by Leena Clover
“I will,” Jenny promised. “There’s nothing to worry about. Heather’s going with me.”
“Where are we going?” Heather asked as the car sped over the bridge connecting Pelican Cove to the mainland.
Jenny brought her up to speed. Heather’s eyes widened as she heard about the money.
“What’s the plan?” she asked Jenny.
“I have thought of something,” Jenny said. “Not sure if it’s going to work, though.”
Jenny had shortlisted a few banks in neighboring towns. They entered the first one on her list and looked around. Jenny zeroed in on one young girl who seemed to be chatting freely with all the customers.
“Excuse me,” Jenny said meekly, approaching her.
“How can I help you?” the girl asked.
Jenny hunched her shoulders and widened her eyes.
“I’m not sure you can. I’m getting married in a few weeks, see?”
The girl squealed and congratulated Jenny.
“We didn’t register anywhere because we decided not to accept gifts. But you know how some people just have to send you something. Some of my friends and relatives put money in my account.”
“How sweet!” the girl said sincerely.
“Yes,” Jenny agreed. “But I have a problem. They deposited cash so I have no way of knowing who did it. I can’t even write a thank you note.”
The girl sympathized with Jenny.
“Can’t you just guess?” she asked. “Must be someone who is close to you.”
“I thought the same!” Jenny exclaimed. “I have some photos of my wedding shower. Can you take a look at them please?”
The girl hesitated for a second and then nodded. Jenny pulled out her phone and scrolled through photos of Brandon and Kelly’s wedding shower. She had been clicking pictures of her food but she had managed to capture a lot of the guests in the process.
The girl looked at the pictures twice and shook her head.
“I’m sorry, but none of these people look familiar.”
Jenny thanked her and stepped out of the bank with Heather.
“Now what?” Heather asked.
“Now we repeat the same thing at other banks in the area.”
They hit pay dirt at the third bank they visited. One of the tellers, another young, bubbly woman pointed to a picture of Ada Newbury.
“She was here a few days ago. I remember because very few people make cash deposits.”
Jenny thanked her and hurried out, her mind already churning with possibilities.
“What has Ada been up to?” Heather voiced as they got into the car. “Are you going to tell the police?”
“Not yet,” Jenny answered. “I want to talk to Ada first.”
“Won’t Adam be mad at you for withholding information?”
“We don’t know if a crime was committed.”
“Why would Ada pay Binkie?” Heather asked. “I’m sure she barely tolerated him.”
“You remember that argument Ada had with Kelly on the night of the party? She was offering to pay Kelly to leave Brandon.”
“She didn’t need to do that once Kelly was gone,” Heather said patiently. “I think you are getting your timelines mixed up.”
“You’re right, Heather,” Jenny said, slapping herself on the forehead. “What am I thinking?”
“Your brain needs food,” Heather laughed. “I, for one, am starving. Let’s look for some place to have lunch.”
Jenny spotted an old, faded sign for a diner at the corner of a country lane. She yanked her wheel and turned on to the road, hoping the diner was open and still serving food. It turned out to be a gem of a find.
“What will you have?” an elderly woman with gray hair arranged in a neat bun asked them, pointing toward a chalkboard on the wall.
Jenny thought of Petunia, the previous owner of the Boardwalk Café. Jenny missed her every day.
Jenny chose the whitefish sandwich and Heather chose a grilled trout salad. Their meal came with crispy crinkle cut fries seasoned with Old Bay.
Jenny closed her eyes as she savored the fish, delicately flavored with dried herbs.
Heather dug her fork in her salad and took a big bite. Her eyes narrowed as she chewed the soft, flaky fish. She voiced the question that had been rolling around in Jenny’s mind for the past hour.
“Do you think Ada’s been playing you all along?”
Chapter 18
Jenny dropped Heather off at the Bayview Inn. She headed into the hills toward the Newbury estate. Heather’s question had riled her up. Jenny felt sure Ada Newbury had been lying to her. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Her face was flushed when she pulled up outside the massive iron gates. The security guard did his thing and let her through. Ten minutes later, she was jabbing her finger against the doorbell, trying to calm down.
A maid led her to the parlor. Ada was sitting on a sofa next to Zac Gordon, sipping tea and laughing at something he said. Her face fell when she saw Jenny.
“How many times have I told you to call before coming?” she snarled.
“We need to talk, Mrs. Newbury,” Jenny said firmly.
“I’m busy at the moment,” Ada said. “Why don’t you wait out on the patio?”
She rang a small silver bell to summon the maid.
“This is important,” Jenny stressed.
“I’m sure it can wait,” Ada insisted.
“Ladies, ladies …” Zac Gordon interrupted. “Take it easy.”
He urged Jenny to take a seat.
“How about some tea?” he asked.
Jenny couldn’t wait to confront Ada but she didn’t want to do it in Zac Gordon’s presence.
“Actually, Zac, could you excuse us? I need a moment alone with Mrs. Newbury.”
“No problem,” Zac said, getting up.
The smile on his face was intact.
“I’ll be outside. A stroll through the garden sounds perfect.”
He patted Ada on the shoulder and left the room.
Jenny took a chair opposite Ada and settled down.
“What do you want?” Ada asked Jenny.
“Why did you put money in Binkie’s account? Were you paying him off for something?”
“Who is this Binkie?” Ada wrinkled her nose in disgust.
“You know Binkie. Kelly’s cousin. The guy they found dead at the country club.”
“You mean her lover?” Ada snorted. “I was right. Kelly was cheating on my Brandon. And she had the gall to bring that man to my party.”
“All that is water under the bridge,” Jenny dismissed. “I want to know if you made any payments into Binkie’s account.”
“Of course I did no such thing,” Ada replied.
“You were seen at some banks in nearby towns. You made certain cash deposits. Do you still deny that?”
Ada had turned white. She didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Jenny let her stew.
“The police will be on to you soon, Mrs. Newbury.”
“I did make a deposit,” Ada said hoarsely. “But it had nothing to do with Kelly’s lover.”
“Why should I believe you?” Jenny asked. “You have been keeping secrets from me since the beginning. You didn’t tell me about your argument with Kelly. And now this!”
“I’m not lying about this,” Ada pleaded.
“Couldn’t you just write a check?” Jenny asked. “Why sneak off to a town fifty miles away and pay cash? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“I can’t talk about it. You’ll just have to trust me on this.”
“That’s a tall order, Mrs. Newbury,” Jenny sighed. “Someone’s been depositing money into Binkie’s account. The police are trying to find this person. It won’t be long before they identify you.”
“Do you think they will arrest me?”
Jenny didn’t have an answer for that.
“They will suspect you again at the very least.”
“I can tell you when I made the de
posits,” Ada said hesitantly. “And the amount I paid. But I can’t tell you who I gave the money to.”
“That might help,” Jenny said.
She had a strong suspicion about who the recipient of Ada’s largesse was. She was ready to bet he was strolling in the garden outside.
Zac Gordon peeped in at a window just then.
“Are you two done?” he asked. “The wind’s a bit harsh out here.”
“Come on in,” Ada said.
Zac ambled in and sat on the sofa again. Jenny noticed he wasn’t dressed for golf. The jeans and shirt he wore indicated he was off duty.
“I enjoyed my golf lesson the other day,” Jenny said to Zac. “You are a really good coach.”
“You are a good player,” Zac offered. “Spend an hour with me every day and you will be ready to go pro.”
“I don’t have time for that,” Jenny smiled. “I have a café to run.”
“And some sleuthing to do on the side, huh?” Zac asked.
His eyes hardened for a second and then he was his genial self again.
“Ada tells me you like to snoop around.”
“I just talk to people,” Jenny said modestly.
“It’s time for our golf lesson,” Ada said to Zac.
She gave Jenny a pointed look.
“Didn’t you have a stiff neck?” Zac asked Ada.
“I’m leaving anyway,” Jenny said, getting up.
Jenny stepped out into the hallway outside the parlor and looked around. She urgently needed to use a restroom. A couple of passages forked off in different directions making Jenny hesitate. She had used a powder room at the Newbury mansion before but Heather had guided her to it.
Jenny walked down a bunch of closed doors, trying to remember the right one. Every door looked the same. She paused in front of one tentatively and sucked in a breath. She knocked twice just in case and pushed the door in, walking in on a couple locked in a tight embrace.
“I’m sorry,” Jenny began.
Then her eyes widened in shock.
“Brandon! I’m sorry, I didn’t realize this was your room.”
“It’s not,” Brandon said cheerfully. “It’s a guest room. It’s unoccupied at present. Were you looking to use the powder room?”
Jenny nodded mutely.
The girl next to Brandon had straightened up a bit.
“How are you?” she greeted Jenny.
“I’m good, Megan. How are you?” Jenny said mechanically.
She rushed to the door Brandon pointed at. Brandon was alone in the room when she came out five minutes later.
“Megan had to leave,” he said.
“So …” Jenny said. “You and Megan, huh?”
“We never really stopped loving each other,” Brandon clarified.
“But I thought she was the one who dumped you.”
“It was all a big misunderstanding,” Brandon said with a frown. “Megan thought I was interested in someone else. She didn’t want to be a burden. So she took the initiative and let me go.”
“But you were still in love with her,” Jenny prompted.
“That’s right,” Brandon said proudly. “Megan and I have been friends for years. She is my first love.”
“Are you two engaged?”
“We are going to wait for a few weeks before we announce our engagement,” Brandon said soberly. “I might just tell my grandma. She adores Megan.”
“Congratulations,” Jenny said warmly. “I hope you will be happy together.” She wavered a bit before asking her next question. “Tell me one thing. Were you really going to marry Kelly?”
“Frankly, I don’t know. I feel like such a fool now. She had me wound around her finger. I never realized she was just using me.”
Jenny wondered when Brandon had realized that. Had he confronted Kelly on the night of the party?
The sky had darkened by the time Jenny said goodbye to Brandon and stepped out. The orange ball of the sun had almost set, painting the sky around it in shades of pink and tangerine.
Jenny yawned deeply and started her car. Multiple theories were churning in her mind but she didn’t have the energy to process any of them. All she wanted to do was go home and soak in a hot bath. Jenny’s eyes glazed over as she thought of lighting a bunch of scented candles and using the lavender bath salts her aunt had got for her.
Suddenly, a pair of bright headlights appeared in her rearview mirror, almost blinding her. The portion of road Jenny was on was on the outskirts of town. There was hardly any traffic on the road. Jenny changed the lane and veered to the right, allowing the car behind her to pass. The headlights stayed behind her.
Jenny realized they were too close. Her car was almost on the shoulder now. She guessed the vehicle behind her was some kind of big truck. Jenny put on her turn signal and pulled her car completely on the shoulder. Surely the other car would pass her once she came to a stop?
Jenny felt her car skid as the car behind her rammed into her. Jenny spun her wheel round and round, trying to remember what she was supposed to do in this kind of situation. Her car tipped over and plunged into a ditch, with one wheel spinning in the air.
The car behind her flashed its lights and sped off.
Jenny wriggled in her seat, trying to reach her bag. Then she remembered her cell phone was in the cup holder right next to her. Finally, she dialed the emergency number with trembling fingers and waited for help.
Adam arrived on the scene within minutes, along with the ambulance. He stood by impatiently while Jenny was pulled out of the car. The paramedics treated her for a few bruises and recommended she go to the hospital to get checked out.
Three hours later, Jenny was tucked in her bed with a bowl of hot chicken soup. Her aunt sat next to her and Adam paced the room, his face as black as thunder.
“You could have been hurt, really hurt,” he said hoarsely.
Jenny’s hand shook as she spooned some soup into her mouth. She knew Adam was right. So she let him rave at her.
“There’s a lot of maniacs out there,” Star said. “Jenny was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“I don’t agree,” Adam said heavily.
Jenny had been briefly questioned by the police. They had wanted to get a description of the car or driver. Jenny hadn’t had a glimpse of either. All she could say was it was a big truck, much bigger than her small sedan.
Jenny had told them how the car had followed her for a long time and rammed into her a couple of times. She agreed it had seemed like a deliberate move and not an accident.
“How do you always get into these scrapes?” Adam asked hoarsely. “Why can’t you stay out of trouble for once?”
“Take it easy, son.” Star’s voice had a warning note in it.
“Why would someone want to hurt me?” Jenny asked.
“You have made someone feel threatened,” Adam said. “You must be getting close.”
“If I am, I don’t know it.”
“What have you been doing in the past two days?” Adam wanted to know.
Jenny gave him a brief account of where she had been.
“So Brandon Newbury knew you were going to be on that road,” Adam said. “I don’t trust that guy one bit.”
“Brandon, really?” Jenny asked. “Well, if you want to put it that way, everyone at the Newbury estate knew I was going to drive back to town. Ada knew, so did her entire staff.”
“You need to take it easy for a while,” Adam said. “Promise me you won’t leave the house.”
“That’s impossible,” Jenny exploded. “What about the café”?”
“We can take care of the café,” Star said. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m not going to be cooped up in here just because some coward tried to run me off the road.”
“My men are working on this now,” Adam said, pausing next to Jenny’s bed. “At least give them a couple of days.”
“The doctor advised you to rest,” Star reminded her. “Why
don’t you take this opportunity and relax a bit?”
“One day!” Jenny said, holding up a finger. “I will stay home for one day. Then I am going back to the café.”
“And you will stop trying to solve this case?” Adam asked hopefully.
Jenny stirred her soup and smiled wanly at Adam. She didn’t make promises she couldn’t keep.
Chapter 19
Star knocked on Jenny’s door the next morning and entered bearing a loaded tray.
Jenny reclined against a mound of pillows, reading a book.
“Good Morning,” Star greeted her. “I hope you are hungry.”
Jenny stared at the stack of blueberry pancakes, bacon, eggs and toast. A dewy pink rose from the garden rested on the tray.
“Breakfast in bed?” Jenny exclaimed, staring at the food in fascination. “What am I, an invalid?”
“I’m allowed to spoil my niece a bit,” Star pouted.
She sat down at the edge of the bed and gave Jenny a worried look.
“I have loved having you here with me,” she said.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Jenny soothed. “Now let’s eat this delicious breakfast you have cooked for me.”
Jenny forced her aunt to eat along with her. There was plenty of food for the both of them.
“I need to get going,” Star said. “Heather must be waiting for me.”
Heather had volunteered to open the Boardwalk Café that morning and get breakfast started.
“Thank her for me, will you?” Jenny said. “Tell her I owe her one.”
“You can tell her yourself,” Star said with a smile. “We look out for each other in this town.”
There was another knock on the door and Jason Stone entered. The baby was strapped to his body in a sling like carrier.
Jenny’s face lit up when she saw Jason.
“This is a surprise!” she cried, holding out her arms toward Emily. “Give me that darling.”
Jason gently pulled Emily out and handed her over to Jenny. Jenny kissed the baby’s forehead and cuddled her. The baby gurgled and pulled a lock of Jenny’s hair.
“We heard about your little mishap,” Jason said. “What’s the damage?”
“I’m perfectly alright,” Jenny said. “My car, on the other hand, needs some care.”
