by R A Wallace
“They worked it out?” Cole asked. He sounded hopeful.
Megan nodded.
Tucker shoved Cole’s arm. “We should have said something earlier.”
“Yeah.” Cole gave Megan an apologetic look. “Sorry. I didn’t want Wes to get into trouble.”
“Now that we’ve figured that out, maybe you can tell me if you’ve heard anything this week that would help,” Megan suggested.
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” Tucker said. “I swear, being a caddie is like being invisible.”
“People said things in front of you that you weren’t expecting to hear?” Megan asked. Dena had said the same thing.
“Yeah. There was this one couple that was really going at it. The husband was all mad because the wife wanted to have dinner with someone that she used to be married to,” Tucker said.
“The Kapturs?” Megan asked.
“Yeah. How did you know?” Tucker asked.
“I told you she helps the police,” Cole said.
“How about you? Anything?” Megan asked Cole.
“Maybe. You know that guy that was pushed into the pool?”
“Gil Ressler?”
Cole nodded. “I heard a couple arguing about him. The wife kept bringing up Gil’s name. The husband got all mad about it.”
“Do you remember their names?”
“Brothers. Celine and Shaun Brothers.”
***
The shower felt good. Afterward, Jodie stood in front of the closet and wished that she’d brought more clothes with her. It wasn’t something that she’d spent a lot of time worrying about before. As long as she had enough work clothes with her, she was good. Tonight she’d rather have something a little more girly, a little less office. She should have bought that sundress she saw at the little shop in town. Frowning, she reached in and pulled out a shirt. At least it had some color to it. She paired it with some slacks and quickly dressed.
Just as she finished, she heard a knock on her door. She peered through the security viewer first. It occurred to her that it was the first time she’d done that since she’d been at the golf course. Maybe she should have been doing it all along. She opened the door to Dion.
“Hey, what’s up?” She moved back into her room to put her shoes on.
“Are you ready for dinner?” Dion closed the door behind him and stood waiting.
“Yeah, just about. I should check my hair. It probably got half wet in the shower. You can go on ahead. I might be a few more minutes.” She finished putting her shoes on and stood then realized that he hadn’t answered yet.
“I’ll wait,” Dion said.
She shrugged and went into the bathroom. She was right. Her hair was a mess.
“I can’t believe there’s only one more day,” she called to him.
“It’s nice here but I’ll feel better when we’re out of here.” His voice was closer than she expected.
She finished combing through her hair then pulled it up in a messy bun. When she stepped out of the bathroom, he was checking the windows of the bungalow.
“What are you doing?” Jodie asked.
“Checking to make sure they’re locked.” He moved from one window and checked the next one. When he was done, he turned to her. His eyes started at her hair and worked their way down.
“What?” She raised her hands to her hair. Maybe her messy bun was too messy.
“Looks nice. Are you ready?” he asked.
“Uh, yeah. Just let me grab a sweater.”
She followed him out of the bungalow. He checked the door when it closed to make sure it was locked.
“What are you doing?” she asked again.
“Making sure no one can get in while we’re gone. I’ll walk you back here after dinner and check the whole place inside and out.”
She laughed. “You don’t need to do that.”
“Yes, I do. Jay was killed and Gil was almost next. I’m serious about this. Until we leave this place, consider me your shadow,” Dion said.
Jodie was about to argue with him, then wondered what she was doing. She’d been trying for years to get his attention.
“Okay.” She walked beside him toward the restaurant.
As they walked, she looked around at all of the people that were out. Many, like them, were headed for the restaurant. Some were walking the other way, including Van and the day shift restaurant manager, Pat. Jodie could tell from a distance that Pat was trying to dissuade Van from something. It wasn’t until they drew closer that she understood what.
“You really don’t have to walk me to and from my car all the time,” Pat said.
“Jay was killed and Gil was almost next,” Van said.
Jodie saw Pat nod and noticed that she didn’t argue. If anything, she looked relieved. Jodie flashed her a smile as they passed each other on the sidewalk. That was when Jodie realized that no one within her view was walking alone. As they neared the restaurant, she saw a police officer standing near the entrance.
***
Megan stepped off the sidewalk to the parking lot and headed for her car. The police cruisers were still parked in the lot. She saw Maya standing on the other side of the lot staring at her phone. Maya looked up when Megan approached.
“Are you okay?” Megan asked.
“My dad said he’s going to be really late picking me up. I was supposed to meet someone at the library,” Maya said.
“I can drop you off,” Megan said. “Can you text your dad and ask if that’s okay? Tell him I’m Megan Parker. My husband owns the feed store in town.” She held up her press pass.
“I know you. I’ve seen you around,” Maya said as her fingers flew across her phone. It buzzed a few moments later.
“He said yes. I really appreciate this.”
“I hope you don’t mind old trucks,” Megan said as she motioned toward hers. “I’m going to need to get something different when the baby is born, but I just haven’t gotten to it.”
“I like trucks.” Maya climbed in and buckled her seatbelt. “Cole said that you help the police sometimes.”
“Sometimes. They don’t really need my help, of course.”
“Have you been trying to find out who killed Jay?” Maya asked.
“Yes.” Megan glanced at her. “I did hear from someone that you were arguing with him. I also heard that he said some pretty stupid things to you.”
“He did. He apologized for them though.”
“Did you know him well?” Megan asked.
“Not really. I knew about him but I’ve never spent any time with him.”
“Can I ask what you argued with him about?” Megan slowed for a stop sign.
“I didn’t really argue with him. He apologized. I told him not to do it again. I just didn’t think he had the right to do that, you know?”
“I agree with that. He shouldn’t have said those things to you. You earned your place at the invitational, Maya. I think it’s impressive that you stood up to him like that.”
“I just don’t want to end up like him,” Maya said.
“It has to be pretty upsetting to know someone who died like that, especially when he wasn’t that old. But you shouldn’t let it get to you.”
“No. I mean, it is kind of scary that someone was killed. I hope the police find whoever did it soon.”
“But?” Megan asked.
“I don’t want to end up like him.” Maya looked at her. “He was a phenom too. Just like me, only not female.”
“He was?” Megan wondered how she’d missed that.
“Yeah, all those guys were. I don’t want to end up like they did.”
“What guys?”
“Wes, my dad, Jay.”
“Seriously?”
Maya looked at her. “Yeah. They all played against each other back when they were my age. Some of the other guys were too. That sports writer guy that just got hurt.”
Gil?”
“Yeah, and the other guy, Avery. He’s anot
her one of the sports writers.”
“And you don’t want to end up like them? Why?”
“Well, my dad has a decent job. Not great, but decent. He just absolutely doesn’t want anything to do with golf now. He won’t even watch me play. Gil made a name for himself. He’s pretty well known in his field. But the rest of them? Not so much.”
“I didn’t know that they were all phenoms like you.” Megan turned down the street that the library was on.
“Wes is a really nice guy. I like him a lot, but he’s a golf instructor at a local golf course. Jay Kerns mostly got jobs because of what he used to be when he was a kid. He made a few connections with important people back then and he kept using them. The other guy, Avery, he just publishes stories in newspapers sometimes.”
Megan remembered Avery telling her that he was enjoying his time with food, drinks, and a cleaning staff. It was more like a vacation than a job.
“I want to do better than that. I love playing golf, but I don’t want it to be the only option in life.” Maya turned to look at Megan. “I want to have choices.”
“That sounds wise.” Megan stopped in front of the library.
Maya took a deep breath. “The problem is, I don’t do well in all of my classes.”
Megan looked at the library. “Looks like you’re trying to do something about that.”
“Someone from school offered to help me get caught up.” Maya unbuckled her seatbelt. “She’s tutoring me.”
“Is it working?”
Maya laughed. “Bella said we aren’t allowed to fail.”
“You couldn’t have a better tutor,” Megan said as Maya got out of the truck. “Is your dad going to pick you up?”
“Yes. Thanks for the ride.”
Megan watched until Maya disappeared inside the library before texting Erica.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Megan reached the kitchen just as Dan came in from the barn.
“Looks like another day of perfect weather for the final day of the golf tournament,” he said as he washed his hands.
“I won’t complain about that.” She filled the tea kettle and turned the burner on.
“Do you have a lot of people to track down today?” He poured another half a cup of coffee into his mug and sat down as she took some eggs from the fridge.
“There are definitely a few, at the very least. It kept getting easier to find them as the week went on and the couples were eliminated.” She cracked some eggs into a frying pan and moved over to the bread box on the counter.
“I’ll bet.”
“A lot of them did seem to go into town to do some shopping though. That’s a good thing but it did make it harder to find them.”
“They have an awards dinner tonight, right?” he asked.
“Yes. That’s the end of it. The remaining couples compete today. The winners get their trophy awarded to them tonight at dinner.” She cut two thick slices of bread and two thin slices.
“Are you any closer to solving your puzzle?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. I think I know what to ask and who to ask now.” She flipped the eggs in the pan and waited a few moments before transferring them to the bread slices.
“That’s something. As long as you’re careful.”
She carried the plates over to the table and set the egg sandwich with thick cut bread in front of him. Her sandwich was half as high.
“There are still a lot of people everywhere during the day. They have some police officers there too.” She returned to the stove to turn off the kettle and make her tea.
“You aren’t planning to stay there all day, are you?”
“No. I’ll go in a little later because the people I want to speak to aren’t playing today. I’m also craving that spicy tortellini soup. I’m thinking of that for dinner tonight.” She sat down with her tea mug.
“Sounds good. Just promise me you’ll take it easy.”
***
Phoebe stretched her back after standing. “I needed this break.”
“You and me both,” Van said. “We’d better get moving before we’re back on.”
“Gil has been doing pretty well with filling in,” Phoebe said as they walked.
“He seems to have a future with it, even with a bump on his head,” Van agreed. He nodded to Megan as they reached her.
“Do you have a minute?” Megan asked Phoebe.
Phoebe nodded to Van to go on without her.
“Van told me you’d probably want to talk with me.” Phoebe began walking again.
Megan introduced herself as she turned to walk with her.
“I was wondering what you could tell me about the night Jay Kerns was murdered. I know you already spoke to the police.”
“I did,” Phoebe agreed. “I’m not sure what else I can add.”
“Did you see who Jay spoke with that night?”
“He’d had a lot to drink and the place was packed. He offered to buy me a drink,” Phoebe said.
“What else did he say?” Megan stopped walking.
Phoebe paused with a sigh. “He made some comment about Wes not wanting to talk to me.”
“Wes Lowry, the golf instructor?”
“Yes.” Phoebe crossed her arms. “We used to date a very long time ago.”
“You tried talking to Wes that night?”
“Yeah. He got up and walked away. I ended up sitting with Van.”
“When did you leave?”
“When Van did,” Phoebe said.
Megan thought back to what Van had told her. “He left when Pat did?”
Phoebe smiled briefly. “Yeah.”
“What about Gil?”
“What about him?”
“Did you see him that night? Do you remember where he was, who he spoke with?” Megan asked.
Phoebe pulled her brows together. “The police didn’t ask that.”
“They questioned you about Van, but that was before Gil was attacked.
Phoebe nodded slowly. “I know he was there, but I can’t say that I remember seeing him at any specific time. I did hear someone else talking about him.”
“Who?”
Phoebe made a face. “It was two of the players. I don’t feel right repeating it.”
“It might matter.” Megan assumed whatever they said probably wasn’t nice.
Phoebe still looked hesitant. “It was Celine and Shaun Brothers. They were arguing about him.”
“Did you hear what the argument was about?”
“Celine said she should offer to buy Gil and drink and talk to him about their game. It didn’t sound bad, but Shaun got pretty upset about it.”
***
It didn’t take long to track down Shaun Brothers. Megan found him sitting alone behind the restaurant. He was staring out at the golf course and nursing a cup of coffee. She stopped by his table to introduce herself and motioned to a seat.
“Mind if I ask some questions?” she asked.
He gave her a wry smile. “Want to know what it feels like to lose the tournament?”
“You seemed to struggle with this tournament more than others,” Megan said.
Shaun didn’t offer any excuses for why that might be.
“Have you heard any more about Jay Kerns’s death?” Megan asked.
Shaun looked surprised. “Should I?”
“Just wondering. I know you were at the restaurant the night he died.”
Shaun played with his coffee cup. “Most of us were.”
“You went outside for a bit though, didn’t you?”
He looked up at her. “Yeah, so?”
“I’ve been trying to figure out if there is any tie between Jay’s death and the attack on Gil Ressler. I understand you spoke with Gil that night?”
Shaun dropped his eyes back to his coffee cup. “Yeah. I ran into him out front.”
“What did you talk about?”
“Not much. I asked him if he’d interview us.”
“Why is that?�
�
“His rep. He’s very well known in the business and he’s online. He has a much wider audience than most sports writers. He does podcasts and a lot of television segments besides.”
“You didn’t argue with him?” she asked.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “No, why should I?”
Megan watched him stand. “Just curious.”
“I have to go.”
She remained sitting as she watched him quickly walk away. She wanted to speak to Celine Brothers next but wasn’t sure where to track the woman down. A passing waiter asked her if she wanted anything. She declined the offer and was about to stand when she saw a woman walk up to the outdoor seating area from the opposite side of where Shaun Brothers had left. Megan waved her hand at Celine Brothers. The woman frowned but walked over to Megan.
“If you’re looking for your husband, he just left,” Megan said.
“Do you know where he went?”
“No, but he mentioned that you were interested in being interviewed before he left.” Megan lifted her press pass. “I have a few questions.”
Celine looked toward the exit but took a seat at the table.
“Your husband said that you were particularly interested in being interviewed by Gil Ressler. Can you tell me why?”
Celine glanced at the exit again. “I shouldn’t have to. Everyone knows his interviews get read. If you want your name to get out there, he’s the guy to talk to.”
“Yet, your husband didn’t seem as eager to have you spend time with Gil.”
Celine quickly turned to face Megan. “What?”
Megan thought about Jodie’s confession of using Wes to make Dion jealous.
“Sometimes trying to make someone jealous backfires.”
Celine’s shoulders slumped. “Sometimes.”
“You were using Gil to make Shaun jealous?”
Celine folded her hands on the table. “I was mad.”
“Because of Lacey?”
Celine’s eyes flew to Megan’s. “You know about that?”
“Shaun and Lacey used to date. You were worried about that, so you used Gil to get back at him,” Megan guessed.