Fourth Victim (Writers Retreat Southern Seashore Mystery Book 4)

by Kathi Daley

  “I guess I wasn’t paying that much attention. So, what’s going on with Dru? And Margo? And Jack, for that matter. I’m your best friend, but somehow I feel totally out of the loop.”

  “You aren’t out of the loop,” I assured her as I waved to the server, indicating I’d like a cup of coffee. “In fact, other than Jack, you know more than anyone else. Still, I know how you feel when your best friend is going through a personal crisis and you want to help, so I’ll try to fill you in.”

  Vikki sat back in the booth. “You’re going through a crisis?”

  “A crisis of indecision. But I’ll loop back to that. As for Jack, I told him about Dru. All of it. I don’t think he was happy he was in town, but he seems to be dealing just fine with it. I’ve spent the night at his place three times in the past week, and we discussed my bringing over a few things to keep at his place.”

  “Are you moving in with him?”

  “No, not moving in. Just staying there occasionally. And he’s going to stay at the resort sometimes as well.”

  “So you’re staying on Gull Island?”

  I let out a breath. “I’m still not sure. I know I’m no longer in love with Dru, and things are going so well with Jack that I do want to see that through. Still, there’s a part of my decision that has nothing to do with either of them. The job Margo is offering is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’d be in a position to have my voice heard. To make a difference. And that really appeals to me. I love the personal life I have here. I love the family at the retreat, and of course I love having Jack in my life, but professionally, I feel sort of stagnant. When I came to the island I was going to take a few months, help Garrett until he could return to the resort, write the book I’ve been talking about for half my life, and then go back to what I’d left behind once things cooled down. I’ve been here since June, and while I’ve helped Garrett as I intended, I haven’t done a thing to move my career forward.”

  “You’ve written some freelance pieces.”

  “I have, but Margo is offering me a career and a lifestyle. The thing is, I’m not sure if it’s a lifestyle I still want.”

  “I guess you do have some more thinking to do.”

  “I do, but she’s only given me until Monday to decide, so I need to think fast. I feel like it should be an easy decision, but it isn’t. If I turn this job down, I’ll most likely never have another opportunity like it. But if I leave…”

  Vikki put her hand over mine. “Whatever you decide, I’ll always be here for you.”

  “I know. And that means a lot to me. And Garrett will still be my brother, and I’m sure if I leave the island, he’ll welcome me back for visits. But it won’t be the same, and I won’t have Jack.” I wiped a tear from my cheek. “What am I going to do?”

  “I don’t know, sweetie. It seems whichever choice you make you’ll have to give something up. Maybe instead of looking at which option will provide the biggest gain, you should ask yourself what you can’t bear to lose.”

  “That helps. Thanks.”

  “So, are you and Jack sleuthing again today?”

  I shook my head. “Actually, no. It’s a print day at the paper, so he’s busy all day, although he’ll be at the Mastermind meeting tonight. I thought I might finish the decorating out at the resort. And I need to run by the market to pick up the ingredients for dinner.”

  Vikki finished her coffee. “I’m free today, so I’ll help you. Instead of eating now, let’s run to the market, take the groceries back to the resort, and then make an inventory of what we still need in terms of decorations. Then we can come back into town to get what we need. I’ll even buy you lunch at that new café on Gull Avenue.”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  ******

  The new café seemed to me to be on the upscale side for casual Gull Island, but the food looked delicious and the black furniture with the bright red tablecloths looked nice with the deep red carpet. Vikki ordered an ahi salad and I settled on an abalone steak on a flaky croissant.

  “I may have to save room for dessert,” I said as I folded a black napkin onto my lap. “Whatever the couple at that table in the corner is having looked delicious.”

  “I’ve heard the tarts are fabulous, and you know I always love a good cobbler.” Vikki pushed the vase with a single red rose off to the side to make way for the pad of paper she’d brought with her. “I made a list of everything we need to finish the decorating at the resort, but I don’t think we’ll be able to find the fabric I’ve been envisioning for the tree skirt.”

  “Don’t most people just use a sheet?”

  Vikki looked scandalized. “A sheet?”

  “I have a red one. It’ll look nice, and it can go back to being a sheet when it’s done being a tree skirt.”

  Vikki shrugged. “Okay. Sounds okay by me. I’m not going to be there on Christmas anyway.”

  I took a sip of my water before responding. “I think it’s wonderful you’re going to spend Christmas with Rick. And that you’re going to meet his family.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Vikki had begun nervously folding and unfolding the corner of her napkin. “I’m nervous about the family part.”

  “Why would you be nervous? You meet new people all the time.”

  Vikki tucked a lock of her long hair behind her ear. “I know, but this is different. I really like Rick and I want his family to like me.”

  “They’ll love you.” I could tell by the look on Vikki’s face that she was less than confident. I decided to change the subject to do away with this element of stress over lunch. “I got a card from my mom the other day.”

  Vikki raised a brow. “A card? Wow, that’s new.”

  “I know. I was shocked. In all my thirty-eight years, she’s never sent me so much as a birthday card, and certainly not a Christmas card. And there’s more. There was a gift certificate inside.”

  “Wow. She got you a gift?”

  “If a gift card for a day spa in LA can be considered a gift, yes.”

  “Why on earth would she get you a gift card for a spa in LA when you live in South Carolina?”

  I laughed. “I think she must have had it on hand. It expires in two weeks.”

  Vikki rolled her eyes. “Now that sounds like the woman I know. Still, a card is more than you’ve ever received from her before. I suppose you should feel good about the fact that she was thinking of you.”

  “I do. I even invited her to come out here at some point to visit, although I doubt she will. She thinks the only city worth visiting on this side of the country is New York. I imagine if I want to see her I’ll have to go to her at some point.”

  “Would that be so bad? LA is lovely in the spring.”

  “It is lovely, and I’m sure I’ll visit, but it seems every time I see her, Mom is so busy we hardly speak and I end up feeling angry and resentful that I went to all the trouble to make the trip and she couldn’t be bothered to spend more than two minutes with me.”

  Vikki didn’t respond, but I knew she understood.

  “Say, isn’t that the girl who used to work for Gertie?” Vikki asked. “The one from the case we worked on last fall.”

  “Carrie,” I supplied as I waved to the girl, who smiled and headed in our direction. Had it only been two months since we’d worked our first case as the Mastermind group?

  “Jill. How are you?” Carrie greeted me.

  “I’m well. This is my friend Vikki.”

  “It’s nice to meet you. I recognize you from Gertie’s.”

  “It’s nice to meet you as well,” Vikki replied.

  “Have you left the island?” I asked. “I haven’t seen you there lately.”

  “Yes. After everything that happened back in October, I decided it was time to move on. I got a job in Charleston, but I have today off, so I’m on the island to have lunch with a friend who should be here any moment.”

  “I’m glad things worked out for you.”

  “My job is fun and I ge
t to meet a lot of people. Even better, there aren’t any bad memories wrapped up with the people or the atmosphere. I haven’t been able to so much as look at a boat since all those suppressed memories came flooding back.”

  “I don’t blame you. It was a pretty bad situation.”

  Carrie turned and looked toward the door. “Oh, my friend’s here. I should go. Have a nice lunch. It was great seeing you again.”

  “Same here, and good luck with the new job.”

  I watched Carrie walk across the room. Seeing her here today stirred up a niggling memory, something that felt as if it could be important, but I couldn’t quite pull it up.

  “Something wrong?” Vikki asked after a minute. “You’re scowling.”

  “No, nothing’s wrong I just got a feeling there was something important I needed to remember.”

  “I hate when that happens. I’m sure it’ll come to you.”

  “Yeah. I’m sure it will.”

  We were quiet as our food was delivered. It looked delicious. I hadn’t had abalone for years, but I remembered that, if prepared well, it was one of the best-tasting things to come from the sea.

  Vikki and I ate in silence for several minutes before she spoke. “By the way, I need you to help me remember to talk to Alex about a boat Rick’s friend is selling. Alex mentioned to Rick a while back that he was thinking about buying a boat if he could get a good deal on one.”

  “The boat. That’s it.”

  “Huh?” Vikki looked confused.

  “Seeing Carrie, who was involved in an investigation regarding a boat, reminded me that I wanted to think more about a photo of a boat I saw in Roland Carver’s home.”

  Vikki frowned. “Maybe you should back up a bit; this isn’t making sense to me.”

  “When Jack and I visited the home of ex-Mayor Roland Carver, I saw a large photo on the wall of four men standing in front of a boat. They’d just won a local sailing race and took the photo to memorialize the event. What I noticed but didn’t have time to explore was that Roland and his brother were both tall and thin with thick blond hair. They looked very much like the man in the photo with Frannie who I initially thought could be my father. I see no reason why Roland’s brother would be embracing Frannie, but Roland admitted to having a fling with her, so he could very well be the man in the photo. I meant to take another look at that photo, but I forgot all about it.”

  “Wait; Frannie had an affair with the mayor?”

  “So it would seem. As far as I can tell, Frannie was involved with several men while she lived on the island. In fact, two men have admitted as much.”

  “I have to say, the story of long-distance romance I initially envisioned has taken a decidedly unromantic turn.”

  “Yeah. It seems Frannie was a beautiful woman with the sort of energy people were drawn to, but it doesn’t seem as if she took love, romance, and marriage seriously. Anyway, remind me to look at the photo again when we get home. I find I much prefer the thought that it was Roland embracing Frannie than my father.”

  After we finished our meal, we headed to the store that sold decorations. Things were beginning to become somewhat picked over, but we didn’t need a lot, and if we couldn’t find everything on the list I was sure Vikki, who was supercreative, would find a way to improvise.

  “Jill,” a woman said from behind me.

  I turned around. “Edna. How are you?”

  “Fine. I just needed to pick up a few things before the weekend.”

  “This is my friend Vikki. Vikki, this is Edna Turner. She used to be the town librarian.”

  “Vikki? Are you Victoria Vance, the romance author?” Edna asked.

  “I am. I’m happy to meet you, Edna.”

  Edna put a hand to her chest. “Oh my. I’m so happy to meet you. I love your books.”

  “Thank you.” Vikki smiled. “I appreciate that.”

  “I wish I knew I was going to run into you. I would have brought a book for you to sign.”

  “I have a few in my car. I’ll run out and get one for you.”

  “That would be wonderful.”

  Edna looked at me while Vikki was gone. “I can’t believe you know Victoria Vance. You know, they’re making a movie out of one of her books.”

  “Yes, I know. Vikki and I have been friends for most of our lives. I’m glad you had the opportunity to meet her.”

  “I’m thrilled. And I’m glad I ran into you. I remembered something else after you left and even considered calling you.”

  “Oh? What was it?”

  “Frannie came into the library a couple of months before she was murdered. She had a black eye and scratches on her face. I asked her what had happened and she said she’d been hiking and had fallen down a hill. I didn’t argue with her, but that eye didn’t look at all like the sort of thing that happens from a slip and fall.”

  “You think someone hit her?”

  “I’m sure of it. Frannie wasn’t the skittish sort. She was quite outgoing, but when I saw her after that, she displayed a tendency to flinch whenever she heard a loud noise. I tried to talk to her about it and even suggested a couple of books about abusive relationships, but she would never admit she’d been hit.”

  “Had you ever noticed bruising or injuries before or after that incident?”

  Edna shook her head. “No. Frannie never showed any sign of abuse before that black eye. And while she was skittish for a few weeks after, she seemed to recover emotionally as she did physically. If I had to guess, I’d say whoever abused her wasn’t a part of her life for long.”

  Chapter 11

  We gathered at the main house as arranged for the Mastermind meeting. We’d decided to eat first and then discuss the case, so I buttered the garlic bread while Clara made a salad. I’d made the lasagna earlier in the day, so it had already been baking in the over for almost an hour.

  “Something smells fantastic,” Jack said as he came in through the back door and kissed me on the cheek.

  “It’s the lasagna. Why did you come in through the back door?”

  “I wanted to take another look at the big cabin on the beach. I know you thought I was kidding when I said I might think about selling my house and moving to the resort, but it’s been on my mind quite a bit recently.”

  I glanced at Clara, who took a cue from the subject and quietly left us alone. “You’re seriously thinking of moving into that tiny cabin?”

  “Maybe. If you stay and the resort remains a writers’ colony. I spoke to the building department, and they said I shouldn’t have any problem getting a permit to add on a second bedroom, which I’d use as an office. The cabin already has a huge living area and a separate bedroom and bath. There’s room for the loft overhead to be expanded as well. I’d have to put a lot of my stuff in storage, but it might be worth it if it meant I could be right on the beach. Besides, it’s a lot closer to the newspaper.”

  I tried not to frown, but I couldn’t quite help it. “I understand what you’re saying. And cabin twenty is in an ideal location. But are you sure you want to downsize quite that much?”

  Jack came over to where I was standing and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, pulling me against his chest. “I don’t want to put any pressure on you to make a decision about New York, but if you stay, the idea of coming home to you every night holds a certain appeal. I thought of asking you to move into the house with me, but I know if you stay on Gull Island you’ll want to live here. There’s something really perfect about the resort and the family you’ve created.”

  “Yeah, but selling your house seems like such a huge step. The cabin doesn’t even have a garage. What will you do with your car? It’s much too nice to leave outside.”

  “I can sell the car and drive the truck. Or I can keep the house and use the garage. It’s not like I need the money from the sale.”

  I turned so I was facing Jack and put my arms around his neck. “I love the idea of you being so close by. And if you want to renovate th
e cabin, it’s fine with me. Technically, the decision is up to Garrett—he owns the property, after all—but I can’t imagine he’d care if you wanted to pay for an addition to the structure.”

  “So, New York…?”

  I thought about Jack coming home to the resort every night. I thought about having dinner together and walking on the beach. I thought of the family of writers that had come together to share their lives and the holiday meals that were now a part of my life. I thought of the Mastermind group and the fun we had together. Did I really want to give it all up for the job of a lifetime?

  Then I thought of New York. I would have a fabulous job, but I’d be going home every night to an empty apartment. I thought of solitary meals and solitary holidays. I guess I’d needed the time I’d taken, but in the end, I knew what my choice would be all along.

  “I don’t suppose you’re hiring at the paper?”

  Jack raised a brow. “Are you looking for a job?”

  “I guess if I’m going to stay, I’ll need one. Garrett’s coming home and the renovation is almost done.”

  Jack kissed me hard on the lips. “I’m very definitely hiring at the paper. At least I am for the right person.”

  The timer on the oven beeped, interrupting the intimate embrace that, given the fact the house was full, probably should have been interrupted anyway. We enjoyed our family meal and all gathered in the living room to discuss the case.

  “Okay, who wants to start?” I asked when we were all settled.

  “I’ll go.” Brit raised her hand. “My report’s short and sweet because I don’t have any news. I’ve been too busy to do anything.”

  “Ditto,” Alex said.

  “That’s okay,” I said. “I know you’ve both been busy and I wasn’t expecting you’d be able to do much with this case.”

  “I have something,” George spoke next. “It took some doing, but I was able to track down the original articles written by Henry Post in the mid-nineteen-sixties. I compared the stories to news reports about the Strangler, and while I can’t say for certain, I think there’s a good chance either the Strangler wrote the stories or he told them to someone who did.”