by Cindy Bell
“You’ll need to tell Jason all about that. It’s important to try to remember every detail you can.”
Relief flooded Suzie when she saw Jason arrive at the docks.
“Suzie? What happened?” He jogged up to the boat. “Are you okay?”
“We’re okay, but the captain of the boat is dead.” She cringed as she pointed towards the cabin.
“Robbie.” Paul shook his head.
“Get on that boat, and take the paramedics.” Jason directed another officer. Then he turned back to Paul. “Can you walk me through it?”
“We found him on the boat just about five minutes ago.” Paul stared at him with wide, dazed eyes.
“All right just stay right here, I’m going to have some questions for you.” Jason looked over at Suzie and nodded.
“We’ll be here.” Suzie wrapped her arm around Paul’s. “Are you doing okay?”
“I’ll be fine, as soon as they figure out who did this to Robbie.” Paul cleared his throat.
“Look, Jason’s coming back.” She turned back towards the boat. Jason wore a grave expression as he approached them.
“When was the last time you had contact with Robbie?” He met Paul’s eyes.
“Uh, yesterday. It was yesterday. I’d been trying to get hold of him today to see when he planned to dock, but I didn’t hear from him.”
“And he didn’t let you know that he had docked?”
“Not a text or a radio call. I thought it was odd when I saw his boat in the slip, that’s why Suzie and I came over to check it out.”
“What about when you boarded the boat? Did you notice anything strange?”
“No, not really.” Paul shook his head.
“What about the storage container?” Suzie looked over at him.
“Oh right. Yes, that’s why I went looking for him. One of the storage containers was left unlocked. No fisherman leaves one of those unlocked, especially when it has some seafood in it. Anyone could board the boat and take whatever they want.”
“Can you show me which one?”
Paul pointed to the container on the boat. “I went to find him because I knew he wouldn’t leave the boat like that. But when I tried to get into the cabin.” He grimaced.
“We couldn’t get the door all the way open, he was in front of the door,” Suzie said. “When we went through the small gap it was already too late.”
“Maybe, if I had gotten in sooner.” Paul frowned. “I don’t know.”
“There was nothing that you could have done. It looks like he’s been gone for at least an hour.” Jason met his eyes. “Do you have any idea who might have had a problem with him?”
“With Robbie? No, I’m not sure. I actually haven’t seen him in a while. He wasn’t exactly the type to make enemies though. I mean he’d get into a bar fight now and then, but most of the time he laughed it off the next day.”
“Maybe he crossed someone that didn’t find it so amusing?”
“He didn’t say anything to me about it. He was his usual cheerful self when I talked to him.”
“Cheerful? What does that mean exactly? What did you talk about?” Jason asked.
Paul sighed. “Just the usual.” He glanced over at Suzie.
“Is there a reason you’re being evasive with me, Paul?” Jason spread his shoulders and narrowed his eyes.
“Relax Jason, I’m sure he’s telling you everything that he knows.” Suzie stared at him with a raised eyebrow.
“I think I’ll be the judge of that. Paul?” Jason ignored Suzie’s stare and focused his attention on Paul.
“Robbie liked to make some off color jokes.” Paul frowned. “Not something I’d want to repeat around Suzie. Okay?”
“Oh please, I’m sure I’ve heard it all, Paul.” Suzie rolled her eyes.
“Not from me you haven’t, and you won’t.” He set his jaw.
“Can you give us a minute, Suzie?” Jason glanced over at her. “Please?”
“Sure.” She nodded and released Paul’s arm. She moved a few steps away from them and began to scan the dock around her. It was possible Robbie’s killer was still nearby. She made a mental note of which boats were docked near Robbie’s. A few people gathered at the end of the dock as the police presence became more known. She started to walk towards them to ask some questions, but before she got near them an officer cut in front of her. She sighed and backed off. She didn’t want to step on Jason’s toes. She turned back towards Paul and noticed that Jason had walked away from him. As she walked back up to him he turned to face her.
“Sorry about that, Suzie.”
“I hope you know that you can say anything to me, Paul. I don’t care about any off color jokes.”
“I just don’t think it’s appropriate. There are a few things that I am still a little old fashioned about.”
“I understand. Did anything he say help Jason?”
“No, I knew that it wouldn’t. But you know, Jason, he has to flash his badge.”
“Paul.”
“I’m sorry, you’re right.” Paul drew a deep breath. “I’m just a little on edge because of all of this.”
“Of course you are. How could you not be? Why don’t we go for a drive and try to clear our heads?”
“Yes, I guess that would be best. Jason said he would contact me if he needs anything else.”
“Good.” Suzie wrapped her arm around his waist and turned him towards the parking lot. “My car is at the bakery.”
“Okay. I could use the walk.”
Chapter Three
As Suzie and Paul walked towards her car his jaw remained rigid and his eyes sharp as he looked straight forward. When they reached her car she opened the passenger door for him. He barely looked at her as he settled inside. By the time she got around to her side she saw that he hunched forward and hid his face with his hands.
“It’s okay, Paul, you have every right to cry.” She brushed her hand back through the hair at the nape of his neck.
“Cry?” His voice was muffled by his hands. When he sat up and pulled his hands away she saw his cheeks were bright red, but not a single tear stained his cheeks. “I’m not about to cry, Suzie. I want revenge. I’ve never wanted it so badly before. Robbie was just a young man. I want to find out who went on his boat and killed him.”
“I can see why you’re angry.” She took his hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze. “I’m angry, too. These things shouldn’t happen. Ever. But it has, and the only revenge that we can get is by making sure the murderer is brought to justice.”
“How?” Paul shook his head, then stared hard out through the windshield. “What if they never figure out who did this?”
“They will.” She gritted her teeth.
“I’m sorry, Suzie. I know you have a lot on your mind with the wedding. I was so looking forward to spending some time with you this evening. But I don’t think I’m going to be able to get this off my mind.”
“You don’t have to. I’m not going to be able to get it off my mind either. If neither of us are going to be able to get it off our minds, then let’s see if we can help figure out who killed Robbie ourselves.”
“How can you do that with the wedding?”
“I’ll make it work. We’d be doing this for Jason, too. In order for him to concentrate on the wedding and be able to relax and enjoy it, he needs this case wrapped up.”
“Good point.” Paul nodded. “Where do you want to start?”
“It was pretty clear that Robbie was stabbed. I think we should see what Summer has found out about the body once she’s had the chance to examine it. I don’t know if she’ll tell us anything, but it’s worth a shot. I doubt she’ll have any information before tomorrow. Until then, let’s try to get things back to normal. We can go to get something to eat or just spend some time together. Whatever you’re up for.”
“Honestly?” He met her eyes.
“Yes of course, honestly.”
“I just want some time to
clear my head.”
“Why don’t you sleep at Dune House tonight?”
“No, I want to sleep on my boat.”
“Paul, do you think that’s a good idea? It could be dangerous.”
“I’ll be fine. I might be able to get some information out of the guys.”
“Do you want me to stay with you on the boat?” Suzie asked.
“No, I think I need some time alone.”
“Okay. Why don’t I drop you back at your boat? I can spend a little time with Mary, I need to update her anyway.”
“Yes, I think that would be best. You don’t mind do you?”
“No, not at all. I know that you need some time to sort through this. But call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Suzie.”
As Suzie drove Paul back towards his boat she knew that the best way to help him through this was to help him solve the murder.
When Suzie stopped at the dock the place was still swarming with police and paramedics. Suzie looked over at Paul.
“Are you sure that you don’t want me to stay with you? I could bring you some food by?”
“No, I’ll be fine, I promise.” He leaned close and kissed her. “Call me as soon as we can get in to see Summer, okay?”
“Sure.” She kissed him.
As she watched him walk away from the car she wondered if she should insist on staying by his side. However, she valued her own solitude immensely, and guessed that Paul felt the same way.
Suzie pulled the car back onto the road and focused her attention on the drive back to Dune House. The closer she came to it the calmer she became. It was her place of comfort, where no matter what the problem was, everything seemed to make sense. When she parked she noticed quite a few cars in the lot. Her mind drifted to why they might be there.
Suzie stepped up onto the broad porch of Dune House and took a moment to look out over the outstretched water. The ripple of the wind across its surface stirred up subtle white caps. The calm, clear sky above it was dotted with seabirds. Her heart fluttered at the beauty of it. Yes, there was much to love about life by the sea.
Robbie died on his boat, without even stepping on dry land. The sea could be a wild, unforgiving beast, but it was a human being that could commit murder and the murderer had to be found. She drew a long, slow breath then turned and made her way into Dune House. With the upcoming wedding they hadn’t booked in any guests, to keep the rooms open for the wedding guests. However, that did not mean that Dune House was empty. Instead, to her surprise, it bustled with people. Suzie smiled at each person she passed, but didn’t stop to talk until she spotted Mary. She stood in the middle of the swarm of people. Her cheeks burned bright red, and her eyes had a slight glaze to them. She was fairly certain that Mary was overwhelmed.
“Mary? What is happening here?” Suzie pressed a hand against her friend’s shoulder to get her attention.
“I thought I could get things moving a bit and decided to put a call out there for any assistance from the community. I wasn’t expecting such a large response.”
“Oh Mary, what a great idea.”
“I thought so at the time, but now I wonder if I’ve just made a bigger mess. No one can agree on anything, and everyone wants to be chosen to provide their service. I think maybe I’ve gotten in over my head.”
“Don’t worry, we can get this fixed up. But there’s something I need to talk to you about, too.”
“Is it about Robbie Stillswell?” Mary met her eyes. “I’ve heard about that.”
“Yes, it is, how did you hear?”
“Gossip travels fast around here.” Mary frowned. “How is Paul?”
“He’s okay, but he was shocked, which is to be expected,” Suzie said. “He just wanted some space.”
“He’s a tough guy, Suzie, but he leans on you when he needs to. Don’t worry about the wedding, I can handle it.”
“I see that.” Suzie laughed a little as she looked around at the chaos. “Why don’t we get these people organized?”
“I mean it, Suzie, I don’t want to pull you away from Paul at a time that he needs you.”
“You’re not. He sent me away. Besides, this wedding is important to me, too. We won’t know anything new about Robbie’s death until Summer has a chance to examine him. This will keep me busy.”
“Great, because take a look at the centerpieces.” She cringed as she pointed to the pile of scraps and glitter. “So far they do not look like the pictures on the website.”
“Oh. Why?” Suzie squinted at them.
“Don’t ask, just do what you can.” Mary grinned and turned to speak to the florist. As Suzie lost herself in the frill and glitter her mind relaxed. The moment it did, the crime scene began to play out in her mind. It was simple to put together what most likely happened. Someone burst into the cabin and attacked Robbie. However, the question of who and why pressed on her until her pulse quickened. It appeared to be someone he was familiar with as there was no evidence of a struggle that she had seen.
Suzie decided that she needed a break. She stood up from the table. Several of the potential suppliers had already left, but a few lingered. Suzie overheard Mary giving specific instructions about what Summer wanted, but she guessed some of it was what Mary wanted. As the last suppliers left Suzie walked over to her.
“How did it go?”
“Well, I think. I’m just not sure if I got my point across. It’s so difficult to express to someone just how important a single detail of a single day can be. You know that my marriage didn’t turn out the way that I wanted it to, but my wedding day is still a very special memory to me. I’d hate to think of Summer missing out on that memory.”
“Or Jason.”
“Yes, or Jason. By the way, how did the cake tasting go?”
“He picked a cake. But he’s skittish. Not about the wedding. I think he’s just stressed from work.”
“This murder can’t be helping the situation.”
“No, I imagine it isn’t. He even snapped at Paul.”
“Wow. For what?”
“He felt Paul was being evasive. Which he was. But only because there were things he didn’t want to say in front of me. He was trying to be a gentleman.”
“Ah, I see.” She laughed. “He must not know what you’re like when you’ve had some wine.”
“Hey, you’re not one to talk.” Suzie grinned.
“You are so right. Anyway, at least the wedding plans are getting finalized.”
“Now, we just have to make sure that the bride and groom attend the wedding.”
“I don’t think that will be an issue. I’m going to put dinner on,” Mary said. “Is pasta okay?”
“Perfect, I’ll get a bottle of wine.”
Suzie and Mary spent the rest of the night talking about Mary’s failed marriage and how their lives had changed so much since they had moved to Dune House.
Chapter Four
“Morning Mary,” Suzie said as she came downstairs for breakfast the following morning.
“Morning.” Mary already had coffee and eggs ready on the table.
“Thank you,” Suzie said as she sat down in front of her plate.
“I heard the shower,” Mary said. “So I got breakfast ready.”
“I just spoke to Paul. He’s going to hang around the docks and see if he hears anything, and I’m going to work on the centerpieces and then head out to pick him up after lunch. Summer should know more about the murder then.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Hopefully there’s something about the murder that she is prepared to tell us.”
Suzie spent the rest of the morning working on the centerpieces. She had always loved decorating and found the process relaxing even though the murder often entered her thoughts.
“I’m going to see Summer now, Mary,” Suzie said as she walked into the kitchen. “Is there anything that you need from town?”
“No, I think we’re okay here. Don’t you wan
t lunch first?”
“No thank you, I’m not very hungry.”
“Okay, tell Summer I said hi, and here.” She handed her a list. “Let her go over these details and make sure that they are what she wanted. I added a few of my own ideas and I don’t want her to think I’m taking over.”
“That’s very kind of you, Mary. I’ll show her a picture of the centerpieces, too. I’m not sure if she will like them.”
Mary looked over at the table where Suzie had worked on the centerpieces and gasped. “Suzie, they’re beautiful. She’s going to love them. They look just like a little beach.” The square centerpieces had sand and paper that was shaped and decorated to look like crashing waves.
“It wasn’t exactly what Summer wanted, but I thought it might go along with her nautical theme. But, do you think it’s too over the top?”
“No, I don’t think so at all.”
“I guess all that matters is what Summer thinks.” Suzie smiled as she snapped a picture of the centerpieces. “Call me if you need anything.”
As Suzie left Dune House she sent a text to Paul that she was going to visit Summer. He texted back right away that he would be ready when she arrived. As he said he would be, he was waiting for her when she pulled up. She looked over at the police cars that were present. They still swarmed the docks, but they had thinned out a lot from yesterday. When she looked at Paul he looked like he hadn’t slept. His eyes had dark rings around them, but he looked determined.
“How are you?” Suzie asked.
“I’m fine.” He smiled at her. “Everyone is so tight lipped about the murder.”
“Maybe they’ll be more talkative once the police disappear.” Suzie started to drive towards the medical examiner’s office. When she arrived she noticed that there were no other cars in the parking lot, aside from Summer’s. Inside the main reception room Summer was nowhere to be seen.
“Dr. Rose?” Suzie called out, but Summer did not respond.
“She’s probably in the back.” Suzie followed the faint sound of music. Just as she started to push the door open she froze. “You should let me handle this part.”