by Leena Clover
Jenny woke before the sun rose the next morning. She had a big smile on her face as she got ready to go to the café. Having her son home really made her happy. She drove to the café as the sky lightened and an orange glow crept over the horizon.
Adam surprised her by coming to the café for breakfast. Jenny stood by his table as he tucked into his crab omelet.
“Have you found anything new?” she asked, topping up his coffee.
“I have,” Adam nodded. “We got back Paula’s phone records.”
Jenny waited for Adam to go on. He ignored her and got back to eating his omelet.
“What do the records say?” Jenny asked, refusing to back down.
“They belong to someone called Paula Briggs, okay?” Adam said, sounding exasperated. “And the phone was in the vicinity of Kelly’s phone.”
“So whoever Paula is, she wasn’t far away,” Jenny summed up.
She thought over the different people she had met at Ada’s, focusing on girls she had seen Kelly talking to. She immediately thought of Megan. Could Kelly have been talking to Megan?
Jenny didn’t voice her suspicions to Adam. She was sure he would forbid her to do anything. She planned her next move and sat down to have a cup of coffee with Adam.
“Does Jason really have a kid?” Adam asked.
“He sure does. You have to meet Emily. She’s the cutest baby you ever saw. We should all have dinner sometime.”
Adam muttered something under his breath.
“Kind of weird, huh?” he said, looking dazed. “At his age.”
“What’s wrong with his age?” Jenny demanded. “Jason’s going to make a great dad.”
Adam finally left. Jenny rushed to the phone and called Heather.
“Can you come over?” she asked.
The two girls headed to Megan’s. Jenny purposely didn’t call ahead. She didn’t want to give Megan any time to prepare herself.
Megan seemed a bit tired. She didn’t look too happy to see them.
“You were around Kelly a lot, weren’t you?” Jenny asked directly.
“We were both at the same party,” Megan said. “Just like you.”
“Were the two of you up to something?”
“We were planning to go shopping in the city,” Megan said, looking bewildered. “Didn’t we talk about this before?”
“What I mean is, were you hiding something from Brandon?”
“Why would I do that?” Megan asked wearily. “Brandon is my friend, not Kelly.”
Heather tried to help Jenny.
“What she means is … maybe Kelly wanted to surprise Brandon or something. She could have asked for your help. You see what we are getting at?”
Megan shook her head.
“Kelly and I didn’t talk about Brandon at all. We just discussed some girl stuff. Fashion, work stuff, life in the city …”
“So you two hit it off?” Jenny murmured.
Megan shrugged.
“I guess you could say that. I thought I made a new friend. It gets pretty lonely in the city, you know, living on your own. It’s hard to find someone who understands what you are going through.” Megan’s voice sounded hoarse with emotion. “Doesn’t matter now. Kelly’s gone.”
Jenny and Heather took their leave. Megan made it clear she was happy to see them go.
“What do you think?” Heather asked as soon as they got into the car. “Was she lying?”
Jenny said nothing for a while.
“Could Megan and Kelly have been plotting something together?”
“Like what?” Heather asked, raising her eyebrows. “I don’t believe Megan would ever do anything against Brandon.”
“Don’t forget she was a woman scorned,” Jenny reminded her. “We don’t know what happened between them. Maybe they had a really bad breakup.”
“You haven’t seen Megan mooning around Brandon like I have,” Heather argued. “She’s had her eye on him for years. It’s easier to believe she was working on getting him back.”
“So you don’t think she was really friendly with Kelly?”
“Would you be?” Heather asked. “Brandon is the love of her life. Why would she want to go shopping with the woman who’s taken her place?”
Jenny was quiet while she processed what Heather said.
“Maybe I’m looking at it all wrong,” she said. “What if Megan was hounding Kelly? Forcing her to do something for her?”
“We’ll never know that now,” Heather pointed out.
“The whole idea is farfetched anyway,” Jenny sighed. “We need to talk to Brandon.”
“Let’s go see him now,” Heather said. “Star can take care of the café.”
“She’s been helping me a lot lately,” Jenny said. “She barely has time to paint. I feel bad, imposing on her so much.”
“She’s doing it because she loves you,” Heather said.
Jenny reflected over her good fortune. When her husband left her for another woman, she had been alone and forlorn. Coming to Pelican Cove had been the best decision of her life. She had reconnected with her aunt and met the Magnolias. The group of women provided a strong support system for Jenny and she felt touched by their unconditional love.
Jenny called the café on her cell phone and spoke to her aunt. She drove to the Newbury estate, hoping Brandon would be in a better mood.
Both girls heaved a sigh of relief when they learned Ada Newbury was out. The maid led them out to the beach. Brandon was out for a run. They could see him in the distance.
“Looks like he’s getting back to normal,” Heather said.
Brandon spotted them and waved. They waited until he jogged up to them. Brandon picked up a towel from a chair and wiped the sweat off his face and hands.
“Nice day for a run,” he said, picking up a glass of juice and draining it in a gulp.
The maid came back with a tray loaded with refreshments. Brandon played the gracious host and insisted they taste the assortment of cookies before them. Jenny sipped the freshly squeezed lemonade and felt energized.
“What brings you here, ladies?” Brandon asked.
“More questions,” Jenny said. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“You can ask me anything you want.” Brandon was solicitous. “I hope you will find out what happened to Kelly. It won’t bring her back but at least it will give me some closure.”
“It’s about Megan and Kelly,” Jenny explained. “Did you find it odd that they got along so well together?”
Brandon looked surprised.
“Why would I?” he asked. “Kelly knew Megan before she met me.”
“What?” Heather and Jenny cried out together.
“I met Kelly at a party thrown by Megan,” Brandon said. “We hit it off right away. Megan had already dumped me at that time, so I was free to see whoever I wanted. We went on our first date the next day, Kelly and I.”
“Did you ever ask Megan how she knew Kelly?”
Brandon shook his head.
“Never thought about it.”
Heather chatted with Brandon for a while and the girls took their leave.
“Back to Megan’s?” Heather asked as Jenny started the car.
Jenny nodded grimly. She tried to remember all the questions she had asked Megan. Had she ever asked Megan when she first met Kelly?
Megan didn’t hide her displeasure when she opened the door and saw them standing outside.
“What now?”
“We just have some follow-up questions,” Jenny said, refusing to back down. “You can talk to us or talk to the police.”
“You can’t threaten me like that,” Megan said angrily. “And I don’t mind talking to the police. I have nothing to hide.”
“Let us come in, then,” Heather soothed.
Jenny didn’t waste any time.
“When did you first meet Kelly?”
“Didn’t we already talk about that?” Megan asked with a frown.
“Tell me again.�
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“Brandon introduced us. I don’t remember the exact date. It was a Sunday and we met for brunch.”
“You are sure you didn’t know her before that?” Jenny pressed.
“That’s not what Brandon says,” Heather burst out. “He says you introduced them.”
“Impossible,” Megan exclaimed. She stared back at Jenny. “Did Brandon really say that?”
Jenny thought back to their conversation with Brandon, trying to remember his exact words.
“He said he met her at a party you threw.”
Megan sighed with relief and laughed nervously.
“Oh! That doesn’t mean I knew her.”
“Can you explain what you mean by that?” Jenny asked.
“I’m a publicist,” Megan began. “I host a lot of parties for my clients. Most of them are high profile people from different walks of life. My job is to invite a selected group of people who can be seen and photographed with my clients. I need to create the right vibe and sometimes I need a crowd of people. I hire people who produce this crowd, youngsters working in the city who like to party. They just come for the free booze. I rarely get to talk to these people.”
“You are saying Kelly was one of these freeloaders?”
“She might have been,” Megan said emphatically. “My point is, I don’t know all the people who come to my parties. Not unless I have invited them myself.”
Jenny marveled over how ironic the situation was. Megan had unwittingly played a part in bringing Brandon and Kelly together.
Chapter 12
Jenny scooped some mashed avocado on slices of smoked turkey and squirted her special chipotle mayo on top. She folded the wrap and set it on a platter.
Star tossed pasta and diced vegetables in fresh basil pesto.
“Did you post the turkey wraps on Instagram?” she asked Jenny. “The tourists are going to love them.”
“You think so?” Jenny asked, furrowing her brow.
Jenny’s creative recipes had made the Boardwalk Café a roaring success. But she was still hesitant before introducing any new items on the menu.
“Didn’t you want to talk to Adam?” Star asked. “Why don’t you go now?”
Jenny made a few dozen wraps and put them in the refrigerator. She grabbed two wraps and a small container of salad for Adam and walked to the police station.
Pelican Cove was enjoying another warm, spring day. Jenny gazed up at the sky and closed her eyes, breathing in the salty air.
A big pile of files littered Adam’s desk. He didn’t look too happy to see Jenny.
“Isn’t it early for lunch?” he asked, spying the basket Jenny carried on her arm.
“You can eat it later,” Jenny told him. “I’m going to put this in the refrigerator out in the galley.”
“Thanks, Jenny,” Adam smiled. “That’s kind of you.”
Jenny stood her ground.
“Is there anything else?” Adam sighed.
“Do you have Kelly’s phone records?” Jenny asked. “We never talked about them.”
“And we are not going to,” Adam snorted. “I have a busy day ahead, Jenny.”
Jenny took the hint and walked out of Adam’s office. The phone records would have to wait.
The Magnolias had arrived for their mid-morning break by the time Jenny got back to the Boardwalk Café.
Betty Sue stared at something while her hands moved in a rhythm, knitting something green. Molly barely paid attention to the book in her hand. Heather was busy snapping pictures on her phone. Jenny wondered what the women were so engrossed in.
Then she noticed her aunt. Star held a bundle wrapped in pink in her arms.
“Is that Emily?” Jenny squealed as she ran up the café steps.
She looked down at the baby her aunt held and made kissing noises. The cherub gurgled and looked back at her with large brown eyes.
“Emily’s spending some time with us,” Star said. “Jason is running some errands.”
The baby let out a cry, signaling she needed to be changed. Jenny took her inside and clumsily changed her diaper. She hadn’t done that since her son grew up.
Emily sat in her stroller, chewing her fists, drooling and smiling at the Magnolias.
Jenny poured coffee for everyone and brought out a plate of muffins.
“Is Ada treating you well?” Betty Sue asked Jenny. “You let me know if she gets too hoity toity. You are doing her a favor. Don’t you let her forget it.”
“Don’t worry about me, Betty Sue,” Jenny assured her. “I’m not bothered about Ada.”
“Found anything new?” Molly asked.
Jenny shook her head.
“I don’t seem to have any clear leads.”
“That pool boy is highly suspicious,” Heather said, setting her phone aside.
She had clicked a few dozen pictures of the baby.
“Who, Enrique?” Jenny asked. “Why do you suspect him, Heather?”
“Have you looked at him?” Heather asked, fanning herself. “He’s so hot it’s got to be a crime.”
Betty Sue cleared her throat and looked flushed.
“Didn’t he say he was sleeping the night of the party?” Molly asked.
“That’s what he says,” Heather nodded. “But do we really believe him? He’s the only person who could have let Kelly into the pool house.”
“So you think he’s been lying to us all this time?” Jenny asked.
“Why not?” Heather asked. “You have no reason to trust him, Jenny.”
“Say he let Kelly in that night,” Jenny said. “What do you think happened?”
“They fought over something?” Heather said. “This Kelly seems like a loose character. Maybe she came on to Enrique and he snubbed her. Or it could have been the other way around. What if Enrique got fresh with Kelly?”
Jenny continued Heather’s line of thought.
“They had a tussle. Enrique pushed Kelly into the pool. Or she could have slipped and fallen in herself.”
“Why didn’t he pull her out?” Molly asked.
“He didn’t realize she was drowning?” Jenny spoke out loud. “He might have walked away and never realized what was happening behind his back.”
Heather’s face darkened as she thought of the alternative.
“Or he stood there and let Kelly die.”
“That would make him a cold blooded murderer,” Jenny said with a shudder. “Why would Enrique do that?”
“Revenge?” Star offered. “Didn’t you say Kelly rejected his advances?”
“That’s just one of my theories,” Jenny sighed. “Enrique insists it was the other way round.”
“He could have been working for someone else,” Heather offered.
“You mean like a hired killer?” Jenny asked. “This is beginning to sound fantastic.”
The baby had fallen asleep while the women talked. Star covered her with an extra blanket, making sure she was warm enough.
“What if Ada Newbury hired the pool boy to kill that poor girl?” Star asked.
Jenny’s mouth dropped open.
“She wouldn’t go that far,” she said hoarsely.
Betty Sue was shaking her head from side to side, too shocked at Star’s suggestion to say anything.
“She does have a motive,” Molly offered. “We know Mrs. Newbury wasn’t happy with the wedding. Clearly, she didn’t want her grandson marrying Kelly.”
“We know she tried to bribe Kelly,” Heather mused. “Maybe she didn’t stop there.”
“I am sure Ada was fast asleep in her bed at midnight,” Betty Sue insisted.
She and Ada were staunch rivals and rarely saw eye to eye. So the Magnolias were surprised to see her defend Ada.
“You have given me an idea,” Jenny told Betty Sue. “I never asked Ada about her alibi.”
“Let’s go talk to her now,” Heather said eagerly.
“Hello ladies!” a cheerful voice hailed them from the boardwalk.
Ja
son Stone walked up, holding a few grocery bags in his hands. He came up the café steps and rushed to the baby’s stroller.
“Shhh …” Star said, placing a finger on her lips.
“Isn’t she an angel?” Jason gushed.
He set his bags down and collapsed into a chair. Jenny offered him a muffin.
“I’m too tired to eat,” Jason groaned. “In fact, I’m exhausted.”
He tipped his head at the baby in the stroller.
“This little lady’s been keeping me up at night.”
“Have you thought of getting a nanny?” Betty Sue asked.
“I’m not too keen on that,” Jason said. “I want to take care of her myself.”
“We are here to help,” Star said, patting him on the arm.
Jason let out a big yawn. He told them how he had driven around Pelican Cove for hours the previous night with Emily in her car seat.
“She would nod off while the car was moving, and start crying as soon as the car stopped.”
“Nick was like that,” Jenny said, remembering. “I used to wear a hole in the carpet, walking him around the house. He would start wailing the moment I set him down.”
They talked about Emily for a few minutes. Jason finally stood up and headed home with his baby.
“Shall we go now?” Heather reminded Jenny.
“Let’s make sure Ada’s home,” Jenny said.
Ada was expected back home in an hour. Star forced them to stay back and have lunch before they went out.
“Ada won’t like being questioned,” Heather said as they drove into the hills where the Newbury estate was situated.
“When does she like anything I say?” Jenny shrugged. “I need to ask the tough questions.”
Ada Newbury was entertaining her golf coach in the parlor.
“We just got back from a lesson,” she enthused. “Coach says I am improving a lot.”
She looked admiringly at the tall man who sat sprawled in a delicate chair.
“She’s really been working on her swing,” the man spoke. “I wish all my students were that dedicated.”
“Zac, right?” Jenny greeted the man. She turned to look at Ada. “Can I have a word with you, Mrs. Newbury?”
Ada looked longingly at the golf pro.
“Zac has to leave for another lesson.”