Death at the Cloisters: A Matthew Hogan Mystery
()
About this ebook
Randolph Mase
Randolph Mase was born in New York City and lived his earlier years in the metropolitan area, graduating from West Point up the Hudson River. In addition to being a voiceover artist, he writes fiction. Death at the Cloisters is his fourth Matthew Hogan mystery, following up on Death on Broadway, Death Beneath the Streets, and Death in Central Park. He is now busy completing two more novels: the fifth in the Matthew Hogan Mystery series, Death Inside Diamond Head, and a contemporary comedy, Unbearable. Mase has two grown children and two young grandchildren who live in the Washington, D.C. area, and he lives with his wife in Putnam County, New York. He has traveled extensively, having visited all 50 of the United States and more than 20 other countries. Visit his website at www.randolphmase.com.
Related to Death at the Cloisters
Related ebooks
The Yellow House Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrave Intervention Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hotel Cartagena Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fatal Divisions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Watcher Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEdith Wharton: Complete Works: (Bauer Classics) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Sudden Disappearance of the Worker Bees: A Commissario Simona Tavianello Mystery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMurder at Old St. Thomas's: The Tommy Jones Mysteries, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Concrete Vineyard Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Devil's Blaze Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDream of Fair Woman Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Atlantis Codes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTainted: A Dr. Zol Szabo Medical Mystery Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Haunted Martyr Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Farewell to Legs: An Aaron Tucker Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Diamond Before You Die Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Glasgow Kiss Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Murderland: A Gripping Serial Killer Thriller Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMurder in Maryland Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTrial by Fire: A Helen West Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Miss Treadway and the Field of Stars: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In The Name Of Love Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Murder on the Mediterranean Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The Albatross Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Swamp Sister Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsProtector: Jane Perry Mysteries Book 1 Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Jealous One Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Trouble with a Small Raise: A Simona Griffo Mystery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThreshold of Deceit: A Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mystery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Mystery For You
The Stories of Ray Bradbury Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5None of This Is True: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Flight: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pretty Girls: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hallowe'en Party: Inspiration for the 20th Century Studios Major Motion Picture A Haunting in Venice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Daughter: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hunting Party: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Complete Short Stories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Still Life: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Life We Bury Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Paris Apartment: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Big Sleep Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pieces of Her: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Pharmacist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5False Witness: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Devil in a Blue Dress (30th Anniversary Edition): An Easy Rawlins Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Pale Blue Eye: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The People Next Door Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Murder Under a Red Moon: A 1920s Bangalore Mystery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Did I Kill You?: A Thriller Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone: A Murdery Mystery Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summit Lake Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jack Reacher: A Mysterious Profile Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Club: A Reese's Book Club Pick Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Kept Woman: A Will Trent Thriller Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dark Side: A Collection of Mysteries & Thrillers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Death at the Cloisters
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Death at the Cloisters - Randolph Mase
DEATH AT
THE CLOISTERS
A Matthew Hogan Mystery
RANDOLPH MASE
36842.pngDEATH AT THE CLOISTERS
A MATTHEW HOGAN MYSTERY
Copyright © 2014 Randolph Mase.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
iUniverse
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.
ISBN: 978-1-4917-4993-7 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4917-4994-4 (e)
iUniverse rev. date: 10/21/2014
Contents
Chapter One Dinner
Chapter Two The Cloisters
Chapter Three The Man
Chapter Four The Woman
Chapter Five New Leaf Café
Chapter Six More Suspects
Chapter Seven The Angry Lion
Chapter Eight The Plan
Chapter Nine The Catch
‘To my family, especially my wife Kathy, for their support and encouragement, particularly during the past couple of years. I love you all.
CHAPTER ONE
DINNER
W hat do you think?
the woman asked him, turning around slowly.
It looks good,
he replied.
Does it make me look fat?
Nothing could make you look fat. Nothing at all.
She walked slowly toward him, then put her arms around his waist. Perfect answer. How come you always say the right thing?
Just lucky, I guess,
he responded, kissing her lightly on the lips. But I meant it.
She moved even closer to him, kissing him back, her hands starting to move slowly down his back. He pulled away from her. Uh, let’s not forget where we are, Lisa.
She looked around, her lips pouting, then back at him. A smile replaced the pout. Nobody’s looking.
Not right now they’re not,
he chuckled. But, if we do anything more, they will be. And we came here to buy a dress for you, not to get arrested.
Okay, okay. You’re right. Let me change, then we can get out of here to someplace more private.
Ten minutes later, Christian Morton and his close friend Lisa Barronson left the department store on 34th Street in New York City. The cold January air thrust itself into their faces, capturing their breaths for several moments. The air was so cold it created almost a burning feeling in the windpipe when you took a breath. Both of them pulled their collars up to their ears as they turned to walk along the sidewalk. The only respite was that the cold wind was now behind their backs. Too cold to even talk, Christian held his collar with his right hand and put his left arm around Lisa.
Fifteen minutes later, they rushed into the welcome warmth of Grand Central Station. "It is so cold!" Lisa complained, still trying to catch her breath. They moved quickly down the steps and away from the doors, huddling together for several minutes in a corner.
Finally, they could speak without their voices shaking. I heard that it’s about minus ten with the wind chill factor,
he said.
It feels colder than that,
Lisa replied. Why did we come out on a cold day like today, anyway?
To find you a dress…and to be with each other, of course. And don’t forget that we’re going out again tonight, remember? Dinner?
She nodded. Okay. But at least we’ll be inside. And maybe we can find a nice warm taxi to take us there.
Well, I did hear that it’s supposed to be less windy tonight,
Chris answered. That should help a little.
As they started down the marble steps toward the subway, he looked at his watch. 5:30. And speaking of which, we don’t have that much time. I made the reservation for 7:00.
We should be okay. It won’t take me that long to change. As long as we don’t have to wait too long to get on a train. This time of day is sometimes brutal.
An hour later, they had taken the shuttle to Times Square and the Number 1 train to her apartment on the Upper West Side, and Chris waited patiently as Lisa donned her new dress. He made his waiting time seem even longer by looking at his watch every minute or so. His latest glance showed him 6:45. He stood, hands fidgeting in his pockets, and walked slowly toward the bedroom door. As he was about to encourage her to finish quickly, she appeared in the doorway. Okay. I’m ready. How do I look?
she asked, turning slowly to reveal all sides of her new dress.
I change what I said in the store,
he answered. It doesn’t look good.
She frowned, and looked like she would hit him. It looks better than good. It’s you.
There you go again,
Lisa said, kissing him quickly as she moved toward the closet by the front door. We’d better go.
* * *
Thirty minutes later, they were comfortably seated near the warm fireplace of a steakhouse on 57th Street. The heat from the fire, as well as from the wine in their glasses, made them forget about the bitter cold surrounding the building. So they concentrated on each other, and on their dinner selections.
What are you going to order?
she asked him.
You know better than to ask, Lisa.
Chris smiled at her. I’ve narrowed it down to three or four choices. I’ll decide when the waitress comes back.
She pouted at him. Okay, I’ll give you a hint.
Her face brightened. It’s a steak,
he chuckled, then winced when he felt her shoe tap against his shin under the table.
Fine. Be that way. I won’t tell you what I’m having, either.
I’ll find out.
Their banter was interrupted by the return of their waitress. Are you ready to order?
And they were. She asked for a T-Bone, well-done, and he asked for a Filet Mignon, medium. After the waitress took their menus and left, Lisa said to Chris, You knew you were going to order that all along, didn’t you?
Actually, it was my second choice. The T-Bone was my first. But I couldn’t order the same thing as you.
Why not?
I don’t know. It’s just not right.
Sometimes you’re weird, you know that?
He shrugged his shoulders. I guess. But that’s what makes me special, right?
He lifted his wine glass to her, and she laughed.
* * *
An hour later, they relaxed at the table, sipping their coffees. Suddenly, Lisa leaned toward him, a worried look on her face, and whispered, Chris, there’s a guy over at the bar that’s been staring at me for the last half hour.
He looked in the direction of the bar, but didn’t see anyone. I don’t see anybody. Who is he?
He looks familiar, but I can’t place him. Look, there he is again.
Chris looked again toward the bar. The guy with the brown hair? In the blue shirt?
Lisa nodded, looking away from the man. I’ll be right back,
Chris said, pushing his chair back and standing.
What are you going to do?
Relax. I’m just going to talk to him for a second.
Lisa watched him as he walked to the man, then as they talked. When Chris and the other man turned to look