Pelican Beach Murder

by Phyllis H Moore

  “Right. If it was an overdose, it’s probably Leon.” Meg picked up the timeline, glancing at the dates again. “Oh, I forgot to write on here when I saw them arrive. My daughter, Dorie, was still here. I remember commenting that I thought I saw one of the people hit the other.”

  Hendrix stood and peered out the window. “Was this the window you looked out of?”

  “Yes.” Meg nodded, then cleared her throat. “Well, when I made the comment, I was looking through those binoculars.” She pointed to the top of the refrigerator.

  “Oh, I see. Can I have a look?”

  Meg handed Hendrix the binoculars and watched her look through them toward the Charles house. “There are other men, you know? Besides Leon,” Meg said. “Echo was rumored to have affairs with others. It’s bizarre—I’ve only been here a couple of weeks, but everyone I’ve met seems to have some connection to Echo Charles. It’s like Kevin Bacon and six degrees of separation, but you never have to get past the second degree.”

  Hendrix grinned and rolled her eyes. She must have been familiar with the game.

  “Oh, and I don’t think that’s the only house over there they had access to. They may have been cooking in the Charles house and staying in one of those other abandoned houses. Check out the green one,” Meg continued.

  “Cooking? How do you know that term?” Hendrix turned her head to the side and shot a look out of the corner of her eye.

  Meg smiled. “My friend Jean, she corrected my language when she was here. She told me they call it cooking meth, not making it. Trust me, I wouldn’t know that otherwise. My daughter told me I could know it if I watched Breaking Bad, but I never watched that either. I’m pretty much a pud.”

  “A pud?

  “That might be a made-up word. My friend says it all the time. I think it means I don’t get out much. But when I do get out, I try to pay attention.”

  “Do you have names for the other men who might’ve been involved with Echo?”

  “Just one, Anthony Anthony. He has a booth at the market on Thursdays in Jamaica Beach. I played bridge with his girlfriend, Linda, last week. She may or may not know about Tony and Echo. Linda’s friend Rene suggested he was seeing Echo. I don’t know Rene’s last name, but she might also have a partner who’s been involved with Echo. It’s a regular Peyton Place down here. However, my eyes have been opened wider in the last year than ever before to the fact that people are never what they seem.”

  “I can testify to that,” Hendrix agreed. “Why do you suppose people are confiding these things to you about Echo?”

  “I have no idea. I don’t think it’s me. It’s the mention of Echo’s name that gets their hackles up. But I’m serious about the other houses. When we rode bicycles over there, the day Echo tried to run us off, my friend Jean noticed there was a white sports car parked in the carport of the green house. She just saw the taillights. Jean said it was pulled up pretty far, like someone might’ve been trying to conceal it from view. Later the following day, Echo drove up here in a white sports car, though I don’t know if it was the same one. The car she arrived in was a Corvette.”

  “Did she mention anything about it? What reason did she give for coming over?”

  Meg picked up the empty dessert plates and took them to the sink. “More coffee?”

  “No thanks.”

  Meg told Hendrix about Echo saying she came to see if she and Leon were invited for dinner, laughing that it was ridiculous and she suspected Echo only wanted to see if they were still at the house. “She was acting suspicious, like she might’ve been planning to break in or something if we weren’t here. When I asked if she got a new car, Echo said hers was out of gas so she’d borrowed one from a friend.” Meg shook her head. “That didn’t make any sense. She was a silly woman, immature for her age. Her cousin told me she was in her mid-thirties, but Jean and I agreed that she acted like a teenager.”

  Hendrix looked up from her notes and furrowed her brow. “You know Echo’s cousin? How’s that?”

  “Yes, she waited on Jean and I on the harbor at a restaurant. I just happened to mention Charles Cove and that started a conversation. And there’s something else I should tell you.” Meg walked closer to the paper with the timeline on it. “These numbers here, those are the number of people who were on the beach naked each night. The first night I noticed them was the night before Jean arrived. I watched them through those binoculars.” She pointed to them again, now on the kitchen counter beside the sink. “Jean brought her son’s old telescope. She thought we’d be sitting on the deck looking at stars, but all we did was spy on the naked people on the beach. We agreed the woman looked like Echo from a distance. When it says three, like right here, it was a woman and two men.”

  “But you don’t know who the men were?”

  “No, I don’t. I’m not 100 percent sure the female was Echo, but the length of the hair was the same. The first night, I spotted bicycles in the dunes, but after that I didn’t see vehicles, though I didn’t actually look for any.”

  “This has been helpful. The cake and shrimp salad was delicious, by the way. You have my card and all my contact information. If you think of anything else, or need me for anything, don’t hesitate to get in touch. You may see a flurry of activity over there for a while. I’ll follow up on the other houses and search them. Just so you know, we’ll keep a presence here day and night. We’re certain this wasn’t a random act—the victim was targeted. The injuries suggest her assailant knew her. I wouldn’t be concerned about anyone stalking another victim.”

  “I don’t know why, but I was assuring my daughter that I wasn’t afraid. I had the feeling that Echo was the intended victim. How exactly would you know that was the case?” Meg asked.

  “The assailant was either raging at the victim or intent on disfiguring her. The wounds and their placement clearly indicate those motives.”

  Rage or disfigurement? The young woman on the beach said something about Echo’s face. Poor Echo.

  Fourteen

  AFTER HENDRIX LEFT, Meg sat on the deck and called Jean. “I was just going to text you and let you know Gizmo and I arrived,” Jean said when she answered. She was stunned when Meg told her about her walk on the beach that morning. “That’s unbelievable. Poor girl. I don’t know why I think of her as a youngster.”

  “I was telling the detective the same thing this morning. I guess it was her immature behavior that made us think of her as younger, and maybe the fact that we could be her mother.” Meg told Jean there was another body, but she wasn’t sure who it was or what the cause of death might be.

  “What? That’s pretty unbelievable for that little sleepy community. Gizmo and I left just in time to avoid that drama. Are you sure you’re going to be okay? Maybe you should’ve come home with me?”

  “I’m fine. Detective Hendrix assured me there will be increased police presence in this area for a while, at least until they figure out who did this.”

  “Weird, Meg, that you’ve been exposed to two murders in the last six months. What are the odds?”

  “Yeah, I know.” Meg pulled the timeline out and went over the dates with Jean to double-check her memory. Jean affirmed the number of nude bodies running on the beach each evening. “I’m glad Tom’s coming for a visit. I’ll be able to run this stuff past him.”

  “Yes, his perspective will be interesting. I was just thinking rage could fit any of the people we talked to who knew Echo. I don’t know why her family is estranged from her, but it seems any of the women at the country club could’ve been angry with her for philandering with their husbands,” Jean speculated.

  “That’s true. I’ve considered that,” Meg agreed. “I’ll let you know. Glad you’re home safe and sound. I just wanted to bring you up-to-date on this soap opera.”

  They hung up and Meg continued to sit on the deck with the legal pad, making notes. She didn’t know where Echo lived; the police might have to go by her driver’s license to get the last known address
. She wondered how those things worked with people like Echo and Leon, wanderers with no visible means of support or residence. Meg hadn’t thought about it before. She wondered how the police would know to notify the uncle who recommended the Charles house to them. It would complicate matters that she was such a free spirit.

  Is Echo’s mother still alive? Certainly both her parents could be. How sad.

  It dawned on Meg that Echo could have children. That would be tragic if there were children left motherless. However, certainly someone would have been functioning as a mother in Echo’s stead. She didn’t seem capable of full-time responsibility of children; she was certainly old enough, but she was unreliable and reckless.

  Meg was exhausted from the emotional events of the morning and the fact that she had gotten up early to see Jean off. Her eyes were heavy as she put the legal pad and pen down on the table beside her and put her feet up on the ottoman, tilting her head back into a plush throw pillow. She listened to the surf thrumming against the beach, a rhythm that lulled her into a nap.

  Gulls laughed and swooped overhead in her dream and at the cottage. Meg wasn’t sure if she was experiencing her nap spot or a space between sleep and being awake. It took her thoughts, but the lull didn’t remove her from the present.

  Meg bolted upright when she remembered something. She got up and went inside, taking the legal pad with her, and sat down at the island, staring at the timeline. Jean had seen a car in the dunes one day when she took Gizmo for a walk. She noted that on the timeline.

  There was a rap on the door behind her, and Meg jumped and turned to see Linda standing on the porch. She flipped the legal pad over and placed it on the counter near the coffeemaker before she opened the door.

  “Hello, what brings you out this afternoon?” Meg was surprised to see Linda, as she hadn’t mentioned the possibility of a visit when she’d called earlier in the day.

  “I’m distracted by this murder. It’s all I can think about. I was wondering if you knew any more about it. Tony refuses to call the local police to see what’s going on. He said they have enough to do without having to answer my questions.” Linda paced and fidgeted with the zipper on her purse.

  “Sit down, Linda. How about some coffee?” Meg offered.

  “I’m already a nervous wreck. I don’t think caffeine will help,” Linda admitted. “I would take a glass of water, or maybe some wine if you have it. Needless to say, Echo’s death has several people on edge around here.”

  “I do have some wine,” Meg said, walking toward the shelf where the glasses were turned upside down. “You sit and I’ll get us a glass. I spent most of the morning talking with the detective. She was in a county car. I guess they overlap with the local jurisdiction out here. I don’t know how that works.”

  “I think they all cooperate. Technically this place isn’t in the city, so I guess the county would have to do the investigation. It’s complicated.”

  “They seemed very professional.” Meg worked to get the cork from a bottle Jean had opened previously. She emptied the bottle between two glasses and put it in the trash bin, then poured some mixed nuts into a small glass bowl before setting the glasses and bowl on a small tray.

  “Oh, thank you,” Linda said when Meg held the tray in front of her. “Maybe this is just what I need, an opportunity to talk and sit for a minute. Tony doesn’t want to hear anything about this. He’s been tuning me out all morning, telling me to let the police handle it. If you ask me, he’s a little too calm about it.”

  “So, you mentioned that several people have reason to be on edge. It is unsettling to everyone, but why would several be on edge?”

  “It’s a double-edged sword. Men who’ve been with Echo and fighting paternity might end up taking responsibility for a child or two. On the other hand, if there’s any Charles inheritance, like that little development across the street, someone could end up with a prime piece of property. There’s quite a bit of interest in how this is all going to shake out. And there are other holdings Echo might’ve had. Some people think she might’ve had a guardian due to a head injury years ago.”

  Linda took a long sip of wine and removed a package of cigarettes from her straw bag. “You don’t mind if I smoke, do you?”

  “As a matter of fact, the owner prohibits it, but I guess we could go out on the deck.” Meg stood and opened the door so Linda could lead the way out. She left the tray with nuts on the coffee table, deciding she didn’t want to be such a good hostess or the guest might overstay her welcome. It was possible she might want Linda to leave sooner than she had planned. “I wasn’t aware you smoked.”

  “Not all the time,” Linda said, lighting a cigarette and inhaling. The exhale was long and exhausting. “I quit ages ago, but when I’m nervous or stressed, it comes right back to me, just like riding a bike.”

  “I see.” Meg took a seat downwind from Linda. “I didn’t know Echo had children.”

  “Oh yes, I think she’s up to five now. Every year or so she comes around looking for child support from one person or another. She’s been doing that since she was sixteen. Every time she shows up, 50 percent of the men on the golf course start sweating bullets. She puts everyone on edge. I guess those kids are with their grandmother. They’re always cited in the newspaper for being on the honor roll and winning awards at the fair. The oldest was at the head of his class. Lord knows Echo had nothing to do with that.”

  “Echo has five children? How old is the oldest?”

  “The oldest just graduated from high school. I saw he’d made valedictorian.”

  “Did she have any of these children before she was eighteen?”

  “Yes, absolutely,” Linda said, her eyes already glazed with drink. She must have had a few cocktails or something before arriving at the cottage; Meg didn’t think a few sips of wine could create the fog Linda was slipping into.

  “So, that would mean Echo was probably underage when she became pregnant with these older children,” Meg suggested. “You mentioned a head injury. Was there an accident?”

  “She probably was underage. She’s been sexually active as long as I’ve known of her,” Linda slurred, blowing a long plume of smoke through her nose. “There was a car accident years ago over in Chambers County. That’s where her mother lives, somewhere near Winnie. It was like that thing with Teddy Kennedy. The man, Owen Mark, left the scene and went home, leaving Echo in an overturned car submerged in water. She was lucky she didn’t drown.”

  “What happened? Was the man prosecuted?”

  “No. I think Echo was eighteen at the time, and no one around here had any sympathy for her. The family was divided about it, not making any move to demand charges, and the district attorney wasn’t interested in prosecuting Owen, a long-time friend of his.”

  “Do you recall any of the fathers of these children being prosecuted for having sex with a minor?” Meg asked.

  “Heavens no. It was Echo Charles, for Pete’s sake. Everyone knew how she was.”

  “It doesn’t matter who she was. It matters how the adult in the situation acted. Sometimes girls are promiscuous because they were prematurely exposed to sex, or even raped. It’s never a child’s fault, never.” Meg could feel the flush in her face as she scolded Linda.

  “Well, that may be what you think, but there are two schools of thought on that, and I happen to be in the one that says girls can be sluts.” Linda gave Meg a drunken smirk.

  “We may have just experienced the shortest friendship in history, Linda. There can never be two schools of thought on right and wrong. You’re going to need to pick up your purse and leave.” Meg picked up the half-finished glass of wine and poured it over the railing. LaRue watched as the wine splatted into the powdery ground below leaving a circle of wet in the sand.

  Meg stared at Linda, not blinking. “I’m not kidding, Linda. Get up and go, and be very careful driving, because I’m going to call the dispatcher and let her know you’re driving under the influence. I don’t su
ppose it’d be worth my time to call Tony to come and get you?”

  “I’m perfectly fine. I just had one glass of wine, and not even a full one. You poured most of it out.”

  Meg watched as Linda wobbled to the top of the stairs. She walked up behind her and took her keys. “Wait a minute. I just can’t do this to other people out driving. I’m calling you an Uber.” Linda started crying. “Okay then, I’ll have to call the cops.”

  “Please do. Call Jeff. He’ll come and take me home.”

  There was indeed a Jeff who agreed to come and get Linda. He arrived with a female officer. “Sorry for your trouble, ma’am,” Jeff had said as they loaded Linda into her own vehicle. Jeff drove Linda’s car, and the female office followed in the official vehicle.

  Meg went inside and continued to make notes on the legal pad. Echo Charles had as many as five children, possibly, and some of them might have been conceived while she was a minor. There were men who may not have paid child support or accepted responsibility for a child for a long time. Then there was an accident and head injury. She wrote the name Owen Mark and circled it.

  Where the heck is Winnie? Meg got her laptop out and Googled it. Not that far. A ferry ride to Bolivar and a drive down the beach and Winnie was the next stop after High Island. Tomorrow might be a good time to visit the library.

  Meg sat at the kitchen island, tapping her pen on the legal pad. She suspected she had just lost the only friend she had made. Linda hadn’t had enough to drink at the cottage to have gotten drunk, but there was such a sudden change in her eyes and speech that Meg thought maybe it was a reaction with a medication. If that was true, it would be something that happened regularly, because Jeff looked like he had picked her up more than a few times. Her reaction to the murder was intense. It wasn’t as much sadness at the loss, but a nervous frenzy about what could be discovered. Meg made a note of that impression. It was an excessive reaction, not what one might expect.

  On the other hand, Tony might have been underreacting, flying under the radar. What’s up with that? I just don’t know this community well enough to figure out all these relationships.