by Leena Clover
“Kelly’s phone records came back,” Adam said, dabbing his mouth with a tissue. “We already know who she was calling or talking to. I was more interested in finding out where she has been.”
“What did you find?” Jenny asked, holding her breath.
“Her phone was in the same location as Paula’s several times.”
“We need to find out who Kelly was with both before and during the party,” Jenny said. “Who did she spend a lot of time with apart from Brandon?”
Neither of them had an answer for that.
“We have hit a wall again,” Adam said, getting up.
Jenny saw Adam off and started helping her aunt clear up.
“What’s that frown for?” Heather asked, drying dishes with a towel. “Did you and Adam have a fight again?”
“I’m thinking of Kelly,” Jenny admitted. “We need to find out more about her life in the city.”
“Only one way to do that,” Heather said with a grin. “Go to the source.”
“Are you angling for a road trip, Heather?” Jenny asked, rolling her eyes.
“Think about it. It’s been ages since we had some fun. We can do some sleuthing and hit that Mexican restaurant you like so much.”
“What about Molly?”
“She’s getting off early today,” Heather informed Jenny. “It’s the perfect day for a trip to the city.”
Heather called Brandon and asked him for Kelly’s address in the city. Kelly had shared an apartment with two other girls. Jenny knew the area well.
Molly was excited when they picked her up.
“This trip is long overdue,” she said as she climbed into Jenny’s car.
The girls cranked up the radio and sang at the top of their voices as the car sped across the miles. The sun was just setting as they entered the city. The roads were clogged with commuters heading home. A pink haze shrouded the city and restaurants filled with people meeting for drinks or dinner.
“I’m starving,” Heather complained.
“Didn’t you have two helpings of the curry?” Jenny teased. “Let’s get to work first, ladies. You gotta sing for your supper, you know.”
Getting to Kelly’s apartment took them longer than expected. Jenny drove through a pair of imposing gates and parked before the leasing office. A young man was busy mowing the lawn. He pointed out Kelly’s apartment building. It was a two storied structure with eight units. Kelly’s turned out to be the one at the back on the second floor. Jenny pressed the doorbell and hoped someone was home.
“Who are you?” a heavily made up girl asked as she opened the door a crack.
Jenny eyed the tiny gold dress she wore, too low at the top and too high at the bottom. She was very obviously dressed to go out and party.
“Is this Kelly’s apartment?” Jenny asked.
The girl nodded and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“We are Kelly’s friends,” Jenny explained. “We wanted to grab something from her closet.”
The girl’s eyes widened as she connected the dots. She finally opened the door and invited them in.
The apartment was clean and well furnished. The girl pointed to a closed door situated to the right of the living room.
“That’s Kelly’s room. She shared it with another girl.”
“How many girls live here?” Heather asked.
“It’s a two bedroom apartment,” the girl bragged. “There’s four of us on the lease. We rent out our couch sometimes.”
Jenny, Heather and Molly stared at the girl.
“This place is expensive!” the girl said defensively. “Everyone knows that.”
Jenny agreed with the girl and talked passionately about rising apartment rents. Heather and Molly went into Kelly’s room and started rooting around in her closet. Heather took her time, giving Jenny a chance to talk with the girl.
“How long did you know Kelly?”
“We’ve been roomies for a couple of years,” the girl replied. “But we hardly saw each other.”
“Oh?”
“I work the night shift,” the girl explained. “So does another girl who lives here. That’s why we didn’t step on each other’s toes. We were hardly here at the same time.”
“So you never met Brandon?” Jenny asked innocently.
“Who’s Brandon?” the girl asked.
“Her fiancé.”
“Kelly was a sly one, wasn’t she? She ditched the tall hunk.”
“Was Kelly dating someone?” Jenny asked.
The girl assumed a knowing look.
“Tall, dark haired hunk with a six pack. You could bounce a ball off those abs.”
Jenny tried to visualize Brandon Newbury. The kindest person wouldn’t call him tall. He certainly didn’t have a flat stomach.
“Did she introduce this tall guy as her boyfriend?”
“He spent a lot of time here,” the girl said suggestively. “Behind that door, if you know what I mean.”
“Did Kelly break up with this guy?” Jenny asked curiously.
“I couldn’t say either way,” the girl said with a shrug. “Look, we weren’t that close. Kelly kept to herself.”
“Do you know this guy’s name?” Jenny asked.
“His name was Paul, although Kelly called him something else. It was a silly nickname. I don’t remember.”
Heather and Molly came out of the room, holding a couple of dresses.
“Thanks for letting us in,” she told the girl.
“Where is Kelly’s funeral?” the girl asked. “Me and the other girls might try to make it.”
Jenny noted the girl’s phone number and promised to send her the details.
Heather and Molly declared they were dying of thirst.
“I want a tall frozen margarita,” Molly sighed. “With plenty of salt on the rim.”
“I thought you were driving,” Jenny groaned.
“No way,” Heather and Molly both cried out.
Jenny agreed to be the designated driver under protest.
“You can still have something frozen,” Molly consoled and yowled when Jenny punched her in the shoulder.
The girls had started on their second basket of chips and salsa when Heather finally mentioned Kelly.
“Did you learn anything new?”
“I’m not sure what I learnt,” Jenny said, scooping up some guacamole with a warm tortilla chip.
She told the girls about the tall, handsome guy who Kelly had been going around with.
“Brandon’s good looking but even I wouldn’t call him tall,” Heather declared. “Does this confirm Kelly was two timing Brandon?”
“Looks that way,” Jenny nodded. “But who is this mysterious tall guy?”
“Did you get his name?” Molly asked.
“The girl said he was called Paul,” Jenny said.
Then she clamped a hand on her mouth and stared at the girls.
“Paul, Paul-a. It’s like Betty Sue said. Paula is actually a man.”
“It can’t be that obvious,” Heather said, shaking her head.
The waitress brought over their order. The girls had opted for different types of enchiladas. Heather cut into the melted cheese and argued with Jenny.
“So Kelly was calling and messaging this guy in front of Brandon? And he never caught on?”
“We know this Paula person was in Pelican Cove,” Jenny said, her food forgotten. “Who could it be?”
“Didn’t you mention Kelly was hanging around with some guy on the night of the party?” Molly asked, swallowing a big bite.
She had never met Kelly since she hadn’t been invited to the party. But she had a strong memory and she remembered the girls talking about how Brandon and Kelly had both spent the evening with other people instead of each other.
“That was her cousin,” Jenny dismissed.
Then she thought again. Could it be?
“Is it possible?” she asked out loud.
“You don’t think Binkie was her bo
yfriend?” Heather asked, alarmed.
“Think of how she was clinging to him that night.”
“Surely she wasn’t that shameless?” Heather cried. “You’re saying she paraded her boyfriend around at her own wedding party? Right in front of the man she was supposedly going to marry?”
“He was supposed to be her cousin,” Jenny said slowly. “Why would anyone suspect them?”
Heather ate a big bite and put down her fork.
“He was quite handsome,” she said. “And tall. Much taller than Brandon. And Binkie can’t be his real name.”
“So Binkie and Paul are the same,” Jenny summed up. “And he was either Kelly’s ex or she was still seeing him on the side.”
“Do you think Brandon knew about him?” Heather asked, feeling sorry for her cousin.
“I hope not,” Jenny sighed. “It gives him a very strong motive.”
Chapter 14
Jenny primped before the mirror, excited about her dinner date with Adam. He was taking her to a new restaurant in a nearby town.
Star sat in a chair in Jenny’s room, looking at her indulgently.
“Are you going to talk about setting a date?”
“I told you, we are not in a hurry,” Jenny said, fastening a diamond stud.
“That boy needs a nudge,” Star said. “He won’t make a move on his own.”
Star ignored her niece’s protests and decided to drop a few hints when she saw Adam again.
“Whatever you do, don’t talk about the murder,” Star advised. “Don’t spoil the mood.”
“What mood is that?” Jenny asked with a laugh.
“Try to be more romantic, Jenny,” Star clucked. “Stay away from hot button issues.”
“There is no such thing,” Jenny said patiently.
“Of course there is,” Star protested. “Don’t talk about Jason, for instance.”
“Why not?” Jenny asked, surprised.
“The whole town knows Jason is in love with you,” Star sighed. “Adam knows it too, Jenny. And he’s jealous.”
“That’s silly,” Jenny said. “I chose him, didn’t I?”
“I still think Jason is the better man for you,” Star said hopefully.
Star was very fond of Jason Stone. She had tried to push her niece toward the jovial, kind hearted lawyer but Jenny’s heart had chosen Adam, the cranky, brooding sheriff.
“No more of that, Auntie,” Jenny warned.
“You’re spending too much time with Jason,” Star continued. “People are beginning to talk. Adam’s noticed it too.”
“I’m spending time with Emily,” Jenny said. Her face lit up as she thought of Jason’s baby girl. “Adam knows I am in love with that sweet baby.”
“What about her father?” Star asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Jenny ignored her aunt and ran a brush through her hair. The doorbell chimed below and she skipped down the steps, looking forward to her date.
Adam stood outside the door, carrying an armful of red roses. Jenny put them in a vase and took Adam’s arm. The moon was rising over the ocean, lighting up the sky as they drove out of town.
“How was your day?” Jenny asked Adam. “Anything interesting happen?”
“Let’s not talk about work,” Adam said.
Jenny agreed readily. The next three hours passed pleasantly. Jenny enjoyed a chardonnay from a local winery and dug into her lobster ravioli with gusto. Adam declared the spaghetti and meatballs he had ordered were the best he had ever eaten. They had passion fruit gelato for dessert. Jenny sighed happily as she sipped her coffee. Adam had a rare smile on his face.
Jenny was drowsy on the drive back home. She barely paid attention when Adam started talking about Kelly.
“I think this clears Ada Newbury.”
“What? What was that?” Jenny asked, snapping awake.
“Paul Briggs is a more likely suspect.”
“Who’s Paul Briggs?” Jenny asked, stifling a yawn.
“Haven’t you heard anything I just said?” Adam asked.
Jenny admitted she might have dozed off. She blamed it on the excellent meal they had just indulged in.
“We brought Paul Briggs in for questioning today,” Adam began again. “He says he is Kelly’s ex-boyfriend but I believe they were still seeing each other.”
“That’s Binkie, right? The guy who was parading as Kelly’s cousin?”
“You knew about that?” Adam asked.
“I wasn’t sure until now. Why didn’t Kelly break it off with Brandon if she was still involved with this guy?”
“It was all part of their plan,” Adam explained. “They were going to dupe Brandon.”
“How?”
“He was sketchy about the details. But they were playing a long game. I think Kelly was going to marry Brandon and then divorce him a few days later, getting a big settlement or alimony.”
“Not very original,” Jenny offered.
“No,” Adam agreed. “Briggs readily admits he was planning to con Brandon. But he is emphatic about being innocent of Kelly’s murder. First of all, he loved Kelly and he wouldn’t dream of harming her. More importantly though, she was his meal ticket. Their big pay day depended on the success of this plan.”
“Exactly!” Jenny said eagerly. “But what if Kelly changed her mind?”
“She got greedy?”
“Think about it. She came here and saw the Newbury estate. She realized how rich Brandon really was. Why wouldn’t she want it all for herself?”
“That would leave this Briggs guy in the lurch.”
“So you can’t rule him out completely.”
Adam banged his hand on the steering wheel and exclaimed in frustration.
Jenny patted his arm.
“Ada’s motive looks really weak now, doesn’t it? Can I tell her she’s in the clear?”
“Go ahead,” Adam said grudgingly. “I’m going to focus on these three men now. Brandon, Paul and that pool guy.”
Jenny told Adam about Enrique’s fake alibi.
“I’m not surprised he lied,” Adam said. “I believe he is capable of doing anything for money.”
Jenny wasn’t ready for the evening to end. She suggested a walk on the beach and Adam readily agreed. They strolled hand in hand, enjoying the fair weather. Jenny told Adam she was watching Emily the next morning.
“You don’t mind, do you?” she asked Adam, watching his face for any sign of aggravation.
“You’re spending a lot of time with Jason,” Adam said woodenly.
“Jason and I will always be friends,” Jenny said. There was a note of censure in her voice. “Emily’s just a baby, Adam.”
“Better than traipsing around, getting into trouble,” Adam muttered. He cleared his throat and said meekly, “I didn’t know you liked babies.”
“Of course I love babies. Who doesn’t? And Emily is such a dear. She hardly ever cries.”
Adam deftly changed the topic. They had reached an unspoken truce by the time they got back to the house. Jenny spotted Jason’s car in the driveway and rushed in.
Star was pacing the living room, carrying Emily in her arms. Jason sat in an armchair, looking frazzled. Jenny noticed he was dressed in pajamas.
“What’s wrong?” she burst out. “Is Emily sick?”
Star widened her eyes and shook her head, warning Jenny to be quiet.
Adam had come in after Jenny. He took in the whole scene at a glance. He tipped his head when he caught Jenny’s eye and walked out. Jenny deduced he would catch up with her later.
Jenny sat down next to Jason, her eyes following her aunt across the room.
“I’m sorry,” Jason whispered. “She started crying hours ago and just wouldn’t stop. I didn’t know what to do.”
“I’m glad you came here,” Jenny whispered back. “She’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
The baby finally fell asleep half an hour later.
“What if she starts crying again?” Star asked. “Spen
d the night here. We’ll take good care of this little missy.”
Jason stayed over at Seaview, too tired to argue with Jenny and Star.
Next morning, Jenny yawned all the way to the Boardwalk Café. She had woken up thrice to change the baby and feed her. A bank of heavy, storm filled clouds hovered over the shore, blotting out any light from the rising sun.
Jenny baked a few batches of muffins and diced vegetables and ham for western omelets. Two hours later, she finally pulled her apron off and sat down in the kitchen to take a break. Star had arrived an hour earlier.
Heather Morse walked in, looking for Jenny.
“Did you know they arrested Binkie?” she asked in a rush.
“I think they just questioned him.” Jenny told her everything she had learned from Adam.
“This gets more confusing every day,” Heather groaned. “Are we ever going to find out what happened to Kelly?”
Jenny didn’t have an answer for that.
“At least Ada Newbury is not a suspect anymore,” she said. “I want to go and give her the good news.”
“Lead me on,” Heather said cheerfully. “I’ve finished all my chores for the day.”
Jenny neglected calling for an appointment. She assembled a big platter of chicken salad sandwiches for lunch and promised her aunt she would be back at the earliest.
“How can I ever thank you enough?” she asked Star.
“Stop worrying about me and get out of here,” Star said.
The two girls set off in Jenny’s car under an overcast sky. Heather regaled Jenny with an account of the tremendous response her shrimp curry was getting on Instagram.
“People who tried it can’t stop talking about it,” Heather said, smiling broadly. “They want to come back and bring their friends.”
“It’s a simple recipe, really,” Jenny said modestly.
“I know what you should do,” Heather said eagerly. “Have cooking sessions. Like those master classes they show on TV. You’ll be sold out.”
“I suppose it will be good advertising for the café,” Jenny mused. “It’s a great idea, Heather. I’m going to think about it.”
They stopped at the gates when they reached the Newbury estate. The guards did their thing. Jenny handed over a bag of muffins, raising a smile out of a big, sullen guard.
