Dead in the Daisies (A Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mystery) Read online

  “You're not really going to force us out of here in handcuffs in front of all of those reporters, are you?” Seth asked incredulously. “This is outrageous. Is this how law enforcement works in this town? We have an alibi for God's sakes! Matt, our bodyguard can confirm we were in our room.”

  “Just relax we are not arresting you, yet,” the sheriff countered. “But, we have spoken to Matt and he cannot confirm that you were definitely in your room the whole night. He said that you told him he could take a break and he wasn’t outside your room the whole time. You could have easily left your room and gone into the photographer’s room without him seeing. So, if the only person who can confirm your alibi is your fiancée, and vice versa, then you do not have an alibi.”

  “There was also a woman, who brought us the champagne last night! She knows we were here, she spoke to us, even shared a glass with us,” Trinie insisted.

  'What woman?” the sheriff asked.

  “The one with the purple hair,” Trinie nodded with confidence. “I think she might work here.”

  “What time was she here?” the sheriff asked.

  “From about ten until eleven o'clock,” Seth nodded with a frown. “She was quite entertaining, but we wanted to get to bed early so we'd be ready for the ceremony today.”

  “Well, of course we'll have to verify the alibi and the time of death,” the sheriff said with a sigh. “For now, just stay in your room, and do not contact anyone, okay?” he looked directly at both of them. “Whoever did this may have had something against you, and you need to exercise extreme caution.”

  “We'll make sure our bodyguards are on alert,” Seth agreed, still offering the sheriff a blistering glare. He did not enjoy being accused of murder. The sheriff ignored the glare.

  The sheriff stepped out as Vicky was walking down the corridor. “Vicky,” the sheriff called. Vicky turned around with a smile, relieved she had not been caught right outside the door. “Please find your aunt and tell her I need to speak to her,” he met her gaze with a quirked brow and she knew that she better not ask any questions and should find Aunt Ida fast.

  “Sure,” she nodded quickly.

  Chapter Five

  Aunt Ida was not usually hard to find. Vicky assumed that she would only have to follow the trail of handsome security guards to find her. To her surprise her aunt was nowhere to be found. As she made her way back through the lobby of the inn she spotted Ida and Sarah standing near the reception desk with Sheriff McDonnell.

  “But all of the staff were told to stay off that floor,” Sarah was saying as Vicky walked up to the trio.

  “I made that clear to everyone,” Sarah emphasized, her own expression darkened by the knowledge that someone had defied her direct instructions not to disturb the couple. Ida shifted from foot to foot, and then smiled at Mitchell as he joined them in the lobby.

  “Would you like some tea, sweetheart?” she asked, laying on her thickest charm. “I'll just run and get us some,” she said quickly and started to walk away.

  Mitchell shifted his gaze towards her at the same moment that the sheriff, Sarah and Vicky did. Ida looked as if she was caught in the beam of headlights as her eyes widened innocently. “What?”

  “Aunt Ida,” Sarah growled and scrutinized the woman. “Did you take the champagne to them?” Vicky braced herself as she already knew that is what her aunt must have done.

  Ida huffed and fluttered her hands at her sides as if she was searching for an excuse on her person. “Well, you said not to,” she pointed out.

  “And?” Sarah asked with a stunned chuckle. “That doesn't answer the question.”

  Mitchell stepped between the glowering sisters and their aunt. “Ida,” he paused a moment and then offered her a slow, sweet smile. “May I call you, Ida?”

  Ida's lashes fluttered lightly. “If you'd like,” she agreed.

  Vicky and Sarah exchanged knowing glances as Mitchell moved closer to Ida. “Listen, if it were me, I would have found a way to that room. I mean who wouldn't? The chance of a lifetime is sleeping under your roof, you have to get a little peak, right?”

  Ida frowned uncomfortably but she reluctantly nodded. “Well, I couldn't help it, I just couldn't resist.”

  Sarah gasped from behind Mitchell and stepped around him with a finger jutting towards her aunt. “You did go up there!” Sarah exclaimed and pressed the heel of her palm to her forehead.

  “Don’t worry,” Mitchell assured both of them. “This could actually be a very good thing,” he turned back to Ida. “Now, when you went upstairs, did you notice anything unusual?”

  Ida shifted uncomfortably again as the sheriff crossed his arms, and Vicky settled her eyes to her aunt's.

  “Well, there was something unusual,” Aunt Ida reluctantly confessed. “I went up the back stairs and when I was walking towards their room I saw Seth in the hallway with one of their bodyguards. Seth looked pretty angry. He kept saying, 'How could you do this to us?' So I hung back a little bit and waited.”

  “Then what happened?” Mitchell prompted her with interest.

  “Well, the bodyguard was upset, he kept insisting that he had nothing to do with it, that it wasn't his fault. Then he said, he would make it right, to just give him another chance,” Aunt Ida shook her head. “I mean I didn't want to seem too nosey”

  “Did you see where the bodyguard went?” Mitchell asked hopefully.

  “No, not really, he just stormed down the hall. I didn't really notice much, as Seth was in his undershirt and...” she sighed dreamily. Vicky considered Ida's words and the fact that Seth hadn't revealed the encounter with his bodyguard. So, that’s why the bodyguard left his post and couldn’t give them an alibi Vicky concluded. Was it possible they were arguing about the pictures that had been found on Graham's computer?

  “Aunt Ida!” Sarah muttered disapprovingly and blushed with embarrassment.

  “You would be distracted, too,” Aunt Ida insisted.

  “Anyway, I waited for a bit after Seth went back into the room. I planned to just hand them the champagne, but the poor guy looked so worried that I decided to stay and try to cheer them up. I'd hate to see such a lovely young couple throw away their chance at happiness over some squabble,” she shook her head sadly.

  “Wait, are you saying that Trinie and Seth were fighting?” Mitchell asked and stepped closer to Aunt Ida to ensure that he was hearing her correctly.

  “Not exactly fighting,” Aunt Ida corrected him with a slight frown. “It was more like a heated discussion. Seth was insisting that the bodyguard, Matt, I think he called him, had nothing to do with it, and Trinie was determined that he was mistaken. Anyway, it all ended when I showed up with the champagne, so I took it upon myself to attempt to lighten the mood,” she fluttered her hands lightly in the air.

  “And how long were you there?” Sheriff McDonnell asked with keen interest. “Just a few minutes?”

  “No, no, had to be at least an hour,” Aunt Ida sighed and then looked guiltily at Sarah. “But they wanted me to stay, Sarah. I wasn't bothering them, I swear,” she looked at her niece pleadingly.

  Sarah sighed and reached out to give her aunt a small hug. She knew that Aunt Ida was well meaning and loved the adventure.

  “Well, as long as the time of death matches the time you're claiming to have been with Trinie and Seth then you've just provided them with an alibi,” the sheriff stated. “I'm going to check on what forensic results have come through at the station, Mitchell, I want you to stay on top of this, understand?” he met the deputy's eyes with an authoritative glare.

  “Yes sir,” Mitchell nodded.

  “I happen to enjoy that young lady's acting, and I want to make sure neither of them comes to any harm. If they had something to do with this, then justice will be served, until then consider them both to be under protective custody,” he nodded his head to Sarah, Vicky, and Aunt Ida before turning to the front door of the inn. As he walked away Sarah wiped her hand across her face and grima
ced.

  “I knew this was going to be a bad idea,” she groaned and shook her head.

  “It's going to be fine,” Vicky promised her, but she didn't even really believe that herself anymore. So far they had one dead body and evidence that pointed them in the direction of a celebrity couple that was meant to be married at the inn today.

  “I'm going to take another look upstairs,” Mitchell said and started to walk away. Vicky grabbed his arm gently to stop him. When he glanced back at her, she asked almost in a whisper.

  “Is it true? Were there really pictures?”

  “Yes,” he nodded with a grave expression. “And not pictures she would have ever wanted getting out. I'm afraid, that until we can confirm beyond a doubt that the time of death occurred between ten and eleven o'clock, Trinie and Seth are still our best suspects.”

  Vicky nodded with dismay and released his arm as he headed for the elevator. She left Aunt Ida to go and get Sarah some calming herbal tea and decided to check that everything was ready for the wedding, if there was a wedding. As she walked into the kitchen she found the chef, Henry, staring out the window at the commotion.

  “Henry?” she asked as she stepped up behind him. He nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned around to face her.

  “Oh Vicky, I'm sorry, you startled me,” he cleared his throat.

  “Sorry to sneak up on you. Are you ok?” she frowned as she studied the concern on his face.

  “Vicky, I feel so terrible,” he gulped out and shook his head.

  “What is it? What's wrong?” Vicky asked him and reached out to lightly touch his shoulder.

  “Last night I heard a scream, I was getting ready to watch a show on TV, and I had just settled down with a bedtime snack. I heard this scream, and then a thump,” he shook his head again. “I would have thought it was strange, I really would have, if it wasn't for all the media camped out. I figured one of them had just tried to make it over the gates. When I didn't hear anything else, I assumed it was fine, and I just went on watching my show,” he shook his head again and moaned into the back of his hand. “To think I was snacking while someone lay dead in the daisies, but I didn't know!”

  “It's okay, Henry,” Vicky assured him as she patted his arm. “There was nothing that you could have done. Now the best thing you can do is tell the police about this, and what time it was when it happened.”

  “Oh yes, it was just before ten-thirty,” he said with a quick nod. “I know it was, because that's what time the show comes on.”

  Just then Mitchell walked into the kitchen.

  “Excuse me,” he said in a professional manner. “I don't mean to interrupt, but I need to speak with Henry.”

  “Yes, good, I was going to come to speak to you,” Henry said anxiously as he stepped forward.

  “Really?” Mitchell asked with interest in his eyes. “What did you want to speak to me about?”

  Vicky ducked out of the kitchen. Now that Seth and Trinie had been ruled out, who could it be? She wanted to check on Seth and Trinie and make sure that they were prepared for the wedding. Maybe she could also get another look at the photographer's room. As she stepped into the elevator and hit the button to close the doors, she was surprised when a hand stopped them from closing.

  “Vicky,” Mitchell said as he stepped into the elevator, “where are you headed now?” he asked, as if he didn't already know by the glowing circle around the number three.

  “I was going to check on Seth and Trinie,” Vicky said. “Make sure they are ready for the wedding.”

  “Vicky, make sure you and your Aunt Ida stay out of the case,” Mitchell said as he turned to face her, pinning her between the back of the elevator and his lovely uniformed chest. “Anything you do here could contaminate the crime scene, the evidence and the witness testimony. If that happens, then we might never be able to prosecute the right person. This isn't just a normal case, it involves Trinie and Seth, and we have to make sure every base is covered.”

  “Of course,” she sighed. Mitchell knew that Aunt Ida had a keen interest in reading murder mysteries that often translated into her coaxing Vicky into investigating real-life mysteries with her. However, at the moment Aunt Ida seemed to be too star-struck to worry about the murder.

  When they reached the third floor and stepped off the elevator, Vicky noticed that the door to the photographer's room had been left open. There was police tape stretched across the doorway, but it had obviously been disturbed.

  “Someone's been in there,” Vicky said with a frown.

  “I wonder what they were looking for?” Mitchell inquired as he peered into the room.

  “Maybe the pictures?” Vicky suggested cautiously.

  “The pictures have already been turned in, along with the computer and all of his camera equipment. Whatever it was, this person was looking for, I doubt they found it,” Mitchell sighed as he walked towards the window that overlooked the gardens. The body had already been removed, but the memory of it being there was still imprinted on the minds of all those who had seen it. Vicky remained by the door.

  “The truth is if Seth or Trinie wanted Graham dead, all they had to do was hire someone,” Mitchell shrugged as he tucked his hands into his pockets. “It's not pleasant to think of, but it's the truth. With their wealth and influence they could easily get away with a hit.”

  “But why go to all the trouble of bringing him to the wedding?” Vicky asked, not convinced. Her mind kept travelling back to the argument she had overheard Seth and Trinie having as she knocked on their door. They were both acting as if they knew about the pictures, which should have made it obvious that they were the ones out to cause Graham harm. But she didn’t believe they would do such a thing.

  “They're hiding something,” she finally said as Mitchell looked away from the window and back towards her.

  “That's for sure,” he agreed.

  “But the question is, what?” Vicky pointed out.

  “You mean other than murder?” Mitchell frowned. “Isn't that enough?”

  “It's not murder,” Vicky said with confidence. “I don't think they had anything to do with Graham's death.”

  “Vicky there are countless security guards here that for a little extra cash would have been willing to make Seth and Trinie's problem go away,” he explained. “As of now even the inn staff are suspects. Money can make people do things that they never would have considered otherwise.”

  “Maybe,” Vicky bit into her bottom lip and peeked down the hallway. “But celebrities aren't always the only ones that have everything to lose.”

  “What do you mean by that?” he asked with surprise. “Do you think someone else had a motive to go after Graham? The pictures were of Trinie, who else would care about them?”

  “I don't know,” Vicky admitted with a sigh.

  Just as she spoke she was interrupted by voices from the end of the hall. Vicky looked down the hallway to see who was approaching. It was Seth and Trinie with a tall muscular bodyguard at their side.

  “Hello,” Vicky said as she stepped out further into the hallway with Mitchell right behind her. “I hope you guys aren't getting too stressed out.”

  “How could we with the complimentary massages your sister just treated us to?” Trinie said with a smile.

  “Good, I'm glad you were able to relax a little,” Vicky said quickly.

  “I’ll come and check on you guys in a minute. Make sure you have everything you need,” Vicky said as they walked to their room. She wondered if this was Matt, the bodyguard that Seth had an argument with.

  “Thanks, Vicky,” Trinie nodded.

  “I better call the sheriff,” Mitchell sighed.

  “I’ll go see Seth and Trinie,” she said as she turned and hurried down the hall.

  Vicky nearly walked right into a maid who was headed into one of the adjacent rooms.

  “Oh, so sorry Vicky,” the maid, Emily, said.

  “No, I’m sorry,” Vicky smiled kindly at
the woman. “I wasn't paying attention to where I was going.”

  “I'm just trying to tidy this room up very quickly, before he comes back,” Emily said quickly as she stepped into the room. Vicky followed after her curiously.

  “Whose room is this?”

  “The bodyguards’,” Emily said in a whisper, “Matt and the other bodyguard share it.”

  “Oh, you know them,” Vicky questioned.

  “Only Matt Castille. I can’t actually believe that he is here,” Emily said with a secretive smile as she straightened the sheets on the bed.

  “What do you mean? Who is he?” Vicky asked with surprise

  “Oh, I thought you knew. You see he's the same bodyguard who was involved with that young country singer, Charlotte. Have you ever heard her sing?” she sighed with pleasure as she recollected the melody. “She could sing so beautifully. But when that greedy bodyguard sold out to that photographer, and those pictures got out,” she clucked her tongue lightly, “her career was over before it even really got started.”

  “Pictures?” Vicky asked curiously.

  “Yes, pictures,” the maid nodded. “Pictures of her doing things she shouldn't have been, with someone else's husband.”

  “Well, that's interesting,” Vicky said with a grimace. She was beginning to see that there might be a pattern involved here. “Thanks for the information, Emily.”

  “Sure,” Emily nodded and then flashed a smile at Vicky. “This has to be the most exciting wedding of the whole year. I still can't believe that we're all part of it.”

  “Me neither,” Vicky agreed and gritted her teeth as she stepped out of the room. She could only hope that there would actually be a wedding. She headed the rest of the way down the hallway to Seth and Trinie's room. When she knocked on the door the bodyguard opened it.

  “Let her in,” Seth called out to him with a nod when he saw it was Vicky.