by Leena Clover
Brandon shook his head.
“Never thought about it.”
Heather chatted with Brandon for a while and the girls took their leave.
“Back to Megan’s?” Heather asked as Jenny started the car.
Jenny nodded grimly. She tried to remember all the questions she had asked Megan. Had she ever asked Megan when she first met Kelly?
Megan didn’t hide her displeasure when she opened the door and saw them standing outside.
“What now?”
“We just have some follow-up questions,” Jenny said, refusing to back down. “You can talk to us or talk to the police.”
“You can’t threaten me like that,” Megan said angrily. “And I don’t mind talking to the police. I have nothing to hide.”
“Let us come in, then,” Heather soothed.
Jenny didn’t waste any time.
“When did you first meet Kelly?”
“Didn’t we already talk about that?” Megan asked with a frown.
“Tell me again.”
“Brandon introduced us. I don’t remember the exact date. It was a Sunday and we met for brunch.”
“You are sure you didn’t know her before that?” Jenny pressed.
“That’s not what Brandon says,” Heather burst out. “He says you introduced them.”
“Impossible,” Megan exclaimed. She stared back at Jenny. “Did Brandon really say that?”
Jenny thought back to their conversation with Brandon, trying to remember his exact words.
“He said he met her at a party you threw.”
Megan sighed with relief and laughed nervously.
“Oh! That doesn’t mean I knew her.”
“Can you explain what you mean by that?” Jenny asked.
“I’m a publicist,” Megan began. “I host a lot of parties for my clients. Most of them are high profile people from different walks of life. My job is to invite a selected group of people who can be seen and photographed with my clients. I need to create the right vibe and sometimes I need a crowd of people. I hire people who produce this crowd, youngsters working in the city who like to party. They just come for the free booze. I rarely get to talk to these people.”
“You are saying Kelly was one of these freeloaders?”
“She might have been,” Megan said emphatically. “My point is, I don’t know all the people who come to my parties. Not unless I have invited them myself.”
Jenny marveled over how ironic the situation was. Megan had unwittingly played a part in bringing Brandon and Kelly together.
Chapter 12
Jenny scooped some mashed avocado on slices of smoked turkey and squirted her special chipotle mayo on top. She folded the wrap and set it on a platter.
Star tossed pasta and diced vegetables in fresh basil pesto.
“Did you post the turkey wraps on Instagram?” she asked Jenny. “The tourists are going to love them.”
“You think so?” Jenny asked, furrowing her brow.
Jenny’s creative recipes had made the Boardwalk Café a roaring success. But she was still hesitant before introducing any new items on the menu.
“Didn’t you want to talk to Adam?” Star asked. “Why don’t you go now?”
Jenny made a few dozen wraps and put them in the refrigerator. She grabbed two wraps and a small container of salad for Adam and walked to the police station.
Pelican Cove was enjoying another warm, spring day. Jenny gazed up at the sky and closed her eyes, breathing in the salty air.
A big pile of files littered Adam’s desk. He didn’t look too happy to see Jenny.
“Isn’t it early for lunch?” he asked, spying the basket Jenny carried on her arm.
“You can eat it later,” Jenny told him. “I’m going to put this in the refrigerator out in the galley.”
“Thanks, Jenny,” Adam smiled. “That’s kind of you.”
Jenny stood her ground.
“Is there anything else?” Adam sighed.
“Do you have Kelly’s phone records?” Jenny asked. “We never talked about them.”
“And we are not going to,” Adam snorted. “I have a busy day ahead, Jenny.”
Jenny took the hint and walked out of Adam’s office. The phone records would have to wait.
The Magnolias had arrived for their mid-morning break by the time Jenny got back to the Boardwalk Café.
Betty Sue stared at something while her hands moved in a rhythm, knitting something green. Molly barely paid attention to the book in her hand. Heather was busy snapping pictures on her phone. Jenny wondered what the women were so engrossed in.
Then she noticed her aunt. Star held a bundle wrapped in pink in her arms.
“Is that Emily?” Jenny squealed as she ran up the café steps.
She looked down at the baby her aunt held and made kissing noises. The cherub gurgled and looked back at her with large brown eyes.
“Emily’s spending some time with us,” Star said. “Jason is running some errands.”
The baby let out a cry, signaling she needed to be changed. Jenny took her inside and clumsily changed her diaper. She hadn’t done that since her son grew up.
Emily sat in her stroller, chewing her fists, drooling and smiling at the Magnolias.
Jenny poured coffee for everyone and brought out a plate of muffins.
“Is Ada treating you well?” Betty Sue asked Jenny. “You let me know if she gets too hoity toity. You are doing her a favor. Don’t you let her forget it.”
“Don’t worry about me, Betty Sue,” Jenny assured her. “I’m not bothered about Ada.”
“Found anything new?” Molly asked.
Jenny shook her head.
“I don’t seem to have any clear leads.”
“That pool boy is highly suspicious,” Heather said, setting her phone aside.
She had clicked a few dozen pictures of the baby.
“Who, Enrique?” Jenny asked. “Why do you suspect him, Heather?”
“Have you looked at him?” Heather asked, fanning herself. “He’s so hot it’s got to be a crime.”
Betty Sue cleared her throat and looked flushed.
“Didn’t he say he was sleeping the night of the party?” Molly asked.
“That’s what he says,” Heather nodded. “But do we really believe him? He’s the only person who could have let Kelly into the pool house.”
“So you think he’s been lying to us all this time?” Jenny asked.
“Why not?” Heather asked. “You have no reason to trust him, Jenny.”
“Say he let Kelly in that night,” Jenny said. “What do you think happened?”
“They fought over something?” Heather said. “This Kelly seems like a loose character. Maybe she came on to Enrique and he snubbed her. Or it could have been the other way around. What if Enrique got fresh with Kelly?”
Jenny continued Heather’s line of thought.
“They had a tussle. Enrique pushed Kelly into the pool. Or she could have slipped and fallen in herself.”
“Why didn’t he pull her out?” Molly asked.
“He didn’t realize she was drowning?” Jenny spoke out loud. “He might have walked away and never realized what was happening behind his back.”
Heather’s face darkened as she thought of the alternative.
“Or he stood there and let Kelly die.”
“That would make him a cold blooded murderer,” Jenny said with a shudder. “Why would Enrique do that?”
“Revenge?” Star offered. “Didn’t you say Kelly rejected his advances?”
“That’s just one of my theories,” Jenny sighed. “Enrique insists it was the other way round.”
“He could have been working for someone else,” Heather offered.
“You mean like a hired killer?” Jenny asked. “This is beginning to sound fantastic.”
The baby had fallen asleep while the women talked. Star covered her with an extra blanket, making sure she was warm enough.
“What if Ada Newbury hired the pool boy to kill that poor girl?” Star asked.
Jenny’s mouth dropped open.
“She wouldn’t go that far,” she said hoarsely.
Betty Sue was shaking her head from side to side, too shocked at Star’s suggestion to say anything.
“She does have a motive,” Molly offered. “We know Mrs. Newbury wasn’t happy with the wedding. Clearly, she didn’t want her grandson marrying Kelly.”
“We know she tried to bribe Kelly,” Heather mused. “Maybe she didn’t stop there.”
“I am sure Ada was fast asleep in her bed at midnight,” Betty Sue insisted.
She and Ada were staunch rivals and rarely saw eye to eye. So the Magnolias were surprised to see her defend Ada.
“You have given me an idea,” Jenny told Betty Sue. “I never asked Ada about her alibi.”
“Let’s go talk to her now,” Heather said eagerly.
“Hello ladies!” a cheerful voice hailed them from the boardwalk.
Jason Stone walked up, holding a few grocery bags in his hands. He came up the café steps and rushed to the baby’s stroller.
“Shhh …” Star said, placing a finger on her lips.
“Isn’t she an angel?” Jason gushed.
He set his bags down and collapsed into a chair. Jenny offered him a muffin.
“I’m too tired to eat,” Jason groaned. “In fact, I’m exhausted.”
He tipped his head at the baby in the stroller.
“This little lady’s been keeping me up at night.”
“Have you thought of getting a nanny?” Betty Sue asked.
“I’m not too keen on that,” Jason said. “I want to take care of her myself.”
“We are here to help,” Star said, patting him on the arm.
Jason let out a big yawn. He told them how he had driven around Pelican Cove for hours the previous night with Emily in her car seat.
“She would nod off while the car was moving, and start crying as soon as the car stopped.”
“Nick was like that,” Jenny said, remembering. “I used to wear a hole in the carpet, walking him around the house. He would start wailing the moment I set him down.”
They talked about Emily for a few minutes. Jason finally stood up and headed home with his baby.
“Shall we go now?” Heather reminded Jenny.
“Let’s make sure Ada’s home,” Jenny said.
Ada was expected back home in an hour. Star forced them to stay back and have lunch before they went out.
“Ada won’t like being questioned,” Heather said as they drove into the hills where the Newbury estate was situated.
“When does she like anything I say?” Jenny shrugged. “I need to ask the tough questions.”
Ada Newbury was entertaining her golf coach in the parlor.
“We just got back from a lesson,” she enthused. “Coach says I am improving a lot.”
She looked admiringly at the tall man who sat sprawled in a delicate chair.
“She’s really been working on her swing,” the man spoke. “I wish all my students were that dedicated.”
“Zac, right?” Jenny greeted the man. She turned to look at Ada. “Can I have a word with you, Mrs. Newbury?”
Ada looked longingly at the golf pro.
“Zac has to leave for another lesson.”
Zac Gordon stood up and stretched himself. He patted Ada on the shoulder and took his leave.
“What brings you here today?” Ada asked tersely.
Jenny was direct.
“We never talked about your alibi. What were you doing around midnight the night of the party?”
“What do you think I was doing?” Ada shot back. “I must have been in bed.”
“Were you?” Jenny asked.
“Of course I was,” Ada said.
“Can someone vouch for it?”
“Julius is out of town,” Ada said, referring to her husband. “I was alone.”
“Are you ready to swear you never left your room that night?” Jenny asked.
“You’re out of line,” Ada scowled. “Are you actually suspecting me?”
“You did have a motive,” Jenny pointed out. “And you argued with Kelly that night.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m guilty,” Ada said.
Jenny didn’t back down.
“I’m not saying you are. I just want to know where you were that night, and what you were doing.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Ada said.
“As you wish,” Jenny said with a shrug. “But you’re holding me back.”
She walked out of the house with Heather close behind. One of the maids came hurrying out while they were getting into the car. Jenny didn’t recognize her.
“Are you the one who’s asking questions about the party?” the girl asked.
“What’s up?” Jenny asked, nodding affirmatively.
“You know Enrique, the pool boy?” the girl asked. “I saw him on the beach just when the party was winding down.”
“But …” Heather butted in.
Jenny held up her hand, warning Heather to stay quiet.
“What was he doing there?”
“He was drinking,” the girl said. “Must have filched a bottle from the bar.”
“Was he alone?” Jenny asked.
“He was, at first. Then Mr. Brandon’s girl walked up to him.”
“You mean Kelly?” Jenny asked. “The girl who died?”
“That’s right,” the maid nodded. “Enrique was shaking his head while he talked to her. Then he laughed at her. She stomped off.”
“What time was this?” Heather asked.
“Some time after 11,” the girl said. “At least that’s what I think. But I’m not sure.”
“Thanks for letting us know,” Jenny told the girl.
The girl smiled shyly and hurried back inside.
Jenny and Heather stared at each other, speechless.
“I told you not to trust that stud muffin,” Heather burst out. “So he’s been lying to us all this time.”
“I don’t know, Heather.” Jenny was skeptical. “How do we know it’s not the maid who lied to us? I mean, where was she all this time? Why did she come forward now?”
“You have a soft spot for that pool boy,” Heather said, rolling her eyes. “He’s worked his magic on you, hasn’t he?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jenny snapped. “I’m just trying to be objective.”
“Doesn’t look like that to me.”
The girls bickered over whether the pool boy was guilty or not on the way back to town.
“One thing’s odd,” Jenny said, trying to calm down. “Kelly seems to have had an argument with multiple people. She fought with Ada. Now we learn she fought with the pool boy. She was sending all those messages to Paula. What in the world was this girl up to?”
“Don’t forget she was probably having an affair too,” Heather said vehemently. “I’m starting to believe Ada. Kelly wasn’t kosher. She was bad for Brandon.”
“It’s beginning to look that way,” Jenny agreed. “But did Brandon know the truth about Kelly?”
Chapter 13
The Boardwalk Café was packed. Tourists and locals sat elbow to elbow, enjoying Jenny’s lunch special.
“I’m not a curry fan,” Barb Norton, a short, stout woman said. “But I could eat this shrimp curry every day.”
Jenny hurried from table to table, making sure everyone was well looked after.
“Allow yourself a pat on the back,” Star beamed. “This shrimp curry is going to make you famous.”
“More famous than she already is, you mean,” Heather said.
She had posted pictures of Jenny’s special shrimp curry on social media. Fans of the Boardwalk Café had called for reservations, not wanting to miss the limited time item on the menu.
“You might have to make this curry a regular feature,” Betty Sue said. “And why not? We have a
ccess to the freshest shrimp.”
Jenny drank in all the praise with a smile on her face. Her mind was whirling with other thoughts. Ada Newbury was still under suspicion. The police hadn’t made much progress, and neither had she. Jenny wondered what the missing link was.
She hadn’t had much help from Adam. She had tried to make him talk when they went out for dinner the previous night. But Adam didn’t have much to say. He had admitted he was stumped. They needed a break and soon.
Jenny thought about what to do next and remembered Kelly’s phone. Were the police still waiting on her phone records? She would have to talk to Adam again.
Adam Hopkins himself walked into the café a few minutes later.
“What are you doing here?” Jenny asked in surprise.
“This is your moment of triumph,” he said, planting a kiss on her forehead. “I wasn’t going to miss it.”
Jenny’s eyes widened in surprise. Adam wasn’t fond of showing affection in public. A stranger looking at them wouldn’t know they were an engaged couple.
“You’ve already tasted the curry!” Jenny exclaimed.
She had cooked at least a dozen test batches until she perfected her recipe.
“Who says I can’t enjoy it again?” Adam asked with a smile.
Jenny led him out to the deck. It was a beautiful spring day in Pelican Cove. Warm afternoon sunshine bathed the tables. The air smelt salty and the breeze blowing over the ocean was cool and pleasant.
“One shrimp curry coming up,” Jenny said cheerfully.
“Why don’t you join me?” Adam asked, when Jenny brought out his order herself.
“Why don’t you get started?” Jenny asked apologetically. “I need to be out front for a little while more.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Adam said, picking up his fork with gusto.
Jenny accepted many compliments from her customers and promised them she would make the shrimp curry a weekly feature.
Star and Heather pushed her out on the deck after the crowd thinned.
“Go sit with that young man of yours,” Star said. “And grab a bite to eat.”
Adam’s face lit up when Jenny sat down before him.
“I have some news,” Adam said, scraping the last bit of rice and curry from his plate.
Jenny waited while he savored his mouthful. She crossed her fingers and waited for him to speak.
