Nightmare in Nantucket (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 14)

by Hope Callaghan

  After easing Allie into the back seat, Paul climbed in next to her. During the ride back to the farm, Allie filled them in on the accident. She told them she’d been driving home from her new job at the sheriff’s department when a carload of teenagers attempted to pass her in a no passing zone.

  There had been a small hill, and another car had been coming from the opposite direction. Allie had jerked the steering wheel to avoid a collision, drove into a ditch, up an embankment and hit a tree. Thankfully, she hadn’t been going fast, but still fast enough to total her car and break her arm.

  Halfway home, she nodded off in the back seat and didn’t wake until they arrived at the farm. Allie didn’t even put up a fuss when they told her they wanted her to stay with them for a few days, until she was back on her feet.

  Paul helped her settle into the downstairs spare bedroom and closed the door after assuring himself she was as comfortable as possible.

  Gloria was in the kitchen reading the morning newspaper when he walked in. She peered at him over the top of her reading glasses. “I think I should stay home.”

  “I think you should go.” Paul pulled out the chair next to her and eased into the seat. “I asked Allie and she thinks you should go, too. You need to find Andrea and bring her home.”

  “You’re trying to get rid of me,” Gloria said.

  “No, I’m not, but I would like to keep an eye on Allie.” Paul shook his head. “There’s no reason for both of us to hover over her. In a day or so, she’ll be climbing the walls, anxious to get out of here and then what?”

  Paul had a point. There was no sense in having both of them hang around the house. “I feel bad about leaving you.”

  “There’s no reason to feel bad.” Paul leaned over and kissed his wife. “I’ll hold down the fort and you’ll be back before you know it.”

  Gloria sucked in a breath. “If you’re sure…”

  “I’m sure.”

  “I guess I better finish packing.”

  Chapter 6

  If Gloria could sum up the drive from Belhaven to Hyannis, Massachusetts, it would be in a single phrase…pedal to the metal. Ruth had one mission in mind…to arrive in the coastal town of Hyannis as quickly as possible.

  Since Paul had decided not to take the trip, Brian, Lucy and Alice rode with Gloria while Margaret, Dot and Rose rode with Ruth.

  The fourteen plus hour drive, which included a couple quick gas, food and bathroom breaks, caused them to arrive in town not long after the last ferry carrying passengers to Nantucket had already departed.

  Margaret, bless her heart, had made all of the arrangements before they hit the road. She had calculated the length of the long drive, guessing they wouldn’t make it in time to catch the last ferry to Nantucket, so she found a small mom ‘n pop motel near the harbor where they spent the night.

  Brian opted for a room to himself and Gloria had to wonder if after the long day, surrounded by women, he needed a break from them. He had been a good sport the entire ride and even offered to drive part of the way, but Gloria was concerned it would give him a headache so she decided she would drive the entire distance.

  Annabelle’s new engine ran like a top. The ride was smooth and, except for driving at or over the posted speed limits most of the time because of speed demon Ruth, it was uneventful.

  At one point during the trip, she caught a glimpse of Brian, huddled in the corner of the backseat working on something with his hands. When she tried to ask him what he was doing, he hurriedly dropped it into the backpack he’d brought with him and placed it on the floor of the car.

  Margaret had pre-purchased the ferry tickets as well as reserved a parking spot for Annabelle in the ferry’s parking lot.

  The group determined they would need a vehicle to get around the island so Ruth offered to take her van over on the car ferry.

  Check in was quick and uneventful, and before turning in for the night, Gloria called Paul to check on Allie. Paul reassured her that although he could tell Allie was still in a lot of pain, she seemed to be improving.

  Gloria, Lucy and Alice shared one room. There were two beds and a rollaway. The women drew straws and Gloria came up on the short end of the stick. Lucy took one of the full-size beds while Alice got the other. Gloria got the rollaway.

  The narrow rollaway creaked under Gloria’s weight but she barely noticed. She flopped down on the bed and was out like a light.

  ***

  Bright sun shone in through the curtains early the next morning. Alice, who was already up, emerged from the bathroom while Gloria was searching the small counter for the in-room coffee pot. “Coffee. I need coffee.”

  “The coffee pot is over there. I go across the street to the coffee shop and buy good stuff,” Alice announced. She wrinkled her nose as she pointed at the pot. “This stuff, it not good.”

  Alice hurried out the door while Gloria headed to the bathroom. When Alice returned, she was juggling a to-go coffee holder and four cups, along with a brown paper bag filled with breakfast sandwiches.

  Brian held the door and followed her in. “Look what I found on my way back,” Alice joked. “I tell the girls next door about the coffee shop, too.”

  They settled in at the table while Lucy headed to the bathroom to get dressed. Alice lifted the lid on her coffee and dumped a liquid creamer inside. “It going to be a long day.”

  “I’m sure it will.” Gloria sipped her coffee and wondered where to begin their search for Andrea. Perhaps she had hopped the ferry and headed back to the mainland. If that were the case, they’d never find her.

  After they finished their coffee and breakfast sandwiches, Gloria glanced at her watch. “It’s time to head over to the ferry.”

  They hurriedly packed their bags and met the others near the back of Ruth’s van. Brian tossed the bags inside the back before everyone climbed into the vehicles for the short trip to the ferry dock.

  Gloria pulled into the lot and the first empty spot she found. Brian, Alice, Lucy and Gloria exited the car and hurried to the boarding area to join the others while Ruth eased her van to the end of the long line of vehicles waiting to be loaded onto the ferry.

  When Ruth got to the front of the line, she slid out of the driver’s seat and eyed the attendant. She handed him some folded bills. “There’s more where this came from if you make sure my baby isn’t dinged during the trip.” She patted the side of the van.

  The man shoved the money in his pocket and climbed behind the wheel. “Yes ma’am.”

  Ruth watched him like a hawk as he drove her van onto the car ferry and disappeared from sight.

  Lucy wandered over to join Ruth. She shaded her eyes and gazed into the bowels of the ship. “It’s supposed to be bullet proof. I would think that would also make it scratch, dent and ding proof.”

  “I’m not taking any chances,” Ruth replied.

  “So I guess me shooting at it is out of the question.”

  Ruth shook her head violently. “No way Jose.”

  The group gathered near the gangway and boarded the ferry. Margaret led the way and they settled into a row of seats near the center of the boat.

  “I’ll be right back.” Ruth walked to the rear of the ferry and exited through a double set of doors.

  She returned a short time later and Gloria slid over to make room for her on the bench seat. “Where did you wander off to?”

  “I wanted to check on the van,” Ruth said. “Remind me to head below deck to the vehicle holding area before we dock so I can keep an eye on the attendants.”

  Gloria lifted her hand in a small salute. “Will do.” She shifted her attention to the window. Now that it was daylight, she was able to get a good look at the picturesque town of Hyannis.

  Margaret, who sat on Gloria’s other side, gazed out the window. “I hear Nantucket is equally as lovely.”

  Despite the reason for the visit, Gloria was looking forward to seeing the island. She hoped that once they tracked Andrea down, they
would have time to explore. Gloria felt in her bones Andrea was alive, that she had just taken a break from everything and everyone, and once Brian and Andrea were reunited, they would be able to work things out.

  Gloria had no idea Brian and Andrea’s reunion was going to be the least of her worries.

  ***

  The boat ride flew by as the group discussed the strategy for tracking down Andrea.

  Gloria had managed to track down the name of the hotel where Andrea and her parents were staying. She pulled her cell phone from her purse and switched it on. “Andrea and her parents are staying at Ocean View Resort on Breeze Boulevard. According to the hotel description, it’s close to town and a short walk to the beaches.”

  She turned to Margaret, the unofficial travel planner. “What’s the name of the place where we’re staying?”

  Margaret reached into her purse and pulled out a sheet of paper. “We’re staying at Craggy Manor Inn. The woman I spoke to on the phone said we’re only a ten minute bike ride to the beach.”

  “Bike ride, as in pedal bike?” Rose snorted. “I ain’t been on a bike since I was a young ‘un.”

  “Me either,” Gloria agreed. “There’s no way we’re all going to be able to ride in Ruth’s van at the same time. We need to split up into groups to search for Andrea, some by foot, some by bike and the rest by van.”

  The ferry began to slow. Ruth bolted from her seat and disappeared through the back door.

  Gloria waited until she was out of sight before turning to the others. “We can all squeeze into the van for the short ride to Andrea’s hotel and our hotel. Later, we’ll look into renting bikes.”

  “What about a scooter?” Lucy asked. “I’d try a scooter.”

  The ferry docked a short time later. The group exited the ferry and found their luggage piled on a cart near the gangway. Off in the distance, Gloria could see Ruth, who was sitting in her van near the loading zone.

  The group dragged their suitcases to the end of the dock and around the back of the van. After some finagling, they managed to stack all but one of the suitcases in the back. Gloria offered to hold it in the front passenger seat for the short ride.

  During the drive, Gloria phoned Andrea, hoping against hope she would hear her bright cheery voice on the other end. The call went to voice mail.

  “Brian, you need to contact the Thorntons to see if they will give you any clues as to what happened to Andrea.”

  “I don’t think they’ll talk,” he said as he turned to Alice. “If they won’t talk to me, maybe they’ll talk to you.”

  “You try first. This is your woman,” Alice said. “She expect her knight in shining armor.”

  “To arrive on scene in a bulletproof van,” Gloria teased.

  Ruth drove the van under the portico of the Ocean View Resort and shifted to park while Brian slid the side door open and stepped onto the paved drive. “Keep your phones on. I’ll call you as soon as I have some news.”

  The girls all wished Brian luck. They watched him stroll through the sliding glass doors and disappear inside the massive resort lobby.

  Alice slid the door closed. “We’ve done all we can. Now all we can do is pray and wait.”

  Ruth punched their motel’s address into her GPS and drove out of the hotel parking lot and onto the street. Once again, Gloria was impressed by Margaret’s travel savvy. “Have you thought about becoming a travel consultant?”

  “I’ve booked so many trips.” Margaret shook her head. “Course Don and I don’t travel as much anymore. He would rather stay home and golf with his buddies.”

  Ruth’s GPS led them right to their motel. Gloria leaned forward to catch her first glimpse. It didn’t look nearly as swanky as the one Andrea and her family were staying in, but it was cute and quaint, and Gloria was certain it would be perfect.

  Margaret had managed to book three suites, all side by side. Check in was quick and easy and the clerk even let them check in early without charging extra.

  The exterior of the motel was deceiving. Their suites were large and spacious. Near the back of the motel was a meticulously landscaped center courtyard. There was also a swimming pool with lounge chairs around the pool.

  Each of the suites contained a separate bedroom area with two queen beds. There was an efficiency kitchen and compact living room, complete with a sleeper sofa.

  Gloria offered to bunk with Brian while Dot, Ruth and Rose took one suite and Margaret, Lucy and Alice took the other.

  She quickly unpacked her clothes, placing them inside the right hand dresser drawers. She left the left hand side empty for Brian.

  She had finished arranging her toiletries in the spacious bathroom when her cell phone began ringing. It was Brian. Gloria whispered a small prayer before hitting the answer button.

  “I hope you have good news,” Gloria said.

  “I wish I did.” Brian’s voice echoed on the other end. “I caught up with Andrea’s parents and confronted them. They told me I might as well turn right around and head back to Belhaven because they weren’t going to tell me anything.”

  There was an edge to Brian’s voice as he continued. “I did find out one thing…the name of the person Andrea was with at the time of her disappearance.”

  “Who was it?”

  “It was Andrea’s ex-boyfriend. His name is Sean Brodwell.”

  Chapter 7

  Gloria loosened her grip on the phone and it almost slipped from her grasp. “I hope I heard you wrong. Did you say Andrea was with an ex-boyfriend when she went missing?”

  “Yep,” Brian said grimly. “I’m heading to the farmer’s market, the last place Andrea was seen. It’s not far from here. I’ll call you back.”

  The line disconnected and Gloria frowned at the phone. She hadn’t envisioned things turning out this way and her heart sank. She hoped there was some mistake. She couldn’t imagine Andrea being so fickle and hooking up with an ex-boyfriend. Technically, Brian and Andrea were still engaged!

  She hurried to the other suites and quickly told the girls what Brian had said.

  Ruth unzipped her backpack and plugged her computer in. “We need to figure out where this farmer’s market is located.”

  “We also need to track down Sean Brodwell,” Dot said. “What if Brian hunts the man down and the two get into a physical altercation?” The last thing Brian needed was to get into a knockdown, drag out brawl with a fresh head injury, not to mention the prospect of being arrested.

  “You’re right.”

  Ruth quickly located the farmer’s market. “It’s at the entrance to Land’s End Lighthouse.”

  The women darted to the van and climbed in.

  Ruth flipped the GPS on and did a quick search for points of interest. “Got it.” She started the van, shoved it into drive and peeled out of the parking lot, tires squealing.

  They sped down the side streets, taking the backroads to the location and arrived a short time later.

  Gloria flung the side door open and leapt from the van before Ruth had time to shift into park. The farmer’s market was closed, the booths shuttered. Off in the distance was a small lighthouse. Several people were wandering along the shoreline.

  There was one lone figure strolling along the sandy beach. It was Brian.

  The other women exited the van and hurried after Gloria.

  “We’re going to help search the area,” an out of breath Gloria told Brian when she caught up to him.

  Brian stopped abruptly and swung around. “Maybe we should go back home.” His jaw tightened. “If she wants this other man, Sean, she can have him. I don’t want to waste my time, begging someone to come back who doesn’t want me.”

  Gloria tugged on Brian’s arm. “The news is shocking, but it doesn’t mean we should jump to conclusions. We don’t know the whole story.”

  “You can head back to the motel,” Brian said. “I’m going to stop by Andrea’s hotel to see if I can find out if her friend, Sean, is staying there, too. I’d
like to have a chat with him.”

  The tone of Brian’s voice sent warning bells off in Gloria’s head and she was certain if Brian was able to track Sean down, it wasn’t going to be a pleasant encounter.

  “I’ll go with you,” Gloria said quietly.

  Ruth dropped Brian and Gloria off in front of the Ocean View Resort and told Gloria that she and the others would head downtown to visit a few of the shops to stretch their legs, but would keep their cell phones close by in case they were needed.

  Brian made a beeline for the front desk, the bottom of his shoes rapping loudly on the marble floor. Gloria struggled to keep up.

  “Yes, I’d like to leave a message for Sean Brodwell,” Brian told the clerk.

  The clerk gave Brian a brief nod and then began tapping the computer keyboard in front of him. “Mr. Brodwell checked out of the hotel this morning.”

  Brian leaned an elbow on the counter. “Any idea where he went?”

  “No sir.” The desk clerk shook his head.

  Brian thanked the clerk and the two of them moved to the side of the lobby. “Surely the police wouldn’t let the man leave the island if Andrea is missing and he was the last person seen with her.”

  Brian shoved his hands in his front pants pockets and rocked back on his heels. “It could be he was taking some heat from investigators and/or Andrea’s parents so he checked out.”

  “We need to track him down.” Gloria began pacing back and forth. “But how? We need to figure out where he went.”

  “Or even what he looks like,” Brian added.

  “We could start by checking the Nantucket Morning News to see if there’s an update. After that, we can check the social media sites to see if he’s online.”

  Gloria snapped her fingers and abruptly stopped. “I’ve got an idea! We tail Andrea’s parents. I’m sure they’re still in touch with Mr. Brodwell. They’ll lead us right to him.”

  Brian sucked in a deep breath. “It’s a start. Her parents met me in this lobby. This is where they told me to go home.”