by Cindy Bell
“I can give it to Jason.” Suzie took the paper from the printer. “Thanks.”
“Are you sure you want to tell Jason right away? Maybe we should see if we can find her first,” Mary suggested.
“Why?” Suzie met her eyes. “Is something wrong, Mary?”
“If Leanne didn’t kill her mother, then she may not even know that her mother is dead, yet. I’d hate for her first introduction to that news to be a pair of handcuffs.”
“Subtlety is not Jason’s strong suit.” Suzie pulled out her phone. “It will make his job easier if we track her down first anyway.”
“If she killed her mother she probably hopped the first plane out of town,” Mary said.
“Maybe.” Suzie tilted her head back and forth. “And maybe not.” She waited for someone to pick up the line.
“Hello?”
“Hi Maurice, I have a question for you.”
“Suzie? Suzie Allen?”
“Yes.”
“How dare you call me!”
“I’m sorry?”
“Your cousin was here accusing me of murder. How do you like that?”
“I had to tell him that you were at Dune House, but I certainly didn’t tell him that you were a murderer.”
“Oh no? That’s funny, because while he was here he certainly seemed convinced of my guilt, all because of you.”
“I’m sorry I don’t mean to correct you, Maurice, but I think that was much more because of you. After all you decided to sneak around Dune House. You almost started a riot at the community meeting. You gave Jason all the reason to suspect you. I didn’t do any of that.”
“Sure, I’ll remember to ask you the next time I need someone to throw me under a bus, since you already have so much experience at it.”
Suzie rolled her eyes. “Maurice, stop! If you’re so worried about being arrested then you should be happy to help me. Can you please tell me if Leanne Kay stayed at your motel or is currently staying there?”
“I don’t want to help you with anything.”
“Don’t you hang up, Maurice. You’re the prime suspect. You say that you didn’t kill Priscilla, I believe you. But that means we need a new suspect. So answer the question.”
“All right fine. Yes, she is staying here. Checked in three days ago.”
“Is she still there now?”
“I don’t know if she’s in her room or not, but she hasn’t checked out.”
“Great. If she tries to check out, stall her.”
“Stall her?”
“Yes Maurice, chat, try to have a friendly conversation, you know?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want any part in this.”
“You’re already in it, Maurice. Please, just stall her.”
“All right, all right.” He groaned. “How soon can you be here?”
“About ten minutes.”
“I’ll do what I can, but I’m not making any promises, Suzie.”
“Thanks, Maurice.” Suzie hung up the phone.
“What are you planning, Suzie?” Mary looked over at her.
“I’m just going to see if I can speak to Leanne. See what she knows and try to work out if she was involved in this.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“I think that might be a good idea. You’re much more sensitive to these things than I am.”
“Thanks for your help, Louis.” Mary smiled at him. “You did good.”
“I do what I can.” Louis grinned. “Just do me a favor and let me know how it all turns out.”
As Suzie and Mary left the library, Suzie frowned. “I think that Jason is going to be pretty upset if he finds out we kept this from him, so we better make this fast.”
“I think it’s the right thing to do. Leanne may be a suspect in Jason’s eyes, but to me, she’s a daughter, who might not even know her mother is dead, let alone that she was murdered,” Mary said. “Come, let’s go. You might hear from Paul soon and then you’ll have other things to do.” Mary grinned. Suzie’s smile faded. She glanced away from Mary.
“You may be right about that.”
“Suzie?” Mary grabbed her arm gently. “What’s wrong?”
“Huh? Nothing is wrong.” Suzie shrugged. “We’d better hurry.”
“No way, don’t you take one step until you tell me what is going on.” Mary crossed her arms.
“Mary, I said nothing is wrong.”
“And I know you’re lying to me, which you never do, so it must be something very serious. What’s going on, Suzie? Tell me.”
“It’s nothing really. It’s just that Paul is already here, and he hasn’t called to tell me.”
“Then how do you know he’s here?”
“Jason told me he already spoke to him. Also, I saw him at a jewelry shop early this morning.”
“A jewelry shop?” Mary clapped her hands. “Do you know what this means?”
“Should I?” Suzie narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s lost interest?”
“No Suzie!” Mary laughed. “He’s being sneaky, he’s at a jewelry shop, come on, put two and two together.”
“I don’t follow.” Suzie sighed.
“He’s going to propose, Suzie!” Mary clapped again. “He was probably at the jewelry shop to buy you a ring.”
“What? That’s nonsense. We haven’t even been dating that long, and that’s ridiculous. We’re too old to get married.”
“Too old?” Mary shook her head. “There’s no age limit to love, darling.”
“Mary, stop it. That’s crazy. Why would he even think that’s a good idea?”
“Maybe because he loves you?” Mary searched her eyes. “Would it really be so bad?”
“For me? Yes. I have no interest in getting married. What then? Would we live together?” She scrunched up her nose. “Could you imagine?”
“Uh yes. I think about living with Wes all the time.”
“Oh, no you’re not…”
“No, we’re not. But I do think about it. I rather miss having someone to snuggle up to and wake up next to.”
“I’m not much for sharing my room.” Suzie shook her head. “No, no, that would be a disaster.”
“Aw.” Mary hugged her. “Well, maybe I’m wrong. You never know. If he does propose though, make sure you let him down easy, Suzie. A man’s heart gets broken very easily, and once it is, it’s hard to fix.”
Suzie frowned. “We’d better get to the motel before we miss our chance to talk to Leanne.”
“You’re right.” Mary sighed. “I’m sorry that I didn’t make you feel better, Suzie.”
“It’s all right. I just hope that you’re wrong. I think I’d rather find out he’s dating someone else.”
Mary held her gaze. “No you wouldn’t, Suzie. That I don’t believe for a second.”
Suzie offered her a half smile and nodded. “You’re right.”
Chapter 10
As Suzie drove with Mary towards the motel she thought about what Mary had said. She sorted through her memories in an attempt to remember whether she had ever spoken to Paul about marriage. He seemed to be as content as she was with the way things were. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have someone live with her, in her room. To take turns for the shower.
“Ugh, no thanks,” Suzie said under her breath and shuddered. She pulled into the parking lot of the motel. Maurice stood outside near the front door of the office, but there was no sign of Leanne. Suzie and Mary got out of the car and walked towards Maurice. Maurice glared at Suzie as she approached.
“Where is she?” Suzie glanced at the row of doors that led to the motel rooms.
“As far as I know she’s still in there. Room three. That’s as much as I’m getting involved. Understand?”
“Perfectly.” Suzie glanced over at Mary. Mary grimaced. The two walked towards room three. Suzie knocked on the door. After a moment, the door opened. Before them stood the person who was in the photograph that Louis h
ad printed.
“Leanne Kay?” Suzie met her eyes. They were hooded with dark circles underneath.
“Yes. What is it?” She wiped at her eyes. “I’m not doing any press.”
“We’re not the press.” Mary’s voice was gentle as she spoke. “May we come inside?”
“Why?” Leanne narrowed her eyes. “What is this about?”
“It’s about your mother, Priscilla.”
“What about her?” Leanne stood straight up. Suzie and Mary exchanged a quick glance. “She’s passed away.”
Suzie and Mary relaxed slightly as they felt a sense of relief that they wouldn’t have to be the ones to break the bad news to her.
“We’re sorry for your loss,” Mary said sympathetically.
“Thank you. I just don’t know why it happened, now.” Leanne wiped at her eyes. “She and I just fixed things.”
“Fixed things, how?” Suzie raised an eyebrow.
“She finally saw things from my point of view. I took her to see the nests. I took her to Redhawk River.”
Suzie’s stomach lurched. Had Leanne just revealed where Priscilla was murdered?
“Did you and your mother have a disagreement while you were at the river?” Suzie asked.
“No. My mother and I fought at dinner, but after dinner I showed her the reality. I showed her the nests and how much damage would be done. You know she loves that bird she has. I guess I finally got through to her when she realized that she would be hurting birds. She was going to call off the deal. She promised me that she would.”
“When was the last time that you saw your mother, Leanne?” Suzie asked.
“It was that night. It was the last time I saw her. But I called her driver to drop her off at the bed and breakfast where she was staying. She broke her heel, and I was afraid if she walked she might get hurt. So, I called her driver. I don’t even know if she made it home.”
Suzie’s eyes narrowed. Conner hadn’t mentioned anything about picking up Priscilla. She began to think that maybe Leanne was telling the truth. Suzie reached into her purse and pulled out Jason’s card.
“Have you spoken to the police?” Suzie asked.
“No why?”
“You need to contact him right away,” Suzie said as she handed the card to Leanne. “He’s investigating the murder…”
“Murder?” Leanne gulped and her eyes widened. “She was murdered?”
“Yes, Leanne, I’m so sorry.” Mary gave her a hug. “I know this is a lot to take in. But anything you can tell Jason might help.”
“Okay. Okay.” She nodded. “I’ll call him right now.” She went back into the motel room and retrieved her cell phone.
Mary tugged Suzie aside.
“We need to be careful what we say,” Mary said. “She looks so upset.”
“People can fake it. She certainly had motive to kill her mother. And means and opportunity,” Suzie said.
“Do you really think that she did it?”
“I think that there’s one good way to find out. I’m going to go to Redhawk River and get a sample of the water. If Summer can match it, then we will at least know where Priscilla was killed.”
“I’m going to stay with her until Jason gets here. I don’t think she should be alone.”
“That’s good. I’ll let you know what I find at the river. Call me if you need a lift.”
“I will but I’m sure I’ll be fine, I can walk.”
“Okay, I won’t be long.”
“Suzie, be careful.” Mary squeezed her hand.
“I will be.”
Suzie climbed into her car. Just as she was about to start it, her cell phone rang. Her heart stopped when she saw that it was Paul. For a moment she considered ignoring it. Before it could go to voicemail she grabbed it up.
“Hello?”
“Hi beautiful.”
She smiled, despite her concerns. She loved the way he greeted her. “Hi handsome.”
“I just got in, I heard about what happened. Are you doing okay?”
“I think so.”
“Can we meet for a bite?”
“I’m on my way to go for a hike.”
“A hike?”
“Yes, near Redhawk River.”
There was a long pause. Suzie bit into her bottom lip. She wondered what he was thinking.
“I’ve been looking forward to seeing you.”
“I’m sorry, Paul. We can meet up later.”
“Maybe I could join you for the hike?”
Suzie grimaced. She knew that he was lying to her about just getting in. Why would he do that unless he was hiding something?
“Of course you can. I would love that. But you’re not too tired?” Even though she suspected he was up to something she still wanted to see him.
“I’m never too tired to spend time with you, Suzie.”
“Aw. I’ll be there in five minutes.”
“That’s what I call service.”
Suzie laughed as she hung up the phone. Despite the stress of the murder, Paul always found a way to make her laugh. She changed direction and drove towards the dock. As she approached it she thought about how lucky she was to have found him. It was an unexpected relationship, but one that she was very happy with. She just hoped he wasn’t going to do anything that would change that.
Chapter 11
When Suzie pulled up to the docks she noticed that there were not very many people milling about. Suzie thought about the resort taking over part of the coastline of Garber. It wasn’t until that moment that she truly understood why everyone was so upset about the possibility. The quiet piece of paradise was all theirs for the time being, the moment that it became a resort town, it would no longer be a hidden gem for mainly the local residents to enjoy. She was lost in thought when Paul opened the passenger side door of the car. The sudden movement and sound caused every muscle in her body to jerk.
“Oh Suzie, I’m sorry if I startled you. I thought you saw me.”
“It’s okay.” Suzie laughed. “I guess I was just distracted.”
Paul leaned across the car to hug her. His familiar scent and warmth surrounded her. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, Paul.” Suzie lingered in his arms for a moment, then she pulled away. “Was it a good trip?”
“It wasn’t bad.” He shrugged. “It could have been better. I’m sorry about what happened to Priscilla. It’s hard to believe that someone could be so cruel.”
“It’s even harder to believe that it might have been her own daughter, Leanne that did it.”
“Her daughter?” Paul gasped.
“That’s why I’m going to the river. If I can prove that the water in Priscilla’s lungs is the same water that runs in the river then I think Jason will be able to make an arrest.”
“I can’t say it surprises me that you’re involved in all of this. Thanks for letting me tag along.”
Suzie shot him a smile as she started the car. She drove towards the river based on the directions that the GPS provided. It took her down several windy, tree-lined roads. When they arrived at a small dirt parking lot she stopped the car. Paul hopped out and walked around to meet her at the other side of the car. The two embraced again and shared a small kiss.
“I’m so glad to be home.” He smiled as he looked into her eyes. Suzie smiled in return but broke the visual connection before it could linger.
“I just need to get a small sample of the water.”
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Paul looked at the thick underbrush. “It doesn’t look like anyone has been here for a long time.”
“I know that Leanne and Priscilla were here together the night that Priscilla was killed. Leanne claims that her mother changed her mind about the development deal, but I find that hard to believe.”
“Maybe she came to her senses.” Paul pulled back some branches so that Suzie could step through. “I’d rather think that, than anything else.”
“Me too. But the water
will reveal the truth. Someone drowned Priscilla and then dumped her body in or near the ocean.”
“If they drowned her here then why would that person move the body to another location?”
“In an attempt to make it look like an accident. I guess whoever did this thought that people would just assume, as the police first did, that it was an accidental drowning. Without an investigation into the death, they would have gotten away with it.”
The foliage was dense around the edge of the river. Suzie held on to Paul’s hand as they made their way through it.
“Do you really think this will help the investigation? It will be enough for Jason to make an arrest?”
“I don’t think that it can hurt it. Summer said that if she had a sample to compare the water to then she might be able to pinpoint the crime scene. If the water matches then I think we can be fairly certain Leanne killed her mother. At the very least the crime scene investigators can search the area for any evidence.”
Paul shoved his hands deep down into the pockets of his thick jeans and looked out over the area. Suzie pushed some reeds aside from the water’s edge. She dipped the small container into the water and collected a sample. When she stood back up Paul grasped her arm to keep her steady.
“This should do it.” Suzie sealed the vial then dropped it into her purse.
“We’re already out here we might as well enjoy a little stroll.” Paul tipped his head towards a trail that led away from the river. Suzie eyed him for a moment. She had heard plenty of proposal stories over the years and most involved a beautiful setting, such as the woods they were in.
“Oh, I don’t know. I really need to get this sample back to the lab.”
“A few minutes?” He stroked the back of her hand. “I’d love just a little time alone with you.” Suzie tried to think of any excuse to prevent a walk through the woods, but from the way Paul’s eyes squinted, she knew he would see right through any ploy.
“Okay sure. A short one.”
As they walked hand in hand along the trail Suzie glanced over at him. His expression was as casual as always. Nothing about it indicated that he kept a secret. But Suzie was certain that he was.