by Lois Schmitt
“Only for the last two years. After college, he taught science at a small private school out of state. His degree is in marine biology.”
“What brought him back here?”
“A job opening at the aquarium. His dream had always been to work with marine life. Plus, after our dad died, I needed help with the horses, so he moved back.”
“Do you have someone to help you now?”
Jillian shook her head. “No. I can’t afford it. I’m doing it all.” She rose from her chair. “I better get down to the paddocks. There’s a fence that needs mending.”
As she moved toward the side shelves and grabbed a toolbox, I glanced at a stack of open mail on her desk. A letter was sticking out. The name on the return address caused me to suck in my breath. It read: Moray Industries.
I needed an excuse to stay. Luckily, I’d come prepared.
“Do you mind if I give Topper some carrots?” I asked as we left her office. “I brought a bunch. They’re in my car.”
“Go right ahead. He’s the last stall on the left. As soon as I fix the fence, I’ll put him out to graze.”
We parted. I retrieved the carrots and headed back to the stable, noting that Jillian was now outside busily engaged repairing a nearby paddock fence.
I opened the door to Jillian’s office, and gently pulled the envelope from Moray Industries out of the pile. It had been sliced open, making it easy for me to remove the letter. I read the correspondence.
I gasped. After stashing the paper back in the envelope, I carefully placed it back in the pile of mail just the way I found it and left.
As I made my way to Topper’s stall, I thought about the implications of the letter. It was an offer to buy the horse farm. But it was contingent on Moray acquiring the twenty acres of land next to the aquarium.
After feeding the carrots to Topper, I made my way to the parking lot. I was wondering how I could find out what Moray wanted with a horse farm when I spotted Jillian returning from the paddock.
Sometimes the simplest strategy is the right one. “Jillian,” I called. “You got a sec?”
She spun around. “Everything okay with Topper?”
“He’s fine. Ate all the carrots. I’ve just one more questions about the aquarium and the land acquisition—”
“I don’t know anything about that—”
“Moray wanted to buy your land too. But only if he acquired the twenty acres adjacent to the aquarium.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” She averted my eyes.
“Please, Jillian. I think the land acquisition may be related to the deaths of Katie and your brother.”
Jillian’s shoulders slumped. “Okay. It’s true. He wanted to purchase this place.”
“Why? What would he do with a horse farm?”
“Tear it down. He wanted to build a shopping center.”
“A shopping center?”
“There are great mom and pop stores in town. But the nearest major shopping area is more than an hour away. Moray thought that with the influx of condo residents, the community could support a shopping mall.”
“Would you sell?”
Jillian rubbed her head. “I honestly don’t know. This farm belonged to my grandfather, but for the last few years, I’ve barely made ends meet.” She paused, then sighed. “Yes. I probably would sell.”
“How did Jack feel about this?”
‘It was one of the only things we argued about. Jack was furious that I’d even consider selling to Moray. He also told me it was a moot point since the aquarium was acquiring the land.”
“But now, it may not.”
Jillian nodded. “Do you think Moray had something to do with Jack’s death?”
I couldn’t answer. Jack may have opposed selling the horse farm, but Jillian, as owner, would make the final decision. I didn’t know how much influence Moray thought Jack had with his sister. Enough to kill Jack to get him out of the way?
Chapter Twenty-three
Later at work, I had just settled down in my cubicle when my phone buzzed. While stretching to grab the receiver, I knocked over my coffee.
“I need to talk to you about your mother,” my sister-in-law Barbara said.
“And hello to you too,” I wiped up the spill with tissues from my bag. “What about my mother?”
“About the garage sale?”
“What garage sale? I’ve no idea what you are talking about.”
“Your mother asked Tim to help her organize a garage sale for her friend Marcia Silver. She expects me to help too. Apparently, Marcia Silver, whom I’ve never met, is selling her house. She’s getting rid of most of her belongings, but she’s not comfortable selling online, so your mom suggested a garage sale. It’s scheduled for two weeks from now. Your mother wants us all to pitch in.”
“Mom hasn’t asked me for help.”
“She will.”
With the deadline for my stories looming on the horizon, Matt’s upcoming animal lover’s festival, and the two murders, the last thing I needed was to serve as a worker bee for my mother’s friend. But as I thought about it, I realized my mom and Marcia had always confided in each other. If my mother wasn’t telling me what was happening with her fiancé, perhaps by spending time in the Silver home, I could learn more about the mysterious Paul Andre.
*****
A few hours later, my intercom buzzed.
“Detective Wolfe is here to see you,” Clara said when I picked up.
“Send him down.”
“I’m here.” Detective Wolfe had obviously started down the hall before Clara called.
“I need to confirm some facts from you statement.” Wolfe wiped his nose, then flipped open his note pad. “The day Katie Chandler died, you claimed you and your daughter were together at the Chandler house from about three-thirty until you both left to go to the aquarium at seven-fifteen. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“You two were joined at the hip eh?”
“Of course, we weren’t together every second.”
“So you can’t verify your daughter’s whereabouts.”
“Where else would she be?”
Ignoring my question, Wolfe asked, “How long has your daughter known Sam Wong?”
“Abby met Sam when he and Katie first started dating. Remember, Abby and Katie were best friends.”
“How frequently did your daughter see Sam?”
“I have no idea. I think Abby and her boyfriend went out to dinner and movies with Katie and Sam, but I don’t know how frequently.”
“Abby never saw Sam alone?”
I realized where he was headed but couldn’t believe it.
I moved forward in my seat. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying it’s not inconceivable that Abby and Sam were lovers and that they plotted together to kill Katie.”
“You are so wrong. You have no basis for such a far-fetched theory.”
“But I do. We’ve recovered a series of text messages from Katie’s phone.” He handed me a sheet and stood back, smirking.
The print out was an exchange between Katie and Abby. I read the page.
Katie: I need to know I can trust you.
Abby: Of course. All the time.
Katie: With Sam?
Abby: Why would you even ask?
Katie: I have my reasons.
“Those statements could be interpreted dozens of ways,” I said.
“One way is that Katie thought there was something between Abby and Sam.”
“Preposterous. Besides, I may not have been with my daughter every moment of the cocktail party, but once Katie left for the aquarium, Abby and I sat in the living room the entire time. The catering staff was cleaning up, so I’m sure they can vouch for us.”
No way Abby was the murderer. But had she become Sam’s lover? Preposterous. I had seen the interaction between the two, and neither showed a spark of interest in the other. And Abby would never do that to Katie or to Jason. I knew my daughter.
But what did those texts mean? I grabbed my phone and punched in Abby’s number.
I explained Wolfe’s theory that she and Sam were lovers who murdered Katie. I told her about the text messages.
“They refer to the surprise birthday party for Katie,” she said. “The one Sam was planning. Only it wasn’t a surprise.”
“What do you mean?”
“Katie got wind of the party. She was afraid it might be too over the top. You know how laid back Katie is. I mean was.” There was a pause. “She wanted me to talk Sam into doing something simple—like a small dinner with close friends. Her comment ‘I need to know I can trust you’ meant would I make sure the party was more to her taste and not acquiesce to Sam’s extravagant plans.”
“What did she mean by ‘I have my reasons?””
“I like big parties. Katie was afraid I’d agree with Sam and wouldn’t push to keep the party small and low key.” Abby paused before continuing. “The only connection I had with Sam was Katie. You didn’t think something was going on between us, did you?”
“Not in a million years. But I wanted an explanation of the text messages, so I can confront Wolfe if he brings up his ridiculous theory again.”
“He also doesn’t appear to be taking into account Jack’s murder. He’s treating them as two unrelated cases.”
“You’re right,” I agreed. “I believe the key to the crimes is finding out what tied Jack and Katie together.”
After ending my call, I decided to dig deeper into the common thread between Katie and Jack, which was the Clam Cove Aquarium. My research showed the aquarium was solvent. Aside from the struggle to raise funds for the expansion, the daily admission receipts and paid memberships raised enough money for normal operating expenses.
The previous director had left under pleasant circumstances. He had received a job offer at a larger aquarium in northern California where his married daughter and three grandchildren lived. No one employed at the Clam Cove facility had been under consideration as his replacement, so when Commander West was appointed, there was no reason for jealously or resentment.
Did someone on staff hate both Katie and Jack? From what I’d seen the answer was no. But I couldn’t be sure, so I called Abby back again.
“Katie and I always talked about our work and the people we came in contact with on a regular basis,” my daughter said, “and Katie only had good things to say about her colleagues. Sure, there were little everyday annoyances. She found Bradford to be conceited and Commander West’s love of paperwork drove her crazy, but there wasn’t enough animosity for someone to kill her.”
I realized that the same held true for Jack. According to Oscar Mejas, Jack was well-liked despite his temper. In an institution the size of the Clam Cove Aquarium, everyone would know each other’s business.
“Besides the land acquisition, did Katie ever talk about any controversial issues facing the aquarium?”
“Not at all. The aquarium has been part of the community for more than twenty years. It’s an integral part of the area.” Abby paused. “But remember, Abby and Jack’s friendship goes back before either worked at the aquarium. Could the murders relate to something earlier in their lives?”
*****
Back home, I poked my head in the freezer hoping to find something that I could defrost in time for dinner. When I heard the door slam, I spun around.
“Hello, Kristy,” my mother said with more enthusiasm than I’d heard from her in days.
“I was just choosing something for dinner,” I said. “Will you be able to join us?”
“No, thanks.” She winked. “I’m having dinner with Paul.”
“Really?”
“You sound surprised. He is my fiancé.”
“The way you’ve been acting recently, I thought you two had a fight.”
“We had a minor disagreement, but it’s been straightened out.”
“Oh.” I sat down by the table. “Want to tell me?”
“It was nothing.” She grabbed a bottle of Chardonnay from the refrigerator, poured two glasses, handed me one, and slid down into a chair. “Paul wanted me to invest in his health spas.”
“Mom, that’s a risky venture.”
“I know.” She held up her hands. “I told him no. He put a lot of pressure on me, but I held firm.” Her face darkened. “For a short time, I was afraid he wanted me for my money.”
The same thought had flashed through my mind. I sucked in my breath.
“But when he saw I was adamant, he understood and promised not to bring it up again.”
“When did this change of heart take place?”
“Today. I was at Marcia’s house when he called this morning and pleaded to see me. Marcia suggested he join us for brunch, and I thought that was a good idea. I wanted her reaction.
“Which was?”
“She agreed that if he was a scammer, he wouldn’t have given up so easily.” My mother raised an eyebrow. “Kristy, you look skeptical.”
“Tell me specifically what happened from the moment he arrived at Marcia’s home.”
“Marcia and I were going through her belongings for a garage sale she’s planning. I’ll tell you more about that later. Anyway, he helped Marcia carry about a dozen items into her garage. He’s so strong. After that, Marcia made coffee, heated up a quiche, and we sat down to eat. That was when he apologized. He said he wanted to let me in on this opportunity, but if I wasn’t comfortable, he totally understood.”
My mother frowned briefly. “He said there were lots of people in this world like me who just wanted to keep their money safe and were willing to forfeit a high return. I did feel that was a little condescending, but I’m sure he didn’t mean it that way.”
“Did he tell you a high return is accompanied by a high risk?”
“Not specifically, but I know that. The main point is he said he wouldn’t bring the topic up again.”
Even in love, my mother was one smart cookie when it came to finances. I couldn’t imagine her handing over money to anyone without first consulting her attorney or financial advisor.
But as far as I was concerned, the jury was still out on Paul Andre.
When my mother went upstairs to her room, I retrieved my phone and searched for the photo I’d taken of Mom and Paul. Then I phoned Abby’s boyfriend.
“Jason,” I said. “I need a favor.”
Chapter Twenty-four
“This doesn’t make sense,” I mumbled. I was on my computer. Matt had an early appointment at the veterinary hospital, and my mother had left for breakfast with Paul.
I grabbed my phone and called Abby. “Can you stop by?” I asked. “I want to show you something I discovered.”
“Sure. I’m in my car, about ten minutes away.”
While I waited, I punched in a number from my contact list.
“Louise,” I said when a woman answered the phone. “This is Mary’s daughter, Kristy.”
“Is everything okay with Mary? Is she sick?”
“No. She’s healthy as a horse.” Louise was my mother’s neighbor in Florida, and she was a retired New York City Board of Education truant officer. I’d met her a few times and considered her a good judge of character. Someone who would be difficult to fool. Her husband was a retired New York City detective.
“I was wondering if you knew anything about my mother’s friend Paul?” I asked.
Silence. Finally, she said, “I know almost nothing. I only met him once, and that was by a
ccident. I was returning a serving dish I borrowed from your mother when he came to pick her up for a date. Here seemed annoyed I was there.”
Louise paused. “Mary never brought him to any of the condo social events which she always did with other boyfriends. She stopped attending too. When I asked her why, she giggled and said Paul preferred to see her alone. I don’t like it when a person tries to isolate someone from their friends.”
“I agree. When my mother was alone, did she ever talk about Paul?”
“I didn’t see her much anymore. She was always with him. But there was one time, when Paul had a business meeting, that Mary came down to the pool. I asked her about him.”
“What did she say?”
“She went on and on about how wonderful he was, but she said nothing informative. I was surprised at how little she knew about his background.”
I finished my call as Abby stepped into the house. I told her about my conversation with my mother’s neighbor in Florida.
“What are you going to do?” Abby asked as she greeted Archie and Brandy who had bounded into the room in anticipation of tummy rubs.
“I’m going to delve deeper into Paul Andre. I need to find out what he’s been up to for most of his life.”
Abby poured coffee into a mug and sat down across from me. “Why did you want to see me? Is it about grandma?”
“No. Two other matters. Did Katie ever mention trouble in her youth involving Jack? Car accident? Teenage prank that went out of control?”
Abby furrowed her brows, then shook her head. “No. I’ve been thinking about that since we talked yesterday. Katie did occasionally talk about her high school days, but she never mentioned any bad incident.”
“I don’t know how to find out about her past. I did online research and nothing came up.”
“Katie had a good high school friend who now lives in Connecticut. She was coming to Katie’s surprise party. Sam has her contact number. Why don’t I call and ask her about Katie and Jack’s younger days? Now, what’s the second matter you wanted to see me about?”
“Calvin Chandler. I’ve been thinking of Sam Wong’s statement about the six million dollars from Alicia Wilcox Chandler’s estate that Katie planned to donate to the aquarium. Sam said Calvin Chandler would steer that money to the other charities listed in the will. I think that’s true, but if I’m to include that in my article on the land acquisition fight, I need to arrange a meeting with Calvin, so I can hear it from him.”
