by Leena Clover
“Do you think she was capable of harming her?” Jenny asked.
“Of course not!” Brandon said indignantly. “What kind of question is that?”
“Are you willing to talk to me?” Jenny asked him. “We need to figure out what happened that night.”
Brandon sat down at the edge of the bed and waved his hand toward a couch set against the wall. Jenny accepted the silent invitation and sat down.
“What do you want to know?” Brandon asked, rubbing his eyes.
“When was the last time you ate something?” Heather demanded, noting the circles under Brandon’s eyes.
He gave her a vague look. Heather stood up to leave.
“You can call the kitchen from here,” Brandon said weakly. “But I’m not really hungry. I just want Kelly back.”
Heather picked up the phone and pressed the code for the kitchen. She asked them to send food and coffee to the room.
“Where did you meet Kelly?” Jenny asked Brandon, hoping to ease into the conversation.
“At a party ... we hit it off.”
“So it was love at first sight?” Jenny smiled.
“I was smitten,” Brandon nodded. “I asked her out right away.”
“Were you seeing Megan at that time?”
Brandon gave a snort.
“Megan had dumped me weeks ago. I had been mooning over her. But I forgot all about Megan when I went out with Kelly.”
“When did you see her last on the night of the party?”
“Around 11 PM?” Brandon wasn’t sure.
There was a knock on the door. A maid appeared with a tray of food. Heather forced Brandon to eat while Jenny took him through her set of questions. Nothing new came out of it. Brandon and Kelly had met Megan in the city. The girls seemed to get along well. Brandon hadn’t realized he had spent more time with Megan at the party than he had with Kelly. According to him, he was just being a good host.
Jenny and Heather made a detour to the kitchen before they left. The fried chicken was pronounced perfect and Jenny begged the cook for the recipe.
“He’s devastated,” Heather remarked as Jenny drove back down the hill into town.
“What happened to Brandon’s guests?” Jenny asked. “Are they still in town?”
Heather had the contact information for a couple of Brandon’s friends. She had met them at the party. She pulled out her phone and forwarded the info to Jenny.
“Are you going to call them now?” Heather asked.
“No time like the present,” Jenny said, pulling up in front of the café.
Jenny went in and called Brandon’s friends, armed with her usual questions.
“Brandon may be grieving now,” one of them said. “But all was not well. There was trouble in paradise.”
“Oh?”
Jenny crossed her fingers, wondering what the man on the phone was about to reveal.
“Kelly was having an affair. At least Brandon thought she was.”
Chapter 7
Jenny shared what she had learned from Brandon’s friends with Heather the next morning. The two friends talked as they worked in the kitchen at the Boardwalk Café.
Jenny browned onions in a pot. She was trying out a new recipe for shrimp curry. Locals and tourists loved her food and she kept them happy by coming up with monthly specials. She had regularly cooked curry when she lived in the city and had once attended a class where they taught how to make authentic Indian curry. Over the years, Jenny had broken down the recipe into something simple that used regular grocery store ingredients.
“Do you believe this guy?” Heather asked her.
Heather was peeling garlic, a task she didn’t relish at all.
“Hard to say,” Jenny said, scraping the brown bits at the bottom of the pan where the onion was beginning to stick. “But there’s no smoke without fire.”
“Was he just being nasty?”
“Kelly’s gone,” Jenny reasoned. “Why would this guy want to smear her name?”
“Maybe she snubbed him,” Heather shrugged. “Or, he’s just stirring up trouble, having a laugh.”
“That sounds mean.”
“Yeah, but people do that, Jenny.”
When Brandon’s friend talked about Kelly having an affair, Jenny hadn’t known what to think. He hadn’t volunteered many details, just that Brandon suspected Kelly. Had Brandon intended to go ahead with the wedding? Or was he just biding time, trying to find out what Kelly was up to. Jenny reluctantly admitted that this gave Brandon a motive. Had he and Kelly had a fight about it? A fight that ended in Kelly landing in the pool?
“We need to go check out that pool,” Jenny said to Heather. “Do you know where it is?”
“It’s about fifty yards from that courtyard where we had the party. I used to go there a lot when I was a child.”
“How does one get there?”
“It’s on Ada’s property, Jenny. You have to go through their front gate.”
Ada Newbury had extended an open invite to Jenny. This kind of generosity was unheard of from Ada. Jenny assumed she had made an exception since her neck was on the line.
Jenny called ahead to let Ada know about her visit. Ada had to go out somewhere but she assured Jenny the security would let her in.
“How much more garlic do you need?” Heather grumbled.
Jenny looked at the small pile before Heather.
“That’s enough. You can start peeling the ginger now.”
Heather groaned and muttered through the process. The Magnolias arrived for lunch. They were the first group Jenny wanted to try out her recipe on. Star and Molly pronounced it delicious. Betty Sue declared it was too spicy.
Heather took a photo of the dish and posted it on social media.
Jenny and Heather set off after lunch. They breezed through the security gate and parked in front of the house.
Heather pointed to a paved path that wound through a clump of bushes.
“We can directly walk down to the pool. Do you want to do that?”
Jenny nodded her assent and set off at a brisk pace. The path took them around the house and beyond the courtyard. A couple of minutes later, Jenny turned a corner and stopped in her tracks.
A good sized building stood before her. A large pool with shimmering blue water lay inside a fancy enclosure. Plush cabanas with lime green cushions lined the pool on one side. Patio furniture with cozy sitting areas was arranged on the far side. There was a solid structure that looked like a pool house. It had a covered porch with a granite topped bar running along one wall. Jenny spotted another smaller pool in the distance. She guessed it was a hot tub.
“This is the pool complex,” Heather said. “It used to be just the pool when I was younger. Ada turned it into this fancy thing a few years ago.”
“How do we get in?” Jenny asked.
“I guess we open that door?” Heather pointed.
The door they spotted turned out to be locked. Jenny spotted a tiny button on one side. She pressed it, wondering if it was a doorbell of sorts. Her guess turned out to be right.
A tall, black haired youth with mussed hair ambled out on the covered porch. He wore a pair of sweat pants and nothing else. Heather and Jenny couldn’t help but stare at his washboard stomach and six pack abs. Jenny recognized him as the guy who had found Kelly.
He gave them a wide smile and pressed some switch on the wall. The door slid open. The young man beckoned them over.
“Hello ladies,” he beamed. “I’m Enrique. I take care of the pool.”
Heather introduced them.
“Do you live here?” Jenny asked curiously.
“At the moment, yes,” Enrique nodded. “Why don’t you come in?”
Enrique opened a refrigerator and pulled out a few cans of soda. He offered them to the girls.
“I’m sure the boss won’t mind,” he grinned.
Jenny flipped the top off a can of ginger ale and took a big gulp. She was thinking about the locked door they had come t
hrough.
“Do people always ring that bell when they want to come in?” she asked.
Enrique shook his head.
“There’s a digital access code. You have to enter it in a panel that’s mounted by the side of the door.”
“And how many people have that code?”
“Just the family, mostly. The boss is pretty stingy about handing it out. She doesn’t like the staff using the pool.”
“Isn’t the pool already on private property?” Heather spoke her mind. “What’s the need for all this security?”
Enrique shrugged.
“Like I said, the boss doesn’t like anyone else using it. The maids used to take a dip all the time when they didn’t have this whole enclosure. The missus didn’t like that.”
Jenny leaned forward and spoke softly.
“I’m sure they all know the code, eh?”
Enrique laughed readily.
“It’s hard to keep it a secret,” he nodded. “That’s why they change it every week.”
“That’s too much!” Heather exclaimed.
“The boss gets what she wants,” Enrique noted.
Jenny asked the question that had been rolling around in her mind.
“Did Kelly have the code?”
“I don’t know,” Enrique said. “Kelly was staying at the country club. There was no reason for her to have the code, unless someone gave it to her.”
Jenny looked at Heather.
“So Kelly either had to have the code or someone let her in.”
They both turned their heads around and stared at Enrique.
“Don’t look at me,” he said. “I didn’t do it.”
“Where were you the night of the party?”
“Right here,” Enrique said. “Sleeping in my bed.”
“You didn’t see Kelly come in?”
“I didn’t see or hear anyone,” Enrique said. He looked sheepish. “I sneaked into the party and stole a couple of drinks from the bar.” He looked down at the floor and muttered something. “Okay, I grabbed half a bottle of tequila. I was pretty drunk.”
“You do realize there was a murder here that night?” Heather burst out. “How could you sleep through it?”
Enrique stretched his arms above his head and yawned.
“I didn’t know there was going to be a murder here. I would have stayed awake if I knew.”
Jenny realized Enrique was a smooth talker.
“Did you know Kelly?” Jenny asked.
She didn’t get a straight answer.
“I saw her around here a couple of times,” Enrique said.
“Did anyone else come to the pool that night?” she asked.
“I told you, I was fast asleep.”
“What happens when someone enters the access code to get in?” Jenny asked. “Do you get some kind of indication inside?”
“I hear a beep,” Enrique told them. “If it’s during my working hours, I come out here.”
It turned out that Enrique also acted as a lifeguard during the day. It was his job to keep an eye on whoever was using the pool and be ready to offer assistance.
“Are you allowed to have visitors?” Jenny asked.
“No visitors!” Enrique shook his head. “The boss will fire my ass if I bring a girl here. And I’m not allowed to mingle with the maids either.”
“That’s a tough deal,” Heather sympathized.
Enrique shrugged.
“It could be worse. I’m not complaining.”
Jenny decided she wasn’t going to get any more information out of Enrique. She wanted to take a stab at talking to Brandon again.
She walked back to the main house with Heather. Heather walked across the patio and opened a screen door.
“Ada doesn’t like this,” she giggled. “But she’s not home.”
A maid saw them and came over.
“Madam has asked you to go into the parlor.”
It turned out Ada Newbury was home after all. She was wearing a snazzy outfit Jenny recognized as the latest in women’s golf apparel.
“I just got back from my golf lesson. We were having tea.”
Jenny looked around and realized there was someone else in the room. A deeply tanned man with a mane of light brown hair sat in a wing chair near the fireplace. His long legs were stretched out before him and his tawny eyes were busy giving Jenny a once over.
“This is Zac,” Ada said. “He’s my golf coach.”
Her cheeks turned pink while she introduced the man.
“Zac Gordon,” the man drawled. “Like Ada said. I’m the golf pro over at the country club.”
“I love golf,” Jenny volunteered. “I’m a bit rusty, though. Haven’t played a round in a while.”
Zac sat up a bit.
“Come see me at the club. I’ll fix you up right away.”
“The country club is members only,” Ada butted in. “It’s not for everyone.”
Zac winked at Jenny.
“Don’t worry about that.”
Ada clucked impatiently and motioned the girls toward a couch.
The girls took a seat. A couple of maids came in with tea and snacks. Jenny wasn’t keen on talking about anything related to Kelly in the man’s presence. Ada forced her hand.
“Did you have any more questions for me?”
“I wanted to take a look at the pool,” Jenny explained. “I didn’t realize it was a restricted area.”
Ada waited until the maids left the room.
“The staff takes undue advantage. They took midnight dips in the pool. Some of the girls even brought men over. I had to get that enclosure built.”
“We met Enrique,” Heather supplied. “He told us about the access codes.”
“How many people know those codes, Mrs. Newbury?” Jenny asked.
“Just the family,” Ada said. “I make sure of that.”
“How do you think Kelly got in there? Did Brandon give her the code?”
Ada turned red.
“He shouldn’t have. Kelly wasn’t family.”
“What are you saying?” Heather burst out. “Brandon was going to marry her in just a few days.”
“He wouldn’t have gone ahead with the wedding,” Ada said suddenly.
Jenny didn’t know whether to believe Ada. Was it just wishful thinking on her part? Did she have a concrete plan to split up the couple? Why was she so confident of getting Kelly out of the way?
“Brandon’s broken up over Kelly,” Heather observed. “I think he loved her a lot.”
Jenny steered the question back to the access codes.
“The important thing here is how Kelly got into the pool house.”
Zac Gordon spoke up, shocking Jenny with his assertion.
“That pool boy let her in, of course.”
“Enrique? Why do you think that?”
“They were having an affair,” Zac said with relish. “Kelly was two timing Brandon, seeing the pool boy on the side.”
Ada didn’t look surprised.
“Did you know about this?” Heather asked her.
Ada’s mouth twisted in disgust.
“That girl was not right for my Brandon.”
Zac Gordon was looking pleased with himself. Jenny asked the question uppermost in her mind.
“Wait a minute, Zac. How did you know Kelly?”
Chapter 8
Adam and Jenny were having dinner at Seaview, the three storied ocean facing house Jenny now called home. Adam brought a bottle of the local wine Jenny liked. They started their meal with crab cakes and caught up on what Jenny had been up to.
Jenny told Adam about meeting Enrique.
“Who is this Enrique?” Adam asked, simmering with anger. “He didn’t come forward when we interviewed all the staff.”
“He wasn’t working at the party,” Jenny explained. “Maybe that’s why his name never came up.”
“I’m going to talk to him first thing tomorrow.”
“He looks like a
player,” Jenny said with a smile.
She wanted to talk to Enrique herself.
The next morning, Jenny arrived at the café at 5 AM and started prepping for the day. Star came in around eight and helped Jenny serve breakfast. The Magnolias came in after the crowd thinned.
“Ready to hit the road?” Heather asked Jenny.
“I’m ready,” Jenny nodded.
The girls were going back to talk to Enrique.
Jenny hated to impose on Star all the time. She promised to be back in an hour and set off with Heather.
The girls took the path that led to the pool house. They rang the bell again, waiting for Enrique. There was a click as the door unlocked. Jenny took it as an invitation to enter and went in. She walked around the pool and went to the covered porch, calling out for Enrique. He didn’t look too happy when he came out. Jenny was relieved to see he was fully dressed this time.
“I didn’t know you had a uniform?” Heather remarked. “It suits you.”
“Everyone working on the estate has to wear one,” Enrique said with a shrug. “Are you here for a dip in the pool?”
“Can we do that?” Heather asked, surprised.
“I don’t see why not,” Enrique said. “You are on the list.”
“What list?” Jenny asked.
“The list of people who can come in here,” Enrique said in a bored voice. “Looks like this lady here is some relation of the Newburys.”
Heather actually was a Newbury, although she didn’t use that name.
“Grandpa must have added my name,” Heather surmised. “I haven’t been here in ages though.”
Jenny gazed at Enrique.
“Did you talk to the police?”
“They were just here,” Enrique grumbled. “Grilled me for an hour. I told them the same thing I told you. I slept right through that party.”
“You’re sure you didn’t let Kelly in?”
“100%.”
“How well did you know Kelly?”
“I met her when she came to the pool once or twice with Brandon. She was the friendly kind. Not stuck up like some of the boss’s guests.”
“You hit it off, huh?” Jenny asked.
Enrique took a deep breath.
“What are you suggesting?”
“Were you having an affair with Kelly?”
Enrique threw back his head and laughed.