by J C Fuller
“Oh?” Philip encouraged. “Did she say something to Lucas?”
“No. Not to him, to me! I’d smarted off. Saying something about Lucas being as blind as a bat if he couldn’t tell the two apart.” Brent started picking up pebbles and tossing them as well. “Janie, for some reason, took exception. Told me on my brightest day, I couldn’t tell her and Danie apart. Then I snapped something about how any dummy could figure it out.” Brent shrugged. “That seemed to upset her.”
“Was it the truth? Could you really tell them apart?” Philip smiled, curious to know.
“Physically? No. They were the spitting image of each other and proud of it. Personality wise, hell yeah. Those two were night and day.”
“So, it was an empty boast, so to speak?”
“Completely,” Brent said honestly, a sad smile on his face.
“Did Janie call you out on it?” Philip watched as Brent found a smooth flat pebble and tried to skip it across the creek.
“Nah, she let it drop and went off to calm Danie down. The party sort of broke up from there and we all went to our own tents.”
“The next morning, how was everyone’s mood?”
“Normal. We’d all had quite a bit to drink, so I don’t think any of us got up till around ten, ten-thirty. Poor Lucas, he’d gotten to the campsite super late, so he hadn’t even gotten a chance to put up his tent. Found him sleeping out in the open on his sleeping bag, the tent poles and canvas a stacked mess from the night before.” Brent laughed again.
“Everyone else?” Philip smiled, imagining a drunk Lucas trying to put together a tent in the dark.
“Angie and Kevin, they’d immediately gotten into a fight, which was totally normal for them. Don’t even know if they knew what they were fighting about. Angie took off for a walk to cool down and get some space.”
“What did Kevin do?” Philip asked, guessing the fight had been over him ogling Janie.
“He and Gabe started to gather wood close by. We’d decided to build a big bonfire on the beach for our last night.”
“Yeah, and I recall telling you guys, absolutely no bonfires,” Philip said sternly, giving the young man a firm scowl.
“I know. Sorry about that.” Brent winced, giving Philip an apologetic smile, “Danie was going to be flying back to Pennsylvania, Gabe was heading back to school, and we all had jobs we were returning to. It was supposed to be our last hurrah for the summer and I just really wanted the night to be a big deal. Something to remember. Something…special.”
Philip wondered if Brent had planned on asking Janie to marry him, but decided not to ask, knowing Danie’s death had sidetracked any plans Brent might have had for that evening.
“What about Janie and Danie? How were they the next morning?”
“Oh, fine! When we all got up, Janie suggested going down to the beach to look for driftwood for the fire. Danie didn’t feel like it and said she and Amy were thinking about going swimming because it was so hot.”
“So, Amy went with Danie to go swimming?” Philip asked, surprised. He’d always been told Danie was alone.
Brent thought for a second, his brow creased. “No, no. I guess she didn’t. I’d forgotten. She and Kevin, they decided to make everyone sandwiches, while the rest of us searched for wood.”
“Why didn’t her sister go with her?” Philip was starting to get a picture of who was where in the campsite.
“Oh, she’d taken pity on Lucas and decided to help him get his tent set up, so he wouldn’t have to sleep outside with the mosquitos for another night.” Brent’s smile was fondly sad. “And I’d wandered off to find a place to relieve myself and then started picking up wood.”
“And Gabe?”
“Fighting a hangover. He’d decided to go back to his tent and take a nap when Kevin bagged off to help Amy make lunch.”
“I’ve noticed you all seemed to be paired off. You and Janie, Kevin and Angie, Lucas and Danie? Were Amy and Gabe a thing?”
“Oh, no! Not even close. And it was Gabe and Danie, not Danie and Lucas.”
“But you just said, Lucas was sweet on Danie?” Philip frowned, knowing this to be the case as well.
“He was! So was Gabe.”
“And Danie chose Gabe?” Philip was still confused. He’d always thought it was Lucas who was with Danie. Even Sue had thought the same.
“Well, not exactly. That’s just who I thought she preferred. I don’t think she wanted to be tied down to anyone to be honest, especially since she’d be going to Penn State. That’s a hell of a long ways from Rockfish Island. Believe me, Janie and I struggled being apart.”
“So, then who was Amy with?”
“No one. Though she was hoping Gabe would take an interest in her, especially after Danie left to go back to Pennsylvania. Don’t get me wrong. She and Danie were tight, but I think Gabe sort of became a sore subject between them.”
“So, that morning, Danie ended up going swimming all by herself?”
Brent lowered his head, his chin resting on his chest. “If I’d been faster.” He looked over at Philip, he’s eyes sorrowful. “I’d heard yelling, but I’d ignored it at first. I don’t know what I thought it was, but I didn’t think it was something to do with us. When I finally realized they were yelling something about Danie, I dropped the firewood and ran back to camp.” Brent tilted his head back, gazing up at the sky. “I saw everybody running to Shallow Point and started to follow. As I got closer, the trees were sparse enough, I could see Danie floating face down in the water. Gabe was trying to wade out to her, while Kevin and Lucas were still trying to scrabble down the rocks to get to the water. I knew none of them would get to her in time, so I just dove off the point.”
“That was a dumb thing to do, Brent. You could have broken your neck,” Philip admonished, at the same time, impressed with the young man’s bravery.
Brent shrugged the rebuke off and continued.
“I got to her before Gabe and managed to pull her to shore with his help. Then Gabe started CPR…” Brent took a deep breath. “He gave it everything he had. The guy was a machine.”
Philip agreed. Gabe had been exhausted by the time Philip had arrived on the scene.
“Do you remember who spotted Danie in the water first? Who called the alarm?” Philip stood up, his legs getting stiff.
“I think it was Lucas.” Brent got up with him, dusting off his pants.
“Lucas? I thought he and Janie were putting up his tent?”
Brent shrugged. “Maybe they’d finished and he went to see what Danie was doing?”
“You’ve never asked him?”
“It’s not a subject I enjoy talking about,” Brent said flatly, starting to wander off.
Philip put an arresting hand on Brent’s chest.
“One last question. Did you know Janie was back on the island?”
Brent pursed his lips together, chucking another small pebble into the creek.
“Kevin mentioned he saw her at the restaurant. I was hoping she would contact me the next day or so.” He turned to Philip, “She didn’t.”
“How did it end? You and Janie?”
“She blamed me for Danie.” Brent looked up at the cliff, his eyes sad. “She never came out and actually said it, but I could tell. After Danie’s funeral, I did everything I could to be there for her. Nothing I did seemed to bring her closer, so I tried giving her some space. Soon the space turned into unreturned phone calls, one sided text messages.” Brent put his hands in his back pockets, turning his gaze down to his boots. “I tried going to her apartment. Was worried she was suicidal…or she’d met somebody else. She didn’t even bother to come to the door. I gave up after that.”
“Must have been one hell of a surprise finding her on The Mole Hill that morning.” Philip’s gaze was glued to Brent’s face.
Brent’s smile was thin and unconvincing. “Complete surprise.”
“Was it, Brent? Really?” Philip put his hand on his shoulder. He could see the
young man was fighting his emotions.
“I thought…I thought if we spent some time together, like we used to… Things would click back into place.” Brent lightly shrugged Philip’s hand off his shoulder. “I left Janie on that cliff in more than one way,” Brent’s voice cracked, and he turned his back on Philip. “It’s going to be dark soon. Better get back to looking.” He halfheartedly wandered over to his dropped handkerchief and picked it up, resuming his search.
Philip watched the young man for a moment, before he leaped over to the other side of the creek and started to look himself.
Chapter 27
“Hello?” A male’s voice, heavy with sleep, came over the phoneline and Lane winced, realizing she hadn’t considered the difference in time zones.
“This is Sheriff Lane with the Rockfish Island Sheriff’s Department.” She thought it best to start off with her title, less chance of getting confused for a telemarketer. She was wrong.
“I’ve already donated to my local department. Good-bye,” the voice answered, sleep still heavy in the east coast accent.
“Mr. Levens? This isn’t a telemarketing call. I’m contacting you in regards to Danielle and Janielle Engles,” Lane said loudly into the mouth piece, hoping he’d hear her voice before hanging up the phone. “I need to ask you a few questions.” Lane could distinctly hear rustling in the background and assumed the man was sitting up in bed.
“Couldn’t this wait till morning, when I’m at my office?” Gerald Levens, the attorney for the Engles family estate, said testily into the phone.
“I apologize, Mr. Levens. I didn’t realize I’d called your home number,” Lane lied, never having been one to be patient.
“Well, now that you do, you can call me back tomorrow morning at my office.” Mr. Leven’s went to hang up the phone.
“Mr. Levens! Since I have you on the phone now, this won’t take long,” Lane said, quickly. “You know how things are with an official murder investigation. Time is of the essence.” Lane bit her lip, hoping that was a big enough lure to keep the family lawyer on the phone.
“Did you say murder investigation?” Mr. Levens turned the lamp next to his bedside on. His wife, lying beside him, rolled away from the glare.
“Yes, sir. I meant to call you earlier, but today has been hectic. Janielle was found deceased on September 4th. The coroner has declared her death a homicide by person or persons unknown. We believe she was pushed off a cliff while hiking.”
“Oh, Janie.” Mr. Levens threw back the sheets and sat on the edge of his bed. “That would explain why Mrs. Carter called and made an appointment,” The lawyer mumbled to himself, and then said into the phone, “What can I do for you, Sheriff?”
“My understanding is Janie had a will?”
“Of course.”
“Can you tell me who stands to benefit from it? And do you know if she had any life insurance policies?” Lane had her notepad and pen at the ready.
“Just a second. Let me switch phones.” Mr. Levens shook his wife awake and told her to wait till he picked up the line in the other room. A minute later, Lane heard him say, “Okay, Lori. You can go back to sleep.” There was a huff of annoyance and a click. “Sheriff, are you still there?”
“Yes, sir. I apologize for waking your household. But with a murder investigation—”
“I know, you said that already,” Mr. Levens interrupted. “I can’t tell you every detail of the will, being it’s not in front of me. But the majority of Janie’s wealth goes to her aunt, Susan Carter.” Mr. Levens leaned back in his button back chair and closed his eyes, trying to stifle a yawn. “A few thousand here and there go to charities and some additional funds to a couple of close friends. Neither sister had a life insurance policy.”
“Nothing to her family in Pennsylvania?”
“The will was amended after Danielle’s death and the passing of her aunt, Cheryl Martin.” Mr. Levens blinked his eyes rapidly, fighting the urge to fall asleep.
“And nothing for her uncle, Mr. Martin?” Lane wondered if maybe she had been shortsighted. Possibly they had a suspect all the way in Pennsylvania?
“Their Uncle, Thomas Martin, died of pneumonia two years ago. Both he and Cheryl were in their mid-forties when they adopted the girls after their parent’s car accident and demise. No cousins to speak of.”
Lane couldn’t help herself and started to doddle the math on her notepad, wondering exactly how old Sue Carter was. If she surmised correctly, Sue must have paid a fortune to her plastic surgeons.
“Anything else, Sheriff?” Mr. Levens broke into her thoughts, the impatience in his voice easy to hear.
“You mentioned additional funds to some of her close friends? Do you recall who and the amount?” Lane scratched out her quick mathematical scribblings.
“Let me think…” Mr. Levens looked down at his desk, trying to recall. “I believe the sum was close to a million each. I don’t recall the names. I could fax the information over in the morning, when I’m back in my office if you’d be kind enough to send over an official request via email.” Mr. Leven’s didn’t bother to stifle his yawn this time.
“I’d appreciate that. One final question. Do you represent the Carters, as well? Or just the Martins?” Lane found herself yawning along with the lawyer, even though it was 9:00 p.m. her time.
“Neither, if you are speaking of the husbands. I’m the lawyer for the Hamilton estate. Cheryl, Susan, and Lisa’s family. Lisa Hamilton-Engles was the girl’s mother.”
“Wait, Sue Carter’s wealth didn’t come from her husband?” Lane asked astonished, having always been told Henry was the wealthy one.
“Henry was rich in his own right. But no, Sue, as you refer to her. Her family is old money,” Mr. Leven’s east coast accent was thick with pride. “I’m the fourth generation to proudly service this line of the Hamilton dynasty.”
Lane’s eyebrows shot up, recognizing the name of mass wealth. No wonder Sue pretended all her money came from Henry’s side of the family. If everyone knew her family lineage, half the island would be at her doorstep begging for a handout and the other half, accepting her sexual advances in a hope of a monetary windfall. Lane quickly scratched out Sue’s name from the suspect list. Money would not have been a factor… for Sue.
“Mr. Levens, when Danie died, how was her wealth distributed?”
“Everything went solely to Janie. Her will was an exact duplicate, until Danie’s accidental death. Like I mentioned before, it was changed a short while ago.”
“A short while ago?” Lane’s attention was caught at his last words. “Mr. Levens, what exactly do you mean by a short while ago?”
“A few weeks,” Mr. Levens mumbled, jerking his head up, having started to nod asleep. “Last month, around mid- August, I believe. Definitely before Labor Day. I helped her draft it personally at our office.” He yawned again, “Really, Sheriff. I don’t see how any further questions you may have can’t wait until tomorrow morning.”
Chapter 28
The parking lot of Piper’s Place looked fairly vacant for a Friday night. Though the ambiance of the small dive bar, set by the various neon beer signs and hanging lamps stationed over the pool tables, gave Philip a claustrophobic feeling as soon as he stepped through the door.
Dressed in his favorite plaid shirt and comfortably crumpled Levi jeans, Philip begrudgingly let the door close behind him and wrinkled his nose at the smell of deep-fried onion rings, stale beer, and clove cigarette smoke drifting in from the smoker’s lounge outside.
Five seconds in and he was already longing for the bright lights of the parking lot and the familiar rumble of the bowling alley next door. He stepped further in and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim light, scanning the room for a familiar face…or two.
He recognized the man standing by the old jukebox, plunking in quarters, drinking away his sorrows. And up by the bar, he saw a young couple who visited the park earlier in the morning, though he didn’t remember their n
ames. They were happily chatting over their beers and a basket full of pull tabs.
Philip wandered closer to the small tables surrounding the minuscule dance floor where he spotted the waitress. She was humming off key to the jukebox, bouncing from table to table, barely giving the tops a wipe down. Further to his left, a man playing pool by himself raised his hand, indicating he could do with another beer.
“That’s not how it happened!”
Philip, slightly startled, turned his head to the far right.
“You’re pulling my leg!” the raised voice said loudly, as an amused laugh quickly followed behind it.
“I swear!” declared Lucas, his hand up in the air as if to take a solemn oath.
In a dark corner, back by the door, sat Lucas and Gabe. Both discussing something with conversational intensity, a half pitcher of beer sitting between them.
“Hey, fellas. Buy you another round?” Philip offered heartily, as he approached the table and signaled the waitress.
“Hey, Phil! Never seen you here before.” Lucas gave him a big smile and waved him over.
Philip, swiping a spare chair from against the wall, scooted up to their table, just as the waitress approached.
“What can I get—,” she paused, recognizing him. “Phil? What are you doing over here? Don’t you normally socialize over at the bowling alley?”
“Hi ya, Leslie. Can I get another pitcher of beer and an extra glass?” Philip smiled widely, politely ignoring the question.
“Sure thing.” She slipped a pen behind her ear and cocked her hip to the side, leaning up against the table. “So, is it because you and Harry are still fighting? Because that would be a real shame.” She shook her head side to side, to emphasize the shame it would be.
“Yeah, I heard about that!” Gabe leaned across the table, pulling the half-filled pitcher closer. “Heard you punched him out cold.”