by Leena Clover
“This red cabbage slaw is so yummy. I should try making this at the café.”
“I may need to have a powwow with you,” Jason confided after they ordered dessert. “I have been approached by someone connected to Bella Darling.”
“Did Crystal or Wayne hire you?”
“I can’t say, yet.”
“I would love to pool our resources. You can probably get more out of the cops because of your legal status.”
“You can count on my assistance, Jenny.”
Jenny shared Adam’s information with Jason.
“So that’s why her chute didn’t open!” Jason shuddered.
“Have you ever been sky diving?”
“Once, and that was enough for me. I can’t imagine people pay to have that experience.”
“Do you think Bella was a good person?” Jenny mused. “Why did she want to disrupt Crystal’s wedding?”
“Professional rivalry?”
“Crystal says she didn’t know Bella.”
“Doesn’t everyone know everyone nowadays?” Jason questioned. “They talk to each other on social media.”
“Is that the same as knowing a person?”
“Nick might have a better answer for that, Jenny. We are the wrong generation.”
“Crystal’s mother lied about knowing Bella. So I guess Crystal could be lying too.”
“I missed seeing you in your bridesmaid’s dress. Rumor has it you looked prettier than those twenty year olds.”
Jenny whooped with laughter.
“Jason Stone, are you trying to flirt with me?”
“Who says I am just trying?”
They stopped in another seaside town and went for a walk on the beach.
“I might have some good news for you soon,” Jason said, taking her arm.
“You mean…?”
Jason nodded. Jenny had put in an offer for Seaview, the property adjoining her aunt’s house. It had passed over to some distant heir who had shown no interest in it for years. Jenny was confident they could complete the transaction without any problems.
“Your offer is very generous, against my particular advice. That old house is crumbling. You will have to spend a packet on fixing it up.”
“Don’t be a naysayer. It’s going to be fine.”
“I hope you’re right, Jenny.”
Jason dropped her home after that. Jenny sat outside on the porch, watching the waves batter the shore. The whitecaps gleamed in the dark and a gibbous moon rose over the water.
Jenny tried to picture the last few moments of Bella Darling’s life. Did she have time to panic before she hit the ground?
Chapter 7
Jenny was dragging her feet at the café the next day. She had stayed out on the porch until midnight, questioning some recent choices she had made in life. She had tossed and turned for hours after she went to bed. When her alarm went off at 5 AM, she was just falling asleep.
The phone in the kitchen rang insistently. Petunia finally answered it when she went in with an empty tray.
“It’s for you,” she told Jenny.
“Who could it be?”
“Heather!” Petunia mouthed as she handed over the old fashioned handset to Jenny.
“Hi Heather! Aren’t you coming over for coffee today?”
“Jenny, can you spare some time?”
“We are rushed off our feet, Heather. You know things are getting insane here as the season ramps up.”
“Wayne’s here,” Heather whispered. “He’s asking for you.”
“What does he want?”
“He won’t say. He says he will only talk to you.”
“Why didn’t he come here then?”
“It’s the crowd at the café. He doesn’t want to be recognized.”
“He’ll have to wait.”
Heather giggled and hung up. Jenny felt pulled in many directions. She decided to curb her irritation and start preparing lunch.
“Do you want to go over to Heather’s?” Petunia asked. “Why don’t you go there and send her over? I am fine as long as I have someone watching the cash register.”
“He can wait,” Jenny said firmly. “I’m going to start on the salad.”
Jenny tossed the salad, made a platter of sandwiches and frosted her special cupcakes. Only then did she allow herself a break. She gulped some tepid coffee and sat down with a thud.
“I guess you should go over now,” Petunia said.
“Okay, okay, I’m leaving!”
Betty Sue, Star and Molly were on the deck out back, catching up on the town gossip. Heather had stayed back at her inn to keep Wayne company.
A salty breeze coming off the ocean ruffled Jenny’s hair as she walked to Heather’s inn. It was a bright and sunny day in May and summer had definitely arrived in Pelican Cove.
“Finally!” Heather rolled her eyes when she saw Jenny. “I’ve been wracking my brains trying to make small talk.”
Wayne Newman sat sprawled on Betty Sue’s Victorian sofa, tapping his foot impatiently. He wore a cowboy hat and a plaid shirt with jeans that appeared plastered to his body. He was shorter than Crystal but his V shaped torso and washboard abs meant he paid equal attention to his appearance.
Jenny noticed a bandage on his left arm. He must have injured himself during his landing.
“Howdy Ma’am!” he said, standing up. “Can you spare a few minutes for me?”
“What can I do for you, Mr. Newman?”
“Call me Wayne. Crystal said she hired a detective.”
Jenny instantly disliked his wheedling tone.
“I’m no detective. I already told your wife that.”
“She’s not my wife yet,” Wayne whined. “She won’t marry me.”
Jenny thought back to what Crystal had said. What was wrong with these Hollywood people? The lies came easily to them.
“I heard you were leaving us for a concert.”
Wayne Newman’s eyes darkened.
“Cops held me back. The sponsors are suing me.”
“Surely it’s not your fault?”
“Tell them that. You know how much money I lost?”
Jenny tried to bring the conversation back on track.
“How can I help you, Wayne?”
“Solve this whole mess as soon as possible. I can’t afford to lose any more gigs.”
“Didn’t you get a role on TV?”
“Sure did,” Wayne gloated. “But I’m a musician at heart. I’ll stop breathing if I don’t make music.”
“Has being a TV star helped you get on tour?”
“I suppose it has. Why?”
“Being a TV star is important to you then?”
“What kind of question is that? They are calling me the hottest reality TV star of the decade.”
“Wow! That’s big.”
Wayne glanced around the room, bobbing his head. Jenny wondered if he was nodding at an imaginary audience.
“I’m glad you came here, Wayne. I need to ask you some questions.”
“Hey! I got nothing to hide.”
“Shall we begin then?”
Wayne sat up straighter and winked at Jenny. She took it as a sign to carry on.
“What happened to your arm?”
“Faulty landing,” he griped. “That girl hit me as she fell to her death. I’m lucky I got away with some bruises.”
“But your jump was successful?”
“I wouldn’t say that!”
“Whose idea was it? This whole skydiving thing?”
“I wanted to make a big splash. A big statement, you know. I agreed to having a small wedding in the boondocks – no offense…”
“None taken.”
“I thought arriving for my wedding in a parachute would be spectacular enough for my fans. I have to keep them happy.”
“I thought it was a secret wedding.”
“Something always leaks to the press. I am sure there must have been some paparazzi present there.”
Jenny figured he had given an anonymous tip to some reporters. Clearly, Wayne Newman didn’t want to lose this opportunity to make a splash in the tabloids.
“Crystal was fine with that?”
Wayne gave a sneaky smile.
“She had no choice. I didn’t tell her until the last minute.”
“I’m guessing you didn’t tell her at all.”
“I called her from the airport,” Wayne admitted. “She didn’t have a choice at that point.”
“Why didn’t you both do it? That would have been even more spectacular.”
“Crystal won’t go near a small plane. And sky diving is so not her thing. We argued about it.”
Jenny quirked one eyebrow, encouraging Wayne to go on.
“What if the show wants her to do it, huh? She can’t say no to them. She’ll be under contract. I told her this would be good practice. But she wouldn’t hear a word.”
“But I thought you didn’t tell her until the last minute.”
“We talked about it,” Wayne pursed his lips. “She forbid me to do it. I went ahead and called her from the airport.”
Crystal Mars was marrying a douche bag. Jenny admitted he was a very attractive douche bag. He was probably loaded too.
“Did you know Bella Darling?”
“Not really. I might have met her at some event or other.”
“What did she have against you?”
“You’ll have to ask her that.”
He laughed out at his own humor and stopped when he saw neither Jenny nor Heather were joining in.
“Did she have anything against Crystal?”
“Crystal’s a sweet girl. She’s got her head in the right place.”
“What does that mean?”
“These young girls are pitted against each other by the media. There’s a lot of competition. Everyone tries to be one up on the other.”
“So you are saying Crystal and Bella were rivals.”
Wayne shrugged. Jenny assumed that meant yes.
“Did you see her when you climbed up in that plane? What exactly did you do that day?”
“I’ve done this whole sky diving thing before,” Wayne began. “So I know the drill. Once the pilot knew I was licensed for a solo dive, I was pretty much on my own.”
“It must be a small plane. Was there room for anyone to hide?”
“I don’t know. I was so excited I wasn’t paying attention to anything else.”
“So you didn’t see Bella at all that day?”
“Not until she dashed into me and fell into that cake.”
“It must have been a shock.”
“Shock? It’s surreal. Even the best reality show writers couldn’t have scripted this scene.”
“Bella was wearing a dress exactly like Crystal’s. What’s that all about?”
“I don’t know. They got it on sale?”
“You know better than that, Wayne. Crystal’s dress was couture. They don’t make too many of those.”
“I don’t know much about women’s fashion.”
“It appears that Bella Darling wanted to cause some kind of disruption at your wedding. Any idea why she would do that?”
“Must have been a publicity stunt, or a spoof of some kind.”
“Crystal says she didn’t know Bella either.”
“Maybe it was supposed to be a big joke. Bella would arrive next to me, say ta-da or something and we would all laugh it off.”
“Nobody is laughing right now, Wayne.”
“Do you think the TV people arranged it?”
“Why would they do that?”
“They might have wanted to use the segment for the show, or for promos or something.”
“Why haven’t they come forward then?”
Wayne shrugged.
“Look, I have no idea why this broad was doing this crazy thing. All I know is it put a damper on my wedding. And now Crystal won’t marry me.”
“But Crystal said you’re the one who’s refusing to tie the knot.”
“You have it wrong. Crystal says she won’t go ahead with the wedding until they find out who killed Bella. That’s why she hired you.”
Jenny decided Crystal and Wayne were definitely not on the same page.
“Why do you say someone killed Bella? She could have jumped on her own.”
“I know her chute was messed with. I have my sources.”
Had the police already released a statement about the circumstances surrounding Bella’s death? Jenny reminded herself to check on that.
“What if I was the real target?” Wayne asked. “Maybe I was supposed to wear the damaged chute.”
“Do you have any enemies?”
“Plenty!”
“I’m not talking about petty rivalry. Is there someone who might want to kill you?”
Wayne turned pale.
“I never gave it much thought.”
“Maybe you should, Wayne. And I suggest you talk to the cops about it. Give them a list. If you were the real target, you might need protection.”
“Crystal could have been the target too,” Wayne said. “When I booked the dive, I booked it for a couple.”
“But you said Crystal is scared of sky diving.”
“A man can hope, can’t he? I thought she would make an exception for our wedding day.”
“You have given me a lot to think about, Wayne. I am glad we had a chance to talk.”
“I’m at your disposal, lady. Just do whatever it takes to sort out this mess. We start shooting the reality show next month. I want to take Crystal on our honeymoon before that. And we need to get married first for that to happen.”
“I am going to try,” Jenny promised. “Will you let me know if you think of something else? You know where to find me.”
“Sure will!” Wayne drawled.
Jenny stood up to leave, then remembered something Jason had said.
“Have you hired a lawyer, Wayne?”
“Why do I need a lawyer?”
If Wayne hadn’t hired Jason, who had? Jenny thought about it as she walked back to the café. Her stomach rumbled with hunger and she realized she had spent almost a couple of hours talking to Wayne Newman.
“We sold out of everything,” Petunia told her as soon as she walked in. “I hope Heather gave you lunch.”
“She didn’t.”
“I haven’t eaten either,” Petunia told her. “We’ll have to fix something quickly.”
“I can make some omelets.”
Jenny pulled leftovers from the refrigerator. She chopped down grilled veggies and chicken and shredded a leftover block of cheese. Golden omelets were sizzling on the grill soon after.
“Do you have enough for me?” a voice called from the door.
Heather Morse came in and joined them.
“I thought he would never leave. I missed lunch too, Jenny. Please, please give me something to eat.”
“There’s enough for everyone,” Jenny said with a smile.
“So what do you think of Wayne Newman?” Heather asked, chewing a big bite of her omelet. “Country music icon turned TV star?”
“He’s lying.”
Chapter 8
“Crystal is hiring a bodyguard,” Heather told the Magnolias the next morning.
It was yet another bright and sunny day in Pelican Cove. The women were enjoying their daily coffee break on the deck outside the café.
“She really thinks she is in danger?” Jenny asked.
“She’s not sure. But it’s good for her image. One of the tabloids is doing a story on it.”
Betty Sue stopped knitting for a moment and scowled at Heather.
“You’ve wasted enough time on those Hollywood people, Heather. All your chores are piling up.”
“Like what, Grandma?” Heather asked.
Her brow had set in a frown. Jenny had never seen her argue with Betty Sue.
“Tourist season’s here. We need to clean the whole house, do our usual spruce u
p, check on the towels and sheets…you know the list!”
“I’m taking care of all that.”
“When?” Betty Sue demanded.
“Heather’s always done her job, Betty Sue,” Petunia said, trying to calm them down. “What do you think of that box Mandy has put up?”
“What box?” Jenny asked.
“There’s a big suggestion box at the town office. Mandy wants people to come up with ideas about how we can beautify Main Street. She’s going to discuss them at the town hall meeting tonight.”
“She could’ve come to me,” Betty Sue frowned.
Betty Sue Morse was a force to reckon with in Pelican Cove. She was used to people coming to her for advice. When it came to town matters, she called the shots. Mayors came and went, but everyone knew Betty Sue was the real power center.
“Your mind is full of ideas for the town. Right, Betty Sue?” Star asked mischievously.
Betty Sue took the bait.
“Being a Morse used to mean something. What does this girl know, eh? She hasn’t even been here a week.”
“The Welcome sign has been broken for ten years,” Petunia said. “I’m going to suggest they make a new one.”
“Do you have concerts on the beach?” Jenny asked. “We used to have concerts by the river where I lived. It’s a great way to draw people out.”
“We have the summer festival,” Star told Jenny, “and we have a barbecue or two. The local band always strikes up a tune at these times.”
“I’m talking about doing something on a larger scale,” Jenny explained. “With a proper stage and professional bands. There can be a different band every weekend. We can advertise about it in advance so that people can plan ahead.”
“Why don’t you put that idea in the box?” Petunia asked eagerly.
“You can hire that Crystal’s husband,” Betty Sue quipped. “He’s loitering here anyway. Maybe he will come to the show in a parachute.”
Jenny thought of Bella Darling as soon as Betty Sue mentioned the parachute. Her eyes hardened and she frowned.
“You’re thinking of Bella, aren’t you?” Heather asked. “Have you made any progress?”
“I’m going to talk to Adam again.”
The older women exchanged meaningful glances as soon as Jenny mentioned Adam.
“Have you gone out with him yet?” Molly asked.
“He said something about grabbing dinner at Ethan’s shack.”
