by Cindy Bell
“Suzie, I have my car if you want to ride with me.” Paul gave her hand a light squeeze. “We could get lunch, or take a walk.”
“Oh no, thanks Paul. I think I just need a little time to myself.” Paul held her gaze for a long moment.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. You don’t mind do you?”
He studied her. “If that’s what you want, I don’t mind.”
“Great.” Suzie smiled. Despite Paul’s flexible response she detected a hint of frustration in his voice. A twinge of guilt summoned a subtle ache in her heart, but it didn’t make her change her mind. “Thanks Paul.” She leaned close and kissed his cheek. As she walked back towards the car she could feel Paul’s eyes trained on her back. Her stomach twisted with regret. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Paul. But she had no idea what she would say when he popped the question. She hoped that if she kept avoiding being alone with him she’d come up with the perfect response. Once they were in the car together with Wes, Mary glanced over at her.
“Are you okay, Suzie?”
“Sure.” Suzie kept her eyes on the road.
“It just seems like maybe you’re having a hard time with something.”
“Mary, I’m fine.”
“You don’t seem fine. Does she seem fine to you, Wes?” Mary looked in the backseat at Wes.
“Uh, I, well.” Wes frowned.
“I’m fine, really. I’m just nervous I guess.”
“Nervous about what?” Mary asked.
“I found something on Paul’s boat. An engagement ring. You were right, Mary, I think he’s going to propose.”
Wes coughed in the backseat.
“And you really don’t want that do you?” Mary frowned.
“No. Honestly, I’ve tried to get used to the idea, to open my mind to it, but it’s just not the right thing for me.”
“So, just tell him that, Suzie. Paul will understand.”
“Would you understand, Wes?” Suzie looked in the rearview mirror at him. Wes’ cheeks were red. He looked away from her.
“How I would react doesn’t matter. But Paul seems like the type of guy that respects honesty. I think the hardest thing for a man is to be lied to by someone he trusts. So, if you want my opinion, I agree with Mary, you should just tell him. I’m sure if you two talk it through things will clear right up.”
“Maybe.” Suzie bit into her bottom lip. She wasn’t prepared to get married, but she really wasn’t prepared to lose Paul.
Chapter Seventeen
When Suzie, Mary and Wes pulled up to Dune House there was a car in the parking lot that Suzie didn’t recognize.
“I wonder who that is.” Suzie parked the car and stepped out. As the three approached Dune House Suzie saw that the door was open. Her heart pounded. Had she left it open? She didn’t think so.
“Mary, didn’t we lock up when we left?”
“I’m not sure.” Mary frowned.
“Let me go in first.” Wes pushed past the two women and jogged up the steps and across the porch. Suzie and Mary hurried after him. When Wes stepped inside a man at the front desk turned around with a frown.
“Do you work here? I’ve been waiting here forever.”
Suzie moved past Wes. The man was tall, thin, and carried a soft-sided briefcase. He didn’t appear to be a threat, but Suzie knew better than to judge a person by looks.
“Excuse me, can anyone help me here?” He tapped his palm on the desk. “Does anyone even work here?”
“I’m sorry I’ll be right there.” Suzie left Mary and Wes and walked up to the front desk. “I apologize, we weren’t expecting another guest.”
“I’m not a guest. I’m here on behalf of Priscilla Kane’s estate. I’m her real estate lawyer. I need to get the paperwork that was in her possession.”
“I’m sure you’re aware of what happened to Priscilla?” Suzie said.
“I am. It’s quite unfortunate. But the deal stands. I was awaiting the fax of the final signed paperwork. Since she obviously can’t fax it now I need to get the paperwork from her room.”
“What about her daughter?” Suzie frowned. “Shouldn’t she be the one to handle all of this?”
“Absolutely not. She would never agree to the deal. As long as the paperwork is signed the deal stands. Now, please let me retrieve it from the room.”
“The police should have all the paperwork,” Suzie said.
“Well, they don’t have this particular piece, so it must still be in her room. So, you must let me get it,” he said with authority.
Suzie glanced over at Mary and Wes. She knew that the locals would be infuriated if the deal stood despite Priscilla’s death. She felt uneasy as she looked up at the man before her.
“I’ll need some proof of identity.”
“Sure.” He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and withdrew his driver’s license. “There you are. Now?”
“I’ll just need to make a copy.” She carried the license with her as she walked over to Wes and Mary. “It looks like there’s been a wrinkle. This man, Tyler Grants is here to pick up the paperwork to finalize the deal.”
“But how can he do that if Priscilla is dead?” Mary’s eyes widened.
“As long as the paperwork is signed then the deal stands.” Suzie shook her head.
“The police should have it in evidence,” Wes said.
“Apparently, they don’t,” Suzie said. “I’m trying to stall him, but there’s nothing that I can do about it.”
“We could get to the paperwork first and hide it, or burn it even,” Mary suggested.
“No.” Wes put his hand on Mary’s shoulder. “You can’t do that, Mary. If you do you, Suzie, and Dune House could be sued. It’s not something you should risk.”
“Then what? Garber is going to be destroyed after all?” Mary asked.
“I doubt it’s in the room if the police didn’t find it. Even if it is maybe she didn’t sign the paperwork.” Wes shrugged. “Maybe Leanne was telling the truth and she had a change of heart.”
“Maybe. But I doubt it. Priscilla was quite confident in her decision the last time I spoke with her. I’m sure the paperwork was ready to go. That is even more reason why Leanne would have taken drastic action to protect the seabirds,” Suzie said. “Maybe Priscilla told her that the deal was done and Leanne thought the only option was to kill her mother.”
“Then she obviously didn’t know that it wouldn’t matter.” Mary frowned. “All right. I’ll show him to the room. Wes, will you accompany me?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I’m going to go to the motel and get Benita,” Suzie said. “I’m sure that no one has tended to her, and since you’ve decided she’s our new, or at least temporary, mascot, we’re going to want her to be healthy.”
“Thanks Suzie.” Mary smiled. Suzie grabbed her purse and headed for the door.
As she walked to the car she thought about the shock in Leanne’s eyes when she had found out that her mother had been murdered. It bothered her. It wasn’t something that could be easily faked. But if her reaction had been genuine then could that mean that Leanne was innocent?
The entire drive to the motel Suzie thought through what she knew about the murder. Leanne had motive to murder her mother. She expressed her hatred openly. On the night of her death, Leanne was with her for a considerable amount of time. When Priscilla left the restaurant she looked drunk, but maybe that was because Leanne drugged her or maybe simply because of her broken heel. The one piece of the puzzle that didn’t fit was how Leanne got her mother’s body out of Dune House. Suzie parked the car in front of Leanne’s room, but when she got out, she headed straight for the office. She gave the bell on the front desk two sharp swats. The tinny sound summoned Maurice from the back room.
“You again. Come to accuse me of yet another murder?”
“No, not at all. I’m here to collect Benita. I need the key to Leanne’s room, please.”
&nb
sp; “You have a warrant?” Maurice sucked his teeth.
“Maurice, I really don’t have time for this. I need to get to the bird before it croaks.”
“All right. I don’t want to have to deal with that.” He snatched a key from behind the desk and handed it over. “I know what’s in there, so no stealing.”
“What’s in there?” Suzie clutched the key tightly in her hand.
“Towels, soap.” He shrugged.
“Oh, okay. I’ll try to restrain myself.” Suzie smirked and shook her head as she walked away. When she returned to Leanne’s room she slid the key into the lock. It was a lot easier than climbing in through the window that was for sure. She turned the knob and stepped inside. She left the door open so that it would be easy to carry the cage back through the door. As soon as she walked in Benita began to chirp.
“Pumpkin!”
“Yes, I know, Pumpkin’s with the police.” Suzie peered through the bars of the cage at the bird. “Let’s get you home.” She started to pick up the cage, but noticed that the bird’s water bottle was empty. She opened the door of the cage and pulled out the water bottle. As she did her cell phone rang. She paused and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She saw that it was Mary calling.
“Hello?”
“Suzie, I know you’re getting Benita, but I wanted to let you know what we found.”
“What is it?”
“The paperwork Priscilla was supposed to fax to her lawyer was found in evidence. Jason managed to locate it. After the lawyer couldn’t find it in her room he called the police again. It was tucked away in a special section of her laptop case that the police didn’t notice so they didn’t find it originally. But the lawyer was determined it had to be somewhere. After the lawyer told Jason about the compartment he found it. All of the documents she signed were crossed out.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean the paperwork was ready to go to finalize the deal, but Priscilla crossed it all out making it invalid.”
“Are you sure it was Priscilla?”
“She left her initials on each page. It’s possible they were faked, but if they were, why would Leanne make the paperwork so difficult to find?”
“So, you think Leanne was telling the truth about her mother having a change of heart?”
“It sure seems that way. If Leanne was able to convince her mother to change her mind, then why would she kill her mother?”
“That wouldn’t make any sense at all. I think you might be right,” Suzie said. “Maybe she had nothing to do with her mother’s death after all.”
“Maybe. Are you headed back to Dune House?”
“Not just yet. I am refilling Benita’s water and then I’ll be on my way. Poor Leanne. If this is true she’s been arrested in error.”
“I know. Hopefully Jason will think this is enough to release her.”
“If it’s not Leanne then Jason will have to look at the other suspects.”
“I think we need to look more closely at one person.”
“Who?” Mary didn’t answer. “Mary?” When Mary didn’t respond Suzie looked at her phone. She saw that the call had dropped. With a sigh she set down her phone on the table beside the birdcage. She was better off getting back to Dune House and discussing things with Mary there. She walked over to the sink to fill the water bottle. When she turned on the water Benita began to shriek.
“Relax Benita, I’m getting it right now.” Suzie shook her head. “I don’t think I’m a bird person.”
Her mind returned to the information that Mary had just given her. If the killer wasn’t Leanne, then who was it? Who would lose the most if the resort didn’t go ahead?
When Suzie turned back towards the cage a shadow fell across the room. It drew her attention to the window. For an instant she froze as a sensation coursed through her of being watched. The water bottle fell onto the floor. Benita shrieked even louder. Suzie was sure that she saw someone duck away from the window. Were they looking for Leanne or had she been followed by the real killer? She hurried out of the motel room to try to catch whoever peeked in the window. Maybe if she did she could find the final piece of the puzzle and save Jason the headache. Who had something against Priscilla? The driver?
Suzie walked around the side of the motel and noticed a car parked beside and partially behind the dumpster. It looked like someone had gone to a lot of trouble to try to hide the vehicle. As Suzie stepped closer she recognized the car right away. It was the same car that Neil Runkin drove up to Dune House in. She thought he had left town days ago so what was his car doing at the motel? Suzie glanced around to see if anyone might be nearby. When she saw that no one was around she stepped closer to the car. She wanted to be sure that she was not mistaken. The car looked just like the one that Neil drove, but it could have been a different one.
As she walked around behind the car to check the license plate she noticed something strange. The corner of a thick, white towel stuck out of the trunk. It partially blocked the license plate. Suzie picked up the corner of the towel to see the full plate. When she did she brushed her fingers over the tag which had the letters DH embroidered on it. Suzie froze. That stood for Dune House. Why would Neil have one of the towels from Dune House in his trunk? Her heart began to race as she remembered all of the missing towels and the trail of water out of the bathroom.
As her mind began to piece together what might have happened to Priscilla she grew dizzy. She stumbled back from the trunk and right into the chest of someone who stood behind her. She let out a shriek as she spun around to face the person. Neil scowled at her as he grabbed her hard by the neck with one hand. “You just had to snoop didn’t you?”
Suzie struggled against him. She heard the subtle beep of a key fob being pressed then the click of the trunk popping open. Before she could take a breath the hard edge of the open trunk struck the back of her knees. In that moment she realized she was in real trouble.
She tried to get her bearings enough to fight her way out of the trunk, but Neil swung her legs over the edge and shoved her down on top of a pile of towels. Without a single word of explanation he slammed the trunk shut.
Chapter Eighteen
Darkness filled every corner of the small space. Suzie didn’t dare to take a breath as she waited for what felt like hours, but was just a few minutes. Only when she heard the engine start up did she begin to scream. Through the thick metal of the car she was certain that no one could hear her shrieks for help. After some time she stopped in order to conserve her energy. There was no chance of rescue, she had to focus on how to escape. Suzie tried to see in the dark trunk, but it was a struggle.
The damp towels created a musty scent that made it hard for her to breathe. She could feel the movement of the car as Neil drove along. How could she have missed the fact that Neil was the one who killed Priscilla? He had the most to lose from her changing her mind. Without Priscilla’s support the deal would never go through. The only question on her mind was whether Leanne was in on it as well. Had Neil and Leanne forged some kind of alliance in an attempt to end Priscilla’s life? Her muscles felt every bump and curve in the road. Her jaw clenched with fear.
Suzie tried to work out where Neil might be headed. Would she end up at the beach, tossed into the water as Priscilla had been? Would her body be found in a few days with no explanation of what had happened to her?
Suzie squeezed her eyes shut and balled her hands into fists as she mustered all her energy to remain strong. She had to figure a way out of the predicament she had landed herself in. She shifted in the trunk so that her feet would be available to thrust upward into a kick. The only opportunity for escape that she would likely have was the moment that Neil opened the trunk. When the car finally came to a stop Suzie held her breath. What would Neil do with her? Her heart raced. She thought of Mary and what might happen to her once she was gone. Sure, she would manage, but it wouldn’t be the same. Suzie knew she only had a few minutes to think of something to d
o.
She grabbed what towels she could find and balled them up together. The more she balled them up the heavier the damp towels became. She heard the door of the car creak open. Then footsteps as they rounded the car. Suzie clutched the ball of towels tightly in her hands. When Neil popped the trunk she waited for him to lean in. When he did she slammed the towels right into his face. Neil stumbled back with surprise. She swung her legs over the side of the trunk and jumped out. Right away she was hit with the scent of the sea. She was near the ocean, near enough to hear the crash of the waves.
Suzie wanted more than anything to flee, but she had no idea in which direction to go in. The car was parked in an empty parking lot of what looked like an abandoned building. She could run towards the street or she could run towards the ocean. If she ran towards the street she had no idea what she would run into. If she ran towards the ocean she presumed that it would eventually lead her back to Dune House. She decided to take her chances in the sand. As she ran she heard Neil shout from behind her.
“You’re not going to get away from me! Get back here!” Suzie ignored his warning and ran as fast as she could. As soon as she reached the sand she realized her mistake. The beach was deserted. There wasn’t a tourist or a local in sight. She had no idea where Neil had driven her, but it was nowhere near Dune House. With her decision already made she had no choice but to keep going. Her feet sank deep into the thick sand. Within moments she left her shoes behind.
Neil’s heavy breath was only a few steps behind her. She had no idea if he would get tired before her. As hard as her heart pounded she wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to run. In the distance she saw a beach umbrella. It was bright yellow and blue. She used it as her focus as she ran as hard and as fast as she could. One slip in the sand and Neil would be upon her. Then there would be no escape. The beach umbrella glimmered in the sunlight. When she was close enough that she thought someone might hear, she risked the breath in her lungs by screaming.