Parfaits and Paramours

by Leena Clover

  “It’s more than just a job,” Zac told her. “I’m not complaining. I get to do what I love most. And the tips aren’t bad either.”

  Jenny spotted a familiar figure in the distance. She waved at the tall black haired youngster and called him over.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Enrique looked surprised to see her.

  “I’m here to pick up my girlfriend. Her shift ends in a few minutes.”

  “Do you come here often?” Jenny asked.

  Enrique shrugged.

  “Pretty much, I guess.”

  Jenny turned to smile at Zac.

  “You know Enrique, don’t you?”

  A look of annoyance flashed across Zac’s face.

  “Sure,” he said. “The pool boy.”

  “Yes,” Enrique grinned. “I’m the pool boy.”

  He said goodbye to Jenny and started walking away.

  “You don’t like him much, do you?” Jenny asked Zac.

  “Is it that obvious?” Zac asked. “I told Ada, I mean Mrs. Newbury, she should fire him. He’s a crook if I ever saw one.”

  “He’s just a kid,” Jenny said mildly. “He’s a bit cocky, I guess.”

  “He’s hanging around here all the time,” Zac spat. “I saw him 2-3 nights ago, prowling around.”

  Jenny’s mind connected the dots. That was the night Binkie had been killed. What had Enrique been doing at the country club?”

  “Are you sure it was Enrique you saw?” Jenny asked Zac.

  “I’m pretty sure,” Zac nodded. “I had just finished a lesson and was going to the café to grab a drink. He came over to say Hi. Wanted to know if I could give him a free lesson sometime.”

  Jenny thought about Zac’s words on her way back home. What could Enrique possibly have against Binkie? Binkie, on the other hand, could have had a grudge against Enrique for blackmailing Kelly. None of it made sense.

  Jenny took a long hot shower, trying to relax. She decided to have a quiet evening at home, reading a book or watching some cooking show on TV. She had barely put her feet up when her phone rang. Heather and Molly were at the local pub for drinks. They wanted Jenny to join them.

  Jenny pulled on a dressy top over her jeans and drove to the Rusty Anchor, Pelican Cove’s favorite watering hole. Molly and Heather sat at a table, facing Chris and Jason.

  “Where’s the baby?” Jenny asked Jason as she greeted everyone.

  “Betty Sue’s watching her.”

  “We insisted Jason join us for a pint,” Molly explained. “He hasn’t had an evening to himself since the baby got here.”

  “I can spare thirty minutes,” Jason said, glancing at his watch. “Then I’m gone.”

  “What’s Adam doing tonight?” Chris asked Jenny.

  “Working,” Jenny said with a shrug.

  “No he’s not,” Heather said, looking up.

  Adam Hopkins had just entered the pub. He spotted Jenny and limped toward her, leaning on his cane.

  “When are you two setting a wedding date?” Heather asked Adam.

  “What is this, an ambush?” Adam asked grumpily.

  He looked at Jenny.

  “Did you put her up to this?”

  “No, she didn’t,” Heather butted in. “I’m asking because I am getting too old to be a bridesmaid.”

  “No Heather, you’re getting too old to be a bride,” Adam smirked. “Why don’t you take pity on your poor grandmother and find someone who will tolerate you for the rest of your life?”

  Heather looked like she had been punched in the face. Jenny gave Adam a quelling look and went around the table to console her.

  “What’s the matter with you, Adam?” she cried.

  “Sorry, long day,” Adam apologized. “Don’t mind me, Heather.”

  He stood up to leave.

  “I should go.”

  He looked at Jenny.

  “I need to take Tank out. We’ll come to Seaview in a bit.”

  Jenny stopped at Mama Rosa’s on her way home. She picked up two large pizzas and salads for dinner. She drove home, telling herself to be patient with Adam.

  Star was chatting with Adam when Jenny got home. Tank gave her his usual exuberant welcome. They devoured the food Jenny had brought and sat in the living room, eating bowls of chocolate ice cream.

  Adam offered to call Heather and apologize again.

  “It’s your leg, isn’t it?” Jenny asked. “Have you been doing those exercises the therapist recommended?”

  “It’s not just my leg,” Adam sighed. “It’s this case. It gets more complicated every day.”

  Jenny knew a direct question would not get her any answers. She stayed quiet.

  “I did a background check on Paul Briggs,” Adam said. “He just received a big sum of money in his bank account.”

  Jenny sat up, looking surprised.

  “There have been multiple deposits into his account, all from different places in the area,” Adam continued. “They add up to a pretty large amount.”

  “What does it mean?” Jenny asked.

  “Looks like someone was paying him off,” Adam said. “But I don’t understand why.”

  “The only people Binkie knew in town were Kelly and Brandon,” Jenny said.

  “Brandon Newbury is implicated again,” Adam said, rubbing his eyes.

  “How so?” Jenny asked.

  “Binkie must have seen something. Say he named a price for his silence. Brandon paid him once but Binkie got greedy and asked for more. Brandon decided to silence him forever.”

  “That’s just a theory,” Jenny protested.

  “It’s a strong motive,” Adam said seriously.

  “Can you prove Brandon deposited the money in Binkie’s account?”

  “Not yet,” Adam said, clenching his jaw. “The money was deposited in cash. It will take us some time to locate the person who made those payments.”

  “I’m sure you will get to the bottom of this soon,” Jenny soothed.

  They went for a walk on the beach after that. Adam and Tank left around ten, Adam feeling considerably better after stretching his legs.

  Jenny spent a restless night, tossing and turning in bed. She had to prove Brandon’s innocence, but she needed to believe in him herself before she did that.

  A bright and sunny day dawned in Pelican Cove, putting a smile on Jenny’s face. She hoped they had seen the last of the dark clouds. The citizens of Pelican Cove turned out to enjoy the fair weather. The Boardwalk Café was packed for breakfast, with some people waiting in line outside to get a table. Jenny stayed busy baking batches of muffins and making her special puttanesca omelets.

  Once the breakfast rush receded, Jenny started a pot of tomato soup and cooked teriyaki chicken for lunch. The Magnolias arrived as usual, eager to talk about Jenny’s day on the golf course.

  “Can you handle the lunch crowd again?” Jenny asked her aunt. “Please?”

  “Don’t worry about the café,” Star assured her. “But promise me you will be careful.”

  “I will,” Jenny promised. “There’s nothing to worry about. Heather’s going with me.”

  “Where are we going?” Heather asked as the car sped over the bridge connecting Pelican Cove to the mainland.

  Jenny brought her up to speed. Heather’s eyes widened as she heard about the money.

  “What’s the plan?” she asked Jenny.

  “I have thought of something,” Jenny said. “Not sure if it’s going to work, though.”

  Jenny had shortlisted a few banks in neighboring towns. They entered the first one on her list and looked around. Jenny zeroed in on one young girl who seemed to be chatting freely with all the customers.

  “Excuse me,” Jenny said meekly, approaching her.

  “How can I help you?” the girl asked.

  Jenny hunched her shoulders and widened her eyes.

  “I’m not sure you can. I’m getting married in a few weeks, see?”

  The girl squ
ealed and congratulated Jenny.

  “We didn’t register anywhere because we decided not to accept gifts. But you know how some people just have to send you something. Some of my friends and relatives put money in my account.”

  “How sweet!” the girl said sincerely.

  “Yes,” Jenny agreed. “But I have a problem. They deposited cash so I have no way of knowing who did it. I can’t even write a thank you note.”

  The girl sympathized with Jenny.

  “Can’t you just guess?” she asked. “Must be someone who is close to you.”

  “I thought the same!” Jenny exclaimed. “I have some photos of my wedding shower. Can you take a look at them please?”

  The girl hesitated for a second and then nodded. Jenny pulled out her phone and scrolled through photos of Brandon and Kelly’s wedding shower. She had been clicking pictures of her food but she had managed to capture a lot of the guests in the process.

  The girl looked at the pictures twice and shook her head.

  “I’m sorry, but none of these people look familiar.”

  Jenny thanked her and stepped out of the bank with Heather.

  “Now what?” Heather asked.

  “Now we repeat the same thing at other banks in the area.”

  They hit pay dirt at the third bank they visited. One of the tellers, another young, bubbly woman pointed to a picture of Ada Newbury.

  “She was here a few days ago. I remember because very few people make cash deposits.”

  Jenny thanked her and hurried out, her mind already churning with possibilities.

  “What has Ada been up to?” Heather voiced as they got into the car. “Are you going to tell the police?”

  “Not yet,” Jenny answered. “I want to talk to Ada first.”

  “Won’t Adam be mad at you for withholding information?”

  “We don’t know if a crime was committed.”

  “Why would Ada pay Binkie?” Heather asked. “I’m sure she barely tolerated him.”

  “You remember that argument Ada had with Kelly on the night of the party? She was offering to pay Kelly to leave Brandon.”

  “She didn’t need to do that once Kelly was gone,” Heather said patiently. “I think you are getting your timelines mixed up.”

  “You’re right, Heather,” Jenny said, slapping herself on the forehead. “What am I thinking?”

  “Your brain needs food,” Heather laughed. “I, for one, am starving. Let’s look for some place to have lunch.”

  Jenny spotted an old, faded sign for a diner at the corner of a country lane. She yanked her wheel and turned on to the road, hoping the diner was open and still serving food. It turned out to be a gem of a find.

  “What will you have?” an elderly woman with gray hair arranged in a neat bun asked them, pointing toward a chalkboard on the wall.

  Jenny thought of Petunia, the previous owner of the Boardwalk Café. Jenny missed her every day.

  Jenny chose the whitefish sandwich and Heather chose a grilled trout salad. Their meal came with crispy crinkle cut fries seasoned with Old Bay.

  Jenny closed her eyes as she savored the fish, delicately flavored with dried herbs.

  Heather dug her fork in her salad and took a big bite. Her eyes narrowed as she chewed the soft, flaky fish. She voiced the question that had been rolling around in Jenny’s mind for the past hour.

  “Do you think Ada’s been playing you all along?”

  Chapter 18

  Jenny dropped Heather off at the Bayview Inn. She headed into the hills toward the Newbury estate. Heather’s question had riled her up. Jenny felt sure Ada Newbury had been lying to her. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Her face was flushed when she pulled up outside the massive iron gates. The security guard did his thing and let her through. Ten minutes later, she was jabbing her finger against the doorbell, trying to calm down.

  A maid led her to the parlor. Ada was sitting on a sofa next to Zac Gordon, sipping tea and laughing at something he said. Her face fell when she saw Jenny.

  “How many times have I told you to call before coming?” she snarled.

  “We need to talk, Mrs. Newbury,” Jenny said firmly.

  “I’m busy at the moment,” Ada said. “Why don’t you wait out on the patio?”

  She rang a small silver bell to summon the maid.

  “This is important,” Jenny stressed.

  “I’m sure it can wait,” Ada insisted.

  “Ladies, ladies …” Zac Gordon interrupted. “Take it easy.”

  He urged Jenny to take a seat.

  “How about some tea?” he asked.

  Jenny couldn’t wait to confront Ada but she didn’t want to do it in Zac Gordon’s presence.

  “Actually, Zac, could you excuse us? I need a moment alone with Mrs. Newbury.”

  “No problem,” Zac said, getting up.

  The smile on his face was intact.

  “I’ll be outside. A stroll through the garden sounds perfect.”

  He patted Ada on the shoulder and left the room.

  Jenny took a chair opposite Ada and settled down.

  “What do you want?” Ada asked Jenny.

  “Why did you put money in Binkie’s account? Were you paying him off for something?”

  “Who is this Binkie?” Ada wrinkled her nose in disgust.

  “You know Binkie. Kelly’s cousin. The guy they found dead at the country club.”

  “You mean her lover?” Ada snorted. “I was right. Kelly was cheating on my Brandon. And she had the gall to bring that man to my party.”

  “All that is water under the bridge,” Jenny dismissed. “I want to know if you made any payments into Binkie’s account.”

  “Of course I did no such thing,” Ada replied.

  “You were seen at some banks in nearby towns. You made certain cash deposits. Do you still deny that?”

  Ada had turned white. She didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Jenny let her stew.

  “The police will be on to you soon, Mrs. Newbury.”

  “I did make a deposit,” Ada said hoarsely. “But it had nothing to do with Kelly’s lover.”

  “Why should I believe you?” Jenny asked. “You have been keeping secrets from me since the beginning. You didn’t tell me about your argument with Kelly. And now this!”

  “I’m not lying about this,” Ada pleaded.

  “Couldn’t you just write a check?” Jenny asked. “Why sneak off to a town fifty miles away and pay cash? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

  “I can’t talk about it. You’ll just have to trust me on this.”

  “That’s a tall order, Mrs. Newbury,” Jenny sighed. “Someone’s been depositing money into Binkie’s account. The police are trying to find this person. It won’t be long before they identify you.”

  “Do you think they will arrest me?”

  Jenny didn’t have an answer for that.

  “They will suspect you again at the very least.”

  “I can tell you when I made the deposits,” Ada said hesitantly. “And the amount I paid. But I can’t tell you who I gave the money to.”

  “That might help,” Jenny said.

  She had a strong suspicion about who the recipient of Ada’s largesse was. She was ready to bet he was strolling in the garden outside.

  Zac Gordon peeped in at a window just then.

  “Are you two done?” he asked. “The wind’s a bit harsh out here.”

  “Come on in,” Ada said.

  Zac ambled in and sat on the sofa again. Jenny noticed he wasn’t dressed for golf. The jeans and shirt he wore indicated he was off duty.

  “I enjoyed my golf lesson the other day,” Jenny said to Zac. “You are a really good coach.”

  “You are a good player,” Zac offered. “Spend an hour with me every day and you will be ready to go pro.”

  “I don’t have time for that,” Jenny smiled. “I have a café to run.”

  “And some sleuthing to do
on the side, huh?” Zac asked.

  His eyes hardened for a second and then he was his genial self again.

  “Ada tells me you like to snoop around.”

  “I just talk to people,” Jenny said modestly.

  “It’s time for our golf lesson,” Ada said to Zac.

  She gave Jenny a pointed look.

  “Didn’t you have a stiff neck?” Zac asked Ada.

  “I’m leaving anyway,” Jenny said, getting up.

  Jenny stepped out into the hallway outside the parlor and looked around. She urgently needed to use a restroom. A couple of passages forked off in different directions making Jenny hesitate. She had used a powder room at the Newbury mansion before but Heather had guided her to it.

  Jenny walked down a bunch of closed doors, trying to remember the right one. Every door looked the same. She paused in front of one tentatively and sucked in a breath. She knocked twice just in case and pushed the door in, walking in on a couple locked in a tight embrace.

  “I’m sorry,” Jenny began.

  Then her eyes widened in shock.

  “Brandon! I’m sorry, I didn’t realize this was your room.”

  “It’s not,” Brandon said cheerfully. “It’s a guest room. It’s unoccupied at present. Were you looking to use the powder room?”

  Jenny nodded mutely.

  The girl next to Brandon had straightened up a bit.

  “How are you?” she greeted Jenny.

  “I’m good, Megan. How are you?” Jenny said mechanically.

  She rushed to the door Brandon pointed at. Brandon was alone in the room when she came out five minutes later.

  “Megan had to leave,” he said.

  “So …” Jenny said. “You and Megan, huh?”

  “We never really stopped loving each other,” Brandon clarified.

  “But I thought she was the one who dumped you.”

  “It was all a big misunderstanding,” Brandon said with a frown. “Megan thought I was interested in someone else. She didn’t want to be a burden. So she took the initiative and let me go.”

  “But you were still in love with her,” Jenny prompted.

  “That’s right,” Brandon said proudly. “Megan and I have been friends for years. She is my first love.”

  “Are you two engaged?”

  “We are going to wait for a few weeks before we announce our engagement,” Brandon said soberly. “I might just tell my grandma. She adores Megan.”