The Cast Net

by Mille West

  You still have a crush on Jeff.

  Mills noticed that Andrew was engaged in a conversation with Cooper, and Margaret continued her confessional. “Jeffrey is such a playboy. One summer, I went out to Cooper’s property, but Aunt Julia owned it then. I’m sure that Beau and Mr. Brown had already passed away.”

  “Mr. Brown?”

  “Yes, my father always called Cooper’s father by his middle name, Brown. Besides Father, he was one of the most charming men I’ve ever known—and poor Beau. Cooper and Beau were supposed to manage Heath Brothers when my father and Brown retired. I suspect you already know about Beau.”

  Mills nodded, and Margaret continued, “Beau and Uncle Brown perished before their time and Cooper almost didn’t come back to Charleston. My sister and I never wanted to get involved in the management part of the company, but we’re well provided for—Cooper makes sure of it.”

  “Cooper does?”

  “Yes, of course; Cooper makes most of the decisions for Heath Brothers now. Father prefers it that way. In fact, I believe that Father would adopt Cooper if he wasn’t already related to him. As long as Cooper is in charge, and he will be in charge, we will be provided for. Cooper wouldn’t have it any other way—my goodness, I lost my train of thought.”

  “You were speaking of Cooper’s property when Julia owned it.”

  “Thank you. I was. Years ago, I went out to Aunt Julia’s property to learn how to fly fish. Cooper and Jeffrey were in their early twenties and they had been working on a sailboat that Jeffrey’s father had purchased. They both had their shirts off, and every time I cast the fly rod, I ended up getting the line stuck in a tree. I was too busy looking at them. The two of them have done nothing but improve with age.”

  A chocolate torte was on the dessert menu and Mills was served a large slice. Margaret looked at her thin physique before commenting, “That dessert should be named ‘Death by Chocolate.’ How do you manage to stay so thin?” Andrew rejoined their conversation and he interjected, “My dear, it’s known as being twenty-five years of age.”

  While the guests mingled after dinner, Cooper took Mills aside. “When you get tired, I’d like to walk you to my townhouse on Tradd Street. I don’t want you driving back to the country alone this late in the evening. You’ll have privacy there, and I’ll sleep on the couch in my uncle’s study.”

  “I don’t want to displace you.”

  “I just want to know that you’re safe.”

  When the party ended, Mills thanked the Heaths for the wonderful invitation and told Margaret and Andrew how much she had enjoyed meeting them. Andrew told her, “I’ll look forward to seeing you for the clays tomorrow.” Cooper told his uncle that he was going to walk Mills to his townhouse and that he’d return in a few minutes. Once they were outside, Mills felt chilled by the evening air.

  “Would you like to put my coat around your shoulders?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  Cooper took off his blazer and placed it over her shoulders. She pulled it close to her, and they walked the few blocks to his townhome. Even in the shadows of the lamplights, she knew that she liked the street. When they reached his residence, he opened the door and handed her the keys. A lamp illuminated the foyer, and Mills turned to Cooper, giving him back his blazer.

  “I had a wonderful time with your family tonight. Thank you for including me.”

  “The whole family wanted you to attend. I’m glad you had a nice time.”

  He handed her a slip of paper, which had his uncle’s phone number written on it. “If you need anything, I’m just a few blocks away. Now, lock up.”

  As she closed the door, he waved goodbye from the base of the steps and turned to walk back to his uncle’s. She watched from the window, but as he went out of sight, a man came out of the shadows and quickly followed in Cooper’s direction. Who is that? Anxiety overcame her, and she took several deep breaths. After waiting several minutes to give Cooper time to get back to his uncle’s home, she dialed the phone number. He was just coming into the house when his aunt answered and summoned him to the phone.

  “Mills, is there something wrong?” Cooper asked.

  “I saw a man come out of the shadows and follow you down the street.”

  “I didn’t see anyone. Perhaps he was out for a walk.”

  “I–I don’t know. I’m just glad that you’re all right.”

  “Are you going to be okay?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  When she laid down the receiver, she looked around the townhouse. The home was richly furnished, and she turned on the lights in each room, admiring the décor before retiring for the evening.

  Sunday, when Mills arrived home, she changed her clothes to shoot sporting clays. The last item she donned was the handsome vest that Cooper had brought her from New York. As she admired the vest in the mirror, the phone rang. Her sister, Vivien, was calling from Virginia, and she was in a highly jovial mood. “I know that you’ve got a birthday coming up soon, and I wanted to see if I could come to Charleston to celebrate with you.”

  “Yes, that sounds wonderful. I’ll have to ask Cooper for some time off so I can show you around.”

  “I have two surprises for you, but I want to tell you about them in person.”

  “How about a hint?”

  “No hints. I’ll call you after I check on airline reservations. Is everything still going well?”

  “Yes, absolutely.”

  “When I come to visit, I would like to explore.”

  “I’ll look forward to it,” Mills responded. I can’t wait to see her!

  The shooting group met at Cooper’s home at two. Cooper’s neighbors, Mr. Littlejohn and Mr. Caldwell, were participating, as well as Britton. Cooper had the Land Rover parked in front of the house to drive to the range.

  As soon as Margaret saw it, she asked, “Where on earth did you dig up this old relic?”

  “I had it shipped from England. Before that, it had been in Kenya.”

  “Good heavens, Cooper, that thing will beat you to death.” She paused for a moment and then asked, “Have you heard from Jeffrey?”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  Everyone took their turn at shooting and Britton joined Mills to give advice on her technique. He was more talkative than usual and seemed to be overcoming the nervousness that he usually displayed in her presence. As they were about to finish, Jeff’s Yukon descended into the pasture. He parked the vehicle, got out, and apologized to the group for being late. “I had an issue that had to be resolved with a client, and it took about three times as long as it should have.”

  “I’m glad you could come,” Cooper told him.

  Margaret beamed a radiant smile in his direction, and when he shot his gun, he displayed flawless accuracy. Without a doubt, he was the most talented marksman in the group.

  Mr. Caldwell observed, “Jeff, I think you should go on the shooting circuit. You’re talented enough to become the national champion.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Caldwell, but I think I’d better stick with my day job
. The pay is better.”

  When the group finished shooting, they retired to Cooper’s back porch to socialize. Mills joined Margaret and said, “Last night, you mentioned that Cooper and Jeff were avid sailors. I haven’t seen Cooper sail since I’ve been here.”

  “Oh, yes, Cooper and Jeffery won most of the regattas in this area, as well as races up and down the east coast. They aren’t as involved with racing anymore because it takes a great deal of time and commitment. Cooper was one of the youngest commodores of the Charleston Yacht Club.”

  Margaret frowned. “I hate to say this, but Cooper has become withdrawn since all this started with Elise. His reputation was damaged by individuals who don’t even know him. I’m not sure how he does it, but somehow he stays calm and internalizes the pain.”

  I worry about him too.

  Unlike the porch party that Mills had attended, social issues and politics were not discussed that afternoon. Andrew repeatedly sought investment advice from Cooper, and Margaret cornered Jeff on one end of the porch. When he left her side for a few minutes, he went inside Cooper’s house and returned with a handful of cigars.

  As Jeff began to pass them out to the men, Margaret held her hand out. “Give me one of those.”

  “Are you sure you want this?”

  “Yes, I haven’t had one since I was last in the States.”

  Ian grimaced at his daughter, and she responded by saying, “Oh, come now, Father. It’s not like I do this every day.”

  Mills watched as Margaret motioned for Jeff to join her in Cooper’s garden, and they disappeared in the direction of the river. I wonder what they’re up to. Suddenly aware that someone had come up behind her, Mills turned to see that Britton had joined her on the porch. He cleared his throat before asking, “Mills, can I get you a glass of wine?”

  “I’m fine, but thank you for offering.”

  He stared at the porch floor before he told her, “I confess, I’ve been nervous about asking you for a date, but I was wondering if I could take you to lunch. I won’t be working on Wednesday, and I was hoping we could meet somewhere downtown.”

  “Britton, that sounds very nice. I look forward to it.”

  As the party began to wind down, Andrew began to look around for his wife, but she had not returned. At least thirty more minutes passed before Margaret and Jeff emerged from the garden.

  Andrew glared at Margaret, and Margaret returned the look. If looks could kill.

  “Jeffrey wanted to show me Cooper’s Boston Whaler, the Miss Elise. I don’t believe I’ve seen it before.”

  Cooper responded, “I purchased it since you were last here.”

  “Lovely craft. I admire the shade of red you painted it.”

  When the party was over, Mills approached Cooper about having time off to spend with her sister during her birthday. He responded that she could take several days off to visit with Vivien, but he added, “Would it be all right if I entertain both of you during her visit?”

  She quickly responded, “Yes, that sounds wonderful. Vivien said that she’d like to explore.” I’m thrilled!

  He paused for a moment, then thoughtfully said, “Let me think about this.”

  That evening, Mills sat on her porch and listened to him play the piano. He worked on different chord combinations and it sounded like he was composing. What especially pleased her was that the music was inspiring, not melancholic.

  CHAPTER 13

  Death on the Edisto

  M ills stopped by Dawkins’s Market on her way into Charleston on Monday morning. Huddled around the counter were several local farmers that supplied Mr. Dawkins with fresh produce, poultry, and meats. She could hear their conversation as she passed them and it concerned a fatal accident that had occurred on the river the night before. Two couples from out of state were boating after sunset on the waterway and, unfamiliar with the river, they had crashed into a dock, instantly killing the two men. One of the farmers, Jake Henderson, lowered his voice as if the details were too grim to be overheard, but Mills still heard him say, “The two men were decapitated by the pier section of the dock.”

  Horrible! She refocused her thoughts on shopping and, when finished, she went to the cash register. The farmers had departed, leaving Mr. Dawkins alone at the front counter. “Did you hear about the boating accident?” he asked.

  “Just what I heard you all talking about when I came inside.”

  “Yes, too bad about those folks. Boating and excessive alcohol can make a lethal combination. They haven’t found either of the women yet.” He spoke as if he was sharing a secret, “I hear that it’s doubtful that either of them could have survived the crash.”

  Please no more grisly details. Mills thanked Mr. Dawkins and left the market. She started her Beetle and headed into Charleston on Highway 17. Her first stop of the day was the Low Country Gourmet. Melea Butler had left her a message that a donation to her scholarship program was at the front counter.

  When she entered the store, Ford Butler was operating the cash register and he waved her inside. “A local man was in over the weekend and after he read about your scholarship program, he wanted to make a donation. Here you are,” he said, handing her an envelope.

  “Thank you, Mr. Butler. Is Paul around?”

  “No, he’s not. I’ve given him time off to help his ill friend.” Without being asked, he wrote down Paul’s address and handed it to her. “I expect he’ll be there if you want to go by.”

  After her appointments, she walked to Paul’s address, which was on Queen Street. His residence was located in an area of nice townhomes, and when she rang the doorbell, Paul answered the door.

  He smiled as soon as he saw her. “Audrey, what brings you to my home?”

  “I’ve missed you the last two times I’ve been to the Low Country Gourmet and I wanted to see how you are.”

  “I’m fine, Audrey.”

  “Mr. Butler said that you were taking care of a sick friend. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  He paused as if he was considering her offer and then invited her inside. “Mills, I could use some help. My friend Max is ill, and I don’t think I should leave him right now. Would you go to the grocery store for me?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “I believe we are friends and I’d like for you to meet Max.”

  He led her into the living room and her eyes immediately focused on a magnificent grand piano.

  “Max, we have a visitor. My friend, Audrey, who is the director of the Heath Foundation, has come by to see us.”

  Mills turned to one corner of the room where a man sat on a couch. The smell of rubbing alcohol permeated the air. Wrapped in a blanket, Max was the unhealthiest person she had ever seen in her life. Poor thing—he’s the shell of a man in a state of living decay.

  Paul took her hand and led her to the couch where Max sat.

  “Miss Taylor, I know your real first name is Mills. I’ve heard so many nice things about you from Paul and I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.” His voice quavered as he spoke, but he managed a smile, despite his illness.

  Mills reached out
to him and took his hand in hers. “I’m so happy to meet you, Max. That’s a beautiful piano; is it yours?”

  “Yes, it was a gift to me many years ago—a Bösendorfer—would you like to play it?”

  “Oh, no, I never learned how, but my employer is a marvelous pianist.”

  “I have heard this before. Perhaps Cooper Heath will play for us sometime.” On the piano was the sheet music of Claude Debussy, “Clair de Lune de la Suite bergamasque”; underneath the Debussy sheet music was a composition by Erik Satie.

  “I was a professor of music before I became too ill,” Max somberly added. “Audrey, we could use your help, if you don’t mind visiting the grocery store for us.”

  Paul made a list of the items they needed and she drove to the Harris Teeter food market to purchase them. When she returned, she brought the groceries into their kitchen and handed the change to Paul.

  “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

  “No, Audrey, but I think I’ll start calling you ‘Angel’ instead.” He paused as he studied her face. “Have you ever seen the movie Roman Holiday, with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck?”

  “Yes, I have.”

  “Do you remember how she cuts her hair short? I think you would be stunning with your hair styled like that.”

  “Do you think so?”

  “All the men of Charleston would be at your feet.”

  She felt herself blush. “Oh Paul, thank you. I’ll ask Cooper—I mean Mr. Heath—if he’ll come and play the piano for you.” Max smiled at her gesture and held her hand tightly as they said goodbye.

  When she returned to Edisto, Cooper and Charles had just come in from working in the fields. As soon as she parked her car, they called to her to join them on the porch and both men rose from their seats as she entered. They were drinking beer. Cooper sat his bottle on a table. “What can I get you to drink?” he asked.