They were nearing the city limits of Palm Beach when Kim dropped a bombshell that Megan didn’t expect.
“You realize Detective Carson is from this area, don’t you," she asked.
“Sheriff Green said he was from the south, but I don’t think he got the chance to give us any more details than that. Between his knee injury and the murder, I’ve barely even had time to check in on him and see how he’s coping.”
“Adele was the one that told me.”
“Adele?”
“Yeah, I was surprised too. It seems she knows the detective well. There is a history between the two of them, but she wouldn’t go into detail. I almost had the sense Adele is holding something over his head.’
Megan took her eyes off the road long enough to shoot Kim a look of surprise.
“You can’t mean some form of blackmail—not Adele.”
“Of course, not. I just think she knows some personal stuff about the man. Things that he would rather keep to himself. Maybe that’s why she didn't chime in and tell everyone she knew him before this whole mess started.”
“That sounds like Adele. She probably figures that Detective Carson will tell us about himself when he’s ready. Or maybe he won’t. Don’t forget, he’s only filling in for the Sheriff until he is ready to come back to work.” Megan broke off and pointed to the upcoming exist ramp. “Is this the exit to Gwendolyn's, or is it the next one?”
The two women concentrated on driving through the heavy downtown traffic as they made their way east to Palm Beach Island and Gwendolyn’s home. Megan found herself getting tense thanks to the heavy traffic, she wasn’t used to driving in it. On the other hand, Kim seemed to revel in it. Her smile was genuine as she took in the large corporate office buildings, trendy restaurants, and shopping areas they drove by. It was plain to see that she was made for city life.
They crossed over the Flagler Bridge, and it was like they had entered another town. Tall Royal Palms lined the roadway and the lawns on either side of the street were immaculate. There wasn’t a blade of grass out of place. The flowers were in bloom and welcomed visitors with their bright colors and intoxicating fragrances. The shops and restaurants were small, but elegant and the ambiance of the town was clear: money and taste.
Megan drove until the road ended at the ocean. Then she turned left towards the private estates that whispered of old money and blue blood. When she pulled into Gwendolyn’s driveway, Daniel was right there to park her car and unload the suitcases for them. He instructed the two girls to head to the pool terrace, just like their first visit, and smiled when Megan thanked him.
“I feel like I should tip him,” whispered Kim as they walked away. Megan nodded her head in agreement.
They found their way to the pool and found Adele and Gwendolyn there too. Megan sank into the plush wicker peacock chair and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the garden. A loud squawk had her sitting upright in shock and she looked over to her hostess.
“Is that a peacock I hear?”
“Yes, they roam freely here, much to the dismay of my neighbors. They keep trying to get rid of the birds, but they keep coming back. The tourist love to see them walking in the park next door, so the town council hasn’t pushed too hard for their removal. You’ll get used to them in no time at all.”
As if to prove her right, one of the beautiful birds flew to the top of the wall dividing Gwendolyn’s estate from the private park that adjoined her property. The park was a beautiful oasis with the trees formed a canopy overhead giving welcoming shade to those walking the pathways. Exotic plants and flowers were integrated throughout the park, and those lucky enough to have their property bordering the park had private access through a beautiful old Spanish gate.
The peacock cried out again, and he was joined by his mate. They walked the top of the wall as if they were aware they had an audience. Then, as bold as can be, the first on jumped down and wandered Gwendolyn's lawn. After a moment’s hesitation, the second one joined her mate and they women watched in delight as they both fanned their magnificent fan of feathers.
It didn’t take long for Gwendolyn and Adele to grow bored watching the birds; they were used to seeing them. Turning to the newcomers, Adele asked if Aiden had discovered any new information about James and his team.
Megan reached out for the icy cold glass of lemonade sitting in front of her before she answered.
"When I talked to him this morning before we left, he sounded positive they were on the right track. All the evidence was pointing to James being the leader of this blackmail game, but it didn't seem to extend any further than that within his own company." Taking a deep drink of her lemonade she sighed with pleasure and then continued. "He's just getting so frustrated. Every time he thinks he's moving forward, Detective Carson comes in with another item he’s convinced points to the Colonel. Then Aiden's gotta spend time showing where that piece of evidence could have other possibilities. I've never seen somebody so determined to convict someone of a crime they didn't commit. I don't know if he seriously thinks the colonel is guilty, or it's just the easiest conclusion."
"It's crazy! My grandfather's been called down to the police headquarters to answer questions too many times to count. Plus, we are constantly seeing either Detective Carson or Deputy Young following us. Thank goodness Deputy Young is on our side." Kim joined in the conversation, confirming Megan's statement.
Adele was shaking her head, worried for the Colonel. She had been hearing from Charlotte how the man was almost being stalked, his every move being watched and how uncomfortable it was making him feel. The man's reputation alone should reassure Detective Carson that he wasn’t a murderer. All the time that the police were spending following the Colonel around, they could solve this murder and put the killer behind bars.
The women from Citrus Beach shook their heads. Megan mentioned that she'd been keeping in touch with Sheriff Green and he seemed as perplexed as they were about his replacement’s attitude.
"I'm sure that this will all be solved this weekend. With Megan at the helm of our investigation, we will catch James in the act and put him away for a long time." Gwendolyn held her glass up and the others clicked their own glasses on it in a toast to a successful weekend.
But Megan hesitated. Gwendolyn was right- it would be great to catch a blackmailer, giving his victims peace of mind. But there was a more serious crime that needed to be answered for: the killing of Lisa Fox. Yes, putting an end to the blackmailing was important, and James would go to prison for a long time, but it wouldn't be justice for the dead girl. And that was something Megan wanted to give her.
They spent the rest of the afternoon going over the final details for the launch party. It was around 3:00 when Kim got a phone call requesting her to come in for an interview with the Palm Beach branch of the Miami Herald. Agreeing to the interview, she set it up for 4:15 that afternoon. After she hung up the phone, Kim looked around at the others and tried to contain her enthusiasm, but they could see how excited she was.
"That's wonderful news, Kim. Why don't I drive you to the office? I know the ins-and-outs of these streets and can get you there quicker than you driving yourself. You don't want to be late and it would be easy to get turned around on all the one-way streets down here."
Kim thanked Adele, and in a matter of moments the two women were walking out the door. Megan was happy for the younger woman and hoped it worked out for her. She realized the Colonel would miss his granddaughter, but Kim had been waiting for an opportunity like this for years.
It wasn't too long after the other women had left that Gwendolyn received a phone call from her publisher. Excusing herself, she went into her writing suite to take care of business. When she finished, and came out to join Megan, she was grinning with excitement.
"Megan, this actually will be a launch party. My publisher has decided that this is an excellent opportunity for some extra publicity and intrigue. As soon as we have nailed James to the wall, we will
bring out the real book and announce its publication date. This is so exciting, I’ve never had a book launch like this. I feel just like one of the detectives in my stories."
Megan smiled in return, she had a feeling the savvy businesswoman would turn this to her advantage. There was nothing wrong with that if their objective was covered and James was arrested.
Since they had no idea how long Kim’s interview would be they had all agreed to meet the next morning. Gwendolyn announced that she would do no cooking that night, and it was just going to be a casual evening to relax. She pulled out a few takeout menus and she and Megan sorted through them before deciding on Chinese takeout. Using the intercom, Gwendolyn called for Daniel and in moments he was there, ready to pick up their meal.
They ate dinner, enjoying the sounds of a waterfall and the occasional cry of a peacock as the birds settled down for the evening. Megan had always longed for an evening to talk to her favorite author and here it was. She took full advantage of it. Gwendolyn graciously answered her questions, and they even talked about a few of the writer’s upcoming plans for a new series.
The evening passed pleasantly with good conversation, a fine bottle of wine, and the knowledge they had formed a new friendship.
They had moved inside after being chased by mosquitoes. They were just trying to decide on a movie to watch for the evening when the phone rang. Gwendolyn looked at the caller ID and saw it was from an unlisted number. She raised her eyebrows as she looked over at Megan.
"Do you think this might be the blackmailers?"
"It's a good possibility, Gwendolyn. Remember you should act surprised and don't push them for too much information. Let them call the shots for the time being. Make sure you act concerned, and stress how important it is that that book doesn't get released. Give them the power for the moment."
Megan's hand had shot out to stop Gwendolyn from picking up the phone as she issued her instructions. They had gone over this several times with Aiden, and Megan knew how important it was to follow his directions.
The author incline her head to show that she understood and taking a deep breath she picked up the phone, pushed the speaker button and said hello.
“Gwendolyn Johnson, the writer?”
“Yes, who is calling please?”
“Let’s not worry about names – just call me an Information Broker.”
“I’m not sure I understand. What is this call about? Maybe you should talk to my publisher—”
The voice on the other end of the line was disguised, and male. He cut Gwendolyn off before she could continue.
“You’re the one I want. And you will not want me to talk to anyone else when you hear what I have to say. Shut up and listen carefully.”
The man was so calm, almost congenial. He paused for effect and then read a passage of the writer’s manuscript. Even though she was expecting it, hearing her words, stolen from her book, was a shock to Gwendolyn. There was a moment of silence when the caller finished reading as though he was letting her own words sink in. Then the threat and demands came.
“I believe this is from the book you are planning on launching Wednesday night. Now if this book was to get out before your launch, it would ruin your potential sales and cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars, am I right? After all, why would your readers pay for your next book when they could, say for instance, read it for free off the Internet?”
“My God, what do you want? How did you get that?” the distress in her voice was genuine.
The laugh that came over the phone was cruel. The blackmailer was good at this and enjoyed the trauma he brought into his victims’ lives.
“What I want is the same thing you do, dear Gwendolyn. I want you to have a successful book launch and make it to the top of the bestsellers list,” he waited for that to sink in and then continued.
“I can make that happen for you. The book is good, excellent really, but in order for your readers to get their own copy, you will have to use that advance money you received. That money will be an insurance policy – your first premium – to protect your work from being pirated.”
Gwendolyn looked to Megan for assurance. The younger woman gave her a thumbs-up and made a motion with her hands for the other to drag out the conversation. With a deep breath, she went into her prima Dona act.
“Do you have any idea how much money an advance like this is? I don’t have that kind of money just lying around. Besides, what guarantee do I have that you will hold up your end of the bargain?”
“I know exactly how much your advance was. By the way, you should file important papers away in a safe place, not leave them out on your desk," he gave a bark of laughter.
“You were in my house! How dare you?”
“Yes, I’ve been in your home, your office, and even your bedroom. So, needless to say, you have no secrets from me. Just be happy I’m only interested in the book. You have until the night of the book launch. If I do not have the money, then your book will be released much faster than your publisher is planning. Do you understand me?”
“Yes.” Even to Megan, Gwendolyn’s answer sounded meek.
“No cops, no private investigators. Just raise that money. I will contact you before Wednesday with further instructions.”
The sound of the line going dead and then the endless hum of the disconnected line came over the speaker phone as the two women looked at each other.
Chapter 21
It was clear to Megan that Gwendolyn was tense beyond words. She got up and poured the writer a glass of wine from the bottle they had been enjoying.
“Here, it looks like you could use this.”
Without a word, Gwendolyn took the glass and downed the drink in one long swallow. Megan took the phone from her hands and put it back where it belonged, and pushed the other woman back over to the couch.
“Gwendolyn, are you all right?” Megan asked with real concern.
The writer was still a little dazed, but another glass of wine seemed to bring her back out of it. She looked at Megan, with such a sad looked that Megan swallowed hard, the look was like watching your best friend take a blow.
"Those were my words, Megan. He stole a piece of me. Even though I know it’s a set-up, I'm ready to get up and walk to my safe and give him all my money. I understand now how someone can fall victim to a blackmailer. I always thought it would be a weak person, only to find out it can be anybody that has something dear to them taken away or threatened."
There was a moment of silence between the two women as they each thought of the other victims. Then Gwendolyn sat a little straighter, and her shoulders went back in a combative mode. She put the glass down, the remnants of wine swirling against the sides of the glass with the force of her movement. Megan was astonished that the fine crystal didn’t break.
"Nobody threatens me and gets away with it. We will get him Megan, not only for the blackmail but also for the killing of that poor young woman. I don't know if she was part of the blackmail gang or not. But I choose to believe she was trying to get away from it all and bring to light the damage that James was doing."
Megan smiled at the turnaround in the woman's appearance. She had gone from shaken to a warrior woman in a matter of seconds. Megan was glad Gwendolyn was on their side; the older woman was a force to be reckoned with when she became riled
"We'll get him, don't you worry about that. He’s taken the bait and we need to let everything play out. Right now, he thinks he's got the upper hand and it’s important that he continues to think that way. If he has any sense that something is going wrong, he’ll walk away from this. That's why it's so important that you play your part Gwendolyn. You can't let on that we’re aware it's James who is the blackmailer. You still have to have day-to-day contact with him about the party; if he thinks for a moment that there's a set-up, there goes our chance to get him."
"Either way, it still is a party, Megan. It's just not going to have the results he is expecting." When Gwendolyn laughed,
Megan could hear a touch of maliciousness. That's when she realized Gwendolyn could hold her own and pull off their plan.
"Aiden has had an agent in here searching for any hidden microphones or cameras, but we have no idea if James is monitoring your publisher. So, it might be a good idea for you to call them. While you're doing that, I'm going to call Aiden and tell him about the newest development." The two women got up and impulsively Gwendolyn hugged Megan. There were no words, only the hug, but Megan understood.
The women made their respective phone calls, and after they met again in the living room, they made a concerted effort to talk about anything but the blackmail. They were both on edge and soon gave up pretenses of a normal evening. Megan apologized to her host and said she would make an early night. The other woman felt the same way. After making sure her guest had everything she needed, Gwendolyn said good night and walked into her writing suite, closing the door behind her. Megan stared at the closed doors, wondering if the writer was sitting at her desk plotting out a new story, or staring off into space contemplating all that had happened. Knowing Gwendolyn, the little she did, Megan was sure the author was writing down all that had happened and how she felt about it. After all it was great material for a future book.
Chapter 22
Saturday
Megan was awoken the next morning by a loud cry from the peacocks that were strutting openly on Gwendolyn's lawn. With one eye opened, she gave a little groan and understood why others in the neighborhood wanted the peacocks removed. Their cry was loud and ugly. Not the sweet twittering of Cardinals or Blue Jays she was used to back home.
Another cry from the birds below convinced Megan that there was no going back to sleep. Grumpily, she pushed back the covers and made her way to the guest bathroom where she could take a shower and get ready for the day. As the warm water revived her, she went over the tasks she had ahead of her for the day. One of the hardest one would be to meet James face to face and not let him guess they knew of anything. And they wouldn't have much time to prepare, he was due to be at the house within the hour. When Megan got out of the shower, she was pleasantly surprised to find a tray placed on the small table by the window. The rich scent of coffee and the sweet smell of cinnamon greeted her. With a smile, Megan thought to herself that this was a luxury she could get used to, maybe she ought to talk to Aiden about it. She wondered what he would think about serving her breakfast every morning.
The Flapper Caper Page 13
