Murder on the East Coast: A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery

by Dianne Harman

  Celia broke the mood and said, “Megan, why don’t you sit down in the chair next to Marcy? Kelly, you can sit in the chair over there. Marcy, ladies, may I bring you something?”

  “I’d like you to take a bottle of champagne out of the wine cooler. It’s been a long time since this house has had something to celebrate, but tonight we will celebrate.” She turned to Kelly. “Please tell me everything. All I know is Clint called and asked me to get an attorney for him, that he was being framed for something he didn’t do.”

  “Wait, Marcy. Before Kelly starts, I think a toast would be in order and I’d like to make it,” Celia said as she filled the crystal champagne flutes. “It a very simple toast, but given the circumstances, one I think is most appropriate.” She held her glass up and said, “To new beginnings.” They lightly touched the other’s glasses and took a sip of the Dom Perignon champagne.

  “Well, this is a first,” Kelly said. “I’ve heard the name, but I’ve never tasted Dom Perignon champagne before. It’s delicious, but it sets an awfully high benchmark.”

  “That’s what comes with being a Boston Brahmin. You develop expensive tastes and habits,” Marcy said, laughing.

  “What’s a Boston Brahmin?” Kelly asked.

  “I think it was Oliver Wendell Holmes who coined the phrase in the late 19th century. It refers to the upper class of Boston, and like it or not, I guess that’s what we are, or so people tell me. Now Kelly, I want to hear everything that happened from the time you left here yesterday, even everything about Clint. Don’t try to spare my feelings.”

  Celia walked over to her. “Marcy, are you sure you’re up to this. You’ve had a pretty big day already.”

  “Yes,” she said emphatically. “I may be old, and I may have been diagnosed with stage four cancer, but all of that is just words. Now that I’ve met my granddaughter, I’ve never felt better in my life. Kelly, tell me.”

  Kelly started with Ryan picking her up at the Portland airport and ended with Jasper picking Megan and her up at the Boston airport. Marcy listened to everything, devoid of emotion. When Kelly was finished she turned to Celia and said in a clear commanding voice, “I want you to call William and ask him to come over here right now. I want to draw up a new will. Tell him to bring whatever he has to bring in order to print it up right here and now. I want to sign it yet today, so ask him to bring a couple of witnesses.”

  “Marcy, can’t that wait until tomorrow morning? Like I said earlier, this has been one of the biggest days you’ve had in a long time,” Celia said.

  “Absolutely not. What if I died in my sleep tonight, and Clint inherited everything? No, I’m disinheriting him. He murdered my daughter and tried to murder my granddaughter. I can never forgive him for that. Let him get a public defender. Not a penny of my money will go to him ever again.” She turned to Megan and said, “I know all of this has to be a shock for you, and it is for me as well, but I’m going to make you my principal beneficiary. Of course I’ll take care of Celia and some of my other staff members, plus a few of my charities, but the bulk of my estate is going to go to you. I hope that’s all right with you.”

  “I don’t know what to say. I never came here today expecting anything. I simply wanted to meet you. I don’t need your money. I’m very successful in my own profession,” Megan said sitting up straighter in her chair.

  “Be that as it may, it’s still what I’m going to do for now. If we decide we don’t like each other, I can always change it, but that’s what I’m going to do. Now make an old woman happy and say, thank you, grandmother,” Marcy said with a grin on her face and a twinkle in her eye.

  “Thank you, grandmother,” Megan said, grinning back at her.

  Celia went into the other room and returned a few minutes later. “William said he was on his way.”

  “Good. There are advantages to paying a lawyer well over a million dollars a year. It may be an inconvenient time for him, but I had no doubt he’d come.”

  “Marcy, it’s almost 7:00, and I took the liberty of calling Mark and asking him if he could stop by, so I could talk to him,” Kelly said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Not in the least. I told you how much I like him and how sorry I was when Julie told me she was going to divorce him. We’ll ask him to stay for dinner. The cook is making a prime rib dinner with all the trimmings. How much time do you think you’ll need to talk with him?”

  “Probably about half an hour. I’d like to talk to him in private, if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not. Why don’t you use my study? Celia, would you make sure the lamps are turned on in there?”

  “Of course,” she said getting up and walking into the room across the hall. Just then the doorbell rang and they all heard the maid say, “Welcome Mr. Jensen. It’s good to see you again.”

  “Thank you. Where is everybody?”

  “They’re in the drawing room. You know where it is.”

  They all looked up as Mark walked into the room. He took one look at Megan and his eyes went wide in disbelief. He turned to Marcy and said, “What in the world is going on? I thought Julie was dead.”

  “She is. This is her daughter Megan. They share a remarkable similarity, don’t they? I believe Kelly told you about her.”

  He walked over to Megan and said, “You’re just as beautiful as your mother. I’m so glad to meet you.” He put his hand out and they shook hands.

  “Mark, don’t bother sitting down. I need to talk to you. Let’s go into Marcy’s study,” Kelly said.

  As they walked across the hall, the doorbell rang and they heard the maid say to the Logan’s family attorney, “It’s good to see you, sir. Mrs. Logan is waiting for you in the drawing room.”

  CHAPTER 28

  “Kelly, what’s going on? And what are you and Megan doing here? I don’t understand what’s going on,” Mark said as they sat down in front of a desk in the study.

  “A lot has taken place since I saw you yesterday. Just listen to me, and I think it will all become clear.”

  She told him everything that had happened yesterday and about Clint.

  “That’s horrific. Poor Marcy. She doesn’t deserve this. To lose your daughter and then essentially lose your son. How is she taking it?”

  “Better than I would have thought. I think having a relationship with Megan is the best thing that could have happened to her right now. It may even give her a reason to live. I kind of believe that our thoughts somewhat dictate the state of our health, and if she’s thinking positive thoughts, who knows, maybe the experimental drug will work and give the two of them some time together. That’s not the reason I wanted you to come, though.”

  “Seems like plenty enough reason for me,” he said.

  “There’s more to it. When I talked to you the night before last I didn’t tell you that Marcy had given Julie a graduation gift of ten million dollars.” She sat back and watched his reaction.

  “Wow,” he said visibly impressed. “That’s a lot of money. Did she leave it to Megan?”

  “No. Julie never made a new will after the two of you separated and she moved to Oregon. You are the sole beneficiary of her estate and that includes the ten million dollars. Her attorney will be getting in touch with you. You’re also inheriting Julie’s home in Portland, and I can tell you it’s both beautiful and utterly charming. Actually, you might think about using it during the winter months when it’s so miserable in Maine. I would think that ten million dollars will certainly make your financial problems regarding the Harbor House go away.”

  Mark sat perfectly still, clearly stunned. Kelly noticed his eyes were bright with unshed tears. “Mark, are you all right?” she asked.

  “No, I’m probably not. This is all surreal. First to have Julie brought back to life in the form of her daughter, and then with a few words, someone completely eliminates the money worries that have kept me from having a good night’s sleep for the past two years. Kelly, it’s a lot to take in.”

/>   “I’m sure it is, but it’s a done deal and completely legitimate. The attorney who will be getting in touch with you is Ryan ­­­­­­­­­­­­­Murphy. He’s a nice guy. Of course I could be prejudiced since he saved Megan’s life and my life! We probably need to go join the others, and Mrs. Logan insists you stay for dinner.”

  “Wait. Doesn’t Megan have a legal right to that money? As Julie’s daughter, I would think she’d be entitled to it.”

  “I wondered the same thing, but Ryan told me when a parent gives a child up for adoption, all ties are essentially cut. In other words, the child gets nothing from the biological parent and vice-versa. He said Julie’s will would hold up in any court of law, and really, since Megan’s an attorney and adoption law is her specialty, I’m sure she’s aware of it. One thing I haven’t told you is that Megan really won’t need the money. Mrs. Logan is meeting with her attorney as we speak and drawing up a new will. She’s going to leave the majority of her estate to Megan and completely disinherit Clint.”

  “I don’t know what to say. Nothing in my life could have prepared me for this moment.”

  “I don’t think it could have prepared anyone, if that’s any consolation. Let’s go eat dinner.”

  *****

  Later that night Kelly got into bed and prepared to text Mike and tell him about the events of the day. She knew he’d probably been on pins and needles all day wondering what had happened. She took her phone out of her purse and saw there was a message from Stephanie.

  “Sorry you weren’t here for the meeting with Sophie this afternoon. What she told me was shocking, to say the least. It turns out she flew to Norfolk on Friday, intending to murder Julie. She told me she was insanely jealous of Julie and simply freaked out. Before she left, she found a man on the Internet that lives in Norfolk who sells guns to private parties with no questions asked. Apparently that’s legal under Virginia’s very liberal gun control laws. She purchased a gun from him and on Saturday she attended the graduation. She went to Julie’s room late that afternoon, having gotten the room number from a receptionist she bribed.

  When she got to the room, the door was open, and she saw Julie lying on the floor in a pool of blood, and it looked like she’d been shot. She left immediately, drove to a nearby fast food restaurant that had a large trash bin in the back, and dropped the gun in it. Then she drove to the airport and took a late flight back to Portland.

  I couldn’t believe what she was telling me. I asked her why she hadn’t called the police, and she told me she was sure she’d be a suspect, which probably would have been true. She said she panicked. She was so relieved when I told her Clint was the murderer.

  After that we talked about her job. Sophie said she knew she could have lied to me about why she’d gone to Norfolk. She said she thought about telling me she’d flown there to talk to Julie and apologize to her for some of the things Sophie had said about her. She told me she must have lost her mind for a while, because she’d never done anything like that in her life, and the more she thought about what she’d almost done, she more she felt sick about it.

  She asked me if I would give her another chance at work. Sophie said she loved her job and found it hard to believe she’d done what she did. I told her I didn’t know what to do. I said on one hand I was very uncomfortable having her work for me based on what I’d seen of her the last few months. I also told her she’d been a very good employee prior to her problems with Julie. We talked for a long time, and the bottom line is I’ve given her another chance, and she will work directly under me. We decided we’d see how we both felt about it at the end of six months. I hope it works out. Who knows? Maybe her horoscope was right for a little while at least. You might become a believer yet! See you soon.”

  CHAPTER 29

  “Mrs. Reynolds, I’m going to miss you. What a whirlwind of things have happened at the Logan house since you first met with Mrs. Logan a few days ago.”

  “Thanks, Jasper. It’s been quite a week, and I’m certainly looking forward to going home, playing with my dogs, and cooking for my husband before I have to get back to work. I really appreciate your texting me about Clint. Obviously your suspicions were well-grounded.” She opened the door while he got her luggage out of the trunk. Kelly reached up and put her hand on his cheek. “Again, thanks for everything. You take care of everyone.” She turned and walked into the terminal.

  Six hours later she walked out the arrival door at the Portland Airport and saw Liz waving to her. She walked over to Liz’s car, put her luggage in the back seat, and said, “Thanks again for picking me up. I think I owe you big time. One round trip to the Portland Airport from Cedar Bay is a big deal. Two round trips are above and beyond friendship.”

  “I probably wouldn’t do it for just anyone, but given what you’ve done for Doc and me, consider the debt being paid in increments. Mike filled me in on what happened in Boston, and even though it was emotional it sounds like it went well.”

  Liz was a psychologist, so she was always interested in emotional issues. “Liz, I would say it went beyond well. When I left this morning, Megan and Marcy were practically beaming with pleasure at being together. I don’t know what the future holds for either of them, but it seems to be a lot better than the past.”

  “Kelly, they all owe you a huge debt of gratitude. If it hadn’t been for you, this never would have happened.”

  “Who knows? I’m just glad I had a chance to play a role in all of it. Now, if I can get Mike up to Maine to the Harbor House and take advantage of the cottage Mark said I could always stay in for free, then it really would be worthwhile.”

  “I wouldn’t complain. You’ve been to Cuba and Italy recently. That’s not too shabby for a woman who’d barely made it out of Oregon prior to marrying Mike.”

  “That’s true, but now that I’ve had a taste of travel, I’ve gotten to like it. I’ll have to think of somewhere else to go. Actually, I’d kind of like to go to Spain. I’ve always been fascinated by the country, and I could learn how to make some Spanish food I could serve at the coffee shop. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

  “Why don’t you just sit back and relax?” Liz said. “You might even try to close your eyes. Rather imagine with everything that’s happened recently you’re probably sleep deprived and don’t even know it.

  “Think I’ll take you up on that,” Kelly said as she closed her eyes and was soon dreaming of Spanish food and Michelin starred restaurants.

  EPILOGUE

  One morning a month later, Kelly’s phone rang. “This is Kelly Reynolds.”

  “Kelly, I’m glad you answered. It’s Megan Simmons. I had some business in Portland, and if you’re going to be home around noon, I’d like to drive down and talk to you.”

  “I’d love it. I’ve wondered how everything went after I left Boston. See you at noon. Plan on lunch. I’ll come up with something.”

  Kelly looked down at the three furry bodies standing at her feet eagerly wagging their tails, and letting her know they’d like a little attention. “Sorry, guys. I need to come up with something for lunch. Maybe Megan will pay some attention to you when she gets here.”

  Two hours later she put the finishing touches on the Caesar salads she’d made which were topped with sliced chicken. She turned the oven on for the biscuits and made a large pitcher of iced tea. For dessert she’d prepared a sauce with fresh blueberries which she planned to serve over vanilla bean ice cream. Since it was just the two of them, Kelly decided to eat in the kitchen, so she set the kitchen table with placemats and napkins in bright summery colors. When she heard Megan’s car pull into the driveway she put the biscuits in the oven.

  Momentarily there was a knock on the door, and she hurried to open it. Megan was standing there with the largest bouquet of pink roses Kelly had ever seen. She gasped and said, “What is this?”

  “This is my way of saying thank you,” Megan said as she walked into the house, handed Kelly the bouquet, and hugged her. “Where are tho
se adorable dogs I never got to play with the last time I was here?”

  “They’re in the back yard. You can let them in while I find a vase large enough to hold this bouquet.”

  A few moments later Megan was on the floor, trying to give belly rubs to three dogs that were whimpering with delight. She stood up and said, “Later, guys. I need to talk to Kelly right now.”

  “Megan, why don’t you sit down at the kitchen table? Let me dress the salads, and by the time I’m finished with that the biscuits should be done.” She put the pitcher of iced tea on the table and poured Megan a glass. A minute later Kelly sat down at the table and joined her.

  “So tell me everything. What happened after I left Boston?”

  Megan took a bite of salad and broke off a piece of her biscuit. “This is delicious, Kelly. Thanks.”

  “Glad you like it. Start with when I left.”

  “All right,” Megan said. “I spent the rest of the weekend at the Logan House and flew back to Portland on Sunday night. Kelly, my grandmother is simply incredible. You’d given me the Logan Family History book, and she and I spent a lot of time going over it, so I could get a sense of who everyone was in the family. She’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met, and I have to say really brave.”

  “Did she talk about Clint?” Kelly asked.

  “Yes. She said sometimes there’s just a bad seed in a family, and she felt he was that bad seed. Grandmother told me she’d felt guilty for years, blaming herself for Clint’s behavior and that somehow she was responsible for the way he’d turned out. Given the fact he murdered my mother and tried to murder you and me absolved her of any further thoughts and feelings of guilt about her relationship with Clint. She said she may have made mistakes in her life, but she never made one as bad as her failure to recognize and accept the fact that Clint was simply rotten to the core. Actually, I think it’s a very healthy way for her to look at the situation.”