by Leena Clover
“Congratulations,” Jenny said warmly. “I hope you will be happy together.” She wavered a bit before asking her next question. “Tell me one thing. Were you really going to marry Kelly?”
“Frankly, I don’t know. I feel like such a fool now. She had me wound around her finger. I never realized she was just using me.”
Jenny wondered when Brandon had realized that. Had he confronted Kelly on the night of the party?
The sky had darkened by the time Jenny said goodbye to Brandon and stepped out. The orange ball of the sun had almost set, painting the sky around it in shades of pink and tangerine.
Jenny yawned deeply and started her car. Multiple theories were churning in her mind but she didn’t have the energy to process any of them. All she wanted to do was go home and soak in a hot bath. Jenny’s eyes glazed over as she thought of lighting a bunch of scented candles and using the lavender bath salts her aunt had got for her.
Suddenly, a pair of bright headlights appeared in her rearview mirror, almost blinding her. The portion of road Jenny was on was on the outskirts of town. There was hardly any traffic on the road. Jenny changed the lane and veered to the right, allowing the car behind her to pass. The headlights stayed behind her.
Jenny realized they were too close. Her car was almost on the shoulder now. She guessed the vehicle behind her was some kind of big truck. Jenny put on her turn signal and pulled her car completely on the shoulder. Surely the other car would pass her once she came to a stop?
Jenny felt her car skid as the car behind her rammed into her. Jenny spun her wheel round and round, trying to remember what she was supposed to do in this kind of situation. Her car tipped over and plunged into a ditch, with one wheel spinning in the air.
The car behind her flashed its lights and sped off.
Jenny wriggled in her seat, trying to reach her bag. Then she remembered her cell phone was in the cup holder right next to her. Finally, she dialed the emergency number with trembling fingers and waited for help.
Adam arrived on the scene within minutes, along with the ambulance. He stood by impatiently while Jenny was pulled out of the car. The paramedics treated her for a few bruises and recommended she go to the hospital to get checked out.
Three hours later, Jenny was tucked in her bed with a bowl of hot chicken soup. Her aunt sat next to her and Adam paced the room, his face as black as thunder.
“You could have been hurt, really hurt,” he said hoarsely.
Jenny’s hand shook as she spooned some soup into her mouth. She knew Adam was right. So she let him rave at her.
“There’s a lot of maniacs out there,” Star said. “Jenny was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“I don’t agree,” Adam said heavily.
Jenny had been briefly questioned by the police. They had wanted to get a description of the car or driver. Jenny hadn’t had a glimpse of either. All she could say was it was a big truck, much bigger than her small sedan.
Jenny had told them how the car had followed her for a long time and rammed into her a couple of times. She agreed it had seemed like a deliberate move and not an accident.
“How do you always get into these scrapes?” Adam asked hoarsely. “Why can’t you stay out of trouble for once?”
“Take it easy, son.” Star’s voice had a warning note in it.
“Why would someone want to hurt me?” Jenny asked.
“You have made someone feel threatened,” Adam said. “You must be getting close.”
“If I am, I don’t know it.”
“What have you been doing in the past two days?” Adam wanted to know.
Jenny gave him a brief account of where she had been.
“So Brandon Newbury knew you were going to be on that road,” Adam said. “I don’t trust that guy one bit.”
“Brandon, really?” Jenny asked. “Well, if you want to put it that way, everyone at the Newbury estate knew I was going to drive back to town. Ada knew, so did her entire staff.”
“You need to take it easy for a while,” Adam said. “Promise me you won’t leave the house.”
“That’s impossible,” Jenny exploded. “What about the café”?”
“We can take care of the café,” Star said. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m not going to be cooped up in here just because some coward tried to run me off the road.”
“My men are working on this now,” Adam said, pausing next to Jenny’s bed. “At least give them a couple of days.”
“The doctor advised you to rest,” Star reminded her. “Why don’t you take this opportunity and relax a bit?”
“One day!” Jenny said, holding up a finger. “I will stay home for one day. Then I am going back to the café.”
“And you will stop trying to solve this case?” Adam asked hopefully.
Jenny stirred her soup and smiled wanly at Adam. She didn’t make promises she couldn’t keep.
Chapter 19
Star knocked on Jenny’s door the next morning and entered bearing a loaded tray.
Jenny reclined against a mound of pillows, reading a book.
“Good Morning,” Star greeted her. “I hope you are hungry.”
Jenny stared at the stack of blueberry pancakes, bacon, eggs and toast. A dewy pink rose from the garden rested on the tray.
“Breakfast in bed?” Jenny exclaimed, staring at the food in fascination. “What am I, an invalid?”
“I’m allowed to spoil my niece a bit,” Star pouted.
She sat down at the edge of the bed and gave Jenny a worried look.
“I have loved having you here with me,” she said.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Jenny soothed. “Now let’s eat this delicious breakfast you have cooked for me.”
Jenny forced her aunt to eat along with her. There was plenty of food for the both of them.
“I need to get going,” Star said. “Heather must be waiting for me.”
Heather had volunteered to open the Boardwalk Café that morning and get breakfast started.
“Thank her for me, will you?” Jenny said. “Tell her I owe her one.”
“You can tell her yourself,” Star said with a smile. “We look out for each other in this town.”
There was another knock on the door and Jason Stone entered. The baby was strapped to his body in a sling like carrier.
Jenny’s face lit up when she saw Jason.
“This is a surprise!” she cried, holding out her arms toward Emily. “Give me that darling.”
Jason gently pulled Emily out and handed her over to Jenny. Jenny kissed the baby’s forehead and cuddled her. The baby gurgled and pulled a lock of Jenny’s hair.
“We heard about your little mishap,” Jason said. “What’s the damage?”
“I’m perfectly alright,” Jenny said. “My car, on the other hand, needs some care.”
“Carry on, you two,” Star said.
Jenny had completely forgotten her aunt.
“Will you keep an eye on her?” Star asked Jason. “I have to go to the café.”
“Emily and I will stand guard,” Jason said with a smile. “Don’t worry about a thing, Star.”
“Are you guys in collusion?” Jenny asked after Star had stepped out. “I would be very cross, except, you brought this little bundle of joy. Emily and I are going to have a fine visit.”
Jenny chatted with Jason for a while. Jason brought in his bag after some time and pulled out some files.
“I hope you don’t mind?” he apologized to Jenny. “I need to get this done by evening.”
Emily took a nap after a while. Jenny went down to the kitchen and hunted around in her freezer for a casserole for lunch. She found a pan of Star’s famous six layer lasagna and slid it into the oven.
“You must be getting close,” Jason said as he prepared Emily’s bottle. “You are beginning to threaten someone.”
“I have no idea who,” Jenny sighed. “It’s all like a really intricate web.
And there’s something in the water, Jason. Every person I meet seems to be having an affair.”
“You drank a bit of that water yourself,” Jason teased.
“That’s different,” Jenny argued. “Adam and I are in love.”
Jason’s eyelids flickered a bit and he squared his shoulders but Jenny didn’t notice any of that.
“I’m talking about a proper affair, the kind you have when you are cheating on someone.”
“Oh?” Jason asked with interest.
Jenny started counting off her fingers.
“Kelly was having an affair with Binkie, she was sweet on the pool boy too. Ada is having a fling with the golf pro at her club …”
“Wait a minute,” Jason interrupted. “What?”
“Have you met the golf pro at the country club?”
Jenny knew Jason was a member and enjoyed a good round of golf. It was all part of being a successful lawyer.
“I haven’t been on the links in a while,” Jason explained. “I was too busy earlier and now with Emily, it’s out of the question.”
“Zac Gordon is tall and attractive, and he says all the right things.”
“Surely he’s younger than Ada?” Jason sputtered.
“By decades,” Jenny nodded. “They were seen smooching in a deserted alley.”
“Now I’ve heard it all,” Jason sniggered.
“Not really,” Jenny said. “Brandon’s back with Megan.”
“They have been in love since they were kids,” Jason told Jenny. “I was shocked to learn Brandon was marrying someone else.”
“What if Brandon got back with Megan while Kelly was still alive?” Jenny asked. “He knew she was cheating on him. How do we know he didn’t do the same?”
“He would have been justified,” Jason said.
“I don’t know about that,” Jenny said. “But having an affair with Megan gives him a motive.”
They went back and forth over it for a while.
“Are you sure about Ada? I can’t imagine Ada Newbury being friendly with someone of the working class.”
Emily woke up with a cry and Jason hastened to feed her. By the time Jenny set the table and served the lasagna, Emily’s eyelids were drooping again.
Father and daughter left after lunch, Jason urging Jenny to take better care of herself.
Jenny had barely had time to flip through the latest issue of her favorite cooking magazine when she heard some familiar voices outside. She sprang up and flung the door open, just as Heather raised her hand to knock.
“What are you all doing here?” Jenny beamed. “This is a pleasant surprise.”
Betty Sue, Heather and Molly bustled in, followed by Star. Star gave Jenny a withering look.
“You were supposed to take it easy, take a nap or something.”
“I’m fine,” Jenny assured her. “You worry too much.”
She pointed to the container Molly held in her hands.
“Dessert?”
“You bet,” Molly said. “My special espresso brownies.”
Betty Sue settled in a comfortable armchair and pulled out her knitting. Her needles clacked in a familiar rhythm as she spoke to Jenny.
“We decided you needed our help. This whole sordid business has gone on too long.”
“What did you have in mind?” Jenny asked, taking a big bite of Molly’s gooey, rich brownie.
She hadn’t waited for Molly to serve them on a plate. Molly handed the plate around and nodded at Betty Sue.
“We know you’re the real sleuth, Jenny, but maybe if we brainstorm together, we might see something you have missed.”
“Five heads are better than one,” Jenny agreed.
“Where should we start?” Heather asked eagerly. “Enrique?”
“Heather told me that pool boy was blackmailing the poor girl who died,” Betty Sue said. “Why would he kill her? He had lots to gain from her. And he seems to be the greedy type.”
“That’s right,” Jenny said. “But he also has a criminal past. He was forcing Kelly to pay him for his silence. Let’s not forget he was right there at the pool house. He could have let Kelly in.”
“You think they had an argument?” Molly asked.
“They might have been fighting over money,” Jenny agreed. “He could have pushed her in accidentally.”
“What about the bruise on her head?” Heather asked. “I don’t see Enrique hitting her on purpose.”
“I agree,” Jenny said. “But I’m not ready to rule him out completely.”
“Okay,” Molly said. “I think we are all in agreement on that one. Who else?”
“Brandon,” Jenny said, looking at Heather. “I know you are related but we are trying to be objective here.”
“It’s okay,” Heather said. “Let’s get this out of the way.”
“Brandon knew that girl was cheating on him, didn’t he?” Betty Sue asked.
Jenny told the Magnolias about Megan and Brandon.
“I’m beginning to think he was cheating on Kelly too.”
This was news to the other women. They exclaimed over this new theory, amazed at why the young couple had been going ahead with their wedding. Neither of them seemed interested in each other.
“Brandon may have wanted to break it off with Kelly,” Jenny mused. “But Kelly wanted the wedding to happen. That was the whole point of the plan she hatched with Binkie. She wanted to trap Brandon in marriage and then maybe get a big divorce settlement.”
“How does all this implicate Brandon?” Heather asked.
“Brandon decided to confront Kelly. He could have let her into the pool house. Maybe that was their rendezvous point.”
“And then things got out of hand?” Molly asked. “That’s possible. What about Binkie though? Why would Brandon kill him too?”
“Binkie was always hanging around Kelly,” Jenny said. “Remember the night of the party? Those two were literally joined at the hip. Binkie could have followed Kelly to the pool house. He might have seen what Brandon did.”
“And then he blackmailed Brandon?” Star spoke up. “There’s a lot of that going around too.”
“So what? Brandon got Binkie out of the way too?” Heather scoffed. “I can see Brandon losing his temper once but killing someone in cold blood, that’s just not him.”
“I understand your feelings, Heather,” Jenny said. “But the evidence points toward him. He wasn’t in bed when Kelly died, and he was at the country club around the time Binkie died. Like it or not, Brandon is the top suspect.”
“What about that boy Binkie?” Betty Sue asked.
“That’s right,” Star spoke up. “He was a crook from what I can tell.”
“There is one possible scenario,” Jenny said. “Kelly might have changed her mind about ditching Brandon. She must have realized how rich the Newburys really were. What if she wanted to marry Brandon for real? That would leave Binkie in the lurch.”
“And make him really angry with Kelly,” Molly breathed, licking her chocolate stained fingers.
“Binkie could have argued with Kelly,” Heather said, her eyes shining with hope. “Isn’t it possible he hit her in a fit of anger?”
“There is only one problem with that theory,” Jenny sighed. “Who killed Binkie?”
“That’s it?” Star asked. “Are we out of suspects?”
“There’s one other person who hated Kelly,” Molly said.
“You are thinking of Ada,” Betty Sue snorted. “Ada Newbury hates pretty much everyone other than her immediate family. If she started killing everyone she had an objection to, there would be a bloodbath in Pelican Cove.”
“Funny how you always take her side,” Star quipped.
The two older women squabbled for some time.
“Give it a rest, you two,” Jenny said.
She stood up and began pacing the room. The shadows were beginning to lengthen outside. The sheer white curtains at the windows flapped around in the breeze coming off the ocean
. The day had turned cooler, making Jenny shiver all of a sudden.
“Are we missing something?” she spoke out loud. “Or someone?”
“There is the staff at the Newbury mansion,” Heather said. “I don’t care how many times they change the access code for that pool house, some of them must have known what it was.”
“Why would they have a grudge against Kelly though? I don’t think any of the staff has a clear motive. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“What about the people at the party?” Molly asked. “Maybe Kelly pulled the same racket on someone else before. This person could have followed her to Pelican Cove.”
“It was a very exclusive gathering,” Heather said. “You know how snobbish Ada is. She went over the guest list with a fine toothcomb. Anyway, the party was for her friends, not Kelly’s.”
“We are back where we started,” Jenny groaned. “Looks like whoever it was escaped long ago.”
“That’s not true,” Star spoke up. “You must be getting close, Jenny. That’s why someone tried to hurt you.”
Heather and Molly bobbed their heads in agreement. Betty Sue summed up what they were all thinking.
“Whoever it is, he or she is watching every move you make, Jenny.”
Chapter 20
“I still can’t believe Ada invited me today,” Jenny said, tapping her hands on the steering wheel.
Jenny had become familiar with the winding road that led into the hills and the Newbury estate.
“She’s warming up to you, Jenny.” Heather laughed shrilly and teased her friend. “Ada Newbury is giving you time of day. Count your blessings.”
She sniggered again, shaking her head.
“That’s enough,” Betty Sue Morse said from the back seat. “Make sure you behave yourself when we get there.”
“Yes, Grandma!” Heather said with a roll of her eyes.
“What’s the occasion?” Jenny looked into the rearview mirror and caught Betty Sue’s eye.
“Brandon said it’s a surprise,” Heather spoke up before Betty Sue had a chance to respond.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” Betty Sue nodded. “Why are you so impatient?”
