Sandie James Mysteries Box Set

by Tessa Kelly

  “I didn’t say she was. I never said Leonie was coming out of Carl’s bungalow, just that she was seen coming from that direction. She would’ve had to pass the bungalows on her way to the hotel, after she trapped Timothy in his cabin and swam to shore wearing his diving gear. The same gear he was going to use for his own escape.”

  I paused, giving everyone the time to absorb this, then continued, “I found the wetsuit stashed in the cave at the other end of the beach, but was struck on the head before I could take it back with me. When I came to, the suit was gone. I doubt it’s gone for good, though. There simply wasn’t enough time to dispose of it permanently. I suspect, if the sheriff orders his people to search the grounds, it can still be recovered.”

  Doug Watkins looked like he was about to object, but the sheriff made a movement of his hand, calling his nephew to order.

  “This’s no time to make protests,” he told him meaningfully. “Our cooperation is required now.”

  Turning to the rest of the room, he added, “Folks, you can rest assured. If there’s anything to be found on these grounds, my men will dig it out.”

  “Have them search the cave, too,” I said. “I think you’ll find the underwater breathing gear buried in the deep part at the center.”

  Sheriff Watkins glanced at his deputy. “You got all that?”

  The other gave a curt nod and left the room.

  Geraldine shook her head, looking troubled. “Sandie, I don’t doubt you believe what you’re saying, and that you found the gear in the cave, but what possible reason could Leonie have to kill Timothy? She was trying to help us solve this crime from the very beginning.”

  “Yes. And she was trying to make us believe it was Majandra who did it,” I said. “That Majandra killed Timothy out of jealousy. Though, I admit, Leonie had a much nobler motive than Majandra ever did. Living in close quarters for months, I suspect she was on to Majandra and Timothy’s plan. She was afraid for Eric and wanted to protect him. Their families had always been close and I believe she’d grown to think of him as a second father, especially after her own father passed away. Isn’t that right?” I looked at Leonie.

  She stared at the floor, sad and silent. Her expression filled me with pity and I was suddenly loath to go on. But the throbbing pain at the back of my head reminded me why I was there. For good or for bad, the truth needed to come out.

  “The night of the accident,” I said, “you snuck onto the boat and hid in your cabin below deck. Once the boat was out to sea, knowing Timothy would be topside, you crept to his cabin and fixed the lock on his door, then lured him down there, making sure he would trap himself inside. Then you put on the wetsuit, got in the water, and unscrewed the drain plug with the screwdriver from the onboard toolbox, ensuring that the boat would start sinking. Those tasks completed, you then swam to shore. You had to wear long clothes the next day to cover the rash from the wetsuit as you have a severe neoprene allergy. That’s the real reason you refused to go diving with the others, am I right? Incidentally, you share this allergy with your father, though I don’t think you realized at the time that it was Eric.”

  I held my breath and waited for the whispers to die down. It was a guess on my part, but I was almost certain of it.

  Leonie and Eric stared at each other in silence, both pale. They seemed to have forgotten about the rest of us.

  “Is it true?” Leonie asked finally.

  Eric didn’t answer, but his lack of denial was confirmation enough.

  Majandra huffed and crossed her legs, throwing her husband an indignant look. “No wonder she looks nothing like a Torres, with those blue eyes and blond hair. How could you not tell me? Now it all makes sense, why you wanted her on the boat with us so bad.”

  Eric turned to her with a look that immediately silenced her.

  “It also makes sense why Eric was so reluctant to declare his innocence when he heard that I suspected him in Timothy’s death,” I said. “From the start, it was obvious that my probing frightened him. But, why? Was it my knowledge about his illness? Unlikely. The only other thing I knew about was that he’d spent half of Friday night in the staff bathroom, as he’s still not completely over his illness. Again, why should my knowing that scare him, unless it had a direct connection to the murder? Once I looked into the staff bathroom myself, the answer became obvious. The window there gives a clear view of the grounds behind the hotel. If Eric was up there during the night, he would’ve seen Leonie coming back. Not from the staff bungalows as Dr. Jennings thought, but from over by the cliffs where she’d left Timothy’s gear. Later, when news of Timothy’s disappearance reached him, Eric realized what it meant. He’s been trying to protect Leonie with his silence, even at the risk of being a suspect himself. Because, that’s what a parent would do.”

  As I finished talking, no one said a word. A heavy silence settled on the room.

  Like a shadow, the deputy appeared in the doorway, made his way over to Watkins, and whispered something in his ear. The other rose from his seat.

  “I was just informed that a set of diving gear was found in the cave Miss James has indicated. Also, a man’s size wetsuit was recovered in the trees behind the staff bungalows.” He turned to Leonie as he took a set of handcuffs from his pocket. “Miss Torres, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent...”

  Chapter 24

  The wedding arch in the center of the lawn overlooked the sunlit ocean, like a doorway to give us a glimpse of the hopeful future ahead. White, gauzy fabric was draped along its sides, interwoven with yellow roses, pale-green hydrangeas, and white orange blossoms.

  Standing in front of the arch with Henry, Geraldine wore a high neck elegant vintage dress with lace sleeves, a bouquet of yellow roses and orange calla lilies in her hands. The faces of the couple glowed with happiness as they exchanged vows.

  It was Monday morning, Geraldine and Henry having refused to get married on the same day as the arrest. After a short deliberation, everyone had agreed that the best thing to do was to rearrange our plans and stay at Sand Reed for one more night. We all needed those few hours of rest, to shake off the doom and gloom of the past three days and get into a more festive mood.

  Needless to say, it was difficult to forget that our party was now four people short. Majandra had been arrested along with Leonie, and if the evidence against her held, she would be facing serious charges. Both were taken away to the sheriff’s office, though they didn’t stay there long. The authorities arrived from mainland in the afternoon to transfer them both to Boston.

  Eric refused to stay behind, and no one blamed him. He set sail soon after the sheriff’s departure, wishing to be back in Boston at the same time as Leonie. He’d also made an appointment with the best lawyer in town, determined to do all he could to make sure his daughter would have the best defense possible. He said nothing about hiring a lawyer for his wife, though. It looked like Majandra was going to have to fend for herself.

  For me, the three of them were already fading, becoming unreal and phantom-like in the morning sun. I had slept fitfully, but woke up refreshed and my head felt nearly whole again. The terrible events of the weekend seemed like a bad dream as I sat next to Liam in the front row, watching my friends exchange vows.

  On my other side, Pat and Nancy looked like they would burst at the seams with excitement. Pat was actually bouncing on her chair. The rest of the guests appeared more composed, until the moment when the minister told Henry to kiss the bride. Dr. Jennings, his eyes red, took out his pocket handkerchief and blew his nose. Luckily, the sound was partially drowned by everyone’s cheers. Marlowe, who had been lying quietly at my legs throughout the ceremony, rose to his feet and began to bark.

  It was a relief to see that the tragedy hadn’t dampened Geraldine and Henry’s spirits. They expressed great compassion toward Eric and a desire to help in any way they could, but neither of them uttered a single word of blame or gave a hint of discontent about their ruined wedding. It see
med, they took it as a matter of course, one of life’s many detours. The good with the bad. Watching their glowing faces made it all the easier to believe in the unreality of the past three days.

  After the vows had been said and the rings exchanged, we were served a sumptuous brunch on the terrace, complete with champagne and the island’s famous honeysuckle wine. That was followed by the couple’s first dance.

  The local band hired for the occasion stopped the upbeat number they were playing, and a man who looked the exact opposite of Andy Williams sang Moon River while Geraldine and Henry swayed slowly to the rhythm on the raised platform on the lawn. Then it was time for the newlyweds to depart for their honeymoon. But not before the catching of the bouquet.

  As we gathered below the platform in a tight semi-circle, Geraldine turned her back to us. Tossed into the air, the bundle of orange and yellow flowers flew in a steep arch over her head, toward the dozen outstretched hands. The next moment, Pat jumped up and down with a squeal.

  “Me! Me! I’m next!”

  Susan glared at her. “You know the bouquet was flying in my direction, and you jumped in front of me. Do you even want to get married?”

  “Well...no. It’s just so pretty.” Pat clutched the bouquet to her chest and sighed. “Nancy’s been snatching desserts from me all weekend, I felt I deserved at least something. But you’re right, I don’t have any wish to get married. Never have, never will. Here you go, dear, you should take it.” To Susan’s outrage, she turned and handed the bouquet to Kathy who reddened to the roots of her hair as she accepted it.

  Susan gave Pat a burning stare and was about to stomp off when Vincent grabbed her hand and towed her onto the dance platform. At the same time, Dr. Huber and Dr. Jennings approached Pat and Nancy and invited them to dance with gallant bows.

  I threw Liam a hopeful glance. Of course, he and Tray were in a deep discussion about rock climbing. From Tray’s other side, Kathy rolled her eyes, grinning. I admired her fortitude, smiling like nothing happened after the fight she’d had with Jeff in the morning. He’d called to renew his threats to take the bakery away.

  On the terrace, Carl and Ashley looked cozy together, holding hands and hardly taking their eyes off each other, now that their relationship was out in the open. Ashley looked almost unrecognizable in heels and a cerulean blue shift dress, her long blond hair in a slick chignon at her nape.

  Two tables away, John sat with a drink, watching the dancers. I made my way over to him.

  “Would you like to dance?”

  He nodded as he got up and escorted me onto the platform where the band had started playing another slow song.

  “I’ve decided,” I told him after a moment. “I’m going to accept your friend’s offer.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He smiled. “What changed your mind?”

  “Just...everything. Timothy’s drowning. Eric’s whole family falling apart like that. Almost getting killed.” I touched the still sore spot on the back of my head, where Leonie’s stone connected with my skull. “I realized life is too short to wait for things to happen the way I think they should. I’d rather not pass on the chances I’m being given now. What do you think?”

  “I think, Rob will be very pleased to hear from you,” he said. “He really did love your book.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, Nancy and Pat were busy feeding Marlowe slices of beef carpaccio from the buffet. Kathy and Tray wandered off toward the drinks buffet, leaving Liam to stand there by himself. He stuck his hands in his pockets and glanced casually in my direction. The slow song ended and the band started an upbeat number.

  “I should get back to my date,” I told John. “Thank you. For everything.”

  “Likewise.” He smiled his reserved smile again.

  Liam grinned as I approached him. “Want to dance?”

  “Sure.”

  Thirty minutes later, fanning ourselves, we came down from the platform to watch Geraldine and Henry depart for the airfield. They skipped the scheduled fireworks, but the honeymoon in London still waited for them.

  As the blue Chrysler dwindled out of sight, Jennifer appeared in front of me with a glass of champagne and fixed me with her hard stare. For a nerve-wracking moment, I wondered if she was going to toss the drink in my face. Then she raised her glass with a stiff smile.

  “Congratulations, Sandie. You saved the day. Again. My uncle was right.” She swallowed as if saying those words was costing her. “As he said, you have a talent.”

  “Thank you, Jennifer. That means a lot.”

  She nodded, her expression trying to be cool and composed but failing, somehow. “I’d like to say I’m sorry for my behavior, but I’d probably do it again, given the circumstances. They’re all I have. Henry and John, my kids...who can’t stand me, apparently. But they’re my family.”

  “And you’re theirs,” I said. “You’ll always be one of the most important people to them. No one could compete with that, even if they wanted to.”

  “That’s right.” She gave me one of those fake smiles that make you wonder why they bothered in the first place. “And don’t you forget it.”

  Without a warning, she spun on her heels and hurried off, head held high, no closer to liking me than at the start of the weekend. I slowly closed my mouth as I stared after her.

  Kathy appeared at my side and put an arm around my shoulders. “Leave it alone. At least she apologized. You can’t win with everyone, no matter how hard you try.”

  “I’m starting to get that.” I gave her a rueful smile. “Comes with age, right?”

  “Don’t you dare remind me I’m the older one!” Laughing, she slapped me on the arm, then added more gently, “You don’t have to worry about winning with me, you know. Or with Dad and Will. Not with family.”

  I stared at her, amazed. That was true Kathy, comforting me over a triviality while dealing with a messy divorce and possibly losing her business.

  She deserved the same from me, and while there was probably nothing I could do to help her with Jeff, what about the bakery?

  My gaze swept over the wedding party, stopping on John. He was back on the terrace, sitting with Dr. Huber and Jennings, stirring a fresh drink with a straw. Watching him gave me an idea.

  “Family’s not the people you need to win over,” I said. “It’s the people who help you win.”

  Kathy squinted at me. “You look like you’ve got something on your mind. Care to share?”

  “Yes, please do,” Tray said, coming up with Liam. “What are you two being so secretive about?”

  As Liam took my hand, I glanced at my sister with a smile. “We were just talking about saving Kathy’s Bakery. I think, I might know how.”

  Thank You for Reading!

  I hope you’ve enjoyed spending time with Sandie and the gang as much as I enjoyed writing about them. If you have a minute, consider leaving a review. No matter how long or short, reviews are a great encouragement for a writer to keep working!

  If you’d like to know more about me, sign up for my newsletter. You’ll get monthly updates about my upcoming books, as well as sneak previews and exclusive content. You’ll also get a free Christmas story, MISSING IN SEATTLE, in the Sandie James Mystery series:

  A missing teenager. A lost puppy. Is there a connection?

  Christmas Eve is around the corner, and Sandie James is stranded in Seattle. Far from home, she’s facing a lonely Christmas in a strange city. Until she meets Hans, a bon vivant backpacker on a trip around the world.

  While exploring a quaint village on one of Seattle’s many islands, they’re accosted by a stray puppy and Marty, a boy searching for his missing older brother. Clues link the teen and the puppy causing Sandie to think that the teenager is in serious danger. As Christmas draws near, Sandie and her new friends must save the boy and bring him home, before the unthinkable happens.

  To sign up, click on the link above or paste the address into your browser: landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/s5f
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  Also by Tessa Kelly

  A Sandie James Mystery Series

  MISSING IN SEATTLE: A Christmas Story

  About the Author

  A former teacher with a degree in French, Tessa spent several years living in an uptown Brooklyn neighborhood, frequenting its many cafes and coffee shops and getting to know it from the inside and out. During her undergraduate years, she has worked at a bakery just like the one depicted in her novel, where she developed a lifelong fondness for cheesecake brownies.

  These days, when not writing, she loves to be outside exploring hiking trails, often wandering off the beaten path. Her other passions include baking, learning foreign languages, and reading.