by Lois Schmitt
The clerk returned with the plans, which showed pretty much what Lucien had talked about at the meeting—seventy-five condo units, restaurant, club house, tennis court, two pools, two Jacuzzis, tennis court, and small marina. Lucien had promised to donate an acre to the aquarium and his plans did show that area. But at the opposite end of Moray’s project, another acre of land also appeared to be set aside. I had missed this during Moray’s power point presentation. Or maybe he hadn’t mentioned it.
“Do you know what this acre is for?” I asked the clerk.
“Moray is using that as a nature preserve. Sort of a buffer between his development and the residential and commercial establishments down the beach.”
The preserve was next to Ruby Diamond’s home. This would leave her with an acre of untouched land between her cottage and the condominium development. Next to this vacant land was the tennis court, then the pools. The condo units were located at the end closest to the aquarium.
No wonder Ruby seemed to hit harder at the aquarium than the condominiums. With the aquarium, she would be next to a camp ground, even if its use was severely restricted to marine scientists. Although she wanted the twenty acres to remain vacant, an acre of natural land was better than a camp.
But was it enough to kill for?
*****
I wandered out of the zoning office intending to get a quick bite to eat. While strolling down the street I noticed pottery in the window of Gracie’s Gift Shoppe.
I remembered Ruby Diamond’s comment about a store in town that sold her products. As I stepped inside, and glanced at my surroundings, I had a feeling this was the shop.
In addition to the pottery, the store featured an eclectic array of merchandise. The smell of incense permeated the shop and was a bit too strong for my liking.
“Are you looking for anything in particular?” asked a young woman. With her raven hair, alabaster skin, and vermillion lips, she looked like a character from a gothic novel. “I’m Grace. This is my shop.”
“This is beautiful.” I pointed to a ceramic jug painted in several shades of blue. “Is this Ruby Diamond’s work?”
Grace nodded.
“Is all this pottery from Ruby?” I asked. There were more than a dozen pieces displayed on a shelf situated against the front window.
“Yes. She is the only potter whose work I sell.”
“I’ll bet it sells quickly.”
“Not as quickly as I’d like. I sell about two or three pieces a month.”
Three pieces a month would only bring in a few hundred dollars. That was before the shop owner took her commission. The property taxes on Ruby’s beach house would be considerably more than what she made from the sale of her pottery. Then there was her electric and phone bill, car insurance, gas, and food. The point: where was Ruby getting the money to support herself?
While strolling down the aisle examining merchandise, I spotted an a large storage closet. The door was ajar, so I looked in. Sitting atop a shelf were seven pieces of Ruby’s pottery. A vase, painted in blues, tans, and white with a sea shell motif, caught my eye. It would fit perfectly in Abby’s home.
“Are those items for sale?” I asked, pointing to the pottery in the closet. “If so, how much is the vase with the sea shells?”
Grace’s eyes widened. “Oh, no. Nothing back here is for sale.” She shut the closet door. “Those pieces have been sold. We keep them in storage until we ship them out.”
“Could I at least get a closer look at the sea shell vase? Maybe I could get Ruby to create a similar one for me.”
“I can’t take a chance,” Grace said. “What if you dropped it, and it broke?”
“I only want to—”
“If you describe this vase to Ruby, I’m sure she can duplicate it for you,” Grace said as she guided me toward the front of the shop.
As I left the store, various scenarios ran through my mind. I hadn’t asked to pick up the vase, I only asked if I could get a better look at it. Was I becoming paranoid, or did Grace really want to get me away from those vases? But those thoughts quickly disappeared as I passed the Starfish Real Estate Agency. I glanced in the window and spotted Calvin Chandler. He appeared to be deep in conversation with a man who was sitting across from his desk.
“I don’t believe it,” I mumbled, while positioning to get a better view.
It was the aquarium’s head fish keeper. Oscar Mejas.
Talk about strange bedfellows. Yesterday, I discovered Paul Andre and Brad Monroe together. Today it’s Calvin Chandler and Oscar Mejas. What was going on?”
*****
After grabbing a chocolate ice cream cone in town for my lunch, I sped off to the aquarium. Upon arrival, I knocked on the open door of Oscar’s office.
“Come in,” he said, barely looking up from his computer keyboard.
I slid into a chair across from Oscar while noticing a half-eaten sandwich and a can of cola on his desk.
“Didn’t have time for lunch in town?” I asked.
Oscar stopped pecking at his keyboard and looked up. “I beg your pardon.”
“The sandwich on the desk. I’m guessing you didn’t have time to grab a bite in town. I saw you there less than an hour ago.”
“I decided on a working lunch.” He stared at me quizzically.
“I didn’t know you were friends with Calvin Chandler,” I said.
“Friends? I would hardly classify us as friends. Why would you suggest that?”
“Because I just saw you in his real estate office. I was surprised, considering he’s the one who is diverting Alicia Wilcox-Chandler’s money away from the aquarium.”
Oscar sighed. “I’m planning on downsizing once I retire. I’m selling my current home, but I plan to stay in Clam Cove—”
“Are you using Calvin Chandler as your real estate agent?”
“Absolutely not. I would never use a sleaze like him.”
“But you were in his office.”
Oscar sat back. “Chandler is only a sales agent. The owner of the agency, Thad Tucker, is a friend of mine, and he’s my broker. I needed to drop off some documents today. Since Thad knew he wouldn’t be in the office, he asked me to leave them with Calvin.”
It made sense, but I wasn’t totally convinced.
“Oscar, where were you the night Katie died?”
He frowned. “Yes. I remember Katie talking about you. She told me that you solved a murder at the Rocky Cove Zoo this summer. I guess you consider yourself to be an amateur detective.”
“I consider myself a friend of Katie. I’d like to find out who killed her.”
He nodded. “I liked Katie, and I had no reason to kill her. On the day of the murder, I had left the aquarium a few minutes early at about five-twenty—I usually leave that time on Saturdays. I waved good-bye to the security guard. He saw me leave. You can check with him. I grabbed pizza in town and then attended my grandson’s weekly basketball game at the community center. Game started at six-thirty, and I arrived there about a half hour before, so I could grab a good seat.”
“Did you go by yourself?”
“Yes. My daughter and son-in-law came later. They missed the first quarter because they had to work. I missed the end of the game because I received the phone call from Commander West to return to the aquarium and help the police remove Katie’s body from the sea snake tank.”
The pizzeria and community center were less than ten minutes from the aquarium. Katie was alive at six. We found her body at close to seven-thirty. Would Oscar’s alibi for that time check out?
As I left Oscar’s office and headed down the corridor, I spotted Bradford Monroe coming toward me. I wanted to ask him about his meeting yesterday with Paul Andre and the blond, but he was accompanied by a middle age couple, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to question him now.
“Kristy Farrell. I’m glad you’re here,” he said with bounding enthusiasm. “I want you to meet our first sponsors, Elizabeth and Jerome Mulgrave. Their names will be above our new turtle exhibit.”
Before I had a chance to say hello, Bradford turned to the couple. “Kristy Farrell is a reporter for Animal Advocate Magazine, and she is doing a feature on our proposed expansion plans.” He turned back to face me. The man moved around like a wind-up doll. “You should mention the Mulgraves in your article. They should get recognition for their generosity. And who knows. That could lead to future sponsors.”
As much as I wanted to aquarium to succeed, my job was not to act as a cheerleader for their cause. But certainly, some quotes from the Mulgraves on what led to their decision to become sponsors belonged in my story.
“That’s not a bad idea,” I said. “Why don’t—”
“Let’s go to my office now.” Bradford whisked us down the hall.
The Mulgraves, who both were short, squat, and ruddy faced, sat on a couch while I slid into an armchair. I smiled at them, while wondering if married couples really do begin to look like each other as they age.
Once situated behind his desk, Bradford started talking. I had had enough of his rhetoric and knew it was time to take control.
“I’d like the Mulgraves to tell me in their own words why they decided to become sponsors,” I said.
“We both grew up in Clam Shell Cove,” Mrs. Mulgrave replied. “We now live about an hour away, but much of my family is still here, and we visit frequently. We believe strongly in the work the aquarium is doing in helping endangered species and in educating the public.”
“We also gave Bradford a list of our friends and business associates who believe strongly in similar causes,” Mr. Mulgrave added. “We’re going to help Bradford convince these friends to become sponsors too.”
“You should get a photo of the Mulgraves for your story,” Bradford said.
“Well, I guess—”
“We’ll do it by the turtle exhibit. Let’s go.” He hopped out of his seat. As we exited the room, Bradford whispered to me, “Since I’m responsible for the donation, I’d like to be in the picture too. I should get credit.”
“Do either of you work in the field of marine science?” I asked the Mulgraves as we made our way down the corridor.
“No. We own a car dealership near the county seat,” Mrs. Mulgrave said. “We also have investments in other businesses. We recently became part owners in a chain of health spas. It’s aimed at overweight teenagers. It should do quite well.”
Chapter Thirty-six
“I’ve news.” Matt greeted me when I arrived home later that night. “It’s about your mother. She told me this morning, she and Paul have been shopping for an engagement ring.”
I frowned.
“There’s more,” Matt said. They talked about eloping. She said you might have a stepfather soon.”
“I’m racing the clock. I need to expose him before my mother does something she’ll regret for the rest of her life.”
“Expose what? His relationship with the blond?”
“It’s more than that. He’s up to something.”
“Like what? Isn’t it possible he and the blond were meeting for a legitimate business reason?”
“You don’t hold hands with a business associate.” I frowned. “Paul Andre has no intention of marrying my mother. He’s using her for something else, and I need to find out quickly. I keep going back to an investment scam, but my mother swears he hasn’t approached that topic since she told him no.”
“So what are you going to do next?”
“I need to meet with Bradford Monroe and ask him why he met with Paul and the blond.”
“Do you think he’ll tell you?”
“Doesn’t matter. If Bradford and Paul are involved in a scam, by confronting Bradford, I might scare them off. Maybe Paul will leave town without my mother. I’d like to find out what type of scheme he’s hatching, but my first goal is to protect Mom.”
“Could Bradford be a victim too?”
I shrugged. “I doubt it.”
“Why?”
“Because the Mulgraves—they’re big contributors to the aquarium—recently invested in a chain of health spas catering to overweight teens. Coincidence? I think not. I’m guessing Bradford is supplying Paul with lists of wealthy donors.”
“You can’t be sure Paul’s health spa project isn’t legit.”
“I’m pretty sure. Call it gut instinct. Do you want something to eat?”
“Thanks but I’ll heat up Sunday’s leftovers. Right now, I’ve a ton of work to do on the festival. I need to crunch the numbers to find out how much I can spend on advertising.”
I gulped. “Shouldn’t your accountant be crunching the numbers?” I knew advertising was imperative to get crowds to the event, but I didn’t want him to go overboard.
“Arnold doesn’t have a flair for marketing or advertising,” Matt said, referring to his accountant.
And you do. “When you have everything figured out, I think you should run the numbers by him.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Matt rose and headed toward his study.
I poured a glass of white wine, sat back, and thought about my husband and his uphill battle to keep his veterinary hospital afloat. Finally deciding it was time to get back to work, I trudged upstairs and propped myself up in bed with my laptop. I opened it to the screen where I’d previously listed potential suspects in Katie’s murder. I had learned a lot since then. For the next hour, I deleted and added information. When Matt came into the room, I showed him what I had.
Lucien Moray. He had motive. He believed Alicia Wilcox Chandler’s donation was all that prevented him from acquiring the twenty acres. With Katie out of the way, this was no longer an obstacle. Jack Patterson too, was a major stumbling block to another Moray project. With Jack dead, Moray could easily convince Jillian Patterson to sell the horse farm for a shopping center.
“As for means and opportunity, Lucien Moray certainly wouldn’t do the dirty deed himself,” I said. “But he had plenty of money to hire a killer. On the other hand, would a man like Moray risk everything for a building project? Wouldn’t he just seek out another location?”
Next I showed Matt what I had written about the three aquarium employees who had keys to the facility. There appeared to be no motive—unless one of them was on Moray’s payroll.
Commander Conrad West. The man was a decorated hero with an impeccable reputation. Yet, the Commander was the suspect I knew least about. All the information I’d gathered on him came from naval press releases and professional websites. Perhaps there was a more personal motive.
He didn’t have an alibi for Katie’s murder either. From the time he left the fund raiser until I called him, Commander West was supposedly home alone.
Oscar Mejas. Fish keepers, even those in supervisory positions, didn’t earn huge salaries. Ready to retire, extra money from Lucien Moray would come in handy. Yet, he seemed to love his work, and I found it difficult to believe he’d do anything to jeopardize the aquarium’s goals. As for an alibi, Oscar claimed he stopped for pizza and then attended his grandson’s basketball game.
Bradford Monroe. He had expensive tastes. Money could be this man’s motive. But his family owned a chain of funeral homes, so he could be independently wealthy. And what about his alibi? At the time of Katie’s murder, he was drinking with the Mulgraves at the Tipsy Toad Tavern. The tavern was only a few minutes away from the aquarium.
“Was there opportunity for Brad to leave and commit murder?” Matt asked.
I shrugged. “Unlikely but possible.”
“The next four names on the list normally would not have access to the facility. But since Katie’s key was lost, and no one bothered to change the locks, all bets were off.”
Calvin Chandler. For an opportunist such as Calvin, administering the trust and denying the money to the aquarium would greatly enhance his relationship with Lucien Moray. He supposedly was showing homes at the time of the murder, but I hadn’t verified his alibi. Since he once worked for the aquarium, it was possible he had a key.
Sam Wong. He remained the biggest enigma. Although Sam and Katie seemed to love each other, their opposing roles regarding the land acquisition had created increased tensions. Sam’s employment with Moray didn’t sit well with me. He could have easily taken Katie’s key too. But what would be his motive for Jack’s murder? And what about opportunity? Was he really upstate for the time he claimed? Or had he returned early and committed the crimes?
Ruby Diamond. She was adamant in her opposition to the aquarium’s effort to acquire the twenty acres next to her property. She and her friend Kyle appeared to be involved in a secret activity too. It could be perfectly innocent, but my gut told me it wasn’t.
Ruby had attended medical school before embarking on an art career. She would have knowledge of human anatomy and medicine.
“How she would obtain access to the aquarium?” Matt asked.
“That’s the puzzle. For Ruby to find Katie’s lost key would be like finding a needle in a haystack.”
Jillian Patterson. She hadn’t been on my original list, but I had enough circumstantial evidence to add her now. Jillian was in extreme debt, and the sale of her horse farm might be the only way she might avoid bankruptcy. Two people stood in her way—her brother, who refused to sign off on the deal, and Katie, whose donation to the aquarium would thwart Moray’s goal of obtaining land for his condominium development and therefore eliminate his need to buy her horse farm for a shopping center. Her brother had a key to the aquarium. After he died, she might have taken it.
Jillian had mentioned she was a veterinary technician. That meant she had some medical knowledge. But the anatomy of a horse was different than that of a human. Would she know where to stick a needle in the brain to cause instant death?
