Murder's a Beach

by Agatha Ball

  "Nate should buy you that."

  I turned around and Trevor was standing in the grassy aisle, looking at me in the way he used to look at me when we first began dating. It was sort of this wistful admiration.

  If I was honest with myself, I'm not sure when we dated if I liked him for him, or if I liked how he made me feel. When a guy looks at you like you're the most gorgeous woman he's ever laid eyes on, it takes a lot for an unattached girl not to fall for it.

  Fortunately, I was older and wiser. AND I had a guy who was worth ten Trevors.

  "Speak of the devil," I said, then regretting my words. "I meant, I was just talking about you with Johnny."

  "Really?" he asked, his mouth crinkling into a mischievous smile. "And what were you saying about me?"

  And then I realized I absolutely couldn't tell him that we were talking about was whether or not the red stuff on his hands implicated him as an attempted murderer, thank you very much, and have a nice day.

  "Oh, just... Johnny broke up with his girlfriend and I was telling him that things can be awkward, but sometimes you can still be friends with your exes," I lied.

  The reason that Trevor got into political science is that he's super competitive. Just like how I didn't know if I ever liked him for him or him for the way he made me feel, I think there were a lot of decisions he made, not because he wanted the prize, but because a challenge had been thrown down. I realized that by letting him know he was classified in my mind the same as Johnny, he suddenly decided he should be classified as something more.

  "Is that what we are, Paige?" asked Trevor, suddenly stepping in close to me and picking something out of my hair. His fingers lingered. "Friends?"

  "I hope so...?" I countered.

  He smiled, then slipped his arm around my waist. It felt so natural and comfortable, I forgot for a moment that he wasn't allowed to touch me that way anymore. I put a little bit of distance between us.

  "We are most definitely friends," I emphasized, stepping away.

  He shrugged and looked off into the distance. "I don't know, Paige. I guess... I guess maybe it's just the summer and the beach and all of these people walking around together, but... It's just got me thinking about us."

  "Um... you were the one who put an end to us, if I remember correctly," I pointed out.

  "I just... I have just been thinking that maybe it was a big mistake."

  I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my lips. "A big mistake?" I said. I realized how just a couple months ago, I would have done anything to hear him say those words. But now they held absolutely no weight or truth. He just wanted to be top dog.

  "I just... I just thought that maybe I would ask how serious things are between you and Nate."

  "Well," I said. "We're exclusive. And we really like each other."

  "Are you sure you're exclusive?" he asked.

  My eyes narrowed, wondering what game he was playing. "Why?"

  "Well, I just saw him spending a lot of time with that blonde girl. What's her name? Madison? The one from the development company?"

  I almost guffawed at his lame attempt to make me jealous. "Oh, there is NOTHING going on there," I assured him.

  "Are you sure?"

  "Yes. I am absolutely, positively, without a doubt sure."

  "I just saw them walking around the beach together and eating lunch together and it seems like every time I turn around, he's with her and not with you. And you deserve better than that. You deserve a guy who really appreciates you and treats you right."

  "And you think that you're that guy?" I replied, folding my arms with incredulity. "A man currently hitting on another man's girlfriend?"

  He shrugged. "We were good together, Paige. Say what you will, we had a lot of fun."

  I spoke slowly and clearly so that there would be no misunderstanding between the two of us. "I'm involved in a relationship with a guy I really like."

  "I know..." Trevor sighed. "I guess... I guess it's just being here and feeling so alone and being so grateful to have you here. It's just messing with my head. It's hard to feel alone."

  "You're not alone," I tried to reassure him, while also making it clear that I couldn't be the remedy for the 'alone'.

  "My uncle is in prison. Everyone thinks I’m a murderer. I know no one here. It is just hard." He looked at me with great big puppy-dog eyes. "Could I have a hug?"

  It's hard when you have a history with someone and you sort of see the red flags, but you have a history with that person. You don't want to be a jerk, but at the same time... I sighed. It was just a friendly hug. "Um... sure," I said.

  I put my arms around his waist, but also made sure to keep our lower halves in different global hemispheres.

  "Mmmmm... that feels so good," he sighed, rubbing my back as he held on to me.

  "That's enough," I stated, pulling away.

  "Okay..." he said, still not letting go.

  And that's when I looked over and saw Nate standing there staring at me. Madison's arm was linked through his and her jaw was dropped in shock. I pushed Trevor away.

  "Um... hey," said Nate.

  Trevor turned and his face turned red. "Um... that wasn't what it looked like. I wasn't macking on your woman."

  "She's a grown adult and can do whatever she'd like," Nate said, but there was a little hurt in his eyes. "Is Trevor someone you would... like... to..." he started to say.

  "No! NO!" I answered back. "He said he was just sad and needed a hug and—"

  "Right," said Nate, detaching himself from Madison. "Um, I'm not feeling so well right now. If you'll excuse me."

  He turned and walked away swiftly. I turned and punched Trevor in the arm. "IDIOT!" I said.

  "Paige, I'm really, REALLY sorry. I did not mean to cause trouble."

  "Yes, you did," I said, pointing a finger at him. "You knew exactly what you were doing."

  I turned and stormed after Nate, glancing over my shoulder to give Trevor a death glare. I caught him looking down at the ground guiltily while Madison slid her finger up his arm suggestively. I had no idea what was going on there but I didn't like it.

  Nate was walking towards the beach when I caught up with him. I grabbed his arm.

  "Nate! Stop! It's not—"

  He held up his hands, unable to meet my eyes. "No, Paige, you don't need to explain. Like I said, you and me? We're just... I mean... We're here for the summer and we're having a great time and you are free to be with whoever you want to be with."

  "Nate," I said, stopping him. "I want to be with you. Trevor and I dated, but that was a long time ago and I don't feel for him that way anymore."

  "It's okay if you do," said Nate. "I would understand. Exes can be complicated."

  "Exes you still have feelings for are complicated. Exes you don't care about aren't. Trevor had just said that he was having a bad day and asked for a hug."

  "Which is TOTALLY cool," Nate insisted.

  "But he hung on and wouldn't let go."

  "Well, that part isn't cool." He reached out. "Are you okay? Did he make you feel uncomfortable?"

  "Yes, he did," I replied, allowing him to take me into his arms. "I don't like that feeling at all."

  "I'll go talk to him if you'd like," offered Nate.

  "No," I replied, with a sigh. "I am going to have to set some really hard boundaries with him." I leaned against him. "Thanks for taking my side."

  "Of COURSE!" said Nate, horrified.

  "It's not the way Trevor would have handled things." I looked up at Nate and smiled. "And that would be one of the many reasons I'm with you and not a guy like him."

  "Well, I bet it was really strange to look up and see Madison's arm through mine," he said.

  "Yeah, I'm not thinking that woman is much of a threat," I replied. "She's kind of horrible."

  "She's like those Styrofoam peanuts that stick to your finger with static electricity and you can't get off. I swear, I'm ready to sign whatever she's got just to get her away from
me."

  I laughed. "I think signing a business agreement with someone usually means that you need to actually spend more time with them."

  "Well, that's a lousy plan then."

  "What does she want?" I asked.

  Nate looked out at the ocean and rested his chin on top of my head. He heaved a heavy sigh. "She wants to create that cruise terminal over on the other side of the island by the old canning factory."

  "Yeah? She still thinks that’s a good idea?"

  "She said that they would be bringing in tourists five days a week. Thousands of them. People from all over the globe looking for the quiet life on a remote northern island."

  "That kind of kills the whole quiet and remote part of things, though, doesn't it?"

  "That's what I'm thinking," said Nate. "But the problem is it would be a financial boon for everyone living here. I mean, they all deserve an opportunity for financial prosperity, but..."

  "Money isn't everything," I reminded him.

  "I know," said Nate. "But think about your Granny. How much is it going to cost for her to be in the hospital like this? How many days will the shop be closed because you're trying to handle all the things while she's gone? This is the big week. All the vendors and the tourists die down from this point forward. What will your Granny do if she doesn't hit her financial marks during the Founders' Festival?"

  "She'll manage," I replied, but his words hit home. I realized there was a lot of truth to what he was saying. Granny had weathered storms before, but not because of a medical emergency. Was she going to be okay? Was she going to find herself six months from now trying to make ends meet? She didn't deserve that. "We'll find out who did this and sue the pants off of them and then she won't have to worry about a thing for the rest of her life."

  "I don't think that's how the justice system works," Nate informed me, kissing me on the top of the head.

  "You're sure?"

  "Pretty sure."

  "Well, there goes that plan..." I sighed. "Oh Nate... what are we going to do?"

  He gazed down at me. "I have to put together a town council," he said.

  "Really?"

  "I feel like if I'm going to start making decisions about all the land my family owns, I should get some input from the town."

  "I think that sounds like a great idea," I answered. I looked back at the festival. "Hey, Nate. What would you say if you held it at Trevor's place?"

  He gave me a laugh. "You want me to hold it at Trevor's place? The bar formerly run by a serial killer who terrorized this town? The one now run by your creepy ex-boyfriend who just pulled some seriously not-cool moves on you?"

  "Okay, it sounds bad when you say it like that. It's just... the bar is going nowhere. I don't think Trevor is going anywhere. So if there's some way to make the island feel comfortable with it, it'll help everything. And I think Trevor seeing us together might help get it cemented in his head that I'm not on the market."

  "Not on the market at all," said Nate, squeezing me tighter.

  "I'll check with him tomorrow," I murmured into his shoulder. I hoped he couldn't tell that I had a whole other ulterior motive in wanting to get into Trevor's bar, and it had to do with checking out his supply of grenadine.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I swung by Bitter Beans to officially close up shop and make sure that Captain was fed, but when I reached into my pocket to get my keys, I found an unpleasant surprise.

  "Oh crap!" I exclaimed, looking around. Georgia's book was missing. It was too dark to find it now. Johnny and I had gone on all of those carnival rides and there's that whole thing about securing loose items. It could have gone flying off anywhere. I cursed and then heaved out a huge sigh. It was like this book was doing everything it could to not be read by me. I calmed myself and decided I'd just have to ask Johnny to steal his dad's copy when his dad was passed out on the couch some night.

  Captain was thrilled to see me and I realized that neither of us really wanted to be alone while Granny wasn't around. I told myself staying at her place would mean less of a commute the next day, but really, I just wanted to be around places that had her touch.

  I pulled the number of the mainland hospital out of my jeans pocket and dialed. In a few minutes, reception had connected me to Granny's room.

  "Paige!" Granny exclaimed.

  "How are you feeling?" I asked.

  She shushed away my concerns. "Right as rain. I have no idea why these fools are keeping me here. I'll be home tomorrow."

  I wanted to ask her all about Georgia's book and what happened in the back room, but the nurse's caution not to stress her out haunted me.

  "I'm so glad you're feeling better" were the words that finally came out of my mouth.

  "Such a fuss! I was just feeling a little woozy," she said. "They said someone tried to poison me! Craziest thing I ever heard. Horse tranquilizers! Do they think I'm a pony?"

  "Any idea who might have done it?" I asked.

  "The whole night's a little fuzzy," she replied. "We were there at Wanda's—"

  "HI PAIGE!" shouted Wanda in the background.

  I felt a wave of relief that Granny wasn't alone there at the hospital. If a positive outlook helped people to recover faster, Wanda would have Granny back to her old self in no time.

  "And then I went to the Founders' Festival to enjoy the night air," Granny continued, "but I got a message that Georgia's books had come in and were being held at the ferry terminal. They said I had to go pick them up right away if I didn't want to pay overnight storage fees. So I went over and someone helped me load them into the back room..." Granny's voice trailed off. "I saw so many people and ate so many things, there's no telling what happened."

  "You can't remember who helped you?" I pressed.

  "A total blank." I could hear her sigh on the other line. "It is what it is, Paige. It's a small island and eventually, someone will hear something. But I don't want you out there trying to solve this mystery. Probably just some dumb prank by an idiot teenager."

  "But Granny—"

  She cut me off. "I almost lost you when Jake went off the deep end. I want you to leave this alone. We'll tackle it together when I get back."

  "Okay," I lied, trying to be supportive. I didn't dare risk saying anything more, so instead, I changed the subject. "Is Wanda staying all night with you? Does she need me to find her a hotel?"

  "Oh, she's got her daughter over here on the mainland. She's going to spend the day with her and then come get me tomorrow afternoon when they let me go. We'll have a nice little ride back on the ferry. Who knows, maybe pick ourselves up a couple of sailors."

  I laughed. Leave it to Granny to find the bright spot in the middle of a storm. "I'm glad that you've got someone there. Should I call Mom?" I asked.

  "Don't you dare!" Granny replied in horror. "I swear to St. Elvis Presley that if you call that mother of yours and tell her what happened, I will fire you so quick it'll make your head spin."

  "She'd want to know..." I replied.

  "She'll get in a huff and come out here and next thing you know, she'll be shuttling me off to some old person's home. Everything is FINE."

  I heaved a big sigh. I was going to get read the riot act if Mom ever found out what happened and that I hadn't told her. "Okay, but if this gets out? I'm telling her it's your fault."

  "Well, I'm not going to tell her," said Granny.

  "I WON'T TELL HER!" shouted Wanda.

  "And neither will I," I replied.

  "Problem solved! Now, you just hold down the fort for me and I'll be back before you even miss me."

  "Promise?"

  "I promise."

  Captain came over and booped my leg with his fuzzy head. I picked him up and he meowed into the receiver. "Captain says sweet dreams!"

  "Sweet dreams to the two of you! I love you both!" Granny replied and then hung up the phone.

  Talking to her made me feel a little better. I was still not thrilled with the whole situation, bu
t the huge weight hanging over my head seemed to lighten by at least 20lbs. I took out the trash and fed Captain. I swept up as he played and left him downstairs to do his cat thing as late as he needed to do it while I crawled into Granny's bed upstairs.

  It felt like the alarm went off the moment my head hit the pillow. I got up, got showered, and headed down to the shop. I got the baking done and then was slammed from the moment the doors opened until a couple hours before noon. The nice thing is that when you're so busy, you don't even realize how quickly the time is passing. I felt really bad, though. Our credit card machine kept denying people's cards.

  "I am so sorry," I apologized handing the card back to yet another customer. "We seem to be having an issue with our reader."

  At least this woman didn't apologetically back away and say to void the transaction. Instead, she began rifling through her purse. "No, I'm sure I have cash—" Her voice stopped as she looked at her phone. "Oh no!" she exclaimed as she read the screen.

  "What is it?"

  "My card has been stolen," she replied, showing me the notification from her bank.

  "I am so sorry!" I said, feeling bad for her but a little better for us in that it wasn't our equipment.

  She pulled out another card. "Try this one."

  It rang through without a problem and I handed over her coffee. "Did you use it anywhere else today?"

  "All over," she sighed. "It could have been swiped anywhere. I forgot to buy a return ferry ticket, so I grabbed one this morning, and then a couple things over at the Founders' Festival, I grabbed a t-shirt at... what's it called? Wanda's Place? OH! And some lures at that bait shop. I'm doing a shadow box." she replied. "So strange."

  Wanda was over with Granny. "I didn't know Wanda's shop was open..." I stated.

  "Oh," she replied, puzzled by my reaction. "It was totally open for business."

  "I'll have to run over," I mumbled, noting I needed to find out who had opened Wanda's shop while she was out of town.

  "Nicest gentleman there. Red hair... glasses..."