Macramé Murder

by Mollie Cox Bryan

  “What exactly happened here?” the officer said. “I need statements from everybody.”

  “Come now, officer. We all know what happened. Let’s call it a day, shall we?” Rue said.

  “Adrian? Would you like to press charges?” the officer asked.

  “Yes, I think I would,” he said, and he turned to Cora. “Can you please call my lawyer?”

  “Why would you do that?” Rue said.

  “I was attacked. I want it on record,” Adrian said. “I’m a person of interest in a murder case. And I think it’s better safe than sorry. I’m sorry. I realize he’s grieving. But I didn’t kill her and I won’t be treated as if I did.”

  Cora dialed Cashel’s phone number on her cell phone.

  It was going to be a long night.

  * * *

  When Cashel walked into the room, he was all business. Gone was the goofy, moody man annoying everybody. Cora sat next to Adrian, who held an ice pack to his swollen eye.

  They were at the local police station—the restaurant manager having politely asked them to leave. Cora and Adrian were in a separate room from Josh and his mother, Rue.

  “What have you gotten yourself into?” Cashel said, and flung his briefcase on a table.

  They recounted the story.

  Cashel sat down. “I advise you not to press charges. The man is bereft. He thinks you killed his wife. It might be considered a goodwill gesture for you to drop it.”

  “Or an admission of guilt,” Adrian said.

  “No, I don’t think so,” Cashel said, glancing at Cora, back to Adrian. “But suit yourself.”

  Adrian turned to Cora. “What do you think?”

  “I can see both points of view,” Cora said after a moment. “Cashel, you should have seen Josh. He was like a madman. I can see why Adrian is concerned. But a big part of me agrees with Cashel. It does you no good to press charges. Let’s stay at the resort, mind our own business, and then go home.”

  “Except that I can’t go home,” Adrian said, lifting up his arm.

  Cora’s empty stomach went sick. “I know, but I’m sure by Monday they will let you go.”

  “Not until they recognize he didn’t commit the crime,” Cashel said.

  “Can’t you do something about that?” Cora asked.

  “It was part of our bargain. He wanted out. The only way they’d let him out was with that bracelet.”

  The room quieted. Cora’s mind was reeling. She needed food. She needed out of this place. And she needed Adrian to be free.

  “Well then,” she said. “We’ll have to find the real killer.”

  “What? What are you talking about?” Adrian said.

  “We’re going to need to prove your innocence and the best way to do it is to find the person who killed Marcy,” Cora said.

  “I was afraid you might get some crazy ideas,” Cashel said. “You need to stop with your meddling before it gets out of control.”

  “Yeah, Cora, it might backfire. You’re not a cop. I don’t want you to get hurt,” Adrian said.

  “You both are aware I can take care of myself,” she said.

  “Don’t you have some quilt to make?” Cashel said, with a note of sarcasm.

  “I don’t quilt, Cashel,” she said back to him. “Though it is a goal of mine.”

  “You know what I mean,” he said. “You’re here to teach classes, not mess around in police business.”

  She decided to keep her thoughts to herself. What Cashel didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Adrian was another matter. She needed to find out more about Marcy. If she had learned anything in the past, it was most murder victims knew their killers. Usually, if it was a woman, husband, boyfriends, and lovers were at the top of the suspect list. Which meant Josh was also under suspicion—maybe that’s why he’d had such a violent reaction to Adrian. Maybe he killed her and desperately wanted the police to think otherwise.

  “Cora!” Cashel said, awakening her from her daydream.

  “Yes?”

  “I want your word that you won’t mess about in this case. You could screw things up for Adrian,” he said.

  She reached over and placed her hand on Adrian’s. “I wouldn’t want that,” she said.

  “Your word,” Cashel said.

  Cora answered him with silence.

  “Can we please leave?” Adrian said. “I hate this place. And I’m starving. Cora and I were going to have a romantic dinner and boom, I was attacked.”

  “Mom and Jane have that taken care of for you. Just check in with the concierge and room service will be brought up to you immediately,” Cashel said. “They figured you hadn’t eaten.”

  A wave of gratitude swept over Cora.

  “You don’t have to make up your mind immediately about pressing charges. You have some time. I suggest you give it some thought,” Cashel said.

  “Okay, that’s what I’ll do. I want it on record. You know what happened. The man has a dangerous temper,” Adrian said.

  “Exactly my thoughts,” Cora replied.

  Cashel stood. “What?” He eyeballed Cora sideways.

  “Never mind,” she said. Josh was at the top of her list for suspects. After seeing the way he attacked Adrian, she thought him certainly capable of murder. But why would he kill Marcy on their wedding night?

  Chapter 17

  “He must have killed her,” Cora said to Adrian, after they finished their relatively quiet dinner in Cora’s room. They were both exhausted, stressed, and famished. The food went down quickly.

  “What? Who?” he said, yawning. The swelling around his eye had lessened, but he still looked pitiful.

  “Her husband. Marcy’s husband. Don’t you think?”

  Adrian leaned in and tilted his head slightly, the way he always did when he was thinking. “Why would he kill his wife on their wedding night?”

  “You saw his temper,” Cora said, and sat her wineglass down on the table.

  “Yeah,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine her with someone like him.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, she was always so strong. I can’t imagine she’d put up with any kind of abuse. She was smart and had her act together, most of the time,” he said.

  “You know, Adrian, you could say the same thing about most of my clients at the women’s shelter,” she said. “It’s a fallacy that all women who are abused are uneducated.”

  His right eyebrow went up. “You’d think if they were educated they’d realize they wouldn’t have to put up with mistreatment.”

  “It’s complicated,” she said.

  It quieted as Adrian gazed out the window. The moon was shining brightly over the ocean and sand, giving the beach a glow.

  “I loved her,” he said, after a moment. “I never would have killed her.”

  Cora felt a sting. She couldn’t say why. Was she jealous over a dead woman? Or was he still in love with a dead woman? He was a sensitive guy. He didn’t give his heart away quickly. He hadn’t even made any advances with Cora. Which was refreshing. But now she wondered: was he ready for a relationship?

  “How long ago was that?” Cora asked, after pouring herself another glass of wine.

  “We broke up around three years ago,” he said. “We were together all through college and grad school. We met in a research methods class. She was vivacious and brilliant. We broke up a few times, over silly stuff, really. You know how it is in college. So stressful. But we were very close. It was intense.”

  “Why did you break up? I mean the final break?” she asked, after another sip. Why not? Why not ask the burning question on her mind?

  “She’d gotten a fellowship in Greece,” he said, and drank deeply from his wineglass. “I had planned to visit, but never could manage to get enough money together. She met someone and that was the end of it. We were planning to get engaged the following summer, but she met someone and was blunt about . . . things.”

  “Was it Josh?”

  “No, not f
rom my understanding. It was a local guy from Athens,” he said. “I didn’t keep up with her and her life. If I had any idea she was back and here on this island, well, I’d never have come with you.”

  “These things happen,” Cora said.

  He looked at her sideways. “Yeah, I guess.” He reached across the table and held her hand. “Thank you for being so understanding.”

  “Adrian, I—” Cora was at a loss for words. Did she have a choice but to be understanding? It was a weird circumstance. The two of them had just started dating and they decided to take things slowly. Now, she was glimpsing why Adrian wanted to ease in to their relationship.

  “For a long time, I had no interest,” he said, slurring his words at the edges. “Not until I met you.”

  Her heart fluttered in her chest and he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

  The kiss spread through her arms and warmed her.

  “It’s getting late,” she said. “I need sleep. I have an early class tomorrow.”

  “Yeah,” he said, standing up. “I’ll pull the table out into the hallway.”

  She opened the door and he scooted the room service out.

  She leaned into him and kissed him good night. She kept it short and sweet. No complications. Not tonight.

  Later, in bed, she mulled over everything she’d learned today. Her boyfriend had been heartbroken. Hadn’t they all?

  Marcy Grimm’s new husband had quite a temper. Cora planned to investigate him on the Internet the next morning after she wrote her blog post about the retreat. Josh’s mother, Rue, seemed to have it together. To have a son like him must be hard for her.

  Marcy Grimm had been not only a beautiful woman but also intriguing and smart. But she also seemed to have a mean streak. To break up with Adrian, whom she had planned to marry, over what? A fling in Greece? Oh well. Cora tried not to judge, especially when it came to matters of the heart. Marcy and Adrian simply were not meant for one another.

  Cora’s neck and back ached, and she fought to fall asleep. So far, this retreat was not a retreat at all.

  Chapter 18

  Jane had also tossed and turned all night. She was concerned about Cora. Concerned about Adrian. When they’d gotten the word about what had happened, she and Ruby wanted to run to the restaurant or police station to meet them, but Cashel stopped them. He was right, of course. They didn’t need a bunch of people clogging up the works. And, by that time of night, she would’ve had to take London with her—not a good idea.

  But it gave her the idea to call Zora, who was taking care of the Kildare House and Luna, Cora’s cat. She asked if Zora could also watch London. She really wanted to get her daughter off this island. Jane said she’d meet her halfway between Indigo Gap and Sea Glass Island. But Zora insisted that her sister would be happy to pick up London and bring her home. Evidently, Zora’s younger sister lived near the island. By the time Jane had gotten off the phone with Zora, Ruby had already ordered a meal for Cora and Adrian. And Jane couldn’t help but wonder how it went after they’d gone back to Cora’s room. It turned out Adrian had quite a past. Who knew?

  He was reserved, smart, and cute. When Jane first met him, he’d given off “Cora vibes,” and she figured Cora and Adrian would suit one another. And they did. But something niggled at Jane as she downed a cup of coffee before taking London to the day care center for a few hours before Zora’s sister Lulu came to fetch her. Cora and Adrian had been dating a few months now, and had yet to become intimate. Unless Cora had not told her about it. And she certainly would.

  The last time Jane asked about it, well, Cora said they were not in any hurry. Jane understood—but, geez, months?

  But now the plot thickened. Adrian had this past relationship with Marcy and evidently it did not end well. He was a sensitive sort. But most men Jane knew were not so sensitive as to not at least try to have sex with their new girlfriend. Men were like that. They separated sex and feelings much more easily than most women. Though God knows she’s had some one-night stands—which she felt herself blushing over.

  “I’m ready, Mommy,” London said, as she came out of the bathroom.

  “Good,” Jane said. “Me too.”

  London slid her backpack across her shoulder. “It might rain today. I hope not. I wanted to build a sand castle before Miss Lulu comes to get me. ”

  Jane checked her cell phone. Ruby and Cora were already at the breakfast buffet.

  “I’m a bit late. We need to hurry.” Jane was thrilled that London couldn’t wait for Lulu to take her home. She adored Zora—which didn’t hurt, but she also adored Indigo Gap.

  The two of them scampered into the elevator and off to the day care, then said their good-byes for a few hours. Jane made her way to find her colleagues.

  “What’s with you two?” Jane said as she slid into the booth they shared at the hotel restaurant, her plate piled high with eggs and potatoes, and fruit from the buffet.

  “I’m not feeling well,” a disheveled Cora said.

  How unlike her on a teaching day. She wore a bright yellow minidress, 1970s vintage, which usually suited her. But her normally peachy skin held a gray cast this morning.

  “Well, it’s no wonder with everything that’s been going on,” Ruby said.

  “It’s not your—” Jane said.

  “No, it’s not a panic thing. It’s a stomach thing. Ruby gave me some medicine. I hope it works,” Cora said.

  Ruby nodded. “It will.”

  “I thought Adrian would be here,” Jane said.

  “He begged off. He wanted to sleep in. It was quite a night,” Cora said. Two pieces of dry toast sat in front of her. She lifted one to her mouth.

  “I bet,” Jane said.

  “Listen,” Ruby said, lowering her voice, “I did some checking last night on Josh.”

  “What?” Jane said. “What kind of checking?”

  “I searched on the Internet,” Ruby said.

  Cora’s mouth dropped. Jane leaned forward.

  “Don’t look so surprised,” Ruby snapped. “I may be old, but I understand how to use the computer. Or a tablet, as the case may be.”

  “What did you find out?” Jane asked, while Cora crunched her dry toast.

  Ruby leaned in closer. “Not much,” she said. “Except he did have a record. Barroom brawls. That kind of thing.”

  “And?” Jane said.

  “There was an article about some sort of gala here on the island a few years ago,” Ruby said. “It was a charity event for the storm damage from some hurricane or other. This was back when Adrian was dating Marcy, evidently.”

  Jane’s stomach soured. Was this going where she thought it was going?

  “I don’t know about this, but Adrian knew Josh. Looks like they were friends,” Ruby said.

  “What? That can’t be,” Cora said. “He never said anything about that.”

  “So they knew each other,” Jane said. “What does that mean? Did he specifically tell you he didn’t know the guy?”

  “No, he didn’t say anything at all about him. We talked about Marcy last night, but not Josh,” Cora said.

  “Well, then, what’s the problem?” Jane said.

  Cora placed her toast down on the plate. “The problem is Adrian is holding back. He’s aware of more than he’s telling me. Getting anything out of him is like pulling teeth.”

  “Most men are like that,” Ruby said.

  “Yes, but most men weren’t in love with a woman who’s just been killed,” Cora said.

  “What are you implying?” Jane said.

  Cora’s coloring was edging back. “I know Adrian didn’t kill her. I know that,” she said in a hushed voice. “But I think he knows more than he’s letting on.”

  “I’m certain he doesn’t want to worry you. Cashel probably knows the whole story. I mean, how much do you need to know? You’re here to teach. Cashel will take care of all this, right?” Jane said.

  Ruby harrumphed. “One would hope.”
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  Chapter 19

  Was a half-truth the same as an outright lie?

  As Cora prepared for her class, Adrian stayed ever present in her mind. Her sick stomach, at least, seemed to calm down.

  She’d never thought to ask him if he was acquainted with Josh. But he didn’t volunteer the information. Neither of the men did, as a matter of fact, not in the restaurant and not any time later. Odd. Cora shivered.

  Why would Adrian not mention last night that he knew Josh?

  She turned on her laptop.

  Several early crafters entered the room, laughing. It was Katy and her crew.

  “Good morning, Katy,” Cora said, and waved. She remembered the group from yesterday morning. They were a scrapbooking group who had established a blog that was succeeding and growing, but they wanted to learn how to grow it even further from this point, technically and financially.

  They sat in the front of the room, each of them clutching a Starbucks cup, and the scent of the coffee filled the room.

  “Meet my friends,” Katy said. “You met Jana, yesterday, and this is Renee Rodgers, who is our webmaster, Sabrina Isaac, Linda Emonds, and that’s Lisa Iekel, who helps with the photos on the site.”

  “Nice to meet you all,” Cora said. “I checked out your Web site and it’s gorgeous.”

  “Thanks,” Renee said.

  “We need to post more frequently,” Linda said.

  “Yes, I’d agree that you do. It’s best to post on the same day, as well, like every Wednesday, so your readers expect a post from you,” Cora said, while flipping through her handouts for the morning.

  “What cute bracelets,” Sabrina said.

  Cora’s bracelets slid around on her wrist as she flipped through the pages. “Oh, thanks,” she said. “We made these at the macramé miniclass last night.” Once again, she thought of Adrian. His long fingers knotting the bracelet. And the way he slipped it over her arm. He might just be the perfect boyfriend. Perhaps too perfect. Was he hiding something? Okay, she was not going to allow those thoughts to enter her brain. Not now.

  “I wish I had the energy to attend last night, but I was exhausted by that point,” Sabrina said.

  “It’s a retreat. You’re supposed to find it refreshing, not exhausting. Calm down. Relax. We don’t need to do it all in one long weekend,” Katy joked.