Murder at the Geo-Cache...A Citrus Beach Mystery (Citrus Beach Mysteries Book 3)

by Victoria LK Williams

  “This will definitely help us set the timeline, Emma. Thank you very much. I’m sure when I read each team’s entries, I’ll find different information as to what they found the site. This will be extremely helpful.”

  Before the sheriff could say anything more, the next group was ushered for their interview. The sheriff saw that this would take little-to-no time, because this group was composed of Lucy, Paul and Taylor. The new arrivals looked from Aiden and Megan in confusion, wondering what was going on. The sheriff motioned for Taylor to come sit next to Emma so he could question her and have her confirm or add to Emma’s statement. Nodding his head at Aiden, the sheriff indicated he was to question Lucy and Paul. Without being asked, Megan joined Aiden, moving to the far side of the room. They heard the sheriff talking quietly to the two girls, but they paid no attention to them, Lucy and Paul wanted answers from Megan about what was going on. They had both suspected that Megan had been keeping something from them earlier in the day, and they expected a complete explanation now.

  It was Aiden who told them what had happened wanting to keep everyone calm and unemotional. Upon hearing the news, Lucy was quick to give her best friend a hug of reassurance and comfort. She knew that Mary had become a special friend to Megan over the years. Paul seemed angry, not so much at Aiden or Megan, but at the fact that somebody could kill such a sweet lady and in such a cold manner. Aiden was quick to defuse his anger by questioning them about their day making them go over each detail hoping that something would stand out as being unusual or out of place. But like most of the others questioned, they had noticed nothing exceptional nor did they see any strangers at the sites.

  By now the last team had arrived. The sheriff was sure he would get nothing more from this last group, just the same as the others. Deciding that the kitchen was getting a little overcrowded, he sent Megan and her family and friends upstairs to get ready for the last event of the day. As they all left the room, the sheriff spoke to Aiden and Megan.

  “Now that the initial questioning is over, there will be a lot of gossiping and speculation. I want the two of you to keep your eyes and ears open for anything that sounds like it would help us. I have my work cut out for me going over all the information just on these logs and confirming the GPS coordinates from each team. Tonight is the night when someone just might let something slip, everything is fresh in their minds and they will want to compare notes with each other. You two need to pay close attention to what is going on, what is being said, and who is clicking together the most.”

  They nodded their heads in agreement. Megan followed her friends out the door. Anticipating that the upstairs dressing areas would be a hotbed of gossip, and she didn’t want to miss a bit of it. Giving Aiden a quick kiss on the cheek, she promised to meet him downstairs in the main ballroom.

  Chapter 14

  Sunday

  It was late the next morning and Megan sipped her coffee as she looked across the desk at Aiden. They were in his office, comparing notes from the night before. As Megan had expected the women’s dressing area the night before was full of speculation as to what had happened to Mary. They were outraged someone would hurt their dear friend, and unnerved this violence had come to Citrus Beach. Although everyone seemed to have something to say on the subject they found no new clues.

  The food had been great, the ballroom decorated beautifully, and the atmosphere was perfect for a wonderful night. But nobody felt like celebrating and there had been little dancing. At one point, Carol had asked the band to just play soft music, knowing people wanted to talk. The evening ended early, Emma and Megan deciding not to even announce the results of the geo-cache. They promised to put the results on each charity’s websites for everyone to see, and asked that if anybody had any information regarding Mary’s murder, that they immediately contact the sheriff.

  Charlotte Potter had convinced Taylor and Emma to come home with her. Megan was sure her dear friend was up to something, but said nothing. Charlotte would do what she wanted and inform them of it later. Lucy and Paul had left before Megan and Aiden, promising to meet for lunch the next day. Carol herself had ordered Megan to go home for the evening, telling her that everything would be cleaned up and handled by the excellent staff she had hired. Before they left, Carol had been sure to have one of the staff put a sleepy puppy still in its crate in the back of Aiden’s car.

  The drive home with Aiden had been quiet, as Megan went over the day’s events in her mind. Pulling up in front of Megan’s home, Aiden asked her if she would be a right or did she want him to come in for a bit. Seeing his concern, Megan smiled to reassure him.

  “I’m okay Aiden. I think I just want to settle down and get some sleep. One of my staff walked Barney so he’s probably ready to settle down for the night too.”

  “You know I’m just down the lane and can be here in a second if you need me. Try to get some sleep and we’ll tackle this in the morning with fresh eyes.”

  Aiden leaned over to give her a kiss good night. He walked back to his car as she went in her home. He waited until the lights went on before he pulled out and drove over to his apartment. Looking in the backseat he realized the puppy was now wide awake and he groaned.

  “What in the world am I going to do with you? I should’ve left you with Megan, at least she knows what to do with a dog.”

  The puppy just wagged her tail and Aiden sighed, knowing he had been beat by a four-legged ball of fur. Grabbing the kennel, he climbed the stairs to his apartment. He wanted to go over the day’s events and check if there had been any more feedback from questions he is sent back to his FBI contacts earlier in the day.

  When Aiden got up the next morning he found that the puppy had gotten up before him and occupied herself by chewing apart a pair of Aiden’s flip-flops. Thankful that was the only mess the dog had made, Aiden took her outside to do her business. He dug out the small bag of food he kept in his apartment for when Barney came to visit and gave her a small bowl full. With the puppy taken care of, he got ready for his morning. Once he was done he clicked on the small leash to the dog’s collar and headed over to Megan’s. When he got there he was surprised to find her car gone and a note on the door for him. ‘Gone to Carol’s for last-minute cleanup details. Meet you at your office around 10.’

  With a sigh Aiden looked at the puppy. It dawned on him that he couldn’t pawn on her off on Megan and would have to deal with the dog himself. He headed back over to his own apartment and decided to head to his office. Not sure what he would need for the puppy, he grabbed two bowls, what was left of the dog food, and her kennel. As he put his load in the backseat of his car, he couldn’t help but to smile as the puppy jumped in the front seat and refused to move.

  “Oh, all right, but you sit right there on that seat and don’t move.” She wagged her tail a little harder, as if agreeing with him. He ran back upstairs for one last load, grabbing all the notes he had come up with the night before. Then he was back in his car, heading towards his office.

  Once Aiden got to the office, he was pleased when the puppy settled right down, picking a spot under his desk to take a nap. He made some phone calls while he was waiting for Megan. Before he knew it she was walking in the door with Barney. It didn’t take long for the two dogs to make friends, and after Barney showed the puppy all around the office he settled down with her for a little nap as well.

  “Well it appears you both have a new friend. You need to come up with a name for her, Aiden.”

  “Why? It’s not as though I’m keeping her. She’s just around until this case is solved.”

  Megan simply smiled. She’d been in that position before and was well aware of what the outcome would be. It was just going to take Aiden a bit longer to figure it out.

  “So, did you come up with anything overnight? I went over and over everything and I just can’t think of anything that stands out. But, somehow I’m sure we’re dealing with a woman. Oh, and the fact that there is a lot of money involved in this somehow
.”

  “The money is the key element here. We need to figure out where it came from and why it’s being hidden. Something illegal is going on and I bet Mary stumbled onto it, quite by accident. Mary’s death was a panic, she caught somebody by surprise and they reacted instinctively, without thought, and they’re probably regretting it now.”

  “I agree. It always comes down to money, somehow. Did the sheriff come up with a count on how much cash there was?”

  “So far the count is up to 1.5 million. That’s more than enough reason to kill somebody. It’s also a lot of money to leave in such a risky place. Rats or a leaky roof could have easily ruined the currency. I thought about it quite a bit last night. Maybe Mary’s farm was being used as a drop off point for the money? It would make sense, otherwise why would you chance leaving that kind of money lying around?”

  “You’ve got to be kidding! I never would’ve guessed there was so much money there. And it’s all real, right?”

  Aiden confirmed the money was real, impressed that her first thoughts would be to counterfeiting. He had considered the same angle last night also, but he had handled the money himself, and could ascertain it was definitely real. His thoughts were leading him to the idea of money-laundering, but he hadn’t figured out the details yet. Megan pondered his idea when he expressed it and then told him about an idea she had.

  “Okay, money laundering is a good possibility. I have to admit I hadn’t even considered it. But what if it was something less complicated? What if it was something as simple as blackmail?”

  “That would be a pretty big secret to want to be kept quiet. Somehow I don’t envision the citizens of Citrus Beach having such dark secrets they’d be willing to spend that kind of money to keep it quiet. Oh, I’m aware there are number of people in this area who have more than enough money to justify your idea, but for what?”

  Megan agreed, she knew most of the people in town and couldn’t comprehend any of her friends or associates being involved in a blackmail scheme of this magnitude. She dismissed her idea for the moment and asked Aiden to expand on his theory. She wanted to understand what went on behind a money laundering scheme. Before Aiden could launch into his theory they heard a car door slam out in front of the office. Barney lifted his head and growled, but Megan shushed him and he put his head back down, keeping one eye open to see what was going on. Within a few minutes the door to Aiden’s office opened and Megan was surprised to see Rita Thomas walk through the door. Aiden got up and welcomed her. She looked back and forth between Aiden and Megan before speaking.

  “Oh, I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but you did tell me to give you a call. I felt I should come by instead and tell you about my little problem that I would like you to investigate. However, if you’re busy I can come back--”

  “Rita, is nice to see you. Don’t be silly I’m just visiting. I’ll take the dogs and go outside while you conduct your business.”

  “It’s nice to see you too, Megan isn’t it? You don’t have to leave, it’s no deep dark secret what I want to investigate. I need him to get some background information on an inheritance I plan on fighting.”

  “No, really, it’s okay. I don’t mind going. Aiden’s sign says ‘confidential investigations’, and that’s what they should be. It was nice to see you, Rita. I hope to see you around town again. Come on puppies, let’s go for a walk.”

  Not giving the two of them a chance to argue Megan grabbed the two dogs and went out the back door. As the door closed behind her Aiden looked over at the beautiful woman and invited her to take a seat. She accepted the cup of coffee he offered, pushing Megan’s cup that was on the desk aside. She crossed her legs, not bothering to pull down the skirt as it inched its way up her thigh. Aiden silently acknowledged the motion, realizing Rita knew how to use her body to play with a man’s emotions. Unfortunately for her, Aiden was not affected. He had conducted too many interviews with this type of woman before, to let it affect his work. Besides, there was only one woman’s legs he was interested in and she had just left the room.

  “What can I do to help you, Ms. Thomas?”

  “Please, call me Rita. I’ll get right to the point. I’m aware you are new in town, so you will not be as prejudiced against what I want to hire you for. Let me give you just a touch of background. My family has been in this town forever and branches of it have come and gone. Me, personally, I couldn’t wait to leave. But in my absence, one branch of my family has completely died off. The last family member decided she had no more relatives and left her vast fortune to the town and assorted charities. I want to fight this, and I will need you to investigate her will. I believe the town council may have forced her to leave her holdings to the town. It is mine, and I want what is due to me.”

  As she spoke, Rita became more agitated, and her voice rose. Aiden rushed to calm her nerves. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a pen and pad of paper to take notes. He hoped if she saw him take an interest and appear to be ready and to get active in the case, then she would become more rational. He needed to get the most amount of information out of her.

  While Aiden was calming Rita’s nerves, Megan and the two dogs were enjoying the morning sunlight out on the back porch. With her eyes half closed, face tilted towards the warm morning sun, Megan enjoyed a few moments of quiet, listening to the morning birds. Her peaceful interlude came to an abrupt end when she heard her name called and opened her eyes to watch Paul and Lucy opening the back gate, coming in to sit with her. Paul said good morning, but Lucy could barely contain herself.

  “Well, Lucy, it seems like you are ready to burst with news of some sort. Before we get into that, did you by any chance see Emma or Taylor this morning?”

  Paul spoke up before Lucy had a chance and told Megan he had seen his niece and her friend this morning when he had gone over to Charlotte’s for a morning cup of coffee. Charlotte lived right next door to Paul and Lucy and had adopted the two of them so to speak when they got married. The footpath between their two houses was worn from use. It wasn’t unusual for Paul to join Charlotte for a morning cup of coffee since his wife was no early bird.

  “I don’t know if you knew it, but Charlotte is the executor of Mary’s will. I guess last night Emma and Taylor made such a fuss over the poor animals out at Mary’s left alone to fend for themselves, that Charlotte took notice. When we left, she was arranging for the two girls to move out to Mary’s farm and oversee the day-to-day activities and chores needed to be done to keep the animals healthy and getting the petting farm open.”

  “Oh, Paul, I’m not sure how I feel about that. I mean, there was a murder out there yesterday. And from the looks of it, it was a brutal murder. I don’t want Emma or Taylor to be in the middle of a potentially dangerous situation.”

  “You’re not going have to worry about that. Charlotte has also hired on some full-time farmhands, and Mary’s neighbors have already called to offer their help with the animals. I think Charlotte is trying to kill two birds with one stone. She needs to have someone reliable on the property to oversee the day to day chores, plus she wants to keep an eye on Emma, making sure she doesn’t lose interest in our quiet little town.” Lucy answered for Paul.

  As she spoke, Paul glanced around for Aiden. Not seeing him, he asked Megan where the other man was.

  “He’s inside with a new client, so I’m giving them some privacy. He’ll be along shortly. I don’t believe the case will be very difficult. I rather think his new client was doing the investigating herself: checking out Aiden,” Megan half chuckled as she answered.

  Megan had hesitated before speaking, not wanting to stir the pot and get Lucy upset. Before Lucy could reply, both dogs stood up wagging their tails and straining at their leashes as they tried to escape towards the front entry. Getting them under control, Megan saw the front door open and heard Aiden and Rita’s voice as she prepared to leave. Lucy also noticed Rita, and the astonishment on her face was comical. Paul grabbed her hand when it seem
ed like she would go confront the two at the front door. With a little shake, Lucy reigned in her temper, and turned to Megan, waiting for an explanation.

  “I don’t know much, Lucy. She just showed up and wanted to hire Aiden to investigate an inheritance. I left the room at that point so Aiden could conduct his business without me being there. I don’t want to question Aiden about it either. He has a business to run, and he doesn’t have to share his information with us. Not that we wouldn’t want to hear what’s going on, but we can’t count on it.”

  Aiden watched Rita get in her car and then turned down the path to join Megan on the back terrace. He looked please to see Lucy and Paul. Aiden waved a welcome to them as he walked down the path way. He had forgotten Lucy’s feelings about Rita and seemed surprised at how uptight she was. Deciding it was in his best interest to provide the women in front of him with some basic information about Rita’s inquiries, he suggested they all go into the office and enjoy a cup of coffee. Once they were seated, Aiden asked them if they had any idea what Rita would want. Lucy and Paul shook their heads, and Megan just shrugged her shoulders wanting to hear more details than what she had overheard on her way out.

  “I can’t give you all the details because it is a private matter, but I can say this much: Rita wants me to gather information so she can contesting a last will and testament of one of our local residents. And you will never guess who this relative is in a million years.”

  They all looked at him, waiting for his answer. Aiden let the suspense build for a moment before he made the announcement they never saw coming.

  “I have been hired to get enough information to break up the will of Mary Wheeler.”

  Chapter 15

  The three of them stared at Aiden in stunned silence, not sure if he was joking. Aiden cleared his throat a little uncomfortable with the expressions on their faces. Paul broke the silence with a laugh. Lucy looked at her husband, wondering what he thought was so funny about this situation and Megan held her breath. She grasped her cousin’s humor and was confident he was about to say something that would either break the tension or make it worse.