by Mel McCoy
“Dad, don’t say anything to—”
“Don’t you understand?” Bob began. “John Jacobs and his father. They stole from us. They took everything away from us.”
Sarah lowered the key and looked at it. She considered what her grandpa had said about the falling out between the two families and the fact that John Jacobs had gotten everything. “Yeah,” Sarah said. “George took your family’s land, your wealth, and gave it to his son, John Jacobs.” She held the key between her forefinger and thumb. “This key is what you were looking for when you broke into my grandfather’s shop.”
Bob’s eyes welled up. “Your grandpa is a kind man. I would never do that to him.”
“Yeah, but your son would.”
Danny scoffed. “You have no proof.”
“Oh, you’d like to think that, wouldn’t you?” Sarah smiled. “But we have cameras. Who do you think planted that necklace? Luckily, my grandpa is a pack-rat and has a bunch of old safe deposit keys that have no use anymore, like the one in your hand right now.”
Danny swallowed hard.
“And your Nana…” Sarah continued.
Danny glared at Sarah, looking like he was ready to strike at any moment.
Adam said to Sarah, “Okay, we should probably—”
But Sarah continued, “What John Jacobs did to your Nana that day was the last straw for you, wasn’t it?”
Danny looked like he was ready to explode. “That wasn’t me,” he said with gritted teeth.
“Then who was it?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
“My dad got angry that day, and he had every right to be. It was the last straw for him. After all the Jacobs family had done to our grandfather and to him and our family, then Jacobs raises the rent, trying to put my Nana out of business. But she’s resilient, and so he comes barging into her Tea Room and puts on a show trying to put her business under. Doesn’t pay her for the cookies she baked for him and gives her a heart attack. She almost died. And no one would have gone after Jacobs. They never do. He’s too rich and powerful—with our money. I was the one who was at the hospital holding Nana’s hand.”
“Until your father called you.”
“I’m glad my father finally did something. He went over there to confront him. He said they had a scuffle and Jacobs fell down the steps and he started freaking out. So he called me.”
“And then you came over to finish the job.”
“Like I said, he was freaking out. I told him he wasn’t breathing and what’s done is done. Told him to get the necklace and I’ll take care of Old Man Jacobs. Wrapped him up and I drug him out onto the pier and dumped him. Tied some bricks to him to weigh him down.”
“Apparently you’re not very good at tying knots,” Adam said.
“What can I say? I was never a great Boy Scout.”
Sarah added, “And you forgot to consider the fact that John Jacobs is afraid of water. He doesn’t even go out onto the pier. It’s what tipped us off in the first place that this wasn’t an accident.”
Danny shrugged. “I didn’t know.”
Bob began crying. “I forgot. It slipped my mind that night with everything happening.” Bob looked back at Sarah and Adam. “I swear, it was an accident.”
“If it was an accident, then your son didn’t have to dump his body like that.”
Danny’s face flushed red with anger. “Yes, I did. If I didn’t, we would never get what’s rightfully ours.” Danny turned to Sarah and Adam. “It wasn’t my fault. I had to do it.”
In the background, Sarah could hear sirens growing louder. Brakes screeched outside and the sound of car doors slamming shut filled the air.
“I still don’t understand…” Bob said, looking puzzled. “I looked all over for the necklace that night but couldn’t find it anywhere. How on Earth did Larry get it?”
Sarah said, “It was a special delivery from our new friend, Winston. He must’ve been at the scene of the crime and scooped up the locket before you spotted him.”
“Winston?” Then Bob’s confused expression left his face as the realization struck him. Sarah knew he couldn’t miss her bright green flyers all over town with the corgi’s name in big, bold font on it.
“I take it you’ve seen my flyers.”
The handyman nodded, face still sullen.
A couple officers rushed into the cabin, led by the town’s sheriff, a stocky man with a graying beard that was neatly trimmed. In short order, the men slapped handcuffs on Bob Greensmith and his son, Danny. Both men were silent on their way out, hanging their heads in shame.
The sheriff said to Adam, “Looks like you won’t be on desk duty as often, now that you cracked this case. Good work, Dunkin.”
Adam shook the sheriff’s hand and smiled. “I couldn’t have done it without Sarah here.”
The sheriff regarded Sarah and tipped his hat. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“You’re welcome,” Sarah said, then she held the key out. “This is the key to the safe over there—they broke into my grandpa’s boutique to get it.”
The sheriff took the key from Sarah. “Let’s have a look,” he said. “See what all the fuss is about.”
The sheriff stepped over to the open trapdoor and crouched down. The other men gathered around, including Sarah and Adam, to get a glimpse at whatever was inside. The sheriff slid the key into the lock and turned it slowly. An audible click emanated from the safe.
Sarah craned her neck to get a good view as the sheriff opened the safe. There were hundreds of gold coins stacked to one side, stacks of cash in the middle, and some papers to the right.
The sheriff turned toward Adam and Sarah. “Wow. At today’s gold prices, there has to be close to a million dollars’ worth in here.”
“What are those papers?” Adam asked.
The sheriff leafed through them, and stopped abruptly when he realized what they were. “My goodness…these are deeds.”
“To what?” Sarah asked.
“To many of the properties in Cascade Cove.”
“Wow.”
“I’d say at least fifty different properties—parcels of land, a dozen or so of the rental houses north of town, many of the businesses along the main strip, and of course, Jacobs Manor.”
Sarah’s jaw dropped slightly. It was clear to her that a lot was at stake in the dispute between the two families. Not only a small fortune of gold and cash, but also what amounted to nearly a quarter of the properties in the small beachside town.
“That’s crazy,” Adam said, shifting his weight to one side.
“I’ll say,” the sheriff said, standing back up. He regarded Sarah, smiling. “If it weren’t for you, those men would have made off with all of this. And they’d have gotten away with murder if it wasn’t for you helping us.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Too bad you’re leaving next week,” Adam said. “You’d be a good set of eyes and ears to have around town…”
“You don’t live in the area?” the sheriff asked Sarah.
“No, sir,” she said. “I’m staying with my Grandpa Larry while on vacation.”
“Oh, of course. Larry,” the sheriff said, chuckling. “Hopefully you stick around a while. Cascade Cove could use more upstanding citizens like yourself.”
“We’ll see,” she said.
The sheriff shook her hand and then patted Adam on the shoulder. “Let’s get this wrapped up and call it a night.”
After giving her statement, Sarah was told she was free to go.
“I’m going to take her home,” Adam said to the sheriff. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
The sheriff waved to Sarah and Adam and they stepped out from the cabin. They walked out into the darkness toward his car, and for the first time in a few days, she truly felt safe. Once inside the Honda, he started it and pulled away from the cabin, then drove off along the desolate road.
“This’ll be one for the books,�
� Adam said.
“Yeah, wait till Larry and Emma hear about this,” Sarah said. “And once my grandma catches wind, she’ll probably clip the newspaper article out and put it in one of her scrapbooks. Part of the town lore.”
“The town lore,” Adam repeated, nodding. “What a way to start the season…”
Chapter 22
A few days later, Sarah was out with Rugby and Winston, taking them for a morning walk around town. She could see more and more shop owners preparing for the first week of the busy season. She couldn’t believe she had been there over a week already, and so much had happened.
Passing by Fudderman’s Bakery, Sarah waved when she saw Henry out front.
“Out to get some fresh air?” Sarah asked.
“Of course,” Henry said. “Been working my tail off for tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Start of the peak season!”
“Oh yeah, of course. Well—”
“Hey, Sarah!”
Sarah turned and saw her cousin Emma across the street.
Turning back to Henry, she said, “I’ll be over later for a Cruller.”
“I’ll be here!”
Sarah crossed the street and approached Emma.
“I still can’t believe what you did last night,” Emma said. “You’re, like, a super hero crime fighter now.”
Sarah laughed and then walked along, passing by Patricia’s Tea Room.
Then Sarah saw Patricia Greensmith stepping out, her granddaughter Nancy by her side. They sat at one of the street-side tables, and Sarah and Emma approached them.
“Hi, Sarah. Emma,” Patricia said. “Are you here for some tea?”
Sarah said, “Just out for a walk. I’m sorry—”
“Please, dear,” Patricia said, taking a sip of her tea. “Don’t be sorry. Danny can be a good boy, but he has a bad streak in him. Always has. In fact, we had to send him away to military school. Thought that would shape him up. I guess not.” Patricia frowned. “Though, I am surprised that my son, Bob, got himself mixed up in all this. He was nothing like his father. My late husband, Walter, got himself into a bunch of shady deals.”
“Shady deals?”
“Let’s just say, George Jacobs was a master at getting what he wanted, and he got some dirt on Walter that he couldn’t leave alone. Something about Walter embezzling money from a company he worked for, which wouldn’t surprise me. Anyway, one thing led to another and Walter ended up making George Jacobs his sole beneficiary, if you can believe that. I guess to make sure he kept it hush-hush.”
“Wow,” Sarah said. “So—”
“So, when my husband passed away, everything went to George… and when he passed away, John Jacobs got everything. It didn’t bother me that much—I had my tea shop and was content. Didn’t want to go through all of the legal stuff, if you know what I mean. But Bob, on the other hand…it didn’t bode well with him. He wasn’t in the position to take any legal action, and I know it bothered him, but I didn’t know it bothered him that much. Needless to say, he wasn’t a fan of John Jacobs after he found out about all of that.”
“I guess not.”
There were a few moments of silence between them and then Emma asked, “So, are you okay?”
“Right as rain,” Patricia said. “I have Nancy here—she’s my rock.”
Nancy smiled, sipping her tea. Apparently, she shared her grandmother’s view of her brother and father.
“I do what I have to,” Nancy said. “Just glad to be here with Nana. We’re all set for tomorrow.”
Patricia smiled. “Oh, and Charlotte stopped by yesterday to see how I was doing. What a sweetheart.”
“Really?” Sarah asked. “That was nice of her.”
“Yeah, and everyone’s talking about what she did.”
Sarah glanced at Emma, who shrugged. “What did she do?” Sarah asked.
“She reversed John Jacobs’ rent increase on all of his tenants. Can you believe it? She’s an angel.”
“Wow,” Sarah said. “I bet they’re all happy.”
“That’s an understatement. They were probably partying all weekend!”
Sarah and Emma laughed.
“Well, we better get back to help Grandpa,” Sarah said. “He’s been frantic about the busy season, making sure everything is in tip-top shape.”
“Sounds good,” Patricia said. “I’ll see you two later.”
Sarah and Emma said their goodbyes and walked the dogs back to the boutique.
Back at Larry’s Pawfect Boutique, Sarah saw a police cruiser parked out front.
“I wonder what’s going on,” Emma said.
Inside, Sarah heard the bell jingle above her head. She scanned the store and spotted Adam browsing along the far-left wall. He turned around and smiled when he saw her.
She let Rugby and Winston off their leashes, and they both rushed over to Adam.
Sarah watched as Emma walked toward the counter, and surveyed the rest of the store to see if she could find Larry.
“Where’s my grandpa?” she asked Adam.
“In the back office on a phone call.”
Adam pulled a couple treats from his pocket and handed one to each dog.
“Since when did you start carrying treats?” Sarah asked.
“Since I wanted every dog in town to absolutely adore me.”
“So, what’s up?”
Adam walked toward the middle of the shop where Sarah stood. Sarah saw her grandpa emerge from the back office to greet Adam.
“Just stopped by to let you know that the John Jacobs case is officially closed.”
“I still can’t believe my handyman did it,” Larry exclaimed. “It’s crazy, is what it is. Now, who am I going to call to fix things around this place?”
“I don’t know. I guess there’s a new job opening in the Cove. Either way, I’m just glad this town can get back to normal.”
“Thank goodness,” Emma said. “But what are we going to do about excitement around here now?”
“Oh, there’s some excitement that’s coming our way,” Larry said, a sly grin on his face.
“What?” Sarah asked.
Larry lifted his cell phone up in the air. “I was just on the phone with your grandma. She’ll be back near the end of the week!”
“What happened to her job on the cruise ship?”
“She finished up with a shorter cruise, and then someone she works with needed extra work. She knew you were in town, Sarah, and so she pulled some strings, and voila!”
“Crazy Grandma,” Emma muttered.
Sarah couldn’t wait to see her grandma. It had been a long time since they were in Cascade Cove at the same time. Typically, when the planets aligned and she saw both her grandpa and her grandma, crazy shenanigans ensued. She was certain a whole load of fiascos was on the horizon.
“Well,” Sarah said, smiling, “this will be interesting.”
Chapter 23
That afternoon, the store was busier than it had been since Sarah arrived in Cascade Cove. More and more people were arriving by the hour, many of whom brought their pets. As per tradition by many of the regular vacationers, Larry’s Pawfect Boutique was among their first stops.
The bell above the door jingled, and Sarah smiled. She and Emma were already working with one customer, and Larry was off to one side working with another.
Rugby and Winston were roaming about, saying hello to the customers and their dogs alike.
“Welcome! I’ll be right with you folks,” Larry said to the incoming customers, then walked over to the register with his current customers and rang them up.
“What about this leash?” the woman was asking Emma.
Sarah was about to ask the newest customers if they needed any assistance when her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it from her pocket, expecting it to be Adam, but it was a number she didn’t recognize. She let the call go to voicemail, then helped the customers.
“Hi there,” she
said, looking down at the beagle. “Oh, look…it’s Sherlock!”
Val laughed. “You remember him?”
“How could I forget?”
“Where’s Watson?” Phil asked.
Suddenly, the corgi rushed over to greet them. “Winston,” Sarah corrected.
“Did you ever find his rightful owner?” Val asked.
Sarah grimaced. “Not yet. Haven’t got a single call about it. I put it in all the local papers and everything.”
Val nodded. “Well, hopefully things work out.”
“Thanks.”
After ringing Val and Phil out, Sarah gave Sherlock a bone, and waved goodbye as they left the store. There was a lull in store traffic, so Sarah took the opportunity to check her phone. She saw that whoever had called her earlier had left a voicemail.
Emma cozied up next to her and bumped her in the side with her hip. “It’s only going to get busier. The last couple I saw said they almost didn’t come, but they heard about the murder case officially wrapped up, so they decided to come after all. You really did save the day.”
Sarah nodded. “All in a day’s work,” she said, smiling.
Sarah lifted the phone to her ear, and listened to the message: “Hi, this is Zach over at the Cozy Beachside Rescue Center, in Filbertsville. We just saw your ad in the newspaper about the corgi, Winston. If you could please give me a call back…”
Sarah lowered the phone from her ear, her jaw dropping.
“What is it?” Emma asked.
Larry stepped over, intrigued. Winston was by his side.
Sarah stared down at the corgi and muttered, “It’s about Winston.”
“What?”
Sarah played the message on speaker phone for both of them to hear.
“Well, I’ll be,” Larry said. “He escaped from the Rescue, somehow, and travelled along the beach, past Jacobs Manor, and all the way here!”
“Yeah,” Sarah said. She thought she’d be more excited that the mystery of the lost corgi had been solved, but as she stared down at Winston, she couldn’t bear to see him go. “I…I’m going to miss him.”