As they quieted down, Megan looked at each of her staff and then over to Paul’s staff. They all worked well together, each with their own area of specialty; either building the home of someone’s dreams or taking care of that same home. These groups of adults were the core of both businesses and had also become lasting friends. Sitting on the same side of the table as Lucy, who had stayed on after bringing in lunch, were Megan’s two team leaders, Maria and Silvia. Each of them was responsible for a list of clients, divided up based upon what area of town the client resided: east or west.
At the other end of the table were two of Paul’s crew chiefs: Jeff, who was responsible for the main project construction and Jo-Jo, who was responsible for all the ordering and organizing of project materials. Janice sat at the grouping of comfortable captain’s chairs at the far end of the room. As Megan’s office manager, she was indispensable. Next to her was Eric: Paul’s crew chief and the two of them often found their work intertwining. Filling out the last chair in the group was Rita. She was the “gofer” for Megan. Her job could vary from day to day according to the client’s needs: from picking up dry-cleaning to doing airport runs. Often she helped Paul out as well; picking up small supplies needed at the job sites and dropping them off.
Sitting next to Megan was Debbie, who was the head of Megan’s housekeeping staff. She was the one who made sure the clients’ homes were cleaned up after they left and touched up before they returned. Finishing off the group gathered was Paul’s job supervisor, Zack. His job varied according to the current project at hand.
The twelve, including Lucy, who was more of an honorary employee, always had each other’s backs, and Megan was positive that they would work through this newest “crisis” that stood before them. Feeling that they were all ready to discuss the problems that could possibly arise from the events at the Bloomquest home, Megan cleared her throat and began to speak.
“The most important thing that we have to concentrate on is personal safety. Paul and I both agree there is safety in numbers, so from now until the police deem it safe, there will be no working alone. Each and every employee must be part of a team or have a partner. For some of us that are used to keeping our own schedules this is going to be an adjustment, myself included. That means that each of you is going to have to readjust your jobs and staff. Janice had an excellent idea of keeping the gates locked at all times, so dig out your clickers or get her to assign you a passcode. Janice, that also means that we want you to have someone here during working hours as well. Eric, can you stick around the office? You will have to ‘buzz’ in any visitors or clients. I also think for the next couple of days that we should hold off on any work that involves subcontractors. I want to be able to assure our staff and clients that we know every soul that enters their property. Besides, as if this wasn’t enough of a monkey wrench in our system, we also are going to have to step up our season close-ups, thanks to the storm brewing out in the Atlantic.
For right now, if I could have some of you stay and help me, we need to personally call each of our clients, let them know about both the storm and murder, reassure them that we are taking all precautions, and find out if they want extra security at their homes. I could also use someone to head up the storm preps. And just so you know, I really appreciate your coming in on a Saturday to work. Once we get through this, I’ll make it up to each of you. Paul, do you want to add anything?”
Paul stood up and leaned against the back wall as he spoke, his quiet voice serious as he addressed the room.
“Let’s make sure everyone has their phone with them and fully charged as well, Debbie.” Everyone had a good laugh, for Debbie seemed to be always using someone else’s phone because her phone’s battery had died.
“I want everyone to keep an eye out for anything unusual. Each of you knows what should be going on at your job sites, so you’ll be able to tell what looks out of place faster than an outsider. Report what you see to the police or at the very least back here to Janice or Eric and let them make the call. If you do see something that just doesn’t seem right, get out of there. Don’t try and be a hero or do any snooping on your own, let the sheriff do his job. Other than that, all we can do is go about our normal routine. Now let’s split up, and some of you start manning the phones and the rest of us will go over our storm preparations and get our plan of action into motion.”
In a matter of minutes, they had divided up and started tackling the work needing to be done. They worked well together and it was a natural blended staff as each handled the work they were best at. Janice headed up some of the staff and began calling each of their clients, for both companies. Eric took on the task of rescheduling any subcontractors that were scheduled for the upcoming week and Ron compiled a list of residences that would need to have their storm preparations done right away, since they were out of town and the house could be closed up completely for the summer season. Jo-Jo was working the list of clients that were still in town, deciding what could be done ahead of the storm, without inconveniencing the homeowner too much. Maria was working on a schedule for clients that wanted extra security or came up with other needs as they talked to Janice.
While the staff worked, Lucy began to clean up the remains of their lunch and, hearing scratching at the door, let Megan’s dogs into the office to say hello to everyone. After making the rounds for a pat on the head or a snatched leftover bite from lunch, the two dogs made their way over to Megan and settled down. She had trained them well; good manners were a must for any animal to be allowed into the work areas, and they quickly found a place that was out of the line of traffic.
It didn’t take long before the calls coming into the office needed the full attention of a staff member. Since they were not finished contacting all of their clients, the calls could not be ignored, so Megan grabbed a chair and took over that task. Deciding that everything was running smoothly, Paul kissed Lucy and called over to Zack, pointing to the door.
“Why don’t the two of us start here and make sure all the buildings on the property are secure and decide what we need to do for storm prep right here? Lucy, I’m going to take a golf cart and we’ll start out at the farthest end of the property and work our way back here. I’ve got my phone if you need me for anything. Please stay here with Megan … you two are going to be glued at the hip for the next couple of hours. Lucy, see if you can work on talking Megan into spending the night at our house, please.”
Giving her husband a smile, she agreed to try and convince Megan, but honestly didn’t think that it would be an easy task. It might be easier for her and Paul to stay here. She would work on making sure they were all together tonight, regardless of which house.
By midafternoon, all the necessary calls had been made, teams and partners had been formed and a game plan was in place for Monday morning. The property was secure; all entries except the main front entry had been locked up, and the old electric fencing out by the runway had been reactivated. With the security cameras and motion sensor lighting turned on, Paul felt as if the property was safe, especially after he and Zack had checked out all of the buildings and vehicles making sure anything not currently in use was locked up.
By this time, the media was also calling trying to get statements or information about the Bloomquest residence. It was the perfect time for everyone to quit for the day and head home for their interrupted weekend plans. As they all began to leave, each urged Megan to be careful and not to hesitate to call if she needed them.
“Don’t worry. We’ve got extra security rounded up for our clients, and I have also included having this property randomly patrolled. I’ll be fine. You all just get the most out of what’s left of your weekend. Keep your phones on, and if anything comes up or changes, I’ll start the phone chain and keep everyone up to date. Thanks again for coming in today, you guys are the best.” Megan told them as they left.
And then everyone was gone.
Lucy had done her best to convince Megan to spend the night
with her and Paul again, but as she had suspected, Megan wasn’t budging from her home or her animals. Locking up the office behind them, Paul agreed to go to their house and pick up the items on Lucy’s list. He would also grab dinner, with the promise that the two women would go over to Megan’s home and stay there. Since both women felt drained and suddenly bone tired, he received no arguments from either. Jumping into the golf cart with the dogs, they followed the trail over to Megan’s home. Paul watched them reach the house before he jumped in his truck and left the property to accomplish his errands.
Both women agreed that a touch of relaxation was in order. Lucy eased herself into one of the oversized wicker chairs on the front porch, and Megan went inside and put together a tray with glasses, a pitcher of sun-brewed iced tea and a plate of cheese and crackers. A few minutes later, she joined Lucy and kicking off her sandals, took the second wicker chair and got comfortable. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, just unwinding and listening to the birds eating from the feeder off the side of the porch. It was Fred’s bark at one of the cats coming out of the house through the cat door that ended their reprieve. It didn’t take long before Barney was joining in Fred’s conversation with the cat and the women laughed at their efforts to impress it, which just ignored the noise. Reaching down, Megan grabbed the puppy and settled him on her lap before he could annoy the cat any further. Rubbing his long silky ears, she laughed at the way he enjoyed the attention.
“Oh, Barney you can just be too cute. But you’d better learn your place around here … the cats are in charge.” However, the puppy was unimpressed and simply gave her nose a swipe of his tongue. He was a well-behaved dog and adored Megan. He was always at her side when she was home and had done well with his puppy training. Old Fred the Bassett hound tolerated his energy, but seemed just as content to curl up in a sunny patch of floor and enjoy his golden years. Secretly, she was thrilled that her daughter had given her the puppy and really did enjoy his companionship.
The women found that they were able to relax as they talked about everyday things and steered clear of any conversation about the last twenty-four hours. It was a peaceful place, with a small evening breeze starting to stir. The birds were at the feeders, getting their last evening meal and voicing their thanks with song. Lucy got up and lit the citronella candles placed around to ward off the biting insects and the two of them settled into a comfortable silence that often came with a long friendship, while they waited for Paul and their dinner to arrive.
When Paul did return, they all agreed to eat outside and moved to the back terrace to eat in the screened pool patio area. This area was just as relaxing as the front porch, but keeping in the spirit of summer fun, Megan had decorated with bright furniture and lots of bold pots of flower color. A beautiful sculpture of a pair of dolphins was a focal point in the corner behind the pool spa and the evening spotlights had automatically turned on at dusk to bring attention to it. The piece had been made by one of Megan’s clients and given to her one year for her birthday. There was even a wicker dog bed that the two animals curled up in while the three ate.
After they had finished and everything had been cleaned up, Megan went in to bring out coffee and some fresh fruit to nibble on. As she was pouring the coffee into the carafe, she heard her phone alerting her that she had just received a text message. Grabbing the phone, she looked at the message: it was from the sheriff. “Body positively identified. Will release name after family has been notified. I will touch base with you after that. Make sure to take safety precautions.”
Again, Megan wondered if she would know who the victim was. She really hoped not, it was hard enough having to go through all of this without finding out that he had been someone she saw around town as she went throughout her daily activities. Sighing, she picked up the tray with coffee and fruit and headed back out to tell the others the news from sheriff.
As they discussed the new development, all of the easiness from their dinner banter disappeared, and they were forced to be serious once again. Paul once again reminded the women that they needed to be aware of the little things going on around them and to be observant. They stayed out by the pool for another half hour and then moved into the house. Locking the door leading out to the screened room, Paul told the women he was going to take a shower and headed to the guest room Megan usually put them in.
Where Lucy had decorated her home in a tropical style, Megan had gone with more antiques and old Florida charm. She loved to spend time wandering around the many antique stores to find treasures from the past. She had no particular period of time or style that she stayed with, but you could find a lot of early American and rich wood tones throughout her house. Comfort was more important to her than style, so there were many types mixed together, along with some heavy rattan from the East Indies. With her personal touches, she made everything work well together, and pops of bold colors reflected some of her personality, as well. The house itself was an older style, typical of South Florida in the early seventies. It was a single story with windows everywhere. Since it was built when not everyone had air conditioning, most of the rooms had sliding doors that opened out to the patio, which faced the direction of the prevailing winds. Combined with old-fashioned Terrazzo floors and the mature oak trees that provided a wonderful canopy of shade, the house always had a breeze and felt cool. A wraparound porch with a deep overhang invited you to spend time outdoors as well; both Megan’s master bedroom and the two guest rooms had doors that opened out on the porch from one side and the sliders in each room opened onto the pool terrace. Most of the time any number of the doors would be open to enjoy the cross breeze and sounds of the outside, even in the summer it was still comfortable against the heat.
Megan realized, without Paul having to point it out, that for she would need to shut up the house and while he was in the shower, went to each door and window to close and lock them. As she walked into the large living room that looked out onto the pool terrace, Megan clicked the air conditioning on and grabbed the remote to the audio system. Deciding against the network stations, she browsed through the menu and picked one that only played soft music. Adjusting the volume to allow free conversation, Megan sat with Lucy on the sofa as they waited for Paul to finish his shower and join them.
“Okay, Lucy, why am I feeling like I’ve done something wrong and have to be locked up? Oh, I know it’s being proactive and for my safety, but still.”
“Well, to put it in perspective … at least you’re alive. You could have just as easily been shot out there on the river, just like the guy in the boat. I’m sure the sheriff will wrap this up quickly and life will be normal again. Before you know it, we’ll be complaining that nothing exciting ever happens to us.”
Megan looked at Lucy with a frown, and then laughed.
“Yeah, I guess that does put it in perspective. And you’re right, God’s grace was with me yesterday. I have no right to complain and the next time I do, just give me a slap.”
It wasn’t long before Paul walked into the room and gravitated to the Lazy Boy Recliner that Megan had included in her furnishings just for her cousin. Stretching out his long legs, Paul leaned back in his chair and relaxed. Reaching down beside him, he gave Fred a belly rub and then addressed the women.
“While I was out, I went by the Bloomquest home. There is still media gathered out front, but it looks like they have thinned out considerably. I would imagine they are camped out at the town hall, waiting for more information from the police. The security company you hired is manned at the entry, so everything is secure over there. I didn’t pull in, just drove by. I figured that I didn’t need to give the media anything to speculate about. I guess we’re in the same mode as the media, waiting to hear just who ended up in the river. Oh, I switched the security gate out front to the key code or manual entry, so no one will enter without your knowledge. Between that and these great attack dogs you’ve got here, we don’t have to worry about anything tonight.”
Pa
ul’s words eased the women’s worries and they eased back into their seats and relaxed. The evening passed quickly and they were all surprised to find that when the gate monitor buzzed that it was already well past eight o’clock. Checking the monitor, they found the sheriff at the gate, waiting for them to allow entry onto the property. Megan punched in the code to open the gate, and they waited for the sheriff on the front porch. As the man left his car and walked up to the house, they could see the tiredness and stress on his face. As hard of a day as the three of them had had, his had been worse. Motioning him in, they headed to the kitchen, where Lucy poured him a fresh cup of coffee and they all sat down at the table. Nodding his head in thanks, the sheriff took a drink of his coffee and started to tell them about the progress he had made during the day.
“I don’t know if you ever met the victim. He has local connections and has only been here for a few months.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a snapshot and placed it on the table in front of Megan.
“I know you could not have clearly seen his face, but maybe you recognize him from around town. Does he look at all familiar to you, Megan?”
Megan looked closely at the snapshot; there was something about it that held her attention.
“I really don’t think I have ever seen him before. But there is something about the background of this shot that is pulling a memory. I’m sure I’ve been there before, recently too.”
“The picture was taken at Councilman Robert Travels’ home down on the south end of the island. That young man was his nephew. He just joined the Councilman’s investment firm and was being groomed to become a partner. He was living in Lauderdale prior to moving up here.”
Murder For Neptune's Trident...A Citrus Beach Mystery (Citrus Beach Mysteries Book 1) Page 6
