Greed Can Be Deadly Read online

  Greed Can Be Deadly

  Sage Gardens Cozy Mystery

  Cindy Bell

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Also by Cindy Bell

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2018 Cindy Bell

  All rights reserved.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and locations portrayed in this book and the names herein are fictitious. Any similarity to or identification with the locations, names, characters or history of any person, product or entity is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

  All trademarks and brands referred to in this book are for illustrative purposes only, are the property of their respective owners and not affiliated with this publication in any way. Any trademarks are being used without permission, and the publication of the trademark is not authorized by, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owner.

  Chapter 1

  “Be still, Eddy!” Samantha rolled her eyes, then smoothed down Eddy’s tie. Each time she tried to get the knot even, he would shift from one foot to the other, or drop his shoulders.

  “I’m going to be late if you keep fiddling with that thing.” Eddy frowned as he looked into her eyes.

  “Do you want it tied right or not?” Samantha raised an eyebrow as she gazed back at him. She had to hide a smile. Even though they exchanged words in cross tones, they were playing a familiar game. Eddy had to be tough, and she had to remind him that he wasn’t as tough as he thought.

  “Yes, I do. I’m sorry, I’m just a bit nervous.” He took a deep breath and held it so that he wouldn’t move again.

  “Nervous about what? I thought this guy was an old friend of yours?” She finished knotting his tie and smoothed it down one last time. “There, dapper as always.”

  “Dapper.” Eddy rolled his eyes. “That’s a bit of an exaggeration.”

  “Why are you nervous?” She stared straight into his dark blue eyes. It was unusual for her to see so much concern in them. “He’s your friend.”

  “He was my partner, for the last few years that I worked. He was just a young pup when he got paired with me. He had just been promoted to detective. In some ways, he was like a son to me.” He lifted one shoulder in a mild shrug. “I’m just surprised that he wanted to get together. It’s been a while, and honestly, I thought I bonded with him more than he bonded with me.”

  “I’m not surprised at all. I’ve seen the way the other officers look up to you. Even Detective Brunner admires your experience.” Samantha smiled as she smoothed down the collar of his suit jacket. “I hope you have a wonderful time.”

  “I’m going to do my best. Thanks for helping me out, Sam.” He reached up to touch the top of his head. He fumbled over his thinning, brown hair, then scowled. “Now, where did I put my hat?”

  “You should go without it. You look good as is.” Samantha turned to pick up her purse. “I can’t wait to hear all about it in the morning.”

  “Is Walt still up for breakfast?” He grabbed his hat from the back of his couch and set it on the top of his head.

  “Yes, and Jo said she’ll be there, too. About eight. Unless you’re too wiped out from tonight to join us.” She glanced over her shoulder at him with a wide smile. “I know what it can be like to get together with old friends.”

  “Oh sure, I’ll be crawling back here at three in the morning. What do you think I am, twenty?” Eddy shook his head as he walked her to the door.

  “You might as well be.” Samantha patted his cheek. “You’re grinning like a kid.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Have a good night, Sam.” He grabbed his trench coat off the rack beside the door. Although, the days were warm the nights were still quite chilly, and it had been raining quite a bit recently. As Eddy pulled on his coat, he felt a buzz of excitement course through his veins. Ever since he retired from the police force there had been a subtle gnawing in the pit of his stomach, as if he’d forgotten something important. He lived and breathed crime before he retired, and now that he lived in Sage Gardens, a retirement community, his life was a lot calmer. At times he wasn’t sure how he would survive it.

  After Samantha left, Eddy grabbed his keys and headed out the door. When Colin contacted him, he was surprised to say the least. It had been over a year since the last time he spoke with him, and that was only a brief call about a case they had once worked together. Out of the blue he’d reached out to Eddy, and asked to meet for drinks.

  This was unusual, and left Eddy very curious about what his friend wanted to discuss. On his way to the bar he thought about the last case they were involved in. He was just about to retire, as the rules dictated it, and this was the case that made him realize that it was the right time. Colin had drawn his weapon in response to a suspect spinning around to face them and pulling his weapon. But Eddy had struggled to get his weapon out of its holster. He knew that he was losing his edge. If it hadn’t been for Colin’s quick response, they could have both been killed. Colin never said a word about it, he didn’t have to.

  Eddy parked outside the bar and took a moment to adjust his tie. Samantha had worked so hard to make it look just right, but it was a little too tight. He loosened the knot, then stepped out of the car and headed inside. It was just after dark and there were a few people scattered outside the bar. The pavement was wet from rain earlier in the day, but the sky was clear of any clouds.

  Inside, there were several people crowded around the bar. It took him a few minutes to spot Colin, he was at the end of the bar, surrounded by a few men. Eddy approached him, smiling.

  “Colin! It’s good to see you.” He clapped the younger man on the shoulder. It was a bit shocking to him to see how much Colin had aged. Even though he was thirty when they began working together, Eddy always thought of him as a young kid. In the few short years since Eddy had last worked, Colin appeared to have aged decades. Even his short, dark hair was edged with sprouts of gray.

  “You too, Eddy.” Colin smiled at him, just wide enough to reveal the dimples that Eddy had once teased him about. “It’s about time you got here.” Colin tapped his watch. “What happened to the always punctual Eddy?”

  “Eh, time doesn’t exist once you’re retired.” Eddy chuckled, but the truth was he hated being late. He climbed onto the barstool beside him. It had been a while since he was in a bar. He didn’t mind a few beers here and there at home or out with friends, but he rarely spent his time in a place with overpriced drinks and potentially drunk people.

  “Must be nice.” Colin lifted his drink to him. “I guess one day I’ll find out.”

  “Yes, you will.” Eddy grinned. “A long, long time from now.”

  Eddy ordered a beer, and the two chatted a bit about life. He wasn’t surprised to discover that Colin still wasn’t married. The badge could often be hard on relationships.

  “So, out with it, Colin.” Eddy studied him closely. Maybe he didn’t know him as well as he used to, but his instincts told him that he did. It seemed to him that something was on Colin’s mind, somethin
g that was troubling him.

  “Out with what?” He glanced up from the bottle of beer that he twirled between his palms.

  “Why did you invite me here? I haven’t heard from you in—”

  “I know.” Colin narrowed his eyes. “I’m sorry about that. My life got so busy, trying to climb the ladder, you know. But don’t think I ever forgot about you, Eddy, I didn’t. I got where I am because of you. You know that, right?”

  “Is where you are, a good thing or a bad thing?” Eddy squinted. “Because I’m not sure if I want to take credit for that.”

  “Always the jokester.” He sighed, then took a sip of his beer. Eddy noticed the way his jaw rippled before he spoke again. “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you. But this isn’t the place.”

  “What is it?” Eddy leaned closer to him. “If you’re in some kind of trouble, you can tell me, Colin. Just because I’m retired, just because I’m not your partner anymore, that doesn’t mean I can’t help you.”

  “I know that.” He locked eyes with Eddy for just a moment, then looked down at the bar. “Listen, there’s a birthday party tomorrow night. It’s for Hank Greer, remember him?”

  “Hank, sure. He was a detective for the Shashone Precinct. Good guy, from what I remember. He had a big reputation.”

  “Yeah, big.” He swallowed the last bit of his beer then set the bottle down rather roughly. “I think you should be there.”

  “Where?”

  “At the birthday party. I’m going, and I’m inviting you to go with me. You can even bring a date?” He eyed him. “What do you say?”

  “Well, I barely even know the man. Not sure why you would want me to be there?” Eddy furrowed a brow, confused by the request.

  “What was it you used to tell me?” A brief smile flickered across Colin’s lips. “You don’t have to know why, you just have to do as I say?”

  Eddy smiled at the memory.

  “Well, that was true then.” Eddy grinned. “We were in some dodgy situations.”

  “It’s still true, now.” He stared into Eddy’s eyes. “Will you be there?”

  It was clear to Eddy that there was a lot more to the invitation than just a chance to spend time with an old buddy. Without thinking much more about it, he nodded.

  “Of course I will, Colin.” He studied his friend intently. There was a time that he could read a person’s story in their eyes, but at that moment, he couldn’t see anything in Colin’s deep brown gaze. To him, that meant he had a lot to hide.

  As he sat at the bar, Eddy couldn’t help but wonder about what was going on in Colin’s mind. He tried to pull more information from him about the party, but Colin avoided saying anything else about it. Instead he bought Eddy another beer, chatted about life, and shared some funny stories about mistakes he’d made on the job. It was a nice reunion, and Eddy felt as if they’d picked up right where they left off, but he couldn’t shake the memory of the way Colin looked at him when he asked him to attend the party.

  After they said goodnight, Eddy thought about pressing Colin for more information. He knew if he pushed him enough he would probably spill. But that wasn’t the way he wanted to do things. If Colin needed him to trust him, and just follow his lead, then it was his turn to do just that. Colin had done the same during the years they had worked together. He was surprised that he didn’t feel the same bond he’d had with Colin when he was younger. Perhaps too many years had passed, or they were simply two very different people now, but he viewed Colin more as a colleague than a close friend. That was for the best, he guessed, as Colin’s life was full, and he doubted there would be any room in it for him.

  That night as Eddy headed to bed he thought about the moments he’d spent on the job with Colin. There were some very scary experiences. The two of them always managed to stumble into danger, even if they were just investigating a minor case. More than once he’d saved Colin’s life, and more than once Colin had done the same for him. As much as he wished to be back on the job, he was reassured by the fact that Colin was still there, and other officers and detectives just like him, who truly lived the job, instead of just collecting a paycheck.

  Eddy fell asleep with memories of being on the job playing through his mind.

  Chapter 2

  When Eddy woke the next morning, he was confused as to why his alarm was going off. He had no reason to be up. He could sleep a bit longer if he wanted to. Then he received a text. He grabbed his phone, bleary-eyed and grumpy, and saw that it was from Samantha.

  Rise and shine, we are meeting for breakfast!

  “Oh, that’s right.” He yawned, then stretched in bed. There were times while he was working that he would go a few days with only a few hours of sleep, but since he’d retired, or perhaps since he’d passed sixty, he found that he really enjoyed sleep. In fact, sometimes he would go to bed early, just because he enjoyed it so much. He thought about canceling on breakfast, but knew that Samantha would tease him about being hungover if he did. Instead, he pulled himself out of bed and headed for the shower.

  After a quick blast of hot water, he was more awake, but still not exactly eager. What he was looking forward to was the party that night. He was very curious about why Colin wanted him there. He dressed and left for the diner. As he drove to the diner he wondered what complaint Walt would have today. He was not a fan of restaurant food. Or people touching his food. Or people breathing near his food. Eddy didn’t think that Walt was that wrong about not liking restaurant food. There was no way to be certain that no one had contaminated it. When he wore a badge he always wondered about that, as there were some people that didn’t like serving cops. Although Walt had his quirks, Eddy would do anything he could to support him. To him, his friend was just a little finicky, and he didn’t see a reason for him to have to change much. Then again, Eddy wasn’t much for change himself, so maybe he needed a therapist like Walt had.

  That, was never going to happen.

  Eddy chuckled at the thought as he pulled into the diner. He guessed that a therapist would have a field day with his negativity, and gruff demeanor. But that therapist couldn’t hope to understand his mind, when it was filled with experiences and thoughts that a doctor would never be faced with. As he approached the diner he could see through the window that Walt, Samantha, and Jo were already there. Jo had become a good friend of his, despite her history as a cat burglar. He thought he would never count a criminal as a friend, but now he did. She was reformed of course. But it still felt a little strange when he thought about the things she used to do. She had her reasons, but in his mind that didn’t go far to excuse her actions. However, she’d proven herself to be a loyal, good person, that he could trust.

  “Relax, I’m here.” Eddy grinned as he stepped into the diner.

  Samantha smiled. “It’s about time!”

  “I’m only a few minutes late.” He sat down across from her.

  “What happened to always punctual?” Walt spread a napkin across the table, then moved his plate on top of it. He then pulled out a pack of wipes and began to clean off all of his silverware.

  “Things come up sometimes.” Eddy shrugged, then looked over at Samantha. “You missed me, didn’t you?”

  “Of course.” She grinned. “So, how did drinks with your friend go?”

  “Interesting.” He frowned and leaned closer to her. “I don’t know, something is going on, but he’s not ready to tell me what it is yet.”

  “That sounds intriguing.” Jo tapped her fingertips on the table. “What do you think it’s about?”

  “I’m guessing a case, something he’s working on that has him nervous. He called me out of the blue, so there must be something going on. All he did was invite me to Hank Greer’s birthday party, or I should say, insist that I be there.”

  “And you’re going, right?” Jo crossed her legs as she sat back in her chair. “Because it’s going to kill me if you don’t find out what all of this is about.”

  “It�
�s not going to kill you.” Walt cut a glance in her direction. “That’s a bit dramatic don’t you think, Jo?”

  “Someone has to be dramatic, Walt.” Jo winked at him. “It might as well be me.”

  “She’s right, though.” Samantha smiled at the waitress as she approached to take their order. “It seems like a big mystery, and that always sparks all of our interest.”

  “I know, I know.” Eddy paused as they all placed their orders. Once the waitress walked away he began to speak again. “Something is definitely up. I am not sure why he invited me to the party. Maybe he is investigating something there. Maybe it involves someone there. If it does, then it could involve some powerful people. From the way he is being so secretive it seems like he is involved in something very tricky.”

  “I’m not afraid of tricky.” Jo smiled. “I’ve been in some pretty challenging situations.”

  “I’m sure you have.” Eddy eyed her for a moment. He knew she had managed to break into buildings that had top security on them. “But people with power have the ability to ruin lives.”

  “That’s very true.” Walt frowned. “The more I learn about the financial system in this nation the more concerned I am about the few people with so much power and influence over the masses. In fact, did you know that the majority of the wealth in this country belongs to only ten people?”

  “Walt.” Jo put her hand on his shoulder. “We have to focus here.”

  “Yes, you’re right.” He sighed, then shook his head. “I just think that’s incredibly unbalanced.”