“That’s a good idea.” I pulled a bottle out of my purse and slathered it on before offering it to the others. “I’m trying to take better care of my skin. I don’t want to end up with a bad sunburn like Liam has. I guess that comes with the territory when you’re a redhead like he is.”
Ken pointed at a large pool behind the visitors’ center. “We pump in water from the ocean. You’ll see all sorts of creatures in here, including sharks, game fish, and, of course, sea turtles. Come on, let’s head over to that pavilion, where you can get a better view.”
Once we were situated in the shade, Ken told us about the sanctuary’s mission. “We aren’t able to release these guys back into the wild. That one over there is a loggerhead.” He smiled. “His name is Donatello. We ran a contest. You should have seen how excited the kid was whose name we picked. He came out here with his family for a naming ceremony. Mabel baked a huge cake in the shape of a turtle.”
He leaned over the railing and sighed. “It’s a sad story, really. Donatello was hit by a boat, and the damage resulted in buoyancy issues. Fortunately, he can spend the rest of his natural life here with us.”
“It’s great that places like this exist,” Penny said.
“I just wish we could do more,” Ken said. “We’re reliant on grant money and donations. In fact, we’re hosting a cocktail party here next week to try to raise money to protect nesting grounds.”
Ken warmed up to his subject, telling us how population growth and urban development were putting turtle habitats at risk. “If we don’t act now, we’re in danger of losing these magnificent creatures forever.”
He took us on a short walk down to the beach to show us where the turtles nested. “Female turtles come ashore after mating to lay their eggs, usually during the warmest months of the year. They return to the same beach each time they’re ready to nest, often just a few hundred feet away from their last nesting grounds. Did you know that the beach by your house is also a popular spot, Mollie?”
“I’ve seen signs there telling visitors not to disturb turtles and their nests. There was even one warning that it’s illegal to shine lights on the beach at night.”
“Yes, that’s because artificial lights can keep females from nesting and disorient hatchlings. The Florida Turtle Trust helped to fund the signs. We’re trying to do more work in the area but keep running into roadblocks from some of the local business owners. They think it will hurt tourism if we block off access to the beach.”
Penny frowned. “I would think that would actually be a tourist draw.”
“Potentially, but there’s a fine line between ecotourism and creating more damage and putting the turtles in jeopardy. We’re hoping to set aside land up there as a protected wildlife sanctuary, but some powerful people want to build a big resort there instead.”
“Really? Do you know who’s involved in that? Suzanne Thomas came by our cottage and said we could get a lot of money for it. She didn’t mention anything about a resort, though.”
Ken frowned. “I hope I can persuade you and Scooter not to sell. Especially not to any buyers Suzanne puts forward. She’s all about how much commission she can make, not what’s in your best interests.”
“You don’t have to worry about persuading me,” I said. “I don’t want to sell. It’s Scooter you have to talk to. Maybe you’ll have more luck than me.”
As we walked back into the visitors’ center, Mabel called out, “Don’t forget about your mail.”
While we waited, I examined a display of brochures by the front door. Ken came up behind me holding a stack of mail. He opened up a large manila envelope and chewed his lip as he read the enclosed document. Some photos fluttered onto the ground. I started to pick them up, but he swiped them from me and shoved them back into the envelope. Despite the fact that we were back inside the air-conditioned building, he was perspiring.
“Everything okay, Ken?” I asked.
He glanced at me sharply. “Everything’s fine. It’s just a bill.” He shoved the papers back into the envelope, then pointed at the brochures. “Go ahead and take those if you want,” he said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “There’s some good information in that one about the turtles you just saw, and that one has details about how you can contribute to the Gulf Coast Turtle Sanctuary.”
While Ken went over and said goodbye to Mabel, I shoved the pamphlets in my purse and wondered what exactly had been in that envelope. Sure, no one liked to get bills, but they didn’t usually cause you to break out in a nervous sweat. Nor did they generally come with photos attached.
7
SUGAR CRAVINGS
“Do you mind dropping me off here?” I asked Ken as we approached Penelope’s Sugar Shack. The lavender brick building with its bright purple awning had become a favorite haunt of mine since we moved to Coconut Cove. “I’m not sure why, but all that talk about turtles has given me a serious sugar craving.”
“When don’t you have a sugar craving?” Penny asked.
I ignored her. “I’m thinking of picking up a pie for dessert, but I’ll walk back to the marina with it and burn off some calories as a preventative measure.”
“Are you sure?” Ken asked. “I don’t mind waiting for you.”
“No, it’s fine. It’s not a long walk.”
“I’ll tell you what,” Penny said. “I’ll join you. I have a serious craving for one of Penelope’s flax and chia seed carob almond bars. They’re so good for you.”
“But how do they taste?” I asked.
“Delicious.”
“As delicious as that tofu you tried to pass off as potato salad at one of the marina potlucks?” I asked as I got out of the car.
“Before you knew what was in it, you said you liked it.”
“I was just being polite. I could detect that something wasn’t quite right,” I said with a smile.
Penny chuckled. “One of these days, we’re going to do a blind taste test. I bet you’ll end up picking dishes made with tofu over ones made with mayonnaise.”
“Sure, right after I give up sugar. And that’ll only be because my taste buds will feel betrayed and decide to punish me with soy products.”
She held her hands up. “I give up.” While she went inside in search of her healthy treats, I examined the unhealthy ones on display in the window. My taste buds seemed adamant that I should get some red velvet cupcakes in addition to a pie. Who was I to argue with them?
As I opened the front door, I spied a fresh-faced teenager behind the counter. “When did you begin working here, Tiffany?” I asked.
“After the holidays. I needed a part-time job, and I really didn’t want to go back to Melvin’s. Chad was constantly asking me out, and I was running out of ways to say no without hurting his feelings. Then Penelope said she needed some help, so here I am.” She straightened her purple polka-dot apron, then asked, “What can I get for you?”
“How about two of those?” I said, pointing at the cupcakes in the window. “And do you have any chocolate pies left?”
“No, sorry. Someone just bought the last one. But I’ve got a pecan pie left. Want to give that a try? It’s almost as good as chocolate.”
“I suppose,” I said. While Tiffany went into the back to get the pie, I turned to Penny. “Why are you empty-handed?”
“They ran out,” she said. “See, that’s how popular they are. They sell out by noon.”
Tiffany came back with a purple box, then packed up my cupcakes. As she was ringing up my order, the door burst open. Suzanne barged in, followed by Norm. The stench of her floral perfume trailed after her, overpowering the smell of freshly baked pastries.
“Tiffany, we’re running late. Can you grab my catering order?”
“Sure thing, ma’am, just as soon as I ring Mollie up here.”
“I’m sure she can wait, can’t you, dear? We’re in a rush.” She pushed me aside and waved at the back of the store. I had to step back quickly before her bracelets mad
e contact with my face and left their mark. Some of her charms had really sharp edges. “Now be a dear, pop in the back, and get my order.”
Tiffany apologized to me before going into the back room. Norm leaned up against the display counter and checked his phone.
“Why are you standing there like that?” Suzanne demanded. “Go help Tiffany. After all, that’s why you’re here—to carry everything.”
“I don’t know why you had to have this meeting in the first place,” Norm protested. “The last thing we need is a bunch of people running around the office. I’ve got work to do.”
“The meeting isn’t for me, it’s for you. You’re the one who wanted to impress these overseas investors.”
Norm shook his head and went back to reading texts.
Suzanne plucked the phone out of his hand. “If Xander were here, he could have hosted the event with me. He looks so nice when he’s dressed up in a suit. He’d be so charming that they’d be fighting each other to be the first to give us a check.”
She tucked his phone in her purse, then waved dramatically toward the back. “Be a good boy, and go help Tiffany.”
After he slunk away, Suzanne turned to me. “Now, what time should I come by the cottage tomorrow?”
“Why would you come by?”
“To sign the paperwork, of course. I’ll also bring the photographer with me.”
“Suzanne, I don’t seem to have been able to get my point across clearly before, but let me try again. I have no intention of selling our cottage.”
“That’s not what your husband says.”
“That’s because he has this ludicrous dream of living on a boat.”
“Oh, is that what you’re worried about?” she asked. She put her arm around my shoulders. “Of course you’re not going to live on a boat. That sounds dreadful. You’d never catch me on one.”
“I live on a boat,” Penny said.
“You poor thing.” Suzanne pulled a card out of her purse. “Here, give me a call, and we can set up some viewings and get you off that boat in no time.”
Penny pulled out a card from her bag and handed it to Suzanne. “And here are my details so that I can show you some boats.”
Suzanne fingered the pink card dubiously, then turned back to me. “There’s a darling condo that you absolutely have to see. I just know you’re going to love it.” She pulled out her phone. “Let me just put this in my calendar. I’ll come by the cottage at nine. Then once we’re finished there, I’ll take you to view the condo.”
Before I could tell her exactly what I thought of her plan, Tiffany and Norm came out laden with boxes.
“Penny, be a dear, and get the door for these two,” she said as she punched a number into her phone. “See you at nine,” she said breezily as she followed after them.
When Tiffany came back in, she shook her head. “I’m so sorry about that. It’s just that it can be hard to say no to her, and she spends a lot of money here on catering.”
Penny chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. Mollie knows how hard it is to say no, don’t you? After all, you just agreed to see a condo tomorrow.”
“I don’t know how Norm puts up with her,” I said.
“I do,” Penny said. “They’re a match made in heaven. They’re both bossy and push people around.”
“My mom says she remembers when they first started seeing each other,” Tiffany said. “No one thought it would last, but Suzanne told my mom that every woman needed a man on her arm. Norm was apparently the best catch in Coconut Cove at the time.”
“I’d rather be single than be with a guy like him,” Penny said. “I’ve been burned in the past by men like that.”
“What else did your mom say?” I asked.
“That Suzanne felt that Norm needed someone to push him to take more business risks. Suzanne told my mom that behind every successful man is a more successful woman.”
“Well, maybe it paid off. She’s certainly strong willed, and she sure does seem successful,” I said. “Just look at those clothes, all those rings, and her bracelets. She’s wearing more money on her than our cottage is worth.”
“Maybe it’s all an illusion,” Penny said. “For some people, appearances are more important than reality. For all we know, they could be up to their ears in debt. Maybe some of those gems she wears are fakes.”
“You may have a point. Hmm…maybe they’re not as rich as they act like they are,” I said.
“Your husband seems successful,” Tiffany said as she wiped down the counters.
“He does all right,” I said. “But he’d never go around bragging about it or telling everyone how much he’s worth.”
“That’s what I like about the two of you,” Penny said. “You’re both so unpretentious and down to earth.”
“Well, that’s how we were raised. Be grateful for what you have, and don’t rub people’s faces in it. Luck comes and goes. You never know when yours might run out.” Tiffany handed me my change, and I picked up my box and my bag of cupcakes. “Come on, we’d better get going before I starve to death and eat a piece on my way back to the marina.”
“Is that what you’re having for dinner?” Penny asked.
“Well, as tempting as that sounds, we’re having real food before our dessert. Scooter’s in charge. I think he’s planning on a Thai recipe.”
“Didn’t a Thai restaurant just open up in town?”
“Precisely.”
* * *
After meeting up with Scooter and Mrs. Moto at the marina and stopping to get takeout, we had a nice meal back at the cottage—pad thai and spring rolls for the humans and liver pâté from a can for the feline. Over dessert, I filled Scooter in on our visit to the turtle sanctuary.
“Mabel, the volunteer there, reminded me of your aunt Ethel. She was fawning over Ken, going on and on about how smart he was and the fact that he’s a doctor. Ken looked like he wanted to die. He was so embarrassed.”
“But I don’t have a doctorate.”
“No, but your aunt is always bragging about what a great basketball player you were in college. It’s all she ever talks about.”
Scooter’s face reddened. “That’s sweet, but I wasn’t that good.”
“See, that’s what I love about you. You’re so self-effacing. Penny and I were talking about that earlier.”
“You know I hate it when you talk about me,” he said.
“Oh, it really wasn’t so much about you as it was about Suzanne and Norm. I guess they have a reputation in town for flaunting their wealth and bragging about how successful they are. You never do that.”
“Well, first of all, we’re not rich. And second of all, I wouldn’t say I was successful. Remember all those issues I had with my last company? You never know when something is going to go south.”
I pushed my dessert plate toward him. “Go on, why don’t you finish this? You look like you could use it.”
After polishing off the piece of pie, he said, “Let’s talk about something more cheerful. Tell me more about Mabel. She sounds interesting.”
“She seems to enjoy her volunteer work,” I said. “I don’t really know that much more about her.”
“You know, we should do some volunteering.”
“Uh, you realize that I already do volunteer work, don’t you?”
“You mean with FAROUT? I thought you didn’t like it when I referred to that as volunteer work.”
“I don’t. It’s a real job.”
“But you don’t get paid.”
“That’s not the point. It’s important work. What I’m talking about are all the hours of my life I spend fixing up Marjorie Jane. I should get a medal or something for that. She’s a lost cause. That’s got to be considered charitable work.”
“I have to say, I have been impressed with how hard you’ve been working on her. You might even win this bet you have with Norm. Liam said the same thing.”
“Hey, you never did tell me about your conversation with h
im. What did you find out about what’s going on between him and Ken?”
“I didn’t ask him about that. We ended up talking about the game on Friday night. I never did end up getting to see it because of…what you found.”
“You mean Darren’s body?” Scooter blanched. I squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that out loud. Maybe we should develop some sort of code when we talk about murder investigations.” Scooter started to look faint. At least he was sitting in a chair this time. If he passed out, hopefully he would slump over the table and not on the floor. “Want me to get you some more pie?”
“Please.”
“Why don’t you tell me about the basketball game?” I said, hoping to distract him while I served him another slice.
After he gave me a play-by-play recap and scraped the last bit of pecans off his plate, his color improved.
“Hmm…it sounds like Liam gave you a really detailed account of the game,” I said.
“I guess that means he has an alibi,” Scooter said. “The game was on when the you-know-what happened.”
I sighed. “I don’t know. I really thought he might have done it, especially after that conversation I overheard him having with Ben at the Tipsy Pirate.”
“You never told me about that,” Scooter said.
“Sure I did.”
“Nope. But that’s probably because you were eavesdropping, and you knew I would give you a hard time about it.”
“I wasn’t eavesdropping. I just happened to be standing nearby when they were talking about poaching fish. It sounded like Liam was involved in it, and he got Darren messed up in it too.”
Scooter raised his eyebrows. “Uh-huh.”
“No, you’re the one who always forgets to tell me things. I bet you bought a powerboat and you’ve forgotten to tell me about it.”
Scooter grinned. “Trust me, after what happened when I bought Marjorie Jane for you, I’d never buy another boat without talking to you about it first.”
Bodies in the Boatyard Page 9
