Clearing the Course

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Clearing the Course Page 1

by Diane Weiner




  Clearing the Course

  A Sugarbury Falls Mystery

  by

  Diane Weiner

  This book is dedicated to my wonderful readers.

  Thank you for supporting my writing.

  Chapter 1

  Emily struggled to keep her jet-lagged eyes open as she rocked in the passenger seat of her husband Henry’s Jeep. She’d trotted all over the country in her career as a crime reporter, but now that she was in her mid-fifties, teaching at St. Edward’s College and writing true crime books was more her speed. She let out a yawn, which she’d been stifling throughout the memorial service.

  That poor young girl. Dead. She’d sat in the pew behind the girl’s parents. The mother smothered her tears in her husband’s jacket sleeve. The father gripped his wife’s hand—a life raft in a violent sea. Shuddering, she looked in the rear view mirror at Maddy, asleep in the back seat, and waited to see her breath rise and fall before turning to her husband.

  “Henry, no one said how Damari died.”

  “I found that strange, too. Your guess is as good as mine.”

  “Car accident?”

  Henry shook his head. “She didn’t have a car. She walked a long way to get to work. Heard her say more than once how she hated getting all sweaty before her shift started.” A blond head popped into his rearview mirror.

  “Are we there yet?” said Maddy. “Do we have to stay long?”

  Teenagers. At least they weren’t afraid to say what they were thinking.

  “We can’t run in and run out. Henry worked with poor Damari and her parents are hurting badly. You saw them falling apart at the church.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she questioned her own sensitivity. Maddy’s wounds from witnessing her own mother’s funeral were recent enough to be raw.

  Henry said, “I’m sure her parents regret the day they agreed to let Damari move to Vermont. If she’d stayed down in Miami, they wouldn’t be burying their daughter.”

  Emily’s stomach ached. If anything ever happened to Maddy… She’d been wrong in assuming most of her life that she lacked maternal instincts. Maddy had only been with them a little over a year and she’d fight like a lioness to keep her safe.

  “How long did she work at the hospital?” asked Maddy.

  “She started working reception in the ER last summer. When the semester began, she cut back to part time.” Henry chuckled. “I didn’t think she’d make it past that first day. Must have been a full moon the night before. A screaming toddler with Skittles stuck up his nose, a lady blowing up before her eyes from an insect bite, and a husband demanding Damari look up whether his insurance covered out of state emergencies while his wife bled all over the floor—Welcome to summer in Sugarbury Falls. Had to give her props for not quitting before lunch.”

  Henry turned into the parking lot in front of the yellow inn with the white wrap-around porch. “Here we are.” He read the hanging, wooden sign aloud. “Coralee’s Outside Inn, the finest establishment in all of Sugarbury Falls.”

  Emily pulled down the visor and checked the mirror. She had her roots done right before the trip but already spotted white strands peeking through her auburn hair.

  “Come on, girls. Let’s get the show on the road.”

  Maddy stumbled out of the back seat, repositioning her blond ponytail. “I want to check on the cats, first.”

  “Maddy, don’t you think…”

  “That’s fine,” said Henry. “I’m sure they’ve missed you.” He turned to Emily. “She can do that while we catch up on the details.” Maddy ran ahead and Henry whispered, “We may have to soften the news when we find out the details of Damari’s death.”

  They walked under a canopy of lush shade trees and up the white wooden porch steps. The front door was propped open. Coralee, directing traffic in the lobby, said, “Everyone’s in the dining room. I’m sorry you came back to such a sad event. How was Scotland?”

  “Wonderful. We officially renamed the castle ‘Fiona Manor’ in honor of Maddy’s mother and made a memory garden out back.” Emily wished they could have done more to ease Maddy’s loss. “Coralee, how did Damari die?”

  “Well, there are a few theories floating around…” Another group came into the lobby and Coralee shuffled them all into the dining room.

  Emily heard muffled bits of conversations as they made their way to Damari’s parents. She caught the words ‘mysterious’ and ‘puzzling’ as she passed through. Mrs. Cooper, a Viola Davis look-alike, wilted against her husband. Mr. Cooper gripped his wife’s hand like a vice, as he had earlier at the church. Emily flashed back to her sister’s funeral and how her own father held her mother, blanketed in grief, unable to stand.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Cooper, we’re so sorry for your loss.” The emptiness of those words always bothered her but she’d never found an acceptable alternative. What can you say to someone whose heart has been forever scarred?

  “Thank you,” said Mr. Cooper.

  “She was a ray of sunshine. We’re so sorry,” said Henry.

  “Skiing. That’s the real reason she wanted to go to college in Vermont you know.” Mr. Cooper looked Henry in the eye. “How did you know our daughter?” he asked.

  “I worked in the emergency room with her.”

  “Yes,” said Mrs. Cooper. “She was happy from the day she was born. It’s…it’s so…so upsetting that…what people are saying.” She sobbed into her husband’s shirt.

  “We’re Catholic. Suicide is a sin.” Mr. Cooper pulled out his handkerchief.

  Mrs. Cooper lifted her face from her husband’s shirt. “And there’s no way it was an accident. Damari was an expert rower. She was on the crew team all through high school.” Anger in her voice momentarily overrode the grief.

  Emily tried to piece together the snippets she’d heard. Rowing. So she must have drowned. They’d flown in from Edinburgh late last night and she hadn’t gotten a chance to call her friends or check the newspaper. Why was it a memorial service and not a funeral? Especially if they were Catholic? She suspected the police weren’t ready to give up the body. They made their way over to Pat, the medical examiner and Henry’s best friend.

  “Pat, what’s going on here?” asked Henry.

  “Welcome home, buddy. You missed the drama. Damari’s body was found floating in Lake Pleasant the morning after the big Founder’s Day celebration. According to her parents, she was an excellent swimmer.”

  “Had she been drinking?”

  “I didn’t find any traces of drugs or alcohol in her system. The boat was recovered, undamaged. No signs of a struggle.”

  “What’s your detective girlfriend think?”

  “Megan says they’re investigating. So far, that’s it.”

  Emily saw Damari’s parents talking to Coralee in the corner. Coralee’s son, Noah, circulated with platters of finger sandwiches and chips. A large man about Henry’s age approached.

  “I didn’t know you guys were back from Scotland. We missed you at work.”

  Dan Fisher was an ob-gyn and often crossed paths with Henry and Pat at the small, local hospital.

  “Scotland was beautiful,” said Henry. “My daughter inherited her very own castle.”

  “I meant to congratulate you the last time I saw you. Coralee mentioned the adoption is final now.”

  “Yep. Never expected to become a dad in my fifties, but better late than never.”

  “Heck, look at those Hollywood types. George Clooney’s got twins and he’s older than you. At least you’re not waking up nights to feed her.”

  Emily said, “Do you have children, Dan?”

  “Me, no. Thank God. Two ex-wives, my salary goes right to alimony. Imagine if I had to pay child support on top of it.” />
  “Dan, do you know what happened to Damari?”

  A young couple carrying soft drinks in their hands, nearly ran into Dan.

  “Dr. Fisher, so sorry. Nothing spilled on you, did it?”

  Dan put his arm around the petite, ebony-haired woman. “No, sweetie. Not a drop. Henry, Emily, Pat, this is Li Min Weng and her husband, Shen.”

  Li Min blurted out, “I hope we’ll be seeing you regularly, Dr. Fisher.” She turned to Emily. “Dr. Fisher is helping us get pregnant.”

  Pat and Henry stifled snickers, but their faces displayed their amusement.

  “Sorry,” said Shen. “Sometimes the nuances of English still challenge us. What she meant to say was that Dr. Fisher is supervising fertility treatments for us.”

  Emily found it odd that they would blurt that out to virtual strangers, but she could see the excitement in Li Min’s face. “Are you friends of Damari’s”

  Li Min’s expression sullened. “Yes, good friends. I can’t believe she’s gone. We saw her at the picnic and the last thing she said was that she’d see us at the fireworks that night. I looked for her, but she never showed up.” She wiped a tear with her hand.

  Pat said, “A fisherman spotted her body floating in the lake the next morning.”

  Dan said, “I left early. Got called to the hospital.”

  Pat cleared his throat. “There was a note. On her computer…”

  “No.” said Li Min. “The note wasn’t referring to suicide.”

  “With all due respect, no one but the detectives know what the note says,” said Pat.

  “She did look a little upset,” said Dan.

  “I thought you left early?” Emily grabbed a drink from a silver tray being circulated.

  “I did leave early, but I ran into her before that, while we were in line for hot dogs. She looked as though she’d been crying.”

  “Like Megan always says, you’ve got to look at all the evidence before you start speculating,” said Pat. “Speaking of Megan, I need to get going. We’re driving over to Oakbridge for dinner.”

  Dan said, “Excuse me, too. I want to pay my respects to Damari’s parents. Looks like they’re getting ready to leave.”

  After the two men left, Li Min said, “There’s no way she killed herself, and no way it was an accident. It was that miserable boyfriend of hers. He murdered her.”

  Emily ran through what she’d learned. Damari could swim and row. Dan said she looked upset. She never showed up at the fireworks, and there was a note on her computer, which Pat implied was a suicide note. No evidence of a struggle, as far as what Pat said. And she wasn’t drunk or high. The boat was undamaged, and her best friend thinks she was murdered.

  A young man wearing jeans and a red No Fracking t-shirt barged into the dining room, as if on cue. He knocked food off the tables and stammered into the center of the room.

  “Why wasn’t I invited? No one thought to tell me? My girlfriend dies and I’m not invited to the funeral?” He slurred the words together. Emily thought he was on the verge of losing his balance. Luckily, Coralee’s son made his way over to him.

  “Come on, bro. Come into the other room and I’ll get you some coffee,” said Noah.

  “I don’t want coffee. I want Damari.” He stammered back to the door, guided by Noah.

  Li Min said, “See what I mean? That’s Damari’s ex-boyfriend. That’s Robby, the no good son of a…”

  Shen put his arm around her. “Come on, you don’t want to get upset. It’s bad for the baby.”

  Emily saw Li Min’s expression soften. Should her husband be getting her hopes up like that? She knew infertility treatments were often unsuccessful, yet he was talking like she was already pregnant.

  “I’m feeling kind of tired. It’s been a stressful day,” said Li Min. She followed Shen out the door.

  “Well,” said Henry. “Let’s get Maddy and head home, unless you want to stay longer.”

  “Nope. I’m ready. Take us home.”

  Chapter 2

  The next morning, Chester ‘s persistent nudging and meowing left Emily with no choice but to get out of bed. Henry moaned and pulled the quilted comforter over his head.

  Emily slipped her feet into her terry scuffs. Like Chester ever had an empty bowl. Grumbling, she made her way down the loft ladder to the kitchen and topped off his dish with Feline Feast. The store brand was cheaper, but Chester refused to eat it. Maddy, in pajama pants and a t-shirt, plopped down at the table. When Chester saw her, he jumped up on her lap, ignoring his breakfast.

  “How were the café cats doing?” She’d been so tired last night she hadn’t even asked.

  Maddy said, “All the ones who were there before the trip were adopted, except for the two black ones, and the one with the missing patch of hair.”

  “Looks matter, even when it comes to pets. I didn’t give a second thought to Chester’s color until Halloween rolled around that first year and I saw a story on the news warning viewers to keep their black cats indoors ‘for their own safety.’ Not that I ‘d ever let him outside anyway.”

  Maddy grabbed a granola bar from the pantry. “Why was Robby yelling in the dining room at Coralee’s? I meant to ask you last night.”

  “You know that young man?”

  “Robby Birchfield. He cleans rooms at the inn and he’s really good with the cats.”

  “Is he new in town? I’d never seen him before.”

  “He came here for school. He goes to St. Edwards. I’m surprised you never ran into him.”

  “St. Edwards is small but not so small that I know everyone. Anyway, stay away from him.”

  “Why would you say that? You just said you don’t even know him.”

  “He was drunk and totally inappropriate barging into the dining room like he did. And he’s a murder suspect.”

  “Robby? No way. He loved Damari. When she broke it off, he was sad, not angry. You’re so judgmental.” Chester jumped down and ran into the living room.

  “How do you know he wasn’t angry? You heard him at the inn yesterday.”

  “He stopped by the cat café a lot the week before we left for Scotland. He was trying to cope with the fact that Damari already had a new boyfriend. He isn’t a murder suspect.”

  Henry, bringing a plate to the table, grabbed a cup of coffee mid-brew. “Who’s not a murder suspect?”

  “Emily thinks my friend Robby killed Damari.”

  “That’s not what I said. What I said was…”

  Henry interrupted. “Let’s not put the cart before the horse. Who says she was murdered? Pat’s the medical examiner and he’s still considering suicide or an accident.”

  Emily popped frozen waffles into the toaster. Yet again, Henry the peacemaker; her, the enemy.

  “What are you lovely ladies doing today?”

  To Emily’s surprise, Maddy said, “I was hoping Emily could take me to the mall.”

  Emily wondered if she meant take her as in shop with her, or take her as in drop her off. The mall wasn’t right around the corner and Emily didn’t relish making two round-trips.

  “One of the girls from my class is having a quincenera next week and I need a dress.”

  “Sure. I didn’t realize Sugarbury Falls was so multicultural. Which friend?”

  “Bianca from school. You don’t know her. And that comment is racist.”

  “Racist? I was simply saying…”

  “What’s a quince-whatever anyway?” Henry poured himself a bowl of Corn Flakes.

  “She’s turning fifteen.”

  “So, it’s like a sweet sixteen party,” said Emily.

  “No. She’s turning fifteen.” Maddy glared at her, sarcasm in her voice.

  Henry considered this progress. When they first brought Maddy home she had been overly polite, but now she had no qualms about expressing herself. He never had a sister, but he remembered his cousin talking like that to his aunt when they were growing up. Mothers and teen age daughters were supposed to be a
dversarial. He’d read that in one of their parenting manuals.

  “This vacuum packed almond milk is like water. I’ll run by the grocery store after my golf game.”

  “Since when do you play golf?” They’d been married thirty years and she’d never once heard him mention playing golf.

  “My Dad and I hit the driving range a few times growing up.” Henry mimed swinging a club. “I’m hoping it’s like riding a bike. Dan Fisher was talking to Pat and me yesterday and suggested getting together. That new course by the lake just opened up last week. I’ll be a few hours at most.”

  They heard a knock. “That must be Kurt,” said Henry. A scruffy man with a Minnesota Vikings jersey balanced a bundle of newspapers and mail under one arm and gripped a leash in the other. Henry bent down to pet the black lab. “How’s it going, Prancer buddy?”

  Kurt followed Henry into the kitchen and dropped the bundle on the table. “Here you go. Two weeks-worth of mail and newspapers.” He let go of the leash, and Prancer ran over to Maddy, tail wagging, tongue hanging out like a stretch of taffy.

  Emily handed him a cup of coffee. “Thanks for taking care of things while we were gone.”

  “Nonsense. That’s what neighbors do. How was England?”

  “Scotland. It was beautiful. Guess we missed out on some excitement here, though.”

  “You mean the murder?”

  Maddy piped up. “Henry said it’s not murder.”

  “I said it hasn’t yet been determined. Damari Cooper’s ex-boyfriend made quite a scene at Coralee’s yesterday. Some kid named Robby. Do you know him?”

  “Robby Birchfield? Yeah. Nice kid. I hired him to help me clear out the dead trees behind the cabin I bought for Chloe. Hard worker.”

  “See,” said Maddy, glaring at Emily.

  “What kind of scene? Can’t imagine him causing trouble.”

  “He came into the dining room, ranting about not being invited to the memorial service. I think he was drunk.” Emily sat at the table.

  “He doesn’t drink,” said Maddy. “He’s a vegan and doesn’t put garbage in his body.”

 

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