Pumpkins in Paradise (Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery Book 1) (18 page)

Tears came to her eyes as she pulled out the necklace Zachary had left her
. She knew the necklace had belonged to his mother. She’d noticed it in the cabinet where he kept his most prized keepsakes. She’d commented on how much she liked it, and he’d told her he might give it to her one day. Tj slipped the necklace around her neck and clasped it behind her head.

Taking out the gold key she’d found, she studied it
. It was small, with the number 72 stamped onto the head. It could open a desk or cabinet, but the number led Tj to believe it was a key used to open something with multiple units, such as a locker or perhaps a safety deposit box. Tj doubted Zachary actually intended for her to find it; otherwise he would have left instructions on how to use it. On the other hand, the fact that the riddle led to the safe where the key was kept was odd. If the necklace was the prize at the end of the game, why not hide it in the cookie jar or under a sofa cushion? Why the safe?

The only other item in the safe had been the keno ticket
. Another oddity. As far as she knew Zachary never left the confines of his house, and she was certain he wouldn’t be spending time in a crowded casino. The ticket was from a casino on the strip in Reno. Could it have come from Lloyd? And if so, why had he given it to Zachary? The ticket had no monetary value, so Tj figured the phone number was the reason the ticket was in the safe.

Tj decided to call the number to see who answered.

“Serenity Bowl,” someone from the local bowling alley answered.

The bowling alley
? Why would Zachary have a phone number to the bowling alley in his safe? She remembered the key. Could the key go to one of the bowling lockers she knew they kept for regulars? She also remembered that Kurt hung out at the bowling alley and had, in fact, used his presence there as his alibi. It seemed that the plot was getting more and more complicated as they went.

“Hi, I’m calling to inquire about your lockers,” Tj improvised
. “Are they combination locks or do they open with keys?”

“Combination, but they’re all rented out
. We have a waiting list, if you’d like.”

“Uh, no thanks
. Do you happen to know a man by the name of Zachary Collins?”

“Old guy who died?”

“Yeah.”

“Nah, man
. Never met him. Heard the dude never came out of that big, spooky house of his.”

“I found a piece of paper with the phone number for the bowling alley in his home
. Is there anyone else he might have spoken to?”

“Guess you can ask Terry
. He owns the place. Should be tending bar in the grill. I can connect you.”

“Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”

Terry claimed he had never met or spoken to Zachary. The only other employees at the bowling alley were a middle-aged man named Conway, who also denied knowing Zachary, and a janitor named Lance who wouldn’t be on duty for another two hours. Everyone knew Kurt, but no one could remember if he had been there last Friday night, or on the night the keno ticket was dated, two weeks earlier.

Tj was debating what to do when Dylan walked into the coffee shop.

“So?” Tj asked.

“Boots, who by the way wears military fatigues with red cowboy boots—”

“Hence the name,” Tj guessed.

“Admitted after a fairly lengthy conversation,” Dylan continued, “that he had sold that particular drug cocktail to
several people whose names he couldn’t remember. When I pulled out my badge and threatened to take him in for dealing, he conveniently remembered that a regular named Bunny had bought the drug in question just last week.”

“Bunny
? Who’s this Bunny?”

“He said she’s a cocktail waitress at the Empress
. I guess I should check her out.”

Tj stood up
. “I’m coming with you. I’ve drunk about as much coffee as I can, and the barista behind the counter keeps glaring at me.”

“Okay, but leave the talking to me.”

“I get it. You’re Batman, I’m Robin.”

“Actually, I’m Batman and you’re Alfred
. I want you to hang back, maybe play a few slots, while I talk to the woman.”

“I’m more of a blackjack girl
. Slots are too passive for my taste.”

“Whatever
. Just stay out of the way. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“You think someone named Bunny can hurt me?”

“Tj…” Dylan warned.

“Okay, I’ll play a few hands while you do the detective thing.”

Walking into the casino was like entering a different world that was loud and bright and gaudy
. “Looks like someone’s having a good day,” said Tj as
they passed a woman who was jumping up and down and screaming at the top of her lungs as a river of quarters filled her tray. Most slot machines these days paid their winnings in the form of vouchers that could be cashed in at the nearest change booth, but Tj like the old-fashioned machines best, machines that provided tactile and auditory rewards as the coins clunk, clunk, clunked into the metal trays and had to be scooped into a cup.

There was an electrifying energy inside a busy casino that Tj had never seen duplicated anywhere else
. The noise was often deafening as slot machines chimed and rang and whistled and sang and excited patrons yelled and shouted and cheered as dice were rolled and roulette wheels were spun.

Tj never really liked the bright colors and gaudy designs with which casinos were decorated, but she had to admit they energized rather than soothed the psyche of the people who frequented these halls
. Energized people tended to stay longer and spend more money. From a purely financial standpoint, the decorating scheme made sense.

Dylan parked Tj at a nearby slot machine before entering into a conversation with Bunny, who turned out to be a gorgeous blonde with silicone breasts
. She initially swore she knew nothing about buying any drugs from Boots or anyone else. After Dylan dropped a few phrases like “twenty-four-hour lockup,” the woman changed her tune and admitted that she might have bought the drug after all for her boyfriend Troy, who had a client on the north shore.

“Troy?
” Tj interrupted from the slot machine, where she had been doing more eavesdropping than gambling.

“Troy Potter.”

“I know a Troy Potter,” Tj volunteered. “Graduated from Serenity High a couple of years ago.” Tj looked directly at Bunny. “You said he was your boyfriend? You
do
know he’s married?”

The woman shrugged
. “So? Most men want a little somethin’ on the side, and as long as they have money I’m happy to oblige. I hope you aren’t going to arrest Troy for dealin’. He’s a good guy. Just needed to make a little extra money is all. He said a guy approached him who was willing to pay big bucks for the stuff.”

“Do you know where Troy right now?
” Dylan asked.

“At home, I guess.
”

“Did he say who the client was?
” Tj asked.

Bunny shrugged
. “Some old guy.”

“Thank you for your time.”

Tj was about to argue, but Dylan took her by the hand and led her away.

“Why did you let her go?” Tj asked
. “You know those were the drugs used to kill Zachary.”

“Bunny doesn’t know who Troy sold the drugs to
. I have an idea how we can find out.”

The next morning Tj woke with a groan. A glance out her window confirmed that the sun had been up for hours. There was a note from Ashley on the table next to her bed:
Went to pumpkin patch with Kristi. Dennis said to let you sleep. Don’t forget about the hayride and pumpkin lighting in the town square.
Dennis must have brought the girls home to grab a change of clothes at some point. Once she got Zachary’s murder solved she was going to owe Dennis and Jenna big time for all the babysitting they were doing.

The hayride and annual jack-o’-lantern walk weren’t until that evening
. She was tempted to go back to sleep since she had most of a day all to herself for the first time in forever, but there was no way she was going to be able to relax until Zachary’s murderer was behind bars.

Tj wandered into her bathroom and flipped on the countertop heater before turning the shower on high
. Stripping off the thermals she’d worn to sleep, she stepped under the hot spray. Dylan had said he’d track down Troy, so Tj decided the best use of her time was to try to find out what the key she’d found in Zachary’s box opened. She squeezed some of the rain-scented shampoo she’d bought at the boutique in town onto her head and rubbed it into a foamy cap that trailed down her back.

She’d thought a lot about the key, and the only thing she could come up with was that Zachary had opened a safety-deposit box at the bank for some reason
. Of course, the fact that Zachary never left the house didn’t bode well for the theory that he’d visited the local bank, but nothing else really made sense.

Rinsing her hair, she applied a thick conditioner in a matching scent,
then lathered her body with a moisturizing body wash, considering other options. He could have a lock box hidden somewhere in his house, a much more feasible theory but much harder to prove or disprove. There might also be other lockers around town that could fit the key. In the movies thieves often hid their ill-gotten gains in a bus or train station locker, but since Serenity had neither a bus nor a train station, she’d have to look elsewhere for her answer.

Standing under the steamy spray, she rinsed her hair and body one final time, enjoying the powerful spray from the custom showerhead her dad had installed years earlier
. Turning off the shower, she reached out for a thick, cream-colored towel and wrapped it around her petite frame. Wrapping a second towel around her hair, she stepped out onto the plush carpet and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She supposed the best course of action was to try the bank
. If the key didn’t open a safety-deposit box, she’d return to Zachary’s and look for a lock it might fit. She’d discovered the key upstairs when she’d searched for the key to open the cabinet in the living room to get the book, and Zachary had a safe she’d never known existed. It actually made sense that he could have additional locked boxes or cabinets hidden around his mausoleum of a house.

After rubbing some of the ridiculously expensive body lotion her grandpa had given her for Christmas onto her body, she dressed in a new pair of jeans and a white tank and dark blue V-neck sweater
. Slipping a wide headband over the mass of shinny curls she’d partially dried, she applied a scant amount of makeup to her pale cheeks and a dash of mascara to the long lashes framing her bright blue eyes before heading down to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

The house appeared to be empty
. It was late as mornings at the resort went, and with the large number of guests staying with them this weekend, Tj imagined both her dad and grandfather were busy making sure that everything was running smoothly. Taking her cup with her, she called Echo to her side and headed out the door to find her dad and fill him in on her plans. After that she figured she’d check on Shasta and her daughters and see how Bruiser, who seemed to be mending nicely, was doing with his new roommates.

An hour later, Tj walked through the festively decorated town as she made her way toward Serenity Community Bank. Tourists from as far away as the Bay Area visited Serenity on the last Saturday in October to participate in the largest pumpkin festival west of the Rocky Mountains. Thousands of jack-o’-lanterns had been carved for the annual event. Once the sun set and the sky grew dark, dozens of volunteers set out with butane lighters to bring the carved creations to life.

Turning the corner near the park where the gazebo was filled to capacity with pumpkins waiting for the carving contest later that afternoon, Tj smiled at the costumed children gathered in front of
Hannigan’s Toy Store , waiting patiently for the costume parade to begin. After waving at Frannie Edison, who was crossing the crowded street, she made her way through the double doors of the bank. Proceeding directly to the customer service desk, Tj smiled at a middle-aged woman she recognized but whose name she couldn’t remember.

“Can I help you?”

“I was wondering if you could tell me if this key belongs to one of your safety-deposit boxes.”

The woman took the key and looked at it
. “Yes, ma’am. Box seventy-two. Would you like to access it?”

“Yes, thank you.
” Tj couldn’t believe it was going to be this easy.

“If you have ID, the key, and the code, I can show you to the back.”

“Code?”

“The bank provides every box owner a key, but the code is provided by the lessee
. No one else, not even the bank, has the code. I’m afraid without the code the key is quite useless.”

“Terrific.
” Tj sighed.

“You forgot the code?” the woman asked.

“Actually, I’m not the one who opened the box. I’m fairly certain my friend Zachary Collins is the one who did so. Mr. Collins passed away before he was able to give me the code. There must be some protocol for such occurrences.”

The woman frowned
. “Do you have your ID with you?”

Tj handed the woman her driver’s license.

The woman compared the information on her screen to the license in her hand. “It appears that the box was opened by a man named John Henry. He opened it on your behalf; the box is registered in your name. Unfortunately, the only way a box can be opened without the code is by court order. If Mr. Collins passed before providing you with the code, you can apply to the court for such an order, but I must warn you that making the request will most likely cause the box to be tied up in the probate process, which often takes a while.”

Tj put her elbows on the counter and rested her head in her hands
.

“If you knew Mr. Collins well, I suppose you could try to guess,” the woman suggested
. “The code has to be between five and ten numbers. Most people use something meaningful, such as a birthday, phone number, or social security number, if that helps.”

“Can I try as many times as I want?
” Tj asked.

“No
. After five wrong tries the code is erased and it will take a court order to open the box.”

Tj hesitated
. She had no idea what the code was, but what did she really have to lose by trying? If she didn’t succeed in five tries, she’d see if Dylan could get a court order to open the box. The customer service rep led her into the back room and pointed out the correct box. She showed Tj how to insert the key, then use the keypad to type in the code. She only had five tries and the combination of possibilities seemed endless.

Tj tried to think like Zachary would
. The code for the puzzle box had been 8128. Only four numbers, and she needed at least five. She had no idea what his social security number was. She could try his birthday, but somehow she doubted he’d use that. Her birth date? Probably not. The answer to his puzzles had always been meaningful and obvious, once figured out. Tj thought about their anniversary. She knew that day had meaning to Zachary. She tried it. Strike one.

Zachary had given her access to the box, so why hadn’t he have given her the code
? The clue in the puzzle box had led to the safe. Maybe he wanted her to find the other items in the safe: the key and the phone number.

Tj typed in the seven-digit phone number: 438-9512
. Strike two. Damn. She was sure it was that. Why else would he have the phone number of the bowling alley? Maybe the number wasn’t a phone number after all. The marked keno numbers were 1,2, 3,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Nine numbers all in a row; the question was, should she enter them in order? She looked at the keno ticket. Zachary had circled the number fifteen even though it hadn’t been marked to play. There had to be something significant about the number. Tj thought about how Zachary had used a perfect number to code the puzzle box. Chances were he was using the numbers from some other game he’d taught her.

Tj thought about all the possibilities
. Zachary liked numbers. He’d taught her a lot of interesting ways to look at them. It made sense that the key to opening the box was something he’d shown her recently. Of course, Tj realized: the magic square puzzle they’d solved a few weeks earlier. Zachary had gone over it several times to make sure Tj understood how to build one. Tj quickly scratched a graph resembling a tic-tac-toe game on the back of the ticket. She remembered that to create a magic square you needed to have the numbers in each row as well as each column and each diagonal all add up to the same number. For a three-square puzzle the number each row needed to add up to was fifteen. Since there was more than one answer to the puzzle, Zachary would have left her an additional clue to make sure she came up with the specific order required.

Tj bit her lip as she tried to decide what that clue might be
. She only had three tries left, so she couldn’t just start punching in random sets. The phone number. She plugged the phone number into the graph:
438

951

2**.

That left six and seven. To create a magic square, you needed to put seven in the next box, followed by six. Tj wished she had more tries to see if her logic was correct, but the number sequence she had come up with seemed to be the best guess so she punched them in. She held her breath as the box popped open. Tj couldn’t believe she had actually done it.

Slowly removing the box from the slot on the wall, she set it on the table and opened the top
. Inside was a package wrapped in newspaper with her name on it. She wanted to wait and open it later, when she was alone and could really appreciate whatever it was Zachary had left her, so she slipped it into her bag. There were also two envelopes. The first envelope held a copy of the letter informing Maude and Millie that they’d won a contest, a copy of the letter offering a grant to Carmen, and a copy of the letter offering Kyle a job. Opening the second envelope, she gasped. She knew who the killer was.