Murder at the Big T Lodge: A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery by Dianne Harman Read Free Book Online Page A

think
that’s going to be a problem.” He stood up from the table and lightly kissed
her on the cheek.
    “Good hunting
and enjoy,” Liz said. “You deserve it. I may go into town and see what
wonderful things they have, although I’ve been told if you blink your eyes
you’ll miss it. Even so, I’d kind of like to get the lay of the land. See you
tonight.”

CHAPTER 12
     
    During breakfast, Liz decided what she was going to do
with the bottle of beet juice she’d taken from Milt’s room. She walked up to
their suite, Sam beside her, and took her laptop computer out of its carrying
bag and booted it up. Moments later she was emailing Sean, a private
investigator who was on the staff of Roger’s law firm at their San Francisco
office. He’d been immensely helpful in providing information to her about
possible suspects in several murder cases in which she’d been involved.
    In her email she explained
what had happened to Milt and about the bottle of liquid she’d found next to
his bed. She told him she was sending it to him by FedEx and asked him to have
it analyzed. She wrote that Milt had told Roger and her the night before that
he drank beet juice with some ground almonds in it twice a day, and he thought
he could really feel the benefits. Liz wrote that Milt had offered her a taste
of it the evening before, and she’d thought it was horrible. She went on to
tell him that the bottle next to Milt’s body had an unusual smell to it which
she hadn’t noticed the night before, and for what it was worth, the bullmastiff
who had befriended her growled every time the top was off of the bottle. Liz
pressed send, and then she decided to change into some more comfortable clothes
before she drove into town.
    A few moments later her
laptop chimed, indicating there was a message on it. She read what Sean had
written.
    “Good grief, Liz, you haven’t
even been there twenty-four hours, and you’ve already found a dead body? What
is it with you? And a bullmastiff befriending you? I've heard of dogs being
chick magnets, but I’ve never heard of someone being a dog magnet, but then
again you constantly surprise me. Might want to find out if the dog was ever
involved in sniffing out drugs for some government agency like the police or
army. Maybe he’s onto something.
    I’ll personally walk it
over to the lab as soon as I get it. They’re closed today, because the owner
had a death in the family, but they should be open tomorrow, and our firm is
such a good client, I don’t think I’ll have any problem getting the analysis to
be a priority for them. 
    I have to tell you I have
some concerns about all of this. I knew Milt, and I don’t know whether you’re
aware of it or not, but he was a real health nut. He and I belonged to the same
health club in downtown San Francisco, and I don’t think I was ever there
without seeing him. He was also into eating really healthy food. I remember
having lunch with him one time after we played racquet ball, and he told the
waiter he was a vegan and didn’t eat animal products. He told the waiter to
bring him something that would adhere to that. I remember it, because I felt
pretty guilty having ordered a steak sandwich with French fries.
    If I can get the bottle in
question to the lab by tomorrow morning, I should have something for you by
tomorrow afternoon. Again, be careful. I know only too well you have an
incredible knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Keep that
bullmastiff with you. He might be of some help. Tell Roger hi for me.”
    Liz wrote him back, told
him she’d be careful, and thanked him. She wrapped the bottle of beet juice in
tissues and carefully put it in her purse, then she walked downstairs to the
kitchen. The door to it was open, and she saw a man she assumed was the chef
and the woman she had met earlier, Cassie Sowers.
    “Hello again, Cassie.” She
turned to the chef and extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Liz Langley, and I'm
assuming from