And another thing I want to clarify is that none of us – well, none of the humans, anyway – had anything to do with chasing that maintenance man into the woods.
What really happened is that the dogs insisted on coming with us, and it was easier to just clip their leashes on and put them in the back seat with me and Mary Alice than to leave them howling and barking in my house. When we got to the school parking lot, we spotted Jenny’s car right away. It really stands out – it’s a bright red Mini Cooper (pre- wedding present from Mark). Pretty snappy.
When I opened the back door of Claire’s car, Lucy leaped out before I could catch her, with Ethel close on her heels. (Do dogs have heels? I don’t know.) Anyway, Lucy raced over to Jenny’s car barking like a maniac at a man who was crouched down by the front door of the Mini Cooper. He took off, with the dogs right after him.
English cockers are great trackers (forget about bloodhounds; my money’s on English cocker noses every time), and cornered the man by one of the dumpsters. I hope I don’t have to tell you that it was Jeff. You’re so smart, you must have figured that out by yourself.
Incidentally, you’re probably wondering why we didn’t call the police before we took off on our campus adventure. In my own defense, I did place an emergency call to Mark, but it went to his voice mail. By the time he got to the college, the campus security guards had locked Jeff up in one of their patrol cars.
Thank goodness one of the guards was a woman. She didn’t even blink an eye when the four of us started talking at the same time, trying to explain what had happened.
Of course, Jim read me the riot act for running to the college without letting him know what was up. Blah, blah, blah. He didn’t buy my argument that I knew interrupting him in the middle of a board of education budget hearing was something he’d never forgive me for.
I know he has a long list of things to add to my Honey- Don’t list. I’m worried that one of them will be, “Honey, don’t tell everybody in the world about our private business.”
You don’t think I’ll listen to that one, do you?
Jenny was shocked to find out that Jeff had been stalking her for a long time. When she broke off the relationship and came back East, he really popped his cork, as the saying goes. He vowed that if he couldn’t have her, nobody could. And set about making that happen.
Jenny made it easy for him, though, without realizing it. First of all, she never changed her Facebook log-in information, so Jeff knew her password and could always get into her account. Plus, she posted too much about her personal life online, so it was child’s play for Jeff to know where she was, what she was doing, and when she would be the most vulnerable.
She’s learned a valuable lesson about personal security, and so have I. It turned out that Bert and Ernie were a pair of harmless romantics who’d cast themselves in the role of Jenny’s admirers/protectors. Sort of like geriatric Knights of the Round Table. It apparently never occurred to them that their actions could be considered threatening.
Go figure.
I’m not allowed to tell you any more about Jenny and Mark’s wedding, per Jim’s instructions. (Hey, sometimes I have to let him have the last word.) Suffice it to say that the ceremony did come off, without any additional dead bodies or other hitches to spoil the occasion. It was a very small wedding, just the way the bride and groom wanted. As far as the location is concerned, my lips are sealed. Except to say that it was on an island, with no palm trees, and the weather was clear but cold.
Jenny was a gorgeous bride. She had taken my wedding dress from the attic, unbeknownst to me, and had it altered to fit her. I was so surprised and thrilled to see her in my dress that I couldn’t speak. Jim told me if I had that reaction, maybe Jenny should never take the dress off.
What a kidder.
Lucy and Ethel have become local celebrities, thanks to their television appearance. Whenever I take them for a walk now, it seems like everybody wants to say hello to them. And often, believe it or not, to be photographed with them.
The only trouble is, most people can’t tell one from the other, and Lucy is getting tired of being called by the wrong name. I’m thinking of having special dog sweaters made for each of them, with the initial “L” on Lucy’s and “E” on Ethel’s. What do you think?
Oh, and both dogs are hinting they’d like a Fan page on Facebook. I’m not sure that’s a good idea. After all, I’d have to do all the posting for them, and I have way too much to do already, researching the article I’m writing on cyberstalking.
I haven’t definitely ruled it out, though. I hate it when the girls sulk. As for Mike, we didn’t hear from him for the whole month before the wedding. In fact, I never got a response to my frantic e-mail asking for his help. I’ve had to accept that this is the way he chooses to deal with a tough problem. He goes into what he calls “radio silence” until the situation is resolved. He’s a man now, and he doesn’t rely on Mommy and Daddy to solve his problems any more.
Of course, it darn near kills me not to badger him. But I suck it up. I hope you’re all proud of me.
Mike came to the wedding alone. Neither Jim nor I asked him any questions about Marlee’s whereabouts. All he told us was that what happened was for the best and he didn’t want to discuss it. Period.
I was sure I knew where Marlee had gone, and why. But I vowed I wouldn’t bring it up and prove myself right. A part of me wondered if they were ever really married. But, for once, I just let it go.
As far as what happened at the Grey Gull Inn the night Tiffani died, the police are still trying to put all the pieces together. It helped the case when Skip Wallace (remember him, the co-owner of the inn?) came forward and admitted that he and Tiffani had a late night rendezvous planned in his suite. I could speculate that Tiffani decided to play dress up and arrive at his suite wearing a sexy peignoir and a lacy wedding veil. (Not that I would dream of making suggestions to the Nantucket police, of course. They probably wouldn’t listen to me, anyway.)
But…in case anybody should happen to ask me my opinion, I’m guessing that Jeff was hiding upstairs at the inn, waiting for his chance to harm Jenny. In the dark, he mistook Tiffani for Jenny and pushed her down the stairs. And that was the end of poor Tiffani.
Truly, it makes me sick to my stomach to think about it. And guilty about my relief that it was Tiffani who died, not Jenny.
In other news, Bob Green was released from jail, and he and Nancy are dating. That’s right, dating. I don’t know if they’ll ever reconcile and be a married couple again, but I’ve decided that, too, is none of my business.
Maybe there’s hope for me yet.
Destination Wedding Hints from a Professional Wedding Planner
By Jamie Bohlin, Cape Cod Celebrations
When planning your wedding, the destination is one of the first things to consider. Do you want to stay local or travel to an island or favorite childhood vacation spot? Use the following questionnaire to help you decide if planning a wedding outside of your zip code would work for you, your fiancé, your budget and your loved ones.
How far away are you from your destination location? Can you drive there, or do you have to take a plane, train or boat? Considering the time, cost and stress, travel can play a big role in your planning process.
Is your destination location easily accessible for guests? Will travel and lodging expenses be prohibitive for some people you really want to attend? Without your guests, there is no party! Choosing the location will affect them, too.
Does your location have a variety of accommodation options for all budgets, family sizes, length of stay, and so forth? Some of your guests may want to make a vacation out of it, while others may just want a one-night stay.
Are you comfortable on the phone and online? Planning a destination wedding will require a great deal of research to track down vendors, discuss and finalize details, and generally ensure that your day will run smoothly.
When selecting your wedding date and locati
on, are you taking busy travel weekends, such as holidays, into consideration? Consider traffic patterns, flight costs, hotel costs, venue and vendor costs, etc.
How organized are you? Are you good at keeping track of contracts, files and contact information? Planning a long-distance wedding will definitely need a lot organization and pre-planning before the big day.
Are you allowing enough time for planning? Be sure you allow for enough time between your engagement and your wedding date for putting together a destination wedding. There are a many, often changeable, parts to consider.
What does your choice of destination mean to you and your fiancé? Did you vacation there, grow up there, or just choose it on a whim? Have you ever visited this location at the time of year you’d like to have your wedding?
Have you considered the seasons/weather of your destination and planned accordingly? Have you looked at the sunset times for your ceremony? Is there a viable rain plan option if you want an outdoor ceremony and/ or reception? The weather can play a major role in your big day!
Still trying to decide if a destination wedding is right for you? If you have any other questions about planning your destination wedding, check out our website, www.capecodcelebrations.com. We’re here to help.
Planning a Wedding in Massachusetts
By Marie Sherman, Cape Cod Justice of the Peace
To be married in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by a clergy person or a Justice of the Peace, the law requires the following steps:
1) The couple must appear together at any city or town hall to fill out a form entitled “Intention To Be Married.” This will contain all the information that is necessary to be transferred to the actual Marriage License. From the date the form is filed, the license will be valid for 60 days. The designated fee is paid to the Clerk at that time. Each city/town may set their own fee for a license, presently averaging $25.00.
2) Blood tests for syphilis are no longer required to obtain a Marriage License.
3) Because of the three-day waiting period, the couple will not leave with a license in hand but must wait three days to return to pick it up. They do not have to go together to pick it up. There is no purpose for the delay except that an archaic law remains on the books giving couples three days to think it over, or not get married in the heat of passion!
4) If a couple does not have three days prior to the wedding to file for their license, the only remedy is to obtain a waiver of the three days through a Probate or District Court judge in the Commonwealth (for a fee), and bring that to a city/town hall where their license can be issued that day. It’s best to avoid this extra expense and stress when possible.
5) Since 2005, Massachusetts has allowed gay marriages.
6) An individual may apply through the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office for a “One-Day Designation,” which entitles that person to officiate at a wedding. The application should be filed several weeks prior to the wedding date as the process tends to be slow.
7) The clergy, Justice of the Peace, or Designated Individual officiating must have the valid Marriage License on the day of the wedding in order to perform the ceremony. No license – no wedding. The officiate has the obligation of returning the executed Marriage License within a few days to the city or town hall where the license was issued.
If a couple wishes to be married by a Justice of the Peace, some have personal websites and most are listed on various other websites, such as the Chambers of Commerce in their area, and www.findajp.com; this is a nationwide listing. Town Hall clerks and most large inns offer a list of names and contact numbers.
Ways To Prevent Cyberstalking
The Association for Progressive Communications (www.apc.org) has an excellent list of tips on their website. Here are some of their helpful suggestions:
• Be careful of what personal information you share on line.
• Create a different e-mail account for registering on social networking sites.
• Do not feel obligated to fill out all the fields when registering online.
• In your online profile, use a photo that doesn’t identify you or your location.
• Consider using a name that is not your real one or an easily recognizable nickname as your e-mail name, screen name, or user i.d.
• If you are breaking up with an intimate partner, reset every single password on all your accounts.
• Services such as Facebook change their privacy policy all the time, so check your own privacy settings to be sure you are only sharing personal information with people you trust.
• Find out/control what information family and friends are posting about you.
• Do an Internet search of your name regularly.
• Make sure your Internet service provider has an acceptable policy that prohibits cyberstalking.
Other suggested websites to check for information on preventing cyberstalking are www.datehookup.com and www.police.uncc.edu.
In addition, YouTube has a short video with additional prevention tips.
About the Author
An early member of the Baby Boomer generation, Susan Santangelo has been a feature writer, drama critic and editor for daily and weekly newspapers in the New York metropolitan area, including a stint at Cosmopolitan magazine.
A seasoned public relations and marketing professional, she has designed and managed not-for-profit events and programs for over 25 years, and was principal of her own public relations firm, Events Unlimited, in Princeton New Jersey, for ten years. She also served as Director of Special Events and Volunteers for Carnegie Hall during the Hall’s 1990-1991 Centennial season.
Susan divides her time between Cape Cod Mass. and the Connecticut shoreline. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Cape Cod Writers Center, and also reviews mysteries for Suspense Magazine. She shares her life with her husband Joe and two English cocker spaniels: Tucker and Boomer.
A portion of the sales from the Baby Boomer Mysteries is donated to the Breast Cancer Survival Center, a non-profit organization based in Connecticut which Susan founded in 1999 after being diagnosed with cancer herself.
You can contact Susan at ssantangelo@aol.
Or find her on Facebook and Twitter.
She’d love to hear from you.
Attention Book Clubs
If you have made Retirement Can Be Murder, Moving Can Be Murder, or Marriage Can Be Murder your book club selection and would like to have Susan Santangelo discuss the book with your group, please send an e-mail to [email protected] and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
Marriage Can Be Murder -- Every Wife Has A Story (A Carol and Jim Andrews Baby Boomer Mystery) Page 22
