by Leena Clover
“Megan works in the city too,” Ada said. “I told her to come down to Pelican Cove this weekend. This was her last chance if she wanted to win Brandon back.”
Jenny was confused.
“I heard she was the one who left Brandon.”
“Girls are fickle at that age,” Ada dismissed. “I think they had a lovers’ tiff. Megan must have thought Brandon would beg her to take him back. I think her plan backfired.”
“Do you know this for a fact or are you just guessing?”
Ada’s face slipped into a familiar haughty expression.
“I have seen a lot more of life than you have, young lady. That girl loves my Brandon. I am sure about that.”
“So you were hoping that she and Brandon would get back together this weekend?”
Ada was silent but Jenny had her answer.
“What about the wedding? I thought it’s all planned out.”
“Plans can be canceled,” Ada said harshly. “Marriage is for life. You know what they say, marry in haste, repent at leisure.” Ada gave Jenny a calculating look. “I’m sure you have first-hand experience with it.”
Nasty Ada was back.
“I was happy with my husband,” Jenny said lamely, then gave up.
Ada Newbury would probably hold her responsible for her philandering husband.
“Never mind that,” Ada quipped. “Brandon completely forgot how happy he was with Megan. He needed a reminder.”
“So you asked Megan to come to Pelican Cove. Was she in on your plan to drive a wedge between the happy couple?”
Ada shrugged.
“Megan’s a smart girl. I was sure she would figure it out.”
“Was Brandon surprised to see Megan at the party?”
“He was overjoyed. I can tell you that. He clung to her all evening.”
Jenny remembered how she had mistakenly thought that Megan was Brandon’s betrothed. Brandon may not have been in love with her, but he clearly still adored her. They must have remained friends even after their breakup, Jenny mused. Maybe they had continued to meet. They did live in the same city.
“What did Kelly think about it?”
“I don’t know. I was hoping she would be angry.”
“Did you think she would create a scene?” Jenny probed.
Ada blushed.
“She hid her reaction, whatever it was. She seemed cool with Megan. I can’t understand these youngsters. In my day, I would never have tolerated an interloper. I would have gauged her eyes out.”
Jenny realized the opposite had happened.
“Kelly is the victim here, Mrs. Newbury,” she reminded Ada. “Not Megan. Looks like you don’t have to worry about Brandon marrying Kelly now.”
“I didn’t want her dead,” Ada sighed. “I just wanted her to leave my grandson alone.”
“Why didn’t you like Kelly?” Jenny asked, genuinely curious. “She was pretty enough.”
“The Newburys can trace their roots back to the Mayflower. Who was this girl, an orphan? She had no idea who her family was.”
“No one cares about that stuff now,” Jenny said gently.
“We do,” Ada said stiffly. “Bloodlines matter to us.”
Jenny couldn’t hold herself back.
“I suppose Megan has an impeccable bloodline.”
“She’ll do. She’s not a Pioneer, but her family has lived here since the 19th century.”
“Did you ever give Kelly a chance?” Jenny asked, exasperated. “She might have been a really nice person.”
Ada didn’t bother to reply.
“Do you think Megan was capable of harming Kelly?” Jenny asked.
“She didn’t need to,” Ada replied. “You were here. You saw how besotted Brandon was with her. Megan would have charmed her way into his heart anyhow.”
“When did Megan go home that night?”
Ada wasn’t sure. She had retired to her room around nine thirty, a few minutes after Jenny herself left. The party was in full swing at that time. Everyone had imbibed a bit too much by then. Jenny remembered seeing Megan giggling over something Brandon said.
“Where is Brandon?” Jenny asked. “Is he staying here with you?”
“Of course,” Ada snapped. “This is his home.”
“How is he handling this?”
“That poor boy! He hasn’t come out of his room since yesterday.”
Jenny realized she would have to talk to Brandon some other time. She didn’t relish speaking to him in front of Ada anyway.
“Have the police contacted you again?” Jenny asked.
“The sheriff called just before you got here,” Ada told her. “That girl died sometime around midnight. Someone bashed her head in, it seems.”
Jenny wondered if Kelly had already been dead when she was pushed into the pool. She would have to beg Adam for more details.
“Can you think of anyone who might have wanted to harm Kelly?” she asked Ada.
Ada shook her head.
“I barely knew the girl. Honestly, I didn’t make an effort to get to know her.”
Ada’s brow furrowed and she muttered under her breath. “She could have died somewhere else.”
“I’m sure she didn’t choose to be killed on your property, Mrs. Newbury,” Jenny said lightly.
Ada paid no attention to Jenny’s sarcasm. She suddenly leaned forward in her chair.
“I had a feeling about her, you know.”
“You mean, like, an intuition?”
Ada’s face hardened.
“She was wrong for my Brandon. She would have hurt him, I am sure.”
“You do realize Kelly is the victim here?” Jenny said mildly.
“That doesn’t mean she was blameless.”
Ada seemed intent on painting Kelly as the villain. Jenny tried to get her to focus on the problem at hand.
“We need to figure out who had a grudge against Kelly,” Jenny said patiently. “Who, other than you, hated her enough to take her life?”
Ada looked at her watch and stood up.
“We’ll have to continue some other time. I have a golf lesson at the club.”
“You play golf?” Jenny asked, surprised.
Ada Newbury didn’t look like she would voluntarily break a sweat.
Ada’s face lit up at the question.
“I never took an interest in golf, until a few weeks ago. We have the best golf pro at the country club. He says I have a natural flair for the game.”
Jenny had once been an avid golfer herself. Her husband had insisted she learn the game so they could play couples’ golf and hobnob with his rich clients. She reflected over how much her life had changed since then. She didn’t miss the forced socializing but she yearned for a good game.
“I love golf,” she said eagerly. “How about a friendly round sometime?”
Ada was kind in her dismissal.
“I’ll think about it.”
“I need to talk to everyone who was working here on the night of the party,” Jenny told Ada, getting back to business.
“Just make sure you don’t take them away from their duties,” Ada warned.
“I will also need to talk to Brandon,” Jenny reminded her.
“Brandon will contact you when he is ready,” Ada said. “I will make sure of it.”
“We’ll talk again,” Jenny nodded, taking her leave.
Jenny drove back to the Boardwalk Café, going over her conversation with Ada in her mind. She didn’t think she had made any progress that day.
Jenny started helping her aunt make lunch as soon as she reached the café. Star had marinated the shrimp based on Jenny’s instructions. Jenny’s stomach rumbled with hunger as she fried the shrimp for po’boy sandwiches. She slathered her homemade tartar sauce on soft white rolls and thought about her next step.
She decided to talk to Megan. Now that Kelly was dead, Brandon was single again. Megan definitely had a lot to gain by Kelly’s death.
Chapter 5
“How well do you know this Megan?” Jenny asked Heather.
“I used to babysit her,” Heather replied. “And we all know each other on the island.”
“Her grandmother is in my knitting circle,” Betty Sue added. “The Pattersons are a well respected family in Pelican Cove.”
“Why is that important?” Jenny asked. “You sound just like Ada.”
“Breeding will tell,” Betty Sue said. “You youngsters don’t realize it.”
“I need to go talk to Megan,” Jenny told them. “Can one of you come with me?”
Molly couldn’t get away from her desk at the library.
“You know I’m your wing woman,” Heather said eagerly. “When do you want to go?”
“Give me half an hour,” Jenny said.
She spent some time prepping for lunch. Star assured Jenny she could assemble the crab salad sandwiches when needed.
Heather knew where Megan lived and she also knew her phone number. Jenny made sure she was available to talk to them. The rain started coming down in torrents just when they got into her car.
Heather called out the directions. Jenny drove carefully, squinting at the water logged road. One of her wiper blades was broken and her car was due for an oil change. She had taken much better care of her vehicles when she lived in the city. Although she barely drove two miles a day now, her car was beginning to exhibit some wear and tear.
“What kind of person is Megan?” Jenny asked Heather. “Does she tend to fly off the handle?”
“Megan’s a friendly girl,” Heather said. “Don’t be fooled by that red hair.”
“She has quite a presence,” Jenny nodded.
“She’s always been popular,” Heather told Jenny. “She kind of takes over everything. But people still like her.”
Megan welcomed them with a wide smile and led them to a sun room that looked out on a beautiful garden.
“I’m here to help you any way I can,” Megan said before Jenny had a chance to speak up. “Poor Brandon! He was crazy about Kelly.”
“What did you think about her?” Jenny asked.
“Kelly was a sweetheart.”
“You sound as if you knew her.”
“Kelly and I got along really well,” Megan explained. “We met a few months ago in the city. Brandon introduced us.”
Jenny couldn’t hide her surprise.
“You knew Brandon was engaged?”
“Of course,” Megan said without any guile. “Brandon and I have been friends since we were barely out of braces. He tells me everything.”
“Wasn’t that odd?” Heather interrupted. “You two were an item after all.”
Megan laughed. She sounded genuine.
“So what? We parted amicably. I always want the best for Brandon.”
“Who invited you to the party?” Jenny asked her. “Did Brandon know you were coming?”
“He didn’t. Kelly and I wanted to surprise him.”
“Wait. Kelly knew you were coming?” Jenny couldn’t hide her surprise. “I thought Ada Newbury invited you to the party.”
“She’s a dear, isn’t she?” Megan gushed. “I let her think that. Kelly had already told me about the party.”
“You spent a lot of time with Brandon there.”
“It was just like old times,” Megan said wistfully. “We caught up with all our friends.”
“Kelly must have felt left out,” Jenny suggested.
“Kelly didn’t mind,” Megan said confidently. “She wasn’t clingy. Not like some girls I know.”
Heather had been tapping her foot impatiently while Megan spoke. She interrupted them suddenly.
“Wait a minute, Megan. Are you actually saying you were friends with Kelly?”
Megan shrugged.
Jenny picked up the conversation.
“Looks like you knew Kelly Fox well enough. What kind of a person would you say she was?”
Megan thought for a minute.
“I’m no judge of character. She seemed like a regular gal.”
“Why would someone want to kill her?”
Megan looked stricken.
“Kill her? Are you saying someone deliberately murdered her?”
Jenny couldn’t believe Megan was that naïve.
“You do live in Pelican Cove?” Heather asked Megan. “How do you not know this?”
“I’ve been busy catching up with work since yesterday,” Megan said lightly. “I haven’t really talked to anyone.”
“What kind of job do you have in the city?” Jenny asked politely.
“I’m a publicist,” Megan said proudly. “I have a long roster of clients who always need something. They keep me on my toes.”
She looked at her watch.
“I have a video call with a client in half an hour. I really need to prep for it.”
“Just a few questions more,” Jenny smiled. “When did you leave the party?”
“Frankly, I have no idea!” Megan sighed. “I think I went a bit overboard with the champagne.”
“How long did the party go on?”
Megan pursed her mouth, shaking her head from side to side.
“I can’t tell you that either. But there were a few people milling about when I left.”
“What about Kelly?” Jenny asked. “When did you last see her?”
“Kelly was having the time of her life,” Megan said. She narrowed her eyes as if she was trying to remember what had happened at the party. “I remember telling her I was leaving. She wanted me to stay a bit longer.”
“Did you?” Heather asked.
“I might have. I started to leave a couple of times. But then I stayed on. My memory is really hazy on that point.”
“Do you know anyone who might have wanted to harm Kelly?” Jenny asked Megan.
Megan shook her head.
“I didn’t know much about her personal life. She was friendly but she didn’t share much about herself. I thought it might be because she didn’t have a family. I didn’t want to pry.”
Jenny couldn’t think of any more questions to ask the girl.
“So it was just a regular party … you didn’t notice anything unusual.”
“Not really,” Megan said, getting up.
Heather and Jenny took the hint.
“Thanks for talking to us, Megan,” Jenny said with a smile. “Will you call me if you think of anything else?”
“Sure,” Megan nodded. “I know the party ended in disaster. But I really enjoyed your food. I could go for that crab dip any day.”
“You should go to the Boardwalk Café,” Heather told her. “Jenny cooks something different every day.”
“Oh yeah,” Jenny said. “Come over to the café any time. I’ll make you anything you like.”
Jenny and Heather went over their visit on the way back to the café.
“Don’t you think she’s a bit too chirpy?” Jenny asked.
“You think it’s all an act?” Heather quirked an eyebrow. “This is how Megan is. She gets along really well with people.”
“Maybe she just told us what we wanted to hear.”
“Do you think she was lying, Jenny?”
“I know Megan belongs to a different generation,” Jenny said, swerving to avoid a puddle. “But surely the world hasn’t changed that much? Friends with Kelly? I don’t buy that.”
“She could have been leading us on,” Heather mused. “But why would she do that?”
“To hide the truth, of course,” Jenny said. “I say she hated Kelly. I am ready to wager anything on that.”
“How are you going to prove that?” Heather asked.
Jenny didn’t have an answer for that. Heather continued thinking out loud.
“Do you thi
nk she had a motive?”
“I think so,” Jenny said. “Now that Kelly’s out of the way, she has a straight shot at Brandon.”
“Don’t forget she broke up with him.”
“She might have realized her mistake after she lost him. I saw how possessive she was of Brandon at the party. She was a woman on the prowl, make no mistake.”
“You may be right,” Heather relented. “But I don’t think she needed to kill Kelly to get Brandon back. Have you looked at Megan? She can bewitch any man in a five mile radius.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Jenny threw back her head and laughed.
Heather joined in. Jenny called her out on her tendency to exaggerate.
“But seriously,” Heather said, “she has a silver tongue to match those looks. It’s a lethal combination.”
“She doesn’t really have an alibi,” Jenny pointed out. “And she’s not ready to commit to when she left the party.”
“Have the police questioned her yet?” Heather asked. “She will have to give them some concrete answer.”
“Adam might get more out of her,” Jenny agreed.
Megan would have to give an accurate account of her movements to the authorities. There would be repercussions if she lied to them. Jenny wondered if Megan had been spinning a yarn all along. Had she sweet talked Jenny into believing what she wanted her to believe?
“Who’s next on your list, Jenny?”
“Brandon Newbury.”
“I’m sure Brandon’s innocent,” Heather said. “And I’m not just saying that because we are related. Brandon couldn’t hurt a fly.”
“I want to talk to Ada’s staff too. They will open up more if you are with me.”
“We don’t have too many bookings at the inn this week. I’m not busy.”
“Great. Am I missing anyone else?” Jenny asked.
“You already talked to Ada,” Heather said, counting off her fingers. “Megan and Brandon are the major players. Aren’t you forgetting Kelly?”
“She can’t talk to me, Heather,” Jenny smirked.
Heather punched her in the shoulder.
“What do you know about Kelly, huh?”
Jenny realized what she had been missing. She clicked her tongue in annoyance.
“How could I forget that? We definitely need to find out more about Kelly. I’m going to do some basic online research tonight.”
