Clues in the Sand

by Terry Ambrose

  He shoved away the noise in his head and looked at Alex. “When were you talking to Miss O’Connor?”

  Alex shrugged. “I dunno.” She quickly pointed to her laptop screen and Cartagena. “I wanna go there. Like she did.”

  “Speaking of Miss O’Connor, what happened with Adam?” Marquetta asked.

  “Ugh.” Rick rolled his eyes. “He got chewed out for asking me to sit in on Traci’s statement.”

  “That’s messed up,” Alex said.

  “You’re right, Sweetie. It is. I’m pretty sure I know why.” Marquetta shook her head. “It’s all small-town politics.”

  “How so?” Rick sat back, happy to change the subject.

  “Exploration International might be putting pressure on Francine,” Marquetta said.

  “Is this another of Reese Potok’s schemes?” Rick leaned forward, resting his elbows on the countertop. “Or is this just the rumor mill at work?”

  “This is a reliable source.”

  “How reliable? Is this source real or a result of too much caffeine at Bayside Coffee?”

  Marquetta shook her head. “I wish. No, Francine let it slip at the last town council meeting. She didn’t come out and say anything specific. It was all very odd. She wanted us to issue a proclamation honoring Exploration International. It was some big lah-de-dah about their civic responsibility. What’s so odd is she pulled it from the agenda when we started asking questions.”

  “That doesn’t prove much,” Rick said.

  “There’s more.” Marquetta held his gaze. “Miss Potok was in the audience for the meeting. But she left when Francine said we should delay the subject until next month.”

  Alex wrinkled her nose and snapped, “Miss Potok’s sneaky.”

  Marquetta snickered, and Rick found himself in one of those awkward do-as-I-say moments. “Alex, that’s not a nice thing to say. I don’t want you judging the actions of others.”

  “But it’s true! Here, look.”

  Alex turned her laptop so Rick could see the screen. It was now on the news page of the Exploration International website. The third item down was the one that caught his eye. A small coastal town in Florida had become the company’s east coast center of operations. According to the website, the company’s guidance helped revitalize the town.

  “Did you see this?” Rick pointed at the story. “It sounds like they took over the entire town.”

  Marquetta nodded as she read. When she finished, she said, “It’s not exactly the same, but it’s pretty close. I have no idea why Francine would say she wanted us to discuss something, then change her mind at the last minute.”

  “It doesn’t make any sense,” Rick said. “Why in the world would they need the town council’s support?”

  Marquetta studied the webpage for a few more seconds, then looked at Rick. “I’m sure they have some sort of plan. The first step could be to discredit Miss O’Connor.”

  “By pinning a murder on her?” Rick felt his anger rising at how Reese Potok’s employer had inserted themselves into Seaside Cove. “That’s a drastic step to get someone out of the way. Then again, she doesn’t even have to be convicted.”

  “Just discredited.” Marquetta winked at Alex. “It was smart to find this, Sweetie.”

  “Daddy?”

  Rick looked down at his daughter. She didn’t seem nearly as self-satisfied as before. “What, kiddo?”

  “Are you gonna help Miss O’Connor?”

  Leaning back, Rick regarded Alex. No matter how much he might want to, he couldn’t. Getting involved would open a door his daughter would rush through in an instant. Her fascination with detective work was one thing, but being exposed to or around an actual killer? That was quite another. He shook his head. “No, kiddo. It’s not possible.”

  CHAPTER 12

  ALEX

  July 20

  Hey Journal,

  Daddy and Marquetta were super proud cause of the way I organized the fundraiser to help Robbie’s family. It felt really good when they said all those nice things. Daddy called me an activist and said I took the initiative!

  That got me to thinking, Journal. Daddy wants to help Deputy Cunningham, but the police chief said he couldn’t do it. So, I’m going over the chief’s head and getting the mayor involved.

  I sent Mayor Carter an email and told her how important this is. I told her how my dad really wants to join the investigation and how Deputy Cunningham told Daddy he’d never solve the case without him. Okay, I might’ve stretched the truth a little, but Miss O’Connor says you always have to make a forceful argument. I bet Mayor Carter is gonna fix this right away.

  This is super important. That’s why I gave the mayor a deadline of noon tomorrow. I bet she doesn’t even wait until then. Tomorrow’s gonna be awesome. Daddy will get to work with Deputy Cunningham and he’ll be even more proud. I can’t wait for tomorrow!

  Alex

  CHAPTER 13

  RICK

  Rick hopped out of bed feeling invigorated and ready to face anything at five the next morning. Outside, a soft, diffused light signaled the start of a new day. And for once, he felt good about a rejection.

  The chief’s directive to Deputy Cunningham to keep him out of the investigation had felt like a slap in the face at first. Today, with the first cracks of dawn hinting at a new way to see the world, it seemed like a blessing in disguise. For once, something bad was not his problem.

  He dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen, where Marquetta was pouring coffee into a Seaside Cove B&B mug.

  “Happy Thursday!” Rick chirped.

  She blinked, frowned, then smiled at him. “Okay, why are you so upbeat this morning?”

  “I feel good,” Rick said. “It’s a combination of things. The letter from the Sachettis was a nice ending to an otherwise great day.”

  Marquetta poured another cup and handed it to Rick. She raised hers as if she were about to do a toast. “I didn’t bring this up yesterday, but Tom Sachetti was in tears when the mayor handed him the check from the fundraiser.”

  “I’m glad the money was so helpful.” Rick took a sip from his mug and added, “Francine wanting to keep a tight rein on the finances kind of bothered me. It’s a shame she’s so controlling.”

  “Better to let her control things than you get hit with a big tax bill because your daughter did something nice for someone.”

  “I didn’t think of that, but I do wish Alex could have been the one to present the check.”

  Marquetta nodded. “I agree, but Alex did her part. It was a completely selfless thing to do. You should be proud of her for coming up with the concept and following through.”

  “I am. No question. To a job well done.” They clinked their mugs together. He added, “By the way, I noticed you had Alex working on something here in the kitchen at one point. What was that about?”

  Marquetta leaned back against the counter, took a sip of her coffee, and chuckled. “I got greedy with her time.”

  “You?” Rick stared at her. “You’re like Alex. Neither of you know what greed is.”

  “It brings out the worst in people.” Marquetta winked as she watched him over the rim of her mug.

  “Okay, so you know what it is, but you don’t have a greedy bone in your body.”

  “I took advantage of her brilliant little mind and had her convert a few of my recipes.”

  Rick snickered. “Oh. My. God. You took advantage of my daughter?”

  Marquetta’s cheeks colored and she bit her lower lip. “Fine. If you must know, I’m not very good with fractions. The amount of ingredients used in a recipe isn’t always the same in a gluten-free version. We’re getting so many guests who want that option now, I figured I might as well get prepared. Alex was able to do the conversions in a couple of my older recipes. She’s actually quite good at it.”

  “She gets straight A’s in every subject. I couldn’t be more proud of her.” His phone pinged with a message, but he ignored it and looke
d straight at Marquetta. “Or her role model.”

  Marquetta glanced down. When she looked up, her eyes had misted over. “Thanks. That means a lot. Did you two talk very late last night?”

  “No.” Rick shrugged. “She said she was tired and wanted to do a little writing in her journal before it got too late.”

  “Wow. I never dreamed she’d take my advice about keeping a journal so seriously.” Marquetta raised her eyebrows and pointed at Rick’s phone. “Aren’t you going to check that message? Maybe one of the guests got trapped in the shower or something.”

  They both laughed, but in the short time he’d owned the B&B, Rick had seen stranger things happen. “Don’t even go there.” He pulled out the phone and frowned at the screen. “It’s from the mayor. It says, ‘Must talk ASAP. Urgent.’ She used three exclamation points.”

  Marquetta giggled. “Oh my. It’s not even six. Go ahead and call her. I can handle this.”

  Talking to Francine Carter at this hour of the day was not something Rick wanted to do. He opted to text back and asked if he could meet her at Scoops & Scones later. Almost immediately, he had her reply.

  “Wow, must be serious,” he said. “She wants me to come to her house immediately. She said it’s a town emergency. With more exclamation points.”

  “What in the world?” Marquetta stared at Rick for only a moment. “Francine might be pushy, but I’ve never heard of her rousting people this early in the morning. You’d better go see what she wants.”

  CHAPTER 14

  ALEX

  I’m awake even before my alarm goes off. The birds are chirping outside so I know it’s gonna be an awesome day. I rush to my laptop, turn it on, and check email.

  Rats! There’s nothing from the mayor. It must be too early for her. It’s not even six-thirty yet. Maybe she’s a late sleeper. That’s gotta be it.

  I change out of my pajamas and throw on my favorite purple T-shirt. Marquetta bought it for me and it says “Girl Power” on the front. I hurry downstairs to help out in the kitchen. When I rush through the door, I say good morning to Marquetta and give her a hug. It’s how we always start our day.

  “Where’s Daddy?”

  “Oh, Sweetie, he had to go see Mayor Carter. You’re down early.”

  It’s super hard to keep from grinning. Mrs. Carter called Daddy already? That’s awesome! It means she got the email and realized how wrong she was. “I’ll bet it’s important!”

  “She sure seemed excited about something. And you sound like you’re on happy pills. I think I’d better put you to work.”

  “Can I take care of the upstairs coffee station?”

  “Sure, Sweetie. Go for it. You know what to do, right?”

  “Totally.”

  I am so pumped. I can’t wait till Daddy gets back.

  CHAPTER 15

  RICK

  Rick had never been to the mayor’s home before. He’d heard stories, many of which Francine herself seemed happy to embellish. But this—this was way beyond what he’d expected. He stood on the sidewalk staring up at a stately, three-story Victorian.

  Why hadn’t Marquetta prepared him for this?

  He double-checked the directions she’d given him along with the address. Whale Avenue and Court Street. He was on the right corner, but in the wrong era. This place was straight out of the nineteenth century.

  Unlike many of the homes in Seaside Cove, the Carter residence wasn’t painted in gaudy colors. Instead, sedate yellow paint was accented by white and dark gray trim. There was even a color-coordinated sign on a decorative wrought iron post with the name of the house—Cote d’Azur. Marquetta hadn’t mentioned that either.

  Rick unlatched the front gate. Even that was impressive. It wasn’t just the ornate wrought iron, but there were masonry pillars painted to match the house color on either side. Feeling much like a man headed into the lion’s den, he stood at the base of the massive staircase looking up to the second-floor landing. During the climb to the top, he wondered what kind of money Francine really had.

  At the front door, he used the polished brass knocker to announce his arrival. Francine opened the door almost immediately, looking remarkably well composed for so early in the morning.

  “Madam Mayor,” he said.

  She nodded curtly, then stepped to one side. “Come in, Rick.”

  He followed her into a parlor no less impressive than the exterior of the home—oil paintings, a floor-to-ceiling mirror. This room could have come straight out of a Renaissance-period European estate.

  “You have a magnificent home, Francine.”

  Her posture straightened, and she let herself glance around the room for a second before answering. “Thank you. We find it comfortable.” Without missing a beat, she continued. “I’ll come straight to the point. Your daughter sent me a caustic email last night. It was quite upsetting, and I demand you deal with the situation.”

  Rick stared at her, unable to fathom why Alex would even have a reason to write to the mayor. “I had no idea she’d done that,” he said. “What was it about?”

  “She’s demanding I have you help Deputy Cunningham with his investigation.”

  “What?” Rick’s gaped at Francine as she continued.

  “I’ve already spoken with the chief, and he assures me he’ll reprimand the deputy appropriately. I need you to do the same with your daughter.”

  Rick shook his head and held up his hands. “You called the Chief of Police? This morning? Why?”

  “Because he needs to get everything shipshape. Tidy up this mess.”

  “I thought he was retiring.”

  “All the more reason to not let his employees run willy-nilly and endanger the town’s interests.” Francine reached up and patted the back of her hairdo. “Besides, your daughter made threats.”

  Rick’s pulse felt like it was heading for the stratosphere. “How could an email from a ten-year-old girl endanger the town’s interests? And what kind of threats did she make?”

  “Political unrest,” Francine shot back.

  “Political unrest? What are you talking about? She won’t even be able to vote for eight years!”

  Francine glared at Rick. “She could incite others.”

  “Why don’t you show me a copy of this email?”

  “Fine.” She strode to a foyer table in the middle of the room, picked up a piece of paper, and thrust it at him. “There.”

  Dear Mrs. Carter, I know you’re very busy as mayor and all, but you’ve made a big mistake. You should be letting my dad help Deputy Cunningham investigate the murder. My dad is smart and really wants to help and he can figure things out the cops can’t. You have to change your mind by noon tomorrow and let Daddy help or this case will never get solved. If you don’t, people will find out what a bad decision you made.

  Sincerely,

  Alexandra Atwood

  When Rick finished reading, he looked up at Francine. Her forehead had puckered into a deep frown.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. This is what you call caustic? What’s this really about? Why don’t you want me helping? You didn’t seem to mind when we solved the last murder. What changed?”

  Francine stared at one of the oil paintings on the wall. It was of a woman with dark hair dressed in a high-necked white blouse. She licked her lips. “There have been developments. That’s all I can say. Besides, the police have the murderer.”

  “And who would the murderer be? Flynn O’Connor?”

  “Precisely.”

  Francine’s dark eyes locked onto Rick’s. Her self-satisfied smirk was more than he could handle. His insides were on slow boil. Enough was enough.

  “Town’s interests. Political unrest. Flynn O’Connor is the killer. You know what, Francine? I wasn’t sure before, but this sounds like the work of Reese Potok and Exploration International. What are they promising you?”

  “I’m not at liberty to discuss the matter further. Are you going to deal with your daughter or not?” />
  “Oh, I’m going to talk to her all right. I’ll get her side of the story and deal with the situation as I see fit. After I’ve dealt with Alex, I’ll be in your store later to finish this discussion.”

  Rick spun on his heel and left before Francine could say another word. As he descended the stairs, he was already considering ways to approach Reese Potok. What kind of deal had she proposed? Something underhanded, no doubt. He also supposed he should figure out a way to break the bad news to Francine when he went to Scoops & Scones. This little visit had done exactly the opposite of what she’d intended. He was now involved.

  CHAPTER 16

  RICK

  The breakfast rush was in full swing when Rick made it back to the B&B. Marcus was sitting at the table with his parents. He wasn’t hiding, nor was he looking very happy about having to behave. At the Washington’s table, they were again acting like newlyweds. They sat at a two-top making goo-goo eyes at each other over their breakfasts. Four other tables were full and two were waiting to be bussed.

  Alex was pouring coffee for a couple of guests when she saw Rick, and her face lit up in a brilliant smile. Judging by her almost giddy appearance, Marquetta had probably told her where he’d been. It didn’t take a lot to surmise that his daughter was expecting a huge thank you. Not happening. Not even close.

  Marquetta burst through the butler door carrying an armful of plates. How she managed to juggle serving with cooking always amazed Rick. He grabbed an apron and began clearing the empty tables. When he’d finished, he relieved Marquetta from serving so she could focus on cooking. Twice during the remainder of the service, Alex tried to ask him about his meeting with the mayor. Each time, he told her they’d discuss it later.

  After the rush, the three of them took a break in the kitchen. Familiar territory, this was. It was a sunny morning, and Marquetta had opened the windows. They were well on their way to a beautiful summer day. Outside, the birds were chirping up a symphony. The pleasant atmosphere didn’t make the questions he had to ask any less difficult. Rick rested his elbows on the countertop and gazed at Alex.