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

by Victoria LK Williams

  Taylor picked up the key and turned it over in her hand looking at was closely, while Emma reached for the paper.

  “This paper is been around for a while, it’s pretty in an old-fashioned way.” She turned the paper from side to side, just as her mother had done, trying to find any clues where it had come from. She saw nothing obvious but she came up with an idea. “Just a thought … Mom, you’re in a hurry and you’re trying to hide something into a piece of paper. You grab the first paper you can find -- you open a drawer, reach in and just grab something that’s not important. I bet that’s exactly what Mary did. If we find this stationary we’ll probably also find what the key unlocks.”

  “That’s brilliant, Emma. Simplistic thinking and common sense. You’re so much like your father, that’s just the way he would have figured things too. Okay we now have a new way of looking at things. Instead of looking for something the key unlocks, we can also search for the stationary. As old as the stationary appears, I don’t think it’s something we’ll find in plain sight. We’ve already checked the upstairs pretty thoroughly, and we were just going to start down here. Why don’t you girls help us?”

  The next few hours were spent going room to room searching drawers, cupboards, shelves, and under furniture. They even pulled the cushions off the furniture and lifted potted plants off their ledges, but to no avail. After searching Mary’s house high and low, they still had no idea what the key would open. Megan sank into the rocking chair she had just put the cushion back on, pushing the tumbling red curls from her face. Her ponytail had long ago come loose, and was now half up, half down. The hard work she and the others had just been through was nothing compared to the frustration they all felt. The other three women wearily sat down too and they looked at each other, waiting for some magical clue to show itself.

  When no one else said anything, Megan voiced what they were all thinking.

  “I give up. Whatever Mary was hiding, it’s not in the house. We’ve searched everywhere. There isn’t a book we haven’t looked through, a cupboard unsearched, or a knick-knack unmoved. We’re just going over the same things again at this point. We need to step back and think about this more. Agreed?”

  “You’re right, Mom. Listen, I hate to bring this up, but it’s almost dinner time and, well, Taylor and I have plans…”

  “Kicking us out are you?”

  “Yeah, kinda. Sorry.”

  “Don’t be silly, you two have your own life. Besides, Lucy and I need to get back to town. We’re supposed to be meeting Aiden and Paul for dinner. Let’s let things go for 24 hours and then we’ll try again. Maybe with clearer minds we will have better luck.”

  Megan brushed aside her daughter’s apologies and got to her feet. Giving both girls a hug, she and Lucy said goodbye and left with Barney for town.

  Chapter 18

  As unfruitful as Megan’s afternoon had been, Aiden’s had been worse. He had never seen a town close ranks on an investigation like Citrus Beach was closing in to protect Mary’s legacy from the claims of Rita Thomas. Already some were talking about Rita’s claim, how they had found so fast Aiden wasn’t sure. Somehow, he suspected his own client had had a hand in getting the information out.

  While Aidan waited for Jake to return from the pet store, he’d gathered his notes from his interview with Rita, made a checklist of items he wanted to verify, and create a small area for the puppy by Jake’s desk. He shook his head, wondering what he was going to do with a puppy. He realized that he would keep her unless somebody stepped forward and demanded her return. It didn’t take long for Jake to return, and leaving him with a list of instructions and a whining dog, Aiden went out the door to his car. Although the town hall would not be open for him to examine any records, he had lived in Citrus Beach long enough to know where there were hotbeds of gossip. The diner was one of the biggest ones. That was where he was heading, hoping to get inside information from some of the old-timers in town.

  When he entered the diner, he was welcomed by the proprietor and some of the townspeople he’d come to call friends. Everyone was talkative and the discussions, as expected, were about the murder at the geo-cache. His waitress was the owner’s daughter, and he’d been there enough times that she remembered his favorite order; black coffee and a blueberry muffin. Before he’d even gotten comfortable in his chair she had his order in front of him.

  “Good to see you, Aiden. No Megan today? “

  Thanking Susie for his coffee, Aiden used her question to launch into his own line of questioning. It was a perfect opening. All he had to do is tell everybody that Megan had gone out to Mary’s farm. Surely that would get the conversation going. Susie seemed to have radar for what was going on in town, from the teenagers to the senior citizens. They all enjoyed the diner’s food and talking Susie’s ear off as they ate. If anyone in town had a piece of gossip to spread, it always seemed to spread from the diner.

  “No, Susie. I’m on my own for now. Megan and Lucy went out to Mary Wheeler’s farm to check on things.”

  “It’s just so awful what happened to Mary. I heard you and Megan where the ones to find Mary’s body. Is Megan handling it okay?”

  “She’s pretty shaken, but also determined to find out what happened. She and I are trying to help the sheriff out, and he’s keeping us in the loop as he continues the investigation.”

  Susie gave a snort of laughter, she knew Megan as well as Lucy, and there was no way she would be content to be kept in the loop. She gave Aiden a hard look, and saw he was well aware of this too.

  “You keep an eye on her, Aiden. This is personal for Megan, and she will be as involved as possible. Short of locking her in a cell, the sheriff will not be able to keep her out of his investigation. Heck, it’s personal for all of us. Mary was part of this town and loved by all. There are a lot of people that are taking this personally and will not take kindly to any smearing of her name. Or any kind of actions that will hurt her memory or her family’s memory for that matter.”

  Aiden gave her a sharp glance, catching the hidden warning behind her words. He would need to tread lightly when he questioned people about Rita’s claim.

  “Point taken, Susie. Listen, I’m sure you would have noticed if there was any strangers in town recently, anyone who didn’t fit in?”

  “There were a few people that came in to take part in the fundraiser, but I think I can safely say that they were all guests of the residents that were also taking part. No one stood out, or seemed to act in any way out of the ordinary. I’m sure you realize that we even had a few individuals who came back to town after being away for years. I’m sorry, Aiden, but I can’t remember any strangers in my diner. Listen, I need to get a bill to the Ross’s, it looks like they’re ready to leave. Enjoy your coffee and let me know if you need anything else.” Moving with the ease of years of practice, Susie topped off Aiden’s coffee. Then she headed over to present the relators with their bill.

  As he watched her walk away, Aiden glanced around at the rest of the occupants of the diner. He smiled at a few when they glanced his way and then went back to their conversations. The diner was typical of most small towns. This was a place for the regulars to meet over a cup of coffee and exchange the news of the day. It didn’t matter if it was gossip over the newest romance in town, the latest sports game, or family tragedy, anything could and would be discussed amongst the patrons. Not that long ago Aiden had sat at with Megan, Lucy and Paul discussing another murder with the sheriff. There’d also been conversations about the repercussions from Hurricane Arlene, which had struck not far from Citrus Beach. The diner was where news was discussed in full detail, with many opinions and not necessarily all the facts. The sheriff had his own stool, which emptied with speed when he walked through the doors and the old timers could spend hours sitting at the bar, drinking coffee.

  As long as they weren’t busy, Susie let them be. She enjoyed gossip as much as the next person and curbed some of the more outlandish comments before the
y got out of hand. Susie was a native of the town and knew everyone and everyone knew and trusted her, regardless of age. She was the type of person most felt at ease talking to and often found she heard the most intimate details of a person’s life before they had even realized it. She grasped what was going on in town, from the teenagers to the senior citizens. Susie had never gone on to college, she had no reason too. She loved her job and understood in time she would take the diner over from her parents. That was just fine with her. She had never married and, at 53, she looked on the patrons of the diner as her family.

  Aiden debated if he should take his coffee and muffin over to the bar and join in the gossip session, but was a tad worried about how he would be welcomed. Without Megan by his side, he carried the label of an outsider. Not that anyone was unpleasant to him, but some conversations seemed to dry up when he wandered in range. He was sure the fact he was a former FBI agent also had something to do with it. Before he could decide, Dorothy Ross stopped by his table, husband in tow, on their way out the door. She pulled out the seat opposite him and sat, leaving David to stand behind her.

  “So, Aiden, I hope you are finding your new office meets your needs. Is everything satisfactory?”

  “Yes, I’d say I’m settling in nicely. I have to thank the two of you for making the rental so painless. Did you hear I hired your nephew to work as my office assistant?”

  “That’s all he could talk about at our family dinner. We all go to my mother’s at least once a week for a big family dinner and to check in on her. You were the talk of the evening. Jake seems so much more excited to work for you than valeting at the Yacht Club. Of course, you know he wants to study some form of law, and this was just a wonderful opportunity for him. You’ll keep an eye on him, right? There won’t be any danger on this job?”

  “Dorothy, let it be. Jake would be furious if he knew you were checking up on him. Don’t mind her, Aiden. It’s good of you to take him on. He’s a great kid, and will do just about anything. I’m glad the office is working out for you. Is business doing well?”

  Aiden hid a smile. The Ross’s were doing a little snooping of their own. Not that he could blame them. With family involved they were being cautious and Aiden felt he would do the same if his son, Brian, was in the same situation.

  “I’ve been working a few cases, and Jake is doing good work with the research projects I’ve thrown his way. He’ll be perfectly safe working from behind his desk, Dorothy, so you don’t have to worry.”

  “Well, that eases my mind, especially with Mary Wheeler getting murdered. Are you working on that?”

  “Not directly. It is a slight conflict with a new case I’ve taken on. But, the sheriff is consulting me with some of the details, and of course it was Megan and I who discovered the body.”

  Dorothy seemed as if she wanted to say something about his new case, and Aiden could almost see her biting her tongue to keep the words from bursting forth. Instead, she asked how Megan was doing and concentrated on small talk. After a few uncomfortable moments, David reminded her they had an appointment to show a house, and they said good bye to Aiden. He watched them leave and hoped that his taking on Rita’s case would not jeopardize the new friendships he was developing. He was enjoying the small town way of life that Citrus Beach offered, and he wanted nothing to ruin it.

  As the two relators left, Deputy Sean Young held the door open for them before he entered. When he saw Aiden, he made his way over to the table. As he took off his hat, he sat down in the chair Dorothy had just vacated. He rubbed his hands across his tired eyes while he mumbled hello to the other man.

  “You’re beat, Sean. I take it things aren’t moving along as quickly as the sheriff hoped?”

  “Ah man, Aiden, I feel like we are running in circles and getting nowhere fast. I’m just here to pick up dinner for our team and then I’m going back over to the station. Listen, the sheriff would like you to stop by if you can.”

  “Sure,” he seemed puzzled. “But how did you know I was here?”

  “It’s Citrus Beach. If you want information, eventually you will end up here at the diner. By the way, don’t forget that a certain reporter is also known to hang out here looking for leads. You should try to keep her and Megan away from each other,” Sean laughed.

  “Good point. I didn’t realize it was so late, I need to meet up with the Cassidy clan soon. Tell Sheriff Green I’ll drop in after dinner. I guess I’ll be keeping the puppy. You don’t need to hide the smile, you knew exactly what would happen when you put that dog in the back of my car.”

  The deputy burst into laughter and got to his feet. Slapping Aiden on the back, he wished him luck and walked over to the counter. There Susie had take-out dinners ready for him to give the hungry men working at the station. Aiden shook his head and sent out a quick text to Megan, suggestion the four of them eat at the diner. A few minutes later he had her confirmation and asked Susie if he could move to a booth and hold it for his dinner party. Within minutes, he was in the best booth in the diner, and had a fresh cup of coffee in front of him. With a satisfied sigh, Aiden stretched his long legs out and got comfortable to wait for his friends.

  Chapter 19

  As Aiden watched the diner’s patrons, he realized why the booth Susie had deemed the best in the house was so popular. This was the perfect vantage point to see and be seen. Everyone who walked through the front door, or came out of the kitchen looked right at the booth. Aiden had never noticed before how this put those sitting where he was now in the spot light. It was the first time he had taken a booth without someone with him. His usual spot for a quick breakfast was up at the bar. He soon found that everyone had something to say about Mary’s murder as they walked in or out of the diner. Sometimes he was part of the conversation as they stopped by to talk to him. Other times he found he could catch portions of the conversation. No one seemed worried about their voice carrying, or keeping their conversation private, so he felt no guilt over eavesdropping on what was going on around him.

  It was evident from what he was hearing that the town would not rest easy until the murder was solved. Aiden wasn’t sure what the town’s resident found more offensive; that it was Mary who had been murdered or the fact that there had been a murder in Citrus Beach. Whatever the answer was, he didn’t think that they would be patient with a long drawn-out investigation. Pressure would be applied on the sheriff to bring forth a suspect as quickly as possible.

  Aiden was listening to one of the town’s snowbirds chat with the owner of the small five & dime store that had been a fixture on Main Street since the town had put up the welcome sign. He didn’t hear Megan walk up behind him until she spoke.

  “Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to eavesdrop?” she hissed as she slid into the booth next to him.

  Aiden grinned at the sound of her voice. Happy to see her, he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek and whispered back.

  “Of course she did, but she would be the first one to admit that you find out the juiciest gossip this way.”

  Megan laughed out loud, giving him a playful nudge with her shoulder. She looked out the window and spied Lucy and Paul making their way into the diner. Raising her arm, she waved them over to their table. The next few minutes were full of laughter and interruptions as they all tried to catch up on each other’s afternoon’s activities.

  “I stopped by your office on my way over, Aiden and I have to say it seems like the puppy has made herself quite at home. Jake sure helped with all his purchases and got her set up well with her own little doggy bed just outside your office door. I have to tell you, all the pink does make quite a statement in your masculine office,” Megan chuckled.

  Aiden groaned as visions of pink bows and ruffles flashed through his mind. Maybe he should have given Jake a few more guidelines. But what was done, was done, and he was sure he could either live with it or sneak out a few of the items without hurting Jakes feelings or upsetting the puppy. Paul gave his friend a pa
t on the back in sympathy while Lucy and Megan smirked at his obvious distress. It was all in good fun, and after a moment, Aiden himself joined in the laughter. Susie had made her way over to their table, her tray filled with tall glasses of sweet tea for the women and fresh cups of coffee for the men. She knew their habits, she prided herself on knowing most of her patron’s, and placed their drinks in front of them without being asked to.

  “Do y’all want to hear what the specials are, or are you going with your usual orders?”

  “Surprise me, Susie. Whatever tastes the best,” instructed Paul. The others added their orders to his and resumed their conversations after Susie walked away, sticking her pen behind her ear so she wouldn’t lose it. As she called out the order to her father, working in the kitchen, she watched one of the town council members walk over to the table she had just left and speak with Paul. Early this summer, Paul had taken a spot on the town council after another member resigned due to a family tragedy. Susie was also on the council, and she was pleased how well Paul fit in with the other members. His innovative ideas and common sense were well received by all. She heard her name called and Susie turned to take her next dinner order.

  It wasn’t long before the four friends where enjoying a delicious meal. By mutual consent, they did not talk about Mary’s murder. Instead, Lucy and Paul kept them entertained with their experiences with the teams from the geo-cache the day before. As Susie cleared their empty plates, they debated over dessert. Susie managed to get them to agree to share two desserts between the four of them. She took their order and promised to be right back.

  She was true to her word and within minutes was setting two plates in the center of the table. With a nod, she accepted their compliments on how good it all looked, she glanced out the window as a small compact car pulled into the parking lot. Recognizing the occupant as the car door opened, Susie braced herself for what would be sure to be a tense few minutes. She managed to catch Paul’s attention and nodded toward the parking lot and walked away, out of the range of fire.