Pumpkins in Paradise (Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery Book 1) (17 page)

“Who’s the date?
” Tj glanced across the crowded restaurant where Doc had asked her to meet him. An attractive woman who looked to be considerably younger than him waited at the table from which he had just excused himself.

“Cute young thing who just opened that sandwich shop down by the park.
” Doc stuck out his chest like a rooster strutting his stuff.

“Why, you old dog.
” Tj smiled at the Casanova of her grandfather’s group. “I’m betting she’s not a day over fifty.”

“Fifty-six,” Doc corrected
. “She’s kept herself together real nice.”

“So, you said you had news?
”

“
Tox screen confirms that Zachary died of a drug cocktail, as suspected.” Doc lowered his voice, even though the music was loud and they were sitting in a private booth in the back of the room. “What’s interesting is that the particular blend of narcotics used isn’t found in any commercially produced sedative.”

“Come again?” Tj asked.

“The drug used to kill Zachary was a custom blend, most likely bought from a street dealer.”

“You mean an illegal drug?” Tj clarified.

“Exactly. This particular blend is sort of like a signature, so I’m thinking we’re looking at one of the bigger dealers you’d find in Indulgence, or even Reno,” Doc added.

“Any idea how we can track down the dealer who sold it?”

“We can’t,” Doc asserted. “At this point I think we should turn this over to the sheriff’s department.”

Tj realized she probably had her proof that Zachary was murdered
. There was no way he drove to Reno or Indulgence to buy a designer drug. The man didn’t even own a car.

“Okay, but Dylan, not Sheriff Boggs
. I want to be sure this new information doesn’t get buried. If we can figure out who bought the drug, we can figure out who killed Zachary.”

“I’ll forward the information to Deputy Caine as soon as I’m done here,” Doc promised.

After calling Jenna, briefly explaining the situation, and arranging for the girls to spend the night at her house after they returned from the Pumpkin Festival, Tj decided to stop by the sheriff’s department to see if Dylan was still around
. Arriving at the office, she walked in the front door to find the lobby empty. Walking down the narrow hallway, she heard voices coming from Dylan’s office.

“That’s awesome, buddy,” she heard Dylan say.

Tj stopped just outside the door, not wanting to intrude if Dylan had a visitor.

“I knew you’d like it,” he continued after a brief pause.

Tj realized that Dylan must be on the phone and, from the sound of it, he was most likely having a personal conversation. Tj turned to go back down the hall toward the lobby when she heard his voice change from jovial to sad.

“I know.
” His voice caught briefly. “I miss you too.”

Tj knew she should leave Dylan to his conversation but found herself inching closer to his office
. She pressed herself against the wall and peeked in through the partially open door. Dylan was sitting at his desk dressed in casual clothes rather than his usual uniform, holding a photo.

“But hey,” Dylan said, forcing a smile, “I talked to your mom a few days ago and she said it might be okay for all of us to go to Hawaii again this summer
. We had fun there.”

Tj realized the photo Dylan was holding was probably the one of him and his nephew Justin at the beach.

“No, Kiva can’t come. She wouldn’t like the plane ride.”

Dylan ran his thumb over the surface of the photo, as if trying to commit to memory every detail of the young boy to whom he was talking
. “Yeah, I know you miss her. Tell you what, I’ll talk to your mom after I get settled in and see if we can’t meet somewhere closer. Maybe somewhere along the California coast. I know.” Dylan leaned his head back against the headrest of his chair and closed his eyes as he listened to the person on the other end of the phone line. “I love you too. Have a fantastic birthday tomorrow.”

Dylan pinched the bridge of his nose
. “I know. Maybe next year.”

Tj backed down the hall as quietly as she could
. She waited until the red light on the switchboard, indicating that the phone in Dylan’s office was in use, went dark, then slammed the front door as loudly as she could. “Anyone here?” she called.

She heard footsteps in the hallway as Dylan came out to greet her.

“Casual Friday?” Tj asked after Dylan walked into the lobby in stonewashed jeans and a red cable knit sweater.

“Actually, Roy is feeling better, so he’s agreed to be on call, giving me the night off.
” Dylan appeared to be back to his carefree self. “I thought I’d grab a bite to eat, then head home and watch an old movie with Kiva.”

“If you have a few minutes, I wanted to talk to you about the results from the
tox screen Doc ran.”

“Sure, let’s head back to my office
. The information just came through here, but I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet.”

Tj
explained about the signature drug angle as Dylan looked at the information that had been e-mailed to him. “I was hoping you could track down the dealer who sells this unique blend. Maybe if we find the dealer, we can find our killer.”

Dylan frowned
. “I’m new around here, so I have no idea who is dealing what in this area, but I knew dealers in Chicago with custom blends and the narc guys had a good handle on who was dealing what. I’ll tell you what, I’ll put in a call to the narcotics department in Indulgence and see what they can turn up. In the meantime, care to join me for a bite to eat? I hate to eat alone, and takeout in my hotel room every night is getting pretty old.”

“Really?
” Tj asked, surprised that the handsome deputy would ask her out. “I mean yes, I’d love to.”

“By the way, I have something for you.
” Dylan stopped her. He pulled a large envelope out of his top desk drawer and handed it to her. “I found it at the Collins place. I thought you’d want to have it.”

Tj opened the envelope
. Inside were old newspaper clippings of her, both as a teenager and as an adult. There were articles and pictures of all the most important moments of her life, both happy and sad. She couldn’t believe Zachary had kept all of these.

There were pictures of her in black and gold as she cheered the various Serenity High School teams to victory; others of the car wash she’d organized in the ninth grade, when the local animal shelter ran short of funding and it looked like it might have to close
. There was even a picture of her receiving her diploma at her high-school graduation.

Dylan got up from his chair and walked around the desk to stand behind her as she thumbed through pictures of her skiing to victory the year she’d won the regional downhill championship; kicking the winning goal the year the girls’ soccer team made it to the state championships; and a god-awful photo of her running across the finish line at last year’s Patriot’s Day Triathlon.

“That one is my favorite,” Dylan commented.

“Seriously?
My hair is frizzy from the swim, my face is burned from the sun, and my cheek is smudged with dust from the mountain bike ride.”

“The photo is perfect
. It’s totally you.”

“Thanks a lot.
” Tj groaned as Dylan leaned in over her shoulder.

“Your hair does have a bit of the cave woman thing going on, and the dust on your cheek is noticeably marred with streaks of dried sweat.”

“Not helping,” Tj growled.

“But look at your smile
. You look so happy. Your whole face is glowing, and not just from the sunburn.”

Dylan had a point
. She did look happy, and there was something empowering about the way her head was tilted back and her arms were raised in victory. While Tj had always aspired to look a bit more polished, the photo did seem to accurately capture the real Tj Jensen; a five foot two half pint who’d challenged women half a foot taller and clawed her way to victory based on grit and determination alone.

After forwarding the report and locking the office door behind them, the pair decided to make the short walk down the street to Pops for a bite to eat. Pops was a local joint with a limited menu but excellent food. Tj thought about asking Dylan if he had learned anything new since they had talked the previous day, but somehow the more intimate atmosphere in the restaurant made this feel like a date. “So, how do you like our little town so far?” she asked instead.

“I like it
. The scenery is beautiful, the people seem friendly, and other than the fact that both of my local partners were out this week and I was handed a suspicious death on my very first day on the job, the work seems a lot slower paced than what I was used to in Chicago. Once we get settled into the new house, I think Kiva and I will like living here just fine.”

“Do you ski?
”

“Snowboard, actually, but yeah, I enjoy a day on the slopes
. Roy mentioned that you coach the high-school team.”

“I coach the downhill team in the winter, soccer in the fall, and track in the spring
. I love my job. Working with the kids is very rewarding, although it can be challenging at times.”

“What can
I getcha?” Pop said, interrupting their conversation. A large man with a precision military haircut and extensive tattoos covering both arms, Pop had first learned to cook in the army, serving rations to men in the field.

“We need a menu,” Dylan answered.

“No menus. Got fried chicken, sirloin steak, meatloaf, or pork chops. Everything comes with mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade biscuits, and green beans. Soup is vegetable beef, salad is mixed greens, and both are included. Now what’s it going to be?”

Dylan frowned.

“I know it sounds like a heart attack on a plate, but trust me when I tell you that it’s worth it,” Tj assured him. “Pop makes the best biscuits and gravy this side of anywhere.”

“Okay, I guess I’ll take the steak.”

“And I’ll have the meatloaf.” Tj smiled.

“Soup will be right out.
” Pop walked back toward the kitchen.

“So you were saying…” Dylan attempted to resume the conversation where they had left off.

Tj and Dylan went on to discuss water sports and the merits of wake surfing versus wake boarding. She told him about the resort and her decision to move back in with her dad after she was granted custody of her two half-sisters. Dylan filled her in on his plans for the house he had just bought, and Tj suggested local contractors who could help him with his project. She also told him about the school where she taught and the people she worked with, the usual stuff of first conversations and getting to know each other.

Things got slightly more personal as Dylan shared that he’d grown up in a small town before landing the job in Chicago shortly after his sister, Allie, had given birth to his nephew Justin
. He talked about those first years in Justin’s life and how he’d been a part of his daily routine. He’d worked hard and gained recognition, eventually moving the whole family to the big city, where he’d met his wife, Anna. He talked about the demands of his new job and losing sight of what was really important, like school plays, little league games, and romantic nights out with the wife with whom he’d shared a life for such a short time.

Tj shared how difficult the transition from single woman without a care in the world to guardian of two grade-school-aged girls had been
. She opened up about her doubts and fears as they related to the twists and turns she knew were ahead as they navigated a life together. She was in the middle of telling him about her decision to break up with Tyler when Dylan’s phone rang.

“It’s from the south shore.
” Dylan looked at the caller ID. “I should get this.”

“Looks like our dealer is a guy who goes by the name of Boots,” Dylan informed her.

“Boots?”

“That’s what Frank said
. Anyway, he said we’re most likely to find him working the Strip after the clubs open at nine. He offered to pick him up for questioning, but the personal approach might get us better results. I thought I’d head around the lake and see if I can hook up with the guy.”

“Have you ever been down to Indulgence?
” Tj asked.

“No, I haven’t had the opportunity.”

“You’ll need a guide. The girls are spending the night at my best friend’s, so it just so happens I’m available to come along and serve in that capacity.”

Dylan hesitated.

“Come on, Dylan. I know the town like the back of my hand. You’ll need that.”

“Okay, but you hang back and do exactly what I say.”

“Okay, deal.”

The trip around the narrow mountain road that connected the north and south shore of Paradise Lake took about forty minutes
. During the daylight it was a beautiful drive, passing white sand beaches, beautiful waterfalls, and evergreen forests. During the evening the reflection of the bright moon shimmering on the glassy water lent an atmosphere of calm serenity.

“By the way,” Dylan said as they drove along a narrow mountain road that twisted and turned its way along the lakeshore, “I meant to tell you that I talked to Kurt after I got back from the Pumpkin Festival
. He has an alibi for last Friday night. He said he was hanging out with a buddy of his at the bowling alley—Jeremy Brimmer—before heading over to the bar. I talked to Jeremy and confirmed Kurt’s story, although I don’t know that I’d take him off the list just yet.”

“Why not?
” Tj shifted in her seat so she was looking directly at Dylan.

“When I talked to Jeremy I got the vibe that his story might have been rehearsed.”

“Rehearsed?”

“I’ve taken down a lot of alibis in my time and Jeremy’s story seemed a bit contrived
. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Kurt had called him and told him I would be contacting him and what to say.”

Tj thought about what she knew about Jeremy
. He’d moved to town about a year ago and she didn’t really know him. Like Kurt, he worked in the construction trade, and also like Kurt, he spent most of his free time hanging out at the bowling alley or the bar. Could Kurt and Jeremy be in on it together? It would make sense that if Kurt was going to be the general contractor for Lloyd’s project, he’d hire Jeremy as a subcontractor. Something about the whole bowling alley angle was nagging at her mind, as if she knew something she couldn’t quite remember.

“Did you ever question Lloyd?” Tj asked
.

Dylan nodded
. “It turns out he left for Reno on Thursday and didn’t return until Sunday.”

“Reno’s only an hour away,” Tj pointed out
. “He could have come back, killed Zachary, then returned to finish out the weekend.”

“I thought of that
. He had a keno ticket with a date and time stamp from a casino on the strip. Seems he’s a regular.”

“There’s no way to tell if he was the one who bought the ticket
. He could have had someone do it for him.”

Dylan smiled
. “Maybe you should have been a cop instead of a teacher. You certainly think like one.”

“Are you kidding,”
Tj laughed. “Where do you think I learned my investigative skills? There’s no one who can lie like a teenager. Believe me when I tell you, I’ve heard it all.”

“As it turns out, the fact that Lloyd could have returned from Reno to kill Zachary occurred to me. I’m having the surveillance tapes from the casino pulled for the date and time in question.
”

“Did you ask him about the condo development?
”

“He said Glen Keller approached him about a month ago
. According to Lloyd, Glen told him Zachary had reconsidered and was ready to sell. Glen handled all the paperwork and Lloyd never even needed to meet with the man who had been a thorn in his side for years.”

“Seems odd.”

“Maybe; maybe not. Real estate transactions are handled by professional representatives and electronic signatures all the time. Lloyd claims to have a signed document, so if he’s lying we’ll need proof. I think it best at this point to stay focused on all our suspects.”

“Okay
. So If Kurt was at the bowling alley, Lloyd was in Reno, and Kyle was at the resort, who does that leave us? Jeff?”

“I talked to Jeff
. He didn’t do it,” Dylan affirmed. “I found out something new, though, that I haven’t quite decided is relevant.”

“What?”

“I tracked down the man who ordered the answering service for The Repository. His name is John Henry. It turns out he’s a private investigator who works out of San Jose. He said Zachary hired him to run a few personal errands and to track down four people.”

“Timothy Bell and Kyle,” Tj guessed, remembering Trent Jackson had mentioned that a man na
med John Henry had been looking for Timothy Bell’s widow. “Who are the other two?”

“He didn’t mention Timothy Bell,” Dylan commented
. “Hang on; I wrote down the names.” Dylan managed to fish a folded-up piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Tj.

She looked at the list,
then read it aloud. “Maude and Millie Morrison, Carmen Lewis, and Kyle Donovan.” Tj frowned. ”Okay, so Zachary must have known that Kyle was his grandson and brought him here for some reason, but why the other three?”

“Henry didn’t say, although I got the feeling he knew
. He mentioned some sort of client/PI confidence. I thought I’d try to track down the names and see what I can find out.”

“You won’t have to look far
. Maude, Millie, and Carmen are all at the resort. They arrived on the same day as Kyle. Zachary must have brought them all here, although I have no idea why. Do you have contact information for the man?” Tj asked instead.

“Yeah, but it won’t do you any good
. He was on his way to leave for a trip south of the border on some bounty-hunting job. Said there wouldn’t be cell service where he was heading. He indicated that he hoped to be back in a week or two if his lead panned out.”

“Figures.
”

By the time they arrived at the outskirts of the much larger city on the south shore of Paradise Lake, it was almost eleven o’clock
.

“It looks like a mini Vegas,” Dylan commented as they drove through the area known as the Strip, where the casinos, nightclubs, and other forms of adult entertainment were located
.

“It’s a tenth of the size, but the same atmosphere
. If you head further down the road, there’s a really nice village at the base of the Thunder Mountain ski area with tons of shopping, five-star dining, and luxury hotels; then beyond that is Old Town, with historic buildings, mom-and-pop shops, and a local museum. That’s where the county offices are located. I can show you where the main branch of the Paradise County Sheriff’s Office is for future reference, if you want.”

“
Thanks, that would be helpful.”

“It’s probably best to park in one of the casino garages,” Tj directed
. “The Strip is flashy but less than a mile long. We can park and walk the area. Chances are this Boots will be close by if he’s working tonight.”

Tj pointed Dylan to the parking garage at the Empress, the largest casino on the Strip
. “So, how do you want to play this?” she asked.

“Play this?”

“Yeah, what’s our cover?”

“Our cover’ is that you are a woman out for a walk who is going to hang back while I talk to this guy
. Remember our deal?”

“Okay.
” Tj sighed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. She loved her sisters and would do anything for them, but until this moment she hadn’t realized how truly routine and unexciting her life had become. Playing undercover cop with Dylan was the most excitement she’d had in a very long time.

Dylan parked the truck, locked it, then took Tj by the hand as they exited the parking garage and strolled nonchalantly down the street
. Tj’s heart skipped a beat as Dylan’s large hand closed over her small one. It had been a while since she’d had any male/female contact from someone she wasn’t related to, and Dylan’s hand engulfing hers felt better than she’d like to admit.

Tj wasn’t a gambler and rarely spent time in casinos, but somehow, strolling down the street hand in hand with a gorgeous man, she felt energized. The atmosphere along the strip was electric with flashing lights and partially drunk pedestrians talking and laughing
. If she let her imagination take over just a bit, it almost felt like they were on a date. Not that she usually needed to use her imagination to spend time with a man, but lord knew, due to her current circumstances, it had been a while.

Dylan stopped in front of a brightly lit club with loud music vibrating through the doorway
. “Guess we’ll start here.”

The club was smoke filled and dimly lit
. Small, round tables surrounded by backless stools faced a small stage where Tj knew exotic dancers would entertain the crowd between eleven and two. There were few patrons at this point, mostly men in small groups pounding down drinks and flirting with the scantily clad cocktail waitresses.

“What now?
” Tj whispered.

“You don’t need to whisper
. The music in here is loud enough that no one would hear you if you shouted.”

Tj looked around the room
. There was a large group of young men sitting in one corner with several of waitresses perched on their laps. A dozen or so tables were occupied by between one and three people, mostly men but several with women. Dylan sat Tj down at the bar and ordered her seltzer water, then sauntered over to a table near the stage that was occupied by three women. Tj couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she wasn’t sure she liked the way all three were leaning forward provocatively to show off their assets.

Dylan made his way around the room, speaking briefly to each of the patrons
. She didn’t know if he was getting any leads, but it looked like he was having fun. She hadn’t necessarily pegged Dylan as a party animal, yet he seemed to be right at home in a smoky room dripping with sexual energy. Eventually he returned to the bar where Tj waited.

“Strike out?” Tj asked.

“Three phone numbers.” He grinned.

“That’s not what I meant.”

‘I know. Apparently no one in the room knows who this Boots is. And if they do, they aren’t talking. Let’s take a walk down the Strip. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

Dylan took Tj’s hand again as they walked past bars, brightly lit gentlemen’s clubs, and adult bookstores
. A woman dressed in a short skirt, four-inch heels, and a halter top, bumped into Tj as they turned the corner toward a small, crowded players’ club.

“Sorry.
” The woman smiled at Dylan, completely ignoring Tj. She must be freezing, Tj thought, as Dylan smiled back at her.

“No problem.
” Dylan turned on the charm, practically undressing the woman with his eyes. If this had been a real date, Tj would be as mad as hell. “My friend and I are looking for a little something to set the mood. Heard a man who goes by the name of Boots is the one to talk to.” Dylan leaned in close to the woman, who seemed to melt right in front of Tj’s eyes. She couldn’t believe how blatantly the woman was coming on to Dylan.

“Boots usually works the park
. If you get bored with your friend, give me a call.” The woman pulled a short pen out from between her perky double Ds and wrote a number on Dylan’s hand. “Just ask for Star.”

“Jeez, did you have to be
sooo nice to her?” Tj asked as he thanked the woman and walked in the direction she had indicated.

“Jealous?”

Tj snorted. “No. I’ve just never felt quite so invisible before. I mean, the woman didn’t know we aren’t really a couple.”

“Don’t think she cared.”

Dylan walked into a Starbucks. “Are we stopping for coffee?”

Dylan sat her down at one of the tables near the counter
. “
You’re
stopping for coffee. I’m going to have a chat with our friend Boots. I shouldn’t be too long. Do you have your cell?”

“Yeah, why?”

Tj handed him the phone and he punched in a number. “I programmed in my number. Call if you have any problems, and Tj…”

“Yeah?”

“Stay put and don’t talk to anyone.”

“Yes, Dad.
”

Tj wasn’t thrilled about being left behind, but a latte would be wonderful, and she
had
promised Dylan she’d do everything he said. If she knew she was going to be stuck in a coffee shop by herself, though, she would have brought a book. After ordering her drink, she rummaged around in her purse for something to keep her occupied while she waited for him to return.