Pelican Cove Cozy Mystery Series Box Set 1

by Leena Clover

  “Don’t be so modest. I heard how you solved a stranger’s murder a few months ago.”

  “Is there anything else about Bella that you can tell me? Did you find out anything about her family, for instance?”

  “I told you, they disowned her long ago,” Ray told her. “I’m all she had.”

  “Let me know if you remember anything,” Jenny stressed. “You can find me at the Boardwalk Café.”

  Jenny went back to her table after that. Chris had joined them in her absence, along with an unwelcome guest.

  “What do you want, Mandy?” Jenny snapped.

  Mandy James looked hurt.

  “I’m just having a drink with my new friends.”

  The town had issued an ordinance against the Boardwalk Café that day, ordering them to undertake all the repairs suggested by the beautification committee.

  “Friends don’t throw each other under the bus.”

  “You’re talking about the letter.”

  “How’d you guess?”

  “Relax, Jenny,” Jason said, placing an arm around her shoulders and making her sit. “You’re breathing fire. She’s just doing her job.”

  “Exactly!” Mandy exclaimed. “How can you not understand that, Jenny? It’s not personal.”

  “Petunia’s blood pressure is up from the stress. That’s how personal it is to me.”

  Mandy stood up and bid goodbye to everyone.

  “I know where I am not wanted.”

  “What was that?” Molly asked. “You could at least have been polite.”

  “We got the contractor’s estimate today,” Jenny told her friends. “It’s five figures. Five figures!”

  “I thought we were pitching in to help?” Chris asked.

  “That’s just the contractor’s work. We will still need you all to help, and we’ll need to spend more on paint and other supplies.”

  “Stop worrying about that for a moment,” Jason soothed. “Did you make Ray talk?”

  “He’s either a very good actor or he’s innocent.”

  “We are here to relax,” Heather reminded her. “No more talk of the café or anything unpleasant.”

  Chris and Jason called for a fresh round of beer. Eddie Cotton brought over their pints on a tray, along with a bowl of potato chips.

  “There’s one extra,” Jenny laughed as she picked up her mug.

  Eddie pointed toward the door. Adam Hopkins had just walked in.

  “Hello, slacker!” Jason greeted him. “Is the police department going to survive without you tonight?”

  Heather whispered something to Molly and they both started to giggle. Jenny guessed it was something about her. She ignored them and pulled up another chair for Adam.

  Wedged between Jason on one side and Adam on another, Jenny rubbed the small gold heart hanging on a chain around her neck. She liked them both for different reasons. She might have to choose between them one day but she was in no hurry to do so.

  Chapter 18

  The high school students Petunia had hired started working at the café. Jenny spent a couple of days showing them the ropes. She hoped they would be more help than hindrance.

  There was a tinkling laugh and Jenny looked up to see Crystal and her posse enter the café. They wanted to sit out on the deck.

  “Hello Jenny.” Crystal hung back to talk to her. “Found anything new?”

  Jenny shook her head.

  “I’m trying. What are you gals doing out here in town?”

  “We got cabin fever,” she replied, making a face. “And I was craving your cupcakes. Got anything new?”

  “I just finished frosting a new batch of cupcakes with raspberry and Grand Marnier frosting. I’ll bring them out.”

  Jenny put a pitcher of icy lemonade and her cupcakes on a tray. She remembered how Rainbow had talked to her the last time the girls visited the café.

  “Anything new on Rainbow?” she asked Crystal.

  “The police confirmed she died of an overdose.”

  According to Jenny, it had either been intentional or an accident. She couldn’t imagine Rainbow taking her own life. She was too much in love with herself.

  The girls started talking about Rainbow, saving Jenny the need to ask any probing questions.

  “She was so happy about her new role,” one of the girls said. “It was all thanks to Crystal.”

  Crystal blew an air kiss at the girl.

  “We’re going to need someone else to fill that spot now.”

  “First Bella, now Rainbow,” another girl spoke up. “I think the show’s jinxed. Who knows, any one of us could be next.”

  “You remember what happened on the third season of that show we were on?”

  The girls plunged into a discussion about the different times they had encountered bad luck.

  Jenny went in, tired of listening to their chatter.

  “They are a bunch of idiots,” Crystal said, following her into the kitchen. “All that matters is the ratings.”

  “Have your ratings suffered?”

  “They are at an all time high,” Crystal beamed. “That’s the thing about them, Jenny. They shoot up in good times and bad. They are based on the amount of interest the show generates, you know? The company is playing up Rainbow’s death. Fans are lining up to place flowers and teddy bears outside the studio back home.”

  “I didn’t know Rainbow was that popular,” Jenny remarked. “Wasn’t she like a supporting actress?”

  “Not even that,” Crystal sighed. “But she’s got a big following now. It’s like the authors who become famous posthumously.”

  “That’s good for your show. You must be happy.”

  Crystal rolled her eyes.

  “It might be good for the show in the short term. But it’s not good for me. I am the star of this show, not Rainbow.”

  Jenny decided that ruled Crystal out as a suspect. She would never do anything to endanger her position as queen bee.

  “How was she when you talked to her last?”

  “I don’t remember. She was her usual self, I guess. She was closer to my mother than me.”

  “She was friendly with Wayne too, I hear.”

  “What are you implying, Jenny?”

  “Nothing! I’m saying Rainbow was a friendly soul. She was quite chatty.”

  “Really? What did you talk about?”

  “Nothing in particular.”

  Crystal stifled a yawn and went back to her table. The girls lingered for a couple of hours and ordered lunch.

  One of the starlets stepped into the kitchen with a list of special instructions.

  “One crab salad sandwich without tomato, one crab salad without mayo and one crab salad sandwich without bread, please.”

  “The crab salad without mayo will take time,” Jenny told her. “You want to wait here while I mix a new batch?”

  The girl sat down at the kitchen table.

  “How well did you know Rainbow?” Jenny asked her.

  “Not very well,” the girl admitted. “She didn’t hang around with us much.”

  “Oh? But I thought she was part of Crystal and her group of friends.”

  “She was a bit older than us, and more experienced.”

  “You mean she was a senior actress?”

  The girl looked over her shoulder and leaned forward.

  “Don’t tell anyone I said this, but she was a better actor than Crystal.”

  “Why didn’t she get the lead role then?”

  The girl shrugged.

  “Talent is not the only requirement…”

  “Did she get along with everyone?”

  “She was nice to everyone but she kept her distance.”

  Jenny pursed her lips as she asked the next question.

  “You don’t think anyone had a grudge against her?”

  The girl grew uncomfortable.

  “Some of the girls were a bit jealous,” she finally admitted. “Other than Crystal, Rainbow was the only one who
had her own room, see? The rest of us have to share a room.”

  “How did she manage that?”

  The girls shrugged.

  “She was pretty friendly with Kathy. Crystal’s Mom, you know.”

  The girl’s voice dropped to a whisper.

  “And she was friendly with Wayne.”

  Jenny knew the nature of Rainbow’s friendship with Wayne very well. She didn’t contradict the girl.

  “Did she come to dinner the previous night? When was the last time you saw her?”

  “Rainbow didn’t join us for dinner. She said she had some personal business to take care of.”

  “Yeah? Like what?”

  “She didn’t say. But I saw her drive out of the club around six.”

  Jenny whirled around to look at the girl. So Rainbow had probably visited someone in town.

  “Was that the last time you saw her?”

  “Kind of. I saw Wayne coming out of her room later that night. He was saying something. He must have been talking to her, right?”

  “What time was this?”

  “I don’t remember. But it was late.”

  Jenny thought of the void Rainbow’s death had created.

  “Was there anyone who was angling for Rainbow’s role?”

  “Almost everyone was,” the girl laughed. “Our roles are scripted beforehand but anything is possible on a reality show. If someone works up a fan following, the producers can keep them on longer, fire someone else.”

  “So you’re trying to be one up on each other all the time?”

  “I guess.” The girl shrugged.

  Jenny decided she would never be able to handle that kind of tension.

  “Must be hard on you. Aren’t you all friends?”

  “We are friends up to a point. But we also need to look out for ourselves. Everyone knows that. There are no hard feelings.”

  Jenny thanked the girl and promised she would bring over the special orders to their table. She spent the rest of the day thinking over what the girl had said. She needed to talk to Wayne Newman again.

  Petunia came in to clean up an hour later.

  “Are you going home to change?”

  “Change for what, Petunia?”

  “Have you forgotten? They are unveiling the new welcome sign. There’s going to be a ribbon cutting and a special guest.”

  “Let me guess. Mandy James is behind all that.”

  Petunia nodded.

  “And you still want to go?”

  Petunia sat down with a sigh.

  “I know Mandy’s been hard on us. But this is about the town. We have been talking about getting a new welcome sign for years.”

  “In that case, lead me on…”

  “Aren’t you going to change? The whole town will be there.”

  Petunia widened her eyes when she said ‘whole town’.

  “Do we have enough time?”

  “It’s at five. You will have to hurry.”

  “Do you want me to pick you up?”

  “Thanks dear, but I am riding with Heather and Betty Sue.”

  Jenny and her aunt drove to the venue in time for the event. The sign was erected a quarter mile before the bridge that led to the island of Pelican Cove. Jenny was surprised to see Wayne Newman standing next to Barb Norton and Mandy James. There were a bunch of reporters clicking pictures like crazy.

  It turned out Wayne Newman was going to cut the ribbon and unveil the new sign. He did that with a grin and pulled off the white cloth covering the sign. Then he gave a small speech.

  Mandy James thanked everyone for coming and thanked the artist who had created the sign. Star looked stoic while she took it all in.

  Wayne caught Jenny’s eye and pulled her to a side.

  “I couldn’t say no,” he explained. “That Mandy chick is pretty persuasive.”

  “I know,” Jenny agreed.

  She nodded toward the reporters.

  “Looks like the paparazzi know where you are now.”

  Wayne shrugged.

  “I’ve been below the radar long enough. It’s time to go home. Maybe the media will put some pressure on the police.”

  “You lost two friends in a short period of time, Wayne. I am sorry for your loss.”

  Wayne curled his fingers.

  “They were both good people. I know I was seeing all of them at once. But I really cared for Bella and Rainbow.”

  Once again, Jenny wondered if someone was killing off Wayne’s lady loves one by one. Was Crystal in danger too?

  “When was the last time you saw Rainbow?”

  “I spent some time with her that afternoon.”

  “Did you arrange to meet her away from the club?”

  “Why would I do that, Jenny? I could meet her there any time I wanted to.”

  So Rainbow hadn’t left the club to meet Wayne. Had she just gone out for a drive?

  “Someone saw you coming out of Rainbow’s room that night.”

  Wayne looked guilty.

  “I looked in on her later that night,” he admitted reluctantly. “I liked to spend some time with her before turning in.”

  He gave Jenny a meaningful look making her blush.

  “You didn’t go to Crystal before turning in?”

  “I did. I went to Rainbow first.”

  Jenny tried to hide her disgust. Then she told herself she wasn’t the moral police.

  “Was she in her room?”

  Wayne looked flustered again.

  “She was fast asleep. I shook her but she wouldn’t wake up. I thought she might have taken one of her pills.”

  Wayne could have given her the pills himself. Why would he do that though, Jenny asked herself.

  “Were you talking to yourself when you left her room?”

  “I was talking to her,” Wayne said sheepishly. “I thought she might be play acting.”

  “And why would she do that?”

  “We had a fight earlier that day,” Wayne confessed. “She told me she didn’t want to see me again.”

  Jenny put her hands on her hips and glared at Wayne.

  “When were you going to tell me that?”

  Wayne ran a hand through his hair.

  “Rainbow’s dead. How would it look if I admitted we argued on the day she died?”

  “It looks bad,” Jenny nodded. “But hiding it looks worse.”

  “I could’ve done something, Jenny,” Wayne cried suddenly. “I could have saved her.”

  “You didn’t know what was wrong with her.”

  “So what? If I had raised an alarm, got a doctor to look at her, maybe she would be with us right now.”

  Wayne’s distress seemed genuine enough. But Jenny had her doubts.

  “What time did you go to her room, Wayne?”

  “Around nine? It was a little past that, I think.”

  “Did you visit her at the same time every night?”

  “Not exactly. We would meet at dinner and then decide if we were going to see each other later that night.”

  “Where did you go after you came out of Rainbow’s room?”

  “I went to see Crystal.”

  “Did you tell her about Rainbow?”

  Wayne shook his head.

  “I think you should tell all this to the police.”

  Wayne didn’t look too happy about the suggestion.

  “Do I have to? I think they already suspect me.”

  Jenny didn’t want to comment on that.

  “If you’re innocent, you should volunteer any information you have, Wayne. Hiding anything, even the smallest detail, makes you look suspicious.”

  “I’ll think about it,” Wayne promised.

  Mandy came and took Wayne away for a photo session. Jenny saw her coax people into standing on either side of the new sign. She turned around at a familiar voice.

  Adam Hopkins stood a few feet away, holding Tank’s leash. Tank barked a welcome as soon as he saw Jenny.

  “Meddling in police
business?” Adam asked with an inscrutable expression.

  Chapter 19

  The Magnolias were enjoying their usual mid-morning break at the Boardwalk Café. Jenny had been busy getting their new hires up to speed. Petunia had convinced Jenny to let the kids manage the front desk. Jenny was taking a much deserved break.

  “What’s on your mind, girl?” Betty Sue asked, her hands busy knitting a lime green scarf. “You look like someone stole your candy.”

  That produced a laugh out of everyone.

  “She’s been like that for a while,” Star told them. “I can’t get a smile out of her.”

  “Are you still thinking about Bella?” Heather asked.

  Jenny gave a slight nod.

  “What do the police say?” Betty Sue asked. “Haven’t you talked to that Hopkins boy recently?”

  “The police haven’t made any arrests,” Jenny told them. “And they are not holding anyone.”

  “So they are clueless,” Molly stated. “What does Adam say?”

  Jenny flared up when she heard Adam’s name.

  “Why would Adam say anything?” Her chest heaved with emotion. “You know he never tells me anything. He hasn’t given me a single update on what’s happening.”

  “Are those film people still in town?” Molly asked.

  “They are here till the end of the week,” Heather informed them. “I spoke to Crystal yesterday.”

  “And they won’t be coming back!” Jenny exclaimed. “How can the cops let them leave?”

  “They stuck around long enough,” Heather argued. “They all have deadlines. The show has lost a lot of money, it seems. The studio’s lawyers are putting a lot of pressure on the authorities here.”

  “I’m surprised the police haven’t charged anyone yet,’ Jenny said nastily. “It’s not as if they need proof.”

  An old incident still rankled. Her aunt had been found guilty of murder by the local police earlier that year. The police had latched on to her without any evidence. Jenny had stood by her aunt and worked hard to find the real killer.

  “This is a high profile case,” Molly said. “They will think twice before pointing the finger at anyone.”

  “How do you know so much about this?” Petunia asked Molly.

  “Jason told me that,” she admitted.

  “Jason,” a trio of voices chorused. “When did you meet Jason?”