by J A Whiting
“Mr. Adams said the sisters had worked at the shop for about a year.” Courtney rolled her eyes. “They must have won the prize for longest employment.”
“Prize or punishment?” Angie pushed her honey colored hair back from her face. “How’d they stand him?”
“Who knows?” Courtney looked at Angie and raised an eyebrow. “Maybe we should ask them.”
Angie nodded. “They’ll be next on our interrogation list.”
The girls got up and walked over to the inn where Mr. Adams manned the front reception desk. When they entered the lobby, Adams was writing a note on a piece of paper. He heard the door open and looked up. Adams was thin, slight, and wiry. He was balding and wore black rimmed glasses. His bushy gray eyebrows tried to hide behind the rims of his glasses, but they stuck up over the tops like unruly bushes growing over a fence. He smiled and greeted Courtney cheerfully. They exchanged pleasantries. Courtney introduced Angie to her former co-worker.
“We’ve been wondering about the murder. No one’s been caught,” Angie told Mr. Adams.
“We’ve been trying to piece together who might have had motive.” Courtney leaned against the registration counter.
Adams snorted. “Half the town of Sweet Cove, that’s who had motive. And that’s probably a gross under-estimation.”
Angie agreed. “He wasn’t popular, that’s for sure.”
“Did you ever notice Finch fighting or arguing with anyone? Ever hear any threats?” Courtney asked Mr. Adams.
Adams grunted. “Naw. Just the usual barking from Finch. Nothing out of the ordinary. Don’t know why I took that job. People warned me.” He waved his hand in the air indicating the lobby. “Working here is like a breath of fresh air. We shouldn’t have to put up with poor treatment from an employer for even one day.”
“Did you notice anything that last evening you worked there?” Angie questioned. “Did Finch leave at his regular time?”
Adams nodded, and then said, “Wait. No, he didn’t. I remember because it was always such a relief when he left for the day. He was lurking around that night. It wasn’t that busy, just a few customers. In fact, he told me I could go home early, he’d close up.”
“He waited on the customers?” Courtney’s eyes widened. “He closed up that night?”
“I know, huh. I thought it was strange, too.” Adams adjusted his glasses.
“Who was in the shop when he told you to leave?” Angie wondered if that might have triggered Finch’s desire to be alone in the shop with someone.
Adams stroked his chin. “Nobody from town. A few tourists. An older couple. Let me think … there was a family with a couple of kids. I remember because Finch didn’t like kids.”
“Why would Finch offer to wait on them?” Courtney’s forehead was scrunched.
Adams’ gray caterpillar eyebrows pinched close together. “Someone else came in right before Finch told me to leave for the night. It was the new manager from the resort.”
“Really?’ Angie asked. “The manager?”
“Did he and Finch speak to each other before you were told to go home?” Courtney lowered her voice.
“I can’t remember. I was busy waiting on the family and the older couple.”
“Did anything else seem off that night?” Courtney asked.
Adams shrugged a shoulder. “Not that I recall. Things seemed normal, except for being told to finish my shift early and go home.”
After a few moments, Courtney thanked Mr. Adams and wished him well in his new job. The girls stepped out into the sunlight.
“Remember Josh told me the manager of the resort has been acting oddly. He disappeared for a whole day without notice,” Angie said. “It’s unusual that Finch told Mr. Adams to go home right after the resort manager came into the store.”
“I wonder if there’s a link.” Courtney fished in her pocket for an elastic band to use to tie her hair into a ponytail. “I wonder if Finch was attacked in the shop that night. I assumed he was killed early the next morning, just before we got there, but that must be wrong.”
“We should ask Chief Martin about that. We should make sure he knows that Mr. Adams went home early that night.” Angie eyed the ice cream stand. She turned to Courtney and they both said at the same time, “Want some ice cream?” They shared a laugh as they went to stand in line.
“I should ask Josh if he knows if the manager was gone from the resort the night of the murder. If the manager left for a while, then maybe Josh knows when he returned to the resort,” Angie said.
“It would be interesting if we could put together a time line,” Courtney noted. “Find out if the manager was gone until after Finch usually closed the shop.”
“Let’s talk to Josh.” Angie ordered their ice creams at the take-out window.
Courtney made a mock sweet face. “I bet you won’t mind that one bit.”
Chapter 14
When Angie and Courtney arrived home from interviewing Mr. Adams, Ellie and Attorney Ford were sitting together at the dining room table. Seeing the attorney, a chill gripped Angie’s stomach.
Ford handed a folder to Ellie and she stood up. She saw her sisters and said, “Oh, you’re back. I just finished going over the papers with Mr. Ford. We can look them over together later tonight.”
Angie, Courtney, and Ford nodded at each other. Angie glanced up at the China cabinet where Euclid and Circe were perched. She wondered what the cats thought of Ford.
Ellie called to Mr. Finch who was in the living room talking with the Foleys about art. “Mr. Finch, Attorney Ford is ready for you.”
Mr. Finch was retaining Attorney Ford to help him with his brother’s estate. Finch rose from the sofa, took hold of his cane, and crossed the foyer. He tipped an imaginary hat to Angie and Courtney as he passed. They smiled at him.
Angie and Courtney headed for Jenna’s shop. They wanted to tell her what they’d heard from Mr. Adams and get her opinion on things. Jenna sat at her desk by the window and looked up when they came in.
“Did you have a visitor this morning? Did someone drop by to have coffee with you?’ Courtney sank onto the sofa and eyed her sister.
Jenna shifted her eyes back to the piece of jewelry she was working on and asked coyly, “Who do you mean?”
Angie took a seat next to Jenna’s desk to get a look at the latest necklace design. “Oooh, it’s pretty. Such beautiful stones.” She glanced at her twin sister. “We saw Tom’s truck turning in here when we were walking down to the beach.”
“He stopped by to say hello.” Jenna kept her focus on the intricate work she was completing, but Angie could see a tinge of pink on her cheeks.
“If you’d stop blushing every time we mention Tom, we’d stop teasing you about him.” Courtney pulled her legs up on the sofa and stretched out. “It’s just too much fun.”
Angie made eye contact with Jenna. “She’s right, you know.”
Jenna groaned. “It’s like living with two middle school kids.”
Angie chuckled.
In order to change the subject, Jenna asked, “What happened with Mr. Adams?”
Courtney reported what Adams had said about dead Finch sending him home early the night of the murder and who was in the shop at the time.
Jenna turned in her seat to better face her sisters. “So, Finch was probably killed that night, not the next morning. It must have happened before he closed up because the door to the candy store was open when you arrived in the morning, but the front lights weren’t on. He probably turned off the lights just as he was leaving and then somebody attacked him.”
Angie nodded. “Seems likely. I wonder if Chief Martin would confirm the time of death to us.”
“Maybe Finch was expecting someone that night and that’s why he sent Mr. Adams home early.” Jenna ran her finger tip over one of the gemstones on her desk. “Or maybe someone came in to the shop that Finch wasn’t expecting and he sent Adams home because of that.”
“I think it’s
because someone came in that he wasn’t expecting,” Courtney said. “Otherwise, why wouldn’t he just tell Mr. Adams ahead of time that he could leave early?”
“Good point.” Angie held the new necklace up to her throat and leaned down to see her reflection in the small mirror Jenna kept on her desk.
Ellie peeked into the room. “Angie, Attorney Ford asked if he could speak to you for a minute.”
Angie whirled towards her sister still holding the jewelry up to her neck. A nervous chill always skittered over her skin whenever she had to face Ford. “Why does he want to talk to me?”
“He didn’t say.” Ellie’s face disappeared from the doorway.
Angie returned the gemstone piece to Jenna’s desk.
“You want me to come with you?” Jenna asked.
Angie let out a sigh. “He’ll just insist it’s a private conversation, which is nonsense, because I will tell you anyway.” She trudged to the door and walked down the hallway.
Ford was standing in the foyer waiting for her. “Ah, Ms. Roseland.” He looked into the living room, but saw the Foleys still sitting in there, so he gestured to the dining room.
Euclid was still on top of the cabinet. He sat up when Angie and Ford entered the dining area.
Euclid’s presence made Angie feel better. “You wanted to talk to me, Mr. Ford?”
“The court proceedings on Professor Linden’s will are moving forward. The estate may well be settled sooner than we thought.”
Angie’s heart skipped a beat with excitement.
Ford said, “Perhaps, things will be settled by the beginning of July.”
“That’s wonderful news.” Angie actually smiled at Ford.
“I’m glad for you.” Ford clasped his hands in front of him.
Angie hesitated, but emboldened by Ford’s almost genial manner, she asked, “I was wondering something.” She paused. “Does client confidentiality continue after the client is dead?”
Ford stood straighter. “Client confidentiality remains intact even when the client is deceased.”
“I see.” Angie’s disappointment was evident on her face.
“What is your question in reference to, Ms. Roseland?”
Angie pushed a strand of her honey hair behind her ear. “It was in reference to what Professor Linden asked you concerning her father shortly before she died.” Angie glanced up at Euclid to gauge his reaction to the conversation. The orange cat sat quietly looking down at them. Angie went on, “And in reference to why you were in this house on the evening after Professor Linden was killed.”
Ford released an almost imperceptible sigh. “I thought the discussion we had about that was sufficient.”
“I don’t think it was.” Angie’s expression hardened.
Ford shook his head. “I have nothing else to add to it.” He moved to the dining table and picked up his briefcase. “Is that all, Ms. Roseland?”
Angie said nothing.
“I’ll be on my way, then.” Ford took three steps towards the front door and stopped. He turned back to Angie and looked at her for several seconds. “I’m on your side, Ms. Roseland.”
When Angie made eye contact with Ford, she was surprised to sense sincerity coming from the man.
Ford started across the foyer to the door. He halted, turned back again, and took several brisk steps until he stood right in front of Angie. He lowered his voice to almost a whisper. “You have questions about Professor Linden’s father.”
Angie nodded.
Ford’s eyes were dark and serious. “Maybe you should do some research on him.” He held Angie’s eyes. “Have a nice day, Ms. Roseland.”
Chapter 15
“The paperwork looks fine to me. And I like the official name.” Angie smiled and handed the folder to Jenna who opened it and started to read the forms. “The Sweet Dreams Bed and Breakfast Inn.”
Courtney and Ellie had already read the paperwork and given their opinions. They carried two kinds of burritos, rice, and salad into the family room and placed the dishes on the coffee table.
Jenna joined them on the sofas. “It all looks in order to me, too.” She handed the folder to Ellie who placed it on the side table.
“Good. That’s taken care of, then. I’ll sign the papers and return them to Attorney Ford.” Ellie handed a plate to Jenna.
They dug into the food and filled their plates. While they munched, Angie told them about her conversation with Ford.
“What could he mean about doing research on the professor’s father?” Jenna asked.
“I have no idea,” Angie said. “But it was clear he was telling me to find out about the man.”
Courtney lifted a forkful of beef burrito to her mouth. “Delicious, Angie.” She chewed and swallowed. “Ford told you he was on your side.”
“Yes.”
Ellie passed the salsa to Angie. “Interesting. Maybe he does have our best interests in mind.”
“I’m still going to be wary of him.” Courtney wiped her chin. “Angie says I think everyone has to prove their innocence.”
Jenna chuckled. “Then you’re in the wrong country. Here we believe people are innocent until proven guilty.”
“That’s fine for the courts, but we need to protect ourselves. It doesn’t hurt to be careful,” Courtney said.
Angie finished the last bite of her veggie burrito. “Do you think Ford was in the house the night the professor died because he really was looking for the most recent will?”
“Maybe he is trying to help you.” Courtney gave small pieces of beef from her burrito to Euclid and Circe. “Let’s look up Professor Linden’s father and see what we can discover about him.”
“I’m surprised Circe is in here with us.” Ellie patted the black cat. “She spends a lot of time skulking around in my office. Sometimes, she just stares at the wall.”
“She stares at the wall?” Angie gave the cat a quizzical look.
“I’m always worried she’s staring at a mouse or something.” Ellie shuddered.
“Which wall?” Jenna asked. “Show us.”
The four of them wandered down the hall to the office. “That wall.” Ellie pointed to the far side of the room.
The girls went in. Courtney tapped lightly against the wall while Angie put her ear against it. Circe jumped up on the desk and meowed.
“Huh,” Angie said. “Maybe we have mice in there. We should watch for any signs of them in the kitchen.”
Circe let out another meow.
Courtney scratched the cat’s ears. “We’ll figure out if we have mice in there, little one. Don’t worry.”
They filed back into the family room to sit and finish their meals.
“We should talk about the murder. I feel like our ideas are going in circles.” Angie put her empty plate on the table.
“Let’s make a list of suspects.” Courtney got up and took a pen and some paper from the desk near the window. She returned to her seat. “There’s Mr. Finch.”
“It’s not Mr. Finch. He didn’t kill his brother.” Jenna shook her head.
“How do you know for sure?” Ellie asked.
Jenna said, “Well, for one thing, the cats like him.”
“True.” Courtney drew a pen line through Finch’s name. “That’s good enough for me. I crossed him off the list.”
“You’re going to cross him off the list on the basis of two cats’ reactions to him?” Ellie asked.
Her three sisters stared at her.
“Oh, okay.” Ellie gave in with a groan.
“Do we have any suspects?” Courtney looked around at her sisters. “No one?”
Angie said, “Well, what about the manager of the resort? He was seen in the candy store the evening Finch was murdered. Josh told me his name is Andrew Flynn. Mr. Adams said that Flynn was in the candy store when Finch told him he didn’t need to finish his shift and that he could go home for the night.”
“And you said that Josh told you that Flynn has been a problem. D
isappearing when he’s supposed to be working,” Jenna said.
“I should talk to Josh. See if he knows if Flynn was supposed to be working the night of the murder.” Angie pulled out her phone and texted Josh to ask about Andrew Flynn.
“Any other suspects?” Courtney asked.
Jenna said, “What about Lindsay, the assistant manager from the Pirate’s Den. She told Angie that dead Finch was really mean to her when she worked for him a couple of years ago. He made nasty comments about her weight and accused her of stealing from the store. Maybe she took revenge on him.”
Angie pondered the possibility. “Good idea. I’d put her on the suspect list.”
Courtney wrote the name on the list and then tapped the pen on the arm of the sofa. “The problem is that no one knew Finch. He was never seen around town, didn’t take part in anything in town. He had no friends, wasn’t married. He worked and went home. That was it.”
Ellie said, “He collected art.”
“Let’s look him up on the internet. See if he belonged to any clubs or organizations.” Jenna pulled out her phone and tapped at it.
“I doubt that dead Finch belonged to anything. He wasn’t sociable at all.” Ellie started to clear away the dinner plates from the coffee table.
“We should talk to the Walsh sisters,” Courtney said.
“Why them?” Ellie asked.
“They worked part time at the candy store. They always worked the same shifts together. They split the paycheck between them. I guess when you’re in your late eighties you get to do what you want.”
Angie laughed. “Dead Finch got two employees for the price of one.”
Courtney nodded. “He needed employees and there aren’t many people around here who were willing to work for him, so he took what he could get.”
“Is that why he hired you?” Jenna teased.
Courtney scowled at her sister.
“I have to tease you when I get the chance. I need to get back at you for all the razzing you dish out over Tom.” Jenna tapped at her phone again. “Nothing comes up on the internet about dead Finch except information on the candy shop and his prizes and awards.”
