by Leena Clover
“I just hope I am dressed appropriately,” Jenny said self-consciously.
She was wearing a figure hugging silk dress in a light peach color. It was from an expensive label and she had worn it several times over the years. She hoped it was fancy enough for whatever event Ada had invited them to.
“You look fine,” Heather reassured her friend.
“Is that fella of hers going to be there?” Betty Sue asked. “Maybe I can get a good look at him this time.”
Ada had been spotted with Zac Gordon again. Star had come upon them when she was walking on the bluffs, trying to look for a good spot to set up her easel. Molly had seen them driving out of town once. The Magnolias had concluded that Ada Newbury was definitely involved in some way with the golf pro. Whether it was a light flirtation, an amorous affair or just an innocent friendship, they had no idea. The younger women were willing to bet that it was a hot affair. Especially since Ada’s husband Julius had been away on business for the past few months.
“She wouldn’t dare!” Heather exclaimed. “You think Brandon knows what Ada has been up to?”
“Brandon has been keeping himself busy,” Jenny reminded her.
Brandon and Megan had been hanging out together for the past few weeks. There was nothing hidden about their relationship.
Heather’s face assumed an ‘I told you so’ expression.
“Brandon and Megan are meant for each other,” she parroted.
Jenny pulled up at the Newbury’s entrance and the security guard waved her in through the big iron gates.
A maid took their wraps and ushered them out to the garden at the back. Fairy lights glittered in the dusk, covering the extensive veranda. Paper lanterns were interspersed between them and hung on trees, bathing the surroundings in a soft glow. Jenny had a déjà vu moment as she thought of the night of Kelly’s party.
Brandon rushed forward to greet them. Jenny saw Ada holding court over a small group of people. Megan sat next to Ada on a sofa. Zac Gordon reclined in an armchair.
Brandon showed them to their seats, making sure they were comfortable.
Greetings were exchanged. Betty Sue sat with her back ramrod straight. She gave Zac Gordon a withering look.
“I don’t believe we have met before,” she said loudly.
Zac Gordon opened his mouth to speak. Ada beat him to it.
“Zac is a close friend, Betty Sue.”
Betty Sue’s cheeks turned pink.
“Friend, huh?” she murmured. “Nice to meet you, Zac.”
Brandon offered the ladies a drink.
“We are all having champagne. Will that do? I can get you a soda or tea if you like.”
They chose champagne and Brandon poured some bubbly into flutes. Jenny noticed he had another glass beside him filled with a dark, amber liquid.
“Are we all here?” Heather asked. “Or is anyone else coming?”
“It’s a small group,” Ada said. “Just people I care about.”
“What’s the occasion?” Heather asked again. “Are we celebrating something?”
Brandon took Megan’s hand in his. They looked at each other and beamed at the assembled group.
“We wanted you to be the first to know,” Brandon began. “Megan and I are engaged.”
Heather squealed in delight. She stood up and gave Brandon a tight hug. Then she turned around and hugged Megan.
“I knew it!” she exclaimed. “You two are meant to be together.”
Megan blushed like a new bride.
“Congratulations, you two,” Jenny said, raising her champagne flute toward them. “Aren’t you having a proper engagement?”
“We feel it’s too soon,” Brandon said. “You know, after Kelly …”
Megan put a hand on his shoulder.
“We’ll have a long engagement and then have a lavish wedding next year. Right, Mrs. Newbury?”
She turned toward Ada, seeking her approval.
“That’s right, dear,” Ada said. “And how many times have I told you? Call me Grandma, like Brandon does.”
“Okay, Grandma Ada,” Megan said shyly.
Jenny felt she was seeing a new version of Megan.
“Do you approve of this one then, Ada?” Betty Sue asked from her perch. “She may be local but she’s not a Pioneer.”
The five oldest families in Pelican Cove were called the Pioneers. They considered themselves superior to the rest and generally married among themselves.
“The Pattersons have lived in Pelican Cove for many generations,” Ada said. “That’s good enough for me.”
“Are you sure about that, Grandma?” Brandon asked.
His voice was a bit slurred. Jenny decided he had imbibed a bit too much of hard liquor.
“Of course, dear,” Ada said sharply. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Make sure she likes you, Megan,” Brandon said, shaking Megan by the shoulder. “Or you’ll be gone. Just like Kelly.”
Megan looked weary. She picked up a tray of stuffed olives and offered them to Brandon.
“Why don’t you eat something, sweetie?”
Brandon swept her hand aside.
“Grandma will make you go away. Look what happened to Kelly. She made her go away.”
Megan’s eyes darted between Ada and Brandon. She stood up and began to coax Brandon to his feet.
“Let’s go get some solid food,” she urged. “That whiskey’s gone straight to your head.”
“I’m not drunk, Megs,” Brandon said, swaying on his feet.
He threw back his head and laughed. Then he pointed a shaky finger at Ada.
“You think I don’t know what you did? You made Kelly go away. You, you witch…”
Ada’s face turned white first, then red spots appeared on her cheeks.
“Take him inside, Megan,” she said sternly. “Let him sleep it off.”
“I’m not a child,” Brandon cried suddenly. “And I’m not helpless like Kelly. You can’t kill me off, you witch!”
Before Ada could respond to this latest insult, Zac Gordon shot out of his chair and lunged toward Brandon. His fist flew and caught Brandon on the jaw. Jenny heard a crack as the next punch broke Brandon’s nose. He flailed his arms and crashed to the floor.
“Stop it!” Ada cried. “Stop fighting at once.”
Megan had pulled out her phone and called the police.
Jenny and Heather huddled together and watched as Zac sat on Brandon’s chest, continuing to pummel him. Betty Sue had obliged everyone by fainting on the spot.
Jenny finally spurred Heather and Megan into action. Together, they grabbed Zac by the arms and the collar of his shirt and tried to drag him away.
Ten minutes later, sirens sounded outside and the police rushed into the garden. Adam hobbled up to Jenny, his eyes full of concern.
“What just happened here?”
Brandon was sitting in a chair, holding a linen napkin against his nose. The girls had torn off Zac’s sleeve and he sat opposite Brandon, shooting daggers at him. Ada was sobbing openly and Betty Sue fanned herself, muttering a prayer.
Jenny, Megan and Heather started talking at once. Adam held up his hand and asked Jenny to go on. Jenny gave him a precise account of how Zac had beaten Brandon to a pulp.
“We are taking you in,” Adam told Zac.
He turned toward Brandon.
“I assume you want to press charges?”
“Of course I do,” Brandon roared.
Ada opened her mouth to protest, but said nothing.
The police left the house with Zac in handcuffs.
Jenny caught Heather’s eye and nodded at her. Heather helped Betty Sue to her feet and they started to leave.
“You really think I had something to do with that girl’s death?” Ada asked Brandon. “How could you?”
Brandon looked uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry, Grandma!” he said. “I don’t know what came over me.”
Megan stood close to him, str
oking his back.
“I really love Megan, Grandma,” Brandon pleaded. “I always have. I couldn’t take it if anything happened to her.”
“I like her too,” Ada said, bewildered. “She’s been in an out of this house since she was a child. Your Grandpa and I always figured she would marry you one day.”
Brandon sat down next to Ada. He looked like a lost child.
“I’m afraid, Grandma. Until we find out what happened to Kelly, I’ll never feel safe. I know I didn’t do it. And Binkie’s dead. So who did it?”
Jenny, Heather and Betty Sue quietly said goodbye to Megan and walked out. Betty Sue sat wheezing in the back seat on the drive home. All the excitement had been too much for her. Heather couldn’t stop talking.
Jenny was thoughtful, trying to process the scene she had witnessed. She felt she was on to something but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“What made Zac flip like that?” she asked Heather.
“Flip?” Heather laughed. “He went mental!”
Betty Sue spoke up from the back seat.
“Brandon called Ada a witch. That’s what set off that young man.”
“So Zac couldn’t tolerate hearing anything bad against Ada,” Jenny spoke out loud.
“He might have killed Brandon if we hadn’t pulled him off,” Heather crowed.
Jenny felt the pieces of the puzzle fall in place. Apparently, Zac Gordon could do anything for Ada. Had she hired him to get Kelly out of the way? She thought of Ada Newbury, an imposing old shrew. How could a snob like Ada have a romantic relationship with a common golf pro? Maybe she had paid him to do her dirty work and he was forcing her now. Hanging out with Zac Gordon might be something Ada was doing under duress.
Jenny pulled the car onto the shoulder and came to a stop. She turned around in her seat and looked at Heather and Betty Sue, her eyes gleaming.
“Remember how we talked about who could have killed Kelly? We thought it had to be Brandon or Enrique. But there’s one person we haven’t considered all this time. Someone who was right in front of us.”
“Zac Gordon?” Heather cried.
Jenny nodded.
“You just saw what happened. Zac seems to be Ada’s personal watchdog.”
“So Ada paid him to get Kelly out of the way?” Heather echoed Jenny’s thoughts.
“I don’t believe it,” Betty Sue protested. “Ada would never do that.”
“Ada may not have been specific,” Jenny reasoned. “Maybe Zac went a bit overboard.”
“Things got out of hand,” Heather agreed. “And Kelly lost her life. But what about Binkie?”
“I haven’t figured that out yet,” Jenny admitted. “Binkie might have seen something and Zac had to get rid of him.”
“I think Ada is innocent,” Betty Sue argued. “That boy must have acted on his own.”
“But why?” Jenny and Heather chorused.
“To impress Ada?” Heather mused.
“Or try to please her?” Jenny added.
“Are we going to stay here all night talking about this?” Betty Sue demanded. “Take me home now.”
Jenny started the car with a sigh. She needed to talk to Adam immediately. He would decide if he wanted to bring Ada Newbury in for further questioning.
Chapter 21
Jenny wiped down a table at the Boardwalk Café, deep in thought. The breakfast rush had just ended. Jenny had started making her parfaits in a smaller serving size. Most people ordered them as a side or dessert to go with their hearty breakfast. Jenny’s customers, both locals and tourists, wanted sumptuous fare like omelets and frittatas for their first meal of the day. She had learnt it the hard way and accepted that she didn’t cater to a yogurt and granola type of crowd.
“Why don’t you come into the kitchen and grab a bite?” Star said to her.
Jenny took a last look around the room, made sure everyone’s coffee was topped up and went into the kitchen with her aunt. She picked up a spoon and began eating the special parfait of the day, strawberries with toasted coconut and hazelnuts.
The phone mounted on the kitchen wall trilled. Jenny set her food down and sprang up.
“Heather! Is everything okay?”
She nodded her head and listened quietly for a while before hanging up.
“Aren’t they coming over today?” Star asked.
“The police just took Ada in for questioning,” Jenny told her. “Brandon called Heather. He’s going to pick up Jason and go to the police station.”
“Wonder who’s watching Emily,” Star said. “Why don’t you call Jason? We can take her for some time.”
Jenny’s cell phone rang just then. It was Jason, in dire need of a baby sitter. Jenny told him to drop the baby off at the café.
“We knew this was coming,” Star said, referring to Heather’s phone call.
“You think Ada will break down and confess?”
“Betty Sue is sure she is innocent,” Star reminded Jenny. “But you think Ada is hiding something, don’t you?”
“You know how finicky she is about status and bloodlines and all that crap,” Jenny said. “And she really hated Kelly.”
“Let’s see what Adam finds out.”
The Magnolias came in at ten and took turns singing and talking to the baby. Heather offered to take her back to the Bayview Inn.
“Call that young man of yours,” Betty Sue told Jenny. “Find out what’s happening with Ada.”
“You know he doesn’t like to be disturbed, Betty Sue. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out anything.”
The Magnolias dispersed soon after. Heather was eager to go back to the inn with Emily. She had pulled her old crib out of the attic and set it up in a corner of their living room. She was eager to see how the baby liked it.
Adam came to the Boardwalk Café around noon, making Jenny’s eyes widen in surprise.
“Got something to eat?” he asked Jenny. “I had to skip breakfast. I’m starving.”
Jenny set a big bowl of mushroom soup before Adam and told him to get started. She brought out a couple of buffalo chicken sandwiches and sat down before him.
“Ada insists she is innocent and I am inclined to believe her,” he said, between spoonfuls of soup.
Jenny was surprised Adam was willingly sharing information with her but she wasn’t going to stare a gift horse in the mouth.
“So she didn’t hire Zac Gordon to do her dirty work,” Jenny asked, her mouth drooping in disappointment.
“She says she didn’t and there is no evidence to prove otherwise.”
“What about her relationship with Zac?” Jenny shot back. “Did she deny that too?”
Adam bit into his sandwich and chewed appreciatively.
“This is like chicken wings dipped in blue cheese with a side of celery,” he said. “Yum!”
Jenny wasn’t interested in Adam’s compliments.
“Adam!”
“Ada was very forthcoming about it,” Adam said with a smile. “She is having a fling with the golf pro.”
“But why?” Jenny cried. “He has to be at least thirty years younger than her.”
“Is that your only objection?” Adam quirked an eyebrow.
“She’s married, of course,” Jenny added. “How could she cheat on Julius?”
“Ada doesn’t feel the need to explain herself,” Adam said.
“Did she ask you to release Zac Gordon?” Jenny asked.
Adam shook his head.
“Blood is thicker than water. She was shocked by how he behaved. She said she wasn’t aware he had a violent side. He’s been all lovey-dovey with her, obviously. She is going to insist that Brandon press charges against Zac. She wants us to put him away forever.”
“That’s quite an about turn,” Jenny laughed.
“She’s nothing if not whimsical,” Adam said.
“What do you think about this whole business?” Jenny asked. “Do you think Zac could have done it?”
“
We never considered Zac as a suspect before,” Adam said. “Now we are looking into his alibi for both the murders. And I’m doing a background check on him too.”
Adam coaxed Jenny into sharing a sandwich with him. He left soon after.
A few more customers wandered in for a late lunch. The café emptied after that. Star and Jenny did a quick job of cleaning up and went into the kitchen to prep for the next day.
They were almost ready to leave when Jenny heard someone out on the deck.
A young man stood outside, biting his nails.
“Enrique!” Jenny exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
“Can we talk?” he asked hesitantly.
“Sure,” Jenny said, pointing to a chair. “What’s on your mind?”
“Can you keep this between us?” Enrique asked. “I need to be sure you won’t turn me in.”
Jenny looked alarmed.
“What have you done? I can’t promise anything.”
Enrique’s brow pinched as he wavered for a minute. Then he let out a deep sigh and started talking.
Jenny’s eyes grew larger as she listened to Enrique’s story. Her mouth dropped open after a while. She almost jogged to the police station to bring Adam up to speed on Enrique’s story.
Things happened rapidly after that. Adam told Jenny about it when they were having dinner two days later.
Zac Gordon confessed to the murder of both Kelly and Binkie. The first murder had happened at the pool house and Enrique witnessed it when he woke up and went to the kitchen for a drink of water. He had watched Zac bash Kelly in the head with a golf club and push her into the pool. He had rushed to help Kelly as soon as Zac left the scene. It had been too late to save Kelly. Afraid of being harassed by the police, he went in and pretended he had been asleep in the pool house all night. Then he got greedy and tried to blackmail Zac.
Zac Gordon had threatened to report Enrique to immigration. It had been a shot in the dark but it had found its mark. It turned out Enrique was undocumented. Faced with the threat of being deported, he didn’t say a word against Zac.
“What about Binkie?” Jenny asked Adam.
She was still trying to wrap her head around all the facts. It seemed Zac, Enrique and Binkie had all been crooks, using blackmail to extract money from someone.