Murder at the Big T Lodge: A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery
Read Murder at the Big T Lodge: A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Online
Authors: Dianne Harman
MURDER AT THE BIG T LODGE
By
Dianne Harman
(A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery
- Book 6)
Copyright © 2016 Dianne
Harman
All rights reserved,
including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form
without written permission except for the use of brief quotations embodied in
critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction.
Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely
coincidental.
Website, Interior & Cover design
by Vivek Rajan (
Rewire Your DNA
)
Paperback ISBN:
978-1533669940
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As always, thank you for
spending your valuable time reading my books. I love writing them, but without
loyal readers like you, I wouldn’t be a successful author. This is book number
6 in the popular Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Series. I hope you like it as much as
you’ve enjoyed the books in my other three cozy mystery series, Cedar Bay, High
Desert, and Midwest.
Here’s a little backstory
on how this book came to be written. I, like so many others, recently read
about the death of Antonin Scalia, a United States Supreme Court Justice, who
died unexpectedly while he was at a hunting lodge in Texas. What fascinated me
was the Texas law stating that if there are no signs of foul play and a justice
of the peace is not available, (often the case in counties with small
populations), the death certificate can be signed by a judge without the judge
having to make any kind of inquiry as to the cause of death or even seeing the
body. I was amazed that such a law existed, and began to think about its
ramifications. This novel is a book of fiction, so therefore it’s a figment of
my imagination, but that imagination was fueled by the circumstances
surrounding the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.
I’m completely indebted to
the two people who help make every book of mine a bestseller. First there is
Vivek, who patiently formats my books for both print and digital, as well as
designing wonderfully inventive book covers. I’ve come to rely on his ability
to sense what the cover should be when I don’t have a clue! The second person
is my husband, Tom. He’s very careful to make sure my books are as error free
as possible, particularly as to time sequence and characters. Many times he’s
caught me having written the wrong name or the wrong place! Thanks to both of
you!
And as I usually do, I
need to thank my dog, Kelly, for finally leaving the puppy stage! I’d like to
say she was the inspiration for my first cozy mystery, Kelly’s Koffee Shop, but
the truth is we got her after I’d written the book, thus she had to have the
name Kelly!
Finally, you may wonder
why the dog in this book is a bullmastiff. I can’t answer that other than to
say the breed fascinates me. We’ve owned boxers for years, and they kind of
look like miniature bullmastiffs, so that might be the reason! Hope you enjoy
the read!
Free Paperbacks
I'm giving away seven free
autographed paperbacks. Find out more at
www.dianneharman.com/freepaperback.html
Table of Contents
“So, my love, what’s on your schedule
today?” Liz Langley, the owner of the Red Cedar Lodge and Spa asked her
husband, Roger, while they were having breakfast.
“I’m off to San Francisco.
The partners’ meeting is this morning,” the handsome middle-aged attorney said.
“After that I’m having lunch with Milt Huston and then some more meetings with
a few clients I still deal with when I’m in town.”
“Hmmmm,” Liz said. “That
name rings a bell with me. Isn’t he some big political deal? Why are you
meeting with him?”
“If you consider being
Attorney General of the biggest state in the United States, yeah, I’d say he’s
quite a big deal. He’s probably going to be an even bigger deal if he becomes
governor next year. I’m meeting with him for just that reason. My law firm is
making a large political contribution towards his race for governor, and since
I went to law school with him they asked me to personally deliver the check to
him. And yes, in answer to your unasked question, I will take another one of
those bacon biscuits. Those are delicious.”
“Thanks. I serve them a
lot to the guests here at the lodge. They love them. Anyway, why do I have the
feeling he’s pretty controversial?” Liz asked as she passed the biscuits to
Roger.
“Because he is. He
recently won a major lawsuit on behalf of the State of California against oil
companies that were polluting the ground water near their oil operations. It
involved illegally dumping toxic oil well byproducts. Sort of like what was in
the movie about Erin Brockovich a few years ago. The oil companies are going to
have to pay millions, as well they should. Water has always been a critical
issue for this state, and even more now that we’ve been in a drought situation
for years.”
“Roger, you know I don’t
have a political bone in my body, but what’s the big deal about water? I mean
the people in the cities need it, farmers need it, ranchers need it, and a lot
of industries need it. Seems to me there’s plenty for everybody.”
“Fraid not, Liz. There’s
been a fight over the water rights in our state for longer than we’ve been
alive. The northern part of the state thinks they own the rights to what’s
collected there, and the southern part of the state feels it should get half of
the water no matter where it comes from, since they’re part of the same state.
Believe me when I say it’s been a political storm for years.”
“I didn’t know that. Do
you think Milt can get elected governor because of what he’s done with water
issues?”
“As far as a political
move, I’m not sure it was a smart decision for a man who wants to be governor,
but he’s a man of integrity, and he acts on what he feels is best for the
people of California. He’s very liberal, and a lot of people don’t like him for
that, but on the other hand, a lot of people do respect him for his liberal
views. It’s going to be an interesting election.” Roger looked at his watch and
said, “I better get out of here if I expect to make the partners’ meeting on
time. They don’t look kindly on partners who arrive late.” He stood up and
walked to the door, taking his suit coat with him.
“Winston, keep Liz safe
today, and I’ll see you tonight,” he said as he opened the door and walked out
to his car. Winston, Liz’s big boxer, sat by her side, seemingly taking Roger’s
advice to heart.
“Big guy, I think Roger
meant to stand by just in case,” Liz said. “I don’t think you have to spend the
day at my side. Anyway, I have to go into town and get some groceries. Thought
I’d stop by Gertie’s as well. You can go in with me now that she keeps that
special service dog harness for you. I’ll get dressed, and we’ll be out of here
in no time.”
As she was getting dressed
she looked at herself in the mirror and decided that even though she was in her
early fifties, she’d luckily inherited her parents’ good genes. Although she’d
never been to a plastic surgeon, she’d been sensible about staying out of the
sun, and the only lines on her face were laugh lines around her sparkling green
eyes. She wore her auburn hair cut short, and it was a perfect frame for her
heart-shaped face. She was full-figured, but the fullness was usually described
by others as being curvaceous.
An hour later, after Liz
had checked the pantry and the refrigerator to see what she needed to buy in
town, she said, “Winston, time to go.” She carefully stepped around Brandy Boy,
the big St. Bernard mascot of the lodge, who was lying in his usual place on
the porch waiting until the sun set, and the first guests rang their cottage
bell to signal they needed a little nip of the brandy he carried in a cask
around his neck. She looked at him and thought,
He’s probably the most
worthless dog I’ve ever been around. He does nothing other than lay on the
porch all day, but ever since that article ran in the San Francisco paper about
his exploits, business has never been better. I’ll keep him around for that if
nothing else.
After loading up on
groceries at the market and buying dog food for Winston and Brandy Boy at the
pet store, Liz headed for Gertie’s Diner, intent on treating herself to one of
Gertie’s famous hamburgers and a malt. She parked in front of the diner and
opened the door of her van for Winston, who eagerly ran to the front door of
the diner. Gertie, the irrepressible octogenarian owner of Gertie’s Diner, had
Winston’s service dog harness in her hand when Liz and Winston walked in.
With her signature blond
beehive hairdo, a pencil stuck behind her ear, bright blue eyeshadow, thick
dark red lipstick, and stiletto heels, there was no one else quite like her.
Her warmth was legendary, and people came from all around the area to eat and
spend a little time with her. She loved her customers, and they loved her.
She adeptly fit the
service harness, which she had purchased at a garage sale, over Winston’s large
chest. “Okay boy, you’re legal now. Can’t nobody complain ‘bout me allowin’ a
dog in my restaurant since yer’ now officially a service dog,” Gertie said with
a wink directed towards Liz. “And guess what, Winston? Think I saw a big
helpin’ of steak and eggs sent back to the kitchen. Evidently my new waitress
got the order wrong, but that ain’t no problem. Purty sure it has yer’ name on
it. I’ll have Ginny bring it out to ya’ in a minute.”
Liz laughed, “I honestly
think he lives for these moments. You’re spoiling him rotten, you know.”
“With what he did to save
yer’ life after my brother’s murder, it’s the least I can do. A little payback
time, right Winston?”
The big dog shook his head
up and down agreeing with her. Liz rolled her eyes and said, “If anyone
overheard this conversation they would think Winston knows everything you’re
saying.”
“Ya’ must have missed the
memo on that, doll, cuz’ he does. To change the subject, I ain’t seen my
tenant, that handsome husband of yours, around today. He got business in the
big city?”
“Yes, he’ll be there most
of the day. I’m glad he rented the office next to your diner. It’s worked out
well for him.”
“Glad to hear it, honey,”
she said looking up as the door opened, and a customer walked in. “Gotta go.
I’ll tell Ginny to get yer’ order. Assume ya’ want yer’ usual burger and malt,
and I’ll have her bring Winston’s out to him too. Tell handsome hi for me,” she
said with a wink.
“Will do.” Liz looked
around the diner and smiled at a number of the people who had become her
friends since she’d come to the small town of Red Cedar several years ago. It
was on the coast about an hour north of San Francisco. She thought how much her
life had changed in these few short years. She and her husband, Joe, had bought
the lodge and spa hoping it would help him reduce his stress levels and result
in better health for him. It didn’t, and he’d died of a heart attack not long
after they’d moved to Red Cedar.
After Joe died, Liz
thought she’d never remarry, but when she met Roger Langley she knew she’d been
given a second chance at love and had happily become his wife. She was thankful
that the power that controls the universe, whatever it is, believed in giving
people second chances. She smiled, reminiscing, as Ginny brought her burger and
malt along with Winston’s steak and eggs.
She sat for a moment, glad
her life was relatively quiet after she’d recently been involved in helping
solve several murders. Little did she know all that was about to change.