by Ann Mullen
Maura and Joe Rodrigus were lauded as heroes for their part in helping us, and as usual, Bella would see to it that they were well-compensated for their efforts. When Billy and I picked up our beach bag, Maura had still been holding Billy’s cell phone in her hand waiting for a call that never came. She forgave us for not calling when we showed up immediately after the showdown at Loukas and Bella’s, and filled her and Joe in. We told them that their information had helped us to save three lives. They were very happy.
Teresa and Maggie recovered from their ordeal involving Peter Dawson, and were enjoying their last two days on the ship. Maggie wasn’t charged for her attack on Peter. No jury would ever convict her once they heard all the evidence. Peter Dawson didn’t die from his fork wound, but instead had been released from the hospital straight into custody where he was transferred via helicopter to a jail facility somewhere in the states. He was charged with numerous felony counts—attempted murder, stalking, kidnapping—just to name a few. He would be put away for a very long time. And… he was out of Maggie and Teresa Anderson’s lives forever.
I expected a big blowout between Bertie Callahan, Jena, and Bella, but it never happened. Before we left dock, Bertie returned to the ship with Mabel to collect their things. They were going to take Dorothy’s body home by plane. A private, brief exchange in Bella’s stateroom settled the matter of Bertie’s big lie. There would be no more gifts, money or free cruises on the Bella Constance.
Mabel Leigh broke her silence and told us that nobody had tried to kill Bertie. She was the one who had pushed Bertie into her sister, sending Dorothy to her death. It was an accident. Mabel caught her shoe on one of the steps and started to fall. It had been a natural reaction for her to try to grab onto something. She never intended to hurt anyone. I imagine Mabel will carry the pain of Dorothy’s death around for the rest of her life.
Sadly, on the last day of our journey back, a terrible thing happened. A young girl reported to the captain that she saw a lady jump off the ship. That lady turned out to be Lara Sweeney. I cried when I heard the news.
When the ship docked in Norfolk, we had a tearful good-bye. When new friendships are developed, a bond is formed making it hard to part ways. Bella assured us that we would see and hear from her again. She gave Billy an envelope stuffed with cash—the final payment for a job well done. He took the envelope and stuffed it in my purse. Jena gave us an envelope containing the pictures from the cruise. I told her we would look at them after we got home.
As we were departing the ship, Maggie came up to us and placed a folded up check in Billy’s hand. He immediately gave it back to her and told her that she didn’t owe us a thing. I, on the other hand, would have taken the money.
I told Billy on the way to the car that we could make a fortune working detective detail on cruise ships. He made a face and said it was too much chaos. I thought about it and had to agree. Although I enjoyed our cruise on the Bella Constance it was good to get back home.
Mom and Helene greeted us at the door. It was late, the kids were in bed, Thor was running around whining, and when Athena came hobbling up to us with a big bandage wrapped around her belly, I asked Mom what had happened.
“We were sitting on the front porch when a bear wandered up into the yard,” she said.
I gasped.
“Now, don’t panic, Jesse. I know how you have a thing about bears. We got the kids inside while Athena and Thor ran him off. Unfortunately, Athena got a swipe from the bear’s claws. I called Chief Sam, and he rushed right over to fix her up. She’s going to be fine.”
“Where’s Spice Cat?”
As soon as I said his name, Spice Cat came out from hiding. He jumped up on the sofa, leaped down, and then ran around behind us. He then headed straight for the kitchen table where he proceeded to walk around the vase of flowers before finally lying down and stretching out.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with that cat,” Mom said. “Ever since you two left he’s been doing all kinds of things he’s not supposed to. The first two days all he did was sleep on your pillow, and then he started getting into everything. I caught him lying in the clean clothes basket this morning.”
“Ah, he missed us,” I said.
“We all did,” Helene added, hugging me. “We’re so glad you’re home.”
“We’re glad to be home,” Billy said. “The cruise was fun, but I’ve had enough. I need a vacation from our vacation.”
“According to Bella the trip was very adventurous.”
“Oh, is that what she called it? You talked to her already?”
“For your information, Missy,” Mom said. “I’ve talked with Bella every day since you left. She’s a very nice person. She told me that you didn’t call more because you and Billy were very busy trying to protect her family. And then she told me everything that happened on the cruise.”
“I bet she did,” I said. “Ah, so that’s why you never called me. I wondered about that, but I didn’t say anything.”
“Why don’t you and Billy take your bags to your room while I get us some coffee? It’s decaf.”
“Okay,” Billy replied. “But only one cup. I’m beat.”
“Well…” Mom said, hesitating for a second before continuing. “I have something I need to talk to you about.”
“What is it?” I asked as I followed Billy to our room. “Another case?”
“Kind of.”
I looked at Billy and said, “Be prepared. When Mom wants something from us…”
“I know,” he replied. “Go ahead, Minnie.”
“You see,” she started. “I have this friend named Flo.” She looked at me. “I’m sure you’ve heard me mention her before. She’s a bookkeeper. She thinks she might have found incriminating evidence on one of her clients by accident, and now she thinks he’s trying to kill her.”
“Kill who?” Billy asked as he unpacked his suitcase.
“Kill the bookkeeper!” Mom exclaimed. “Flo needs your help. I told her I would ask you about taking on her case as soon as you got home. I’m really worried about her. Usually, nothing shakes her up, but this has gotten her scared to death.”
“We’ll discuss it over coffee,” Billy said. “I’m sure we can fit the case into our busy schedule. Don’t fret, Minnie. We’ll help your friend.”
A week later as we were settling back into home life, telling the same story about our cruise to our family and friends, and sharing photos of the trip, we got a call from Bella Constance. She said she wanted to bring us up to date on the outcome of the events on board.
We were all ears.
“You can put me on the speaker phone, so everyone can hear. I’m sure that Minnie and Helene want to hear this.”
I pushed the button, and told her everyone was listening.
“Now that Steven is no longer with us so to speak, Jena has come out of her shell. She’s not covering up her feelings anymore. To be honest, I had no idea she had such strong opinions about everything. She suggested we take a cruise to Jamaica next month, and she wants to invite your family to join us! Can you believe it?” Not waiting for a reply, she continued. “Jena doesn’t hate this ship. Actually, now that Bertie Callahan is out of the picture, she loves it. Go figure. And, I think Steven was the one who exacerbated her emotional state. I’m glad he’s… well… we won’t go there.”
“How delightful!” Mom exclaimed, looking over at Helene. “We’ll have a good time!”
“I don’t know about that, Bella,” Billy said. “It’s a little too much too soon.”
“I understand,” Bella replied. “Maybe another time.”
“How’s Nell doing?” I asked.
“Oh, Jesse, you wouldn’t believe the transformation in her since we got rid of Utah Hawks! She’s like a different person. She quit drinking the minute he agreed to take the money and run. She’ll be spending most of her time on the Bella Constance now. Her kids are grown and…”
“Now she has a decent man in her life
,” I said, finishing her sentence. “How is Captain O’Riley doing?”
“How did you know?”
“It’s our job to know everything,” Billy said, chuckling.
“It’s ironic how the choices we make and the paths we choose determine how the rest of our lives will turn out,” I said. “I’m so glad everything worked out… with one exception.”
“I know,” Bella agreed. “I’m so sorry about Lara Sweeney. I know you were going to take her under your wing, but sometimes life just doesn’t go the way we planned. Loukas said to say hello and please keep in touch. If you don’t, he’ll be calling you. He keeps up with his friends, and so do I. We’ll talk again soon.”
Our conversation ended, but it was just the beginning of a lifelong friendship with Bella and Loukas Constance.
TO BE CONTINUED
The Irony of it All
The clouds were black and angry looking as the rain pelted the tin roof of the camper trailer. Thunder rolled overhead. Lighting streaked the sky.
Lois looked out the window into the darkness and cringed at the thought of being stuck inside another day. She hated the idea of losing precious time waiting it out. Boredom set in.
“When is it going to stop?” she hissed. “I don’t mind a good old-fashioned rain, but this is getting ridiculous. It’s been two days now! I want to go hiking!”
“I know,” her husband said. “Just hang in there. It’ll be over soon.”
“That’s what you said yesterday.”
Bret walked over to his wife and caressed her shoulders with his hands ever so gently. “I’m sorry about this, sweetheart. I know how you hate being cooped up, but I’m sure the bad weather won’t last much longer. It’ll probably clear up in the middle of the night.”
“We’ve wasted two whole days! We could’ve been out in the woods, enjoying the fresh air. We could’ve hiked to the top of the mountain.”
Bret had hauled their sixteen-foot camper behind his heavy-duty Dodge pickup truck so that they wouldn’t have to stay in a hotel, and could enjoy the freedom of the great outdoors. They planned to travel from one campsite to another, and then hike the trails along a section of the Appalachian Mountains. They had planned their adventure weeks in advance—but no one could predict the awful weather they would encounter. A nor’easter had taken them by surprise, forcing them to put a halt to their mountain trek—if only temporarily.
Bret didn’t mind the change in plans. He could make the best of any situation. But Lois was impatient and always determined to get her way—no matter what. However, this time was different. There was nothing she could do except wait out the storm. She whined and complained, saying that she hated being stuck in a camper. This had definitely not been on her agenda.
Lois met Bret at a party the year before, and right from the start she decided he was going to be the man she would marry. He was handsome, rich and all the girls wanted him. She was so excited about the idea of marrying someone so important… and rich. The fact is, his money was the most appealing thing to her. It had been that way right from the start. She was mesmerized by all the nice things he had, and couldn’t wait to move into his fabulously gigantic house—a house that was furnished with expensive and lavish furniture. She would rule the roost. She would plan grand parties and show all her friends that she was now a woman of means. She was no longer scrapping to get by.
But Bret, even though he had lived a lavish lifestyle, had become a frugal man. He refused to waste money on useless things, so he kept a tight reign on her spending. She was given an allowance, and once she had spent that, she was on her own. This infuriated her.
She quickly discovered that as far as she was concerned, he wasn’t the most exciting man in bed after all. She also hated the fact that he would come home every day and sit in front of the television. It wouldn’t have been so bad if he watched interesting programs, but all he cared about was watching the news. He would surf the networks until he found what he wanted to watch, and then after he’d had enough of that channel, he would start his search all over again. This went on until dinner, and then after dinner, he would go to bed and watch the news some more.
She wanted a social life… one more exciting than he was giving her. She wanted to go to parties and meet important people, but he wanted to stay home and raise a family. She swore to herself that was not going to happen. He had promised her the world, but so far, all she had gotten was a tightwad husband who was a bore. She was not about to be saddled down with children!
She was still ticked off that he wouldn’t buy a new Winnebago for the trip, but she let it slide because the camper was fairly nice, all things considered. She could deal with it for the time being. She knew she would eventually have everything she ever wanted in the end… and if everything went right on this excursion, the end would be soon.
Yesterday, before the storm hit, they had planned to hike the trail up to the waterfall at the top of the mountain and have a picnic lunch. Bret would use his new digital camera to capture the scenery and take shots of his beautiful wife while she basked in the sun, or posed sitting on a rock. The journey would be invigorating for both of them.
Lois loved it when he photographed her. When she returned home, she would send the pictures over the net to all her friends so they could see what a wonderful life she was living. They would be so envious, and later, they would grieve for her at the loss of her husband.
You see, Lois had a plan. She would go to the top of the mountain with her husband, but she planned to return alone—after she had pushed him off a cliff. It would be so easy and no one would ever suspect that it was anything but an accident… an unfortunate mishap. She would tell them that her husband lost his footing and tumbled down the side of the mountain, and even though she tried to save him, she just wasn’t quick enough to pull him from the jaws of death. Who would know the difference? Who would be around to see? People slip and fall on hiking trails all the time—and falling from a cliff was usually a death sentence. The medical examiner would rule his death an accident—plain and simple. All she had to do was to get him to the top of the mountain, make sure that no one was around, and then shove him off a cliff. It would be an ugly death, but bad things have been known to happen to good people.
Then everything he had would be hers. She almost smiled when she thought about her plan, but knew better. She had to conceal her elation from her husband. She had been in a bad mood, and if he saw her smiling, he would ask why. No, she had to keep her joy to herself. She had to make it through the night without giving herself away. What would happen if Bret found out that she was tired and disgusted with him? Would he try to work out their problems, or would he just kick her out on the street?
After a simple dinner of salad and wine fixed by her loving husband, Bret and Lois decided to call it a day. There was nothing they could do about the storm, except wait until it was over. Tomorrow would be a new day, and they could pick up where they had left off.
As she lay in bed beside her snoring husband, she couldn’t help but think about all the things she would buy—once he was out of the picture. The first thing she would do is go on a cruise. She would tell everyone that she had to get away from all the pain and heartache. She had to clear her head. Who would begrudge her a little solace? She dozed off with a smile on her face.
Morning came in all its brilliance. The sun bathe the land as the wet leaves of the trees glistened in its wake.
Bret, holding a cup of coffee in his hand, stepped out of the camper, looked up at the sky and smiled. “Come out here, Lois,” he said. “It’s going to be a beautiful day.”
“Just let me get a cup of coffee first,” she replied as she crawled out of bed. She dug into her duffel bag and pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. As she dressed, she called to Bret. “Do you think I’ll need a sweater?”
“I don’t really think so, but it might be a good idea to bring one along just in case.”
After throwing on her clothes, she
walked to the door and peered out. The sun blinded her just for a second. “It sure is sunny out there,” she moaned as she withdrew to the kitchen area. “I’ll be ready in a minute.”
“Take your time, honey,” Bret replied. “We’re in no hurry.”
“That’s what you think,” she whispered to herself. “The sooner we get going, the sooner this will all be over.”
“What did you say, honey?”
“Nothing, dear.” She poured a cup of coffee. “It wasn’t important.”
Bret walked back into the camper and said, “I fixed us a picnic basket while you were sleeping.” He turned and walked over to the basket sitting on the counter, and then lifted the lid. “See—we have tuna sandwiches, cheese, crackers, and fresh fruit. I also added a bottle of red wine.”
“That sounds wonderful,” she said as she pretended to be interested in what he had to say. “We’re going to have a good time,” she lied. “I love the mountains.”
The truth is—she hated the mountains. The only memory she had of those times were the ones of sleeping in a tent. She really hated that part. Her days of camping as a child were not pleasant and she swore that she would never do it again—once she had become an adult. And she never did… until now.
She never conveyed this to Bret even when he suggested the trip. As soon as he mentioned that he wanted to go hiking, the wheels started spinning in her head, conjuring up her scheme. What a perfect way to rid herself of a cheapskate, boring husband! That’s when she decided he was going to take a spill off the mountain top.
“Are you about ready to go?” he asked as he picked up the basket.
Lois grabbed her sweater, smiled and said, “I’m ready.”
“Then let’s go!”
Bret locked the door to the camper and then the doors to his truck.