Parfaits and Paramours

by Leena Clover

  “What if I add toasted coconut, or pecans?”

  “Or chocolate chips?” her aunt suggested naughtily.

  The Magnolias arrived at ten for their daily coffee break. Heather and Molly dutifully ate a parfait each while Betty Sue stuck to her muffin.

  “You might be getting a visitor today,” Heather told Jenny.

  A long, black car pulled up outside the café just then. A uniformed driver got out and opened the back door. Ada Newbury stepped out, resplendent in a silk dress and a thick strand of pearls. Her head was held high and her expression was as haughty as ever. She stepped into the café and walked out on the deck.

  “You there,” she called out, snapping her fingers at Jenny.

  Jenny didn’t appreciate being insulted in her own café. She stood her ground, barely budging an inch.

  “What can I do for you, Mrs. Newbury?”

  “We need to talk.”

  Jenny invited her to pick an empty table. Ada’s lips curled in an expression of disgust. She pulled out a lace handkerchief from her purse and placed it on a deck chair. She sat down gingerly, flicking a speck of dust off her sleeve.

  Jenny sat down before Ada and folded her hands. She raised her eyebrows questioningly and waited for Ada to speak up.

  “Your young man has gone berserk.”

  Jenny was silent, waiting for Ada to say more.

  “He thinks we killed that silly girl.”

  “Did you?” Jenny asked.

  “How dare you!” Ada fumed. “Brandon was in love with her.”

  “But you didn’t like her, did you?” Jenny asked.

  “She was a nobody,” Ada spat. “Brandon could have done so much better.”

  “Looks like you don’t have to worry about her now,” Jenny said with a shrug.

  “How I wish that were true,” Ada said.

  Her posture seemed to crumple and she suddenly looked frail and old.

  “Why are you here, Mrs. Newbury?” Jenny asked. “Are you here to complain about the food at the party?”

  Ada looked pathetic as she leaned forward and grasped Jenny’s arm.

  “I need your help. Find out who killed that girl. I will pay you anything you want.”

  “I’m not a detective,” Jenny protested. “And I don’t want your money.”

  “Then take pity on me,” Ada pleaded. “I’m innocent. I may have disliked that girl, but I didn’t do anything to harm her.”

  “I can’t guarantee anything,” Jenny sighed.

  Ada’s voice wavered as her eyes bore into Jenny’s.

  “Just promise me you’ll look into it.”

  Chapter 4

  Adam and Jenny were having an old argument. Adam was incensed as he cut into his eggs.

  “I don’t see why you have to be involved this time.”

  “Ada Newbury needs my help. She personally came over here and begged me to help her.”

  “That’s convenient,” Adam jeered. “Have you forgotten how that woman treats you most of the time? What about the way she snubs your aunt?”

  “I know all that. And I am also sure she won’t change even if I manage to bail her out of trouble.”

  “Then why are you bending over backwards, meddling in police business?”

  “Don’t forget I have helped you out in the past,” Jenny said. “And I don’t meddle. You do your thing. I’ll do mine.”

  “Things are different now, Jenny. People know about us. They will assume I tell you everything about the investigation.”

  Jenny let out a snort.

  “You’re not giving out any state secrets, Adam. And here I thought you were worried about my safety.”

  Adam had the grace to look a bit guilty.

  “Of course I worry about you. I haven’t forgotten all those close calls you have had in the past couple of years, Jenny. What would I do if something happened to you?”

  Jenny poured a fresh cup of coffee for Adam and rolled her eyes.

  “You’re making too much out of this.”

  Adam shook his head in disgust. He and Jenny agreed about most things. But he couldn’t curb her sleuthing. Jenny called it helping people. He called it poking her nose into someone else’s business.

  “Time to go,” Adam said, pushing his chair back and struggling to his feet.

  He was a war veteran who had been injured in the line of duty. He had a pronounced limp and needed a cane most of the time. His recent therapy had led to a lot of improvement though. He was secretly hoping to get through his wedding without the cane. It was supposed to be a surprise for Jenny.

  Jenny waved goodbye to Adam and went inside. She hadn’t told him about her plans for the day.

  Star was chopping vegetables in the kitchen.

  “I will get the soup started before I leave,” Jenny told her. “I should be back in time for lunch.”

  She started sautéing vegetables in a knob of butter.

  “Are you going alone?” Star asked.

  Jenny nodded. She usually took Heather along with her for moral support. But she had to stop being in awe of the Newburys at some point.

  Bright blue skies studded with fluffy white clouds brought a smile to Jenny’s face. Watery sunlight bathed everything in a soft glow as Jenny drove to the Newbury estate. She handed over a bag of muffins to the security guard at the gate. He thanked her profusely, looking surprised.

  A maid ushered Jenny into the opulent living room. Jenny stood in the center of the room, looking around, wondering where to sit.

  “Are you going to stand there all day?” Ada Newbury griped, snapping at Jenny as she came in.

  The maid entered with a tray loaded with tea things. There was a three tiered stand with tiny cakes and cookies, and a big kettle of tea.

  Ada poured tea for them and added milk and sugar to Jenny’s cup. Jenny wasn’t sure if Ada remembered how she took her tea, or she just assumed.

  “Try the shortbread,” Ada said. “It’s our cook’s specialty.”

  Jenny obliged her and bit into the buttery, crumbly cookie.

  “Let’s talk about Megan,” she said.

  Ada looked surprised.

  “Did you invite her to the party?” Jenny cut to the chase.

  Ada nodded.

  “Did Brandon ask you to do that?”

  “I don’t think he knew Megan was in town.”

  “I’m guessing you had something to do with that too,” Jenny asked.

  “Megan is such a sweet girl,” Ada sighed. “She and Brandon always got along like a house on fire.”

  “But Brandon was seeing someone else,” Jenny reminded her. “He was engaged to Kelly.”

  “Megan used to be here all the time, running after Brandon. She would come here after school. They would do their homework together and beg Cook for more fruit cake.”

  Ada sounded wistful as she reminisced about years gone by.

  “What did you hope to achieve by inviting Megan?”

  “Megan works in the city too,” Ada said. “I told her to come down to Pelican Cove this weekend. This was her last chance if she wanted to win Brandon back.”

  Jenny was confused.

  “I heard she was the one who left Brandon.”

  “Girls are fickle at that age,” Ada dismissed. “I think they had a lovers’ tiff. Megan must have thought Brandon would beg her to take him back. I think her plan backfired.”

  “Do you know this for a fact or are you just guessing?”

  Ada’s face slipped into a familiar haughty expression.

  “I have seen a lot more of life than you have, young lady. That girl loves my Brandon. I am sure about that.”

  “So you were hoping that she and Brandon would get back together this weekend?”

  Ada was silent but Jenny had her answer.

  “What about the wedding? I thought it’s all planned out.”

  “Plans can be canceled,” Ada said harshly. “Marriage is for life. You know what they say, marry in haste, repent a
t leisure.” Ada gave Jenny a calculating look. “I’m sure you have first-hand experience with it.”

  Nasty Ada was back.

  “I was happy with my husband,” Jenny said lamely, then gave up.

  Ada Newbury would probably hold her responsible for her philandering husband.

  “Never mind that,” Ada quipped. “Brandon completely forgot how happy he was with Megan. He needed a reminder.”

  “So you asked Megan to come to Pelican Cove. Was she in on your plan to drive a wedge between the happy couple?”

  Ada shrugged.

  “Megan’s a smart girl. I was sure she would figure it out.”

  “Was Brandon surprised to see Megan at the party?”

  “He was overjoyed. I can tell you that. He clung to her all evening.”

  Jenny remembered how she had mistakenly thought that Megan was Brandon’s betrothed. Brandon may not have been in love with her, but he clearly still adored her. They must have remained friends even after their breakup, Jenny mused. Maybe they had continued to meet. They did live in the same city.

  “What did Kelly think about it?”

  “I don’t know. I was hoping she would be angry.”

  “Did you think she would create a scene?” Jenny probed.

  Ada blushed.

  “She hid her reaction, whatever it was. She seemed cool with Megan. I can’t understand these youngsters. In my day, I would never have tolerated an interloper. I would have gauged her eyes out.”

  Jenny realized the opposite had happened.

  “Kelly is the victim here, Mrs. Newbury,” she reminded Ada. “Not Megan. Looks like you don’t have to worry about Brandon marrying Kelly now.”

  “I didn’t want her dead,” Ada sighed. “I just wanted her to leave my grandson alone.”

  “Why didn’t you like Kelly?” Jenny asked, genuinely curious. “She was pretty enough.”

  “The Newburys can trace their roots back to the Mayflower. Who was this girl, an orphan? She had no idea who her family was.”

  “No one cares about that stuff now,” Jenny said gently.

  “We do,” Ada said stiffly. “Bloodlines matter to us.”

  Jenny couldn’t hold herself back.

  “I suppose Megan has an impeccable bloodline.”

  “She’ll do. She’s not a Pioneer, but her family has lived here since the 19th century.”

  “Did you ever give Kelly a chance?” Jenny asked, exasperated. “She might have been a really nice person.”

  Ada didn’t bother to reply.

  “Do you think Megan was capable of harming Kelly?” Jenny asked.

  “She didn’t need to,” Ada replied. “You were here. You saw how besotted Brandon was with her. Megan would have charmed her way into his heart anyhow.”

  “When did Megan go home that night?”

  Ada wasn’t sure. She had retired to her room around nine thirty, a few minutes after Jenny herself left. The party was in full swing at that time. Everyone had imbibed a bit too much by then. Jenny remembered seeing Megan giggling over something Brandon said.

  “Where is Brandon?” Jenny asked. “Is he staying here with you?”

  “Of course,” Ada snapped. “This is his home.”

  “How is he handling this?”

  “That poor boy! He hasn’t come out of his room since yesterday.”

  Jenny realized she would have to talk to Brandon some other time. She didn’t relish speaking to him in front of Ada anyway.

  “Have the police contacted you again?” Jenny asked.

  “The sheriff called just before you got here,” Ada told her. “That girl died sometime around midnight. Someone bashed her head in, it seems.”

  Jenny wondered if Kelly had already been dead when she was pushed into the pool. She would have to beg Adam for more details.

  “Can you think of anyone who might have wanted to harm Kelly?” she asked Ada.

  Ada shook her head.

  “I barely knew the girl. Honestly, I didn’t make an effort to get to know her.”

  Ada’s brow furrowed and she muttered under her breath. “She could have died somewhere else.”

  “I’m sure she didn’t choose to be killed on your property, Mrs. Newbury,” Jenny said lightly.

  Ada paid no attention to Jenny’s sarcasm. She suddenly leaned forward in her chair.

  “I had a feeling about her, you know.”

  “You mean, like, an intuition?”

  Ada’s face hardened.

  “She was wrong for my Brandon. She would have hurt him, I am sure.”

  “You do realize Kelly is the victim here?” Jenny said mildly.

  “That doesn’t mean she was blameless.”

  Ada seemed intent on painting Kelly as the villain. Jenny tried to get her to focus on the problem at hand.

  “We need to figure out who had a grudge against Kelly,” Jenny said patiently. “Who, other than you, hated her enough to take her life?”

  Ada looked at her watch and stood up.

  “We’ll have to continue some other time. I have a golf lesson at the club.”

  “You play golf?” Jenny asked, surprised.

  Ada Newbury didn’t look like she would voluntarily break a sweat.

  Ada’s face lit up at the question.

  “I never took an interest in golf, until a few weeks ago. We have the best golf pro at the country club. He says I have a natural flair for the game.”

  Jenny had once been an avid golfer herself. Her husband had insisted she learn the game so they could play couples’ golf and hobnob with his rich clients. She reflected over how much her life had changed since then. She didn’t miss the forced socializing but she yearned for a good game.

  “I love golf,” she said eagerly. “How about a friendly round sometime?”

  Ada was kind in her dismissal.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “I need to talk to everyone who was working here on the night of the party,” Jenny told Ada, getting back to business.

  “Just make sure you don’t take them away from their duties,” Ada warned.

  “I will also need to talk to Brandon,” Jenny reminded her.

  “Brandon will contact you when he is ready,” Ada said. “I will make sure of it.”

  “We’ll talk again,” Jenny nodded, taking her leave.

  Jenny drove back to the Boardwalk Café, going over her conversation with Ada in her mind. She didn’t think she had made any progress that day.

  Jenny started helping her aunt make lunch as soon as she reached the café. Star had marinated the shrimp based on Jenny’s instructions. Jenny’s stomach rumbled with hunger as she fried the shrimp for po’boy sandwiches. She slathered her homemade tartar sauce on soft white rolls and thought about her next step.

  She decided to talk to Megan. Now that Kelly was dead, Brandon was single again. Megan definitely had a lot to gain by Kelly’s death.

  Chapter 5

  The Magnolias were assembled in the kitchen of the Boardwalk Café. Jenny had woken up to a light drizzle and grey skies. The rain picked up after 9 AM, promising a wet day. The café’s deck was soaked and Betty Sue had grudgingly agreed to sit inside.

  “How well do you know this Megan?” Jenny asked Heather.

  “I used to babysit her,” Heather replied. “And we all know each other on the island.”

  “Her grandmother is in my knitting circle,” Betty Sue added. “The Pattersons are a well respected family in Pelican Cove.”

  “Why is that important?” Jenny asked. “You sound just like Ada.”

  “Breeding will tell,” Betty Sue said. “You youngsters don’t realize it.”

  “I need to go talk to Megan,” Jenny told them. “Can one of you come with me?”

  Molly couldn’t get away from her desk at the library.

  “You know I’m your wing woman,” Heather said eagerly. “When do you want to go?”

  “Give me half an hour,” Jenny said.

&nbs
p; She spent some time prepping for lunch. Star assured Jenny she could assemble the crab salad sandwiches when needed.

  Heather knew where Megan lived and she also knew her phone number. Jenny made sure she was available to talk to them. The rain started coming down in torrents just when they got into her car.

  Heather called out the directions. Jenny drove carefully, squinting at the water logged road. One of her wiper blades was broken and her car was due for an oil change. She had taken much better care of her vehicles when she lived in the city. Although she barely drove two miles a day now, her car was beginning to exhibit some wear and tear.

  “What kind of person is Megan?” Jenny asked Heather. “Does she tend to fly off the handle?”

  “Megan’s a friendly girl,” Heather said. “Don’t be fooled by that red hair.”

  “She has quite a presence,” Jenny nodded.

  “She’s always been popular,” Heather told Jenny. “She kind of takes over everything. But people still like her.”

  Megan welcomed them with a wide smile and led them to a sun room that looked out on a beautiful garden.

  “I’m here to help you any way I can,” Megan said before Jenny had a chance to speak up. “Poor Brandon! He was crazy about Kelly.”

  “What did you think about her?” Jenny asked.

  “Kelly was a sweetheart.”

  “You sound as if you knew her.”

  “Kelly and I got along really well,” Megan explained. “We met a few months ago in the city. Brandon introduced us.”

  Jenny couldn’t hide her surprise.

  “You knew Brandon was engaged?”

  “Of course,” Megan said without any guile. “Brandon and I have been friends since we were barely out of braces. He tells me everything.”

  “Wasn’t that odd?” Heather interrupted. “You two were an item after all.”

  Megan laughed. She sounded genuine.

  “So what? We parted amicably. I always want the best for Brandon.”

  “Who invited you to the party?” Jenny asked her. “Did Brandon know you were coming?”

  “He didn’t. Kelly and I wanted to surprise him.”

  “Wait. Kelly knew you were coming?” Jenny couldn’t hide her surprise. “I thought Ada Newbury invited you to the party.”

  “She’s a dear, isn’t she?” Megan gushed. “I let her think that. Kelly had already told me about the party.”