by Leena Clover
“Show me that photo again,” Jimmy demanded.
“Nothing comes to mind,” he said, shaking his head again. “But I’ve been on the sauce too long. My brain’s fried. I don’t remember the last time I had a shower.”
Jenny wanted to tell him it hadn’t been any time recent.
“Will you let us know if you think about something?” Heather prompted.
“Sure! Anything for Star.”
The girls said goodbye to Jimmy Parsons and walked on. Heather pointed to a ‘No Trespassing’ sign that was half buried in the sand.
“That must be the sign Grandma told us about.”
Jenny stopped and turned to look around. The ocean occupied half her line of vision. The rest of it was a deserted beach. Any chances of someone having seen the dead man looked slim to her.
“Don’t forget there were a lot of people here that day,” Heather reminded her. “There were the party guests, and people who brought their own picnic.”
“So he was a face in the crowd, you mean?” Jenny asked.
“He could have been a tourist who just stopped to look at the ocean, saw a crowd and wandered around to see what was going on.”
“Why did someone kill him then?” Jenny asked. “There had to be a motive.”
“Maybe someone followed him here, saw a chance and bashed his head in?”
“And nobody saw this?” Jenny asked.
“He could have been dead before the party started,” Heather said. “Maybe he was just lying on the beach and people thought he’s getting some sun.”
“Surely it wasn’t warm enough for that?”
“Tourists do strange things,” Heather shrugged. “Locals have stopped paying attention to them.”
A rambling house came into view and Jenny realized they had almost reached the Newburys’ backyard.
“Maybe we should head back,” she said, grabbing Heather’s arm.
They had already been spotted. A uniformed maid came out on the patio and hailed them. Jenny and Heather waited until she came up to them. Jenny dreamed of a cool, frosty glass of lemonade. Surely the Newburys would offer them a drink?
“You are trespassing,” the maid said as soon as she came closer. “This is the Newbury estate. It is private property.”
The maid sounded as snooty as the woman who employed her.
“We were just walking on the beach,” Heather stuttered. “We didn’t realize this is your property.”
The maid grimaced, making it clear what she thought of that.
“Isn’t this where they found the dead man?” Jenny asked.
“I knew it!” the maid said triumphantly. “Tourists, or reporters?” she demanded.
“Tourists,” Jenny said, looking apologetic.
“I had you pegged the moment I saw you,” the young girl said.
Jenny leaned closer to the girl and whispered, “So? Show us where they found him.”
The girl looked over her shoulder.
“I could get in trouble for this, you know.”
“We won’t tell anyone,” Heather promised.
The girl walked a few steps away from the house and stopped at a patch of grass.
“Somewhere around there, I think,” she pointed with her finger. “At least that’s where the police tape was. They took it off a few days ago.”
“Do you know why?” Jenny asked.
The maid shrugged.
“They already caught the killer. Some old hippie woman from town, people say. Killed him with a paintbrush.”
Chapter 10
Jenny had walked around the patch of grass the maid pointed out, looking for something unusual. She found nothing other than sand. She told Star about her visit to the beach and her strange encounter with Jimmy Parsons.
“Good old Jimmy,” Star said.
“I gathered he’s a good-for-nothing drunk.”
“He wasn’t always like that,” Star said defensively.
“He knew nothing about the dead man,” Jenny said. “But then he said he didn’t remember anything so I don’t know what to believe.”
“Did he talk to the cops?”
“Apparently not. I don’t know why the police haven’t talked to him yet. I’m going to find out.”
Jenny walked over to the police station the next day looking for Adam.
“He’s in a bad mood,” Nora warned. “His leg’s acting up.”
Jenny knocked and ignored Adam’s command to leave him alone.
“Get out, Miss King,” he growled. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”
“This won’t take long,” Jenny said, ignoring his outburst.
She pulled out a chair and sat down in front of him.
“Have you talked to Jimmy Parsons?” she asked.
“What?”
“You know Jimmy Parsons, don’t you? That old drunk who lives in the lighthouse?”
“I know who he is,” Adam said, chewing on his lip. “What do you have against him, Jenny?”
“I ran into him yesterday and it appears he doesn’t know anything about the dead guy.”
Adam shrugged.
“Guy’s stoned most of the time.”
Jenny crossed her arms and glared at Adam.
“Why haven’t the police interrogated him yet?”
Adam’s eyes hardened.
“Are you going to tell me how to do my job?”
“I have to, since you’re doing nothing. Jimmy Parsons might have been around when the guy was killed. But you would never know since you haven’t even talked to him yet.”
“When are you going to stop meddling, Jenny?” Adam asked coldly.
“I’m just trying to help!”
“Thank you for your suggestion. I’ll think about it.”
“Is that all?”
“That’s all I can tell you at the moment.”
Jenny stormed out of Adam’s office and crossed the road. She was going to tackle Jason Stone next. It looked like incompetence ran high among the handsome men of Pelican Cove.
“Any progress?” Jenny barked as she barged into Jason’s office.
Jason Stone was on the phone. He held up a finger, asking Jenny to give him a minute.
“Have a seat, Jenny,” he said as he hung up. “And calm down. You’re about to blow a gasket.”
“The cops haven’t talked to Jimmy Parsons,” Jenny fumed. “Can you believe it?”
“Do you know that for a fact?” Jason asked calmly.
“Jimmy said so!”
“Jimmy doesn’t remember his own name most days,” Jason dismissed. “I would take anything he says with a pinch of salt.”
“So he lied to me?” Jenny asked.
“He may have,” Jason said. “But I’m sure it wasn’t deliberate.”
Jason stood up and pulled out a bottle of water from a small refrigerator in the corner. He handed it to Jenny.
“You need to keep your cool. We have a long way to go yet.”
“I feel so helpless,” Jenny said after she took a long gulp from the bottle. “We are no closer to exonerating Star.”
“You need to take a break,” Jason said.
He hesitated before he spoke again.
“Would you like to have dinner with me? They do a good surf and turf at the steakhouse.”
“You’re asking me out?” Jenny frowned. “Frankly, Jason, I’m not in the mood to socialize. And I’m not divorced yet. Just separated.”
“It’s just dinner,” Jason blushed. “I thought a change of scene would cheer you up.”
Jenny allowed herself to sit back and breathe. What was she thinking? A smart, attractive man wanted to treat her to a fancy meal and she was lashing out at him?
“Dinner does sound nice, Jason,” she said softly. “Thank you.”
“Shall I pick you up then?” Jason brightened.
“Let’s meet there at 7 PM.”
Jenny walked back to the Boardwalk Café in a daze.
“Jason is taking me to dinner
,” she told Petunia as she poached chicken.
“Do you have a nice frock?” Petunia asked. “Go home early and take some time to get ready.”
“It’s not a date,” Jenny started saying.
She stopped and smiled to herself. Maybe it was. She had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions since her husband dumped her. She was still dealing with a lot of anger and grief but she knew she was the victim. Any feelings she may have had for her husband had evaporated the day he drove her out and kept Cookie from her.
Jenny felt her excitement ramp up as the day passed. She left the café at 4 PM and took a long bath. Star wasn’t around. There was a note telling Jenny she was working late at her gallery. Star often did that when she was working on a deadline for a special commission. Jenny was glad she hadn’t burnt all her city clothes. She pulled out her trusty little black dress and wondered if it was too dressy. She decided to pair it with a string of coral beads and matching earrings. That made the outfit look just right.
Jenny walked over to the Steakhouse, feeling a bit conscious. She ran into Captain Charlie just outside. He gave her a wink.
“Hot date?”
Jenny blushed.
“Just delivered the catch of the day,” Captain Charlie nodded. “The Steakhouse has the best of everything. You’re in for a treat.”
He held up the bag he was carrying.
“The chef in there always has something for me.”
Jenny spoke with Captain Charlie for a while and hurried inside. She didn’t want to run into any more people she knew.
It was a few minutes to 7 PM but Jason Stone was already inside. Jenny liked a man who didn’t keep her waiting. She tried not to think of all those dinner dates when her husband had turned up an hour late. Sometimes he hadn’t turned up at all. Had she been too naïve and missed reading the signs? Jenny shook her head and decided she had to stop dwelling on the past.
Jason stood with his hands in his pockets and grinned at her. Jenny was glad to see he was wearing a sports jacket and leather shoes. She didn’t feel overdressed.
“Hello, pretty lady!” Jason greeted her, offering a fist bump.
She suddenly thought of her son Nick and his friends. So Jason was young at heart. That wasn’t a bad thing.
“Have you tried our local wine yet?” Jason asked, playing the perfect host.
They opted for a merlot to go with their steak. Jenny tasted two different wines and chose the local vintage. Jason gave her an approving smile.
“So you really don’t remember our first date, do you?” he asked as they waited for their crab cakes. “You ordered blueberry ice cream at the creamery and spilled it down your white shirt.”
“I bet you mopped it up,” Jenny said, then bit her lip.
She hadn’t meant to sound crude.
“No such luck,” Jason gave an exaggerated sigh. “Your aunt was watching us from the other end of the room. She came over and did the honors.”
“I brought my aunt with me on a date?” Jenny laughed. “How do I not remember this?”
“You were barely 14, and super cute.”
Jenny took a sip of wine and avoided saying anything. Jason’s eyes darkened as he leaned forward.
“You still are, Jenny.”
Their food arrived and Jason devoted his attention to it. He made sure Jenny liked everything and had what she wanted. Jenny tapped her spoon on the hard crust of her crème brulee.
“Is this where you bring all your first dates?”
“This is just dinner, remember?” Jason parried.
“I thought the Steakhouse was reserved for special occasions.”
“This is a special occasion,” Jason said quickly. “You are special, Jenny. I know you are used to fancy clubs and restaurants. We don’t have what the city offers…”
“And that’s a good thing,” Jenny assured him, rubbing one of the charms on her chain. “I had a great time tonight.”
“I couldn’t ask for more.”
Jenny’s phone rang and her heart skipped a beat. She wondered if her son was in trouble. Very few people had her cell phone number. She hardly used her phone since she came to Pelican Cove.
“I have to get this,” she apologized. “It might be my son.”
“Go ahead,” Jason told her.
It was Star.
“Jenny, come quick! The cops are here.”
“What? Where? Slow down, Auntie, and tell me what’s happening.”
She listened to Star’s outburst for a few minutes and hung up.
“We have to go,” she said, standing up. “That was Star. The police are at her gallery right now.”
Jason didn’t miss a beat. He handed over his credit card to the server and told her he would collect it later.
“Let’s go, Jenny.”
Jason drove his late model sedan to Star’s art gallery. It took them less than five minutes to get there, barely enough time for Jenny to admire the soft leather seats and swanky sound system in the luxury car.
Star was standing outside, looking stricken. A paper fluttered in her hand. She handed it over to Jason.
“They gave me this…said they had a right to search the place.”
Jason skimmed the document and looked at Jenny grimly.
“It’s a warrant to search the art gallery. I’m afraid they also have one to search your house. Star’s house, that is.”
“What can we do now?”
“It’s best to let them carry on,” Jason advised. “We have nothing to hide. They might drop the charges against Star if they find nothing.”
“That’s good, right?” Jenny turned to Star. “That’s what we want.”
“They are trashing the place,” Star said, “throwing canvases around.”
The cops wanted to search Star’s house after that. Jason drove the women home. They huddled outside on Star’s porch while the police did their job.
“This is all so meaningless,” Jenny cried. “Clearly, they are picking on Star because they don’t have any other suspects. They are just putting on a show.”
Jason hesitated before he spoke up.
“I hear the Newburys are putting the squeeze on. They want someone nailed for this as soon as possible.”
“What do they care?”
“Ada Newbury is taking this murder as a personal affront. She wants to know who dared to kill the man on her property. She’s vowed to drive that person out of Pelican Cove.”
Jenny raised her eyebrows and curled her fingers into a fist.
“How do we know the Newburys didn’t kill this man? He was found on their beach, right? They should be the top suspects.”
“No one will dare point a finger at them in Pelican Cove,” Jason said.
“But people do speak behind their back,” Star argued. “We all know the Newburys aren’t as above board as they claim to be.”
“What does that mean?” Jenny demanded.
“Nothing!” Jason sighed. “Those are just rumors, Star. Throwing mud at the Newburys isn’t going to help our case.”
“I need to go talk to them,” Jenny said with purpose. “Ada Newbury and her staff might have seen or heard something.”
Jason coughed delicately.
“I don’t think old Ada will give you the time of day, Jenny. She barely talks to your aunt.”
“She can’t say no to Betty Sue,” Star spoke up.
“That’s a good idea,” Jason agreed. “Even Ada Newbury cannot say no to Betty Sue Morse.”
“Look, I don’t understand island politics,” Jenny said, putting her hands on her hips. “But if Betty Sue can open that door for me, I’ll take her along. No big deal.”
“Good luck with that,” Jason said cryptically. “Those two have a volatile relationship. Betty Sue might just refuse to go with you.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Chapter 11
“I don’t see why you need me there,” Betty Sue Morse protested.
She avoided l
ooking at Jenny, her eyes trained on her needles as they pulled off an intricate stitch. Her knitting bag contained three skeins of wool that day, Easter colors of lavender, yellow and pink.
“You know why, Betty Sue,” Petunia said as she walked onto the deck with a fresh pot of coffee.
“The police have already searched your aunt’s place, Jenny,” Molly spoke up. “And they didn’t find anything. I think they will leave her alone now.”
“They haven’t dropped the charges against her. I’m sure the Newburys or their staff must have seen something.”
“Didn’t you talk to one of their maids?” Betty Sue asked.
“Heather says they have at least six maids,” Jenny said stoutly.
“You’re daft if you think Ada is going to let you talk to them,” Betty Sue declared.
Her hands moved in a rhythm, twirling the different colors of wool around her knitting needles.
“You just get me in there,” Jenny said.
“There’s no way the Newburys will let her in on her own,” Heather said. “She needs you, Grandma.”
Betty Sue pursed her mouth and looked at Petunia. Petunia’s brow cleared.
“Oh! Is that why you are dawdling over going there, Betty Sue? Pay no heed.”
“I’ll be with you, Grandma,” Heather assured her.
“What’s going on?” Jenny asked, trying to understand the undercurrents.
“I will go with you,” Betty Sue said. “But I am telling you this is a waste of time.”
“You’re going to rub Ada Newbury the wrong way, and then she’ll make sure you repent,” Molly told Jenny. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Jenny stood up to leave but Heather sat her down.
“We can’t just show up there. We have to get an appointment first.”
Betty Sue used the phone in the café kitchen to call Ada Newbury. She didn’t mince words. She had a frown on her face when she hung up.
“We are going there for tea tomorrow.”
“Did you tell her I was coming with you?” Jenny asked.
“Don’t be silly, girl. You are going to be an uninvited guest.”
Jenny went about her chores at the café and spent a quiet evening at home. Star was at the gallery, busy putting it to rights after the police let her in. Jenny stepped out for a walk after a simple dinner of grilled fish and salad.
