A Ghostly Affair: A cozy mystery series (Death by Chocolate Book 3) (10 page)

“It’s no help at all,” Maxine said in frustration. She was in the middle of putting spider webs on a batch of cupcakes while Heath worked with Heather putting together an elaborate cake with a trio of three witches flying around a large moon.

“It’s one more piece of the puzzle,” Heath said. “You know Jake and his people feel entitled to the land Zak’s development was on, even though AZK had clear title. They seem to have managed to turn it into an environmental crusade.”

“That’s all clear but then there’s Travis and the ghost attacker. And where do the dogs fit in?” She shook her head. “I’m missing something.”

“Have you talked to Matt?” Heather asked. “He seems to have been on good terms with Zak if they were dining together.”

“One dinner,” Maxine said sharply. “And Tanya didn’t know why. I thought maybe it was for bribes but if it is I sure don’t see much sign of it being spread around the Eagles’ First Nation reserve.”

Heather shrugged. “Who said it was going to his people. He wouldn’t be the first person to pocket hefty bribes at the expense of his people.”

“No, I suppose not,” Maxine said thoughtfully.

But not having a plausible reason to talk to Matt she arranged a meeting with Environment First saying she’d heard good things about them and might be willing to donate some money.

“Naturally I can’t promise anything but I’ve recently come into a windfall and since my business is doing so well I thought it was time to look at giving back,” she said as Heath rolled his eyes. She ignored him as she listened to an Environment First supporter on the other end.

“My thoughts exactly. Without the environment where would we be? Could I meet with someone and get a better idea of what my money would be used for?” She glared at Heath as he hooked up a witch so she flew in circles giving Maxine the bird every time she came in Maxine’s direction.

He grinned back with not the faintest hint of remorse.

“You’re having a small lunch for some of your supporters? That would be perfect,” she bubbled. “And I’ll bring a friend, of course,” she said pressing end and looking up expectantly.

Heath shook his head furiously. Heather started typing furiously on the computer while Marcus and Ally managed to avoid her eyes paying exaggerated attention to the cake they were carefully covering with fondant.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll ask Patrick.”

“Ask me what?” he said as his head, followed by the rest of him, appeared on the stairs.

“A lunch I’ve been invited to,” she said innocently.

He looked at her with surprise, “as a guest, not a caterer?”

“It’s not that surprising,” she said. “And it’s for a good cause, the environment.”

“Uh-huh,” he said, looking at the cupcakes she’d just finished. “I didn’t know you were such a supporter of the environment.” His hand reached towards the cup cakes and she moved them out of reach. “Those are for a Halloween bash at Zara’s preschool.”

“That’s more elaborate than anything I remember for pre-school.”

“Sharlenes’ daughter,” she said as if that made perfect sense. “Anyway there’s not many to spare so have one of these instead.” She popped one of the brownies she’d made for the shop into his mouth.

For a moment there was silence as he chewed, a look of bliss on his face. “Best breakfast ever,” he said finishing. “Tell me more about this lunch.”

“Not much to tell,” she said, “it’s a lunch for people who are supporting or might consider supporting them, telling us more about what they do.”

“And the name of this group?”

“Environment First.”

His eyes opened wider for a fraction of a second as his body tightened. She eyed him warily, not expecting such a reaction. “You know them?”

“Know them,” he ground out. “They’re dangerous. What are you doing getting involved with them?”

She held up a hand in front of him. “Don’t worry. I’m not really planning on donating or getting involved but someone said Travis is and I thought I’d learn more about them before I talked to Karin.”

He relaxed slightly, but not a lot. “And this means we have to have lunch with them?”

“I may have led them to believe I was considering a donation.”

“Of ten or twenty dollars,” he said sardonically.

“Well no. It would be a little larger than that. And I said I would bring a guest.” She smiled at him. “That would be you.”

“And where is this being held?”

“In a private room at the Five Mile Pub in,” she glanced at her watch, “about two hours.”

He shook his head. “I’ll have to make a few calls.” He went over into a corner talking on his cell phone but try as she might she couldn’t catch what he was saying. Not without moving in closer and she knew that wouldn’t go over well.

She gave a soft sigh of frustration. He clicked his cell phone off and turned to face her, a smile on his face. “I’m all yours now. But first we’re going to go over some ground rules.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said. “Can we go over them as I deliver the cupcakes?”

“May as well,” he said. “We’ll take my jeep.”

Thirty minutes later she was making her way into a brightly lit pre-school room where the teacher, a Miss Rachel, Sharlene had said, waved to them as she led her charges in a rousing song of Old McDonald had a farm.

As a young girl sang and “the chicken goes cluck cluck,” while flapping her wings, Miss Rachel came towards them.

“It’s about time now. We’ll put them out on the counter.” She led them into a good sized kitchen where another woman worked. Trays of finger sandwiches, devilled eyes and other assorted delicacies, awaited Halloween lunch.

Patrick looked a little out of place at six foot two and had to stoop to fit through the doorway.

“I’m sorry,” Miss Rachel said. “Apparently no one over five foot seven is expected to enter the kitchen.”

He grinned. “But you’re molding young minds here. Surely you don’t want them thinking men don’t cook? I’ll have you know I make a mean omelette.”

“He does,” Maxine said and then wanted to bite her tongue as Miss Rachel smiled. Miss Rachel herself looked to be all of twenty, not that age mattered. Nor should the omelet habits of her guest, but Maxine still felt herself flushing.

Back in the jeep their spare time was rapidly disappearing. She could sense Patrick’s frustration as he drove through heavy traffic.

“Whatever you do, don’t mess around with these people,” he said now, his jaw set as he maneuvered around a bus which had stopped to let passengers out. “They’re dangerous.”

“I’m not a child,” Maxine said with a touch of exasperation. “I deal with people all the time. From all walks of life,” she said as Patrick started to say something. “And you don’t have to tell me these people are dangerous. I read everything I could find about them on the internet. I know they’ve had members go to jail for doing things which have seriously hurt and killed people.”

“If you know all that, why are you getting involved,” Patrick said roughly.

“I’m not! I’m going to a lunch to learn more about them,” she said in answer to Patrick’s look of disbelief.  “That’s because I want to find out what Travis is doing with them.”

“I wouldn’t mind knowing the answer to that myself,” he said with irritation. “Wait a minute. How do you know he’s involved?”

“I dropped by
Field and Streams,
the organization Travis volunteered with in school – until he decided they weren’t doing enough.”

“And joined up with Environment First?” Patrick said in disbelief.

The lady in the office figures they’ve got someone in their organization who tipped them off when Travis became disillusioned. To quote her if she figures out who it is, she’ll personally butt kick them out the door.”

He gave a deep sigh. “Makes a lot of sense. It’s the type of organization kids get involved in before turning to an organization like Environment First.”

“You make it sound like a gate way drug to environmentalism.”

He grinned. “That’s actually a pretty accurate comparison. Nobody starts off deciding to be an environmental terrorist. But somewhere along the line they decide more peaceful means aren’t doing enough. If someone from a group like Environment First gets them then -,” he shrugged his shoulders.

She shook her head. “I can’t see Travis being involved. He’s a nice kid.”

“And idealistic,” Patrick said grimly.

Maxine shivered slightly.

They pulled into the parking lot of the Five Mile. A Tudor style building only the sign proclaiming it to be the Five Mile Pub indicated it was a pub. They entered into a room that had a good half dozen people at the bar with several TV screens set on the latest soccer game as well as several tables of people talking and eating.

“We’re meeting up with some friends from Environment First,” Patrick said leaning over the bar to make himself heard.

“To the back and right into the ‘library,’ the bar keeper said with a grin. “There’s a few people there already.”

They made their way back into a small room that had book cases covering one wall and lace tablecloths on all the tables. Several of these had been joined together to form one large table.

There were six other people there including an older gentleman who looked like a favorite uncle, not an eco-terrorist. But then again what did an eco-terrorist look like? Still she was five foot seven and he hardly towered over her. Five foot seven, eight or nine to her untrained eyes and he was hardly in tip top shape. Not that he was fat, she thought critically, but definitely well-padded. He came towards them now.

“So you’re Maxine Peters and this is your guest-,”

“Ric, Ric Walker,” Patrick said stepping forward and introducing himself. “When Maxine told me she was meeting with you I realized it was a golden opportunity for me as well.”

“Ah, so you might be interested in donating as well? I’m glad you came.” He guided them gently over to a couple of places at the table. “I think you’ll be very happy to hear of our good work. For right now I’ll introduce you to Clare Rivers and her husband Don. A pleasure to meet you,” he said leaving before he’d introduced himself. She suspected that might not be a coincidence.

She smiled at Clare and her husband now. “This seems a strange place to host such a meeting.”

Clare shrugged. “Environment First doesn’t like to waste money on expensive dinners and lunch. One of our members knows someone who works here so this seems the best way.”

“A friend told me they do good work but I don’t remember hearing much about them.”

“And you won’t. Environment First doesn’t like to draw attention to itself. We work behind the scenes if at all possible.”

“Often with other environmental groups,” Don chimed in.

Within minutes they’d met the people sitting with them. “We still have a couple of ‘sponsors,’ we’re expecting Clare said. One of them is supposed to be the richest man in BC.” The last was said in a whisper. “We’re not supposed to know that though.”

It was more of a surprise when he appeared though and she recognized Ethan Kelly of AZK developments. Huh…what was he doing here? And she knew he was supposed to be rich, but the richest man in BC? She did her best to blend in with the woodwork, or maybe the tablecloth. He probably wouldn’t recognize her anyways and if he did so what? She hadn’t lied.

Fortunately now that he’d arrived the presentation got underway. There was much talk of the work they’d done and continued to do to stop the pipeline as well as oil tankers travelling their pristine waters. She knew proponents claimed it was safe as safe could be. But in her mind she only saw images of birds and other wildlife covered in oil during the Gulf of Mexico fiasco to say nothing of shorelines covered in thick black oil.

“We know Prince William Sound in Alaska is still suffering the effects of the Exon Valdez spill from decades ago,” their host said now. “And we’re doing everything we can to stop this happening anywhere in BC!” He leaned forward pounding the table in his passion.

“We’re working with local environmental groups, groups such as the Eagle First Nations who are as passionate about this as we are.”

Maxine shuddered at the thought. By the end Maxine was ready to donate except that her bank account wasn’t as fat as she’d led them to believe.

Patrick, aka Ric Walker, surprised her by writing a check on the spot for $5000.00. She threw him a look of surprise. “But darling, I thought we’d agreed to stop impulse spending.”

“And we have sweetheart, we have. But this is for the environment, not some new fancy car or a piece of jewelry.”

“My sentiments exactly,” their host said, shaking his hand enthusiastically. “Perhaps we could arrange another get together in a few days when you’ve had more time to think about it?”

“An excellent idea,” Ric said seriously.

Back in the jeep she turned to him. “What was that about? And why were you using a different name? And five thousand dollars? You don’t have that kind of money to throw around.”

He gave her an enigmatic grin. “There’s more going on here than you know. If you can, keep out of it OK? I don’t want you getting hurt.”