Free Sample • Chapters 1–2

Death and the Miser

The DS Mills Mysteries • Book One

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Chapter 1

Ethan Blackwell was having a bad day. The bills were piling up, he had a three-year-old daughter, and his pregnant wife, Amy, was spending money like there was no tomorrow. He sat in the lunchroom of the warehouse where he worked, a grocery depot where trucks came empty and left fully laden with groceries going to their points of delivery. He made $12.50 an hour driving a forklift, loading food and non-perishable goods. It was shift work. He hated his job for its tedious nature, and he hated his boss for his constant badgering about deadlines. He didn't think much of his life or lack thereof because, in his mind, he had no life, just work and more work. He spent what little spare time he had trying to get more money together—any way possible.

Amy was a good-looking redhead with a strong personality and an unusual drive not found in most people her age. She knew what she wanted: a family, a house with a white picket fence, a nice car, membership at the local gym, and friends of the same calibre. Ethan was a physically strong young man of the same age and handsome, in a James Dean-like way. He was not a captain of industry or a money man, the kind of man she felt she needed to fulfill her ambitions. There was a lot of tension, but despite this, they both had a deep love for each other, something that mere words couldn't explain.

So it was with great inner conflict that Ethan, on this bad day in the lunchroom, felt that letting off a little steam was in order. After work, he decided to stop on his way home at the Olympic Hotel in North Vancouver and have a few beers.

Roger Cooper worked at a large grocery store that had a sister store out in the Fraser Valley. He was hard-working, single, neat, and tidy, both in appearance and mannerisms. He was the produce manager, and had been for three years. Meticulous by nature, he believed that everything important should be documented. His apartment was filled with neatly labeled notebooks containing household expenses, vehicle maintenance records, and conversations he wanted to remember. His coworkers joked that if Roger ever misplaced his own thoughts, he'd probably written down where to find them.

He worked his way to the top of his department through hard work and a previous boss who liked him, but now boredom was creeping in. Mediocrity has a way of doing that. Although he was good at his chosen profession, he felt like a failure in most other areas of his life. He had no girlfriend and only three friends, one of whom had moved back east to southern Ontario. He had no pets, no dog, no cat, and he lived alone in a one-bedroom apartment above a garage owned by a man who cut hair out of his house. Roger’s rent paid the man’s mortgage. The man himself disliked Roger for his lack of charisma and character, but as long as Roger paid the rent, none of that mattered.

Roger understood all of this about himself, and it bothered him immensely that women didn’t find him attractive. He wasn’t given good looks, so it was the double whammy of being mediocre and almost ugly. With that in mind, he started drinking and found himself at what became his favourite watering hole, The Olympic Hotel. After work, always on Fridays, he was sitting at the bar. It was here that he met Ethan.

Roger walked into the bar and sat in his favorite seat at the end, two seats over from where Ethan was sitting. He ordered a bottle of Kokanee from Ted, the bartender, smiled at Ethan, and said, "Hi." Ethan said hi back. Ethan could tell there was something about Roger that seemed tragic, so into his second drink of whiskey neat, he struck up a conversation.

"Do you work around here?"

"Yeah, I work at Lans Grocery," Roger replied.

"That’s interesting. I drive a forklift at National Grocers. I help supply you guys and everybody else, for that matter," said Ethan, almost laughing.

"Do you like it there?" asked Roger.

"It’s okay, but it’s not enough money for my growing family, and my wife isn’t very thrifty."

"At least you’ve got a wife," said Roger, sounding a bit jealous.

"Marriage, like almost everything, is work. So consider yourself lucky you don’t have to answer to anyone."

"I wouldn’t mind. I’m 31, and I’ve only had one girlfriend, back in grade 9. I found out after our short-term relationship that she was only with me as part of a dare from her friends, who wouldn’t let her into their circle without her dating me for a week."

"Wow, that’s really shitty," said Ethan. Roger’s story bugged him, but on the other hand, he understood how cruel people could be.

"What’s your name?" Ethan asked.

"Roger. And yours?"

"Ethan. Pleased to meet you, Roger."

"Likewise, Ethan."

There was a moment of awkward silence before Roger asked, "What brings you here? I’ve never seen you here before."

"I’m having a bad day, and I always drive by here on my way home, so I decided to drop in and measure the ambiance," Ethan said with a loud, infectious laugh.

Roger laughed too. He knew it was a biker Rock 'n' Roll bar, but at least there was character to the Olympic Hotel. The two men had a few more drinks together, and—call it chemistry if you like—they enjoyed each other's company. For once, Roger felt good, even normal, conversing with this total stranger who was bravely opening up to him. But then again, Ethan was no snob. He was pragmatic, open-minded, and always interested in new things and new people. Who knows? Maybe befriending Roger would lead to new opportunities.

Alice Walker and her husband, George, were getting their kids, 7-year-old Sarah and 9-year-old Michael, ready for camp. But Michael was transfixed by a TV showing an insurance commercial. It was low-budget, and you could tell it was a startup company run by a fly-by-night individual. The commercial showed a variety of disasters in an almost comical fashion, ending with the line, "So remember, boys and girls, in an out-of-control world, bad things can happen. That’s why you need insurance from a reputable provider."

"MICHAEL, let’s go!" yelled Alice.

"The car, please!" teased Sarah. She loved teasing her brother.

Alice kissed her children goodbye and told George, "I’ve got something I want to discuss when you get home."

"Okay," said George in an inquisitive tone. He knew that anytime Alice wanted to discuss something, it was either life-changing or something that he’d have to take care of—neither of which he found appealing. Alice was the matriarch of the household, and George was the partner she considered adequate—nothing more. He was a good provider, a truck driver who delivered groceries for National Grocers, and a part-time dealer at the new casino in Richmond. He loved the children and was adept in many things like carpentry, plumbing, gardening, and always being there for her. He loved her more than she loved him, but she had no illusions about getting a better-looking man. After all, she was no Playboy Bunny herself. She was plain-looking, with blonde hair and an average size and weight. But she was endowed with a high IQ, which was her superpower. She always thought deeply about things and, being the ruler of their world, steered the family in the right direction. George trusted her with this task 100%. They had their share of bumps during their ten-year marriage, but they always landed on their feet, no worse for wear.

That said, it came as a shock when George came home and Alice told him she wanted to run for mayor of North Vancouver. George wasn’t in agreement with the idea. He liked the low-chaos lifestyle they were living. The news irritated him, and it showed in his tone.

"Why the hell would you want to do that?" he asked, almost angrily.

"For several reasons. I want a great pension. I want the perks it will bring to our family, and I want the connections that will benefit us as well."

George sat there contemplating all of this, still somewhat unconvinced.

"You know, Alice, I’m happy where we are. Putting us in the public eye won’t come without its own problems. Remember the old saying, 'Be careful what you wish for.'"

This pissed Alice off. She put down the dish she was washing and said, "I haven’t heard a valid argument from you. Just your usual over-cautious nature trying to stymie my desire for a better life."

It was true. George was left without a strong counterargument. Given her drive, intelligence, and discipline, he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop her. So, he gave her his apprehensive approval.

She then lightened up and said, "I love you," but in her usual, semi-phony way. She then dried her hands and made her way to City Hall to throw her hat in the ring.

Chapter 2

Trinh Anh Vinh, or Judy, as she was known to her friends, and Liem Quoc Nguyen, or Lee, as he was known, were Vietnamese refugees. They were Catholics who fled during the final days of the South Vietnamese government in April, 1975. They were in their mid-twenties when they met in Saigon three years earlier. Their love was special—deep and unconditional, boundless even. There was nothing they wouldn’t do for each other. They both understood what would happen if the communists caught them. She worked as an interpreter for the Americans, and members of his family were civil servants in the South Vietnamese administration. They dropped everything and headed for the only boat they could find—a Chinese freighter of dubious mechanical integrity. It was old and not well-maintained, but it was their only way out. The captain took everything the passengers had and crammed far more people aboard than the ship was designed to carry. Lee, no fool, hooped a bag of quality diamonds up his rectum, knowing he’d need something when they reached safety. The diamonds were worth around $80,000. He paid the captain $1,000 for both him and Judy to board.

The trip was perilous. There wasn’t enough food or toilet facilities, and the boat broke down just west of the Philippine Islands. The captain and two crew members abandoned ship in a gas-powered dinghy, leaving everyone to fend for themselves. The passengers appointed a leader and tried to fix the boat. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the tools to make the repairs. The boat, crammed with young and old alike, became a living hell. Then, an American destroyer on patrol came upon the boat and towed them to Manila. Judy and Lee went to the Canadian embassy and, after a short period, were given landed immigrant status. They chose to settle in Vancouver and, within a few years, became Canadian citizens.

Through hard work and intelligence, they turned the diamonds into homeownership. Then they bought a small grocery store called The Stop and Shop, and soon, business was booming. Lee used his connections to sell both Asian foods and Western fare. He bought local fruits and vegetables from farmers and sold them at lower prices than the bigger competitors. Eventually, they expanded to much larger stores in North Vancouver and Langley. Both stores flourished under their guidance, and soon, they became very wealthy, happy, and balanced. It was during this prosperous period that Lee and Judy married.

Lee hired Roger himself. Roger joined the grocery store early in its growth. Although Roger worked hard and never called in sick, there was something about him that Lee came to dislike. His attitude was lacking, he wasn't very outgoing, and he struggled to be friendly to customers. So Lee mostly kept him in the back of the store, in charge of the supply chain and inventory, and training other staff members. But something about Roger always raised Lee's ire. So he struggled to treat Roger in a respectful way, using angry tones, being short with him, and sometimes going so far as to talk down to him in front of other staff members. Lee would say he's met potato chips with more character. All of this gradually fueled Roger's resentment.

One day, at the end of his shift, Roger snapped. He drove to the Olympic Hotel to drink his problems away, when Ethan, his only friend in the world, joined him at the bar.

“What's up, my friend?” said Ethan in a tone that implied he had a bad day.

“Oh, same ol’ shit, different day.”

Ethan ordered two double whiskeys, neat. “Tell me all about it," he said, hoping Roger’s story was worse than his.

“My life sucks, my job sucks, I'm tired of everything including myself.”

“Well, I’ve got a worse story," said Ethan. “I was late on the rent for the third time. My wife has had enough, unless I change things financially and at home. I need money and my credit cards are killing me!”

The two men sat in silence for several minutes. Roger ordered two more double shots of whiskey. Then Roger reached his breaking point. What happened next hit him like a bolt of lightning: an idea that, he figured, would solve his problems and ensure he was finished playing the loser.

He looked at Ethan and quietly said, “I have an idea that could make us both wealthy.”

Ethan laughed. He thought Roger was joking.

Then Roger, in a very serious tone, said, “Do you want to keep your marriage, own a home, and pay for your daughter's education?”

That got Ethan's attention. “What do you have in mind?” said Ethan.

“A few months ago, my boss asked me to accompany his wife on the cash drop at the bank. It was for both stores. He did this every few months, but sometimes he would ask me to go along, after all, it’s a lot of money. It was just after the May long weekend when I went with her, and the cash they were moving was somewhere around one and a half million dollars.”

“That's a lot of cash for two grocery stores," said Ethan. “It doesn't add up.”

“It does if you take into account they are money-laundering cash for an underground Asian gambling operation. Vietnamese people love to gamble,” said Roger.

“So you want to rob Lee and Judy.”

“Bingo,” said Roger, who was now a little drunk from the four shots of whiskey.

Ethan ordered two beers, trying not to get too impaired for the next round of talks that clearly got his attention. “Tell me more,” he said.

“I know their route. And here’s the kicker, they always stop by this Catholic church that’s in a relatively remote spot up the valley. They take two hefty envelopes and drop them into the slot at the back door then drive on to the bank, arriving when it opens to deposit the money which is in a big duffle bag full of unmarked cash. The Labour Day long weekend is only a week away. We could rob them blind, but there’s only one problem—we would need to launder the money somehow.”

Ethan sat back, the wheels turning in his brain like a carousel whose brakes had failed. He wasn't thinking it was a bad idea or a crazy idea. He was searching for an answer. “I know someone who could perform that task. He works at a casino. He'd have to get a percentage, of course.”

“Of course,” said Roger, his plan now looking real.

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End of Free Sample