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

by Hope Callaghan

  “I’m sure the police have already questioned them,” Brian said.

  “If David Thornton is friends with the local chief of police, I doubt the Thorntons are considered suspects.”

  Brian frowned. “They didn’t have anything nice to say about me and I’m sure they said some things to the investigators, which is why I was questioned so extensively.” He sucked in a deep breath. “Not to mention all the evidence points to me. Motive and opportunity.”

  Brian was right. It didn’t look good. He was at the scene of the crime…opportunity. Motive was Brodwell’s connection to Brian’s fiancée.

  Had Libby Thornton given Brodwell Andrea’s room key, or maybe her phone number or address in Belhaven? It could have been any number of things.

  Gloria pulled her cell phone from her purse, switched it on and flipped to the photos Dot had taken of the inside of the motel room. She tapped the screen and studied the pictures after sliding her reading glasses on.

  The top of the dresser was crammed full of stuff and the picture slightly blurry. It was difficult to tell what was what, other than the unmistakable pill bottle containers. “I’m stumped. We’ll have to wait until later tonight to see if we can glean any more clues from this Luke fellow.”

  They finished their breakfast and wandered out onto the sidewalk. Gloria glanced up and down the street before checking the time. “We still have some time to kill before the grocery store opens.”

  They strolled down the sidewalk and although Gloria was tempted to drag Brian into a few of the antique stores, she kept moving. Finally, he stopped and pointed at one of the stores. “Do you mind if we go in? I spotted some antique tools on one of the shelves.”

  “Of course.” They headed inside and Brian made a beeline for the tools while Gloria wandered over to one of the display cases. Inside the display case was an old pocket watch.

  She leaned forward and peered through the glass. On the front of the watch was a farm scene with a barn in the foreground. It reminded Gloria of her farm.

  “May I help you?” A tall bookish man approached the back of the display case.

  “I’m interested in the pocket watch, the one with the barn on it. Does the watch work?”

  The man nodded as he slid the door of the case open and reached for the watch. “Yes. This piece came in yesterday. I’ve been admiring it myself.” He handed her the vintage watch.

  Gloria ran her finger over the top before pressing the clasp and opening the cover. Paul already owned a similar watch but the carving on the front was different. “How much is it?”

  “Eighty-five bucks,” the man said. “Should be more, but the chain isn’t the original.”

  Gloria rubbed the sturdy chain. “I’ll take it,” she said impulsively, knowing Paul would be thrilled to have it and thrilled to know she’d been thinking of him.

  The man wrapped it in tissue before placing it inside a small plastic bag. Gloria handed him her debit card and then followed him to the cash register near the back of the store.

  She ran into Brian on her way to the check out. He was carrying an arm full of old tools and an antique brass doorknocker. “Let me help.” Gloria reached for the doorknocker.

  “I’m buying this for Andrea,” Brian said as he handed it to her. “I figured she could find a place for it after I spit shine it.”

  “She’ll love it,” Gloria said. They made their way to the cash register and the clerk handed Gloria her card and bag.

  She stepped off to the side to wait for Brian to pay for his treasures and then they wandered back onto the sidewalk. “That was fun,” she said.

  “I love shopping for antiques,” Brian confessed. “Sometimes, I sneak off to the Belhaven flea market on Monday morning if the hardware store isn’t busy.”

  Gloria remembered the knitting needles and yarn she found inside one of the hardware store drawers, not long after Brian’s attack. “You’re full of surprises.” She kept mum about the discovery of the knitting needles, deciding that if, and when, he wanted to tell her about his hobby, he would.

  They continued down the sidewalk toward Olson’s Deli, which was now open and they wandered inside. Gloria’s cell phone beeped. It was a text from Margaret, wondering where they were.

  Gloria texted back that Brian and she had gotten up early and gone out for breakfast. She assured Margaret they would be back soon with the picnic supplies they were taking on the bicycle trip.

  She offered to grab breakfast sandwiches for those who hadn’t eaten yet, but Margaret told her they planned to pick something up on their way out. Lucy and Alice would be waiting for them at the motel but the others were leaving.

  They made their way to the hot foods display case and ordered a large box of mixed fried chicken pieces, along with a large container of potato salad and a package of sweet rolls. Gloria grabbed a bag of potato chips and some cold sodas on the way to the checkout counter.

  She added a disposable cooler to the purchases to keep the potato salad and sodas cold and then insisted she pay for the picnic supplies since Brian had bought dinner the night before.

  After she finished paying, they made their way out of the store for the short walk back to the motel. Ruth’s van was gone and Lucy and Alice’s suite door was ajar.

  Gloria tapped lightly and then pushed the door open with her elbow. “Knock, knock.”

  Lucy rushed over to grab the bag of food while Alice took the cold drinks and set them on the small table. “My goodness. Are you feeding a small army?”

  “Better to have too much food than not enough.” Gloria eased the other bag of food on the table, right next to the fried chicken.

  “We rented a bike for Alice while you were gone.” Lucy waved a piece of paper in the air. “I picked up a tourist map in the office and discovered a bike trail we can take.”

  Lucy spread the map out on her unmade bed and everyone gathered around as she outlined the bike route. It was a little more than five miles with a couple spots to stop along the way, if needed. They would end the ride at the lighthouse where they would have lunch.

  It was manageable and since none of them had ridden for any length of time for years, it would be just enough so they weren’t exhausted by the end of the ride.

  Gloria quickly packed up the picnic supplies, splitting the food, drinks, sunscreen and bottled water between several backpacks.

  Lucy led the parade of bikes and they coasted out of the parking lot.

  “We’re going to swing by the Thornton’s hotel so Alice can try to talk to them,” Gloria reminded Lucy, who nodded her agreement.

  The bike ride to the hotel was only a few short blocks. Brian, Lucy and Gloria waited out front while Alice climbed off her bike. She dropped the kickstand and removed her bike helmet. “Wish me luck.”

  “You’re probably going to need it,” Brian muttered under his breath.

  Alice disappeared inside the sliding doors.

  “I give it a 50/50 chance of Alice finding out any new information,” Lucy predicted.

  “Ninety ten,” Brian said.

  “I’ll go with the 50/50, too.” Maybe it was wishful thinking on Gloria’s part, but she hoped the Thorntons would be a little more forthcoming. After all, Brian would soon be their son-in-law.

  Alice emerged a short time later and walked over to where they were waiting. Gloria could tell from the frown on her face it hadn’t gone well.

  “They weren’t there?” Lucy asked.

  “Oh, I find them all right,” Alice said. “At first, they refuse to come down to the lobby to talk with me but then I guess they change their mind.”

  “And?” Gloria prompted.

  “They say you brainwash Andrea and me.”

  “Me?” Gloria pointed at her chest.

  “All of you,” Alice said. “They say they hope we come to our senses.” Her gaze shifted to Brian.

  “What else?” Brian asked. “They said I killed Brodwell.”

  Alice shrugged uneasily. “N
ot in so many words. It no matter. They no help, but they still worry about Andrea and Mr. Brodwell’s killer still on the loose.” She made her way over to her bike and kicked up the kickstand. “We no worry about them. We solve this ourselves.” Alice lifted her chin, a look of determination in her eyes.

  “At least we know where we stand with them now,” Lucy said. “Let’s try not to dwell on them and enjoy our day.” She led the group down the street toward the beginning of the bike trail.

  Alice and Gloria rode behind Lucy, and Brian brought up the rear. Gloria insisted they all wear bike helmets since they were rusty riders and for Brian’s sake because of his recent head injury. He didn’t put up a fuss and Gloria was relieved.

  The sun was bright with nary a cloud in the sky. The morning air was crisp and cool, and a light breeze blew off the water.

  During the ride, Gloria mulled over Sean Brodwell’s death. She was anxious to question “Luke” and wondered if he would give them some idea of why he had met with Sean Brodwell.

  She also wondered what Libby Thornton had handed to Brodwell. Perhaps it was money. After all, he had checked out of the swanky Ocean View Resort and moved into the smaller, less luxurious Shady Cove Motel.

  The four of them stopped at the corner of a busy intersection before hopping off their bicycles and walking them across the street.

  The fresh air was invigorating and Gloria wished Paul could have been there. She hoped that one day the two of them could visit the quaint island to do some sightseeing as well as plan a deep sea-fishing excursion for Paul.

  Lucy mentioned that Margaret had something planned for the following day but it would require a second vehicle.

  They rounded a bend for the last leg of their ride. Gloria focused her attention on the bike path and the flow of vehicle traffic. Either the drivers didn’t realize they were crowding the bike riders’ space or they didn’t care.

  When they reached the park, the four of them walked the bikes to a small pavilion and parked them off to the side. After they unloaded the backpacks and set the food on the picnic table, they took turns using the restroom to wash up.

  Gloria was the first to arrive back at the picnic table and Brian was right behind her. Lucy and Alice went to wash up. “You don’t think it’s possible the Thorntons gave Sean Brodwell money.” She explained her theory of how he had checked out of the luxurious resort and checked into a smaller, cheaper motel several blocks away.

  “Could be.” Brian popped the top on an ice-cold can of Coke and took a big swig. He gazed thoughtfully out at the playground nearby. “You don’t think she gave him a key to Andrea’s room.”

  Gloria frowned. “That’s crazy. What parent would do such a thing? I also don’t understand why Andrea’s parents filed a missing person’s report if they suspected she intentionally left the island and returned to Belhaven.”

  Brian shrugged. “They’re odd ducks, for sure.”

  Alice and Lucy returned and settled in at the picnic table. Gloria was starving. Her pancake breakfast was long gone.

  They passed around the containers of fried chicken and potato salad, the rolls and then Gloria dumped a handful of chips onto the side of her paper plate. “Let’s pray.”

  She let Brian pray. “Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for this beautiful day. Thank you for this food. I also thank you for my friends, for those around me who are trying to help clear my name. Amen.”

  “And we ask that the killer is quickly uncovered,” Gloria added. “Amen.”

  The picnic lunch hit the spot and they devoured the food. All that was left was a half bag of potato chips.

  Gloria folded the top of the bag of chips and carefully eased it into her backpack. Something was nagging in the back of her mind and a feeling of impending doom swept over her.

  She trailed behind the others as they headed toward the bicycles. Gloria eased the helmet onto her head and reached for the clasp. It was in that moment, she realized what had been bothering her. She spun on her heel and faced Brian.

  “Andrea said her parents suspected she was returning to Belhaven. If they were determined to have her reconcile with Sean Brodwell, do you think Libby gave her daughter’s home address to Sean so he could follow her to Michigan?”

  Alice gasped. “Oh, I hope you wrong Miss Gloria.”

  Brian’s expression grew grim. “Someone trashed Brodwell’s motel room. They were looking for something.”

  “We need to figure out if police found anything in Brodwell’s pants pocket,” Lucy gasped.

  “In the meantime, I’m going to call Andrea to tell her she needs to stay at the farm just in case someone followed her home.” Gloria fumbled inside her backpack, searching for her cell phone.

  Chapter 16

  Andrea Malone could not shake the feeling she was being followed. It started right after she left her house early that morning. The feeling persisted as she ran her errands, stopping by the post office and the drug store. She also stopped by Dot’s Restaurant to say “hello” to Johnnie Morris and Dot’s husband, Ray, and to apologize for causing everyone so much grief.

  Both men assured her it was fine and that if it hadn’t been Andrea in trouble, it would’ve been something or someone else.

  Andrea ordered Dot’s specialty, the early bird breakfast platter, to go. After it was ready, she paid for the meal and then dropped it off in her pickup truck before heading to the last store on the corner of Main Street…Nails and Knobs, Brian’s hardware store.

  Andrea opened the door and stepped inside. Tears filled her eyes at the familiar aroma of cedar and pine-sol. The smells reminded her of Brian. She swallowed hard and forced herself to walk to the rear of the store.

  Mark Clawson, Brian’s new part-time employee, looked up from the counter when Andrea approached. “Hi Andrea. The rumor is true. You’re back home while Brian, who set out to rescue his damsel in distress, is in Nantucket.”

  Andrea gave him a watery smile. “My foolish pride has managed to cause a lot of trouble,” she admitted.

  Mark shook his head. “No sense in beating yourself up over this. We all do things we later regret.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate your words of encouragement.” Andrea glanced around the store. “Something looks different.”

  “Yeah, after Brian’s accident and while you were gone, he decided to rearrange the store. He said something about better traffic flow. I think he was trying to stay busy myself.”

  They chatted for a few moments and Andrea glanced at her watch. “I left my breakfast in the truck. I better head home before it gets cold.”

  She waved good-bye and then headed out of the store. The eerie feeling of being followed had vanished and Andrea scolded herself for her overactive imagination. She picked up the pace as she headed to the truck where she climbed inside.

  The smell of bacon filled the cab of the pickup truck and Andrea’s mouth watered. She hadn’t had much of an appetite in weeks, not since Brian’s accident. She backed out of her parking spot and pulled onto the street. A catchy country song was playing on her favorite radio station and she turned it up as she sang along.

  When she reached her private drive, she noticed the gate was ajar. “I could’ve sworn I shut the gate on my way out.” Andrea hopped out of the truck, pushed the gate open and then climbed back inside before she eased the truck around the curve and up the drive.

  Brutus, Andrea’s black lab, bounded across the yard and met Andrea at the driver’s side door.

  “How on earth did you get out?” She had left Brutus in a small, gated area near the rear of the property so he wouldn’t tear up her freshly planted flowers while she was gone.

  Brutus tore off across the yard and Andrea reached inside the truck for her food and purse. The eerie sensation she was being watched returned with a vengeance.

  Her scalp began to tingle. For a split second, she thought about climbing back into her pickup truck and high tailing it out of there. Instead, she reached inside her purse and
pulled out her 9mm handgun.

  Andrea held it in a tight grip as she eased along the hedge toward the front door. When she got there, she inserted her key in the front door to unlock it. She pushed the door open and took a small step forward. “Hello?”

  Nothing looked out of place. Andrea Malone, you need to get a grip.

  Andrea relaxed her shoulders and placed the bag of food on the floor inside the door. “I better corral that crazy dog,” she muttered. “I wonder how he got out.”

  She backed out of the door, pulling it shut behind her and collided with a tall, looming figure who stood in the doorway, directly behind her.

  ***

  “She’s not answering,” Gloria groaned. “You try,” she told Brian.

  Brian dialed Andrea’s number and it went right to voice mail. “It went to voice mail.”

  Alice clasped her hands. “We have to do something. Miss Andrea might be in danger.”

  “I’ll call Paul.” Gloria quickly scrolled her phone list and dialed Paul’s number.

  “Hello?”

  “Thank goodness you answered,” Gloria said. “Andrea may be in trouble. There’s a chance the guy who died was some sort of drug dealer unbeknownst to Andrea. Brian said Libby Thornton handed something to Brodwell minutes before he returned to his motel room, right before he was murdered.”

  “Okay,” Paul said.

  “Well, what if Libby Thornton, who admitted she figured Andrea left abruptly to return home, gave Brodwell Andrea’s home address? The killer trashed Brodwell’s motel room searching for something. If the killer searched Brodwell’s pants pockets, the killer would’ve found whatever Libby had given him…”

  Gloria tightened her grip on the phone. “I know it’s a stretch, but I would feel much better if Andrea stayed at the farm with you and Allie until we get home.”

  “You’re right. Better safe than sorry, especially if this Brodwell was a drug dealer and someone had torn his motel room apart searching for something,” Paul said. “I’ll head over there in a couple minutes,” he promised. “In the meantime, maybe you should give her a call.”