Dune House Cozy Mystery Boxed Set 2

by Cindy Bell

  “Right, I know him and I’ve spoken to him and there doesn’t seem to be any reason to suspect him. Paul also told me that he wouldn’t be an issue.”

  “I know that Paul feels that way, but I have to wonder.”

  “Why do you have to wonder?” Jason leaned forward some and looked into her eyes. “Your instincts are usually on target, Suzie, let me know what you’re thinking.”

  “It’s just that Simon claimed not to have seen Robbie. Then he gave me this look, and a warning about sticking my nose in other people’s business.”

  “He threatened you?”

  “No, I couldn’t exactly say that. But I did feel like it was a threat. Just the way he said it, and the way he looked at me, made me think that he was warning me not to get into his business.”

  “It’s not unusual for fishermen to behave like that. They like their privacy.”

  “You’re right. Still, I think it might be best to confirm his whereabouts. Paul also mentioned something about Robbie having a crush on a girl and thought that maybe she was from the pearl farm. Paul and Simon couldn’t remember her name, but said she was quite young and her name was a month. You know like May or….”

  “That might be Cecily’s niece, April. She’s on the list of employees. I guess that might be why Robbie went out to the farm.”

  “Maybe.” Suzie nodded. “I know it’s not much to go on, but it’s a start.”

  “Suzie, I know telling you to stay out of this is useless, but please be careful.”

  “I will be, don’t worry,” Suzie said. “Don’t forget, Jason, you’re getting married. Make sure you write your vows.”

  “I’m working on it, I’m working on it.” He yawned.

  “Good.” Suzie stood up from her chair, then paused. “I know it’s not my place, but I overheard you arguing with Summer last night.”

  “You did?” His cheeks grew red. “I figured that was why you didn’t give me the jacket.”

  “I just want you to know, it’s normal to fight. Fighting means you care enough to struggle. If you’re not fighting, that’s when you should worry.”

  “You know this from your vast experience?”

  “Okay, you’ve got me there. But I know how much you two love each other, and I don’t want you to get discouraged.”

  “Thanks Suzie.” He smiled, but the expression faded quickly. “I’ll check into Simon and see if I come up with anything. In the meantime I’m running down a few leads from the docks. I’ll be honest though, something is missing here. Normally there would be a thread, a piece of evidence that points me in the right direction. I just don’t feel like I have that yet.”

  “Hopefully something will turn up soon.”

  “Hopefully.”

  “I’ll let you know if I hear anything new.”

  “Thanks Suzie.” He picked up his phone again and began to dial a number. Suzie left the station and walked towards Main Street. The events of the day tumbled through her mind. Due to her investigative mind if she encountered anything that she didn’t have a base knowledge of, it hung in her mind until she learned more about it. She knew nothing about pearls, or pearl farms, or what anyone would do with stolen pearls. If she had questions, she thought the best place to go would be the jewelry shop. But before she headed there she decided to get a bottle of water. Her throat was dry from being out in the sea air. She stepped into the convenience store and grabbed a bottle out of one of the coolers. She pulled out her phone and dialed Mary’s number.

  “Hi Mary.”

  “Suzie? How is everything?”

  “Okay. I’m just going to the jewelry shop in town, I have a couple of questions to ask Nina.”

  “Oh good, I’ll meet you there. I need to speak to her about the rings.”

  “The wedding rings?” Suzie paused a few feet from the register. “Is there a problem?”

  “No problem. Jason wants to add an inscription to the rings, but he’s very busy on the case, so he asked if I could stop in.”

  “Okay, see you soon.” Suzie hung up the phone and set the bottle down on the counter. She smiled at the woman behind the counter, Suzie knew her from the convenience store but she didn’t know her name.

  “Looks like you’ve been out on the boat all day.”

  “Oh?” Suzie reached up to touch her hair, but the woman shook her head.

  “You’ve got some sunburn. Might want to get some aloe on that.”

  Suzie touched her cheek and felt the heat against her fingertips. There was no question that she had sunburn. She grimaced at the thought. “Thanks for the warning.” She was about to walk away when she hesitated. “Did you hear about the fisherman that was killed on his boat?”

  “Yes.” She lowered her eyes and shook her head. “Just awful.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “I had just seen him that day. He came in here.”

  “Really. Did you notice anything strange?”

  “It was early in the morning so I was rushing around getting the coffee pots ready. He and his friend waited for me to have a pot ready.” She frowned. “It’s so odd that a person can be right in front of you one day and then gone.”

  “Yes it is. You mentioned he was with a friend. Did you know who the friend was? A woman?”

  “No, a man. Uh, what’s his name?” She narrowed her eyes. “He’s hard to forget but his name, I just can’t think of it right now.”

  “How come he was hard to forget?”

  “Kind of loud. A burly guy you know. Oh that’s it, Simon.” She nodded. “That’s his name.”

  “Simon?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure it was the day Robbie died?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. I gave them the first cups of coffee out of the pot. They seemed tense and I wanted to get them out of the store.”

  “Tense how?”

  “They kept talking real low, but the tone was hard, you know, angry.” She frowned. “I don’t know. I didn’t hear anything specific.”

  “Okay, thanks for the info.”

  “Sure, I hope they figure out who did it.”

  Suzie picked up her water and headed out the door. As she did she dialed Jason’s number. The phone rang several times, but he didn’t answer. She hung up and tried Paul’s number. He didn’t pick up, either. She shoved her phone back into her pocket and sighed. If Simon was in the store with Robbie, why did he claim that he hadn’t seen Robbie? It was clear to her that Simon had lied to her, and after the way he had looked at her, she was sure that he was trying to hide something. As her mind still swirled she made her way towards the jewelry store.

  Chapter 13

  A friend of Summer’s worked at the jewelry store. Maybe she would be willing to give Suzie a quick tutorial about pearls. Suzie pulled open the door to the jewelry store and stepped inside. The carpet was plush and the lights were bright. A woman waved to her as she walked towards one of the glass display cases.

  “Hi Suzie.”

  “Hi Nina. I wonder if I could have a minute of your time.”

  “Sure, just give me a couple of minutes I have some paperwork to fill out, then I’ll be all yours.”

  “Thanks.” Suzie nodded at her. She had met Nina a few times, but didn’t know her very well. Suzie looked into the display cases while she waited. A large display of pearl jewelry held her attention. She didn’t think it was too unusual, but the fact that she had just been to a pearl farm for the first time made the jewelry stand out to her. She’d never been much of a fan of pearls, but she found herself admiring them just a little more. The door to the jewelry shop opened and Suzie turned to see Mary step inside.

  “Hi Mary.” Suzie smiled and gestured for Mary to join her. “Have you seen this collection?”

  “No, I haven’t.” Mary peered through the glass. “It’s beautiful. The one gift Kent gave me that I truly treasured was a pearl pendant. I don’t know why, but they always made me feel so refined.”

  “I’ve never seen you w
ear pearls.” Suzie raised an eyebrow.

  “I never had much of a reason to be refined. I left it with him when I moved away. It might have been beautiful, but it was still a reminder I didn’t need.”

  “I understand.” Suzie looked back at the display. “I was at a pearl farm today and they mentioned some recent thefts. I thought perhaps Nina could tell me a little bit about the pearls.”

  “I sure can.” Nina paused behind the display. “These came from the Atlantic.”

  “You know where they come from?” Suzie looked up at her.

  “Absolutely. We’re always very careful who we purchase the pearls from. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”

  “Yes. Did you know there’s a farm in the area, close to Parish?”

  “Oh yes, I just recently heard about them.”

  “You didn’t purchase any pearls from them?”

  “No. We only deal with large, reputable farms. It’s too hard to tell whether small farms are using legal, ethical and safe practices when harvesting their pearls and we don’t want to support anything that our customers wouldn’t be happy with.”

  “That’s a good thing. So, no one tried to sell your shop any pearls?”

  “It’s not uncommon for some of the local fishermen to try to sell pearls that they’ve happened to come across if the pawn shop won’t take them. I mean Frank and Pedro have been in here a few times as well as some others that I don’t know the names of. There seems to be quite a few pearls around lately. However, there was a man in here the other day that tried to sell me a larger amount than usual. I’ve seen him before, but I don’t know his name and I turned him away. When I asked him about them he couldn’t give me a clear explanation of where they came from.”

  “Interesting. I wonder if they might have been stolen from the pearl farm. They’ve had several thefts lately.”

  “Hm. Maybe. I had no reason to believe they were stolen otherwise I would have let Jason know.”

  “You said it was a man?” Suzie pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Was it this man?” She showed her a picture of Gill Smith from his website.

  “No. That’s not him.”

  “How about this man?” She scrolled to a picture of Mike that she had secretly taken.

  “No, sorry, not him either.”

  As Suzie began scrolling through pictures to get to a photograph she’d managed to get from the internet of Robbie, Nina gasped. “That’s him right there!” She pointed at a picture from earlier that day of Paul with his arm around her and Simon just beside him.

  “Paul?” Mary blurted out. “That can’t be right.”

  “No, not Paul. Him.” She pointed directly at Simon. “He was the one that tried to sell me the pearls.”

  “Are you certain?”

  “Yes. I could pull the footage from the security cameras, but I’m afraid you won’t be able to see much. He only showed me the pearls briefly before I asked him to leave. I don’t think the cameras caught it. But they will show him.”

  “Thank you so much. I’ll see if Jason wants to send an officer over to collect the footage.”

  “Sure, any time.”

  “Speaking of Jason.” Mary stepped forward. “He would like this inscription added to the wedding rings.” She handed Nina a slip of paper. “Is it too late to do that?”

  “Not for Summer and Jason.” Nina smiled. “I’ll make sure that it gets done right away.”

  “Thanks.” Mary sighed with relief. “At least one thing is going right.”

  “What is going wrong?” Suzie stepped out the door behind Mary.

  “A few of the flights were delayed for some of Summer’s family members and a couple of friends and so I’ve had to rearrange the pick-ups. Not to mention that the fresh linens aren’t on the beds yet and I haven’t made it to the grocery store to pick up the extra supplies…”

  “Oh Mary, I got so caught up in all of this I’ve been leaving everything on your shoulders. I’m sorry for that. I’ll take care of the linens as soon as we get home and once that is done I’ll go to the store. You just focus on the guests coming in and if you need any help with making the arrangements let me know.”

  “Suzie, you don’t have anything to apologize for, what you’re doing is very important. If the murder is solved then at least Summer and Jason can relax at the wedding. With the tension at the moment I’m worried that there won’t even be a wedding.”

  “Don’t talk like that.” Suzie wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “There is going to be a wedding, even if I have to tie the two of them down to make it happen.”

  “Hm, I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.”

  “Someone has to arrest me, and since Jason will be tied up, who’s left?”

  Mary laughed and shook her head. “You always know how to lighten my mood, Suzie. But I hope you’re right, Jason and Summer deserve a wedding without any problems.”

  “Has a wedding like that ever happened?”

  “If not, then I’m determined to make this one the first.”

  “If you’re determined, Mary, then I have no doubt that it will happen.”

  Chapter 14

  Suzie shook out the sheet and spread it across the bed. The scent of the laundry soap and the subtle breeze created by the movement brought a smile to her lips. As she tucked in the corners her cell phone began to ring. She rushed over to it and picked it up.

  “Paul, I’ve been trying to reach you.”

  “I know you have, I’m sorry, Suzie. I got caught up with Robbie’s sister and it just didn’t seem right to excuse myself for a phone call. Is everything okay?”

  “I’m not sure. I know you think that Simon had nothing to do with this, but he lied to us.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He said he hadn’t seen Robbie, but the clerk at the convenience store told me that he was in there with Robbie the day he died.”

  “Maybe she was mistaken?”

  “No, she was pretty broken up about the fact that she was one of the last people to see him alive. She was certain it was that morning and that it was Simon.”

  “It’s possible that Simon just overlooked it. Maybe it was just a chance meeting.”

  “Maybe. But then Nina at the jewelry store said that he tried to sell her some pearls. Quite a large amount, apparently.”

  “What? Why would Simon have pearls? He doesn’t deal in pearls.”

  “I have no…” Suzie said then stopped and her eyes widened. “Wait a minute, I think I know.”

  “You do?”

  “Yep. The girl that Robbie liked, she does work at the pearl farm. Her name is April, according to Jason. Maybe she gave Robbie and Simon some pearls. Maybe she’s behind this and she’s stealing the pearls for them.”

  “You could be onto something. I find it hard to believe that Simon or Robbie would be involved in this, but maybe April was involved somehow.”

  “The family does have an extensive criminal history.”

  “I think we should look into it more,” Paul said.

  “Good idea. I have to do some shopping and then if you want we could try going out to the pearl farm again.”

  “Do you really think that’s a good idea? After what happened out there earlier? It’s not as if they’re going to be willing to talk to us.”

  “That’s true. I wonder if we can find another way to get to April. Let me do some checking while I’m in town. Does Robbie’s family have any idea who might be behind this?”

  “No, not that they told me. How is everything going with the wedding plans?”

  “It’s coming together.”

  “Good, let me know when you want to meet up.”

  “I will.” Suzie hung up the phone and finished making the beds. As she worked one by one through the rooms to make sure that each one was in order she wondered if the footage from the jewelry store would be good enough to identify Simon. If it wasn’t then it might come down to eye witness identification. Would Paul believe i
t? She thought he was making excuses for a friend who might not have been much of a friend after all. She did one last check in the kitchen to be sure that everything on the grocery list was all that they needed. As she headed for the door Mary rushed towards her.

  “Suzie, I’m so glad that I caught you. I need a few more things from the store. Some of the guests have made some requests and after being delayed and all the trouble at the airport I want to accommodate them as much as possible.”

  “I agree, just let me know what you need.”

  “Here, I made another little list.” She handed it to her and took a deep breath. “I think we’re just about ready.”

  “Wonderful. I’ll have the groceries back here in no time.” Suzie left Dune House with a sense of urgency. With the guests arriving and the wedding day drawing closer, it seemed as if everything was closing in.

  As she pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store she was so distracted that she almost drove into a stray cart. She hit the brakes hard and stared as it rolled by pushed by the wind. It wasn’t the sight of the cart that startled her as much as it was her lack of attention. Shaken, she parked the car and walked into the store. She focused on the list of items and made sure she didn’t forget anything. When she joined the line to the only open register her cell phone rang. She saw that it was Jason, and since the line was so long she decided to answer it.

  “Jason, did you find out anything new?”

  “Not much on Simon, he’s a pretty private person. Is Paul with you by any chance?”

  “No.”

  “Oh, I tried to get hold of him, but I couldn’t. Summer did let me know that Robbie was most likely not killed with a weapon, it was more likely a tool.”

  “Like a screwdriver?”

  “Something like that only short, flat, pointy at the tip but then it gets wider. It’s hard to describe exactly. She hasn’t been able to find a weapon that matches it, so her best guess is that it’s a tool of some kind. That’s why I was hoping Paul was with you to ask him if he knows of any tools used on a boat that matches that description.”

  “Hm. Interesting. I was speaking to him just before, so maybe that’s why you couldn’t get through.” She moved forward a few steps in line. She filled him in on what she had found out at the jewelry store explaining that she had been there to meet Mary and just used the opportunity to ask about the pearls so he wouldn’t think she was meddling too much. “Paul and I think that April might be involved in all of this.”