by Cindy Bell
“You’re right and I also can’t imagine her letting Monroe in. Not after that scene on the porch, not after we both warned her to be careful. I think the mere fact that she let the killer in proves that it wasn’t him after all.” Suzie grabbed a towel to wipe her hands, though most of the dishes remained in the sink.
“Maybe not him, no, but what if it was someone that he put up to it? Someone that she thought she could trust?” Mary leaned against the counter for a moment as she considered that thought.
“See, that’s the problem I’m having.” Suzie crossed her arms. “Amelia didn’t seem the type to trust anyone, did she?”
“No.” Mary frowned. “But I’m sure there are a lot of things about Amelia we aren’t aware of, and that might include a close friend or two. Wes is here, and he says he has some new information for us. I wanted you to hear it, too.”
“Thanks Mary.” Suzie gazed at her friend. She trusted her more than anyone else in the world. She tried to imagine what it would be like to feel that way about a friend who turned out to be a murderer. The thought made her shiver. To cover it up, she quickly followed Mary out onto the porch. “Hi Wes.” Suzie offered him a brief smile.
Mary sat on one side of him on the bench, while Suzie took the other.
“Hi Suzie.” Wes nodded to her.
“Now, please tell me you’ve solved this horrible crime.” Mary fixed her eyes on him.
“Not solved, no. But the plot does thicken.” Wes pulled out his phone and began to skim the screen. “It appears that Amelia’s cousin, and Amelia were estranged.”
“That’s not too unusual.” Suzie shrugged. “Bad blood between family members isn’t necessarily motive for murder.”
“No, it’s not.” He glanced up at her. “But these two had been feuding, so much so that Amelia went through the process to get a restraining order against her cousin.”
“Wow, that is more than estranged.” Mary frowned as she tried to peek at his phone. “Something really must have turned them against each other. Is that her?” She craned her neck.
“Yes, that’s her. Sophia Aubray.” He held up the phone so that they could both see the photograph.
The instant Suzie saw her, her heart raced.
“Suzie?” Mary noticed the color fade from her skin. “Are you okay?”
“That’s her! That’s the woman I saw peering through the window.”
“Sophia Aubray, Amelia’s cousin? Are you certain?” Wes stood up from the bench and handed her the phone to get a closer look. “The picture you took of her was pretty blurry.”
“Yes, the picture was. But I saw her face. I’m sure it’s her. I recognized her right away.” Suzie gazed at the picture, and second guessed herself. Was it possible that she was mistaken? After a few more seconds of scrutinizing the image she shook her head. “No, I’m certain. It’s the same woman.”
“That means that Amelia’s cousin is in town. No wonder Jason hasn’t been able to track her down.” Mary frowned.
“At least she was the day of the murder.” Suzie narrowed her eyes. “And why would she come all the way here, without a reason?”
“Oh, she had a reason.” Wes sat back down between them. “According to my research the feud between Amelia and Sophia has to do with Sophia’s mother’s death. She left a large piece of property to Amelia. Amelia has since put it up for sale, and Sophia has initiated lawsuits in attempts to stop her. She wants to buy it, but Amelia wants to get the best price. Some lawsuits are still pending.”
“I guess they aren’t anymore.” Mary rubbed her hands together. “That’s quite a bit of motive I’d say. She felt that Amelia took something that didn’t belong to her.”
“Yes, it could be, and the fact that Suzie saw her here, makes her a strong suspect.” Wes tapped his phone. “They were only a few years apart in age, I’d guess they grew up fairly close.”
“Maybe Sophia showed up and acted apologetic, maybe she got Amelia to let her in?” Suzie met Mary’s eyes. “Even if they were upset with each other, having such a long history together might have been enough reason for Amelia to trust her.”
“I think you’d better update Jason about all of this.” Mary frowned. “Wherever Sophia is, he’ll need to speak with her.”
* * *
After a little more discussion, Wes and Mary went for a walk along the beach. Pilot trotted along beside them. A few minutes of silence passed, before Wes slipped his hand into hers.
“Mary, I’m a bit worried about this whole situation.”
“There’s nothing to worry about, Wes, I promise.” She gave his hand a light squeeze.
“It’s just that you and Suzie are such strong and intelligent people, but sometimes that can get you into trouble.” Wes grimaced as he glanced at her.
“Trouble?” Mary grinned. “What trouble could Suzie and I possibly get into?”
“I’m serious, Mary. You should be careful about how much you get involved in the case.”
“Wes, Amelia was killed under our roof, while we slept. We are already involved, don’t you see?” Mary paused and let her feet sink into the sand. The sensation helped to clear her mind. “We want this solved, so that we can move on, and so that we can feel confident booking new guests.”
“I understand that. I just want you to be safe.” Wes paused as his cell phone rang. “I’m sorry, I have to get this, it’s work.” As he put his phone to his ear, Mary saw his entire expression change. He transformed from the relaxed, caring man she was used to spending time with, to a sharp and determined detective. After a few words, he hung up the phone. “I’m going to have to go, I’m sorry. There’s a big case, and it can’t wait.”
“I understand.” Mary held his hand a moment longer.
He gave her a soft kiss.
As Wes took off across the beach, she could understand why he was worried about her, but she wouldn’t let that stop her from investigating. This was about more than just solving a case, it was about the safety of the guests at Dune House and her future, as well as Suzie’s.
As Mary walked back towards the beautiful home she’d come to love, it made her feel angry to think that a killer was allowed inside. The least she could do was make certain that killer was brought to justice.
Chapter 8
While Mary and Wes headed off for a stroll on the beach, with Pilot at their side, Suzie dialed Jason’s number. She wondered how he would react to finding out who the woman she’d chased down the beach was. Would he believe her or think she might be mistaken?
“Hi Suzie.” Jason’s voice sounded strained.
“Are you okay? Are you busy?”
“Just frustrated.” He sighed. “Do you have something new for me?”
“Yes, I do, actually.” She filled him in on what they’d found out about JuJu Lurue, as well as Sophia Aubray.
“Wow, I’ll see if there’s anything more I can find out about JuJu Lurue. As for Sophia, I’ve been trying to get in contact with her. Now I understand why I couldn’t reach her at her home or work numbers. She’s been here, and she could possibly still be here. It doesn’t explain why she isn’t answering her cell phone, though. This gives me a new avenue to pursue, thank you, Suzie.”
“I hope it helps, Jason. Mary and I were talking, and we think that like you said Amelia must have known her killer. It would make sense that it might have been Sophia.”
“In some ways yes, but what I don’t understand is why would Sophia stick around and peer in the windows? We now know the time of death was before five in the morning. You saw her near the windows much later than that. So why would she kill Amelia, then hang out?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she forgot something that might incriminate her. Maybe she regretted what she did and hoped that Amelia somehow survived? It doesn’t make much sense to me, either, but I still think she’s a strong suspect, especially since you said Monroe had an alibi.”
“I did.” Jason hesitated. “But I still haven’t been able to verify it. He claimed t
hat he was at a nearby bar, but the bartender said it was so busy in there he couldn’t remember all of the faces. And Monroe paid with cash, so there is no receipt to prove that he was there. I’ve checked the nearby traffic cameras and there are plenty of taxis going to and from the bar, but the cameras don’t catch the faces of the passengers. I’m currently waiting for callbacks from the taxi company that operates in the area.”
“Hopefully, you’ll find out something new.”
“At this time, I think we can pretty much rule out the possibility of this being a random killing. Whoever killed Amelia had a personal motive. But until we have someone in custody, I am going to keep a patrolman at Dune House overnight.”
“Thanks, Jason.” Suzie hung up the phone, with her nerves on edge. Monroe was still a suspect.
Mary stepped through the door.
“Mary, where’s Wes?” Suzie looked past her towards the porch.
“He had to go. He got a call about a big case, I think he’s going to be quite busy for the next few days.”
“I spoke with Jason, now I’m trying to decide what to do next.” She settled with Mary at the kitchen table.
“I understand. I feel like we can’t learn anything real about Amelia because we keep coming up to dead ends. She feuded with her cousin, but were they ever close? Did she have any friends? What was her life like at this company she used to work for? It looks like maybe she felt the need to hide out at Dune House. She must have been frightened underneath that tough exterior.”
“The truth is there is only one person that we have access to that knew Amelia.” Suzie stood up from the table and began to pace back and forth. “Monroe.”
“Well, we don’t really have access to him exactly.” Mary shrugged as she watched her friend travel back and forth. “Jason’s already spoken to him, right?”
“Yes, he did.” Suzie paused, then looked into Mary’s eyes. “Jason is a great investigator, but he didn’t know everything we do now, when he spoke to Monroe. I think we should talk to him.”
“Suzie.” Mary stood up and wiped her palms across her jeans. “I don’t think that’s wise. Do you remember how angry he was when we first saw him? I really thought he was going to bash the door right in.”
“I remember.” Suzie nodded and began to pace again. “That’s exactly why we need to speak to him. He knows enough about the book, and Amelia, that he was willing to risk getting arrested to get to her. That’s the kind of information we need. He might be more willing to talk to us, instead of Jason.”
“But what if he’s the one who killed her?” Mary gasped and shook her head. “I don’t think I could handle being near him, knowing what he did.”
“Jason doesn’t consider him a strong suspect, I don’t think. He said Monroe has an alibi. But he hasn’t been able to verify it yet.” Suzie frowned. “It’s possible that it’s fake. I can’t guarantee you that he’s not the killer. But I think he’ll be our best source of information. Trying to get Amelia’s angry cousin to talk might prove to be very difficult. At least we’ve met Monroe before. I think he’s the best place to start.”
“Okay, okay.” Mary cleared her throat. “Let’s do it. Let’s go now, before I lose my nerve.”
“Are you sure, Mary? You can stay here.” Suzie gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “We both don’t have to go.”
“We absolutely do both have to go. I’m not letting you talk to that man alone.” Mary linked her arm through Suzie’s. “We’re in this together, remember? No matter what.”
“I remember.” Suzie gazed at her a moment and wondered if she would be putting her friend in danger.
“Should we have Wes tag along?”
“No, I don’t think so. He’s very busy right now with this new case. If things get hairy with Monroe, we can always call him or Jason, we’ll be fine.” Suzie forced a smile. “I promise.”
“Okay, if you say so.” Mary rolled her eyes and laughed a little but headed for the door. The sooner they got to Monroe’s motel room the better.
* * *
The drive to the motel was quick and familiar. Suzie had been there a few times since she’d moved to Garber. The owner was a friend. She was easily able to get Monroe’s room number, and he confirmed that Monroe was still staying there. Once she had the room number though, her nerve faltered some. He had been quite aggressive when he tried to force his way into Dune House. She joined Mary outside the office, on the sidewalk.
“Well?” Mary looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Is he still here?”
“Yes, he is. There.” Suzie pointed to the room at the end of the row. “And that’s his car parked out front.”
“So, he’s here.” Mary rubbed her hands together and took a breath. “Let’s do this.”
“Mary, wait. We should have a plan. Just in case things don’t go as smoothly as we hope. He is a big guy.” Suzie reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She slid it into her pocket. “Make sure your phone is easily accessible, and if anything seems off don’t hesitate to call Jason.”
“I won’t.” Mary tucked her phone into her front pocket.
The two friends exchanged a brief look of uncertainty, then Suzie nodded.
“Let’s see what he has to say.” She walked to the end of the row of motel rooms and proceeded to knock on the door. For a moment she wondered if he might not answer, but a second later the door jerked open, and Monroe’s thick frame filled the doorway.
“You two?” He raised his eyebrows as he stared at them. “What are you doing here?”
“We wanted to stop by and offer our condolences.” Suzie did her best to keep a straight face as she tried to fill her eyes with sympathy.
“You’re kidding me, right?” He grinned and shook his head. “You’re not that dense.”
“We know you were upset with Amelia, but that kind of anger usually comes from caring about someone at some point, and we just wanted to be sure that you were handling it okay.” Suzie smiled.
“I’m dancing inside, absolutely dancing. Now she can’t spread her lies any longer. Why would I be upset about that?” Monroe shrugged. “No skin off my nose.”
“May we come in?” Suzie offered her best smile as she met his eyes. She knew the more comfortable he felt, the more likely he would talk. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded and stepped back from the door.
The motel room was sparse with only a bed and a small desk with a chair. The kitchenette was just a counter with a small coffee pot and a tiny sink. He stood near the door. His eyes flitted back and forth between the two women.
“Who’s this?” Mary smiled as she pointed to a small frame on the bedside table.
“No one.” He grabbed up the frame, but not before Suzie could catch sight of it. Her heart skipped a beat. She recognized that face.
“Who is that, Monroe?” Suzie took a step towards him, her body tense. “What is her name?”
“It’s none of your business.” Monroe scowled at her and took a step back. “I think you need to leave. This was a bad idea.” He started to pull open the door again. Suzie stood in his way, her shoulders squared.
“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me who that is in the photograph.”
“Suzie, what’s wrong? Do you know her?” Mary moved closer to her, as her heart slammed against her chest. She could tell by the tension in his body and the gleam in his eyes that Monroe was becoming more and more aggravated.
“Monroe?” Suzie stared at him. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “Either you tell me who she is, or I’m calling the police right this second, because I know the two of you had something to do with Amelia’s death.”
“You go right ahead and call the police. You can’t threaten me. I know my rights. I have an alibi for that night, I was at a bar until four, and stood outside waiting for a taxi until five. You can’t pin any of this on me.” His voice grew louder with every word he spoke.
“An alibi that won’t stand up, not
for a second. Just tell me the truth, who is this woman in the photograph and how do you know her?” Suzie gritted her teeth, unwilling to back down. From the corner of her eye she noticed Mary’s hand slip into her front pocket. She was tempted to tell her friend not to call Jason, but she didn’t want to distract Monroe, who was growing more furious with every second.
“You’re crazy! I didn’t need to kill that woman. I was going to sue her for every penny she had. I don’t care what happened to her, or why she is dead, all that matters is that she is gone, and yes that sure does solve all of my problems. Except for the problem of having the two of you in my motel room.” He snarled as he took a step towards Suzie.
“Don’t you dare!” Mary dropped her purse and held up a can of pepper spray.
“Mary?” Suzie gasped in surprise.
“Put that away!” Monroe held up his hands. “I wasn’t going to do anything. You two are the ones who came in here accusing and threatening me! I’m calling the police right now.” He snatched his cell phone out of his pocket, though kept his other hand in the air.
“Mary, it’s okay.” Suzie shook her head slightly. “We don’t need that.”
Mary pursed her lips but did as she was instructed.
“Now Monroe, I’m just asking you a simple question. There’s no need for you to be so upset by it. Please, just tell me, what is her name? I saw her, she was here, she was using a false name,” Suzie explained.
“No, she wasn’t.” Monroe huffed. “She hasn’t been here at all. I came by myself to talk some sense into Amelia.”
“So, you didn’t know she was here?” Suzie tilted her head to the side as she stared at the picture. “I know that’s the same woman who took a tour of Dune House. I guess I’m not the only one she lied to. Is she your girlfriend?”
Monroe stared at her, confusion evident in his expression.
“You’re just trying to trick me.”
“No, I’m not. It’s pretty simple, I just recognize the woman in that photograph, and I want to know who she is. That’s all.” Suzie shrugged.
