Murder on the Half Shell (A Red Carpet Catering Mystery Book 2)

by Shawn Reilly Simmons

  “What’s going on with you and Dominique? I know that’s why Emilio attacked you up on the roof. You’re getting too close.”

  Shane took a step toward her but Penelope stood her ground. “Nothing is going on with me and Dominique.” He stared at her for a second, then looked away before continuing. “She’s my business partner’s wife. My friend’s wife. She asked me to stay over, and I did, thinking maybe…but she made it clear after I was there, it was only for security out at the house. It was a mistake not telling Emilio about it.”

  “Trust is a hard thing to regain once it’s lost. In order to keep your business relationship going, not to mention your friendship with Emilio, you should back off of Dominique. Think about how things look to him…he loves her,” Penelope said quietly.

  Shane sighed and said, “I know. Not that I need to explain myself, especially to you, but I do understand that. It’s not a mistake I plan on making again.”

  Shane went back inside the Inn without another word. After a few minutes, Penelope followed him to check on Arlena and see what she might like for lunch. On her way through the hallway she looked in and saw a few members of the crew setting up lights and microphones in the library, getting ready for another day of filming the party scene. She glanced at the bookshelves and saw they had kept most of Jeanne’s books in place, removing some of the more obvious covers and obscuring some of the shelves with vases and other items.

  “It’s quite something, isn’t it?” Jeanne said, startling Penelope.

  “Oh, Jeanne,” Penelope said. “I didn’t see you there.” Penelope looked down and saw they’d propped the picture of Jeanne and Robert on the floor just outside the door. Jeanne bent to pick it up.

  “I’ll just take this upstairs until they’re finished using the library,” Jeanne said, heading for the stairs.

  “Jeanne,” Penelope said, following her. “Your name is Elizabeth Haverford?”

  “Why, yes, dear,” Jeanne said, smiling.

  “I saw your name on the bill of sale of Emilio’s restaurant. You owned that building?” Penelope asked. One of the grips walked down the stairs, cords draped over his shoulders, his heavy boots thumping on the old stairs.

  “Oh, yes, that was originally my uncle’s hardware store. He didn’t have children of his own so he left it to me when he died. We’ve leased it out for different businesses over the years, but it’s been vacant now for at least five. Then Shane came along and offered to buy it, for himself and that Emilio fellow from New Orleans,” Jeanne said.

  “Hey, Boss, you want us to get started on the chicken breasts?” Quentin stuck his head in the front door and called to her.

  She turned around and said, “Yes, go ahead. But only just prep it up. Nothing gets fired until we see the whites of their eyes.” She turned back to Jeanne. “You didn’t change your name to Daniels when you married your husband?”

  Jeanne’s smile faltered for a second and she said, “I did, but then I changed it back. It was too painful.”

  “Penelope,” Arlena called from the top of the staircase. “Gavin and I will have lunch upstairs with Sienna and Max in your room again, if that’s okay.”

  “Sure, Arlena, I’ll send it up when we break,” Penelope said.

  Jeanne turned to head up the stairs after another pair of crew members hurried past. Penelope watched her go, lost in thought.

  After lunch service was through, Penelope said to her chefs, “Guys, go ahead and get everything cleared down and then you can go for the day. They’re not going to need us again. Maybe you can get an hour or two on the beach before sunset.”

  Her crew worked quickly to get everything put away, cleared down and locked up, then happily headed for the cabin they were sharing to get changed for the beach. Penelope did a quick walkthrough to be sure everything was in place and then went to her room to change also. Pulling on a short sundress and sandals, Penelope took a walk down Ocean Avenue. She decided to stop at Rose’s to get a bottle of water on the way.

  Rose’s door was pulled closed and her little handwritten sign that said she’d be back in ten minutes was taped to the glass. Penelope sat down on the bench and waited, pulling her backpack onto her lap so she could lean against the splintering wood. She looked at the front glass of Rose’s, watching the reflection of a few people walking down the sidewalk on the other side of the street. The glass seemed bowed, giving the effect of a panoramic lens like the view from inside a fishbowl.

  When Penelope didn’t see Rose return after a few minutes, she got up from the bench to see if her old yellow Volvo was parked in the gravel lot. Moving around to the side of the building, Penelope saw it parked there as usual, backed into the last spot by the entrance to the apartment. The trunk was open and the windows of the car were rolled down. The screen door to the apartment entrance had come unlatched and was banging open against the wall of the building.

  “Rose?” Penelope called. She went to the doorway and caught the thin aluminum door as it blew open again. “Rose? Are you up there?” She peered into the dark foyer and up the stairs but couldn’t see anyone. She closed the screen door and surveyed the trunk, seeing a few grocery bags from Sackler’s leaning together towards the rear of the car.

  She grabbed the bags and pulled the screen door open again, climbing the stairs up to Rose’s apartment.

  “Rose?” Penelope called again as she climbed the creaking stairs.

  “Who is it?” Rose called sharply from behind her apartment door on the landing.

  “It’s me, Penelope. I’ve brought up your groceries.”

  Rose opened the door quickly and looked at Penelope, then down to her hands where she held the grocery bags. She stepped outside of the apartment and said, “You didn’t have to do that, hon. I was heading back down for them.”

  “It’s no problem,” Penelope said. “Happy to help.”

  Rose stepped forward and took the bags from her. “Thank you.” She stood in front of her closed door, staying silent. Penelope took a step back onto the landing and turned towards the stairs.

  “Did you need something from the shop? I’ll be down in a few minutes after I get these things put away,” Rose called after her after she made her way halfway down the steps.

  Penelope glanced back over her shoulder, her hand on the slick wooden railing. “No, that’s okay. I was going to get some water but it’s not important. Do you want me to close the trunk of your car?”

  “Oh, yes, that would be great. Thank you, Penelope,” Rose said, backing into her apartment with her groceries.

  Penelope went back out into the bright sunlight and squinted, her eyes having adjusted to the dark interior of Rose’s stairway. She walked over to the rear of Rose’s car and swung the trunk down. It gave out a groan of protest as it went. Penelope pressed on it again to be sure it had latched, bouncing the car slightly on its wheels. She walked around the side of the car and glanced inside. The backseat was littered with napkins and papers. A pair of sunglasses and a beach bag sat on the backseat and a fine coating of sand dusted the floorboards. A flash of glittery bright pink caught her eye and she paused to take another look.

  Wedged in the crease of the bench seat was a sparkly pink tube. Penelope looked at it curiously, her heartbeat slowing to a dull thud in her chest. Penelope glanced up at the apartment windows and when she didn’t see any movement, gently lifted the rear door handle. Finding it unlocked, Penelope slowly pulled the door open. A loud metallic groan broke the silence and Penelope froze, looking up at the windows again. She quickly grabbed some napkins from the backseat and used them to pull the pink tube from the fold in the seat without touching it with her fingers. After taking another quick look around, she wrapped the tube in the napkins and tucked it into the interior zipper of her backpack.

  Penelope eased the car door closed, leaning on it until she heard
it click, and after taking another quick look at Rose’s windows, walked out of the parking lot.

  Chapter 28

  Penelope walked quickly down Ocean Avenue, pausing for a moment when she came to Emilio’s restaurant space. A couple of construction workers wearing hard hats carried boxes of tiles from Emilio’s pickup truck around the side of the building, stacking them against the wall in the parking lot. Penelope crossed the street when she saw Emilio leaning against the truck, his phone pulled up to his ear. He ended his call and crossed his arms, staring up at the roof of his building.

  “Chef,” Penelope said, walking up beside him.

  “Penelope,” Emilio said. “How are you doing?”

  Penelope gripped the straps of her backpack in both hands and said, “Okay. Off early today. I see you got your truck back.”

  Emilio nodded and said, “Yeah, they went over the whole thing and didn’t find any trace of the girls. My lawyer argued that it’s a company vehicle, that I’m not the only one with access to it. He did his magic lawyer thing and they released it to me. I still don’t know how Rebekkah’s purse got back there.”

  “I might,” Penelope said carefully. “I’m not sure yet, but I think someone might be setting you up, trying to get you kicked off the island.”

  Emilio snorted. “Nice. Well, that alone wouldn’t be a big deal, but they’re trying to ruin my life in the process. If this all sticks I could go to jail, lose my wife, lose my business…who would do something like that?”

  “I’m still working that out,” Penelope said. “Chef, I talked to Summer. Christine too. We talked about the complaints they filed back at school.”

  Emilio eyed her cautiously, then crossed his arms tightly over his chest. “So, you ready to write me off now too?”

  “No. Can you tell me exactly what happened?”

  “I’m not supposed to say. Like I said before, it’s all sealed in the agreement. They shouldn’t be talking about me…I could sue them.”

  “Chef, Summer says you two had had a sexual relationship, and Christine says she just backed Summer’s story because they had done some other things together that could’ve gotten them into trouble with the dean…Who is telling the truth?”

  “All I can say is, the witch hunt that happened at the institute is behind me. I got too close to my students, I realize that now, and I paid for it. Literally. I never had a relationship with Summer, romantic or otherwise. If Christine says I did, then…she’ll have to live with herself, I guess, but we both know the truth. Look, I’ve moved on from the mistakes of my past. More than once now.”

  “Okay, Chef. For what it’s worth, I believe you,” Penelope said, scuffing the sidewalk with the toe of her sneaker.

  Emilio’s expression softened and he placed a hand on her shoulder. “That means a lot, Penelope. Thanks.”

  Penelope said goodbye and told him she’d be in touch. She walked north up the avenue heading towards Joey’s cabin, turning over everything in her mind. When she got to Josie’s she saw Joey sitting out on the deck, drinking a beer and talking with Jonny Daniels.

  “Joey, hey.” Penelope waved from the sidewalk.

  “There she is,” Joey said, waving her over. “Come and join me.”

  Penelope went in through the front door of Josie’s. As she headed out to the deck, she noticed a photograph she hadn’t seen before. It was a close-up of Rose and Josie, their heads pressed together, their long hair falling in a cascade over their shoulders. They smiled widely at the camera. Penelope thought it looked just like the selfies everyone was taking these days, only this one had to have been taken in the early seventies. Penelope went out to the deck, joining Joey at his table. Jonny gave her a welcoming smile and said, “Beer?”

  Penelope nodded and said, “Please.”

  When Jonny left, she pulled her backpack from her shoulders and opened it, pulling out the pink tube wrapped in napkins and placing it on the table.

  “What’s that?” Joey asked, eyeing the wad of napkins.

  “Lipstick. I found it in Rose’s car,” Penelope said, nodding at the table.

  Joey turned to her and smiled. “You’re always bringing me lipstick. What are you saying? Is this one tainted like last time?”

  “I don’t think so.” Penelope carefully unscrewed the cap and pulled the wand from the tube, immediately smelling artificial strawberries. “It’s the same lipstick I saw both girls use on Friday night right before I left the beach party. I remember it specifically. Now, how did it get into the back of Rose’s car?”

  Jonny emerged from the restaurant, two pint glasses in his hands. “Here you go,” Jonny said.

  “Jonny,” Penelope asked, “how does your Aunt Rose feel about Emilio Babineau?”

  Jonny’s smile faltered and he put his hands on his hips. “I don’t know. She’s never been a big believer in change.”

  “So she’d rather not see Craw Daddy’s expand onto the island?” Joey asked, picking up on Penelope’s line of thinking.

  “I guess not,” Jonny said. “She worries about this place suffering from the competition, but I told her it’s going to be two completely different places. We’re a local old-school destination spot. His will be corporate. It’s a chain. What is the appeal of eating in a restaurant that is exactly like a bunch of other restaurants? I told her I don’t see how he’s going to make it here. There’s only so much business to go around.”

  “So are you worried about your business suffering?” Penelope asked.

  “Well, sure, but I think we’re going to do just fine. Rose says we’re making more money this season than the past three years put together. Mostly because of you guys, which we appreciate.”

  “Wait, Rose does your books?” Penelope asked.

  Jonny laughed, turning when he noticed a couple enter the restaurant and head to the bar. “Yeah, we’re partners in the restaurant and she does the books. So, are you guys okay? I’ve got to get behind the bar.”

  “Yeah, thanks, man,” Joey said.

  After he left Penelope pulled out her phone to make a call, scrolling through her recently dialed numbers and selecting one. She put the phone up to her ear and said, “Finish your beer. It’s almost time for the Happiest Hour.”

  Chapter 29

  Joey and Penelope walked back towards the Inn. When they passed Rose’s beach shop Penelope noticed the door was closed, but there was no note on the window about when Rose would return. She quickened her step and urged Joey to walk faster.

  The parking lot of the Inn was quiet and it looked like Shane had called an end to the day. The usual hustle and bustle of the busy film crew had given way to a quiet late afternoon. Penelope figured most of them were out on the beach or at the pool. When they entered, Penelope ducked her head into the library and saw that it was empty. Cables and cords were snaked around the corners and a large light tripod stood by the windows. Penelope pulled Joey’s hand and they peered into the restaurant, but it was empty too, except for a few of the sound guys who were sitting around one of the dining tables having a meeting.

  “Hey, guys,” Penelope said, looking around the room. “When did we wrap for the day?”

  “About a half hour ago,” one of the sound techs said, his large earphones still draped around his neck.

  “Okay, thanks,” Penelope said. She glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was a little after three thirty. “Jeanne must be up on the roof, getting ready,” she said to Joey.

  They made their way upstairs, taking the steps quickly all the way to the top. When Penelope opened the door into the bright sunshine, she was out of breath.

  Joey wiped his brow and said, “You really wanted to get to happy hour, huh?”

  Penelope walked out onto the deck and looked towards the bar, which stood empty. “No one is up here yet,” she said to
Joey, pausing to think. “Maybe she’s down in the kitchen.”

  “Wait. Look over there,” Joey said.

  Penelope turned to look and didn’t see anyone at first, but when she got closer she saw Jeanne’s back. She was standing by the railing next to the canopy, staring out at the ocean. As Penelope approached, she saw that Jeanne appeared to be talking to herself, but she couldn’t make out what she was saying.

  “Jeanne?” Penelope called, moving closer.

  “Penelope, dear,” Jeanne said, without turning around. “You’re too early. We’re not quite ready yet. Would you be a dear and give us a few more minutes?”

  “Sure…um,” Penelope said, looking back at Joey and shrugging. “Are you okay?”

  Jeanne continued to stare out at the ocean and said, “Yes, yes, we’re okay.”

  “We?” Penelope asked. Joey moved behind Penelope and put his hand on her arm, stopping her from getting closer to Jeanne.

  Jeanne’s shoulders shook and she quickly said, “Me, me. I’m fine. Go on, dear. Don’t worry, I’m okay.”

  “Can you turn around and look at me for a second?” Penelope asked. Her skin had gone cold even though the sun was beating down on her and it had to be over ninety degrees on the roof.

  “No, no, I can’t,” Jeanne said. She glanced quickly towards the canopy, its black fabric blowing lazily in the wind.

  Penelope took another step closer to Jeanne, Joey’s body tensing by her side. She saw his hand go to the spot on his belt where he usually kept his gun. Penelope could see the silhouette of someone behind the black fabric that hung down from the canopy.

  “Whoever is back there, come out now,” Joey said.

  A short gray nose of a gun poked out from behind the fabric, pointed directly at Jeanne. Penelope’s knees buckled slightly when she saw the deeply wrinkled suntanned hand that was holding it.