by Leena Clover
“It’s not about money, Crystal. Tourist season is coming up. Petunia needs me here at the café.”
Jenny belatedly remembered her promise to Adam. He would not be happy to see her meddling in the investigation.
“Do it at your convenience,” Crystal pleaded. “I won’t be keeping tabs on you.”
“Why come to me at all?” Jenny argued.
“Heather told me about that killer you caught last month.”
“I was just trying to help my aunt out. She was the prime suspect.”
“So help me out this time. Please…”
“What exactly do you expect from me?” Jenny asked.
Petunia came in and Jenny passed the tray full of crab salad sandwiches over to her.
“Wayne is going to be in trouble. I want you to help him, just like you helped your aunt.”
Jenny tried to frame a diplomatic reply.
“My aunt was innocent. I knew that 100%. I can’t say the same about your husband. I barely know him.”
“He’s not my husband yet,” Crystal hastened to correct her. “We could have been married yesterday. The judge offered to do it after the police finished taking everyone’s statement. But I called it off.”
“You don’t trust him?”
Crystal gave her a pained look.
“I don’t know what came over me yesterday. I made a mistake. I should have gone ahead with the ceremony.”
“Can’t you do it now?”
Crystal massaged her forehead with her fingers. She looked at Heather and sighed dramatically.
“Wayne won’t do it now,” Heather explained.
“He’s sulking!” Crystal cried.
She probably thought she had dibs on being drama queen, Jenny thought to herself.
“He’s acting up!” Crystal wailed again. “He’s mad at me because I called off the wedding.”
“So you’re doing this to appease him?”
“I want to show him I care. Hiring you will help me prove that.”
“So you want me to fake this?” Jenny asked, outraged.
“I don’t care what you do,” Crystal dismissed. “Meet a few people, ask a few questions, do your thing.”
“What about the truth though?” Jenny asked.
“I don’t care. I just want Wayne to stop whining and say yes so we can tie the knot.”
“I don’t think I can help you,” Jenny said.
She was seething inside. She burst out again, unable to stay quiet.
“So you don’t care if your husband had a hand in killing that poor girl?”
“Don’t be silly,” Crystal said, standing up. “Bella Darling was a two bit actress trying to make it big. Wayne wouldn’t give her time of day. He hardly knew her.”
“But what if he is tied up in all this?” Jenny asked.
“Then he is. Just get him to sign on the dotted line.”
“That’s up to him. I can’t convince him to marry you.”
“You just play Nancy Drew. Leave the rest to me.”
“There won’t be any play acting, Crystal. If I do this, it’s going to be as real as it gets. I am going to ask tough questions. Any new information I learn will be shared with the police. I’m going to be looking for the truth. So if either you or Wayne or anyone close to you is involved, I won’t be able to help you.”
“I’m getting a migraine,” Crystal moaned. “Why are you making this so difficult?”
Jenny poured a fresh cup of coffee and handed it to Crystal.
“Can I have one of those cupcakes?” Crystal asked hopefully. “It’s not like I have to fit into a wedding dress now.”
“I think she just fell off the plane,” Heather said, taking pity on Crystal.
Crystal began to nod but Heather cut her off.
“But what was she doing there in the first place? You say Wayne doesn’t know her?”
“He knew her name,” Jenny said, remembering what the groom had said as he stared at the dead girl.
“That could be from a photo,” Crystal said lightly.
She stood up and stared into Jenny’s eyes.
“Will you do it?”
“As long as you’re ready for the truth, Crystal.”
“Whatever. It was probably just a publicity stunt gone wrong.”
Crystal snapped her fingers at Heather and walked out, tottering on her four inch heels.
“Of course she wears Louboutins,” Jenny muttered to herself.
She didn’t get a spare minute for the next couple of hours. Petunia waddled in after the last customer had been served.
“We made record business today. We are going to need a lot more food during the season.”
“That’s great news for everyone, right?” Jenny asked.
More sandwiches meant more seafood and produce ordered from the local markets and more bread from the bakery. A rising tide lifted all boats, Jenny realized as she noticed the peeling paint in the kitchen. They all needed the boost the tourist season would bring them.
“What was Miss Hollywood doing here?” Petunia asked.
“She wants me to find out what happened to that girl,” Jenny explained. “Actually, she just wanted me to pretend to find out what happened. But I told her that’s not how I worked.”
“Good for you,” Petunia cheered. “So are you going to be working on a new mystery?”
“It may be nothing. We don’t know how the girl died.”
“You will have to talk to the police, huh?”
“I guess so.”
Jenny walked to the police station on her way back home. The woman at the desk perked up when she spotted the plate of cupcakes Jenny was carrying.
“You can go right in,” she waved, nodding toward a small office.
Adam Hopkins was fiddling with a pill bottle when Jenny went in. She took the bottle from his hand, unscrewed the cap and handed it over.
“Feeling poorly?”
Adam shrugged.
“Nothing new,” he said, popping a couple of pills in his mouth.
He took a long sip of water and gave Jenny a questioning glance.
“Dare I ask what brings you here?”
Jenny winced. She could guess what Adam’s reaction was going to be.
“Crystal Mars came over. She asked for my help.”
“What kind of help?” Adam snapped.
“She wants me to find out what happened to the girl.”
“You are doing it again, aren’t you?” Adam said, incensed. “I thought we talked about this. Stay out of police business, Jenny.”
“I am just going to talk to people, ask a few questions.”
“Your few questions almost got you killed. Do you remember that?”
“We don’t even know how that poor girl died. Maybe she committed suicide or fell off.”
“What interest does Crystal Mars have in all this?”
“Maybe she’s just being nice,” Jenny said evasively.
She didn’t want to tell Adam about the Crystal – Wayne tiff. He would probably laugh at that.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“I’m not asking your permission,” Jenny bristled. She could lose her temper too. “I want to know what you have found out so far.”
“How many times have I told you this, Jenny? I can’t reveal anything about an ongoing investigation.”
“Come on Adam, tell me something. Did she have a heart attack or something? What happened to Bella Darling?”
Adam slammed a fist on his desk.
“Go away, Jenny.”
Someone came in with a file and handed it to Adam.
“The autopsy report just came in. You’ll want to see this.”
Adam opened the file and flipped through it rapidly. His eyes widened as he read something. He looked up at Jenny and shook his head.
“God help you, Jenny. You have stepped into a big pile of crap.”
Chapter 4
“Have you talked to Wayne yet?�
� Heather asked Jenny the next morning. “Crystal called a few minutes ago.”
The Magnolias were assembled on the deck of the Boardwalk Café, enjoying a quick break. Jenny held up her hand as she chewed on her muffin.
“I skipped breakfast today, we are that busy. I’m going to faint if I don’t eat anything first.”
“I’m going to hold you responsible if anything happens to my Jenny,” Star warned Heather. “Why are you sucking up to that Crystal anyway? I thought she was just a distant cousin.”
“Barely one,” Betty Sue agreed, pulling out a ball of turquoise wool from her knitting bag. “On her mother’s side,” she said meaningfully, eager to establish Crystal Mars was not related to the Morse family.
“Is she keeping tabs on me already?” Jenny asked spitefully. “I thought she was going to give me a free hand.”
“Wayne’s talking about leaving. He has a gig in Nashville tomorrow.”
Wayne Newman was a country music star. He had met Crystal at some awards function and they had hit it off. They had managed to keep their affair secret from the press.
“He’ll have to come back,” Jenny shrugged.
“Yooo-hooo…” a familiar voice trilled from the boardwalk.
A collective groan went up among the girls as a familiar figure bustled up the stairs, dragging someone along with her.
“How are you, Barb?” Star asked, trying to be polite.
Betty Sue was rolling her eyes in disdain. She didn’t get along with Barb Norton.
“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” Barb panted. “I have news. Big news.”
She tipped her head at the young woman accompanying her. A short, brown haired woman dressed in a formal suit stood next to her. She gave the girls a finger wave and her lips stretched into a smile.
“This is Mandy James, our new consultant. She’s going to help us win that Prettiest Town tag.”
“Huh?” Betty Sue Morse asked, putting her knitting needles down.
There was very little that made her stop knitting. Heather looked at her grandma in surprise.
“I’m the Chairman of the Prettiest Town Contest Committee,” Barb Norton explained. “Don’t you remember? We discussed this in the town hall meeting last November.”
Star, Petunia and Betty Sue looked at each other.
“That’s still happening?” Star asked.
“What do you mean?” Barb sighed. “Of course it is! We filed our application in December. We made the first cut. I corresponded with them while I was in Florida.”
Barb Norton spent her winters in Florida with her daughter. She never gave up an opportunity to bring it up.
“What’s the first cut?” Heather asked.
“We are small enough,” Barb explained. “The contest is for the Prettiest Small Town. Many of the applicants were disqualified because of population density.”
“Go on…” Petunia said impatiently.
“Round 2 was a questionnaire,” Barb continued. “They wanted to know about our layout, the kind of businesses we had etc. I filled that out.”
“Where did you get the information?” Betty Sue asked.
“I keep a lot of records,” Barb told her. “I managed. Anyhow, we cleared that step too and Pelican Cove is a finalist in the contest.”
“Sounds good, Barb,” Jenny said eagerly.
Barb put a hand on her hip and glared at Betty Sue.
“You might show a bit more enthusiasm. Pelican Cove could be the Prettiest Small Town in the country. It’s a big honor.”
“We are all ecstatic, dear,” Petunia consoled. “What happens now? How do we win this prize?”
“The judging committee will visit all the finalists. They will be here, in Pelican Cove, for the final inspection. We have a month to get ready.”
“Get ready for what?”
“For the judging of course. We need to put our best foot forward, look our best. That’s where Mandy comes in.”
“What’s she going to do?” Betty Sue asked imperiously.
“Mandy’s going to make sure we look our best,” Barb explained. “The town hired her as an image consultant. She’s going to spruce up Main Street.”
“We don’t need to pay big bucks for that,” Betty Sue spat.
“Mandy has hands-on experience,” Barb explained. “She helped a small Kentucky town win Greenest Town. And she helped another town in Colorado win Most Pet Friendly Town.”
“Is that true?” Betty Sue asked.
Mandy nodded and preened a bit. “It’s what I do.”
“So what, you’re going to tell us which building needs a lick of paint?” Star asked.
“At the very least,” Mandy nodded. “I make a basic study of the conditions, do a gap analysis and come up with an action plan for what needs to be done. Then I coordinate and make it happen.”
“Is a month going to be enough time?” Heather asked.
“It’s a challenge alright,” Mandy James told them. “Most towns hire me well in advance. I need at least three months to execute a systematic overhaul. I will have to put you on fast track.”
“Sounds like a lot of mumbo jumbo to me,” Betty Sue growled.
“I will make Pelican Cove sparkle like new. You will hardly recognize it.”
“We like our town just the way it is, thank you very much,” Star said.
“No one’s asking your opinion,” Barb snapped. “As the committee chairman, I make all the decisions. And I am giving Mandy carte blanche.”
“Where is she going to stay?” Heather asked a practical question.
“At your inn, of course,” Barb shot back. “You already have her reservation.”
“We do?”
“It’s under E. James,” Mandy spoke up. “Edith is my middle name.”
“Do you use it often?” Jenny piped up.
“I’m flying under the radar, you see,” Mandy explained. “There’s a town in New Hampshire and another in Idaho who want to sign me on. But Pelican Cove looks the best on paper. I think you guys are the strongest contender.”
“We are not the richest town though,” Betty Sue said, narrowing her eyes.
“I found that out myself,” Mandy laughed. “Money isn’t everything. I like to win.”
“You’re pretty confident,” Star muttered.
“I have a proven track record,” Mandy nodded. “I’m pretty sure I can help you win. Plus, I have never lived on an island.”
“Hardly that,” Star shot her down. “The new bridge takes you across in ten minutes.”
The new bridge Star mentioned had been built in 1970. Star had crossed that bridge to come to Pelican Cove. She had never left.
“Aren’t you going to welcome Mandy?” Barb said, widening her eyes meaningfully.
The girls hesitated for a second and then chorused together.
“Can I get you anything, dear?” Petunia asked finally.
“I hope you are as excited about this contest as Barb. She has assured me everyone in Pelican Cove will pitch in and do their bit. It’s a group effort, you see. We are only as strong as our weakest link. You don’t want to be that link.”
Mandy went on like that for five minutes. The women on the deck began losing their patience. Barb pulled Mandy’s arm and gave her a silent nod.
“Let’s go. The seafood market is next.”
“What’s Barb got us into this time?” Betty Sue complained as soon as the women went out of sight. “Prettiest Town indeed.”
“Do you deny Pelican Cove is pretty?” Jenny asked her.
“I know that, Jenny, but that’s not the kind of pretty Miss Main Street is talking about. You’ll see.”
“It’s all going to be a big waste of time,” Star agreed, getting up to leave. “I gotta go now. Have a painting due tomorrow.”
That set the others off.
“Where’s Molly today?” Jenny wondered.
“One of her coworkers is home sick,” Heather explained. “She had to pitch in and wa
tch the front desk.”
“What did that Hopkins boy say about the girl?” Betty Sue asked.
“The same thing he always says. He can’t tell me anything about an ongoing case.”
“Did he tell you how Bella died?”
“She died from the fall,” Jenny said. “The question is, how or why did she fall. And what was she doing up there in that plane anyway.”
“Is that all you have to find out?”
“That’s just the beginning, Heather. You remember what she was wearing? I have a strong hunch Crystal is going to be involved in some way.”
“You’re being biased,” Heather protested. “You haven’t even talked to her yet.”
“The way I see it,” Jenny said, “the girl Bella either jumped herself or she was pushed. If she jumped herself, why didn’t her chute open? You remember she had one attached to her back. So she either didn’t open it or couldn’t open it. Or she opened it and something went wrong.”
“Stop!” Betty Sue cried. “You’re making my head spin.”
“Do you think she sneaked onto that plane?” Heather asked.
“I’m going to find out,” Jenny said grimly. “What about you, Heather? Are you going to be my wing woman like last time? Or are you going to stick by Crystal?”
“I’m not taking any sides,” Heather rushed to clarify. “I can go along with you if you need me, Jenny.”
“What about Chris?” Jenny asked. “What does he feel about all this?”
Chris had been Heather’s date for the wedding. Although he hadn’t had a front row seat to the tragedy, he had been present in the crowd when the girl dropped from the sky.
“Chris is not too crazy about these Hollywood types. He thinks it’s all a big publicity stunt.”
Jenny shuddered at the thought.
“That’s a possible motive, I guess.”
“He wants me to stay away from Crystal.”
“You might want to listen to that boy, Heather,” Betty Sue ordained. “He’s saying something smart for a change.”
Betty Sue Morse had grown old waiting for Heather to tie the knot with Chris. She was losing her patience with them. Chris had been experiencing her disapproval quite a lot lately.