Pelican Cove Cozy Mystery Series Box Set 1

by Leena Clover

  Heather emitted a cry as she recognized them.

  “They’re from the bridal party,” she squealed and went out to greet them.

  Rainbow turned around and looked at Jenny. There was a question in her eyes but she didn’t say anything. Jenny wondered what the girl wanted from her.

  Jenny was worked off her feet for the rest of the day. She walked over to the police station on her way home, hoping to pick Adam’s brain again.

  Adam Hopkins sat in his office with his bum leg propped up on a chair. Experience told Jenny he was going to be in a bad mood.

  “Howdy!” she greeted him cheerfully.

  “What do you want?” he snapped.

  “What’s the latest on Bella Darling?” Jenny thought it best to cut to the chase.

  Adam’s expression told her she was being a pain in the neck.

  “We are getting ready to release a statement. That is the only reason I am going to tell you this.”

  Jenny sat down with a thump, eager to hear what was coming.

  “The victim, Bella Darling, died from the impact. She was carrying two parachutes. Both of them had been messed with.”

  “What?” Jenny cried out. “That means…”

  “This is a murder investigation.”

  “What do you mean, messed with?”

  “Her main parachute had been slashed. The backup parachute she was carrying had been turned off.”

  “Why would someone do that?”

  “That’s what we have to find out.”

  “What about her family? Has anyone come to claim her?”

  “She was married. Her husband should be arriving soon.”

  “She was barely 22,” Jenny whispered.

  “How do you know that?” Adam asked sharply.

  “One of the bridesmaids mentioned it.”

  Jenny spent a few minutes processing what Adam had told her.

  “Why was she wearing a wedding dress?” Jenny asked Adam. “And what about that giant sapphire around her neck? Was it real?”

  “It was real alright. It’s valued at some ridiculous price, over a hundred thousand dollars.”

  Jenny let out a gasp.

  “That much?”

  “The wedding dress, the sapphire, it’s all part of the puzzle. I guess it’s safe to say she wanted to disrupt Crystal’s wedding.”

  “So it was a publicity stunt after all.”

  “Whatever it was, it went horribly wrong,” Adam sighed. “It was the last thing the poor girl did in her life.”

  “Who’s your main suspect?”

  “I’m not going to tell you that, Jenny.”

  “Isn’t the spouse the most obvious pick?”

  “We will have to establish his whereabouts at the time the crime occurred. We don’t know anything about him at this point.”

  “What about Wayne Newman? He was on that plane too.”

  “I think everyone knows that, Jenny.”

  “That makes him the most obvious suspect. Surely he’s not that foolish.”

  “We are still questioning him.”

  “What about Crystal and the other guests?”

  “We will be talking to everyone. That includes you since you were present at the scene of the crime.”

  “Just say when, Adam. I hope you solve this case as soon as possible. That poor girl needs justice.”

  “We’ll do fine if people stop meddling and let us do our job.”

  “Some people welcome extra help.”

  Adam refused to take the bait.

  “I hear Mandy James is hard at it. She’s going to put you to work soon. Why not leave the detecting to the police?”

  “Don’t worry about me, Adam. I can multitask.”

  “You’re a stubborn woman, Jenny.”

  “I’ve been called worse,” Jenny laughed.

  She pushed her chair back although she was reluctant to leave. Adam looked up at her.

  “How about grabbing a bite at Ethan’s? The catch must be coming in now.”

  Ethan Hopkins was Adam’s brother. He had a fish shack in town, famous for serving the best fried seafood on the coast.

  “Sorry, can’t,” Jenny said. “Jason’s taking me to dinner.”

  “Of course he is,” Adam mumbled, curling his fists under the table.

  “Can I take a rain check?” Jenny asked. “We can go to Ethan’s later this week.”

  “We’ll see,” Adam said evasively. “I’m pretty tied up for the next few days. I do have a murder to solve.”

  Jenny’s face fell. Adam realized he had been nasty on purpose. He almost apologized but something held him back. He didn’t want to force Jenny’s hand.

  Jenny walked home with an empty feeling in her heart. Had Adam been trying to say something?

  Jason Stone arrived at Jenny’s house in his luxury sedan an hour later. Jenny was ready, wearing a new summer dress she had ordered online.

  “Hello, pretty lady!” Jason whistled, offering his arm.

  Jenny grabbed it and waved goodbye to her aunt. Jason always made her smile. Unlike Adam, he wasn’t the brooding type. Jenny told herself to forget about Adam Hopkins for the rest of the evening.

  “Where are we going tonight?” she asked.

  Jason knew a lot of good restaurants up and down the coast of the Eastern Shore. He took Jenny to a new place every time.

  “You like Mexican, don’t you?”

  Jenny fiddled with the radio, trying to tune in to a jazz station.

  Jason regaled her with something funny he had read on the Internet. The sun was setting as they reached the restaurant, an unassuming place in a strip mall.

  “Wait till you taste their fish tacos,” Jason crowed.

  The server brought over a basket of fresh fried tortilla chips with red and green salsa.

  “So you’re serious about this girl, huh?” Jason asked.

  Jenny guessed he was referring to Bella.

  “I just spoke with Adam. They have confirmed it was foul play.”

  “Be careful, Jenny,” Jason said, taking her hand in his. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Star’s already warned me to watch my back,” she muttered. “Adam thinks I am crazy to do this. And now you…”

  “We care about you,” Jason said with emotion. “I don’t know how I got along without you.”

  “Aren’t you exaggerating?” she asked in surprise.

  “Of course I am,” Jason said with a laugh. “But honestly, I am glad you came to Pelican Cove.”

  “I didn’t have much of a choice, Jason. You know my husband kicked me out of my home.”

  “You have a choice now,” Jason said.

  Jenny’s divorce settlement had come through a few days ago. She had the means to live wherever she wanted now. Jason was one of the few people who knew that.

  “Pelican Cove feels like home now. I don’t want to go anywhere else.”

  “Not even to some exotic tropical island?” Jason teased.

  “I have my exotic island right here.”

  The tacos came and Jenny gorged on them with relish.

  “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 Crys
tal’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 sh
e 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.”