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

by Hope Callaghan

  “They couldn’t charge me with anything,” Brian said. “Lack of evidence.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Believe me, they wanted to.”

  “Have a seat.” Margaret stood and offered Brian her chair.

  “No thanks. I’ve been sitting for hours. It feels good to stretch my legs.”

  “What happened?” Gloria asked. “Start at the beginning, when I left you near the tiki bar so I could talk to Paul.”

  Brian leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “Well, right after you walked away, David and Libby Thornton left. Brodwell was alone. He appeared agitated and my gut told me something was going to happen so I hung back. He began to pace as he looked around. It was as if he sensed my presence.”

  “He exited the pool area and stepped into the parking lot. I trailed behind but waited near the corner of the building until I saw him unlock one of the motel room doors. From where I was standing, I couldn’t tell which one he went into. He turned back and stared directly down the sidewalk. I could’ve sworn he spotted me so I ducked back behind the wall and waited.”

  Lucy interrupted. “Did the Thorntons spot you?”

  “Nope.” Brian shook his head. “They had already climbed into a dark sedan and drove off.”

  “Go on,” Alice prompted.

  “I hung around and then made my way to the back of the building to check on Gloria. She was still talking on the phone with her back to me so I walked toward the front again.”

  “I waited another five, ten minutes and kept thinking Gloria, Ruth and Dot would show up but you never did so I started down the sidewalk. When I got halfway down, I noticed one of the motel room doors was ajar so I nudged it open with my foot. That’s when I found him.”

  “Brodwell,” Gloria said.

  “Yep. He was on the bed, sprawled out on his back, but at an odd angle. I didn’t touch anything and didn’t step inside. I called his name and when he didn’t respond, I dialed 911.”

  “So between the time you spotted him entering his motel room, looking nervous and glancing over his shoulder and the time you walked down the sidewalk, someone murdered him.”

  “Bingo,” Brian nodded. “From what the investigator said, it appears he suffocated. I have racked my brain trying to remember if I saw anyone lurking about or looking suspicious but there was nothing.”

  “Unless whoever killed Brodwell was waiting inside the motel room,” Margaret said.

  “Yep.”

  Brian walked over to the window and peered out. “I wonder if the same person who murdered Brodwell kidnapped Andrea or worse.”

  Gloria and Alice’s eyes met. “We have some good news,” Gloria said.

  “Andrea is in Belhaven,” Alice blurted out. “She is home.”

  Brian spun around, his eyes wide with disbelief. “You’re kidding,” he sputtered.

  “No. Her parents were pressuring her to move back to New York and when they sprung the ex-boyfriend on her, she decided enough was enough so she plotted her escape,” Gloria said. “She had no idea we were on our way here and planned to call her parents once she was back home.”

  “We just missed her,” Alice said.

  “Why didn’t she answer our calls or texts to at least let us know she was safe?” Brian asked.

  “She was in such a hurry to escape the island, she forgot her cell phone charger in the hotel room,” Gloria explained. “She wasn’t able to charge it until she arrived home.”

  “So we can go home now.” Rose, who had been rummaging around in the cupboards of the small kitchenette, reached inside and pulled out a glass plate.

  “No can do.” Brian shook his head. “I can’t leave until the police clear me as a suspect since I found the body.”

  “Wait until they find out the dead man was your fiancée’s ex-boyfriend,” Dot said.

  “It doesn’t look good,” Lucy agreed.

  “We need to figure out who killed Brodwell,” Gloria said.

  “And why,” Ruth reached into her backpack, sitting on the floor next to her, unzipped the top and pulled out her laptop. “As Gloria likes to say motive and opportunity, but first we need to find out a little more about Sean Brodwell.”

  “Andrea would know him,” Gloria said. She turned to Brian. “I’m sure Paul or her parents have told her Brodwell was found dead in his motel room. You should give her a call.”

  “What if she thinks I killed him?” Brian asked.

  “You know she won’t believe that for a second, Brian.” Alice patted his arm. “She was on her way home…to you.”

  “True.” Brian glanced uneasily around the room. “I suppose I could give her a call.”

  “You don’t want all of us listening in,” Gloria said. “Why don’t you head back to our room so you can have some privacy?”

  “I want to listen in,” Ruth argued.

  The others shot her a dark stare. “All right.”

  Brian exited the suite and closed the door behind him.

  Chapter 12

  Gloria waited until the door was shut. “We should pray about this.” She waved the group to gather near the kitchen area. They joined hands and bowed their heads. “Dear Heavenly Father, we pray for Brian and Andrea, Lord. We pray you heal the hurt feelings, the wounds and open the lines of communication. We pray for forgiveness on both sides and thank you, in advance, for answered prayers.”

  “We also pray you quickly clear Brian’s name in the murder investigation,” Dot added.

  “Amen,” Lucy finished.

  Gloria released her hold on Rose and Lucy’s hands and stared uneasily at the door. “We need to take a look at the pictures Dot was able to snap of the inside of Brodwell’s motel room.”

  Ruth, who had eased back into the chair and sat facing her laptop, looked up. “Shoot them to me in an email and I’ll open them up so we can view them on my laptop screen.”

  “Good idea.” Gloria reached for her cell phone and the overpowering stench of burnt fish mingled with garlic blasted her in the face. She began to gag. “Oh my gosh! What is that disgusting smell?”

  “This?” Rose picked up a burning candle and waved it in the air.

  Lucy, who was standing closest to Rose, stumbled backward. “Ugh.” She pinched the sides of her nose and gasped for air.

  “What a horrid odor!” Margaret scrambled out of her chair and bolted toward the door. She flung the door open, stumbled onto the sidewalk and gulped the fresh air.

  “It’s my own special candle,” Rose said as she calmly set the candle on top of the hot plate. “It’s fermented herring, a layer of minced garlic and a layer of anise.”

  Dot ran out of the room and followed Margaret onto the sidewalk.

  “I use it to ward off bad spirits.” Rose studied the ceiling. “I’m sensing a bad presence. I’m not sure if it’s emanating from this room or the entire motel.”

  “It could ward off bad spirits and vampires,” Lucy joked, still pinching her nostrils shut.

  “Maybe vampires.” Rose’s eyes slid to Alice, who caught the sly look.

  “You think I’m a vampire?” Alice gasped as she jabbed her chest.

  Gloria stepped between the women. “I’m sure she didn’t mean you,” she said. “Please put that out before one of us loses our lunch.”

  “Okay.” Rose reluctantly blew out the candle. “But if something bad happens, don’t blame me.”

  “Something bad?” Ruth shook her head. “What else could possibly happen that hasn’t already?”

  “Let’s adjourn to the other suite to give this place a chance to air out.” Gloria waved her hand in front of her face.

  The women headed to the suite next door. Ruth grabbed her laptop off the table, bringing up the rear. “I got the pictures.” She placed her open laptop on the table.

  “I don’t see any blood or guts,” Lucy said as she peered over Ruth’s shoulder. She pointed to the dresser. “Did you notice all of those pill bottles?”

  “We heard the cops say somet
hing about drugs,” Gloria said. “They said something about an overdose and then mentioned another piece of evidence but I couldn’t figure out what they were talking about.”

  “Maybe Brodwell discovered Andrea had returned home and became despondent,” Alice theorized.

  “But Brian said his body was lying at an odd angle,” Dot said.

  “Hello?” Brian stepped into the motel room. “You moved.”

  “Yeah. Rose is warding off evil spirits in their suite so we had to vacate,” Gloria said. “How did the conversation with Andrea go?”

  “Okay, I guess,” Brian said. “We agreed that once I return home, we’re going to have a nice, long heart-to-heart talk.”

  “What did she say about Brodwell’s death? Did she know?”

  “Yes. Her parents told her when she called to tell them she was safe and in Belhaven.”

  “And?” Gloria prompted.

  “They told her they think I killed him,” Brian said.

  “Whew!” Lucy blew air through thinned lips. “That’s terrible.”

  Brian went on to explain Andrea told him Sean Brodwell was acting odd during their brief time together, before she managed to escape. He kept commenting to her that he was considering moving out of New York and into the country, away from the hustle and bustle.

  “She thought it was unusual since he was a city boy through and through. She also said he seemed very nervous and he was constantly looking over his shoulder.”

  “Which is the same comment you made,” Gloria pointed out.

  “I think he was a drug dealer,” Margaret said. “Could be he owed someone a bunch of money.”

  “We need his address or at least the area where he lived so we can dig into his past,” Ruth said.

  “Come over here and look at the pictures Dot was able to snap of the inside of Brodwell’s motel room.” Gloria motioned to Brian.

  The girls shifted to the side and Brian leaned over Ruth’s shoulder as he studied the pictures. Two of them were semi-clean shots and the third was mostly a blur.

  “Where did you get these?” Brian asked as he studied the pictures.

  “The investigators forgot to shut the drapes to Brodwell’s motel room so Dot snapped a couple pictures of the inside before the police started chasing her.” Gloria chuckled. “Ruth has the footage. Later tonight, we’ll pop some popcorn and settle in for a replay of the action.”

  Dot popped Gloria on the arm. “Don’t you dare.”

  “It looks the same, minus the body.” Brian tapped his finger on the screen. “I don’t recall seeing that.”

  Gloria leaned in to see where he was pointing. It was a square sheet of plastic, sitting right next to one of the bed pillows. “Plastic…pillow. You don’t recall hearing any noises, like someone screaming, or gunshots so his death was quick and quiet.”

  “Brodwell headed to his room. He kept looking around, thinking someone was following him.” Gloria straightened her back and tapped the side of her chin thoughtfully. “What if he wasn’t being followed but instead, someone was waiting for him inside his motel room?”

  Lucy picked up. “He locked himself in his room. Maybe he was nervous so he popped a pill and crawled onto his bed.”

  “The person lurking inside caught him off guard, placed the plastic over his face and suffocated him,” Ruth finished. “He was already drugged up. It wouldn’t take much to finish the deed.”

  “How did the killer get into his room?” Gloria asked. “I’m sure Brodwell didn’t leave the door unlocked.”

  “Hang on a second.” Lucy eased past Gloria and studied the screen. “The motel room door is open, but you can see they use the key cards.”

  Gloria nodded. “Yep.” She knew right where Lucy was going with her line of thinking. “Someone picked the lock and let themselves in.”

  “Bingo.” Lucy grabbed one of the room cards from the table and headed to the door. “Allow me to demonstrate.”

  The others followed Lucy out of the motel room and crowded around her on the sidewalk.

  Lucy pulled the door shut. “Our rooms are also key card access.” She pointed at the door. “Note the door is locked.”

  “Correct,” Ruth said.

  Lucy grasped the door handle and pressed down. She slipped the room card into the doorjamb and began wiggling it as she pressed lightly. Moments later, the door popped open. “Easy peasy.”

  Alice’s jaw dropped. “That is scary.”

  The group headed back inside and Gloria closed the door behind them. She flipped the deadbolt. “Opportunity equals anyone. Motive equals drugs. Now we have to find more out about Sean Brodwell.”

  Chapter 13

  Ruth settled in front of the computer once again. She exited out of the photos after saving them to a file she named Drug Dealer Death. She rubbed her hands together and her fingers hovered over the keyboard. “Where do we start?”

  “Social media,” Gloria suggested.

  “Good answer.” Ruth’s fingers flew over the keyboard as she searched Sean Brodwell’s social profile. His last post had been the previous day where he begged his family and friends to help him find his missing “lost love.”

  “Unbelievable,” Brian gritted out.

  “Remember, Andrea snuck away from him,” Gloria said. “He was disillusioned.”

  There were several posted photos. Some were of him alone, looking smug. In several others, he was posing with smiling females, his arm draped around their shoulders.

  Ruth scrolled slowly through the screen while they studied the posts.

  “Wait!” Margaret said. “Back up.”

  Ruth scrolled up and read the caption under a picture of a smiling Brodwell. “It says ‘Headed to NT for a little R&R, mixed with a little business.’”

  “I wonder what kind of business,” Gloria murmured.

  Ruth scrolled through several more posts and then they dropped off, right around the beginning of the year. She hovered over the “x” to click out of the screen when Gloria stopped her. “Wait a minute. Go back to the R&R post. I want to see who liked it.”

  “Good idea.” Lucy snapped her fingers.

  There were several likes and Ruth systematically made her way down the list as she clicked on each person’s name. None of them jumped out as particularly suspect. “It looks like a dead end.”

  “Except for the comment about mixing business with pleasure,” Alice said. “I remember him now. He and Andrea dated for a short time. Her parents, they love Sean. His family come from big money in the Hamptons, but Andrea, she think he too…” She paused, searching for the right word.

  “Snobbish?” Gloria prompted.

  “Yes and phony, like he not real.” Alice nodded.

  “We need to track Brodwell’s steps from the moment he stepped foot on the island, maybe even try to get our hands on a list of the passengers who boarded the shuttle the day he arrived,” Gloria said.

  “The best person to ask would be Andrea.” She grabbed her cell phone off the table and texted her young friend, asking her what she could remember of her brief time with Brodwell. “I’m sure police will want to question Andrea, as well.”

  “You’re right, given the fact she vanished without telling anyone and the last person she had contact with on the island is now dead,” Brian grimaced.

  “Will the police force her to return to Nantucket?” Ruth wondered aloud.

  “They can’t force her,” Brian answered. “But it would make her look a lot less guilty if she agreed to answer some questions.”

  Gloria’s cell phone chirped. She picked it up, slipped her reading glasses on and studied the screen. “According to Andrea, she wasn’t aware Brodwell was on the island until a few days ago when her parents surprised her during dinner and he showed up.”

  “He could have been here longer, though.” She slowly scrolled through Andrea’s lengthy text. “She said she was so shocked when he asked her to accompany him to the farmer’s market the following morning, sh
e didn’t say no, but after returning to her room, she hatched a plan to ditch him and return home. She figured by the time her parents figured it out, she would be back in Belhaven.”

  “It took her a couple days on the mainland to find a one way flight back to Grand Rapids. She had no idea her parents filed a missing person’s report since she’d threatened to leave if they kept pressuring her to sell her home and move back to New York.” Gloria lowered the phone and gazed at Brian. “And she apologized again.”

  “Sounds legit,” Margaret shrugged. “Her parents sound like a trip.”

  “They are,” Alice, Gloria and Brian answered in unison.

  “They won’t be any help,” Brian added.

  Gloria’s phone chirped again. “Oh, here’s what Andrea knows.”

  Ruth reached for a pen. “I’ll take notes.”

  “Sean checked into the Ocean View Resort and met them for dinner. During dinner, he mentioned meeting a business partner briefly after dinner and possibly the following day but assured her that the rest of the time he would be free.”

  “Free to what? Free to woo my girl?” Brian asked.

  “We’ve been over this before, Brian. Andrea had nothing to do with it. She’s telling us what he told her,” Gloria replied before turning her attention to the phone. “She says he mentioned someone by the name of Luke and a place called Fathom, somewhere over by the marina.”

  There was another chirp and Gloria continued to scroll. “That’s it. She said if he commented on anything else, she wasn’t paying attention and was already plotting her getaway.” Gloria grinned.

  She set the phone down and it chirped one last time. Gloria picked it up. “One more thing. Her father is golfing buddies with the chief of police so don’t expect any help from them.”

  Ruth’s fingers were already flying over the computer keyboard. “There’s no place on the island called Fathom. She said it was near the marina?”

  “Yes.”

  “I see a couple restaurants on the marina. Barnacle Bill’s Seafood Restaurant and Tides. There’s nothing listed by the name of Fathom,” Ruth said.

  “Let’s check Brodwell’s profile to see if there’s anyone on there named Luke.” Ruth switched screens and pulled up Brodwell’s profile a second time. “Blocked access. We can’t see his friend’s list.”