by Leena Clover
“We don’t know when the prescription was filled.”
“But you can find out?”
“I’ll look into it,” Adam promised. “But it may not be that easy,” he warned. “We will probably need a warrant.”
“Do what you think is best.”
Heather and Jenny lingered outside while Adam made a few calls. He came out just as they were saying goodbye to the desk clerk.
“How about going to Ethan’s?” Adam asked. “I could use a bite to eat. I skipped lunch today.”
Jenny looked at her watch reluctantly.
“Sorry. I’m meeting Jason in five minutes.”
Adam turned around and walked to his car without a word.
“Did you have to blow him off?” Heather grumbled.
“I really have an appointment with Jason,” Jenny stressed. “It’s important.”
“Are you just playing hard to get?”
“No, Heather! I need to talk to Jason about a business matter.”
Jenny crossed the street and walked two doors down to Jason’s office.
“Come on in,” he called out to her.
Jenny grabbed a soda from the small refrigerator in Jason’s office. She sat down heavily and took a few sips of the cold drink.
“What do you have for me?”
“It looks tough.”
“Do I have enough funds in my account? That’s all I want to know.”
“You do, Jenny. But if you spend this, you won’t have a cushion until next year. You’ll have barely enough for any incidental expenses.”
“I don’t need much,” she shrugged. “Living in Pelican Cove is really cheap.”
“What about Nick’s college fees?”
“His father is paying those. They don’t come out of my account.”
“I still wouldn’t advise it, Jenny.”
“Is it going to solve our problems?”
“You know there will always be something else.”
“Of course, but I am just talking about the contest. I love this town, Jason. And if there’s even a slight chance we could be the Prettiest Town in America, I don’t want to stand in the way.”
“How do you know Petunia wants this?”
“Are you kidding? She’s lived here almost all her life. She wants to win too.”
“So when are you giving her the good news?”
“I’m not,” Jenny said. “You are.”
“How do you mean?”
“The Boardwalk Café is going to get a silent partner. It will be just enough to cover the cost of refurbishment.”
“Jenny, you’re investing almost a year’s income in this. Are you sure you don’t want credit for it?”
“I’m sure, Jason. I have to work side by side with Petunia every day. I don’t want her to feel beholden to me.”
“Jenny King,” Jason said, his eyes shining with admiration. “You’re something else.”
“Stop flattering me,” Jenny blushed, slapping Jason on the arm. “Now what about that other matter?”
“I have good news,” Jason exulted. “Our offer has been accepted.”
Jenny felt her heart speed up.
“What does that mean?” she asked, leaning forward in her seat.
“We are in escrow, Jenny!”
“We are?”
“You are now the owner of a charming sea facing three storied Victorian.”
“Seaview,” Jenny whispered lovingly. “Is it really mine?”
“Congratulations, Jenny! This is a big leap for you. You are a home owner in Pelican Cove.”
“It’s like a dream come true.”
“Who do you want to tell first?”
“I’m calling Nick,” Jenny said, laughing and crying at the same time.
She fished her cell phone out of her purse and waved it around for a signal. Jason picked up his desk phone and placed it in front of Jenny.
“Call him from this. I can add it to your bill.”
They both laughed at that.
Jenny spent the next few minutes talking to her son while Jason looked on indulgently.
“What about fixing up Seaview?” Jenny asked after she hung up. “Do I have to wait until next year?”
“I already factored it in,” Jason told her. “You have a nice chunk of money set aside for repairs at Seaview.”
“Oh Jason, I am so happy!”
“Ready to share the news with everyone?”
“You remember our promise?” she asked Jason. “No one can know about my involvement in the café. No one.”
“I’m your lawyer, Jenny. You can trust me with your life.”
He took her hand and kissed it gently.
“You can trust me, period.”
Jenny sprang up and danced a little jig. She couldn’t have imagined this outcome in her wildest dreams. Just a few months ago, she had come to Pelican Cove with just the clothes on her back. A good divorce lawyer had made sure her cheating husband treated her fairly. It was the least she deserved after twenty years of marriage.
“Let’s go out and celebrate,” Jason said. “There’s this great seafood place on the boardwalk at Virginia Beach. They have oysters on the half shell and wood fire grilled fish.”
“Can I change first?” Jenny asked. “We can take Star with us, can’t we?”
“Of course we can,” Jason smiled. “What’s a celebration without family?”
Chapter 21
Jenny chatted with Captain Charlie early the next morning. The old salt had appeared on the steps of the Boardwalk Café at 6 AM sharp.
“How about a hot scone?” he asked. “Petunia’s been talking them up a lot.”
“Coming right up,” Jenny smiled. “I made strawberry jam to go with them.”
The phone rang at 8 AM. Petunia’s face broke into a big smile after she answered it. Jenny acted surprised.
“Someone wants to invest in the café,” Petunia said, her eyes saucer like in wonder. “He’s ready to pay for all the repairs the town committee wants us to do.”
“That’s great news,” Jenny said, giving her a hug. “You said yes, right?”
“Of course I did. Beggars can’t be choosers.”
“You’re not a beggar, Petunia. The Boardwalk Café is a landmark. Any investor should be proud to invest in such a well loved place.”
“All that is fine, dear, but anyone who’s putting up a big chunk of money is entitled to think what they want.”
“When do we meet this Santa Claus?”
Petunia’s expression said she wasn’t too happy with Jenny’s flippant tone.
“We don’t. That’s the condition.”
“Doesn’t matter to us,” Jenny shrugged. “Why don’t you call Barb and Mandy and rub it in their face?”
“What’s got into you, Jenny?” Petunia groaned but she giggled like a naughty girl.
“Call the contractor too while you’re at it.”
“One thing at a time,” Petunia said, pressing the buttons on the phone.
“Hola!” a deep voice came from the counter.
Jenny spotted Ray Fox standing there with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
“Good Morning, Ray. You’re out early today.”
“I came to say bye,” he said. “I want to thank you for all your help.”
“I didn’t really do anything,” Jenny said bitterly.
Her failure to find Bella’s killer still rankled.
“You did your best,” Ray Fox said with a shrug. “I guess we will never know what happened to my Bella.”
“Where are you off to?”
“Back home. I’m taking Bella with me.”
“So the police cleared you, I guess.”
“I can’t stay here indefinitely. Jason talked to them. They don’t have any evidence against me so they have to let me go.”
“When’s your flight?”
“I’m flying out from Norfolk later today. But I want to get a head start. I can’t wait to get out of h
ere.”
“I can understand,” Jenny nodded gloomily.
She wrapped a hot scone for him and poured coffee into a travel container.
“It’s on the house.”
Ray gave her an awkward hug. He was gone soon after that.
Petunia came out looking relieved.
“The contractor can start work today. We should be able to meet the town’s deadline by a whisker.”
The kitchen phone rang again and Jenny rushed inside to answer it.
“We’re going shopping!” Heather screamed over the phone. “I’m picking you up in five minutes, Jenny. Get ready.”
“You know I can’t leave the café…” Jenny objected. “What’s the rush?”
“Just be there, Jenny. We can talk on the way.”
A black stretch limo pulled up outside the café five minutes later. Heather’s head sprang up through the sun roof. She waved madly at Jenny, urging her to hurry.
“I think you better go, dear,” Petunia laughed. “Don’t worry about the café.”
A uniformed chauffer stepped out of the car and came around to the passenger side. He held the door open for Jenny. Jenny snatched her bag and ran down the stairs, unable to curb her excitement.
Crystal and Heather reclined against the plush seats, sipping glasses of champagne.
“What’s going on?”
“Just get in,” Heather urged. “We are shopping for Crystal’s wedding dress.”
“I’m getting married tomorrow,” Crystal preened, looking as cool as a cucumber.
“But I thought you were all leaving this weekend.”
“Tomorrow is our last day in town,” Crystal explained. “What better way to end this horrible trip?”
“Wayne’s going along with it then?”
“Of course he is,” Crystal told Jenny. “He proposed to me again last night. The studio’s thrilled. They are going to film everything this time and use it for the show.”
“Wow!” Jenny exclaimed, giving Heather a questioning look.
“Only bummer is, we just have one day to shop for the wedding.”
“Aren’t you wearing your Vera Wang?”
Crystal’s body quivered.
“That dress is jinxed. I’m getting something new from a local designer.”
Jenny was honest.
“I don’t think you can have a custom-made dress in a day, Crystal.”
“Throw enough money and you can get anything,” Crystal dismissed. “Mom’s already booked appointments for us with the area’s top designers. We can give them credit on the show. None of them is going to pass up this opportunity.”
“Crystal changed her wedding colors,” Heather enthused. “All the bridesmaids get new dresses too. I’ve got everyone’s measurements right here.”
“Where are all the other girls?” Jenny asked, noticing their absence.
“They are at the spa,” Crystal told them. “Everyone’s panicking because they are going on camera tomorrow.”
Jenny wondered why Crystal wasn’t at the spa too. But she kept her thoughts to herself.
“So I can get a dress that fits this time,” she joked.
“Why don’t you relax?” Crystal invited. “Sip some champagne. It’s Moe Chandon, compliments of the studio.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Jenny giggled nervously.
Jenny had spent her life attending parties where the finest French champagnes flowed like water. But she had missed them since coming to Pelican Cove.
“What’s our first stop?”
“Williamsburg,” Heather supplied. “Crystal wanted to go to Richmond but I talked her out of it. It’s too far.”
“Are we going to the outlets?” Jenny asked eagerly, already planning to squeeze in some discount shopping.
“Outlets?” Crystal asked, looking horrified. “We are not shopping retail, Jenny. Surely you know that.”
Jenny began feeling light-headed after an hour of sipping champagne. Heather pulled out some cheese and crackers from a picnic hamper. There was a jar of olive tapenade and a loaf of crusty bread. The girls feasted on them. Crystal refused to eat anything.
They spent a couple of hours in Williamsburg, visiting four different designers. Crystal tried on exactly one wedding gown at each place. Jenny thought she looked gorgeous in every one of them, but Crystal rejected them all.
“Can we stop for lunch?” Heather asked.
“We can eat in the car,” Crystal told them. “I ordered Chinese food.”
The car sped north toward Hampton Roads while the girls feasted on the greasy salty food.
Crystal tried on two more wedding gowns. She fumed when a designer showed her a mermaid design.
“This is so last year!”
Their next stop was on the outskirts of Virginia Beach. Thankfully, Crystal fell in love with the gown. It came with black gloves and a big bow at the back. Crystal announced it was suitably ‘au courant’.
The bridesmaids got dresses in pale blue.
“Wayne’s meeting us for dinner in Virginia Beach,” Crystal announced, reading a text from her phone. “We are going to this fancy seafood place on the boardwalk.”
“I’ve been there with Jason,” Jenny told them. “It’s really fancy.”
“As fancy as this place can get, I suppose,” Crystal quipped.
Wayne was already at their table when they reached the restaurant. They ordered a tower of seafood, with oysters, crab legs and jumbo shrimp. Crab cakes followed, with grilled fish and seared scallops.
“Have you ordered the whole menu, Wayne?” Jenny asked him.
She dipped a giant shrimp into cocktail sauce and exclaimed as she was about to bite into it.
“What’s he doing here?”
Jenny had spotted someone who looked like Ray Fox. She stood up and walked over to the table. She had guessed right.
“You’re still here?” she burst out.
“My flight was delayed,” he told her. “Someone recommended this restaurant so I took a cab and came here.”
Jenny thought it was a long way to travel just for some seafood.
“All the way from Norfolk?”
“I have nothing else to do,” Ray shrugged. “I’m glad I came. This place is really something, huh?”
Jenny went back to her table after that. Crystal and Wayne were arguing about Jordan almonds. Crystal wanted a mix of white and pale blue nuts to match her wedding colors. Wayne didn’t know what the fuss was about.
“I know a shop here that sells them,” Heather said eagerly. “Why don’t we go check it out, Crystal? They do bulk orders. You can get a few pounds for tomorrow.”
Crystal agreed immediately. They decided to walk to the store to work off their meal.
Atlantic Avenue was crowded, with tourists jostling each other for space. Jenny and Heather walked arm in arm, followed by Wayne and Crystal. Wayne was talking about how he had liked the multicolored Jordan almonds as a kid. They stopped to cross the street as the light turned red.
Jenny suddenly felt her knees buckle as she fell into the oncoming traffic. She landed on her side as horns blared and a large SUV screeched to a stop barely inches from her face. Jenny felt the ground spin as she blacked out momentarily.
The next thing she knew, she was sitting on a small stool on the sidewalk. Heather and Wayne were fawning over her, asking if she was hurt. Crystal stood a few feet away, looking at her in disgust.
“You’re bleeding!” Heather exclaimed as she noticed Jenny’s dress. The right side of her body was soaked in blood.
Wayne pulled out a handkerchief and started dabbing her arm with it. One of the onlookers handed over a bottle of water. Wayne washed her hand and gently wiped the blood off.
“I think it’s just a flesh wound,” he said. “You must have cut your arm on something.”
Jenny felt a searing pain in her shoulder. Her arm didn’t respond when she tried to raise it.
“Looks like you dislocated your shoulder,”
another guy on the sidewalk offered. “There’s an urgent care place a couple of miles out. You should get yourself checked out.”
“Let’s just go home,” Jenny pleaded.
Wayne would have none of it. They took her to the 24 hour clinic. The man on the street had been right about Jenny’s shoulder. The doctor popped it back in place and gave her a sling to wear. She had a few more scratches and one big cut on her arm. She had to get a tetanus shot because she didn’t remember when she had her last one.
The limo sped home over the Chesapeake Bay and crossed the bridge leading to Pelican Cove.
“I’m so sorry about all this,” Wayne apologized as he helped Jenny out of the car.
Crystal had dozed off, probably piqued by all the attention Jenny was getting.
There were a few figures sitting out on Star’s porch.
“Jenny!”
Three different voices cried out in the night.
Jenny looked up to see Adam and Jason standing on either side of her aunt.
“What are you doing here?”
“Adam wanted to ask you out for a walk,” Star explained. “Jason brought dinner.”
“What happened, Jenny?” Adam demanded curtly. “Are you hurt?”
“How did this happen?” Jason asked sharply.
Jenny gave them the Cliff Notes version.
“It’s getting late,” she said meaningfully, tipping her head at Wayne.
Jason thanked Wayne and accepted his impromptu wedding invitation.
Adam opened his mouth as soon as the limo went out of sight. Jason stopped him.
“Let’s get her settled in.”
“I’m fine,” Jenny stressed. “It’s just a few cuts and bruises…”
“And a dislocated shoulder,” Star guessed.
“Think carefully, Jenny,” Adam said after she was ensconced in an armchair inside the cottage.
Star had pressed a steaming mug of tea in her hand and covered her with a soft rug.
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
“I don’t know. We were standing on the sidewalk, waiting to cross the road. I must have lost my balance.”
“Or someone pushed you,” Jason said bluntly.
“Where was Wayne Newman when this happened?” Adam asked grimly.
“He was right behind me.”
Chapter 22