“I’ve got my fingers crossed.” Abby shot a quick glance over her shoulder. “I’d better go check on her. We don’t need a relapse.”
Rick said goodbye to Abby, then returned to the living room. Ken was sitting forward on an overstuffed recliner covered in a material that had faded long ago. Adam sat on a matching couch. There were several family photographs on the end table next to the recliner—each captured Ken and Abby with Maxie at a different age. It appeared the earlier friction was gone, so Rick took a seat on the opposite end of the couch and listened as Ken described his activities before the party.
“I went in at about two on Friday. Normally, I’m there for lunch, but that day I got hung up here because of Maxie.”
“And you were at work until what time?” Deputy Cunningham asked.
“I was there from ten after two until after midnight. The last customers didn’t leave until almost eleven—some tourists who were wanting to party. It took another hour to finish the cleanup and after that I came home and fell asleep.”
“Were you working alone?” Deputy Cunningham craned his neck forward and kept his pen poised over his notepad.
“Practically. My busboy stuck around. He was the only one.”
“Don’t you usually have more help for closing?” Rick asked.
“I try to make sure there are three, but Carol was scheduled for that night and she had to leave because her youngest came down with the flu, too.”
“It’s going around. Thank goodness Alex hasn’t caught it. When did you receive the sweater from Thorne?”
“Friday,” Ken grumbled. “When I saw Dennis and Laurel wearing the same thing Saturday night, I knew something was up.”
“Like?”
Ken let out a long slow breath and muttered, “I have no idea. We all got the sweaters with the same note. They were delivered by San Ladron Local Delivery.”
Rick and Deputy Cunningham exchanged a quick glance. At last, something new.
“Did you compare notes or something?” Rick asked.
“We talked about it at the party.” Ken shrugged. “No harm in that, right?”
“Do you still have the note?” Deputy Cunningham asked.
“It’s in the recycling. I threw it out this morning. You want me to get it?”
“Please.”
While they waited, Rick relayed what Abby had told him, then added, “Adam, you’re looking exhausted. Hang in there. We’ll get through this.”
“I know, but will the town?”
CHAPTER 24
RICK
Ken returned to the room with Abby about two steps behind. She had her arms crossed and there was a visible tightness to her features as she stood at Ken’s side. “You didn’t tell me Kenny might be…what do you call them? A person of interest?”
“Calm down, both of you,” Deputy Cunningham said. “Right now we’re only trying to sort out all the facts. We believe there’s a connection between these sweaters and Thorne’s death, but we need more information before we start drawing conclusions about who did what.”
“Abby says I shouldn’t give you this.” Ken shot a sideways glance at his wife, then handed the paper to Deputy Cunningham. “If you don’t get it from me you’ll get it from somebody else.”
Ken sat in the same chair he’d been in before while Abby continued to stand. Her fingers trembled as she rested her hand on his shoulder. When Deputy Cunningham finished reading, he handed the note to Rick, but didn’t say a word.
A Christmas elf has intervened,
And changed my course, which did careen.
Out of control to ruin lives,
And for this, I apologize.
I hope you'll wear this sweater to the Christmas party
as a sign of goodwill so very hearty.
Thorne
When Rick finished reading, he handed the note back and regarded Ken. “You said before that you talked about the sweaters with Dennis and Laurel.”
Ken nodded. “That’s when I really knew something was fishy.”
Abby gave her husband’s shoulder a squeeze. “Kenny, maybe you should talk to Jordan before you say anything else.”
“There’s no need to make this complicated,” Deputy Cunningham said. “We’re only gathering information about the sweaters. Before, you told us it was San Ladron Local Delivery who made the delivery. What time did you receive yours?”
“It was…um…right after ten. Abby was just walking out the door. She had a doctor’s appointment at ten-thirty, and she likes to get there a few minutes early. I was on the phone with the restaurant when the guy showed up.”
“I had to go to the market after the doctor,” Abby added reluctantly. “We were low on a few things.”
Deputy Cunningham nodded agreeably as he made a note. A moment later, he cleared his throat and said, “Abby told Rick you were being threatened by Thorne. Is that right?”
“Kenny…”
“He wanted to buy me out,” Ken snapped. “You’ve heard about Exploration International’s plan to build that glass monstrosity. We don’t need a museum complex replacing our downtown. But Thorne said all he needed was one person to sell, then the dominoes would fall. He wanted to buy up the buildings one-by-one. So far, we were all hanging together.”
“I thought the museum scheme died when it was exposed,” Rick said. “Once it was in the open, they lost all their leverage. Nobody wants such a massive change.”
“Exposing it only caused Thorne and Reese Potok to regroup. They decided to come at it from another direction.”
“And that direction was…?”
“Laurel and Dennis call it a blend of divide-and-conquer and scorched earth. Apparently Thorne took it upon himself to identify a few people he considered especially vulnerable to pressure tactics.”
“Such as?” Rick asked.
“Get out while the getting’s good.”
Rick clasped his hands to keep from balling them into fists. Through clenched teeth, he said, “Are you sure Reese was in on this?”
“Sure? No. But that’s the consensus. Those two were in league, and they both stood to profit immensely if they finally won.”
“Assuming they can find the San Manuel, and assuming there really is treasure onboard,” Rick said.
“Don’t kid yourself. That Spanish galleon has just been sitting there on the bottom of the ocean for four hundred years waiting for somebody to find it.”
“I know, but…”
Ken rubbed the back of his neck. “It could be worth billions. And I don’t think they’d be putting out all this money if they weren’t very sure they were going to profit. There are enough other wrecks in the world they could plunder without so much trouble.”
“He’s right, Rick.” Deputy Cunningham shook his head. “No matter how much we want our town to not change because of this, it’s already happened. Seaside Cove isn’t the same as it used to be. So, Ken, what did Thorne have on you?”
“Kenny!” Abby shook her head and glared at her husband. “Please. Do not do this without talking to Jordan first. Your daughter’s future could be at stake.”
Though Rick desperately wanted to know the answer to Adam’s question, he had to agree with Abby. If the situation were reversed and he were the one being questioned, he hoped he’d have the sense to talk to his attorney first. “She’s right,” Rick said quietly.
Ken’s complexion paled as he stroked his throat with one hand. He swallowed hard, gazed up at his wife, and nodded. “I’m sorry, Adam. I need to talk to Jordan Lane before I answer.”
The deputy regarded Ken for a moment and sighed. “That’s probably your best move. We’ll arrange a time to finish this when he can be present.” He stood and took a deep breath. “Thank you both for your time.”
Abby went to the front door and twisted the handle, but stopped before she opened it. She faced Ken. “Did you tell them about the woman?”
Ken shook his head, then turned to Deputy Cunningham. “Abby’s
right. Look, if you guys want to find out who the last person was to see Thorne, you should be looking for the redhead he was with on Friday night. How he ever got a date with a woman like that, I’ll never know.” Ken rolled his eyes and chuckled. “She was a knockout. Maybe they went back to his office. Could be she found out what he was really like. I wouldn’t blame her for killing him.”
Lots of conjecture, thought Rick. What they needed were facts. He kept his voice level as he asked, “Other than red hair, what did this woman look like?”
“I never got a close look, but she was very hot. Dressed like she was going to a Hollywood nightclub. Thorne wanted one of the tables in the back corner. They were kind of secretive. Each time one of the staff got near them, they clammed up.”
“And nobody knows who this mystery woman was?” Rick asked.
“Nope. And believe me, I had to tell my staff to get back to work more than once when they were standing around comparing notes. Of course, the other locals were asking questions, too, so it was quite the beehive.”
“Who was there?”
Ken shook his head. “I can’t remember right now, but I can get you a list. I’ll talk to the staff when I go in.”
“Good enough,” Deputy Cunningham said. “We’ll let you two get back to what’s left of your morning.”
Rick and Deputy Cunningham crossed the expansive lawn in front of the Grayson’s home. As they stood on the sidewalk in front of the deputy’s 4x4, Deputy Cunningham looked back at the house and his brow wrinkled.
“You know, I love this town and the people. Small town living. You can’t beat it, but there are times I wonder why I stick with this job.”
“It’s to help people like Ken. I wonder if he understands the gravity of the situation he’s in,” Rick said.
“Doesn’t feel much like I’m helping anybody right now.”
“Look, Adam, you’re like me. You want the truth. So we keep digging.” Rick winked and added, “As Alex would say, it really sucks when it starts affecting people you know.”
“Smart kid. Okay, what have we got?”
Other than not much? Rick bit his lower lip and stared at the sidewalk for a moment. “We fell short of getting anything of any substance. I’m guessing Ken was being pressured and had motive to get rid of Thorne.”
“We’ll need to confirm his alibi with his staff, but what I’d really like to know is who this mystery woman is.”
“Me too, Adam. By the way, Abby told me she was asleep when Ken got home.”
“Then Ken better hope Thorne was killed earlier in the evening. I’d also like to know exactly who else got those sweaters.”
“Maybe we could find out something from Dennis. He sounded pretty hot under the collar at the party.”
Deputy Cunningham seemed to ponder Rick’s suggestion, then said, “Let’s see just how mad he was.”
They drove to Dennis’s shop, Ocean Surf. Adam parked in a space between an old burgundy Buick and a tan SUV. A gust of wind blew in off the ocean, sending a chill into Rick’s spine. Both men hurried to the front door.
Dennis was on the phone when they walked in, but ended the call abruptly when he saw them. The three men exchanged pleasantries, then Dennis asked if this was an official visit.
“If you mean, does this have something to do with Thorne’s death, yes, it does.” Deputy Cunningham pulled out his notepad and flipped back a couple of pages. He read the text of the note Ken had received, then asked if Dennis had received the same one.
“Yes. It was all very weird.”
“From what I’ve heard, those of you who received the sweaters were upset because you felt you’d been tricked. Is that accurate?”
Dennis shrugged. “Thorne had a way of rubbing people the wrong way.”
“True, but someone was apparently upset enough to commit murder. Where were you Friday night?”
“Working on inventory.”
“Excuse me?” Rick asked.
“You heard me,” Dennis said brusquely. “I was working on inventory until around ten-thirty, then I went home.”
Who was Dennis kidding? Inventory on a Friday night? Rick expected Deputy Cunningham to say something, but he seemed unconcerned.
“So you were alone?” Deputy Cunningham asked.
“Yes. Marianne had to be up at four the next morning, so she was with Olivia. Is there anything else? I’m not sure I should be saying anything without an attorney present.”
“Calm down, Dennis. Nobody’s making accusations. We’re just trying to figure out where people were. I only have a couple more questions. Other than Ken and Laurel, do you know who else received a sweater?”
“How would I know that?”
“I thought maybe you’d heard something,” the deputy said.
“No.”
“Okay. Do you know why Thorne sent you one of the sweaters?”
“I assume it was for the same reason he sent one to Laurel and Ken. He’d targeted us as the most likely to sell our businesses to him. I have no idea why he thought I would sell. It wasn’t going to happen. We all agreed on Saturday night that none of us would give in.”
Deputy Cunningham raised one eyebrow, then made another note. Rick suspected they had the same question. Why hadn’t Ken mentioned this agreement? Rick’s stomach tightened. He didn’t like discrepancies. It could be innocent enough, but it might also mean one of them was lying. Or they both were.
CHAPTER 25
ALEX
Me and Marquetta have been cleaning the Jib room ‘cause one guest left and a new one’s coming in later today. I’m glad this one left ‘cause he was an old guy who smelled really bad. The new people have a reservation for three nights, then someone else will be here through Christmas. I hope none of them smell like the old guy!
When we’re done, Marquetta says we should take a break. That sounds good to me ‘cause I still have questions about Miss Harris. We go downstairs to the kitchen and right when I’m standing at the butler door I look up at the ceiling. It’s the perfect spot to have Mr. Van Horn put up the mistletoe.
I hurry into the kitchen after Marquetta. She’s at the fridge pulling out the milk. “Would you like some hot chocolate, Sweetie? This is one of those gray days that chills me to the bone.”
“Hot chocolate! Yay!”
When we both have our drinks, we sit at the island and I tell her I’ve got questions about Mr. Waldorf’s murder. She just nods like she’s not surprised.
“I told you I’d help. But first, I have a question for you.”
“Okay…”
“I think you might have left out a few things when we talked yesterday. According to your dad, you disappeared for a while at the party. Where were you?”
Oh, man, I didn’t see that coming. And if I don’t answer, Marquetta will shut me down. But we’re in this together now, so she should know what happened. When I’m done telling her what me and Robbie heard, I even confess about having Sasha create a diversion.
“I do admire your resourcefulness, Sweetie. But the fact remains that you should not be spying on people. You’re going to have to tell your dad about this.”
“Am I gonna get grounded?”
“That will be up to him. Will you tell him tonight?”
“Yes.” I am so gonna get in trouble for this. “Can I ask you a question now?”
Marquetta nods.
“What did Miss Harris say when you went outside at the party?”
“That’s difficult. I’m not sure how much I can tell you without violating her trust.” After a few seconds, she says, “When I left the party to talk to Laurel…I had no idea she had reason to hate Thorne.”
“Miss Harris hated Mr. Waldorf?”
“What you’ve told me is that Ken and Dennis had motives to kill Thorne. It’s hard to believe anyone in town would resort to murder, but someone did. So I need to get over that. I’m afraid Laurel may also have had motive.”
“Why would she want to kill Mr. Waldorf?
”
“When I talked to her, she said she saw Thorne having dinner the night before with a redheaded woman. I think she was jealous.”
“No way…she was in love with Mr. Waldorf?” Whoa…that’s like totally impossible. Marquetta tries to smile, but she can’t do it. What Miss Harris told her must be super important. “Was she dating Mr. Waldorf and he dumped her?”
“Something along those lines. When your dad gets home, we’re going to need to tell him about this, too. I didn’t tell him last night at the party, but that was before I knew Laurel might be connected to Thorne somehow. And you, you’ll have to tell him about your plot to investigate.”
“Oh man…”
“Don’t try and wheedle your way out of it either, Alex. If you want my help, you know what you have to do.”
“Okay. I’ll tell him my part—so did Miss Harris say she was gonna kill Mr. Waldorf?”
Marquetta lifts her mug and her jaw puckers up. “Not in those words, Sweetie. She did make threats, and she said she was going to his house.”
December 18
Hey Journal,
I’m not sure what Daddy’s gonna say when I tell him about the party. He never wanted me to be involved in these investigations, but I’m hoping he won’t ground me since me and Marquetta are working together.
The cool news is I can text Mr. Van Horn and tell him to put the mistletoe right outside the butler door. But his timing’s got to be perfect or he’ll get caught.
xoxo
Alex
I’ve never texted Mr. Van Horn before, so I don’t know how often he checks his messages. I should’ve asked him. He said all I had to do was let him know where I wanted the mistletoe and make sure Daddy and Marquetta wouldn’t catch him. I’ve totally got it covered.
—Hey Mr. Van Horn how about this morning? My dad is with Deputy Cunningham and I can keep Marquetta busy in the kitchen. I want to put it just outside the butler door on the dining room side.
Mr. Van Horn probably doesn’t pay attention to his phone. I mean, he’s like older than my dad, so while I’m waiting, I text Robbie and Sasha.
The Killer Christmas Sweater Club Page 9
