by Leena Clover
“Jason’s in court. He won’t be back until later today.”
“What do we do now?” Star asked with a frown. “Is he going to lock my Jenny up?”
“Let’s all go to the police station,” Betty Sue said grimly. “We will wear him down.”
“You don’t think we are going to scare Adam, do you?” Molly asked. “What if he arrests us all.”
“I want to see him try!”
“Calm down, Grandma,” Heather warned Betty Sue. “You need to watch your blood pressure.”
“Hush, Heather,” Betty Sue shushed her.
She looked at Star and Petunia. The two older women got the signal and stood up. They hurried down the steps to the boardwalk.
“Wait!” Molly called after them. “I’m coming with you too.”
Heather’s phone dinged just then and she began tapping keys on her phone.
The women were panting and sweating by the time they descended on the police station. Betty Sue’s face looked like a ripe tomato.
“Where is she?” Star yelled. “Where’s my Jenny”?
Nora, the desk clerk, pointed at a closed door.
“With the boss. Ya’ll will have to wait outside.”
The women started talking at once. A door banged and Adam came out, looking furious.
“What’s all this ruckus?” he demanded.
“Have you arrested my Jenny?” Star shot back. “We have come to rescue her.”
“Jenny’s fine,” Adam sighed. “She’s answering a few questions. You can wait for her here if you promise to be quiet.”
“I want to see her,” Star insisted.
Adam peeked into the small room and said something. Jenny came out and waved at them.
“Where’s Jason?”
“Jason won’t be back until later today,” Molly explained. “You’re on your own until then.”
“I’ll be fine, I guess,” Jenny said uncertainly. “It’s not like I killed the man.”
She glared at Adam Hopkins before she went back into the room.
“You’re so busted!” Molly told Adam.
Adam leaned on his stick and limped back into the room.
The ladies sat down and waited impatiently for Jenny. It took a while for the facts to sink in.
Betty Sue voiced the question everyone wanted an answer to.
“Who killed Lily’s boy?”
Chapter 10
“I hope you gave that boy a piece of his mind,” Betty Sue fumed.
She had still not forgiven Adam for the way he treated Jenny. Jenny herself wasn’t feeling too kindly toward Adam. But she assumed he needed to do his job.
“He’s very particular about his duties as the sheriff,” she said diplomatically.
“Bah!” Betty Sue exclaimed. “He’s too full of himself, you mean.”
“Have you met Jason yet?” Heather asked.
“I’m going to,” Jenny said. “In fact, I’m leaving right now.”
“Jason’s the better man,” Star butted in. She clearly preferred Jason over Adam. “I hope you don’t find that out the hard way, Jenny.”
Jenny didn’t take the bait. She walked to Jason’s office. He had come in late the previous night. He didn’t know much about the drama that had unfolded.
Unlike Adam, Jason had a quirky sense of humor. But he could be serious when needed. He cut to the chase.
“Does Adam think you are a suspect?”
“He called me a person of interest, but that’s just mumbo jumbo.”
“What exactly did he ask you, Jenny?”
Jenny gave an account of her conversation at the police station.
“Do you know why he thinks you are involved?”
“I talked to Keith a couple of times,” Jenny shrugged. “Apparently, I’m the only person in town to do that.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Surely he did other stuff? He must have gone to the pub, or grabbed dinner somewhere.”
“How much trouble am I in, Jason? Do I need to rustle up bail money?”
“I hope not,” Jason said in a steely voice. “You know Adam. He likes to act first and think later. I’m going to talk to him.”
“So looks like someone had it in for Keith,” Jenny mused. “Will you contact his family?”
“I already passed on that information to the police,” Jason said. “I doubt he’ll be missed. His father’s memory failed long ago. Ann and Ricky are his only living relatives as far as I know.”
“Poor guy,” Jenny breathed. “I want to find out what happened to him, Jason.”
“I strongly advise against that,” Jason warned. “You are already involved. Don’t make things worse for yourself.”
“You said it,” Jenny argued. “I’m involved anyway. The only way I can clear myself is by finding the person who did it.”
“Where are you going to start?” Jason asked, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair. “What do you know about Keith Bennet?”
“You are going to help me,” Jenny said sweetly. “Can’t you have someone run a background check?”
“You want me to hire an investigator so you can play Nancy Drew? Isn’t that a bit much?”
“We just need to know about his past,” Jenny said firmly. “Like where he lived before he came here. Did he work somewhere? Was he married? Stuff like that.”
“And that’s going to be enough for you?”
Jenny smiled coyly.
“It’s a start.”
Jenny picked up Heather at the Bayview Inn that evening.
“Do we have to go?” she groaned. “I just want to put my feet up and watch a movie.”
“You started this whole thing,” Heather teased.
“I didn’t,” Jenny shook her head. “I don’t know where Barb got the idea.”
“You took the initiative and made those posters, didn’t you? Barb’s your big fan now. She’s going around telling everyone how you’re almost a native now.”
The Save our Library committee was meeting at the town hall. The older ladies had saved them some seats. Star patted an empty one beside her when she saw Jenny. Barb eyed her and lunged toward Jenny.
“Your place is right here, up on the stage.”
“Oh Barb. I couldn’t.”
“Take credit where it’s due. You’re the driving force behind this effort.”
Heather grinned mischievously.
“What did I tell you?” she mouthed.
Dale sat on the stage next to Jenny. He was wearing a suit and tie.
“They are going to be blown away,” he told Jenny.
Clearly, he wasn’t lacking in confidence.
The lights dimmed and Dale stood up to start his presentation. Jenny had to admit he did a good job. The idea he presented was new to her. She wasn’t sure how well it would work.
“Sounds like tommyrot to me,” Betty Sue spoke up. “So someone pays me money to read a book? Why can’t they just put the money in a drop box?”
“A read-a-thon is much more than that,” Dale hastened to explain. “You are achieving several objectives at once. You nurture a love for reading among your population, young or old. People donate money to encourage that and also to further your cause.”
“Let the people speak for themselves, Betty Sue,” Barb Norton called out. “You can cast your vote like everyone else.”
“Did that stuff make any sense to you?” Star asked Jenny as they waited at Mama Rosa’s for their pizza.
“A bit,” Jenny said with a frown. “People will donate money for a certain number of pages read, or hours. And they will also donate in terms of effort. And the best part is they can do both.”
“There’s a limit to how much people will shell out. That’s why we have a funding issue in the first place.”
“Don’t forget the tourists,” Jenny reminded her aunt. “Petunia said we are having an unprecedented season this year. The hayrides and the autumn fair will draw in more people.”
“Why would a t
ourist care about our library?”
“Why does a donor care about anything?” Jenny asked. “They are just being charitable.”
“What about the prizes that Dale guy mentioned?”
“We’ll find out when the time comes.”
Jenny was glad for the motion detectors at Seaview. The grounds lit up before they went in. Jenny settled into her couch and took a big bite of pizza.
“Why isn’t Jimmy here?” she asked her aunt.
Jimmy Parsons hadn’t made an appearance since they moved into Seaview.
“He’s out of town,” Star told her. “Should be back tomorrow.”
“What’s he doing out of town?”
“No idea,” Star said with a shrug.
Aunt and niece ate their dinner and talked about mundane things. Jenny tried on the new dress which had arrived by special delivery. She looked like her old self in the mirror. But she had come a long way from being a bored and ignored wife.
Jason’s eyes gleamed with admiration as he held the car door open for Jenny. Jenny enjoyed the heated seats and swanky sound system in the luxury car. Jason played her favorite blues hits and Jenny forgot about Keith Bennet for a while.
Jenny was happy to see she didn’t stick out like a sore thumb at the law society dinner. She struck up a conversation with an attractive young brunette in the ladies room.
“You are one lucky woman,” the girl crooned. “If I had a guy like him, I would hold on to him for life.”
“Jason and I aren’t married,” Jenny hastened to explain. “We are just friends.”
“Then you don’t mind if I make a move?” the girl asked brashly.
“Aren’t you here with someone?”
“My douche of a date stood me up. Didn’t go down well with my partners, I can tell you.”
“You’re a lawyer?” Jenny asked.
“I handle divorce,” the girl nodded. “These dinners can get pretty boring. Your man is like a breath of fresh air.”
Jenny felt uncomfortable in the brazen girl’s company. She muttered goodbye and turned to leave.
“Oh by the way, I’m Kandy,” the girl said. “Kandy with a K.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Jenny said politely.
Jason was deep in conversation with a bunch of suits. Jenny waited for him at the bar. Kandy cornered Jason the moment he started walking toward Jenny. Jason smiled politely and made small talk with the girl. Jenny knew he would never be rude.
“That is one aggressive woman,” she said when Jason finally joined her.
“Kandy? She seemed sweet.”
Jenny was tense as she baked a batch of muffins at the café. Adam hadn’t talked to her since he had whisked her to the station. He seemed to have forgotten everything about their trip.
Molly rushed in when Jenny was chatting with Captain Charlie.
“Molly! It’s barely 6 AM. What are you doing here so early?”
Molly widened her eyes and tipped her neck at Captain Charlie.
“I couldn’t sleep. How about some coffee, Jenny?”
“Have a good day, ladies!” Captain Charlie smiled and walked out with his coffee and muffin.
“Wait till you hear this, Jenny. Let’s go in.”
Jenny took Molly out on the deck. The early morning chill made her shiver. There wasn’t a single soul on the beach that morning.
“You remember Mrs. Daft?” Molly asked urgently. “My neighbor?”
“You mean the woman who rented her room to Keith?” Jenny asked.
Molly nodded eagerly.
“Look what she found!”
She pulled a chain out of her pocket and dangled it before Jenny.
“Does this belong to Keith?”
“She cleaned the room after the police handed it over to her. This was lying in a dresser drawer.”
“How could the police not find it?”
“I don’t know,” Molly said impatiently. “Do you want to look at it or not?”
“How many people have rented that room this year, Molly?” Jenny asked with her hands on her hips.
“I don’t know. Plenty, I guess.”
“How do you know this belongs to Keith then? It could have been there forever if it was that well hidden.”
“Or Keith hid it really well for a reason.”
“Is it gold?”
“I doubt it,” Molly said, eyeing the chain.
It was tarnished beyond recognition. It was hard to say if it had been gold or silver once.
“So it’s not valuable?” Jenny asked with a sigh. “Looks like a piece of junk to me.”
Molly’s face fell.
“It might have sentimental value.”
Jenny put the chain in her apron pocket.
“We can look at it later. I have to go.”
The line of people waiting for coffee stretched out to the sidewalk. Jenny apologized and offered a free muffin to the first ten people in the line.
The Magnolias arrived one by one. Jenny got off her feet and dug into a muffin. She was dreaming about getting a day off.
“So?” Molly asked as she hurried up to the deck from the boardwalk. “Did you show it to them?”
“I almost forgot,” Jenny said.
She pulled out the chain from her pocket and put it on the table.
“Molly’s neighbor found this. We don’t know if it belonged to Keith.”
“Have you checked inside?” Betty Sue asked, picking up the chain.
“Huh?” Jenny asked.
Betty Sue pressed some point and the locket sprang open.
“These kind of lockets were very popular when I was a young woman,” she told them.
“There are two pictures inside,” Betty Sue said, squinting her eyes.
Her eyes filled up as she peered at the photos.
“This is Lily’s boy alright. He was one good looking fella.”
Jenny thought about how unkempt Keith Bennet had been. He had lost his looks along with his youth.
“Hand it over, Betty Sue,” Star ordered. “I might remember the boy.”
“There’s a girl’s picture here,” Betty Sue said, holding on to the locket. “But she doesn’t look like Lily’s girl.”
“She must have been his girlfriend,” Heather giggled.
The locket was passed around the table. Everyone looked at the photos and made some comment. Jenny snapped a few pictures of the locket and the photos with her cell phone.
“You’re sure this is Keith?” she asked Betty Sue. “This belongs with the police. I have to turn it in. You better come with me, Molly.”
Chapter 11
Jenny stifled a yawn as she dipped hot donuts in glaze.
“You look worn out,” Petunia said sympathetically.
“You work as much as I do,” Jenny observed. “But you always look fresh as a peach.”
“Go on now,” Petunia blushed. “No need to flatter me. You forget I’ve been doing this for twenty five years. I am used to it. And you’ve taken most of the work off my hands.”
“I can’t imagine taking care of the café alone,” Jenny said honestly.
“Take a day off,” Petunia pressed. “Why don’t you youngsters do something fun? Go on a picnic or something.”
Heather and Molly wholeheartedly embraced the idea of a picnic.
“Let me call Chris,” Heather said.
“He loves the idea,” Molly said before Heather could place the call. “He just texted me. He knows the perfect place.”
“Are you going to invite Adam?” Heather asked Jenny.
“He hasn’t spoken to me in a while,” Jenny said. “He might give me a wide berth until the case is solved.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Star said. “What if the case is never solved?”
“Keith deserves better than that.”
“You barely knew the guy, Jenny,” Heather said with a smirk. “How do you know what he deserved?”
“Surely no one deserves to be killed in cold blood
?”
“How goes the search for the missing women?” Betty Sue asked.
“I’ve barely had any time to work on that,” Jenny admitted. “I made a few calls using the phone book. I tracked down a couple of women on the list. One of them was found dead later. It seems she took her life.”
“How sad,” Molly sighed.
“One of them came back a couple of years later. So she’s not missing anymore.”
“Where was she for a couple of years?” Heather asked.
“I didn’t ask,” Jenny said. “I am thinking she needed a time out.”
The older women exchanged knowing looks at that.
“How many more names do you have on the list?” Star asked. “You want me to make some calls when I get home?”
“Would you?” Jenny asked. “That will be a big help.”
“So you’ve got a long way to go before we find out who Mrs. Bones is,” Heather noted.
“There’s a family in the next town. Their young girl went missing some years ago. I want to go talk to them.”
“Just say when,” Heather said. “You know I’m your wingman.”
“Wing woman,” Molly corrected her. “Or wing person.”
“Whatever, Molls!” Heather snapped. “Who cares!”
Jenny hoped she wasn’t around when Heather found out about Molly’s date at the Steakhouse.
Two days later, the girls were piling into a big SUV. Chris was at the wheel. Heather was about to climb into the front seat when Chris held her off.
“Why don’t you come on front, Molls?”
Molly nudged Heather aside and sat next to Chris. Jenny placed a big wicker basket on the back seat and patted the space next to it.
“Come on Heather, we’re getting late.”
“I hope we have enough food,” Jenny said.
“Don’t worry,” Chris assured her. “There’s a great restaurant overlooking the beach. We are going there for lunch.”
“I thought this was a picnic,” Heather pouted. “Aren’t we supposed to sit on blankets and eat something from that basket?”
“We’ll do that too,” Chris consoled her. “Okay?”
“I hope you don’t feel outnumbered,” Molly murmured to Chris.
“We might even out the numbers later,” Chris said cryptically.
Chris drove at a leisurely pace, and they passed signs for several small towns. Chris regaled them with stories about houses he had sold in those towns. He made a turn about an hour later and drove down a single lane road. The trees grew dense and formed a canopy over their heads. They came upon a cluster of homes and Chris pulled up in front of a corner house.