Much Ado about Nutmeg

by Sarah Fox

  “What people?”

  Tommy shrugged. “Rob thought maybe people at the Insider. To help his career, maybe?”

  “Interesting.”

  “Has he been blackmailing people in Wildwood Cove?” Ivan asked.

  “That’s a very good question,” I said.

  “But even if he was, would that have anything to do with the murder?” Tommy returned to slicing bananas for strawberry banana crêpes, a summer favorite at The Flip Side. “We don’t know that he was blackmailing Yvonne, and isn’t it usually the blackmailer who gets iced, not the one being threatened?”

  “Usually,” I agreed. “But I don’t think we should ignore Jay’s history. And if he held a grudge against Yvonne for getting him fired…”

  “Does he have an alibi?” Ivan asked.

  I stifled a smile. Ivan seemed almost as interested as Tommy and I did now.

  “I have no idea,” I said. “I’m not doing that well with figuring out alibis. I know Yvonne’s ex-husband is in the clear and Pippa gave Levi an alibi, but I’m not sure I trust that one completely.”

  “She could have lied for him,” Tommy said.

  “Exactly. Heck, the ex-husband’s girlfriend could have lied for him too—that’s supposedly who he was with at the time—but Ray seems to believe his alibi, so I guess it’s solid.”

  I wandered over to where the sticky rolls were cooling. I closed my eyes with bliss as I breathed in the delicious smell.

  “Those are for the concession.” Ivan’s stern voice sent my eyes flying open.

  “I know,” I said, forcing myself to turn my back on the sticky rolls. “I’m just enjoying the smell.”

  “I’ll have them ready to go in a few minutes,” Tommy said. “The volunteer should be here to pick them up around seven.”

  I’d promised to donate a batch of the sticky rolls to an all-day event called the Summer Fun Games. It was meant to give people of all ages a chance to participate in races and other activities, riding on the wave of interest from the Golden Oldies Games. Other restaurants around town were also donating food, all of which would be sold to raise money for a local charity that helped get underprivileged kids involved in organized sports. Local businesses had also donated gift certificates and other prizes for the winners of the various events.

  I moved farther away from the sticky rolls. It wouldn’t be easy not to steal one for myself while they sat on the counter.

  Ivan seemed to read my mind. “I’ve got another batch on the go. You can have one later.”

  As Tommy placed the sticky rolls in a large bakery box, my phone rang in my back pocket. When I pulled out the device, I saw that it was my mom calling.

  “Morning, Mom,” I said into the phone as I wandered out of the kitchen.

  “Morning, sweetie. How was the barbecue last night?”

  “Great, although I wish you and Grant could have been there.”

  “So do I, but we’ll be coming over to visit soon.”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” I said sincerely. I hadn’t seen my mom in weeks.

  “The reason I’m calling so early is that I heard back from Tracy last night.”

  “And?” I asked, with a spark of hope.

  That hope flared with her next words.

  “I’ve got good news.”

  * * * *

  My mom’s phone call left me with a smile on my face, although I had to rein it in when Leigh arrived for work so she wouldn’t question me about my cheeriness. As much as I wanted to share the good news with Greg right away, I didn’t have his cell phone number, so that would have to wait. Shortly after arriving at The Flip Side, Leigh had announced that her whole family would be attending the Summer Fun Games later on, so hopefully I’d get a chance to talk to Greg then. Brett and I were also planning to spend some time at the event in the afternoon or evening.

  The workday was as busy as usual and the hours zoomed by. After closing the pancake house, I tried to get tidied up as quickly as possible so I could leave a bit earlier than I normally would. When I arrived home, Brett was already there, having wrapped up work early himself. I changed into denim shorts and a tank top, and then Brett and I set off for the park.

  It was a good thing we’d decided to walk, because there wasn’t a single parking space in sight when we got close to Wildwood Park. It looked as though half the town had shown up to take part in the Summer Fun Games. Hopefully that would translate to lots of money raised for the charity through event entry fees and the sale of refreshments.

  Before checking out the races, Brett and I swung by a concession stand that was selling baked goods. As we’d expected, one of the volunteers had come by the pancake house that morning to pick up the batch of sticky rolls Ivan and Tommy had made first thing. I wasn’t surprised when the volunteer manning the table told us that the rolls had sold out within the first hour that the stand was open.

  Hand in hand, Brett and I strolled around the park, watching the various events going on around us. As we passed through some pleasant shade cast by a leafy tree, a man standing nearby announced that the adults’ three-legged race would begin soon.

  “Last chance to join in!” the man called out. “Two dollars per team to enter! All for a great cause!”

  “What do you say?” Brett asked me.

  “I’m game if you are.”

  We handed over our entry fee to the volunteer and joined the other racers at the start line. Once each team was fastened together, the volunteer raised his voice again.

  “On your marks, get set… Go!”

  Brett and I charged away from the start line. I was afraid I’d fall flat on my face, but Brett and I worked well together and raced toward the finish line. For a second I thought we’d win, but another team edged ahead of us right before we crossed the finish line.

  “Second place.” I leaned down to untie my leg from Brett’s. “Not bad.”

  “Congratulations to our winners!” the volunteer said. “You’ve each won a five-dollar gift certificate to the Beach and Bean.”

  When the volunteer handed the gift certificates to the winners, my jaw almost dropped.

  “What’s wrong?” Brett asked, noticing my surprise, even though I managed to keep my mouth from gaping.

  I nodded at the winning team. “That’s Claudia Wu and Bryce Harcourt.”

  “Claudia Wu, as in one of your suspects?”

  “And Bryce is Yvonne’s ex-husband. I met him at the B and B the other day. Ray mentioned that he was here with his girlfriend, but I had no idea he meant Claudia.”

  Now that I knew one of my other suspects had provided Bryce with his alibi, I had to wonder if Ray was right to believe he no longer warranted any suspicion.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Claudia and Bryce raised their clasped hands in victory as the volunteer handed them their prizes. After thanking the man, Bryce gave Claudia a quick kiss on the lips.

  “We probably shouldn’t stare.” Brett gave my hand a gentle tug.

  I forced my gaze away from the couple, but it wasn’t easy.

  “Do you know what this means?” I whispered.

  “Not really,” Brett admitted.

  “Bryce’s alibi was provided by someone who hated Yvonne.”

  “So you can scratch two suspects off your list? Or do you think Claudia would have been willing to cover for Bryce?”

  “Or they were both involved in Yvonne’s murder. I don’t know which.” I watched the couple walk off, holding hands. “I’m going to talk to them.”

  I followed after Claudia and Bryce as they headed for one of the concession stands. Brett caught up to me in a couple of strides.

  “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

  “I’ll be careful about what I say.”

  I hung back as Bryce and Claudia paid for two cup
s of lemonade. Once they had the drinks in hand, I approached them with a smile.

  “Congratulations on winning the race,” I said.

  Claudia was the one to respond. “Thank you. You guys gave us a run for our money.”

  “I didn’t realize the two of you knew each other.” I kept the comment casual.

  “You know Bryce?” Claudia sounded surprised.

  “A friend of mine runs the B and B where he’s staying,” I explained. “We met the day he arrived in Wildwood Cove.”

  I thought I detected a flash of apprehension in Bryce’s eyes. “That’s right. I thought you looked familiar.” He took a step backward. “Claudia and I are going to check out some of the other events,” he said quickly, giving her hand a tug.

  “Enjoy the rest of the afternoon,” Claudia said.

  I thanked her, but Bryce was already walking off, pulling Claudia along with him.

  “He couldn’t get away from us fast enough,” Brett commented quietly.

  “He’s nervous, but why? Ray believes his alibi. Maybe he’s still got something to hide. Maybe Claudia lied for him and he’s afraid Ray might figure that out.”

  “Do you think they could both be involved in Yvonne’s death?” Brett asked.

  “It’s possible.”

  “We should probably steer clear of them from now on.”

  “You’re right,” I said. “Maybe we should enter another race.” I caught sight of familiar faces across the park. “There’s Leigh and Greg. Let’s head over that way.”

  As we wended our way around several families with young kids, I told Brett about the phone call I’d received from my mom. “Tracy managed to get free tickets for Leigh and Greg, but I haven’t had a chance to tell him that yet.”

  “Do you want me to distract Leigh so you can talk to him?”

  “That would be perfect.”

  I waved, catching Leigh’s attention as we approached. She and Greg were watching as their three daughters got ready to compete in a children’s egg-and-spoon race.

  “Have you entered any of the events yet?” Leigh asked us.

  “We came in second in the three-legged race,” Brett replied. “How about you two?”

  “Greg and I haven’t entered anything yet,” Leigh said, “but the girls are on their third races.”

  As Brett asked Leigh about the races the girls had run, I caught Greg’s eye and stepped out of Leigh’s earshot. With a glance at his wife, Greg followed suit.

  “I’ve got good news for you,” I said quietly. When I told him about the tickets, a grin spread across his face.

  “That’s incredible, Marley. Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said. “The tickets will be waiting for you at the box office on the night of the show.”

  “That’s perfect. Leigh will be thrilled. How can I ever repay you?”

  “You don’t have to,” I assured him. “I’m glad I could help.”

  Leigh glanced around for her husband, so Greg swiftly returned to her side while I moved closer to Brett and took his hand. We were just in time to watch the egg-and-spoon race get underway. Amanda and Brianna—Leigh and Greg’s oldest two daughters—placed third and fourth in the race, but Kayla dropped her egg halfway through and ended up in tears. Brett and I wandered off as Leigh and Greg hurried over to the finish line.

  “Isn’t that Ed over there at the horseshoes?” Brett asked.

  When I looked in the direction he’d indicated, I smiled. “It is. And it looks like he’s having fun.”

  Ed tossed a horseshoe and grinned as the people around him clapped him on his back and congratulated him for a good throw.

  “It’s nice to see him happy again,” I said.

  After watching the horseshoe competition for a few minutes, I decided to try my hand at the women’s shotput event. I didn’t do very well, only managing to throw the heavy ball a few feet. Brett seemed amused by my failed effort.

  “It’s not funny,” I said, poking him in the stomach as I returned to his side. “Let’s see how well you do.”

  He was up to the challenge, but he had to wait for the women’s event to wrap up before he got a chance to compete. I knew he’d do far better than I did, but I wasn’t expecting him to win the competition.

  “Two free ice cream cones from Scoops,” he said with a grin as he waved the gift certificate he’d won.

  “A good prize,” I acknowledged.

  “I’m hoping you’ll share it with me.”

  “That’s an offer I won’t turn down, but can we get some dinner first? I’m starving, and I don’t think ice cream will be enough to fill me up.”

  “It looks like they’re selling burgers over there.” Brett pointed to a grill set up next to a table at the western end of the park. “Maybe they’ve got veggie burgers too.”

  “Let’s check it out.”

  We worked our way across the park, and got in line at the burger stand, which had a sign indicating that there were both meat and veggie burgers available. We’d only been in line for a minute or so when I sensed someone come up behind us.

  “Hey, guys.”

  Brett and I both turned at the sound of Tommy’s voice.

  My smile wasn’t quite as bright as it might have been, because Avery was standing right next to Tommy. I detected a hint of wariness from Brett too, although I doubted it was obvious to anyone else.

  “Are you enjoying the games?” I asked.

  “We haven’t been here long, but so far so good,” Tommy said.

  Avery tucked her arm around Tommy’s. “We might enter one of the races after we eat. Tommy’s treating me to dinner.”

  I knew Tommy well enough to notice the hint of discomfort behind his grin. I suspected he wasn’t as into Avery as she wanted him to be.

  “We had a go at the three-legged race,” Brett said.

  “We came in second,” I added. “But Brett won a prize in the shotput.”

  Brett smiled. “Free ice cream.”

  “Cool.” Tommy’s grin seemed more natural this time. “I wouldn’t mind winning that prize.”

  “Too bad there’s no archery competition,” Avery said.

  The line shifted so we all shuffled forward a few feet.

  “Right,” I said. “You’re volunteering at the archery event. Is that still going on?”

  “Until Wednesday.”

  The line moved forward again, and it was time for Brett and I to put in our orders. With several patties already on the grill, we didn’t have to wait long to get our food.

  After we’d added condiments to our burgers, we searched for a place to eat. The park’s picnic tables were all occupied, but Brett and I found a free patch of shade and sat down on the grass. Tommy and Avery wandered off in another direction after getting their food. I couldn’t help but feel relieved. I enjoyed Tommy’s company, but I couldn’t get myself to warm to Avery.

  “I could use some lemonade now,” Brett said as he polished off the last of his burger.

  “Me too.” The food and the hot sun had left me desperate for a cold drink.

  Brett got to his feet and offered a hand to help me up. We got in line at the lemonade stand, but as we waited, I noticed Rowena standing on the sidewalk at the edge of the park, watching a lawn bowling competition involving both teenagers and adults.

  I put a hand to Brett’s arm. “I’m going to talk to Rowena for a moment. I’ll be back soon.”

  As I approached Rowena, I noted that she still looked sad, but not quite as melancholy as the last time I’d seen her.

  “Hi, Rowena,” I greeted when I reached her side. “How are you doing?”

  “Hi, Marley,” she returned. “Not bad, considering. Pippa thought it would do me good to get out in the fresh air and I think she was right. Spending my days cooped u
p on the yacht leaves me with too much time to think.”

  I could understand that. “I’m glad you were able to come out and take in this event. Is Pippa here too?”

  “She’s competing in the lawn bowling.”

  When I followed Rowena’s line of sight, I spotted Pippa among the players.

  “This evening we’re going to watch some of the tennis,” Rowena continued. “I’m looking forward to that.”

  “My fiancé and I saw some earlier in the week. The match we watched was a good one.”

  “There are lots of great players competing in the Golden Oldies Games.”

  “I’ve definitely been impressed by what I’ve seen so far,” I said.

  The lawn bowling competition came to an end, and we applauded along with the rest of the spectators. Pippa hadn’t won, but she seemed happy anyway. She came over to join us with a smile on her face. Once we’d exchanged hellos, Pippa checked to make sure Rowena was doing all right.

  “I’m fine,” Rowena assured her. “You were right—it’s been good for me to get out.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” Pippa said before turning her attention to me. “Have you heard anything about Yvonne Pritchard’s murder case?”

  “Nothing recently,” I said.

  Rowena shook her head sadly. “It’s terrible what happened to her.”

  “Did you know Yvonne?” I asked.

  “I knew her name,” Rowena said. “But I’d never seen her in person until I arrived in Wildwood Cove. I hope her murder gets solved quickly. She must have family in need of closure.”

  “She has an adult daughter, I know that much,” I said. “And her ex-husband is in town.”

  “An ex-husband,” Pippa mused. “I wonder if the police are looking at him as a suspect.”

  “Let’s talk about something more pleasant,” Rowena requested, her eyes growing sadder.

  “Of course,” Pippa said quickly. “That was insensitive of me.”

  “No, don’t worry about it. But shouldn’t we be heading over to the tennis courts?”

  Pippa consulted the slender silver watch on her wrist. “You’re right. Adrian’s match is scheduled to start in twenty minutes. We’d better go find seats.”