by Mary Ellis
‘What?’ Kate squawked. ‘How can you have grown up in Georgia yet never been to “Bama.”’
‘I spent a sheltered childhood inside the city.’
‘I’d heard Charlestonians lived a cloistered existence. Now I know it’s true.’
‘All I can remember is school and work, school and work. I started helping in Grandpa’s restaurant when I was twelve. My parents’ idea of vacation was taking a picnic basket out to Kiawah Island for the day.’
‘What about spring break in college?’
‘Panama City, Florida, close to Alabama, but no cigar.’
‘In that case, we’ll go to Orange Beach. Head back to the Bay Bridge.’
‘Why don’t we stay on 399? The brochure says the protected Gulf Islands extend into Alabama and Mississippi.’
‘The national park extends, but not the road. We have to catch 182 in Warrington unless you have a boat in your pocket.’
Since he had no water craft, Eric followed Kate’s directions back to the city. Along the way, Kate was content discussing Mark Harris and the Westin homicide, giving him time to collect his thoughts. Yet by the time they reached the small beach community, he still hadn’t devised the proper approach. But the decision was soon taken from his hands.
‘All right. Welcome to Orange Beach, Alabama. You’re now in the rocket capital of the world. There’s a sign for a pizza shop in two miles. What exactly do we have to chit-chat about?’ She thumped his shoulder.
‘Let’s stretch our legs. I see a path.’ Eric parked the car on the wide shoulder and climbed out.
Kate took his hand as they picked their way between the dunes, careful not to step on plants trying to gain a foothold in the thin soil. Beyond the dunes, the beach stretched like an endless ribbon in both directions.
‘I didn’t think it would be so dark out here,’ Eric said after stepping in a tidal pool.
‘Homeowners keep back lights off to encourage sea turtles to nest,’ she explained. ‘The moon and stars are all we get. Now, shall I explain the life cycle of a turtle, or are you getting something off your chest?’
Shoving his hands deep into his pockets, Eric stared out to sea. ‘I didn’t come here to scout possible new locations for Bella.’
‘I know, Eric. I figured that out long ago.’
He turned to face her. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’
‘I was waiting for you to come clean. Did you even get a job at Henri’s, or was that part of your little charade?’
‘I worked there. I told him I was looking for commercial property and asked if he could use a hand. He could, so I helped out in exchange for a few free meals.’
‘You got supper and that’s it? What’s the matter with you?’
‘I don’t need the money, Kate, but I was curious how other restaurants handled certain protocols. I told the owner, Henry, the whole story on my second day.’
‘His name is Henry, not Henri?’ she asked.
‘He said he could charge higher prices with a fancier name. Maybe I should use Enrique, like my grandparents called me.’
Kate chuckled, but then her smile faded. For a few moments, they stood on the beach, waiting for the other to speak. ‘Since Henry knows the whole story, shouldn’t you tell me everything too?’ she finally asked.
‘You’re not going to make this easy, are you?’
‘Nope. I want the facts spelled out for me, due to my deprived upbringing and all.’
‘All right, I’ll make this crystal clear.’ Eric took hold of her chin. ‘I’m in love with you. I have been for a while. I thought you felt the same until my car blew up. I never blamed you for that, yet you still ran away from me.’
She tried to interrupt, but he wouldn’t let her. ‘You wanted the truth, so here it is. What happened in Charleston is over with. Right now you’re in danger. I came here to protect you. Not because it’s my job, but because I love to. Once whoever has been stalking you is in jail, I’ll go home and not bother you again. If that’s what you want … but not until then.’ Eric blew out his breath. ‘There! Now what I want is something to eat.’ He pivoted and started walking toward the car.
‘Hey, crazy-man!’ Something hit him in the center of his back. ‘Don’t I get a chance to talk?’
When he turned around, he spotted half a clamshell at his feet. ‘I beg your pardon, Miss Weller. The floor is yours.’
Kate closed the distance in a few steps. ‘I knew why you were here. I’m not as stupid as I look. But I didn’t know you were in love with me.’ She kicked sand in his direction. ‘I feel the same way, but I’m not sure I can handle a real relationship. This isn’t about me being coy. It’s about me not having had much practice.’
Eric crossed his arms. ‘In that case, we’ll start over, just like Charleston never happened. We’ll take things slow to see if we’re remotely compatible.’
‘Maybe I’ll pick up a self-help book … Relationships for Dummies. In the meantime, what’s going on with your family? How do they feel about you helping me with my case?’
Eric took her hand as they slogged through the sand to the path. ‘That’s not quite so easily explained. As much as I love my family, I don’t want to spend the rest of my life as the head chef of Bella Trattoria.’
‘But you love to cook,’ she said.
‘Yes, I love whipping up a batch of pappardelle Bolognese for my friends, but owning a restaurant consumes your life. I’ve worked at Bella before and after college and even worked part-time during law school. I would like to put my law degree to good use.’
‘But you told me you didn’t like the prosecutor’s office and don’t want to be a public defender.’
‘I know that, but I also don’t want to be a chef forever. I’m enjoying myself as a PI.’
‘You’ve got to be kidding me. You went from possibly making the big bucks as a lawyer, to someday owning the best restaurant in the world’s most popular tourist town, to being a private investigator? Do you have any idea how much I make a year?’
Eric felt the tension drain away as they both laughed. ‘I have a good idea, but there’s more to life than making money. A person should enjoy their job or each day becomes drudgery.’
‘Is that what you feel when you’re in Bella Trattoria?’
‘For the last couple years, yes.’ Eric could almost taste his shame and guilt. ‘Like I said, I love my family and would never leave them in a bind. But while I’m here, I’d like to see if I have any talent at this. That is, if you’ll let me.’
‘Fine by me, as long as you realize you’ll get the same pay as Henri’s, but without the free meals.’
‘Since I came to the Gulf Coast, I’ve put on a few pounds, so going hungry will do me good. However, tonight we’re pulling out the stops with that pizza.’
Kate raced him to the car and won. But their good moods only lasted a short distance down the road.
‘Liam?’ she asked, answering her phone. ‘Speak up. I can hardly hear you.’ Kate tapped the button to activate the speaker.
Eric pulled into the pizza shop lot, switched off the radio, and leaned close to Kate.
‘… wanted to tell you I did it. I talked to the district attorney about that night. I named my accomplices …’ Then static obliterated several words. ‘Jimmy Russell is dead. So that leaves Charley Crump. Doug Young never showed up, so he’s off the hook for murder. Statute of limitations expired on conspiracy to commit robbery—’
‘Liam,’ Kate interrupted, ‘if Doug Young wasn’t there, who was the fourth man? I saw three men run away and you were on the ground.’
They listened to a buzz of static and then heard Liam rambling about what the DA planned to do in the next few days. Liam hadn’t heard a word she’d said.
‘Liam,’ she shouted.
‘You need to—’ Static obscured his words – ‘Murphy here at the prison. He’s the only one who can be trusted.’
Then Eric and Kate heard only static, followed by the ominou
s sound of nothingness. The line had gone dead.
Kate peered at him, her eyes glassy with moisture. ‘Do you think someone saw my brother talking to the DA?’
Eric knew that lying wouldn’t do any good. ‘Nothing stays a secret for long inside Santa Rosa Correctional.’
‘What should I do?’
‘I’m going inside for a takeout pizza, in case we get hungry later. In the meantime, you call the warden. Tell him what’s going on, and demand that he move Liam into protective isolation.’
She nodded. ‘Good idea. Thanks.’
Walking into the familiar-smelling place, Eric could take little comfort from Kate’s praise. As much as he loved working with her, investigating a family member took all the pleasure away.
THIRTEEN
Kate barely slept a wink after Liam’s phone call. The warden had already left for the day when she called, but one of his assistants promised to deliver her message first thing this morning. Instead of going back to his suite, Eric slept on her couch after they talked for several hours. It had taken her that long to eat two slices of pizza … and fill in the blanks since their last honest, no-holds-barred conversation.
Today there wasn’t much she could do other than her job. So Eric left long enough to shower and put on clean clothes, then they grabbed coffee in the lobby and drove to their appointment with the ultra-wealthy Miss Westin. They found Lainey poolside, sipping tea and reading the newspaper, but not looking particularly pleased to see them.
‘Good morning, Miss Weller, Mr Manfredi. To what do I owe this unexpected visit? I thought the arrest of Luisa Gonzalez tied up my mother’s murder with a bow.’
Kate forced a smile. ‘In all likelihood, it has. But you’re paying me well, so I intend to be thorough.’
‘Please, sit.’ Lainey gestured with her French-manicured fingers. ‘Coffee, tea, something to eat?’
‘No, thank you.’ Kate and Eric spoke simultaneously as they took chairs under a striped umbrella.
‘Rest assured,’ Kate continued, ‘Luisa is in jail and certainly won’t be able to make bail, not with a capital murder charge. But I felt uneasy about something – something a clever defense attorney might be able to use should this go to trial.’
Lainey folded the newspaper and sat up straighter. ‘I’m listening.’
‘Your mother had been killed with the same poison that police found in the housekeeper’s closet. Yet they found no poison in the container of Waldorf salad – the food we believed was used to kill her and not Mark Harris.’
Lainey wrinkled her nose. ‘So what? Mom loved the stuff. She probably finished the container, destroying any evidence.’
Eric slapped his knee. ‘That’s what Detective Buckley concluded too.’
Lainey nodded indulgently at him before turning her attention back to Kate. ‘But you think the poison was in something else.’ It was a statement, not a question.
‘On a hunch, I went to talk to Mark Harris again. The cold apple salad wasn’t the only food he didn’t partake of that afternoon.’
Westin’s smile disappeared. ‘What are you talking about?’
Kate dropped her voice to a whisper. ‘Mark admitted that your mom had a drinking problem and that he didn’t imbibe at all.’
‘Why, that ungrateful little gold-digging—’
Kate wouldn’t have repeated the rest of Lainey’s colorful description under oath. ‘Actually, Mark appreciated Agnes’s support and was also very fond of her. He understood your mother’s desire to keep her addiction private. That’s why he agreed with the charade of filling two glasses and never betrayed her confidences.’
Lainey swept her blonde hair away from her face. ‘Okay, Harris was an all-around great guy. Where are you going with this, Kate?’
‘Maybe nowhere. Or maybe the poison was in the wine, not in the salad. To the best of our knowledge, Luisa didn’t know that Mark didn’t drink.’
Lainey drummed her long nails on the table. ‘The police tested the wine and found nothing.’
Eric jumped into the explanation. ‘They tested the red wine, which was missing only one glass. The bottle of white wine was empty and had already been rinsed out for recycling.’
‘That’s where the poison could have been.’ Kate leaned across the table. ‘Who else knew about your mother’s over-imbibing besides Harris?’
‘Only Captain Holcomb and me.’
‘That’s what Mark Harris said,’ Kate agreed.
‘But if you spent much time with Captain Roger, you’d discover he was more loyal than a dog. He’s been quietly in love with Mom for years.’
Kate nodded. ‘That’s the impression I got too. Plus, like Mark Harris, Captain Holcomb had nothing to gain by her murder.’
Lainey tented her fingers beneath her chin. ‘Are you back to thinking I killed her?’ Icicles could have formed on her words.
‘Not at all.’ Kate feigned surprise. ‘I think someone else knew your mom would be the only one having wine on the boat.’
As Lainey considered this, her perfect skin furrowed with wrinkles. ‘No, my mother would’ve died before she let the staff or her friends know the truth. She thought appearances were everything.’
That apple didn’t fall far from her tree, Kate thought. ‘Let’s approach this in a different way. Did anyone stop by her house that morning?’
‘I know how to find out. Follow me.’ Lainey sprang from the chair, pulled on her cover-up, and stalked to the French doors in her high-heeled sandals.
Although Eric had no trouble, Kate practically had to run to keep up as they followed Lainey into the library.
‘My mother was OCD about keeping to a schedule. She wrote down everything, even her weekly recurring appointments like massages and facials. I think she worried about getting forgetful someday.’ Lainey pulled a date book from the desk drawer and flipped through pages at lightning speed. ‘Here it is – the day my mom died.’
Kate held her breath as Lainey scanned the notations.
Lainey frowned, deepening the lines around her mouth. ‘Beside lunch with Mark on the Arrivederci, only the executive committee of her garden club came by that day. And Mom never would have told those shrews.’
Kate exhaled with a sigh. ‘Just the same, could you jot down the committee members’ names?’
‘Let’s see … Mom was president. Then there was a VP, a secretary, and a treasurer.’ Lainey pulled out an address book, wrote down three names and phone numbers and handed Kate the paper. ‘Here you go, although I don’t know what good these will do.’
‘Like I said, I’m just covering all the bases. Most likely it was Luisa – retribution for her son’s deportation. Thanks, we’ll see ourselves out.’
Kate and Eric had just climbed into his SUV when Lainey rushed out the front door and down the steps. Panting, she reached Kate’s window with a sprinter’s agility, her stiletto heels long gone. ‘I just thought of something. One member of the committee did stop by a few days before Mom died. The vice president loved to park in the back and walk into the kitchen like she owned the place. That annoying woman considered herself my mother’s best friend. Mom would have been better off befriending a rattlesnake.’
Kate climbed out so that they were eye-to-eye. ‘Why would you say that?’
‘Once I spotted Marti Collier rolling her eyes behind my mother’s back, but to her face she was always sugar-sweet. I hate two-faced women.’
‘I couldn’t agree more, but how would Marti Collier know Mark Harris didn’t drink? Would she be so cruel as to risk poisoning an innocent man? And what could be her motive for wanting your mother dead?’
‘As to your first question, like I said, Marti loved to enter the house without bothering to knock. Once she walked in during one of our arguments about her drinking. Of course, we stopped the moment we saw her in the doorway. But how long had she been eavesdropping before making her presence known?’
Kate bent down to make eye contact with Eric. ‘Are you catchin
g this, partner?’
‘Loud and clear.’
Lainey glanced at her watch. ‘As to your second concern, it’s your job to figure it out. That’s why I’m paying you the big bucks. Right now I’m late for my Pilates class.’ She sprinted back to the house.
‘Thanks, Miss Westin. We’ll be in touch,’ Kate called, climbing into the car. ‘What do you think?’ she asked Eric.
‘I think your theory is a bit of a stretch.’
‘Maybe, but I don’t see Luisa as a cold-blooded killer. At least, not until she finds out for sure that Miguel is dead. In the meantime, let’s see if any of Agnes’s friends had a motive for murder.’
‘Should we go back to the hotel to research the committee members?’
‘No, I’ll call Michael Preston. He can do that faster and better while you and I have a little chat with Charley Crump, the so-called ringleader of Liam’s gang. Michael already found a current address for the guy.’ Kate programmed Eric’s GPS. ‘Then tomorrow morning we’ll head to Santa Rosa Correctional. How does that sound?’
Eric carefully backed down Lainey’s driveway. ‘I know better than to doubt one of your hunches.’
‘Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?’
After an hour and several wrong turns, Kate and Eric arrived at Charley’s last known address, in what had to be the worst neighborhood in Pensacola. Since his apartment building had a broken elevator, they hiked to the fourth floor and knocked on Crump’s door. Then they knocked again, after no response.
‘Old Charley doesn’t seem to be home,’ Eric observed.
‘Lesson number thirty-eight: Only nice people with nothing to hide answer the door in this part of the world.’ Kate raised her fist and pounded. ‘Open the door, Crump. I know you’re in there,’ she shouted, even though she knew nothing of the sort.
A minute later the door swung wide. ‘Who the blazes are you?’
Kate studied the dissipated creature standing in front of her with zero recognition. ‘I’m Kate Weller. This is my boyfriend.’ She hooked her thumb at Eric, but chose not to identify their vocation. ‘Are you Charley Crump?’
