“Sounds good to me,” Joe said. “Would you like to borrow the yearbook?” He winked.
“Let’s hope I don’t need it.”
Rick took his leave and headed toward Scoops & Scones. On the way, he called Reese Potok’s number. When she answered, she was the same flirtatious Reese he’d been attracted to when they first met.
“To what do I owe this honor?” she purred.
“I’d like you to meet me at Scoops & Scones in a few minutes. I believe we have a mutually beneficial battle to wage.”
“Should I wear something special?”
“It’s a come-as-you-are party. Can you be there in fifteen minutes?”
“Are you going to give me a clue about what we’ll be battling over?”
“The treasure of the San Manuel.”
“I’ll be there in ten.”
Like many of the businesses in downtown Seaside Cove, Scoops & Scones was in an old home now converted to a store. The white building had dark trim and a short picket fence out front. Rick had never seen a gate for the fence and assumed someone removed it years ago. Colorful petunias and flowering shrubs lined the fence; hanging plants flanked both sides of the steps leading to the front door.
The Thomas Jefferson brass bell above the door tinkled as Rick entered. Francine stood behind the counter stacking decorative glass serving dishes into a pyramid. She looked over her shoulder and waved as though their earlier discussion had never happened. “Ah, Rick, how nice to see you. Where’s your lovely daughter today? No ice cream for her?”
Rick wished he’d delayed his entrance until Reese had shown up. How much longer could they dance around his real reason for being here? “She’s at the B&B,” he said. “I’ll be sure to bring her in soon. We’ve been so busy lately. All these people coming into town about the San Manuel.”
“I know. Isn’t it wonderful?” Francine leaned back, inspected her pyramid, and smiled. “The town’s business economy is picking up.”
The welcome bell tinkled behind Rick. He started, but Francine seemed unruffled. Reese came and stood next to him, said hello to Francine first, then Rick.
“Well, why are we ‘doing battle’ in an ice cream shop?” Reese asked. “Is your sweet tooth acting up?”
“Nothing of the sort. We’re here to talk to the mayor.”
Francine’s smile dimmed; she looked like she’d raised her defenses. When Reese’s eyes darted toward the mayor, Rick felt a little twinge of pleasure. Good, everyone now knew this was not a social call.
“Do I need my gavel?” Francine asked with a mild smirk.
“Don’t ask me,” Reese said. “He called me a few minutes ago and was very mysterious.”
“I won’t keep you waiting. Contrary to the warnings I’ve received, I decided to ask questions in the death of Dani Collins. What I discovered is quite interesting. For instance, Reese, did you know the rice bowl fragment she was clutching is likely a fake?”
“Rick!” Francine snapped.
“What?” Reese gawked at him.
He was glad he’d done this in person so he could see her reaction. And Francine’s. The way Reese’s color had darkened to shades of red, she couldn’t have known this was coming. The mayor, however, hadn’t been surprised. Not in the least.
Rick crossed his arms over his chest as he told Reese about Howie’s conclusions. “The color of the underglazing is off a bit. Howie could explain it in more detail, but Flynn O’Connor concurs.”
Reese glared at no one in particular and swore. “Flynn and I have our differences, but she knows her stuff.” She paused and turned her stare on Francine. “Wait a minute. You knew this, didn’t you?”
The mayor’s pudgy cheeks were working overtime as if she were trying to swallow something distasteful—like her embarrassment. “Well, Miss Potok, the news was part of the official investigation.” Francine turned to Rick. “Something you should not have been privy to. You may have seriously hampered the Seaside Cove Police Department’s case with your unauthorized snooping, Rick.”
“That’s BS, Francine, and you know it. Howie and Flynn made this discovery earlier this morning. How did you find out about it so fast?”
The mayor cleared her throat and straightened her posture. “It’s part of the investigation.”
“Sticking to your guns, huh? Let’s try something else. Why are you protecting Chief Jackson and his petty vendetta against my grandfather?”
Francine swallowed hard and shook her head. Her eyes darted toward Reese. “We should not be discussing town matters in the presence of outsiders.”
“Now I’m an outsider?” Reese sneered at Francine. “How quickly you change your tune, Madam Mayor. One minute I’m saving the town by bringing in a company like Exploration International, and the next I’m an outsider.”
The color in Francine’s cheeks reddened, and Rick suspected he was about to witness a clash of two immovable objects. He raised both hands. “Ladies, I didn’t bring this up to put you two at each other’s throats. I want to find out who killed Dani Collins. Reese, you know it’s not Flynn. And you, Madam Mayor, you know the investigation is going nowhere. You also know trying to blame this murder on Flynn O’Connor is just plain wrong.”
The two women faced each other, but were they ready to move forward? Reese took in a slow breath before she responded.
“I might be willing to concede that Flynn is an unlikely suspect.” She craned her neck forward and glared at Francine. “But only if she’ll admit she should not have withheld such vital information from me.”
Francine glanced up at the ceiling before turning her attention to Reese. “Miss Potok, you have no official standing in this town. You are a guest in Rick’s bed and breakfast.”
With each word, Reese’s jaw tightened. “Then we have nothing to talk about.”
“Francine?” Rick shot a pleading glance at the mayor.
“However,” she said with a great deal of flourish, “I would be willing to admit that you could play a valuable part in this investigation if you are willing to offer your expertise. Perhaps...confirm the assessment of this apparent forgery.”
Rick fixed his gaze on Reese. “Well?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’ll let me inspect it, firsthand?”
Francine rolled her eyes and flipped her hand nonchalantly. “How else would you grant an opinion?”
“Great. It sounds like we have a truce,” Rick said. “Now, Francine, I also need you to tell Chief Jackson to back off.”
“That is not as easy as you make it sound.” Francine avoided Rick’s gaze, then her eyes narrowed and she muttered, “Marquetta! She told you.”
“No, it wasn’t her.” To Rick’s side, Reese was watching intently. No doubt she wanted to pick up any insider information she could, but he wasn’t about to give up anything else. “I was a reporter, so you know I’m not going to talk. Besides, Marquetta’s not the kind to gossip about others. ”
“You’re right. She’s not.” Francine forced a polite smile and held Rick’s gaze. “Very well. I’ll call Gerald and tell him. You realize this may cause him to retire immediately.”
“Francine, you once told me Captain Jack hired no slackers. Isn’t it about time the town did the same?”
CHAPTER 39
RICK
Rick went straight from Scoops & Scones to the Seaside Cove Police Department. Prior to this week, he’d never even noticed the place, and now he was making his second trip in. He was standing on the corner of Whale Avenue and Main Street when the chief drove by in the direction of Scoops & Scones, his window down and his elbow jutting out the opening. He had a scowl on his face and was staring straight ahead. Rick glanced over at Angus O’Donnell, who stopped sweeping the sidewalk to watch.
“Now, there goes a man most unhappy about something,” Angus said. “Wouldn’t you say, Rick?”
At seventy-three, Angus was still as spry as any of the other shopkeepers on Main Street. With an Irish brogue
he’d never lost from his youth, Angus was a favorite among the young female tourists. About once a week, Rick noticed one or two of them chatting with him, usually right here. He’d also had several guests at the B&B rave about the “old guy with the hot Irish accent.”
“He does appear most unhappy, Angus. How’s Crusty Buns doing?”
“Ah, the bakery is doing well thanks to all this treasure tom-foolery. Would you like to come in for bit? We have some cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven.”
“The aroma is divine. If they’re half as good as they smell, they’ll be wonderful. But right now I have to get to the police station.”
Angus winked at Rick and gave him a knowing smile. As he walked away, Rick wondered how much the old baker knew about what was going on. It was another of those Seaside Cove mysteries he should ask Marquetta about.
When Rick pushed through the front door, he expected to find Adam sitting at the front desk. He wasn’t. The deputy was at the same desk where he and Rick had taken Traci’s statement. He glanced up and gestured for Rick to approach.
“Chief left in a hurry,” he said with a little chuckle. “You have any idea what bee might have bit his rear end?”
“He, um, might’ve gotten a call from the mayor.” Rick wanted to avoid the subject, but felt the deputy deserved to know the truth. “I spoke to Francine and told her I wanted her to tell the chief to back off. I’d like to help you, Adam.”
“Works for me. I don’t need to know the details. All I know is I haven’t seen the chief move that fast since the last time he ate Kung Pao Pork.”
Rick stared at Adam. “I didn’t think he was the kind of guy who liked Chinese food.”
“He doesn’t. It disagreed with him something terrible.” The deputy winked, then nodded at a nearby chair. “Have a seat. Tell me what I’m doing wrong.”
“Did you see the photo Joe Gray took before you got to the scene?”
The deputy’s jaw tightened and his brows knitted themselves together. “I didn’t know he took one. What’s on it?”
“It appears to show traces of the AFID confetti. Unfortunately, the numbers are probably illegible. A big crime lab might pick one out, but it would be a long shot. The point is, it was there.”
The phone rang and Deputy Cunningham groaned as he reached for it. “This is another reason why I could use your help.” He answered the phone, listened, then pointed at Rick with his index finger.
Rick felt his pulse tick up a notch as he waited.
“Do you mind if I put you on speaker?” Adam asked. He listened, then nodded, and raised his index finger to his lips.
Rick sat back and waited as Adam tapped a button on the handset.
“Go ahead, Marky,” the deputy said.
Rick straightened in his chair. Again, he had no choice but to sit and wait.
“Adam, you should listen to her. She makes a lot of sense.”
“Who?” Rick mouthed.
The deputy smiled. It was the kind of smile that said, “You know who.”
Rick planted his elbow on the desk and cradled his forehead in his hand. He massaged his temples as Alex came on the line and explained how she wanted to organize a search party to find the missing confetti. He had to admit, it was exactly what he’d had in mind. What he didn’t understand was how Alex recruited Marquetta into her little scheme.
Deputy Cunningham leaned back in his chair and winked at Rick. “Hey, munchkin, that sounds like an excellent idea. I was trying to figure out how to do the same sort of thing.”
“You were? Awesome!”
“By the way, does your dad know you’re now consulting with the Seaside Cove PD?”
There was a long pause, during which a round of whispers came from the speaker on the desk. Obviously, Alex hadn’t anticipated that particular question. Rick tried not to laugh as he listened to the whisper-debate continue.
“He’s totally gonna be okay with it.”
“Oh, I see,” the deputy said. “Well, why don’t we ask him?”
“What?” Alex gasped.
“Hey, kiddo, guess who this is?”
“Holy crap,” Alex muttered.
Marquetta’s voice came right on top of Alex’s. “Young lady, you are so grounded.”
“It’s okay, Marquetta. I’d be more upset if she was doing this on her own. And, as I’ve discovered, Alex is excellent at finding loopholes in my parental directions. I guess she’s a better recruiter than I thought.” His voice hardened a bit. “Aren’t you, kiddo?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“I told Alex I didn’t want her investigating on her own, but it never crossed my mind she’d drag you into it, Marquetta. What’s done is done, so let’s move on. Yes, we’re going to arrange a search party. And your argument about having Deputy Cunningham be in charge is a good one. So, as strange as this sounds even to me, I’m okay with this. It’s one of the reasons I was here.”
With one glance at the deputy, it was obvious to Rick that Adam agreed about the search party, but wasn’t the organizing type.
“Here’s the problem,” Rick continued. “The deputy is snowed under and needs some help in getting this thing off the ground. He would be very happy to have a couple of volunteers work under his direction to get people down at the beach. And if he were happy with those volunteers, I’d have no problem with it.”
“I’ll do it!” Alex chimed in.
It took Marquetta a few seconds, but she also agreed. “You drive a hard bargain, boss. Okay, we’re both in.”
Adam sat a bit straighter in his seat and his smile brightened. “We’re good then. How long will it take to do this organization thing?”
“We’ll have ten people within the hour,” Marquetta said. “Don’t be late.”
CHAPTER 40
RICK
A gentle breeze was blowing onshore when Rick and Deputy Cunningham arrived at the beach. Overhead, white wispy clouds dotted the blue sky. The temperature hovered in the seventies, but kept inching higher. It was the kind of day when the locals complained about the heat while visitors raved about perfect weather.
Rick and the deputy arrived fifteen minutes early, but already there were six people present. Alex and Marquetta were in the middle of the group, which included the mayor, Flynn O’Connor, and Reese Potok. In a way, Flynn and Reese being here made sense. They might not be residents, but they both had a stake in this issue. Francine was the real surprise.
He leaned closer to Adam as he pointed at Reese and Flynn, who stood together on the periphery of the group. “I’m surprised to see those two aren’t trying to kill each other.”
“O’Connor and Potok? They look pretty chummy to me. Maybe they set up a truce.”
“I’ll bet the truce ends the minute we find something.”
Adam snorted. “I’m not taking that bet.”
By the time they parked the police four-by-four along the side of the road, Isabelle Murdoch and Traci Peterson had joined the others. A round robin of hugs ensued. Rick felt like he was watching the crowd do the wave at a large stadium.
“I can’t believe Alex and Marquetta got so many people to show up on such short notice,” Rick said.
“There’ll be more.” Deputy Cunningham said as he exited the vehicle. When Rick joined him, Adam pointed at the gathering. “In one hour, eight people dropped what they were doing and came to help. All because someone asked. This is a tight community and when a call goes out for help, everyone steps up.”
Rick studied the group. One phone call. That’s all it had taken. He turned his attention on Adam and raised an eyebrow. “Just like the fundraiser Alex and Marquetta arranged for the Sachettis.”
“Marky helped, Rick, but your daughter’s the one who made the fundraiser happen.” The deputy continued as the two men walked toward the others. “Whether you realize it or not, that single act earned her, and you, a ton of respect in this town. Don’t sell your little girl short.”
A couple of people in the searc
h party pointed at Rick and Adam. Alex turned, saw them, and waved. Warmth worked its way up through Rick’s chest and into his cheeks. Alex was growing up fast. Way too fast. “Adam, I’m not selling her short. I just don’t think it’s healthy for her to be so involved in a murder investigation.”
“That wasn’t a criticism, Rick. It was a compliment on your daughter’s character. How you raise her is your business. All I’m saying is be open to good ideas. She’s got them. And we sure need a break on this.”
The deputy waved at someone approaching on Seafront Parkway. Rick followed his gaze and saw Joe Gray. Rick waved also, then realized he was smiling. He nudged Adam in the arm and said, “You’re right. I’m proud Alex is turning out so well. And I should be thankful we ended up here. This is quite a place.”
Adam tilted his head toward the others. “Now, let’s find us some confetti, okay? We’ve got a case to wrap up.”
“Give me a minute, Adam. Miss O’Connor looks like she wants to talk to me."
Seeing Flynn and Reese together was practically surreal and as Rick approached a feeling of dread grew in the pit of his stomach. He kept his tone guarded, unsure of what to expect. “Looks like you two are getting along.”
Reese glanced sideways at Flynn. “We have a common interest.”
Flynn nodded. “More like a common enemy. That Mr. de la Guerra? He works for Exploration International. He’s a special agent sent here to keep an eye on Reese. Perhaps even to push her out if she makes a mistake.”
In the background, Rick heard Deputy Cunningham taking control of the group. Rick closed his eyes and whispered, “Oh, no.” The last thing he needed was for Alex to find out about this. “Whatever you do, please don’t tell Alex.”
“It was her tip,” Reese said, then winked. “She won’t hear it from me.”
Flynn agreed also and Rick thanked them both. He left them and sidled up to Francine. He whispered, “I’m surprised to see you here, Madam Mayor.”
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