by Cindy Bell
“Actually, that’s not the only name I’ve had trouble with. The woman you gave a tour to, she doesn’t seem to exist.” Jason avoided commenting on his lack of sleep. “I’ve been trying to track her down but haven’t had any luck.”
“Maybe she wrote down a fake name.” Suzie shrugged. “It’s strange but people do it sometimes, to avoid getting junk mail or phone calls.”
“And the phone number she listed doesn’t work.” Jason nodded. “You’re probably right.”
“What about Monroe, have you been able to track him down?” Suzie set her mug down and studied him.
“Yes, he’s still in town. He’s staying at the motel. When I spoke with him, he seemed pretty upset. He claims to have an alibi, but I haven’t verified it yet.” Jason stood up from the table. “Thanks for the coffee.”
“You’re welcome, Jason. Make sure you get some rest.” Mary gave his shoulder a light pat.
“I’ll try.” He winked at her.
“When all of this is over and if you have some spare time, we’d really like to get rid of the desk in Amelia’s room.” Suzie walked him to the door.
“Sure, I can help you with that.” Jason paused at the door and met her eyes. “Keep this locked, got it?”
“Got it.” Suzie smiled.
* * *
After serving breakfast and checking out their last two guests, Mary began to tidy up.
“The locksmith will be here in about fifteen minutes. I’m sorry, Suzie, I think I forgot to tell you.” Mary dried off a plate and tucked it into a cabinet.
“That’s okay. I’m glad you made an appointment with him, it had completely slipped my mind.” Suzie stepped in to help put away the dishes. “How do you think breakfast went?”
“Fine, I think. Michael and Lavinia seemed content, if not a little happy. Did you notice the looks between them?” Mary grinned. “I heard him say he had something to give her a couple of days ago, and I’m sure she was wearing his necklace yesterday. I didn’t notice it today, though. I think maybe they are going to keep seeing each other even though their vacation is over.”
“That would be nice.” Suzie smiled, as for a moment she gave in to the distraction of romance. It was a relief not to think about Amelia, at least for a few seconds. She sent a text to Paul to let him know she had an appointment with the locksmith. He was going to be busy with errands most of the day, but had asked her to meet up with him for a quick lunch at some point.
Suddenly, Pilot jumped to his feet and ran towards the door. He barked long and low, and stared hard at the door. Suzie followed after him.
“Calm down, Pilot, it’s all right, boy.” Suzie peered through the side window in the same moment that the man outside knocked sharply. The sound made her jump slightly, but it only took her a second to recognize Charles on the other side. He was the only locksmith in town, and she’d known him for some time.
“Hello Charles.” Suzie smiled as she opened the door.
“Hi.” Charles eyed Pilot nervously. “Is he all right? He doesn’t usually bark at me.”
“Yes, he’s okay. He’s just a little edgy. We all are. Go find Mary, boy.” Suzie shooed the dog off towards the kitchen. “Thanks for coming out so quickly.”
“Of course.” Charles set a small toolbox on the floor along with a plastic bag. “I have the new locks here. It’s wise of you to do this. You can never be too careful.”
“Will you be able to tell if the lock was picked?” Suzie leaned against the wall as she watched him work.
“Yes, if there is any evidence of a break-in, I should be able to spot it. However, there are some sophisticated lock picking tools that don’t leave a scratch behind. Just a second.” Charles pulled off the old door handle then began to look over it. He peered at it for several seconds, before he looked up at her. “Nope, it doesn’t look like this one was picked. But I’ll let you know if I find anything on the others.”
“Thank you.” Suzie’s heart dropped. She had been harboring some hope that he would find evidence of a break-in, so she wouldn’t be to blame for leaving the door unlocked. By the time he finished his work all of that hope was gone, as he verified that not a single lock he changed had been damaged in any way.
“Here are your new keys.” Charles handed her a set. “If you have any trouble at all just let me know.”
“Thanks Charles.” Suzie walked with him to the door, and noticed that Pilot stuck right by her side, but this time he wasn’t barking.
“Anytime.” He tipped his head towards her. “You gals stay safe.”
“Thanks.” Suzie waved as he headed down the porch, then she looked down at Pilot. “What’s wrong, buddy? You’ve been clinging to me all morning. What do you know that I don’t?”
Pilot just gazed back at her, his big, brown eyes unblinking. She had the distinct feeling that he was telling her to figure it out.
“Mary?”
“Yes?” Mary stepped in from the living room.
“I think we should pay Summer a visit.”
“Okay. Let me grab my things. Hopefully, she’ll tell us something about Amelia.”
Dr. Summer Rose was not only Jason’s wife, but the town’s medical examiner. Suzie knew that by now she might have some information she was willing to share. Maybe it would indicate who Amelia’s killer was.
The short drive into town felt like it took longer than usual. Suzie kept her focus on the road, but her thoughts were on Amelia, and also Pilot.
“You know Pilot barked at the locksmith this morning. I still find it hard to believe that someone could have come into the house, someone he didn’t know, and he wouldn’t be alarmed.” Suzie frowned as she pulled into the parking lot of the medical examiner’s office. “What do you think?”
“I think maybe he was just sound asleep. If the killer didn’t make any noise, he might not have noticed.” Mary shook her head. “But you’re right, it is a little strange.”
When they stepped into the medical examiner’s office, Summer had just stepped behind the front desk.
“Suzie, Mary. How are you two holding up?” She looked at both of them with a soft smile. “I know this is a lot to handle.”
“We’re doing okay.” Suzie rested her hands on the counter, then looked into Summer’s eyes. “We’d be doing a lot better if we knew a little bit more about what happened to Amelia.”
“Ah, I knew this wasn’t just a drop-in.” Summer smiled. “I’ve already finished examining her. But I can’t really discuss what I found, you know that.”
“Of course.” Suzie nodded slowly. She was a bit disappointed, but it was worth a try. “You should come over for dinner soon.”
“That would be nice. Thanks.” Summer smiled.
As Suzie and Mary turned to leave, Jason pushed the door to the office open. His eyes widened when he saw them.
“Ladies.” Jason smiled. “I guess that I shouldn’t be surprised that you are here.”
“We just wanted to visit Summer.” Suzie cleared her throat.
“I actually have some information to discuss with you.” Jason turned to Summer. “Is it okay if we use your office?”
“Sure.” Summer gestured to the back.
Mary hesitated as they followed Jason and Summer towards the back.
“I would prefer not to discuss the information out in the open.” Jason closed the office door as they all piled inside.
“Time of death was between two and five in the morning.” Jason picked up an open folder and looked to both Suzie and Mary.
“Two and five?” Suzie tried to catch a glimpse of the report in the folder. “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes, I was able to pinpoint it fairly precisely.” Summer nodded. “Why? Do you have a reason to doubt that?”
“Not exactly. I just assumed she had been killed after I left the house. But I didn’t leave until a little after five-thirty. I must have slept through the entire thing. How is that possible?” Suzie frowned.
“
Don’t forget, I slept through it as well.” Mary slid her hands into her pockets and shifted her stance. “We all did. She was the only person staying on the third floor.”
“There are signs of a struggle, but her death was instant,” Summer explained.
“How did someone get into her room.” Suzie narrowed her eyes. “It seems impossible. She always kept her door locked.”
“Amelia may have let the person in.” Mary began to pace slowly. “That would explain why there was no forced entry on the front door either.”
“That’s a good guess, Mary.” Jason nodded. “It’s possible that she didn’t think she was in any danger. Of course, these are only guesses.”
“Thanks for the information.” Suzie nodded as Jason’s phone beeped with a text.
“I have to get going. I’ll catch up with you later, Summer.” Jason looked at his phone as he stood up.
“I have other cases to get to.” Summer tipped her head towards a gurney with a body bag on it.
“Right, of course.” Flustered, Mary headed for the door. Jason and Suzie followed.
“Wait, can I just ask one more question, Jason?” Suzie stopped by the door.
“Sure, what is it?” Jason turned back to face her.
“The murder weapon? Any thoughts on what that might have been?”
“Something large.” Jason nodded. “Heavy, and fairly blunt.”
“Like an old-fashioned typewriter?” Suzie’s breath caught in her chest.
Mary froze by the door. She forced herself to look back over her shoulder. The very thought that Amelia might have been killed by the tool of her trade, made her stomach twist.
“Actually, yes. That could be a possibility. It certainly isn’t a common murder weapon but, in the moment, if it was available to the killer, I suppose it’s possible. It could potentially match the wound.” Summer shook her head. “I can’t know for certain without having the typewriter, or at least the exact kind of typewriter. But it’s definitely something to consider.”
“Thanks for the information, Summer.” As Suzie walked through the double doors, with Mary and Jason a few steps ahead of her, her mind churned with thoughts of what might have happened inside that room. Who would Amelia be okay with letting in? Why had she unlocked the front door, and could they be sure that she had?
“I’ll catch up with you ladies later.” Jason turned in the direction of the police station.
“Thanks Jason.” Suzie waved to him.
“That was quite an informative visit.” Mary opened the passenger side door of the car, then paused to look across the top of the car at her friend. “Don’t you think?”
“In some ways, yes. But in others, I’m more confused than ever. Why would Amelia have let someone in, at that time in the morning? Or did she have an overnight guest we didn’t know about?”
“A male companion.” Mary nodded slowly. “That’s possible. She was in her room alone so often, maybe we just didn’t realize she was sneaking a guest in?”
“I don’t know.” Suzie sighed, then settled behind the steering wheel. Once Mary was in the car, she looked over at her. “I hate to think that I would be so clueless, that I would have no idea what was going on under our roof.”
“It’s possible, if we were too nosy, people wouldn’t want to stay at Dune House.”
“Perhaps.” Suzie nodded as she turned on the car. “But after Amelia’s death, I’m not sure that anyone will want to stay at Dune House, anymore.”
“Sure they will, Suzie.” Mary gave her knee a swift pat before Suzie drove out of the parking lot. “Dune House is strong, just like us, it can come back from anything.”
“Thanks Mary.” Suzie flashed her a smile. “That was exactly what I needed to hear.” She turned her attention back to the road and felt a little more relaxed. Panicking over what might have been wouldn’t solve anything, but trying to find out exactly what happened would.
Chapter 7
When Suzie and Mary returned to Dune House, Suzie got out her computer, determined to find a little truth in the middle of all of the confusion. She felt some relief at the thought that she wasn’t responsible for the killer getting into Dune House. But that didn’t lessen her desire to solve Amelia’s murder.
“I think it’s time we figured out who JuJu Lurue is.” Suzie examined a photo of the paper. “It looks like Amelia wrote this on the day that she died. So, the name must mean something to her. I’m going to see if I can find any connections between the information I know about her and this name.” Suzie stretched her fingers. “It might take a little while, but we will find something.”
“Let’s see, all we really know about Amelia is that she was writing this book. So, perhaps the name has something to do with the book she was planning to publish?” Mary suggested.
“I do see a JuJu Lurue listed as an entertainment reporter. She writes for a few online magazines.”
“Why would she write it down with the date and her initials?” Mary frowned. “Maybe it is very important to the book. Maybe Amelia signed her initials and the date on the bottom of each page of the manuscript. I think she would have only had one copy of the manuscript. She used a typewriter and I don’t know how she could have copied the manuscript if she never went out.”
“That makes sense to me.” Suzie began to jot down a few notes on her phone to mention to Jason.
“It was dated the day of the murder, which means she must have jotted it down after midnight. Obviously, she wrote it before the killer came in. What if she was in a bit of a rush to hide her work? She might have gotten flustered.” Mary tapped her fingers on the table.
“That’s true. I wish that Jason had her phone, then at least we might have an idea as to whether she called or scheduled a meeting with anyone.” Suzie sighed. “But apparently the killer was too smart for that. Jason said no phone was found in her room.”
“So, the killer walked in here apparently easily, without alerting Pilot, or either of us. Then the killer was allowed into Amelia’s room as well. None of that makes sense unless Amelia knew the person, and that person knew enough to take her phone, her typewriter, and her manuscript.” Mary pursed her lips for a moment. “Do you think there’s a reason the killer chose to use the typewriter?”
“I’m not sure. It could have just been what was available at the time.”
“If that was the case then maybe the killer wasn’t planning on killing Amelia. Maybe they got into an argument, or some kind of fight?” Mary tapped her chin. “Something caused the visitor to snap, and the only weapon available was the typewriter.”
“It’s possible.” Suzie nodded, but frowned. “But it’s all just guesses until we find out more.”
Mary’s phone buzzed, distracting them both from the dead-end conversation.
“It looks like Wes is headed this way.”
“Go and spend some time with him.” Suzie gave her a quick hug. “I’m going to see if I can find out anything more about JuJu Lurue.”
“Let me know if you find anything.” Mary headed to her room to freshen up a little. As she passed a brush through her auburn hair, she barely noticed the streaks of gray in it. There was a time when she would stare at those streaks in the mirror and think that her life was coming to an end, that the best times were behind her. But she couldn’t have been more wrong. Now that she was in her fifties it was as if life had opened up to her for the first time, not as a wife, or as a mother, but as a woman, free to pursue her interests. Just the thought of Wes made her smile.
When Mary stepped out onto the porch, she found his car had just pulled into the parking lot. She watched him approach and noticed the determination in his gait. It was as if he was on a mission. He had on his cowboy boots and a toothpick in his mouth. The familiar sight always brought a smile to her face.
“Mary.” He smiled as he mounted the stairs and gazed at her with that same look he always gave her. She wasn’t sure how to define it, but it made her feel warm from head to to
e.
“Wes, I’m glad you came.” She pulled him into a close hug.
“I have some news for you.” Wes led her to a bench along the railing of the porch. “Are you ready for it?”
“Is it about Amelia’s death?” Mary searched his eyes.
“Yes, it is. I found something interesting.”
“Wait, I should get Suzie.” Mary pulled away from him and headed inside.
When Mary spotted Suzie in front of the sink, she rolled her eyes at the woman’s work ethic. No matter what pressure she was under she always found something to do. Then she realized that Suzie wasn’t moving, and the water wasn’t on. Instead she just stood there, staring hard through the window that overlooked the rear yard.
“Suzie? Is something wrong? Did you find out something about JuJu?” She walked over to her, her heart in her throat.
“Hmm?” Suzie turned to look at Mary with a far-away look in her eyes. “No, nothing. I haven’t looked yet. I thought I’d do some chores to get my mind off it for a minute.” She blinked slowly. “Then I just blanked out a bit I suppose.”
“You’re worrying me. I’ve never seen you like this.” Mary took her hand and rubbed the back of it. “Are you all right?”
“Sure, I’m fine.” Suzie smiled and drew her hand back. “I’m sorry. I was just thinking about the few conversations I had with Amelia. You know, I assumed that her standoffish nature was just a personality quirk, but now that I’m learning more about her, I’m beginning to think that she had good reason to have that quirk. In fact, she felt unsafe around so many people, I’m surprised she didn’t lock herself away somewhere even more remote.”
“What makes me the most uneasy is Jason’s assumption that Amelia probably knew the killer. It seems to me that whoever it was had to have a good enough relationship with Amelia, that she was willing to let that person in.” Mary shook her head slowly. “I can’t imagine a friend betraying me like that.”
