Tj Jensen Cozy Mystery Boxed Set 2: Books 6-10

by Kathi Daley

  It was another peaceful evening. The stars looked like diamonds in the moonless sky. The air temperature had cooled from the heat of the day, so I was quite comfortable with a light sweater to ward off the chill.

  I relaxed on the lounger and let the sound of the waves lull me into a state of semi-consciousness. It was hard to believe we’d only just arrived on the islands six days earlier. We’d barely finished unpacking when the friendly locals had made us feel like a part of the family.

  I opened my eyes when I felt a wet kiss on my cheek. “I love you too, Echo.”

  Echo wagged his tail while Kyle, Pumpkin, and Trooper made their way toward me.

  “I figured you would have headed straight to bed,” Kyle commented. “It seemed like you could barely stay awake during the movie.”

  “I just wanted a few minutes to unwind. How was your walk?”

  “Nice. I love how warm the water is. I might try a moonlight swim one of these nights. Tonight, however, I’m going to head in. I’m exhausted.”

  “Yeah, me too.” I yawned as I shifted my body into a more comfortable position. “I’ve been thinking about the map. Riley mentioned that the town uses a process to make the maps that are handed out for the annual treasure hunt look old. Do you think the map I found could simply be one of the maps from the local event? Riley said the treasure hunt had been held for almost fifty years.”

  I couldn’t see Kyle’s face in the darkness, but I could sense a frown as he considered my theory.

  “I’m pretty sure the map isn’t old enough to have belonged to Barkley, but I do think it’s older than fifty years. Still, you have an interesting theory that might be worth looking into. I wonder if anyone keeps copies of the maps that have been used in the past.”

  “That sounds like a Meg thing. Maps from past treasure hunts sound like something the museum might keep on file.”

  “Yeah, maybe. I’ll take it over to the museum tomorrow before I send it off to my friend. If it’s just a prop, finding out sooner rather than later will save everyone some time and energy.”

  “I’ll go with you. We can go after we drop the girls off at camp in the morning.”

  “Actually, I talked to the girls about sleeping in and heading to camp in the afternoon for the beach day. We can pay Meg a visit when everyone is up. I think the museum opens at ten.”

  Chapter 13

  Thursday, June 22

  Due to the late night, everyone was still asleep when I left for my appointment with Mayor Bell. I wasn’t sure what, if anything, she could tell me, but I figured it was worth the time to check it out. Unfortunately, she insisted on trimming my hair and blow drying it while we chatted. Anyone who knew me was aware that my hair was long and curly and generally unruly, so I tended to just keep it pulled back in a braid or ponytail.

  “Just a very light trim,” I instructed. “Less than an inch.”

  “Don’t worry, sugar, I’ll fix you right up. Why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind?”

  “I wanted to speak to you about the town meeting tonight.”

  “I pretty much figured that was what you were after. I’m afraid the meeting has all the makings of a potentially vol-a-tile situation.”

  I found the way she dragged out the word “volatile” to be a bit intimidating. “I’m having a hard time understanding exactly what’s going on. Some of the people I’ve spoken to have made it sound like if Mr. Norton gets enough support, Garrett can be forced to sell to his company whether he wants to or not.”

  Betty frowned and her entire demeanor changed. It seemed as if Betty the hairdresser was gone and Betty the mayor had taken her place.

  “It’s not quite as simple as that, although I do think Norton and his supporters are hoping to garner enough backing that the option of using eminent domain to force Garrett to hand over his land is a real option.”

  I frowned. Betty was all business and very serious. I could see why she’d been elected mayor. “I thought eminent domain was only used for cases associated with public use, like freeways and utilities.”

  “You ever thought about bangs?”

  And just like that Betty the hairdresser was back.

  “Absolutely not. Please, just a very light trim. The longer my hair is, the easier it is to handle. So about the eminent domain…?”

  Betty paused, the serious expression returning to her face. “There have been a number of cases in recent years when developers were successful in using eminent domain for private enterprise, usually in resort areas. A case must be made that the project will benefit the community as a whole and will bring a new level of prosperity to the area, which is what Norton is trying to prove. It’s unfortunate that Garrett isn’t here on the island. I think Norton would have had a lot less success if those signing his petition had to look Garrett in the eye.”

  “Do you think Norton will be successful?”

  “Honestly, without Garrett’s cooperation Destination Properties has a long road ahead of them. I doubt the company will want to deal with any lawsuit Garrett might initiate, plus there are environmental issues that could come into play. It’s my opinion Norton is aware of that and is actually banking on the fact that once Garrett sees how much support he has, he’ll give in and sell the property to his employer.”

  “Do you mind if I ask where you stand on all of this?” I asked.

  Betty ran her fingers through my hair, as if trying to make up her mind about something, which I hoped had nothing to do with layers. “Personally, I’m torn. I’ve lived on this island my entire life. I love it here and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, but I’m also a business owner, so I do understand how difficult it is to make a living here. It’s like Betty Sue the lifelong resident wants to see what we have here maintained, while Betty Sue the businesswoman can’t help but welcome a chance to have a healthier bottom line, and then there’s Betty Sue the mayor, who needs to be neutral so as to take the needs of all those who elected her into account.”

  “Do you plan to come out for or against the project at the meeting tonight?”

  “At this point I don’t plan to do either. My role in this whole thing will be to keep neighbors from killing one another once the discussion becomes heated, which, trust me, it’s going to.”

  I sat and thought about things as Betty Sue dried my hair. I supposed the only thing I could do was to talk to Garrett to make certain of exactly where he stood on the issue and then to try to represent his interests to the best of my ability. I had to agree with Betty Sue; there was no way the meeting tonight was going to end without bloodshed, either physical or metaphorical.

  “What do you think?” Betty Sue asked after she finished with my hair.

  I had to admit I looked really different with neatly trimmed and perfectly straight hair. “I like it. Of course I’m not sure how long the straightness will last.”

  “I put some product in your hair, so it should hold until you get it wet.”

  “Thank you. How much do I owe you?”

  “It’s on the house.”

  “Thank you; that’s very kind. I guess I’ll see you at the meeting tonight.”

  “I guess you will.”

  I left the beauty salon and decided to head down the street for a cup of coffee. It was early, and chances were the family was still asleep.

  Many of the shops had begun to decorate for the upcoming Fourth of July festivities, creating a sea of red, white, and blue for as far as the eye could see. In spite of everything that had occurred in the short time I’d been on the island, I definitely was enjoying the change in scenery and the opportunity to gain a new perspective. Maybe I even walked into the coffee bar with a spring in my step. Unfortunately, Greg Norton was sitting in there enjoying his own hot beverage, which deflated my good mood significantly.

  “Are you hoping that if you get all dolled up you’ll be
able to convince more of the townsfolk to come over to your way of thinking?” he asked.

  I ignored the man’s question and asked one of my own. “Do you really believe a megaresort is the right thing for this island?”

  “I do, and even if I didn’t, it’s my job to carry out the desires of my employer.”

  “You know Garrett is never going to agree to sell to you. Why don’t you take your blueprints and find another island to destroy?”

  “You’re a feisty one. I like that in a woman. In fact, I like you, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to back down. There are a lot of folks on this island who welcome the opportunity to boost their income. The resort Destination Properties plans to build will bring a lot of capital here. It’s my job to make sure that happens, which I intend to do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few more undecideds to convince to see things my way.”

  Norton pushed back his chair and stood up.

  I reached out and grabbed his arm. “Before you go, I have a source who told me you were seen out at Garrett’s place with Buck Barnes right before he died. Would you care to tell me what the two of you were doing there?”

  Norton frowned. He pulled a perfectly white handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his hands on it before returning it to his pocket. “Actually, I think in this case I’ll decline to reply. I’ll see you tonight.” He had the nerve to wink at me before he left.

  I wasn’t certain what was going to happen that night, but one thing was for sure: it wouldn’t be boring.

  As I returned to the resort I made the decision that I really did need to call Garrett again, even though it wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have.

  “Didn’t expect you to call so early. Is everything all right?” Garrett asked.

  “Everything is fine. I just never got around to talking to you about the resort yesterday and wanted to see if you’d spoken to Jack.” I knew I should get directly to the point of this call, but now that I had Garrett on the phone I found myself wavering. The poor guy really did have a lot to deal with and I hated to be the bearer of more bad news.

  “I did speak to Jack about his idea of subdividing the land,” Garrett said. “To be honest, I’m not sure what I think about the whole thing, but I told him I’d be willing to look at his plans. It’s going to be hard enough on me to have to sell the resort. Seems like cutting it into small pieces will be even worse.”

  I crossed the room and sat down on the sofa. “Yeah, I get that. Change in any form is difficult, and the more severe the change the harder it can be. I wish I could make this easier for you. I grew up on a resort, so I understand how you can become invested in every little aspect of the property. You have your favorite spots where you like to take time for yourself, your favorite traditions with the changing of the seasons, as well as your favorite customers who return every year and feel like family. I know it would kill my dad if he were forced to carve up Maggie’s Hideaway. The resort is almost like a second child to him.”

  “Exactly. I knew I chose the right person to oversee this project.”

  “Having said that,” I added, “Jack has a point. It’s going to cost a lot of money to renovate the resort as it now stands. Probably more than you would be able to recover. And there’s something more that may affect the whole thing that I really wish I didn’t have to tell you.”

  “Something more?”

  I explained about the town meeting and the fact that the man who was in town to take from Garrett what he didn’t seem to be willing to sell had managed to garner quite a bit of support for his petition.

  My words were met with silence. I could hear Garrett breathing, so I knew I hadn’t lost the connection.

  “I guess what I need from you is some direction,” I continued. “I plan to attend the meeting tonight and I’ll do my best to ensure that your desires for the resort are known and understood, but I need to know whether you’ve changed your mind in any way given this situation. If you choose to fight Mr. Norton, my sense is that it won’t be pleasant.”

  “I should be there. I knew Norton was snooping around, but I had no idea he’d made so much progress. I guess I thought that if I ignored him, he’d go away.”

  “I understand why you might feel you need to be here, but I can assure you that I’ll do my best in your absence.”

  “There’s no way I’m letting that man or his company destroy what my family spent generations building and protecting. It’s not just about the resort. It’s about the land and the turtles and a way of life that isn’t at all congruent with a large resort with hundreds of guests. What time is the meeting?”

  “It’s at seven, but I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to try to be here. You’ve had a major stroke. Your body is still healing. Your health is the most important thing right now.”

  “Let’s be realistic. My health issues are going to prevent me from living a long life. I most likely only have a few years left on this earth. As far as I’m concerned, the most important thing to me to do with my time left is to find a buyer who will love the resort as much as I do. I need to know that the land and wildlife that make their home on the beach and in the marsh will prosper long after I’m gone. There’s no way I’m going to sit by and let Destination Properties build their megaresort. I know I should stay here and do my physical therapy, but I need to be there.”

  I had to admit that when Garrett spoke with conviction about the land he loved his passion brought a chill to my spine. It would benefit Garrett’s cause if he could stand in front of his neighbors and look them in the eye, but I hated to see him take a turn physically, which is exactly what I feared would happen if he made the trip. There didn’t seem to be a good answer to the dilemma. Unless…“I have an idea how you can do both.”

  “Was that Garrett?” Kyle asked as I hung up the phone.

  “It was.”

  “How’d it go?”

  “As I expected, he was upset. More than upset; he was furious. It took everything I had to keep him from arranging for a ride and heading to the island.”

  “I can understand that. He must feel completely helpless.”

  “He does. But I had an idea. Can you help me set up some audio/video equipment over at the town hall?”

  “Sure, I guess. Why?”

  “I’m going to dial Garrett into the meeting so he can stay at the rehabilitation center and do his therapy and be at the meeting to argue for the resort he loves. Something Mayor Bell said to me earlier struck a chord with me. She said Norton would have had a much more difficult time convincing Garrett’s neighbors to sign his petition if Garrett had been here and they’d had to look him in the eye. I want to be sure our feed is two-way, so Garrett can see what’s is going on here and everyone in the room can see him as well.”

  “Shouldn’t be a problem. We can hook it up so that Garrett can use his laptop as a monitor. I was going to head into town anyway to mail the map you found to my friend at the museum. Come with me and we can stop at the town hall after. Do you still want to show the map to Meg before I send it off?”

  “Yeah. It might be a long shot, but I have a feeling the map might lead us to Buck’s killer.”

  At the museum, I postulated the idea that the map we’d found in the attic might be one the town had used at one point for an annual treasure hunt. I asked Meg if she had copies of maps that had been used in the past.

  “I do have copies of all of them,” she told us. “The originals are in the back, the copies we have on display as part of the island’s tourism section.”

  “Does this look like it could be one of them?” I unrolled the map I’d found and laid it on the counter where we were all standing.

  Meg looked at it. She took her time studying it, but, based on her facial expression, she appeared to be confused. “I don’t think this is a map from any of the treasure hunts,” she eventually said. “In fact
, I don’t think it’s even a map of this island.”

  “Why do you say that?” I wondered.

  “The shape is wrong.” Meg walked over to her computer and pulled up a graphic. “The island on the map you found has a sort of a kidney shape, but Gull Island is more of a Q shape.”

  By Q shape Meg seemed to be referring to the fact that the island was basically round with a narrow peninsula at the bottom, like the letter Q. I could see what she meant though. The island on the map did appear to be shaped like a kidney. Chances were the inlet part was a lovely little bay.

  “Of course, if the map was drawn a couple of hundred years ago, as I first suspected, the person who drew it wouldn’t have had the advantage of an aerial view,” Kyle pointed out.

  “True. I suppose the map might simply have been hastily sketched, but if it’s showing the way to a treasure I’d say it’s most likely buried on this island over here.” Meg pointed to a small island well off the coast of the larger one.

  “What island is it?” I asked.

  “The locals refer to it as Sanctuary Island. It’s unpopulated other than the abundant wildlife that live in this area. It’s far enough off the beaten track that it receives few visitors, yet it’s close enough that you can make the trip there by boat and back in a single day. The island is really more of a mountaintop. The terrain is steep and there’s very little beach except right here in the bay.” Meg pointed to the inlet. “Most weekenders interested in island hopping head toward this cluster here.” Meg pointed to a group of small islands off the coast. “They’re also unpopulated, but they have wonderful beaches for anyone looking for a day trip.”

  I studied the map I’d found and compared it to the shape of Gull Island on the computer screen. Meg was right; it did appear the map could lead to something buried on Sanctuary rather than Gull Island.