by Grace York
"Or he is the killer," said Wilcox. "He's a tradesman, isn't he?"
"Handyman. He's been helping me fix up the beach house."
"Right. I wonder if he's missing a wrench?"
With that Wilcox got in his car and wound down the window. "Thank you very much for dinner, it was lovely. Much better than the frozen meal I'd planned to reheat tonight."
"You're welcome. For what it's worth, I think you're wrong about Jason, too."
"I have to follow all leads, Addison. Wherever they might take me."
She nodded, and stood staring after his car long after it had left her driveway. He was right. The police had to follow every lead, investigate every angle. But Addison knew it couldn't have been Layla or Jason. There had to be another explanation for Jenna's death. Someone else had taken a wrench to Layla's gallery with murder on their mind.
Back inside the beach house, Addison pulled her notebook out of its drawer and started writing. She made notes about the wrench, about Wilcox's suspicions, and Rick's alibi. Then she read back over everything she'd written so far. She was missing something. She had to be.
What were the possible motives? Rick's motive was revenge, Jason's was love, and for Layla and Ed Mathieson the motive would have been money. Layla stood to inherit all of Jenna's estate, and her father's shortly, too. Ed Mathieson wanted his development approved, which he got, but if Jenna uncovered any wrongdoing he could lose it all.
But she'd ruled all of these suspects out. So who else had a motive?
Did Jenna upset anyone else enough for them to want revenge? It was certainly possible. She wasn't terribly well-liked, and she was a very good lawyer. She could have made any number of enemies back in Sydney. But why would someone travel up here to kill her? Why come to a small town where an outsider would be spotted straight away? Why not kill her in Sydney?
What about love? It was hard enough to understand Jason's love for Jenna, let alone think of anyone else who might have felt the same way. No, Addison didn't think Jenna was killed for love.
That left money. The only person who stood to gain from Jenna's death financially was Layla. The police had checked her will, everything had been left to Layla. Wilcox said Detective Short had been investigating whether you could set a fire and have it not take hold immediately. Addison couldn't believe Layla would do such a thing. But still, she was curious.
Layla and Olivia had already retired to their rooms for the night. Addison locked up and turned out all the lights, then went to her own room. She pulled out the laptop Olivia had helped her choose a year ago, and changed into her nightclothes while she waited for it to boot up.
She had to type a few different search terms in to find what she was looking for, but before long Addison was reading a web page describing a simple way to light a fire and delay its start using nothing more than a candle and some folded pieces of paper. She was shocked at how easy it looked.
Could Layla really have done this? Why? She and Jenna had never been close, but that was no reason for murder. And Addison couldn't believe Layla could have killed her only sister for the money. Layla was doing all right, wasn't she?
Addison knew her cousin had struggled at first to get the money together for the gallery. And while they were making the necessary phone calls to the insurance agency it had become clear that there was still a sizeable mortgage on the property. But Layla was selling her art online, and doing quite well as far as Addison knew. Even if she did kill Jenna for the inheritance, why would she then burn down her own gallery?
No, it couldn't be Layla. Addison turned her thoughts to Ed Mathieson. He had a solid alibi, but still, Jenna had been investigating him. Could he have paid someone else to get rid of her? That seemed unlikely.
What if Ed Mathieson hadn't been the only person Jenna was investigating? She'd had quite the talent for upsetting people, Jenna. The first day they'd arrived, Addison remembered Layla talking about how Jenna had managed to upset people in town. People, she'd said. Not just one person.
It was late. Addison closed the laptop and her notebook, cleaned her teeth, and crawled into bed. Maybe she'd give that guy from Jenna's work a call in the morning. Finn, that was his name. Maybe Finn could tell her if anyone else from Getaway Bay had been in Jenna's sights.
27
Layla seemed brighter after breakfast the next day. She said she'd walk to the nursing home, as it was a beautiful day and she could do with the fresh air.
"Are you sure?" asked Addison. "Olivia and I are going into Riverwood to look at furniture. We could drop you off on the way."
"No, that's okay. I think the walk will do me good."
It must have been tough on her last night, hearing how Jenna had died. Addison tried to put herself in her cousin's shoes. Yes, she'd probably want to go for a long walk as well, to try and clear her mind as much as anything.
Addison remembered she wanted to call Finn from Jenna's work this morning. She asked Layla for the number.
"Sure," said Layla, pulling her phone out of her handbag. She found the number and read it off to Addison. "Why do you want it?"
Addison was deliberately vague. "Oh, just something he said yesterday. I'm sure it's nothing. I'll tell you tonight, once I've spoken to him."
That seemed enough to satisfy Layla. She put her phone back in her bag and headed through the great room to the front door. Addison watched her go, sad that Layla was off to spend another day at her dying father's bedside, but also somewhat relieved that she didn't have to go again herself. Sitting with a terminally ill patient brought back too many memories.
"We ready to go?" asked Olivia, as she came down the back staircase. Charlie trotted along after her.
"Just about. You can put him outside. I need to make one phone call, then we're off."
Olivia and Charlie headed for the back door while Addison tapped Finn's number on her phone. It rang a few times, then went to voicemail. She left a message asking him to call her back when it was convenient.
"All set?" she asked Olivia, who was locking the back door.
"Sure. Can I drive?"
"Of course."
During the drive Addison went through the wish list she'd made of furniture and accessories for the beach house. Top of the list was a large dining table to fill the other half of the great room. She wanted one big enough to seat all the guests should she ever have a full house.
There were six bedrooms in the beach house besides hers. One would always be Olivia's room, and off-limits to guests even when Olivia was not there. Addison wanted her daughter to feel like the beach house was her home. That left five possible guest rooms, with a total of ten possible guests. Add in herself and Olivia, and Addison figured she needed a table to seat twelve.
Layla was currently occupying one of the guest rooms, and Addison had said she could stay as long as she needed to. That room was already furnished, but the other four would need beds and side tables at the very least. The bathrooms all needed towels and accessories as well.
Addison thought about all those bathrooms. If the bed and breakfast was full, she could have five bathrooms to clean every day. Five beds to make, five lots of sheets and towels to wash. Not to mention five breakfasts to make, and the dinners she'd also planned to offer. For the first time she began to wonder whether Olivia might be right. Maybe the bed and breakfast idea was more work than she'd bargained for.
She could always hire some help, of course. But that would mean paying salaries, and superannuation, and all the tax and other complications that go with having staff. She'd never wanted to run a small business. She just wanted some company. And someone to cook for.
"What's up, Mum?" asked Olivia. "You've been quiet for a while."
Addison wasn't ready to voice her concerns about the bed and breakfast to her daughter. Olivia had been against the idea from the start. Instead, she focused on the reason for their trip into Riverwood.
"I'm just trying to think of how to furnish each of the bedrooms. We don
't need to do them all at once, do we?"
"Nope. You can do one at a time if you like. Weren't you going to make each one a different colour?"
"Yes I was, but I've gone off that idea. Oh, I don't know. This business with Jenna has really got me all messed up. I wish Detective Wilcox would hurry up and catch the killer. I feel so uneasy about it all."
"I know what you mean." Olivia pulled into the parking area of a large furniture store. There were several such stores in a strip along the road leading into Riverwood. "This is as good a place to start as any," said Olivia. "Let's put the murder out of our minds for now. And you don't have to decide on any furniture today, either. We're just looking."
They got out of the Rav 4 and Addison linked her arm in her daughter's as they headed for the first store. "You're absolutely right. Let's just enjoy a day out."
Two hours and four furniture stores later, Addison's phone rang. It was Finn Maguire.
"Hello, Finlay," she said as she answered. "Thank you for calling me back."
"No problem, Mrs Lake. What can I do for you?"
Addison found a quiet corner and sat in an armchair. Olivia was on the other side of the store looking at curtains.
"Yesterday you told us that Jenna had you investigating that development in Getaway Bay for her. I wanted to ask whether she had you looking into anything else recently. Anything personal, I mean. Not connected to her work at your firm."
"Yes, actually, there was something. Hang on a minute, I'll check my notes. My memory is terrible." Addison heard the familiar clicking of keys before Finn found what he was looking for.
"I finished this investigation for her last week," he said. "That's why I didn't mention it yesterday. I figured she'd already dealt with it. I only wanted to know if I should continue with the unfinished one."
"Okay. Can you tell me about it now?"
"Actually, I'm not sure. Jenna never said whether it was confidential, but I don't know whether I can—"
"Finn, I appreciate your concerns. But my cousin is no longer with us." Addison chose her words carefully, making sure Finn knew she and Jenna were family. "What you investigated for her may be nothing, but it may have something to do with her death. I'd really like to hear about it."
There was silence for a long while, and Addison began to worry he might not tell her.
"I guess it's okay," he finally said. "It's not confidential as far as the company is concerned. It has to do with Jenna's father."
Addison pulled out her notebook as Finn started talking. Her fingers raced to keep up with everything he said. It turned out Jenna had indeed been investigating someone other than Ed Mathieson. And by the time Finn was finished, Addison had little doubt that what Jenna had discovered had gotten her killed.
28
"What's the rush?" asked Olivia as Addison bundled her out of the store.
"We have to get to the nursing home, now. Give me the keys."
Olivia fished in her handbag for the car keys and handed them to Addison. Addison almost broke into a run to get to the Rav 4.
"Has something happened to Uncle Dennis?" Olivia asked as they climbed in.
Addison threw her bag into the back seat and started the engine. She pulled out of the parking lot and raced off in the direction of Getaway Bay.
"Mum, talk to me!" Olivia yelled. "And put on your seatbelt. You're going too fast."
Addison took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Olivia was right; a car accident was the last thing they needed. She fastened her seatbelt and eased off the accelerator.
"Sorry," she said. "I just… we need to get to the nursing home."
"Is it Uncle Dennis? Who were you talking to on the phone?"
"Uncle Dennis is fine. At least I hope he is. That was Jenna's colleague on the phone, the one we were talking to yesterday."
"The one who told you she'd been investigating Ed the baker."
"Right." Addison checked her blind spot then changed lanes to overtake a slower vehicle. "It turns out Ed wasn't the only Getaway Bay resident Jenna had been checking up on."
Addison explained to Olivia everything Finn had told her. It took most of the journey to the nursing home, but eventually Olivia was as convinced as Addison.
"We need to call Wilcox," said Olivia.
"Yes. Grab my phone, his number will be in the recent calls list." Olivia did so, and put the phone on speaker. It went to voicemail. Addison yelled a message for him to meet them at the nursing home as soon as possible, explaining her suspicions about who killed Jenna.
"Do you think we should call the police station directly?" Olivia asked. "Maybe that other officer is there."
"Good idea," said Addison, swinging the Rav into the nursing home parking lot. She parked in a space by the door and jumped out. "You do that while I go and make sure Uncle Dennis is okay."
Addison raced into the nursing home reception area before Olivia had time to protest. Before heading to Dennis's room, though, she needed to quickly check something. She approached the desk, where a young nurse sat staring at her phone.
"Excuse me, I'm Dennis Dallimore's niece. Can I please check to see if he had any visitors on Thursday last week?"
The young girl shrugged. "Sure. There's the visitor's book. Help yourself."
Addison quickly leafed through the book she'd signed herself on the occasions she'd visited with Layla. There were two visitors logged as seeing Dennis on Thursday: Layla, and Jenna. Just as she'd thought.
"Thanks," Addison called, and went off to Dennis's room. When she got there, however, her uncle was nowhere to be seen. Only Layla was there, making the bed.
Addison panicked. "Layla! What's happened? Where is he?"
Layla was startled by her voice. "Oh, Addison. It's okay, he's fine. Angie has taken him in the wheelchair. They've gone out to the garden."
"Why did she take him without you?"
Layla tucked in the last corner of the sheet and then flopped into a chair. "To be honest I needed a break for a few minutes. He's been driving me crazy all morning."
"What do you mean?"
"He keeps saying Jenna's name, over and over again. Like he was yesterday, but more persistent. Like he wants her. I don't know why, she hardly ever visited him. Occasionally he'll switch and start asking for Angie, too, even when she's standing right there. Then he'll go back to Jenna. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep telling him she's in Sydney."
Addison grabbed hold of Layla by both arms and yanked her out of the chair. "Where are they?"
"The garden, I told you. Angie suggested she take him out for a while. What's wrong?"
Addison was already out the door. She saw a sign for the garden, and followed it at a run. Olivia had caught up to them by that stage, and she and Layla followed Addison.
They burst through the door to the garden, and Addison scanned all the wheelchairs and carers out there. None of them were Uncle Dennis and Angie.
"They're not here. Where else could they be?" Addison cried.
"I don't know," said Layla, her eyes wide with fright now. "What's going on Addison? You're scaring me!"
But Addison was off again. The nursing home wasn't that big, they couldn't be far away. She raced back inside and down the halls, opening doors as she went. Olivia caught on quick and as they went down each hall Addison took one side, and Olivia the other. Layla followed behind them apologising to all the residents they disturbed with their manic searching.
"I wish you'd tell me what's happening," said Layla as they reached the visitor's lounge. Addison remembered this door had been open each time she'd been past it recently. Now it was closed.
She flung it open and there they were. Uncle Dennis in his wheelchair, and Angie standing next to him with a needle in her hand.
29
"Angie, put down the needle," said Addison. "Don't do anything stupid."
Angie held the needle closer to Dennis's throat. "Stay back, or I'll kill him."
"No you won't,"
said Addison, although she really had no idea what the nurse was capable of. "I know you care about him. Please, he's done nothing to hurt you."
Angie's eyes darted between Addison, Layla, and Olivia. She kept the needle pointed at Dennis's throat. Dennis's eyes told Addison he was fully aware of what was going on. The poor man didn't need this.
"Why are you doing this?" asked Layla. "What's going on?"
Addison ignored her cousin and kept her focus on Angie. "It was you who killed Jenna, wasn't it?"
"She was a mean person," said Angie. "She didn't deserve Dennis. Or Layla."
"I can't disagree with you there," said Addison. She did her best to keep her voice calm and even, while on the inside her stomach was doing somersaults. How long before the police arrived?
"She was only interested in Dennis's money," Angie said, bolder now she was finally being heard.
"That's not why you killed her though, is it? Not the only reason."
Angie shook her head, but didn't speak. Her shoulders tensed, and her grip on the needle tightened. Addison needed to keep her talking, or at least listening.
"Jenna came to see you here the day before she died, didn't she? She was investigating you."
"She had no right…"
"Maybe not. But she found out some pretty incriminating stuff, didn't she? Information that would at least end your career, if not put you in jail."
Angie just stared at Addison.
"What information?" asked Layla.
Addison cast a sideways glance at Layla. "Did you know Angie is a beneficiary of your father's will?"
"No. Jenna handled all the legal stuff. We have an unwritten agreement. I look after Dad while he's still with us, and Jenna was in charge of everything that would need doing after…" her voice trailed off as she saw the tears in her father's eyes.
"Apparently Uncle Dennis changed his will a year ago," said Addison. "He left a monetary gift to his favourite nurse. Jenna didn't think much of it at the time, she reasoned Uncle Dennis was of sound mind and could leave his money to whoever he wanted. But after meeting Angie she wanted more information, just to reassure herself your father wasn't being conned. It was a significant financial gift."