by Leena Clover
“So she’s been doing concerts for the past six-seven years?” Anna asked.
“Ashley went from strength to strength to be the famous singer she is now,” Gino explained. “But she never forgot the circumstances around her father’s death. She even tried to get the police to reopen the case a few times.”
Anna took a sip of her own coffee and asked the question that was on all their minds.
“Where does William Parker come in?”
“I’m getting there,” Gino smiled. “But we have to talk about Joey Bellinger first.”
“The journalist?” Meg asked. “What about him?”
“He was working on a story, presumably the same super secret story he would tell us nothing about,” Gino replied. “He met the Morton family to talk about Peter.”
“What was his interest in Peter Morton?” Julie asked.
Gino looked at Meg.
“Your vigilante theory was spot on. Joey Bellinger noticed how all those people who were acquitted by the courts were dying soon after. What’s more, their deaths were highly suspicious. He was meeting the families of all these victims, trying to gather more information.”
“Did he tell Ashley about his theory?” Meg asked.
Gino nodded.
“Ashley found it encouraging. Here was someone who finally believed her father might have been killed. Joey didn’t tell her much, citing the need for caution.”
“What did Ashley do after that?” Cassie asked. “How did she get to William Parker?”
“Ashley was clever,” Gino sighed. “She followed Joey Bellinger to Dolphin Bay. When she realized he was sticking around in this area, she got herself a gig at the Castle Beach Resort. For all intents and purposes, she was here to give concerts.”
“No one suspected her,” Anna observed. “Sounds diabolical, but who could blame the girl?”
Gino looked grave.
“By this time, Ashley was on a mission. She wanted to find out who killed her father, Peter Morton.”
“How did she zero in on Parker?” Julie spoke this time. She had a dazed look on her face.
Gino continued his story.
“Ashley kept tabs on Joey Bellinger. When he followed William Parker to that cabin in the woods, she was right behind him. After that, she began keeping an eye on Parker. She went inside the cabin, found the hidden room behind the bookshelves and saw the cork board with all those clippings.”
Meg was listening to Gino, wide eyed.
“She must have been shocked to see her own father’s picture there.”
Gino looked sad as he told them what Ashley had done next.
“She connected the dots based on what she knew. That’s when she made up her mind to avenge her father.”
Cassie spoke up.
“How did she actually do it? And why dump him here, in Mom’s bookstore?”
“Ashley thought she had a foolproof plan,” Gino said, “but even the best laid plans can go wrong sometimes.”
“How did she make sure he would be at the Castle Beach Resort?” Meg asked.
“She sent him some passes for the concert. She had a hunch he wouldn’t turn down a freebie and she was right.”
“Had she planned to poison him?” Anna asked. “Where did she get that stuff?”
Gino stood up and stretched.
“She got hold of some heavy duty pain pills and crushed them up. She wanted it to look accidental. She figured the pills would knock him out and it would look like he died from an overdose.”
“An accidental death, just like her father’s,” Julie whispered. “Sounds like poetic justice.”
“How did she make him drink it?” Anna asked.
“That part is unclear, Anna. I think she mixed it in some drink and just placed the drink before him. He had no reason to suspect her, you know. Here was this young, beautiful celebrity getting him a drink. He wasn’t going to turn it down.”
“What about the car?” Cassie asked. “And where does that valet they arrested earlier today come in?”
“Ashley bribed that poor valet,” Gino explained. “Told him to get a car for her. I don’t think she imagined he would steal one.”
“So she somehow talked William Parker into going out to that car with her,” Anna mused, trying to figure it all out. “Where did she plan to take him?”
“I think she was just going to let him loose near the cliffs and hope he walked off them,” Gino shrugged. “But Ashley hit a snag.”
Anna, Cassie, Meg and Julie were all agog, eager to hear what Gino told them next.
“The drugs didn’t work as expected. William Parker started stirring. Ashley was driving by when she saw the door to the bookstore wide open. There wasn’t anyone around so she took a chance.”
“It was a very big chance,” Julie cried. “What if Anna had been in here doing something? Would she have hurt her too?”
“I think Ashley wasn’t thinking rationally by that time.” Gino gave a shrug. “Or she wanted to finish what she had started.”
“She brought him into the store by herself?” Cassie quizzed.
“Ashley is quite strong,” Meg spoke up. “It must be from all that kayaking she does.”
Gino wrapped up the rest of the story.
“So they came in somehow. Ashley realized the drugs weren’t working as fast as she wanted. She panicked. She hit him on the head and knocked him out. Once she was sure he wasn’t breathing, she beat it out of the store.”
“What about the weapon?” Anna asked. “They never found it here.”
“Ashley chucked it out in the ocean,” Gino said. “She never said what it was, though.”
There was a stunned silence as they processed the whole sordid tale.
“One thing is not clear,” Anna ventured. “Was William Parker guilty of killing Peter Morton?”
“He was,” Gino said seriously. “And Parker wasn’t his only victim.”
Anna looked stricken.
“Do we even want to know what that means?”
“Probably not,” Gino said, looking uncertainly at Meg. “I’ve seen some bad things while I was on the police force, Anna, but this beats everything.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Meg assured them. “I think we have already guessed some of it.”
“The police called Joey Bellinger in,” Gino told them. “In the light of Ashley’s confession, he told us about the story he has been working on.”
“William Parker was a vigilante who went around killing people.” Julie said slowly. “Like Meg said, we figured it out.”
Gino closed his eyes for a minute and exhaled through his mouth.
“He wasn’t the only one.”
They all stared at Gino, their mouths hanging open.
“This was Joey’s theory. There is a group of these vigilantes scattered around the country. They follow murder trials and pay close attention to people that are acquitted by the courts. If they think the person is guilty, they deliver their own brand of justice.”
“Which is what?” Anna grimaced.
Everyone knew the answer to that.
“They are quite organized, according to Bellinger,” Gino continued. “Everyone has an area assigned to them. William Parker was responsible for these parts, for example.”
“Do they know each other?” Julie asked. “They must get together somewhere.”
“I don’t know,” Gino said honestly. “They meet in an online chat room. They have some kind of code they use to communicate. At least, that’s all Joey Bellinger has figured out until now. The federal authorities will take over this investigation now, of course.”
“That’s what it was!” Meg exclaimed suddenly. “Remember William Parker’s computer? All those chess games he played and the cryptic messages?”
“That must be how they communicate,” Gino said, springing to his feet. “I forgot about that computer, Meg. Let me make a quick call.”
He pulled out his phone and dialed the police station.
He walked a few steps away from them and began explaining what Meg had found at the cabin to someone on the other end.
“What about Anna’s accident?” Meg asked Gino. “I could be sure a guy was driving that car.”
“It was the valet again,” Gino explained. “Ashley told him to scare Anna. He wasn’t supposed to hurt her.”
“Why did he do all this?” Julie asked. “For money?”
“Partly,” Gino shrugged. “I think he was smitten by Ashley and would have done anything to please her. Within reason, we hope.”
“What a day!” Cassie exclaimed. “I want to sleep for two days straight.”
“You know what this means, Anna?” Julie asked, pulling her into a hug. “You are free. And so is Cassie.”
Anna thought of Ashley, the young, talented girl who had sacrificed her future to avenge the past. How would the world judge her?
Epilogue
Anna looked around the gaily decorated café and beamed with pride. The much awaited day had arrived. It was the grand opening of her café. Her long cherished dream was finally coming true.
A flicker of doubt crept in her eyes.
“What is it, Mom?” Cassie asked.
“Do you think they will come?”
Julie took over before Cassie could respond.
“Come? This café is going to be bursting at the seams in less than an hour. That’s why we put those plastic chairs out on the sidewalk.”
“The Rose Show made a big difference,” Mary said softly.
Anna had triumphed at the Rose Show. Agnes had been quite vocal against allowing Anna to enter the Eloise rose in the contest. But Mary had prevailed over the members of the Garden Club. Anna had been allowed to enter the rose her beloved John had spent years creating. Agnes had been silenced when it even won a prize. Anna had been in seventh heaven.
Mary had told them how the Rose Show Committee was looking for people to donate snacks for the show. At Julie’s suggestion, Anna had taken the opportunity and provided her orange thyme cupcakes. They had been a big hit. Now the whole town wanted to taste Anna Butler’s cupcakes.
Anna had dressed for the occasion. Cassie, Meg and the Firecrackers had all insisted. She was wearing a pretty floral frock that was perfect for summer. And she wore bright pink shoes. Cassie told her they were the latest fashion. The other girls got into the spirit of things and dressed in a similar fashion.
Meg had finally rinsed off the blue color from her hair. It was a slightly darker shade of gold than Cassie’s. Anna was proud of how confident and beautiful she looked. She had an innate grace in her bearing, just like Cassie. Like mother, like daughter, Anna thought with a smile.
Anna’s face lit up when the first guest walked in through the door.
“Gino!” she welcomed. “You are early.”
Gino handed her a large bunch of daisies and congratulated her.
“So the big day is here, Anna. Are you ready for it?”
A bunch of people came in before she could thank him. Julie stepped forward to welcome them and show them around. Anna had given an open invite to the whole town and placed an ad in the Chronicle. Some of the faces were not familiar so she gathered some tourists had filtered in too.
The orange thyme cupcakes were the star of the day. Meg brought out tray after tray of the delicious treats and brewed countless pots of coffee.
Dylan Woods came in and congratulated Anna. He said something to Cassie, making her bristle. Charlie Robinson arrived with an orchid plant and made a beeline for Anna.
“The chef at the resort can’t stop talking about your cupcakes,” he confided in her. “We need to talk about putting them on the resort’s menu.”
“Do you believe it now?” Julie asked Anna a couple of hours later.
The café was packed and the crowd showed no signs of leaving. Anna was feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Mary came to stand next to Anna. The Firecrackers looked at her questioningly.
“Are you going to do it?” Julie asked.
“I still think you should consult Cassie,” Mary sighed. “This affects her too, you know.”
Anna had made a big decision. She was going to introduce Meg to everyone, tell them she was her granddaughter. Anna felt she owed it to Meg. Cassie might throw a hissy fit but she would have to come around.
She looked around the room, trying to spot the two of them. She wanted both of them by her side when she made the announcement.
Cassie was talking to Meg.
“Why don’t you take a break? You’ve been at it all evening.”
Meg brought out a fresh tray of cupcakes and pulled her apron off. She was ready to get some fresh air. She followed Cassie through the arch leading into the bookstore and out through the door. They stood under the magnolia tree, letting the breeze fan their faces.
“This feels good.” Meg closed her eyes and lifted her face, breathing in the scent of the pink and white blossoms towering over her.
“You said you were traveling,” Cassie said urgently. “When I met you first, you told me you were on a trip of the California coast.”
“I did say that.” Meg nodded, looking at Cassie questioningly.
“When are you leaving, Meg?”
***
Thank you for reading this book. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a brief review. Even a few words or a line or two will do.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every person who made this book possible. My family has my eternal gratitude for their constant support and encouragement. I owe thanks to all beta readers and reviewers for spending their valuable time reading early copies of my books and providing valuable feedback. Last but not the least, my wonderful readers who give this indie author a chance every time they pick up one of my books. Thanks for the motivation and all the kind messages. You make my day and help me write more books.
Save big with the first Pelican Cove Box Set
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