by Leena Clover
She pulled up a chair and sat down with a thud. She crossed her arms and glared at Adam.
Adam looked at her coolly.
“I’m not harassing her as you say. I’m just questioning her which is routine in an investigation.”
“Didn’t Jason talk to you?” Jenny pressed. “I thought we provided you with other suspects.”
“I did talk to Jason. But Heather is still a suspect too.”
“But why?”
“I have my reasons, Jenny. I don’t need to disclose them to you.”
“What about Mr. Hampton’s alibi? Did you check it out?”
“I talked to Eddie Cotton,” Adam sighed. “The old man was at the pub until Eddie closed it for the night. He walked him home after that. Pete Hampton wasn’t feeling too good. He was sick multiple times. Eddie stayed with him. They were up almost all night. Eddie didn’t go home until morning.”
“That clears the old man, I guess,” Jenny said reluctantly.
“I talked to him, Jenny. I know what he was planning to do that night. But it wasn’t his hand that killed the doctor. I am sure of that.”
“What about Tiffany? She had means, motive and opportunity.”
“She also has an alibi, Jenny.”
“She had access to drugs and she also had access to Gianni’s house here. She could have gone there from the restaurant.”
“She left The Steakhouse while we were still there. She must have reached her home in Delaware before we left the restaurant.”
“How do you know that?”
“She stopped for coffee on the way. She’s on camera. That’s the kind of proof we cannot ignore.”
“How do you know she didn’t come back into Pelican Cove?”
“I don’t think she did, Jenny.”
“How did Gianni die?” Jenny asked Adam. “You said he was drugged but when did that happen. And how?”
“There’s a reason why we haven’t released that information.”
“Is it because you don’t have a clue yourself?”
Adam began to look frustrated.
“You’re being a nuisance, Jenny. Why don’t you get back to the café and let me get on with my work?”
“Heather’s been crying her eyes out.”
“She has nothing to worry if she’s innocent.”
“You’ve known her all your life, Adam. Do you really think she’s capable of killing someone?”
“The evidence against her is pretty strong. As an officer of the law, I cannot overlook it.”
“Her relationship with Gianni wasn’t a secret. Tiffany admitted she knew about it too. And Heather really liked Gianni. What possible motive could she have to kill him?”
“If I had to guess, I would say revenge.”
“You need to do more than guess, Adam.”
“We found Heather’s fingerprints on the scene, on the very glass that contained the drugs, as a matter of fact.”
“Heather’s been in and out of that house for the past few weeks. She must have handled many things there.”
Adam rubbed his forehead with his fingers.
“She had a prescription for antidepressants.”
“Haven’t you listened to anything I told you?” Jenny cried. “Gianni wrote up wrong prescriptions. It was a scam he was running.”
“This is a real prescription written by Dr. Smith,” Adam said gravely. “Heather admitted she filled that prescription. She even has a half empty bottle with her.”
“So she took the pills herself!”
“We don’t know that,” Adam shrugged. “Those pills match one of the drugs found in Gianni’s system. Heather could have ground up those pills and added them to Gianni’s drink.”
Jenny sat back in shock. Adam continued his onslaught.
“Heather had free access to Gianni’s clinic here. Using the argument you use against Tiffany, Heather had access to plenty of drugs.”
“You honestly believe she’s guilty, don’t you?”
“My feelings don’t matter here, Jenny. The law only looks at the evidence. Things don’t look too good for Heather right now.”
“My money’s still on Tiffany,” Jenny insisted, scrambling to her feet. “She lied multiple times. First she told me Gianni had affairs all the time and she didn’t care about them. Then she said she was going to leave Gianni because he cheated on her. Based on her prenup, she wasn’t going to get a penny if she walked out on him. That’s why she killed him. Now she inherits his fortune. Thanks to cops like you, she’s roaming free.”
“Tiffany had a prenuptial agreement?” Adam asked. “I didn’t know about that.”
“I’m sure there is plenty more you don’t know, Sheriff,” Jenny said as she stomped out.
Jenny’s anger subsided as soon as she stepped out of the police station. It was replaced by worry for her friend. She crossed the road and walked into Jason Stone’s office.
Jason was talking to someone on the phone.
“Kandy and I were invited to a dinner party,” he said stoically. “I was calling to tell them I won’t be making it.”
“I can go with you,” Jenny offered.
“Not this time,” Jason sighed. “It was for introducing Kandy to my college buddies.”
“Oh.”
“All well, Jenny? What brings you here at this time of the day?”
“I think Heather’s in trouble,” Jenny blurted out. “I just spoke to Adam.”
“Did he tell you about finding her fingerprints on the scene?” Jason asked.
Jenny nodded.
“Things are not looking good, Jason. What will happen if this case goes to court?”
“I’m not a criminal lawyer, Jenny. But I can recommend one of the best persons for this job.”
“Can you negotiate a lighter sentence if Heather admits she did it?”
Jason pursed his mouth.
“We should not be talking about this.”
“I’m thinking of the worst case scenario here, Jason.”
“I can see that. Heather’s calling the shots here Jenny. She’s my client, not you.”
“Let me know if I can help,” Jenny offered. “I’m going to keep working on this.”
Jenny walked back to the café, feeling helpless. Adam had been so confident she was beginning to doubt Heather’s innocence.
She spent the day feeling cranky, even snapping at a couple of tourists who wanted more salt in their soup. She had a splitting headache by the time she got home.
A couple of duffel bags lay on the front porch. Adam sat in a chair, looking at his watch and tapping his foot. Tank leapt at Jenny when he saw her, placing his paws on her shoulders.
Jenny hugged and kissed him.
“I’ve had a bad day, Tank,” she whispered in his ear.
She finally noticed the bags.
“Do we have guests?” she questioned. “Wait a minute, has Nick turned up with some of his friends?”
Those are my bags, Jenny,” Adam said calmly. “I’m going home.”
“What? No!” Jenny wailed.
She stared at Adam with a wild look in her eyes.
“When did you decide that?”
“We talked about this,” Adam said softly. “The contractors moved out of my house a couple of weeks ago.”
“But we never talked about a date. Why today?”
“Why not?”
“You can’t spring this on me, Adam. Not after the day I’ve had.”
“I’m sorry, Jenny. The twins are coming home this weekend. I want to air the place out before that. Stock the refrigerator.”
“The twins are welcome here,” Jenny said in a shocked voice. “I have always loved having them here.”
Adam took Jenny by the shoulders and forced her to sit down.
“This is hard for me too, Jenny. You think I want to go?”
“Then don’t.”
“It’s not right,” Adam said with a shake of his head. “I’ve imposed on your hospitality fo
r too long. People are beginning to talk, and I don’t like it.”
“I don’t care what people say.”
“But I do. I feel guilty about it.”
“Is this because we fought before? Is this your way of punishing me?”
“Of course not, Jenny. How can you say that?”
“Then don’t go,” Jenny said mulishly. “Not today.”
“You are going to feel the same any time I go, Jenny. It’s got to be done some time.”
“I was going to arrange a farewell party for you.”
“There’s no need for that. I’m not going anywhere. I will probably be here for dinner very often.”
Tank sensed the tension in the air. He butted Jenny in the knee, and sat down at her feet.
“Tank doesn’t want to go,” Jenny declared.
“He can stay here,” Adam said. “I can’t.”
“What can I say to make you change your mind?” Jenny’s eyes filled up. She was trying hard to control herself.
“Please don’t be like this, Jenny. There are some things I can’t do while I am still living here.”
“What things?” Jenny asked, bewildered.
“You’ll find out soon,” Adam promised. “It’s a surprise. Now dry your tears and see me off with a smile.”
“You’re sure you’re not mad at me?” Jenny asked.
“Of course not,” Adam promised. “I’ll see you soon.”
Adam picked up his bags and limped to his car. Tank refused to get up.
“He needs you, Tank,” Jenny whispered. “Go take care of him.”
Tank gave a tiny whine and followed Adam.
Jenny waved madly until Adam was out of sight. Then she felt silly. Adam was only going a couple of miles further. But she had grown used to living in the same house with him.
Star came out of the house and hugged her.
“We need a girls’ night,” she declared. “I’m calling the reinforcements.”
Molly arrived half an hour later with Petunia in tow. Heather and Betty Sue were next.
Heather waved a bunch of DVDs in the air.
“I got all your favorites, Jenny. Start popping the corn.”
“I’m making my twice baked macaroni and cheese,” Star announced. “Molly’s taking care of dessert.”
“Banana splits with hot fudge and my special brownies,” Molly promised.
“We are going to drive that Hopkins boy out of your mind, girl,” Betty Sue cackled.
Jenny let her friends pamper her, trying not to think about what kind of surprise Adam had in store for her.
Chapter 15
The Magnolias were busy. Heather and Molly were assembling pimento cheese sandwiches. Star spooned crab salad on crackers and garnished them with a sprig of dill. Jenny was frosting tray after tray of cupcakes.
“I have to say, the Newburys don’t do anything half-heartedly,” Petunia said, bobbing her head. Her double chins wobbled as she looked around, making sure everything looked good.
“They are generous, aren’t they?” Jenny said, sweeping a hand over the food. “They are paying for all this food for the whole town.”
“They see it as an investment,” Betty Sue snorted. “They stand to earn millions from that drug business.”
There was another meeting in the town hall that evening. The Newburys had taken note of all the objections that had been raised by the people. They were going to address all those concerns.
Ada Newbury had hired the Boardwalk Café to provide refreshments for the meeting. Jenny and her friends had been busy making sure the food matched Ada’s specific instructions.
The town hall was packed. People were gorging on the food. Some openly admitted coming there just for the food. A large screen had been set up. A couple of men were rigging up some kind of fancy projector. Julius Newbury, Ada’s husband, stood by the side, reading from a stack of index cards.
Barb Norton called the meeting to order.
“Julius Newbury is going to answer all your questions,” she said simply. “I hope you will maintain some decorum this time.”
There was a smattering of applause, accompanied by a wisecrack or two from the crowd. Jenny and the Magnolias sat in the second row. Jenny had heard a lot about the uses of medical marijuana. She was eager to see what the Newburys had to say in their defense.
Lights were dimmed and the presentation started. Julius Newbury spoke well. He walked everyone through a 3D demonstration of the proposed fields and processing plant. He laid special stress on all the safety and security measures in place. A view of Main Street came up on the screen.
A murmur started going through the crowd. Julius paused the presentation and held up a hand.
“We are now going to show you the site of the dispensary itself. I know many of you have concerns about it.”
The dispensary proved to be a veritable fortress. There were multiple check points to get in and get out. Employees would be scanned before they left the premises. There was no room for illicit activities.
Julius Newbury pointed to a tall, hefty man who had been standing by his side all this time. He was introduced as the security chief.
“This man has been hired to oversee the complete security of the project. Every inch of the business, whether it is the fields, the processing plant or the dispensary itself will be closely monitored by top notch security measures. The chief is here to address your concerns.”
People stood up and started firing questions. The man known as ‘Chief’ calmly answered all of them. The crowd finally simmered down. There was a lull for a few moments. Then a woman stood up at the back.
“What about the psychological impact your drugs will have on our kids? We are teaching them it’s okay to consume psychoactive drugs like cannabis? What is the message we are giving out here?”
Julius Newbury bit his lip and tried to hide his frustration.
“Your kids need to be smart enough to understand the difference. Taking a drug for a medical purpose is different from getting stoned.”
“But they are too young to know the difference,” another man shouted.
“That’s exactly why this will never work,” a voice said from the back.
“I can’t discipline your kids,” Julius Newbury said, turning red. “That’s your job. If they are going to get into drugs, they will do it with or without my dispensary.”
“What about the fields?” a woman with a baby in her arms asked. “Kids can get in there anytime.”
The security chief spoke up.
“No, they can’t. We have electric fences around the fields. Anyone trying to scale the fences will be electrocuted.”
“You would do that to a child?” a woman asked, looking horrified.
Barb Norton stepped in before any further chaos ensued.
“We have all had our say, Julius. It’s up to them now.” She turned toward the crowd and pointed at Heather. “If you still want to protest this business, please sign the petition. We are going to see to it that marijuana licenses are not granted for Pelican Cove.”
She looked at Julius Newbury and shrugged.
“Nothing personal, Julius.”
The Magnolias helped Jenny clear up after the meeting. They took all the leftovers to Seaview for an impromptu dinner party. Jason had fired up the grill on the patio.
“The steaks are ready to go on the grill,” he told Jenny.
Everyone relaxed with a drink.
“The crab salad was gone in minutes,” Star said. “I’m glad we at least get to taste these pimento cheese sandwiches.”
Heather’s smile slipped when Adam arrived.
“Relax,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I’m just here for dinner.”
“It will be over soon, sweetie,” Jenny promised Heather.
She wondered if she was making an empty promise. Adam stuck around after everyone had gone home. He loaded the dishwasher while Jenny put the leftovers in the fridge.
“How ab
out a walk?” he asked.
Tank fetched a stick from the garden and dropped it at Jenny’s feet.
“I guess we are going for a walk,” Jenny laughed.
“What’s on your mind?” Jenny asked after they had walked a quarter mile away from the house.
“More bad news,” Adam said quietly. “One of Gianni’s neighbors has come forward. He saw Heather leaving Gianni’s house at 5 AM.”
Jenny stared at Adam, her fear clearly written on her face.
“That doesn’t sound good.”
Adam shook his head. “It places Heather at the scene of the crime. I’m sorry, Jenny.”
Jenny spent a sleepless night worrying about Heather. She was so disturbed she almost burnt a pan of muffins while making breakfast.
She finally called the Bayview Inn at 7 AM.
“I need to talk to you, Heather,” she burst out. “Can you come here right now?”
Heather came in ten minutes later, looking worried.
“What’s so urgent, Jenny? I was serving breakfast at the inn.”
Jenny led Heather out on the deck.
“We never talked about that night,” Jenny began.
“I don’t remember much, Jenny. I already told you that.”
“That’s not going to help you, Heather. Think!”
“I remember saying goodbye to all of you at The Steakhouse. Gianni wanted a drink when we got home. I had already had too much. The next thing I remember is waking up in my own bed.”
“Someone saw you walking out of Gianni’s house at 5 AM.”
Heather looked dismayed.
“I must have passed out.”
“Was anyone else there when you reached Gianni’s house?”
“I don’t think so. Wait, the door was open when we got there.”
“Do you mean it was unlocked?” Jenny asked. “Or was it wide open?”
“I don’t know. Gianni said something about changing the locks.”
Jenny thought furiously.
“Changing the locks? That means whoever opened the door had a key.”
“Tiffany had a key,” Heather cried. “You think she was waiting for us there?”
“Tiffany left for Delaware after her little altercation with you.”
“She could have come back?” Heather said hopefully.
“Speculation is not going to help us, Heather. Did you see her there?”