’d really like to know what was said. I wonder if the deputy asked him about his altercation and souvenir black eye.
Shaking off the mysterious encounter, Cassidy finished her meal and handed Tim her debit card when he returned with the bill.
“I hope everything was good,” he said, looking at her empty plate. The waiter scanned her card on a handheld device and placed her card and receipt next to her. “Come back and see us.”
“It was very good. Thanks.”
Not ready to head home yet, Cassidy led Elvis across the street to the gift shop. She picked up the dog and wandered in. Tiny brass bells on the door jingled to announce her entrance. Berry and vanilla scents tickled her nose. The shop was filled with every type of gift imaginable, and all the bright colors and shelves were a bit overwhelming to the senses. So much to look at.
“Welcome to Bearly Collectibles.” A woman with long silver curls waved to her. “We’ve got every kind of gift you could possibly want. Holler if you need any help. Cute dog.”
“Thanks. This is Elvis. I’m Cassidy Jamison. I own Celebrations at Ivy Springs up the road.”
“I love your place. I went to a friend’s wedding there last spring. What a magnificent view. I’m Deannie, by the way.”
“All the bears are great. I saw one of my guests come by here a few minutes ago, and I decided to hop in and check out your store.” Cassidy browsed a glass shelf full of stuffed bears.
“Kind of short, stocky guy with long hair?” Deannie wrinkled her nose.
“That’s him. He’s one of the performers from the concert tour at my place.”
“I know. He told me at least three times. He wanted to buy Zeke.” Deannie pointed toward the large glass window.
Cassidy stared out the window and furrowed her brows.
A slight giggle slipped from Deannie. “Zeke’s my enormous bear out front. He’s kinda my mascot for the store. Anyway, the guy kept telling me about his bear collection at home and how Zeke would be perfect for his man cave. He spent twenty minutes trying to convince me. I don’t care what band he plays with; Zeke’s not for sale. That guy was kinda pushy. I’m glad he finally got the message and moved on.”
“Glad it all worked out. Zeke looks perfect out front.”
“Look around and let me know if I can help with anything. A lot of the items are made by local artisans.” Deannie moved behind the front counter.
Cassidy and Elvis browsed several displays and stopped at the one full of Christmas ornaments. As they moved to the funny card rack, a muffled crash sent Deannie flying toward the front door. “What do you think you’re doing?” she yelled, yanking the door open.
Cassidy clutched the wiggly Elvis closer to her and rushed out behind Deannie who waggled a finger at Karl. “I told you Zeke wasn’t for sale. He better not be broken.” The five-foot wooden statue lay on its side across the sidewalk.
“I was just looking at him. He must have fallen over. Maybe it was the wind. This is kinda dangerous. It could have hurt someone. This is a hazard. Hey, you could sell it to me, and I’ll take care of it for you.”
Deannie’s cheeks flushed red. “I told you before. He’s not for sale. He’s part of my store. My branding!” The petite woman leaned over and hoisted the bear back up to a standing position. Then she circled the statue to assess any damage.
Deputy Turner navigated his way through the growing crowd spilling off the sidewalk into the street. “Folks, we can’t block the road. I need for you all to move back before we impede traffic.”
“I didn’t damage your bear. He’s fit as a fiddle.” Karl pulled out his wallet. “Here’s thirty-three bucks for your trouble. Sorry to bother you.” He pressed the money into Deannie’s hand and disappeared in the crowd.
“Everything okay here?” Deputy Turner turned to watch Karl.
“It is now. Zeke had a little spill, but I don’t think he’s any worse for wear.” Deannie patted the big blue bear.
“Good.” The deputy nodded at Cassidy and made his way along the sidewalk to where Karl had retreated a few seconds before.
“Bye.” Cassidy waved to Deannie and hugged Elvis closer to her as she headed for the van.
Once settled inside, she snapped her seat belt in place. Elvis had claimed his spot in the passenger seat. “Well, thanks for being a fun dinner date. That whole Karl thing was a little weird, wasn’t it? I wonder if the deputy caught up with him?”
Not interested in the deputy, Karl, or Zeke the Bear, Elvis turned around twice in the seat and plopped down for a quick nap.
Cassidy pressed the accelerator, making a beeline for home and her kitchen table. She spent the rest of the evening poring over fan pages and blogs about the Weathermen. Some resulted in bits of information that might be useful. She added the new items and Karl’s bear adventure to her spreadsheet.
A little after ten, Elvis yipped and bolted to the door.
She counted off her key findings in her head as they descended the back stairs. “Okay, okay. We both need a break. I have way too many thoughts bouncing around in my head. Johnny and Jack did well for themselves. Between the two of them, they wrote all the bigger hits the band had. I couldn’t find out much on Dirk. He seemed to fly under the radar and didn’t appear on the gossip sites. Karl had financial and addiction problems. Phillip and Eddie are out of the picture. I wonder about Beau, but he seems devoted to the band. He’s always taking care of the guys. Maybe it could be one of the roadies or security guys? I’m going to have to find some way to talk to them and get their names. Might mean more walks for us!”
When he heard one of his favorite words, the little dog’s ears shot upward, and he double-timed his steps.
“I’ll take that as agreement.” She clipped on Elvis’s leash, and the pair headed outside toward the grotto. Fanning her phone’s flashlight ahead of them, she shuddered when she got a glimpse of the koi pond. This part of the property used to be her favorite, but lately, it brought back gruesome memories. Shadows bounced around and created an eerie setting, making her shiver despite the warm evening. Somehow, her serenity garden was anything but peaceful. The flitting shadows spooked her now.
Easing Elvis away from the pond, the little dog took the hint and trotted toward the rocky area near the cave. Sniffing the air, Elvis tugged and tried to pull her toward the opening. As they got closer, the coolness exuded by the cave caressed her skin, causing goose bumps to erupt over her arms. The inky darkness and the shape of the cave made the evening sounds bounce around and echo. It was hard to tell where the noise was coming from. Hugging both arms around herself, she tried to shake off the chill and the freaky feeling she was being watched. Suddenly, all of Deputy Turner’s warnings flooded into her consciousness. “Okay, Elvis. Time to go.”
The little dog strained against his collar and pulled closer to the mouth of the cave.
“Come on.” Cassidy tried to keep her voice from shaking.
Cassidy heard a moan. She paused and listened. Chalking it up to a tree frog, she took a couple of steps, but stopped when she heard louder moans coming from the cave. This time Elvis growled and lunged toward the opening.
A faint, “Help…help me,” danced on the evening breeze. She scooped Elvis into her arms and took a couple of steps closer.
“Hey, who’s in there?” she yelled.
“I need help. I’m back here. Come and help me.”
Cassidy shined the beam from her phone around until she spotted a pile of something looking like denim and clothing near the side wall.
“I need an ambulance. You gotta come help me. Don’t leave me here.” The figure tried to sit but fell back in a heap. Deputy Turner’s warnings about being careful got louder and louder in Cassidy’s head.
“I’ll call for help. Stay still.” She backed out of the cave.
The echoes from the moaning grew. All that’s missing is the scary horror movie music and a guy with a chainsaw. Don’t be silly. You need to find out who he is and how badly he’s hurt. Get a grip.
Cassidy jumped when the voice spoke again. “Somebody attacked me. I saw someone messing with the equipment bus, so I followed him here. He snuck behind me and hit me in the head. I don’t feel so good. Please help me.”
More violence.
An icy sensation jolted through Cassidy. She shivered again and tightened her clutch on her phone.
LATE TUESDAY NIGHT
Cassidy took several deep breaths to calm the jitters and then tapped 9-1-1 on her phone. She needed to help the guy, but all of Deputy Turner’s admonishments made her skittish. What if it’s a trap? I’ll let the police sort it out when they get here.
As soon as the call connected, she blurted, “Hi, this is Cassidy Jamison at Celebrations at Ivy Springs. I’m at the mouth of the cave at the back of my property, and there’s an injured man inside. I’m not sure who it is or how badly he’s hurt. He’s groaning a lot, and it doesn’t look like he can sit. I need an ambulance and the police here quickly.”
“Okay. Are you hurt?” The dispatcher’s voice was matter-of-fact, yet soothing to Cassidy’s frayed nerves.
“No. I was taking my dog for a walk. I own the property. We heard a noise. He’s inside the cave.”
“Are you safe?”
“I’m fine. There’s nobody nearby.” Cassidy glanced around to verify her own words.
“Can you see the type of injury?”
“No,” Cassidy said. “I didn’t go inside in case it was a crime scene. He was talking a little bit. He said someone was messing around the buses on the property, and he followed whoever it was. Then he said he got hit from behind. He’s moaning a lot.”
“Okay, so you said it’s on the back of your property near the cave. Where the other body was found?”
“Uh, sort of. The other situation happened in the garden.” Cassidy let out a long puff of air. Great. Now my property is notorious for multiple acts of violence.
“And it’s a head injury?”
“Yes, I think so.” Cassidy’s heartbeat pounded in her ears.
“Did you see the attacker?” the dispatcher asked.
“No. There’s no one else here. I think there’s only one person in the cave, but I don’t know for sure. It’s just my dog and me here. I didn’t see the attack. I’m not really sure who the injured guy is.”
“Okay. Police and rescue are on their way. When they get to the front gate, what should they do?” There was the faint noise of fingers tapping furiously on a keyboard.
“The front gate is open. Tell them to go to the left behind the parking lots. The maintenance road runs up the mountain. When the asphalt turns to gravel, they’re almost there. There’s a fence post with a No Trespassing sign. That marks the path through the trees to the cave.”
“Okay. I’ll pass that on. They are about three minutes or so away from your property. I’ll stay on the line with you until they get there.” The dispatcher didn’t say much else, but knowing she was on the line while Cassidy waited made her feel slightly safer. If someone jumped out of the bushes now, at least the dispatcher would hear her screams.
The minutes seemed like hours. Finally, faint sirens broke the ominous quiet. “They’re almost here. I can hear them. I’m going to hang up now, so I can wave them this way. Thanks.” She pocketed her phone and hugged Elvis tighter.
After a few minutes, the sirens died. All Cassidy could hear was the wind through the trees, then footfalls pounded through the fallen leaves. A pair of EMTs jogged down the path carrying large orange tackle boxes, and a third one followed, pushing a gurney.
“He’s in there. I’m not sure who it is or how badly he’s hurt.” She pointed inside the cave.
The first EMT pulled out a high-powered flashlight that lit most of the front of the entrance.
Cassidy stepped closer to the mouth of the cave to see what was happening. She whipped around at the sound of sticks crunching and feet pounding through dried leaves. Deputy Turner and Sheriff Howell ran down the path from the woods and joined the small group gathered near the cave.
“What’s going on, Cassidy?” The sheriff paused for a second to catch his breath.
“I don’t know. Elvis and I heard groans. The guy inside said ‘help me’ a couple of times and tried to sit. When he fell back, I called you all. I’m not sure who it is.”
“What are you doing back here in the woods so late?” If Deputy Turner’s tone was any indication, Cassidy was in line for another lecture. So much for a détente. “Elvis and I went out for his evening walk. He heard something and darted over here.”
Before the deputy could reply, Sheriff Howell patted her shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. Stay here in case we have any more questions.”
The flashlight beams from the EMTs and the police bobbed around the inside of the dark cave giving it a disco strobe effect on the walls.
Cassidy caught her breath when they moved the injured man. It was Jack Simon, the other guitar player. Who is targeting the guys in this band?
Cassidy sank down onto the cool ground, and Elvis curled up in her lap. She fired off a series of texts to her security, the band’s manager, and the Pearly Girls about what they had found.
The EMTs worked on Jack for what felt like eons. Cassidy scanned her social media feeds to pass the time.
“So how did you find him?” A voice boomed in front of her, causing her to jump.
Deputy Turner grinned. “Situational awareness. Always know what’s going on around you. Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” When she didn’t say anything in reply, he continued, “Are you okay?”
