by Leena Clover
“Have you heard from my aunt today?” she asked Petunia.
“Star’s gone to the seafood market,” Petunia told her. “She will stop here on her way back.”
“Do you think the Newburys are involved in the murder?” Jenny asked her.
“They are not criminals, Jenny. Well, not exactly. Julius could be lying to hide something silly. Or he’s just following Ada’s orders.”
“Why wouldn’t they own up to knowing that man?”
“To avoid scandal, of course,” Petunia said.
“That sounds silly,” Jenny said angrily. “If the maid saw him in the house, I am sure someone else must have seen him too. What about the security guy at the gate?”
“You could be right,” Petunia said meekly. “But you won’t get a word out of any of them. They won’t dare go against Ada’s orders.”
“What about the police though? Surely they can’t lie to the police?”
“Why don’t you talk to the sheriff about this?” Petunia asked, a gleam lighting up her eyes. “Tomorrow morning sounds good. I hear he’s left for the day.”
“How would you know that?” Jenny sighed.
“He came here to grab a sandwich,” Petunia said. “Told me he had a doctor’s appointment at 4 PM. It’s way past that now.”
Jenny spied Star coming up the steps of the café. She held up a bag.
“Got some fresh rockfish for us, sweetie. You ready to go home?”
Jenny was glad to see Star looking a bit upbeat. She had been moping ever since the police had ransacked her gallery.
“Can I help you prep something for tomorrow?” Jenny asked Petunia.
“It’s all under control,” the older woman assured her. “Why don’t you go on home? I’ll see you tomorrow at six, bright and early.”
Jenny felt exhausted all of a sudden. She was glad she wasn’t walking home. Captain Charlie called out to them as they were getting in the car.
“Had your chicken sandwich for lunch, Jenny,” he said, smacking his lips. “I can’t wait to get another one tomorrow.”
“I think I finally found something,” Jenny told her aunt as she drove slowly across town.
The mail van crossed them and Kevin gave them his usual salute.
Jenny told her aunt about her visit to the Newbury estate.
“Betty Sue still cares about Robert,” Star said, “even though they stopped living together a long time ago.”
“Is that why she told me to forget about the Newburys?”
“Robert wasn’t here on the day of Ada’s Spring Gala. I doubt he is involved in all this.”
Jenny decided she definitely needed to see the sheriff.
Star boiled potatoes and steamed broccoli while Jenny seasoned the fish with some lemon pepper. She wrapped it in foil with olive oil and slid it in the oven. Fifteen minutes later, they sat down to their healthy dinner.
“Do you miss him?” Star asked suddenly. “You were together for almost twenty years.”
Jenny was quiet as she speared a piece of fish on her fork.
“I miss my old life. My routine. Shopping, making dinner, taking care of the house. Most days, I was asleep by the time he got home. I planned fancy dinners, then threw them out the next day.”
“You are holding up pretty well, Jenny,” Star said, “considering. I’m proud of you.”
“I miss Nick,” Jenny said softly. “I hope he comes to visit soon.”
“He better spend some time with us this summer,” Star said. “I’ll talk to him.”
Jenny did the dishes after she convinced Star to go watch some TV. She gave everything a final rub down. She debated skipping her walk. Then she thought of the pancakes she had devoured at breakfast and strengthened her resolve.
The scent of roses and honeysuckle blended with the salty sea air and Jenny breathed it in deeply. Her mind was blessedly devoid of thought as she walked on the firm sand, letting the rhythmic sound of the ocean soothe her.
A tall figure appeared in the distance and she felt her heart speed up. Tank bumped his head against her knee and put his paws on her chest, giving her a lick.
“You naughty boy,” she laughed. “You’re getting bolder by the day.”
“He really likes you,” Adam said. “And he’s not afraid of you anymore.”
“I like him too,” Jenny said, taking Tank’s head in her hands and hugging him close.
She pulled a ball out of her pocket and threw it in the distance. Tank ran after it, barking happily.
“How are you, Jenny?” Adam asked. “I came by the café earlier today. Petunia said you were out on an errand.”
Jenny nodded, trying to decide if she should tackle Adam right away or wait until the next day. She couldn’t hold herself back.
“I went to the Newbury estate with Betty Sue.”
“Planning another party?” Adam asked mildly.
“They are hiding something, Adam!” Jenny burst out.
Adam flexed his shoulders as his eyebrows drew together in a frown.
“What have you done now, Jenny?”
“I haven’t done anything,” Jenny said, defending herself. “Have you questioned the Newburys yet? What about their staff?”
“That’s part of an ongoing investigation,” Adam said curtly. “I can’t discuss it with you.”
“That means you haven’t. Looks like the Newburys have the police force in their pocket.”
“That’s a serious allegation, Jenny. I would think twice before I said anything.”
“I have news for you, Mr. Sheriff,” Jenny glowered, her hands on her hips. “The Newburys knew that dead man.”
“What if they did?”
“If they are so innocent, why did Julius Newbury say he didn’t recognize the man?”
“You showed him that sketch, did you?” Adam sighed. “The picture your aunt drew?”
Jenny didn’t need to say anything.
“We have received some complaints,” Adam continued. “People think you are harassing them.”
“Who thinks that?” Jenny scoffed. “Not a single person I talked to said so.”
“They won’t say it to your face,” Adam reasoned.
Jenny was speechless. Had she been fooled by the friendly faces of the town people?
“I’m not too good at reading people,” Jenny told Adam. “But I can guarantee none of the people I talked to felt harassed by my questions.”
Adam shrugged. He’d had a hard day and he wasn’t happy with the turn the conversation had taken.
“Whatever you say, Jenny,” he said meekly. “Look, I am tired. I’ll tell you the same thing I have been saying all along. Stop interfering in police work. Let us do our job.”
“Are you ready to drop the charges against my aunt?”
Adam’s gaze hardened and he shook his head in despair. He turned around and started walking away from Jenny.
Chapter 13
Jenny’s phone rang early the next morning. It was 5:30 AM and she was in the shower, getting ready for her day. Star was asleep in her room. Her day started much later than Jenny’s.
“Jenny, it’s Petunia!” an excited voice burst out. “Come to the café immediately.”
“What’s the matter, Petunia? Are you alright?” Jenny asked, concerned.
“You just need to get here, girl.”
“On my way,” Jenny promised.
She pulled on a clean pair of jeans and the first sweater she got her hands on. She decided walking would be better than taking her car. Jenny set a brisk pace and she was turning on to Main Street fifteen minutes later, keeping an eye out for Petunia. It was ten minutes to six, her usual time to get to work.
Two patrol cars idled in front of the café. One of them had its lights on and the flashing beacons lit up the street in the delicate light of the morning. The sky was overcast and Jenny saw a sliver of the sun peeping through the clouds at the horizon.
She could see a bunch of people standing on the sidewalk,
staring up at the café. Jenny’s heart gave a leap. She suddenly felt afraid. Had there been an accident in the café? Had anything happened to Petunia?
She picked up her pace and almost jogged the rest of the way. A figure on the sidewalk turned around and she came face to face with Captain Charlie. It was the first time Jenny had seen a frown on his face.
She bounded up the stairs and stopped in her tracks, her mouth hanging open in shock. Angry red graffiti greeted her at the entrance of the café. It covered every possible surface, the white washed café walls, the blue front door which was locked at night and the shingled roof.
“Get Out”, screamed the words painted on one wall. Another one warned them to “Stop” and “Leave”.
Jenny spotted Petunia sitting at a table in the corner. She was surrounded by some deputies. Adam stood before her, leaning heavily on his cane. His uniform was wrinkled, as if he had thrown on the previous day’s one in haste. Tears streamed down Petunia’s eyes and she had a lost look in them.
Jenny ran over and hugged the older woman.
“Oh my God, Petunia, what’s going on?”
“Jenny! I am glad to see you, girl. Look what they did.”
Jenny straightened and spared a second look at the destruction. She was beginning to get riled up.
“Who did this?” she demanded furiously, glaring at Adam. “What are you doing to catch the culprit?”
Adam had a resigned look.
“I first need to make sure nobody is hurt,” he said.
He took Petunia’s hand in his and said gently, “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
Petunia was sobbing silently, her chest heaving as she gulped in deep breaths between her sobs. She nodded her head and looked up at Adam.
“I couldn’t sleep. I got ready and came here earlier than usual. I thought I would start the coffee and put in the first batch of muffins. The regulars start coming in at six anyway.”
Adam nodded, encouraging her to go on.
“I saw someone scurry down the side when I turned onto Main Street. I wasn’t really paying attention at the time.”
“Did you recognize who it was?”
Petunia shook her head.
“Like I said, I wasn’t really looking. I sat down on that bench for a few minutes to watch the sun come up.” She paused and swallowed. “I like to do that, see? It’s one of my favorite ways to start the day.”
Adam didn’t interrupt her.
“The sun wasn’t coming up…I mean, I couldn’t really see it due to the clouds. So I got up and walked to the café. I wasn’t in a hurry. I had no idea what had gone down here.”
“You called me around 5:30,” Jenny reminded her.
“I came up the steps and saw all this!” Petunia wailed. “I opened the door, trying hard not to disturb anything. I called the police first. Then I called you, Jenny.”
Jenny put her hands on Petunia’s shoulders and squeezed them.
“You did the right thing. What are the police doing to help us?”
“The paint is still wet in some places,” Adam said.
“Good. It will be easier to wash it off.”
“Not so soon, Jenny. This is a crime scene now. We need to process it, take pictures, dust for fingerprints…”
“What about the morning rush?” Petunia asked. “The watermen will be here for their coffee. Captain Charlie’s already waiting on the sidewalk.”
“I don’t think you can open the café today, Petunia,” Adam said firmly. “We need to get started here. We’ll hand it over to you as soon as possible.”
“What about cleanup?” Jenny asked.
“You can’t do that until we’re done here.”
“Has this happened before?” Jenny asked Adam. “I thought this kind of vandalism was limited to the city.”
Adam pursed his lips before he spoke.
“I don’t think this is vandalism. Have you read what it says?”
“Not really…I just saw something scrawled everywhere. Give me a minute.”
Jenny walked around the deck, trying to absorb the scene of destruction. Something clicked in her mind. She whirled around to confront Adam.
“Am I the target here?”
“Sure looks like it, Jenny. The Boardwalk Café has been here for years and Petunia has been running it without incident for the last 25 years. You’re the only thing that’s new here.”
“So someone wants to drive me out of Pelican Cove?”
Adam shrugged. “I can’t say anything definite until we investigate further.”
“You never say anything more than that!” Jenny snapped.
The crowd on the sidewalk had grown while Jenny was talking to Petunia. Heather pushed through the crowd and ran up the steps.
“Jenny? Petunia? Are you safe?”
Her hand rose to her mouth as she looked around at the scene.
“Who would do all this?”
Petunia clutched Heather’s hand and leaned against her.
“I’m glad to see you, dear.”
“So am I,” Heather said with a shake of her head. “I almost forgot. Grandma sent me here with a message. We figured they might shut the café down for some time. I pulled out our spare coffee maker and put in an extra batch of muffins at the inn. We can take care of all your regulars.”
“That’s a relief,” Petunia said, giving Heather a watery smile. “People depend on us, you know. I can’t send the men off on the water without their coffee.”
“That’s a good idea,” Adam approved. “Nice of you to come through, Heather.”
He turned toward Jenny.
“Why don’t you head on to the Bayview Inn? We are going to be busy here for a while.”
“I have many more questions,” Jenny argued.
“I’m sure you do,” Adam soothed. “But they can wait. Let us do our job, Jenny, please. We can talk later.”
Jenny didn’t look pleased but she gave in. She took Petunia’s arm and helped her up.
“I guess we are going to the Bayview Inn.”
“Jenny!” someone called out faintly.
Jenny turned to see Star hurrying up the sidewalk. She was wearing a colorful dress but her hair was in disarray and her eyes were swollen with sleep.
“How’s my Jenny?” Star cried as she rushed up the café steps. “Petunia? Where are you?”
Jenny engulfed her aunt in her arms and tried to calm her down.
“I’m fine, Auntie, I’m fine. No one has been hurt. It was just a prank.”
Star looked around in fright, taking in the scene.
“This is more than a prank. What if you had walked in on them? You could have been hurt.”
“But I wasn’t and neither was Petunia,” Jenny stressed.
Jenny forced her aunt to sit down and gave her a quick report.
“Let’s go to the inn then,” Star nodded. “I need some coffee in my system.”
The crowd seemed mollified when they learned they were going to be served coffee at the inn. They waited for a few minutes and started following the women.
Jenny spent a busy morning working in an unfamiliar kitchen, trying not to bump into Heather. Luckily, there weren’t too many guests at the inn. They checked out after breakfast.
Petunia, Star and Betty Sue Morse sat at the small kitchen table, their heads together. Jenny had told Petunia to take it easy for a while and she hadn’t argued.
“What have they got against my Jenny?” Star was saying. “I know she’s new in town. But why would anyone want to drive her out?”
“I think I know why,” Heather spoke up as she placed a plate of muffins before the ladies. “This is related to that dead man.”
“What?” everyone exclaimed.
“Just think about it,” Heather reasoned. “Jenny has been going around town showing everyone that picture. She must have rattled someone.”
“But nobody recognized that picture,” Betty Sue said.
“That’s what they sa
id,” Star told her. “But if someone in town did kill that man…”
“Someone has been lying to us,” Petunia finished Star’s sentence.
“You must be getting close, Jenny,” Heather said. “That’s why this person is trying to threaten you.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Jenny said firmly.
“How many people did you show the picture to?” Petunia asked.
“Dozens,” Jenny replied.
“It must be someone you talked to in the last day or two,” Star reasoned.
“We went to the Newbury estate yesterday,” Jenny said slowly. “We know they were lying to us.”
“Do you think they found out that maid talked to us?” Heather asked.
“Ada will not stoop so low,” Betty Sue said with conviction. “She might fire the maid, or give you the cold shoulder, Jenny, but she is not going to hire goons and trash the Boardwalk Café.”
“We talked to Jimmy Parsons,” Jenny reminded them. “He doesn’t seem like a model citizen.”
“He may be a drunk,” Betty Sue objected. “But he is a Parsons. I don’t think he would do this.”
Jenny didn’t agree with Betty Sue.
“If you ask me, this is exactly what a drunk would do. He is too afraid to confront us so he is stabbing us in the back.”
“Maybe it’s neither of them,” Heather mused. “There’s someone who we don’t suspect yet but someone who knows what we’re up to, someone who’s watching us.”
“That could be anyone in town,” Petunia cried. “How can we protect ourselves against an unknown adversary?”
“That’s it,” Jenny said resolutely. “I must stop working at the café.”
“What?” everyone cried.
“That won’t solve anything,” Petunia said grimly. “You will still be in town and you will be a target.”
“At least they won’t target you, Petunia,” Jenny said. “I am so sorry for all this. I will pay for any damages.”
“Honey, this is not your fault,” Star said. “But I agree. Maybe you should stay away from the Boardwalk Café for a few days.”
“Jenny’s not going anywhere,” Petunia said stoutly. “I need her right beside me as soon as we reopen the café.”
“That’s nice of you, Petunia,” Jenny said. “But what do we do next?”
