by Leena Clover
“Crystal doesn’t know anyone here,” Heather said stoutly. “I’m just trying to show some support.”
“Be careful about that, Heather,” Jenny warned. “You don’t want to be aiding a criminal.”
“You were right there when Bella dropped from the sky,” Heather objected. “Crystal was standing four feet away from us. She’s innocent.”
“Surely you’re not that naïve?” Jenny asked. “She could have hired someone for the job.”
“Prove it,” Heather said. “If Crystal had a hand in this, I will be the first to call the police.”
Jenny felt relieved. Heather was so dazzled by the glamour surrounding Crystal Mars, Jenny wondered if she had gone over to the dark side.
Jenny went into the kitchen and started grilling chicken for her salad. Adam had given her two thumbs up for her new salad recipe. Now she hoped the residents of Pelican Cove felt the same. She was trying to come up with a lighter menu for the summer, one that didn’t use mayo so it wouldn’t spoil in the sun.
“You are wanted outside,” Petunia told her.
Adam was standing at the counter, trying to choose between a cookie and a chocolate cupcake.
“How are you, Jenny?” he asked. “Got any more of that new chicken salad?”
“I’m mixing a fresh batch,” Jenny told him. “Any more news on Bella?”
“Some, but nothing I can tell you yet.”
“Did she have any family?”
Adam gave in.
“Her next of kin will be arriving tomorrow.”
“See, that wasn’t so difficult.”
“Did you meet Mandy James?” he asked.
“Barb Norton brought her around earlier. How do you know her?”
“The police station is situated in a heritage building. I guess we lend a hand in making Pelican Cove pretty.”
“She’s going to have some pointers for you too then? This will be fun.”
Adam rolled his eyes.
“We are too busy already. We don’t have time for this frippery.”
“Try telling that to Barb. She’s in it to win it.”
They giggled like naughty high school kids. Jenny felt right at home, trading town gossip with Adam. She liked this fun side of him. It wouldn’t be too long before he was back breathing fire at her though.
Chapter 5
Jenny put her feet up on a chair after another tiring day at the café. She couldn’t wait to get some extra help. She just hoped the kids Petunia had hired would have good work ethics and a strong back.
“You can go on home if you want, Jenny,” Petunia said. “I can clean up around here.”
Jenny swallowed the crab salad sandwich she was eating. She was so tired she could barely taste anything.
“I have to go to the country club to meet Crystal’s mother.”
“Why didn’t you ask her to come here?”
“I have been summoned, Petunia. The queen wants me to go to her castle.”
“Hmmm…”
“I should be happy I get to go to the country club I guess.”
“Is it really that fancy?” Petunia asked.
Jenny nodded.
Heather stuck her head in through the kitchen door.
“Ready to go, Jenny?” she chirped.
“What is Crystal’s mother like?” Jenny asked Heather as they drove to the club.
“I haven’t talked to her much. She’s a bit intimidating.”
“How do you know Crystal so well but don’t know her mother much?”
“I barely knew Crystal,” Heather began. “I met her at college in my senior year. That’s when we found out we were cousins. She dropped out after her first semester though.”
“So she’s your age?”
“Oh no! She’s three or four years younger than me.”
“So she’s in her thirties too?”
“It’s a big secret. She’s supposed to be 25.”
Jenny thought of the ravishing Crystal Mars, her unlined face and toned body.
“She can carry it off easily.”
“It means a lot to these Hollywood types, I guess,” Heather mused. “Crystal’s flipping out because she turned thirty last month.”
“Is that why she’s so eager to get hitched to this Wayne guy?”
“Crystal says she was supposed to have at least one marriage under her belt by thirty.”
Jenny shook her head, marveling at how people in certain walks of life functioned.
“It’s a different life, huh?”
They reached the club soon after and Heather directed her to a small bungalow at one end. A maid wearing the club’s uniform ushered them inside to a sun room.
Jenny spotted the resemblance as soon as she spied the woman seated in an armchair. She didn’t have Crystal’s height but Jenny felt the same blue eyes trained on her.
“Thank you for coming,” the woman said primly. “You are the girl my Crystal has been talking about?”
“I was in the wedding party, Mrs. Mars,” Jenny reminded her. “I catered your daughter’s wedding shower a few days ago.”
“Ah, yes, that was you.”
Heather had been cowering behind Jenny all this time. The woman ignored her.
“I’m glad you got in touch, Mrs. Mars,” Jenny said. “I wanted to talk to you anyway.”
“You can call me Kathy,” the woman said. “Now tell me when you are going to wrap up all this nonsense?”
Jenny was speechless.
“Err, may I ask what you are referring to?”
“This nonsense about Bella Darling, of course. Just do whatever Crystal wants you to do so we can head home to L.A.”
“You live in Los Angeles too?”
“Of course I do. I am Crystal’s manager. She has a very tight schedule. I have to make sure she gets her workouts in, eats according to her diet plan, sleeps on time. Hell, I even make sure she poops on time.”
“You must know most of the people she meets then?”
Kathy shrugged. Her expression told Jenny she was stating the obvious.
“Did you know Bella Darling?”
“I did not. Neither did Crystal.”
“But she recognized Bella right away when she dropped down on the wedding cake.”
“She must have seen her in a magazine or something.”
“Bella was quite famous then?”
“She was in some big scandal a few months ago. That’s a different kind of famous.”
Kathy’s mouth had twisted in a sneer as she spoke about Bella.
“So you didn’t know her personally but you knew of her?”
“Well, if you want to nitpick…”
“I’m just trying to get a clear picture here.”
“What was she doing here, ruining my daughter’s wedding? That’s what I want to know.”
“We’ll find that out eventually,” Jenny assured her. “What about Wayne, your son-in-law?”
Kathy looked triumphant when she heard Wayne’s name.
“Isn’t he hot? Crystal couldn’t have picked a better man.”
“Wayne Newman is hot alright,” Heather spoke up.
Kathy ignored her again.
“Did Wayne know Bella?” Jenny asked.
“I’m sure he didn’t.”
“But she was on the plane with him. Surely he must have known that.”
“I think she was a stowaway,” Kathy declared. “Wayne had no idea she was up there with him.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“He didn’t have to. I trust him.”
“So what do you think happened?” Jenny pressed.
“She tried to pull a stunt and it failed. Sounds like the work of a deranged fan.”
“You are saying there was a third person up there with them?”
“Someone had to have pushed her.”
“You really believe that, Mrs. Mars?”
Kathy folded her hands and stared back at Jenny.
“Yes. Now when
are you going to wrap this up? You can tell Crystal some fan pushed the girl. End of story.”
“That’s not how this works,” Jenny said, rubbing a gold horseshoe that hung on her chain. “I will talk to all the people involved, try to match their stories. Then I will try to find out what really happened.”
“That’s what the police do.”
“Right…”
“I thought you were playing along for the fat check Crystal promised you.”
“Jenny’s not like that,” Heather said indignantly. “Why would you think that?”
“Is there anything you want to add, Kathy?” Jenny asked. “Do you suspect anyone?”
“Not really,” Kathy said. “Like I said, I barely knew the girl.”
“You said you didn’t know her at all before,” Jenny pointed out. “Which is it really?”
“I didn’t know her, okay?” Kathy snapped suddenly. “You are such a pest.”
She clapped her hands and called out to the maid.
“Show these people out,” she commanded.
Jenny turned back to look at the older woman as they left the room. She was staring back at them, her eyes narrowed and full of fury.
“That was weird,” Heather said as they got into the car.
“What’s she have against you?” Jenny asked her. “I’m sorry, Heather. I didn’t know she was going to act like this.”
“She’s just throwing her weight around. She never gets to be in the limelight, you know. She’s backstage all the time.”
“That doesn’t excuse her rude behavior.”
“She wanted a big Hollywood wedding for Crystal. She hates that she had to come to Pelican Cove. She holds me responsible.”
“Surely that was Crystal’s decision?”
Heather nodded.
“The wedding is hush-hush, or it was supposed to be. I doubt they will be able to stay below the radar once the news of Bella’s death gets out though.”
“Crystal looks hungry for publicity,” Jenny mused. “Why did she want a quiet wedding?”
“It had to do with their show. Crystal’s the star of this new reality show, see? It’s like a mashup of a few popular shows. A bunch of girls tackle an obstacle course through an Amazon jungle during the day and the winner gets a date with the guy. The guy chooses a bride out of the finalists.”
“And Crystal is one of those girls?”
“She is. And she’s going to win.”
“Wait a minute. How do you know she will win?”
“That’s the way these shows work. They already decide who the winner is going to be. Everything is scripted.”
“And Crystal marries this guy on screen? Is it a fake marriage?”
“That’s the funny thing. The guy is Wayne Newman. He has to look like the most eligible bachelor.”
“Hence the secret wedding!” Jenny connected the dots.
“That’s what I gathered from bits and pieces I overheard.”
“What’s the rush? Couldn’t they get married on the show?”
“That’s a question for Crystal.”
Jenny dropped Heather off at the inn and went home. Star was sitting on the porch, sipping a glass of iced tea.
“It’s getting too hot,” she observed. “I made dinner.”
“Do I have time for a shower?” Jenny asked her.
She put on an old tank top and a fresh pair of shorts. Star had grilled some sea bass and made a green salad.
“Any news on that poor girl?” Star asked as they began eating.
Jenny shook her head.
“Adam hasn’t given up anything yet. I met Crystal’s mom today. She’s a cold fish.”
“What else do you expect from these Hollywood types?” Star snorted.
“She’s lying through her teeth, Aunt.”
“Oh?”
“First she said she didn’t know Bella at all. Then she said she barely knew her. She’s definitely hiding something.”
“Where was she when all this happened?”
“She was standing right there, a few feet away from me.”
“She couldn’t be involved, in that case.”
“At least not directly,” Jenny conceded. “That’s going to be a big problem actually. Everyone other than Wayne, the groom, was standing right there. Plenty of people will vouch for them. Unless they paid someone else to do the deed, they didn’t have any opportunity to commit this crime.”
“Did the poor girl have any family?”
“Don’t know,” Jenny said, trying to remember something Adam had said.
“This looks like a tough one. Make sure you watch over your shoulder, Jenny. I don’t want you putting yourself in danger.”
“Do you think I should drop the whole thing?”
“Why are you doing it, sweetie? Do you feel any obligation to Crystal?”
Jenny laughed nervously.
“Just because she made me a bridesmaid?”
Star didn’t say anything.
“Last time, I was trying to pull you out of trouble. I would have done it whatever the cost.”
“I know that, and I’m grateful.”
“Now I’m doing it because it seems like the right thing to do. And I don’t see anyone else standing up for that poor girl.”
“You’re smarter than most people. I have no doubt you are going to crack this wide open.”
“I wish I was that confident,” Jenny muttered.
She watched TV with her aunt for a while and stepped out for her walk. The air was perfumed with a familiar scent of roses and gardenias. The house next to her lit up like a Christmas tree after she walked a few steps, set off by the motion detectors. Jenny looked up longingly at the three storey house that sat empty next to her aunt’s little cottage. Seaview was the stuff of dreams. She imagined herself standing on the little balcony overlooking the ocean, wrapped in a pair of strong arms. She just wasn’t sure who those arms belonged to.
A bark sounded in the distance and a large hairy body leaped through the air and almost struck her down.
“Tank! You little beast!”
She kissed the yellow Labrador on his head and scratched him under his ears. His tongue wagged as he ran in circles around Jenny.
“Where is he?” Jenny whispered in Tank’s ear.
“Stop bothering her, Tank!” Adam’s voice boomed as he came up to Jenny.
“You know I don’t mind him,” Jenny said, holding Tank’s collar in her hand. “Long day?”
Adam rubbed his eyes and sighed.
“I’m trying to go easy on the pain pills.”
His distressed expression told Jenny it was taking a toll.
“You’re hardly leaning on the cane now.”
“You noticed that,” Adam stuttered.
“Of course I did. You’ll be walking without it soon. Not that I care. I don’t mind either way. It’s just…”
Jenny realized she was bumbling like an idiot. She stopped and looked at Adam. He was looking at her with an intense expression.
They both laughed nervously.
“I used crutches for a long time,” Adam told her. “Then this cane.”
“Will it be odd to walk without it?” Jenny asked.
“Yes,” Adam nodded. A hopeful smile spread across his face. “I can’t wait.”
Chapter 6
A group of nubile young girls trooped into the Boardwalk Café. The sun had barely risen a foot over the horizon. Jenny had just finished serving Captain Charlie. He was usually one of their first customers of the day.
The girls wanted to sit out on the deck. They waved at Jenny as they went out. She recognized them from the wedding party. They were Crystal’s bridesmaids.
“We stayed up all night drinking champagne and watching movies,” one girl tittered. “We are so hungry! We thought we’d come check out your place.”
“I’m starving!” another one of them added. “What can you get us for breakfast?”
They all looked like clones
of each other, tall, perfectly sculpted and tow headed. Jenny got to work in the kitchen making crab omelets. It was another summer recipe she was trying to perfect.
“Can we get mimosas?” one girl piped up.
“Sorry, we don’t serve alcohol,” Jenny said with a grimace. “I can get you fresh coffee.”
Petunia brought over a basket of warm muffins and the girls shifted their attention to the food. One of the girls got up after a few minutes and walked to the kitchen.
Jenny looked up as she flipped an omelet on the café’s grill.
“These muffins are delish,” the girl said, picking tiny pieces from one she held in her hand. “Do you make them from scratch?”
“Of course,” Jenny smiled. “Everything we cook here is made from scratch. It’s my own recipe.”
“You’re a great cook.”
Jenny was trying hard to remember the girl’s name. It was something exotic.
“I’m Rainbow,” the girl offered.
“Oh yeah…” Jenny’s face cleared. “I’m glad ya’ll came here today.”
She didn’t know what else to say.
“I heard you’re going to find out who killed Bella?”
“I’m not sure someone killed her,” Jenny said nervously. “Maybe she just fell off the plane.”
“Not Bella.”
“Did you know her?”
“I guess.”
“Were you surprised to see her?”
“It was a shock! Who would’ve thunk, huh?”
“She seemed quite young.”
“She was. We are all about the same age. In our twenties, you know…”
The girl paused when she said that.
“Bella was the youngest, barely twenty two.”
Jenny thought of her college going son.
“That’s awfully young.”
Rainbow’s eyes filled up.
“She deserves justice, you know.”
“I agree. I am going to try and get to the bottom of it.”
Another girl came up and dragged Rainbow back to their table. Jenny could hear their noisy talk as she plated their food. Bella Darling would never have breakfast with her friends again.
The girls lingered over their meal, chatting nonstop. They were still there when the Magnolias began to trickle in one by one.
“Who’s hogging our table?” Betty Sue Morse grumbled, pulling her knitting needles out of her bag.