Tidewater Inn

by Colleen Coble

  “It’s been there all along. Remember that pile of bricks toward the back? It was under there. The force of the water moved the bricks and uncovered the trapdoor. Libby, Bree, and I went down to explore.”

  “And?”

  In answer, Alec pulled out his smartphone and pulled up the picture he’d taken. “We found this.” He handed the phone to his cousin.

  Tom studied it in silence. “No telling how long that’s been down there.”

  “I’d say about three years.”

  Tom looked up sharply. “Three years? Why would you say that?”

  “Take another look. Recognize anything?” When Tom’s face stayed blank, Alec leaned forward and poked his finger on the blue dress. “That’s Tina’s dress.”

  Realization dawned on Tom’s face. “Tina Mitchell?”

  “Yeah. A picture of her in that dress was plastered all over the state for a month.”

  “You’re right. Holy cow.” Tom sat back in his chair. “How did she get there?”

  “We’ve been wondering the same thing.” Alec told him about going back into the cellar and finding the other entrance.

  “So anyone who knew about that could have gone in there. How did Tina know? And did she get trapped in there by the tide or something?” His face changed. “No, that’s impossible. Her boat was clear down the coast. It had to have been deliberate.”

  “That’s what I thought too. Someone put her body there, probably after they killed her, then scuttled her boat to make it look like an accident. Forensics can maybe tell what happened.”

  “Or maybe not,” Tom said. “Doesn’t look like there’s much left.”

  “Nicole was an avid cave explorer,” Libby put in. “What if she found the cave leading to the cellar? What if she found the body and the murderer saw her?”

  Tom stroked his chin. “Maybe.” But he glanced at her with a hard expression.

  “It makes sense,” Alec said. “Whoever took Nicole didn’t keep her long. It was like they grabbed her and disposed of her right away. I’m guessing they didn’t want her to tell anyone about the cellar and what it contained.”

  “Seems a little far-fetched to me,” Tom said. “She wouldn’t know who anyone was, killer or victim.”

  “But the minute she reported it, you would have known as soon as you saw Tina. I think there’s evidence in that cellar that will lead us to the killers.”

  “I’ll call the state detectives. They have more resources than we do. I don’t want to muck up this investigation. Holy cow,” Tom said again. “Tina Mitchell was murdered. But why?”

  “When we know that, we might know who.”

  “Ray maybe? No relationship is perfect.”

  Alec bristled. “Don’t even go there. Ray was a good man. The best.”

  “Even good men snap,” Tom said. “You know it’s usually the person closest to the victim.” His gaze slid again to Libby.

  “Not this time,” Alec said.

  “One of the kids?” Tom suggested. “I remember hearing they were having some battles about Brent’s lack of a job. He expected his parents to hand out money, and they wanted him to work.”

  Alec glanced at Libby. She should tell Tom about the attack and how Brent had a wetsuit, but he knew she wouldn’t want to get her brother in trouble.

  Libby leaned forward with her hands clasped. “Please, Sheriff Bourne, I didn’t kill Nicole. Or my mother. I’m not some kind of monster.”

  Tom tapped his fingers on the desk. “Can we place Nicole at the cellar?”

  “I know she’d been out to a nearby cave. She told me in the call.”

  But then Tom’s face hardened and he stood. “Good work, Alec. Staying close to her has paid off, hasn’t it?”

  Alec went hot, then cold. He leaped to his feet with his fists clenched. “Let’s go, Libby.” He held out his hand.

  She took it, glancing from him to his cousin and back again. “What do you mean ‘staying close to her’?”

  Tom was white. “You didn’t think he was hanging around because he liked you, did you? I asked him to keep an eye on you.”

  Alec stared at Tom. Why was he doing this? Libby stared at him with eyes filled with pain. “Libby,” he began.

  Without a word she turned and rushed for the door. He started to go after her, then turned back to Tom. “Why did you do that?”

  “I thought if she was shook up, she might reveal something.”

  “She’s a good woman, Tom,” Alec said. “I’d better leave before I bust your face in and you have to throw me in jail for attacking an officer.”

  He stormed from the office. Libby was nowhere in sight.

  THIRTY-FOUR

  It was a long hike back to Tidewater Inn, but Libby needed the time to compose herself. She vacillated between anger and hurt. So Alec’s support had all been a ploy. She should have known he couldn’t be the superstar he seemed. She paused to sniffle and wipe her eyes.

  An old Buick slowed and she saw Pearl behind the wheel. The window came down, and her aunt beckoned her to get in the car. Libby went around to the passenger seat.

  “What are you doing walking alone?” her aunt scolded. “Especially after what happened to your friend?” She studied Libby’s face. “You’ve been crying. Have a spat with Alec?”

  “He tricked me,” Libby burst out. “He was just pretending to help me. All the time he was trying to see if I killed Nicole.”

  “And who told you this?”

  “The sheriff.” Libby glanced around the car. “You’ve got a block on the pedals.”

  “So I can reach them.” Her aunt pressed her shoe against the block on the accelerator and the car jerked into motion. “Let me tell you something about our sheriff. Tom idolizes his cousin. But he’s also jealous of Alec. Tom knows he’ll never be the man Alec is. So he tries to bring Alec down to his own level every chance he gets. I’ve seen it over and over again.”

  “But he didn’t deny Tom had asked him to find out what he could.”

  “I’m sure Tom did ask him. He likely saw the way Alec looks at you. Tom wouldn’t have liked it.”

  Libby’s cheeks heated. “Alec looks at me? What do you mean?”

  Pearl laughed. “Oh, honey, a blind woman could see that besotted expression. The guy fell hard right from the start.”

  “I don’t think so.” But Libby’s heart sped up at the possibility. Could it be true?

  “He took vacation to help you. He’s been underfoot every moment since you arrived. The man is smitten.” Pearl’s sideways glance was sly. “I believe he feels as strongly about you as you do about him.”

  “He’s just a friend.” Fresh tears blurred her vision. “At least I thought he was a friend.”

  “Uh-huh. A friend. You can talk to your old aunt. You feel way more for him than friendship.”

  “We haven’t known each other all that long.”

  “Long enough to recognize the attraction.”

  “Well, yes. He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever known. I thought he was, anyway. Now I don’t know.”

  “You know.” Her aunt turned the old car into the drive. “Huh. Looks like we have company.”

  Libby stared through the windshield. “It’s Horace.”

  The attorney was getting out of his big Cadillac with a folder in his hand. He mopped his brow as he waited for Libby to step from the car.

  “Horace. I wasn’t expecting you,” Libby said, shutting the car door behind her. She smiled at the older man. “I could use some sweet tea. How about you?”

  “Sounds mighty fine, Miss Libby, mighty fine.” He held up his folder. “I took the liberty of coming out to bring you the first draft of your will.”

  “I’d forgotten about it.” It was the last thing she wanted to worry about right now, but the man had gone out of his way, so she smiled to hide her disinterest.

  “A good attorney never forgets a client’s needs,” Horace said.

  They went up the steps to the porch. “If you wa
nt to have a seat on the swing, I’ll bring out the tea,” Pearl said. “That way you can talk in private. We have a lot of visitors at the moment.”

  Horace settled on the chair with the cushions. Libby took the swing and tucked her feet under her. They ached from walking. Would Alec come after her? Maybe she should have waited around to talk to him. She was still hurt, but maybe Pearl was right, and Tom was trying to wreck their relationship before it had a chance to start.

  “Miss Libby?”

  With a start, she realized Horace was speaking to her. “Sorry, what was that?”

  He tapped the paper he’d slid toward her on the table. “You want to read over this will?”

  She took the paper and began to skim it, though the chore was the last thing she wanted to do. When she got to the part about her beneficiaries, she stopped. “I want to leave half the money to Vanessa.”

  “And the historic preservation foundation?”

  “The other half.” She glanced at him. “What happens if I die before this is executed?”

  “The laws of the state will prevail. In this case, your next of kin would inherit. That would be Brent and Vanessa.”

  So Brent would have had motive for drowning her the other night. But was it motive enough to believe that he would hurt her? She hated to think her own brother could be so cold and calculating.

  She slid the will back to Horace. “How long before this is ready?”

  He pursed his lips. “Just a few days. My secretary is on vacation, and I’m quite hopeless with a computer. As soon as she gets back, I’ll have her amend this and draw up the final papers. Is there anything else you’d like to add?”

  She toyed with the idea of leaving Alec something. After her near drowning the other day, she’d been thinking about death. No one knew when their time would come. But it was too soon to think that something permanent might develop between her and Alec.

  She shook her head. “I think that’s it. Thanks for getting to this so quickly. I’d like to wrap it up as soon as possible.”

  “We’ll do that, Miss Libby.”

  Her aunt bustled through the door with a tray. “Here we go, Horace. I took the liberty of bringing you some cookies as well.”

  Libby saw Alec’s truck kicking up dust behind it on the road. Her pulse jumped, and she rose to excuse herself from Horace.

  Alec waved to Horace as he drove off. Libby vanished inside the house as he started up the porch steps. Clenching his jaw, he followed.

  Pearl saw him and pointed. “She went into the greenhouse.”

  He thanked her and went down the hall to the back of the house. Ray had built the greenhouse for Tina twenty years ago. When she was alive, she grew orchids. They still bloomed in the large, sunny space, though Delilah didn’t have the green thumb that Tina had possessed.

  “Hey, Libby,” he began.

  She was standing in front of a particularly beautiful white orchid. She didn’t turn when he spoke.

  “Look, don’t freeze me out, okay? Turn around and talk to me.”

  “There’s nothing much to say,” she said, still bending over the flower.

  “Tom was out of line.”

  “Was he? It seems he asked you to keep an eye on me. Or is that not true?” She finally turned and stared at him, her hands behind her back. “Did you suspect that I killed Nicole?”

  He didn’t want to answer that, but with her somber gaze on him, he couldn’t lie. “I had to consider the possibility.”

  “Is that the real reason you asked Earl to do an article? So he’d dig and find out what you couldn’t ask?”

  “I wanted to find Nicole. At the time that’s all I was thinking about.”

  “So you agreed to stay close to me and see if I was a murderer?”

  “Yes. But I quickly realized you would never hurt anyone.”

  “I thought we were friends,” she said, her voice soft. “I thought you were my only true ally here in town. Now I find out that you were just helping out your cousin. And that hurts.”

  “We are friends.” It was much too soon to tell her that he was developing feelings for her that were stronger than friendship. “Please don’t let what Tom said derail our friendship.”

  The hurt in her eyes didn’t lessen, but she nodded. “I’ll try. I’d like to talk about Tina. Do you have any idea what might have happened to her? Did she have any enemies?”

  He’d been trying not to think about her. “It’s a puzzle. She was as well liked as your father. He was devastated when she died. Walked the beach for weeks hoping to find her.”

  “If we figure out who killed her, it may lead us to who kidnapped Nicole. I think it’s very possible she found Tina’s remains.”

  “I agree. The first thing we might do is talk to Pearl. She knows more about the town than anyone. And she knew Tina better than anyone else except Brent and Vanessa. I suppose we’d better tell them too.”

  “It’s going to be a hard day for Vanessa. First she finds out how our father lied to her, then she discovers the woman she thought was her mother was murdered.”

  “You sound sympathetic.”

  “Of course I am. She’s my sister. I’m going to work hard to build a relationship with her.”

  Pearl stood in the doorway with a tray in her hands. “Anyone want coffee and cookies?”

  Her eyes were bright and curious. She was probably dying to know what was going on. “I’ll take some,” Alec said. “We need to talk to you anyway.”

  Pearl set the tray on the table. “Libby, I hope you accepted his apology.”

  “I did,” Libby said.

  He should have known that Pearl would sniff out any news. “Did Libby tell you we found Tina’s remains?”

  Pearl’s smile vanished. “Tina Mitchell?”

  Alec nodded. “There’s a cellar at the lighthouse ruins. The storm surge revealed it. She was there.” He explained how they’d found the cellar and the other entrance.

  Pearl was pale. “So you’re thinking Nicole was killed because she found Tina?”

  Libby nodded. “Alec says you knew her better than anyone, except maybe the kids. Did she have any enemies? Did she seem worried in the weeks before she died?”

  The chair groaned when Pearl settled into it. She frowned as she took a sip of her beverage, which was more cream than coffee. “I told Tom that something was wrong back when she came up missing. He dismissed me. So I was right.”

  Alec frowned. “What do you mean? What did you see?”

  “She was withdrawn, sad. I thought maybe she was suffering from depression and spoke to Ray about it.”

  “Had he noticed?” Alec asked.

  Pearl shook her head. “He’d been gone on a trip. I called him while he was in California. He said she’d been quiet on the phone, but he assumed it was because she was tired from taking care of things while he was gone. He promised to talk to her about it when he got home. He arrived on an afternoon. She went missing that evening.”

  “So he didn’t talk to her about it?”

  “I didn’t want to bring it up. I was afraid she . . .”

  “Drowned herself?” Libby asked. She clasped her arms around herself as if she were cold.

  Pearl shivered. “Exactly. I didn’t want Ray to blame himself if that’s what happened.”

  Alec tried to remember that time when they were all searching for Tina. “Did you see her with anyone during that time?”

  Pearl looked away. “Some rich investor from New York named Lawrence Rooney. He’d come to see Ray but spoke to Tina. He hung around a few days.” Her tone was careful.

  “What did he want?” Libby asked.

  Pearl pressed her lips together. “Tina never said.”

  “And that upset you because she usually told you everything?” Libby guessed.

  “I didn’t want to think she would be interested in another man.” Her chin jutted. “I still don’t think Tina was interested in him.”

  “Maybe I’ll see what I can f
ind out about the guy. There might be a link.” This long after Tina disappeared, he feared there would be little evidence left. “Maybe.”

  Pearl rose. “You realize we need to tell Brent and Vanessa?”

  “I know,” Libby said.

  Pearl sighed. “What a terrible day. I’ll send them down to speak with you.” She hurried away as if she couldn’t wait to leave them behind.

  Alec’s gut tightened. From Libby’s tight expression, he knew she was dreading it too.

  THIRTY-FIVE

  Vanessa’s eyes were red as though she’d been crying. “What’s going on?” she asked when she came into the greenhouse, glancing at Alec, then over to Libby.

  Vanessa was wearing her father’s necklace. Libby hoped it would help her sister through this. “Have a seat.”

  Brent slouched in with his hands in his pockets. He sank into a white wicker chair by a large geranium. “More drama?” he asked in a bored tone.

  Libby pressed her lips together. “There’s something you need to know, and we didn’t want you to hear this from anyone else. And your perspectives may help Tom’s investigation as well.”

  Vanessa straightened where she sat on the wicker sofa. “What’s wrong? You’re all so serious.”

  “There’s news about Tina, Vanessa,” Libby said.

  Vanessa frowned and glanced at her brother. “I don’t understand. She’s been gone for three years. Why are we talking about her now?”

  Libby wished she didn’t have to tell them. “Yes, yes, I know. But her remains were found today.”

  Vanessa’s eyes grew wide. Brent inhaled sharply. Libby tried to put herself in her siblings’ shoes. No matter how much they distrusted her, they were bound by blood. She needed to help them through this if she could. They were all grieving something.

  “Where was she found?” Brent asked.

  Libby reached toward him, then dropped her hand. “Out at the lighthouse ruins. In the cellar.”

  Brent frowned. “There’s no cellar.”

  “It’s been hidden all this time. The storm surge knocked debris out of the way. But there’s another way in.” Libby glanced at Alec. “Would you explain, Alec?”