Beyond the Garden (Magnolia Series Book 2)

by Ashley Farley

  Ellie suddenly felt light-headed and leaned into her husband for support.

  Resting his hand on the small of her back, Julian asked, “And how would you know any of this if you haven’t spoken to your brother in five years?”

  “From friends and family. Everyone except Ricky knows Lia’s a good-for-nothing slut.”

  Detective Hamlin stepped in between them. “Let’s dispense with the name calling, Mr. Bertram. Mrs. Hagood is searching for her sister regarding a family matter.”

  “I don’t give a rip about her family matter,” Joey said, pushing himself off the wall. “Her sister drove a knife into my brother’s chest just as sure as I’m standing here.”

  Heat flushed through Ellie’s body and beads of perspiration broke out on her forehead. “For your information, Mr. Bertram, the woman staying with Ricky at the Buena Vista is not my sister.” She snapped the photograph open in front of his face. “Either this mystery woman killed him, or the men he owed a lot of money finally caught up with him.”

  “Ricky was too smart to get caught by any loan shark.” He studied the picture closely. “Whoever that is didn’t mean nothing to Ricky. He always had women falling all over him. Which is why I’m surprised he fell for a tramp like Lia.” Joey looked past Ellie at the detective. “Find this woman’s sister, Detective Hamlin, and you’ve got yourself the killer.”

  Ellie planted her fists on her hips. “Since you know so much, Mr. Bertram, what motivation would my sister have for murdering your brother?”

  He coughed into his hand. “His million-dollar life insurance policy for starters.”

  Ellie worked hard not to let her surprise show. “And you know about this life insurance how?”

  “Because I’m the one who sold it to him.” He removed his wallet from his back pocket and fished out a business card. “It just so happens, I’m in the insurance business. I advised my brother against it, but he insisted on naming Lia as the beneficiary.”

  She stared at the card in his hand, but she didn’t take it from him. “You’re wrong. Lia didn’t need money. She and I recently inherited a very large estate from our grandmother.”

  Ugh! I don’t like stretching the truth, but this man’s arrogance is infuriating.

  When she turned abruptly away from him, a sudden wave of dizziness caused her to stumble. Hamlin and Julian grabbed hold of her and helped her to a nearby bench.

  Julian knelt beside her. “Are you okay, honey? Do you feel like you’re going to faint?”

  Ellie rested her head against the back of the bench. “I’m okay. I just felt lightheaded.” She noticed the detective’s concerned expression. “I’m pregnant, Detective.”

  “That explains a lot.” He held up a finger. “Wait here. I know just what you need.” He hurried down the hall and disappeared into a room on the left. He was back in a flash with a small plastic bottle of apple juice. “I have three children, Mrs. Hagood. My wife had trouble with low blood sugar during all of her pregnancies.”

  Ellie unscrewed the lid and gulped down the apple juice. She glared at Joey Bertram, who was hovering near them.

  “Give the lady some privacy, please,” Hamlin said. “Why don’t you wait for me in my office? Last door on the left at the end of the hall.”

  “I’m sorry if I upset you, Mrs. Hagood.” Joey tipped his hat to Ellie and retreated down the hall.

  “Feeling any better?” Julian asked.

  Ellie nodded. “Much.”

  “I’m sorry he was so rude to you,” Hamlin said. “I’d better go deal with him before he insults my staff. Thank you for coming in today, Mrs. Hagood. If anything else occurs to you that might help in our investigation, I would appreciate hearing from you.” He handed her a business card. “Please feel free to call me anytime.”

  “Likewise.” Ellie scribbled Julian’s cell number on the back of one of her business cards. “I’m not sure of our plans yet, but we’ll probably stay in town through the weekend. We’re at the Buena Vista. You have all of our numbers. Please let me know if you locate my sister. I desperately need to speak with her about the children.”

  “I understand. Like I said, I’m a father myself. I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Ellie

  Ellie and Julian spent the rest of the day combing the downtown area for signs of Lia. They flashed her photograph to the waitstaff at restaurants and desk clerks at any establishment offering overnight accommodations to tourists. But not one person, much to Ellie’s dismay, recognized her sister. Exhausted and downhearted, they returned to their hotel, stretched out on the bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

  The concierge at the Buena Vista recommended Michaels for dinner. Feeling refreshed after their nap, they opted to walk the mile to the restaurant to take advantage of the sweet tropical breeze. They shared the grilled-scallop salad as their starter. Then Ellie ordered the mahi-mahi, and Julian the pepper-encrusted tuna for their main courses.

  “We might as well go home tomorrow,” Ellie said over the decadent chocolate volcano for dessert. “I miss the girls, and this search is pointless. Lia is not in Key West.”

  Julian forked off a bite of his key lime pie. “I say we stay until Sunday. As Abbott reminded us, we never took a honeymoon, and once the baby comes, it’ll be difficult to get away. Why not indulge ourselves for one day?”

  “But the girls—”

  “Are fine with your father. Seriously, Ellie, they love Abbott, and he adores them. Let them have this time together.” He reached for her hand. “I’ll make love to you all night long if you’ll stay.”

  Ellie admitted the idea sounded appealing. “How can I possibly say no to romance?”

  “Who said anything about romance? I’m talking about crazy, uninhibited sex.”

  Ellie’s face grew warm. “Stop! You’re making me bashful. Let’s change the subject. I can’t believe the twins are turning four in a couple of weeks. I’d love to throw a party for them, but I’m fresh out of experience when it comes to children’s birthdays.”

  “Hmm. Let me think.” Julian crossed his arms as he sipped his decaf coffee. “I have some friends who live nearby with children about their age. Why don’t we plan a Sunday afternoon cookout for children and parents? That way the girls can make a few friends in the neighborhood, and you can meet some of the moms.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Ellie said. “Sunday seems like the ideal time to have a party like that. Do you think we can get it all together by then?”

  “Sure! Leave everything to me. We’ll keep it low-key, with a handful of families and burgers on the grill.”

  “Maybe Katie can come,” Ellie suggested. “The twins would love that.”

  The enthusiasm disappeared from his face. “I’ve got her next weekend, not the following.”

  “Doesn’t hurt to ask. She’s missed so many weekends this spring, maybe Laura will let her come both. Her soccer season should be over by then.”

  “That’s true. This weekend is her last tournament.” Julian tilted his head to the side as he considered the idea. “I’ll mention it to Katie and see what she says.”

  They discussed the birthday party at length as they strolled back to the hotel. For Julian’s sake, she tried not to think about Lia, but she found herself searching the faces on the street for her sister.

  “You need to relax, honey,” Julian said during the elevator ride up to their floor. “All this stress isn’t good for the baby. Why don’t we go for a moonlight swim?”

  Ellie reluctantly agreed, and the warm water relaxed her muscles and calmed her nerves. As promised, Julian delivered an unforgettable night of passion.

  #

  Early the next morning, when thoughts of Lia plagued her sleep, Ellie left Julian in bed and went out for a walk. After three hours of pounding the pavement in search of her sister, she gave up and returned to the hotel. She ordered hot tea from the outdoor café and called her father to report in.

 
“No luck, Dad. I don’t think she’s in Key West.” She explained about the mystery woman, their encounter with Joey Bertram, and his reference to his brother’s million-dollar life insurance policy. “We might as well come home this afternoon.”

  “Oh no, you don’t! You’re not cutting in on my time with Bella and Mya. We have a big day planned. After we photograph the Angel Tree, I promised I’d take them to the aquarium and then to Fleet Landing for dinner. The weather is perfect for eating outside on the deck.”

  The enthusiasm in her father’s voice brought a smile to Ellie’s face. “In that case, we’ll stay another night. But only if you’re sure.”

  “I’m absolutely positive. You and Julian enjoy yourselves. We’ll see you when we see you.” Abbott hung up before Ellie could object.

  She ordered a coffee for Julian and went up to the room. He was in the bathroom shaving when she arrived. “What should we do today?” she asked, wrapping her arms around him from behind and resting her head against his back.

  He wiped the remnants of shaving cream from his face and turned around to face her. He kissed her lightly on the lips. “We’ll decide after I ravish your sexy body.” He scooped her off her feet and carried her to the bed.

  They spent an hour in bed and another thirty minutes in the shower together. After devouring lobster BLTs for lunch at the Six-Toed Cat, they joined the long line of tourists waiting to tour Ernest Hemingway’s home. Next, they visited the Audubon House and the Truman Little White House. They even had their picture taken in front of the marker at the Southernmost Point. By the time they got back to the hotel, around three o’clock, they were ready to relax by the pool. Ellie was lying on her belly, reading Elin Hilderbrand’s summer release, when a shadow appeared on the ground beside her. Shielding her eyes against the sun, she was surprised to find Detective Hamlin looming over her.

  “Detective, what’re you doing here?” she said, scrambling into a sitting position.

  “I’m actually here on police business, but I’m glad I saw you. It saves me a phone call. The woman staying with Ricky Bertram at the Buena Vista has been identified as Carrie Doyle. Since the night of the murder, she’s been staying at Hawks Cay Resort up at Duck Key.”

  Ellie’s face lit up. “That’s good news! Did she confess to the murder?”

  “I wish it were that simple.” He dragged a chair over from a nearby table and sat down. “I’ve been questioning her for most of the afternoon. She claims she was at the bar in the lobby here, at the hotel, during the time of the murder. Which is why I’m here. I’ve just spoken to the bartender, who remembers seeing her. She’s quite a looker. The slinky dress she was wearing that night made an unforgettable impression on him.”

  “I failed to ask you something yesterday,” she said. “At the time, it seemed immaterial. At least to me. But did the medical examiner determine a time of death?”

  “Yes. Ricky was wearing a watch that night. An expensive Cartier that Miss Doyle claims she bought for him. The watch was broken in the struggle. The ME’s other calculations support that eight fifty was the time of death.”

  “And this bartender is certain Miss Doyle was at the bar during this time?”

  He nodded. “She asked for the check at nine o’clock. He has the receipt to prove it. After she left the bar, Miss Doyle went outside to smoke a cigarette. She claims she saw your sister hurrying out of the side entrance of the hotel. My partner is studying the surveillance video now.”

  Ellie watched a group of rowdy children playing in the pool while she considered the implications. “How does she know it was Lia? Did she ever meet her?”

  “She said she’d never met her but had seen pictures. We lifted a fingerprint from the light switch at the crime scene. It matches your sister’s. She’s in our database from a misdemeanor arrest several years ago.” Hamlin drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “There’s more. Carrie Doyle was pressuring Ricky to divorce his wife so he could marry her. When Ricky refused to consider it, she took matters into her own hands. She bought a cheap cell phone and texted Lia from it. Pretending to be Ricky, she suggested Lia come to Key West to discuss their future. She arranged a meeting between them at nine o’clock on the night of the murder. She confessed the truth to Ricky that afternoon and persuaded him to meet with Lia. Not only is she seductive, Carrie Doyle is a very wealthy woman. I can see how Ricky would have a difficult time saying no to her.”

  “Does she still have this cell phone?” Ellie asked.

  He removed a plastic bag with a flip phone in it from his pocket as evidence. “The texts corroborate her story.” He put the phone back in his pocket. “Miss Doyle was at the lobby bar for a reason. She was watching the front door, waiting for Lia to show up for the meeting.”

  “And after Lia arrived, Miss Doyle asked for the check and went outside to smoke her cigarette,” Ellie said. “If all this is true, why did she run? Why not go to the police?”

  “She claims she freaked out and wasn’t thinking straight.”

  Ellie chewed on the arm of her sunglasses. “Whether she killed Ricky or merely stumbled upon his dead body, Lia is probably long gone by now as well.”

  “Look.” Hamlin planted his elbows on his knees. “I’ll be honest with you. There are holes in her story that we’re checking out. But my hunch is she’s not the one who killed Ricky. She loved him too much.”

  Ellie wrapped her towel around her shoulders and swung her legs over the side of the lounge chair. “So you’ve crossed this Doyle woman off your list of suspects, which leaves the loan shark and my sister.”

  “That’s not entirely accurate. All three of the above remain on my persons-of-interest list.” Hamlin got up and returned his chair to the table. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Hagood. I wish I had better news for you.”

  “My husband and I are headed back to Charleston tomorrow, Detective. You have my number. Please let me know what, if anything, you find out about Lia.”

  Hamlin promised he would and left her sitting there alone, her lounge chair an island of despair among a sea of euphoric vacationers. She’d so hoped to leave Key West with her sister’s signature on the adoption papers. Lia could be anywhere. If she hadn’t spent all the money Ellie had given her, she could be halfway around the world already. In Hawaii or Europe. She wasn’t dead. That much Ellie knew.

  At least she wasn’t dead three nights ago when Carrie Doyle spotted her right here in this very hotel. We’ll never find her now. Julian was right. We’ll have to proceed with the legal guardianship and then the adoption without my sister’s approval.

  Lia had left them no choice.

  Ellie did her best to put on a pleasant face during dinner at Seven Fish that night, but all she could think about was getting home to the girls. She vowed to stop obsessing over her sister’s whereabouts and start focusing on the positive things in her life. The workmen would soon finish her kitchen, and she would share news about her pregnancy with her father. She had a gallery opening and the twins’ birthday party to plan. She had her art students to think about and her own work to concentrate on.

  They turned in before ten that night in anticipation of an early departure for the airport the following day. Exhausted from the events of the previous days, Ellie fell sound asleep. The loud ringing of her cell phone woke her during the night. She sat bolt upright and groped for her phone on the bedside table. She didn’t recognize the number. When she accepted the call, she heard faint breathing on the other end.

  “Hello! Is anyone there?” She heard a click, and the line went dead.

  Propped on one elbow, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Julian asked, “Who was that?”

  “I have no idea. Whoever it was hung up. It’s a Charleston area code. I don’t recognize the number, do you?” she asked, holding her phone out for him to see.

  He glanced down at the number. “Not off the top of my head.”

  “I hope nothing happened to Dad or the girls.” She was staring at the phone, deciding
whether to try back, when it rang again. This time she was greeted by muffled crying that sounded like a child’s.

  “Mya? Bella? Is that you? What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

  Again, the line went dead. This time, Ellie quickly returned the call. It rang four times and went into voice mail. A raspy woman’s voice announced that the Fuquas were unavailable to answer the phone, but to please leave a message at the beep.

  “Fuqua,” she said out loud. It took her a minute to place the name. “Oh my god! Ruby’s in trouble.”

  Julian shook his head to clear it. “Who’s Ruby?”

  “One of my students. I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about her. She’s the one with so much talent.” She redialed the number again and again, but each time it went into voice mail. She fell back against the pillows. “The last time I saw Ruby was during class on Thursday. I placed my hand on her shoulder while we were discussing her project. She winced, and I saw bruises on her neck. I pulled her aside after class and asked if she was having trouble at home. She assured me everything was fine, but I gave her my business card anyway and told her to call me anytime. Should I contact the police?”

  “I don’t know, honey. I can’t make that decision for you. If she’s in danger, dragging the police into it could make it worse.”

  “Or it could save her life.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Ellie

  Ellie never closed her eyes again that night. She was showered, dressed, and packed by the time the sun came up. She waited thirty minutes before calling the principal at Peninsula Elementary. Rose Bellamy was less than thrilled at being disturbed so early on a Sunday morning. She grumbled something about looking into the situation and warned Ellie about getting personally involved with her students.

  She tossed the phone on the bed beside Julian. “Am I supposed to just ignore it when there’s a chance a child is in danger?”