“Good afternoon! My name is Leon and I’ll be your server today.” A teenager bopped up and down next to the table, smiling. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“A coffee for me,” I said.
“Pumpkin-spice latte, please.”
Leon rushed off to put in the order.
“Here’s how I see it,” I said, once Leon had disappeared, leaning in so my words reached Bee’s ears alone, “We’ve got three main suspects left. Jessie, Richard, and Gina. They all had reasons to get rid of her, though I think Richard’s is probably the strongest with the whole will thing.”
“True.”
“Our problem is, we need to narrow down exactly who was at the crime scene on the day it happened. If they weren’t here then they couldn’t have done it.”
Bee nodded. “The back door to that kitchen was rusted shut. None of the windows were broken. I have the pictures and I’m sure there was no other way in.”
“One entrance. The killer had to have used it.” It was horrifying to think that the murderer might’ve passed us in the street after the deed. Or just missed us even. What if we walked in on them in the act? I grew faint at the thought.
Leon returned with our drinks, setting them down in the shaky manner a new server did. “Can I get you something to nibble on?”
“Sure,” I said. “I’d like a slice of pie. Lemon meringue.”
“Same for me. Say, Leon.” Bee put her hand on his arm. “I wonder if you could tell us more about what happened at the town hall.”
“The t-town hall?” he asked, tucking his pen and pad away. “You mean, the murder?” The last part came out as a whisper.
“That’s exactly what I mean. I’m concerned,” Bee said. “We’re only really here visiting, but it’s scary to think that there might be a killer on the loose. Did you see who did it?”
“Oh no, no.” Leon shook his head vehemently. “I didn’t see anything like that. I mean, I didn’t see anyone who looked like a killer. But I did notice there was kind of, like, a lot of activity over there. At the hall.”
“Yeah? What kind of activity.”
“Oh, just people coming in and out.” Leon turned to go, obviously done with the creepy conversation.
“What kind of people?” Bee asked.
He half-turned back, flinching under her intense gaze. “I don’t know. People. Like a guy. I saw a guy go in there.”
My heart pitter-pattered. “What did he look like?” I asked.
Leon shifted his weight from his right foot to left. “He was tall and handsome. Dark hair.”
“Did he have a mole?” Bee hissed.
Apparently, the question was just too much for Leon. A little too weird. “I don’t know. I’ll be right back with your food.” He practically sprinted back toward the front counter. It would have been amusing if I could think of anything other than what he’d just told us.
Richard had definitely been there. Richard or William. But William had an alibi.
“Now, that is interesting,” Bee said.
“You mean the fact that you scared that poor server out of his mind?”
“That too. But mostly that Richard was here. Of course, that doesn’t rule out the other suspects. Just because Leon over there didn’t see them, doesn’t mean they weren’t here.”
“Of course. But we can place Richard at the scene. That’s a clue.” Bee seemed satisfied, but I still had my doubts.
Yes, Richard had a lot to gain, but my gut feeling said there was more to this than met the eye. But what was it?
21
The cheesecake from the Corner Café had been on the heavy side, but the walk down the beach, back toward the Oceanside helped work off a few of the calories. And to get those investigative juices flowing.
Bee and I tossed ideas back and forth as we walked, our toes squidging in the cold sand. Our feet would be frozen by the time we got back to the guesthouse, but I couldn’t bring myself to walk around with shoes on the beach. It wasn’t my style.
“If only we had more information,” I said.
“It’s all circumstantial evidence,” Bee agreed. “If we had something concrete, maybe we could make a citizen’s arrest.”
The thought drove a spike of panic through my stomach. Relax. Nothing’s going to happen. “Do we really think it was Richard who did it?”
“The fact that he was there, and that he had a motive to murder Honey points toward it. The changing of the will is a huge indicator that something was afoot.”
But it still didn’t feel right to me. And I couldn’t place why. If it was Richard, why would he have brought so much attention to himself in the Chowder Hut the other night? He had confronted Jessie about her gossip session with Honey in front of everyone.
I stopped, facing the distant Oceanside, the dunes and scrubby bushes to my left and the ocean washing the sand on my right. “You know, Jones probably thinks we did it because of Honey’s phone.”
“Yeah, and Jones is also a—”
“No cussing, Bee.”
“I wasn’t going to, I swear. I was just going to point out that he has about as much investigative integrity as a rat with a crooked nose. That’s all.”
I chuckled, the wind whipping my hair back from my face and driving needles of cold against my skin. “We should probably—”
A lone figure had appeared on the path that led from the back of the guesthouse. Tall, with dark hair, and wearing a trench coat the dragged through the sand. It was Richard! I grabbed Bee by the arm and dragged her behind some of the scraggly bushes, crouching low.
“What in the name of—?”
“Look! It’s him.”
Richard stopped once he’d reached the sand. He looked left and right then hurried off toward a line of bushes near the start of the embankment which lead to the path above. He bent between them and rustled around, his coat flapping in the breeze.
“What on earth is he doing?” Bee whispered.
Finally, Richard straightened and ran his fingers through his hair. Once again, he appeared to check the coast was clear then hurried back up toward the path that led to the guesthouse. I waited until he’d gone then piled out of our meager hiding spot.
Bee was practically dancing on the spot. “If that wasn’t suspicious then I don’t know what is. This is it, Ruby. I can feel it in my baking bones.”
We rushed across the sands until we reached the bushes. I reached into my pocket, removed my gloves and slipped them on. “Just in case,” I said.
“Good thinking.” Bee tapped her nose. “Don’t want to contaminate the evidence.”
I parted the bushes carefully. My jaw dropped.
Between them sat a hollow in the sand, carefully demarcated with stones, and filled with what could only be described as a treasure trove of junk.
“What is this?” I asked, shoving my way between the bushes to get a closer look.
“It looks like some sort of… nest. Except without bedding. And creepier.”
I shifted some of the items aside. There were all sorts of things, a pocket radio, a watch on a long gold chain that appeared to have stopped working, a bottle of expensive bourbon, and a box that contained jewelry, both costume and real.
“He’s a thief,” I whispered.
“That would explain the whole financial difficulty situation and him being added into Honey’s will.”
A thought had occurred to me. Was it possible? It might just be the evidence we needed. Real proof that he had been the one… “Got it!” I cried.
“What?”
I lifted a set of keys, dangling on the end of a donut key-chain. “The keys to the food truck. It was him after all. He was the one who stole the keys. And he must have been the one who planted Honey’s phone in the truck to try to frame us for the murder.”
“Of course,” Bee said. “Of course. He’s been stealing because he needed money, and now that he’s gotten it… well, he should be skipping town soon, as well.”
&nbs
p; “We have to get this information to Jones.” Though I didn’t like the idea. Jones was a qualified professional here. He would have to be the one to take down Richard for the crime. Poor Honey. Likely, she’d trusted Richard. Why else would she have put him in her will?
“Stand back, Rubes,” Bee said, “I’ve got to get some pictures of the scene. Put the keys back down, please. They’re useless to us now, anyway.”
I did as she asked then backed away from the pile of stolen goods. If that was all true, then why hadn’t Jones arrested Richard? Unlike us, the detectives had access to actual evidence, fingerprints, DNA, and perhaps other indicators we weren’t aware of.
If they knew about the will and what Honey had included in it, and if they had questioned the others involved like Jessie and Gina, then why hadn’t they made an arrest? It seemed so obvious.
I frowned.
But maybe it wasn’t? No, no, this had to be it. It had to be Richard.
“All right,” Bee said. “I think I’ve got everything I need.”
“Let’s get up the guesthouse and make the call.”
“We shouldn’t leave the scene. The perp might return.”
“The perp?”
“Perpetrator,” Bee said.
“I know what it means, it’s just funny that you’re saying it.” I chuckled, but there wasn’t any real mirth behind it. Richard had killed his brother fiancée. That was a crime unimaginable, and it had been motivated by money.
The leads we’d pursued, regarding Gina and the others had been for naught. Bee looped her arm through mine and we hurried up to the guesthouse together, keeping an eye out for roving Richard’s in trench coats.
If it was him… But there were no more excuses. It had to be Richard. He wasn’t even that likable of a guy, and he hadn’t exactly been distraught over Honey’s passing.
Then why does it feel like we’re making a huge mistake?
22
I entered the guesthouse through the back door, searching the living room for any sign of Richard. There was none. I gave Bee a thumbs-up over my shoulder. She immediately lifted her phone and made the call.
I slid the Oceanside’s back door closed and kept guard, the hair on the back of my neck rising. We’d already confronted a killer once, well, two killers, and I didn’t want to repeat the experience.
“—sad to see you go.” It was Sam speaking from the front desk.
Curiosity nagged at me, and I crept forward, doing the ‘Pink Panther’ walk without the music. I peeked around the side of the archway. William stood in front of the desk, his bags all organized next to it and his card extended.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Sam said, in her sweet voice. “I wish it hadn’t gone down like that. How are your family taking it?”
“Does it matter?” William asked.
His family. That’s weird. Why didn’t Richard and William stay with their parents while they were in town? And he’d just been terribly rude to Sam. He’d seemed quite sad when we’d spoken to him, apart from his rant about Jessie being the killer. What had changed?
“Oh. OK. Well, thank you so much for staying here.”
“Yeah, whatever.” William tucked his wallet into the pocket of his coat. He bent to lift his bag, and Trouble darted down the stairs. The kitten stopped at the sight of the ex-groom. His calico fur stood on end, his back arched and he hopped back on the spot, hissing silently. “Your cat is weird.”
“Oh, he’s just, um…” But Sam couldn’t manufacture an excuse, it seemed.
I grew hot all over. Something wasn’t right here. I stepped out from my hiding spot and into the reception area. “Hello,” I said, trying for a genuine smile. But I was too nervous, and even Samantha gave me an odd look. “Were you leaving, William?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I need to get out of this town. It doesn’t feel right to be here anymore.”
“I can only imagine. Well, we’ll miss having you around.”
“Yes, we will,” said Sam.
Once again, William was less than responsive to what Sam had said. Meanwhile, Trouble was still doing the hissing, hopping, and fur-on-end dance near the stairs. William lifted his bag and made for the door, and Trouble darted back upstairs, his tail thick as could be.
I had to do something. William couldn’t leave. What’s missing? Something isn’t right.
“Bee and I are calling the police, Sam,” I said, loudly.
William stopped mid-stride, his hand on the doorknob. He didn’t look back, but it didn’t matter. He had stopped. That had to mean something.
Think. Think, Ruby.
“We think we’ve figured out who the murderer is,” I said. “And the motive. The cops are on their way.”
“Really?” Sam’s hands flew to her mouth. “Who is it? Do I want to know?”
“Why don’t you ask William?” It had been an impulsive thing to say, and probably incredibly stupid too.
William spun around, dropping his bag. “What did you just say?”
“I said that Sam should ask you about who the murderer was.”
Sam’s head swiveled as she turned first toward William and then to me. “Um? What’s going on?”
“I think William can tell you.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” William said, but already, he had started bearing down on me, a cool glint in his eyes, one he had hidden when I’d first met him, and last spoken to him.
“It was easy for you, wasn’t it? To pin it all on your brother?” It all made so much sense now. Honey hadn’t wanted to marry William. William had tried to force Honey to put Richard in her will, as well, because that would pay off his brother, and lay the blame on him too. Richard in the will when Richard didn’t belong. “Let me guess,” I said. “You’re not even in the will yet.”
“It’s none of your business, you nosy witch.”
Trouble had reacted to William exactly the same as he’d done the night we’d found the keys missing from my room. Maybe it was that he’d smelled William’s cologne? But it was proof enough for me. Hadn’t Sam said that Trouble was a great judge of character?
“I think it’s everyone’s business when there’s a killer on the loose. What was it? The money?”
“Isn’t it always the money?” William asked, cracking his knuckles. His usually handsome face transformed—anger twisted his lips and turned his eyes to slits. “I didn’t even want to marry her. I didn’t even love her.”
“Well, your plan fell through,” I said. “The cops are on their way.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“It doesn’t matter what you believe,” I replied. The only thing that confused me was how William had an alibi. Unless…? Was his brother in on the whole thing? “You wore makeup. Of course. You faked a mole and that’s why you weren’t seen. You pretended to be your brother.” It was one thing to murder, but to frame his brother?
It was just so wrong.
“Yeah, you’ve figured it out,” William said, waving his fingers like a magician. “Big deal. All that means is now I’ve got to kill you and that old broad too. And—”
A terrific cry rose from the base of the stairs, in the hallway that led past the first floor rooms. Gina, the wedding organizer, appeared out of nowhere. She let out a feral cry and launched herself across the room at William.
He barely had time to turn. They crashed into the wall, fighting, her scratching and him trying to hold her off.
“What on earth?”
Sam screamed and ran out of the room. Bee appeared in the living room staring, wide-eyed. “What’s going on?”
“It was William,” I called. “He’s the murderer. Are the police—?”
A siren whooped outside and two police cruisers skidded to a halt outside the guesthouse. It was over. Well, kind of. We’d still have to peel Gina off William, for whatever reason.
23
“Read all about it,” Millie cried, cheerily and slapped down the newspaper on the
food truck’s counter. “All the most important Carmel Springs news delivered directly to your eyes.”
The ocean breeze ruffled the front page, and I grinned at Millie lifting the paper up. “Thanks, Millie.”
“Your review is the food and recipe section,” Millie said. “I think you’ll like it, but then, you can probably tell it was positive, right?”
An entire row of customers stretched out behind her, all waiting for their turn to order a coffee or a cupcake or another treat. Bee had baked up a storm and had continued doing so all morning. It was only 11 am and we’d already sold out of our cupcakes once.
It was more than I could have asked for, especially after the past three weeks we’d had in town.
“Thanks for this, Millie. It’s great. And I don’t think the truck would have recovered without your help.” It was like the universe had presented the bad, in William the murderer, and the good, in Millie who had selflessly helped us out with the truck and its consumer base problem. And the ugly? Well, Bee would have said that was Detective Jones, who’d successfully made the arrest.
“Our head journalist did a whole article on the murder,” Millie said. “She praised you and Bee for bringing the evidence to the police.”
“Sure that went down well with Jones,” Bee commented, as she served a customer and accepted their change.
“Oh, I saw him this morning. Let’s just say he won’t be buying another paper for a while.” Millie grinned.
“You’re an angel,” Bee said. “A mudslide mini on the house for you.”
“Can you believe the story with Gina Josephs?”
“Crazy,” I said. “Absolutely crazy. Who would’ve thought that the wedding organizer and the kleptomaniac were dating?” Apparently, Gina had been snooping around the guesthouse, not because she went running with Jessie, but because she’d been involved with Richard.
And she’d been protective over him, hence her strange attack on William. Strange or not, it had saved my bacon. I could only be grateful for the subterfuge on her part. And now, William had been locked away for good, Robert had been arrested for minor theft and Gina? Well, she’d gone back to L.A. but would probably be back to fetch Richard once he got out.
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