Berries and Birthdays_A Cozy Murder Mystery

by Leena Clover

David’s wife came out with coffee and cookies.

  “You’re doing us a big favor,” Jenny gushed.

  “No worries,” David assured her. “We do it all the time.”

  Jenny had no idea what he meant by that but she stayed silent.

  David came out with the boxes and set them down on a table.

  “I promised my wife I would mow the lawn today,” he told Jenny. “Feel free to take your time.”

  Jenny found a stack of journals in one box, written in German.

  “We can’t read these anyway,” she told Heather. “But I guess these belonged to the aunt. See the name here?”

  The second box was full of photos. Most of the photos were faded. Some had water stains on them and others had dog’s ears. But the men and women in them stood out.

  “This is like stepping back in time,” Heather said, looking gobsmacked. “Look at what they are wearing, Jenny.”

  “These are different from the ones I saw,” Jenny said right away. “The people in these photos look happy.”

  David’s wife heard her.

  “These photos span several years,” she explained. “Many of them were taken in the 1920s and 1930s. Before the war!”

  “Who are all these people?” Jenny asked.

  “David’s family were well off,” his wife told them. “They were one of the richest families in Munich. Their parties and soirees were legendary. All sorts of people were invited to these events.”

  Heather grabbed Jenny’s arms and pointed out tiny details from the photos. Women dressed in jewels and shimmering gowns and men wearing dinner jackets and uniforms were surrounded by lavish buffet tables and waiters serving champagne. The people in the photos were laughing without a single care in the world.

  Jenny put her finger on a short, stocky man with a broken nose.

  “This is him,” she whispered to Heather.

  Jenny turned the photo around and found some names written on the back. ‘Asher Cohen’ was one of them. Jenny set the photo aside and rifled through the rest of the pictures. The man appeared in several photos. She set them all aside. Some of them labeled him as Asher Cohen. Some didn’t have any legend at the back.

  “Do you believe me now?” she asked Heather.

  Heather was feeling out of her depth. She just shrugged and said nothing.

  “Do you know who this is?” Jenny asked David’s wife.

  David Gold came in just then. He had worked up a sweat. He excused himself for a minute and came back, wiping himself off with a towel.

  He looked at the photo and flipped it over.

  “Oh, Asher! He was one of my grandpa’s close friends.”

  “Do you know where he is now?” Jenny asked eagerly.

  “We don’t know,” David said. “Grandpa didn’t wait around till the end. He had the means to buy passage for his entire family and he used them. His friends weren’t so lucky. Some of them were too optimistic. Many didn’t believe things would deteriorate that much.”

  “How many people have seen these photos?” Jenny asked.

  “Dozens,” David told them. “Grandpa and Dad both belonged to an association of Holocaust survivors. They had quarterly meetings. People talked about their experiences, swapped stories. These boxes were brought out every time.”

  “What about this box you found recently?” Jenny inquired.

  “I have continued the tradition,” David told her proudly. “We still have meetings here, even after Dad moved to Florida. I’m the third generation Gold living in this house, you see. I bought it from my Dad.”

  “Have you ever been to Pelican Cove?” Jenny asked.

  “Never heard of it,” David said glibly.

  “Can I take a couple of pictures of these photos?” Jenny asked. “I want to show them to someone.”

  “Sure,” David shrugged. “People used to get photocopies earlier. But there’s no need for that now, of course.”

  Jenny thanked David Gold for his time. Heather groaned when they got into the car.

  “My head’s reeling,” she complained. “What was all that about? Why didn’t you tell him your friend’s name was also Asher Cohen?”

  “I don’t trust that man,” Jenny spit out. “Don’t you see? His family had ties with the real Asher Cohen.”

  “So what?”

  “We don’t know what happened to the real Asher Cohen,” Jenny thought out loud. “I guess no one did for a long time.”

  “What are you thinking?” Heather asked.

  “What if David Gold or his father came across our Asher? They would know he was an impostor.”

  “So what?” Heather argued. “Is that enough of a reason to kill him?”

  “We need to find out if David Gold ever came to Pelican Cove.”

  “He said he didn’t, Jenny.”

  “He could be lying!” Jenny wailed. “Pay attention, Heather.”

  “How are you going to find that out?” Heather asked. “And before you ask, no, I don’t think he ever stayed at the Bayview Inn.”

  “What about other hotels in the area?” Jenny shot back. “I might need your help with this, Heather.”

  Being an inn owner, Heather was part of a local group of inn keepers. They helped each other out in need.

  “Okay,” Heather sighed. “I will send an email to the group. If David ever visited the area, we’ll find out soon enough.”

  “That’s all I want,” Jenny smiled.

  “Why did you click those photos?”

  “For Linda,” Jenny explained. “I want to show them to her, just in case.”

  Jenny wondered if Linda knew the man in the photo by another name. But that didn’t make any sense to her either.

  “So was this trip useful?” Heather asked. “Or are we back where we started?”

  “We have a suspect outside the family,” Jenny said.

  “What’s the motive?”

  “I don’t know,” Jenny admitted. “Some old vendetta? Maybe Asher Cohen wasn’t a friend of the Gold family. We only have David’s word for it.”

  “How does that matter?” Heather argued. “Our Asher isn’t the real Asher anyway.”

  “Oh, right!” Jenny said, rolling her eyes. “That’s it. Let’s talk about something else.”

  Jenny had a quiet dinner with her aunt that evening. Jimmy didn’t join them that night.

  “Where’s Jimmy?” Jenny asked.

  Her aunt’s expression hardened but she didn’t say anything.

  “Don’t be too tough on him,” Jenny told her. “He needs you.”

  “He needs the bottle more,” Star said curtly. “He’s made his choice clear.”

  “That’s harsh,” Jenny said.

  “I’ve been alone all these years,” Star said. “I’m used to it. Why complicate things?”

  “Do you like Jimmy?” Jenny asked.

  “I like him,” Star nodded. “The question is, should I let him uproot my life?”

  “That depends on how much you like him,” Jenny said sagely. “You told me yourself – he has to take it one day at a time. I think that applies to you too if you want to support him. Every day is going to bring fresh challenges for the both of you.”

  “Do you think I’m too old?” Star asked miserably.

  Jenny read between the lines.

  “You’re never too old for love,” she smiled. “You are a strong woman, Star. I know you can do this.”

  A tear rolled down Star’s cheek. Jenny got up and hugged her aunt.

  “You can do this,” she whispered as she kissed the top of her head.

  Jenny stepped out for her walk, hoping to run into Adam.

  Jenny breathed in the familiar scent of roses from Seaview’s garden. She decided she would invite Star to live with her at Seaview. They could always rent out Star’s cottage.

  Adam was throwing a ball for Tank, his yellow Labrador. Tank abandoned the ball as soon as he saw Jenny. He put his paws on her shoulders and licked her nose.

&nb
sp; “Get off me, you brute,” Jenny laughed, kissing Tank on the head.

  “How was your trip to the city?” Adam asked Jenny. “Any luck?”

  “Too soon to say,” Jenny said, trying to sound noncommittal. “What about Todd, Asher’s son-in-law?”

  “He’s our top suspect now,” Adam said grimly. “You’ll probably hear this through the grapevine so I don’t mind telling you. Todd had a big argument with Asher the day before the party. This was at the Rusty Anchor. Dozens of people saw them.”

  “So what?” Jenny asked.

  “He warned the old man to lay off or else…”

  “What does the family think?”

  “That old guy came to see me,” Adam said. “The one who lives in Florida?”

  “Walter?” Jenny asked.

  “Right. The siblings are not too keen on Todd. They think Dawn married down. She’s better off ditching him and coming to live with Linda.”

  “That’s all fine,” Jenny said. “But what about Dawn?”

  “I’m talking to her tomorrow,” Adam told her.

  “You mean you’re bringing her in?” Jenny asked. “Is Dawn a suspect too?”

  “You know how the police work,” Adam sighed. “Everyone is a suspect until I clear them.”

  “This whole Asher business might take a different turn,” Jenny said.

  “Are you still thinking this is a hate crime?” Adam burst out. “That’s a fantastic theory, Jenny.”

  “I don’t know what to think any more,” Jenny admitted. “This whole thing’s a big mess.”

  “My money’s on the family,” Adam said. “There’s just too many of them, and they had plenty of reasons to kill the old man.”

  “Let’s forget about them for a while,” Jenny said.

  She sat down in the sand and stared at the ocean. The waves came up to her toes and receded, leaving a layer of foam behind.

  Adam settled down next to her. Tank squeezed in between them and Adam pushed him away.

  “Why haven’t we had dinner again?” he asked her.

  “That’s because you haven’t asked me out on a second date, Adam Hopkins.”

  Chapter 19

  “I sent an email to the group,” Heather told Jenny.

  The Magnolias were having coffee and tasting a batch of warm donuts Jenny had just fried up. It was a new recipe she was working on.

  “Add sprinkles on top,” Molly advised. “Donuts always look good with sprinkles.”

  “They don’t really add any taste,” Betty Sue argued. “What’s wrong with a plain glazed donut?”

  Jenny ignored the usual chatter and pulled Heather aside.

  “When do you think you will hear back from them?”

  “Hard to say,” Heather said with a shrug.

  “I better go see Linda,” Jenny said resolutely. “You fancy a swim?”

  Jason ended up accompanying Jenny to the Cohen estate that afternoon.

  “What’s your excuse to come with me?” Jenny asked.

  “I need Linda’s signatures on some papers,” he said. “And I don’t need an excuse. She’s my aunt.”

  Linda was happy to see them. She wore a cheery smile that day and Jenny was glad to see her looking so buoyant.

  “Anything new?” she asked Jenny. “The police are talking to Dawn today. As if my Dawn would do anything to harm her father.”

  “I want to show you some pictures,” Jenny told her.

  She pulled up the photos on her phone and handed them over to Linda.

  “Who are all these people?” Linda asked, bewildered.

  “They might have been Asher’s friends,” Jenny said. “From way back when he was in Germany.”

  “He never talked about that time,” Linda said. “I already told you that.”

  “I know,” Jenny soothed. “But some of these people might have come to America, just like Asher did. Why don’t you take a look?”

  Linda peered at the photos, shaking her head.

  “Boy, these folks look weird.”

  “Anyone you know?” Jenny prompted.

  She held herself from actually pointing out the real Asher. She didn’t want to bias Linda.

  “Never laid eyes on any of these.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, Jenny, I’m sure.”

  Jenny tried to hide her disappointment.

  “What’s special about these pictures?” Linda asked. “And where did you get them?”

  “It’s a long story,” Jenny mumbled.

  Jason led her to the pool. Walter, Emma and Heidi sat under a canvas awning, sipping sundowners. Todd Buckler was in the water with his little girl. He glared at Jenny and turned his back on her.

  “What’s the story behind those photos?” Jason asked her as he slipped on his goggles.

  “Let’s talk on the way back,” Jenny promised.

  Jason whistled when he heard Jenny’s story.

  “Do you think it’s all too farfetched?” Jenny challenged him.

  “It’s amazing what you come up with, Jenny,” he said. “Are you saying Linda’s name isn’t Cohen?”

  “I don’t know about that,” Jenny admitted. “Linda’s husband may have entered the country with this name. So it’s his official name alright. You’re the lawyer, Jason.”

  “I know,” Jason groaned. “But this is all so convoluted.”

  “I’m going to try and get to the bottom of this,” Jenny promised. “Heather might have some update.”

  “Let’s go to the Bayview Inn then.”

  Jason and Jenny hurried inside the inn. Heather shook her head as soon as she saw Jenny.

  “Most of the group members have replied,” she told her. “None of them had David Gold as a guest.”

  “What if he registered under a false name?” Jenny demanded.

  Heather grimaced. “Don’t make this more complicated.”

  “I’m just thinking of the possibilities,” Jenny shot back. “I think David Gold is involved.”

  “Want me to do a background search?” Jason offered. “I can get someone to do it for me.”

  “Not yet,” Jenny stalled. “I’m going to try an ordinary Internet search first.”

  “Why don’t we grab some dinner and go to your place?” Jason suggested.

  The trio headed to Mama Rosa’s, the best and only pizza place in town. Jason ordered two large pies. Jenny forced him to add some salads to the order.

  “What about dessert?”

  “I have some leftover chocolate cake at home,” Jenny told him.

  Jimmy Parsons was back on the porch of Star’s cottage. Jenny was relieved to see them both smiling. Her aunt had apparently reconciled with Jimmy.

  Jimmy mouthed a silent thank you when she handed him a plate piled with salad and pizza. She knew he was thanking her for more than the food.

  “Why don’t we finish eating first?” Jason suggested between bites of pizza.

  Jenny finally fired up her laptop and ran a search for David Gold.

  “It’s a common name,” Jenny wailed as she stared at the thousands of results the computer threw back at her. “There seems to be a David Gold in every profession.”

  “Calm down,” Jason advised. “You know where this guy lives, right? Why don’t you narrow it down by location?”

  “Forget all this,” Heather said. “Just check on social media.”

  Jenny surrendered and loaded up a popular social media portal. After a few attempts, she hit pay dirt.

  “This is him alright,” she said, looking at a young man with a familiar aquiline nose.

  He was smiling into the camera, holding a baby in his arms.

  “We are in luck,” Heather squealed. “He has posted plenty of photos.”

  Jenny clicked through photos of David and his family. There were photos of him and his wife on vacation in various exotic places. Then there were photos with the baby. Jenny could watch the child growing up in the photos.

  “Looks like they
haven’t taken too many vacations since the baby was born,” Jason observed.

  “A baby ties you down,” Jenny said knowingly.

  “They just drove to nearby places,” Heather said, reading the comments on the photos. “Look, here they are in Ocean City.”

  “Ocean City!” Jenny exclaimed. “That’s close enough.”

  “That was a month ago,” Heather pointed out.

  “It proves nothing, Jenny,” Jason winced.

  “It shows he is familiar with the area,” Jenny said.

  “You are grasping at straws,” Jason warned. “What are you looking for anyway?”

  “I want to see if David Gold ever came to Pelican Cove. He told us he didn’t.”

  Heather was clicking wildly on David Gold’s profile, reading the names of his family members and friends. Jenny sat back and rubbed her temples, irked at reaching another dead end.

  “Stop!” she cried suddenly.

  She pointed at the photo of an older man.

  “I know that man.”

  “You do?” Heather quizzed. “David has listed him as a friend.”

  Jenny seemed uncertain.

  “I mean, I have seen him somewhere.”

  Jason peered at the photo Jenny was pointing at.

  “Looks pretty ordinary to me, Jenny. Are you sure you saw the same man? Where did you see him?”

  “I saw him recently,” Jenny maintained. “It must have been at the café.”

  “He could have been a tourist,” Jason offered.

  “I’ve never seen him,” Heather said firmly.

  “Let’s ask Star,” Jenny pleaded. “She gets around a lot.”

  Star and Jimmy were summoned and shown the photo.

  “What’s he doing here?” Jimmy exclaimed. “That’s the guy who lives in one of my cottages,” he told Star. “The one who’s writing that book about birds.”

  “Ira Brown!” Jenny gasped. “How could I forget him.”

  “That’s right,” Jimmy nodded. “He was really impressed by the lunch you gave him at the Boardwalk Café.”

  “You’ve actually met this guy?” Jason asked.

  “And I’m going to meet him again tomorrow.”

  “I need to get home, Jenny,” Heather said, stifling a yawn. “I have to cut up the fruit for tomorrow’s breakfast before I turn in.”

  The group broke up after that.

  Jenny tossed and turned all night, eager to talk to Ira Brown the next day. Jimmy had agreed to get her an appointment with the man.