Murder on the East Coast: A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery

by Dianne Harman

  CHAPTER 19

  After Kelly had changed clothes and gotten relatively comfortable, she checked her cell phone for messages. There was one from Stephanie asking her to call. She punched in the numbers and heard Stephanie’s voice say, “I’m glad you called. How’s Maine?”

  “It’s beautiful. I’m in a small cottage overlooking a harbor, and I just had one of the best meals of my life, although I’m stuffed almost to the point of being sick to my stomach. I knew when I ate the meal I’d probably regret it, but I’d do it all over again. What’s up in Portland?”

  “I wanted to run something by you. Sophie Marx made an appointment to see me this afternoon. I felt really uncomfortable after our meeting.”

  “Why, you’re the boss? How can an employee make you feel uncomfortable?”

  “Sophie wanted to know when I was going to name her to replace Julie. She specifically said, ‘Julie is dead, and that’s probably a good thing, because a lot of people around here think you made a mistake when you brought her on two years ago, and demoted me.’ I’m not sure I want to promote anyone who has that kind of an attitude, and I have to say, she still could be a suspect.”

  “I agree with you. I’d have trouble working with anyone who said something like that, but that doesn’t mean she committed murder.”

  “I know, Kelly, it just seems awfully coincidental. I mean Julie gets her doctorate which is a big deal in this industry, particularly in her specialty. That practically assured her appointment as my successor when I retire. Although Sophie is more qualified than anyone else here, she doesn’t have a doctorate. What if she murdered Julie, so she would no longer be a threat to her?”

  “I suppose it’s possible, but it would have been difficult. The time line for her would be awfully tight. She’d have to fly to the East Coast on Friday, murder Julie on Saturday, fly back to Portland Saturday evening or Sunday, and show up for work on Monday. That’s a jam-packed schedule. I’d be surprised if she could have pulled it off.

  “I haven’t talked to Mike yet regarding the airline manifests, but he thought he could probably find out if her name appeared on any of the manifests maintained by the airlines. Of course, if she didn’t use her real name, and had a fake driver’s license or passport, we’ll never know if she flew to Norfolk.”

  “Yeah,” Stephanie said, sighing. “I’m in a real bind here. On one hand, I probably should appoint Sophie to fill Julie’s position, but on the other hand, I don’t feel I can work with her if she has that kind of an attitude.”

  “Well, Steph, you’re the one getting paid the big bucks, and I think that’s one of the reasons you’re getting them. Someone has to make the tough decisions, and it looks like it’s you. If Mike finds out anything, I’ll let you know, otherwise I think we’re at a dead end with her.”

  “I suppose you’re right. What’s on your agenda for tomorrow? Coming home?”

  “I’m hoping to have a chance to talk to Julie’s ex-husband in the morning. He’s in Boston this evening and won’t return until later tonight. After that I’m planning on returning to Boston and getting the first flight I can to Portland.”

  “Who’s going to pick you up?”

  “A friend of ours has this week off, so Mike asked her. I’m also going to meet with Julie’s attorney while I’m there. He has the key to her house, and I’m hoping I can find something there that might shed some light on this case. Suspects on both coasts makes it a bit frustrating. Oh, I forgot to tell you something about Clint, Julie’s brother.” She spent the next few minutes relating her morning conversation with the restaurant hostess and what she said about Clint.

  “So what do you make of that, Kelly?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe he’d given up alcohol, but after our conversation he relapsed. I just don’t know. I suppose it’s another piece to the puzzle.”

  “This is one of those jigsaw puzzles where it’s not too hard to get the corners and the sides done, but filling in the middle is the real challenge.”

  “Good analogy, Steph. I’ll keep it in mind. I need to call Mike. If he’s found out anything about Sophie, I’ll text you. I’ll talk to you in a day or two.”

  She ended the call, walked into the bathroom, and took an Alka-Seltzer tin foil pouch out of her travel cosmetic bag. I don’t think I’ve had one of these in ten years, but I really overdid it tonight. I don’t feel guilty, just stuffed beyond the point of satisfaction. One every ten years can’t hurt me. She opened the packet and dissolved it in the recommended four ounces of water and drank it. Within minutes she felt better. I don’t care if it’s a placebo or not, it seems to work. Now I need to call Mike.

  When Mike answered the phone, she heard his deep masculine voice say, “Hi, sweetheart, how was the drive up from Boston? Did you get to eat a lobster roll?”

  “The drive was beautiful, and although I’m sorry someone had to be murdered for me to do it, I’m glad I had the opportunity. And yes, I ate a lobster roll and it was fantastic. I also just ate the biggest meal of my life, and I had to take an Alka-Seltzer to keep from getting sick.”

  “Kelly, that is so unlike you. What did you have for dinner?”

  She told him what she’d eaten and when she finished, he said, “This is killing me. You know what I’m having tonight?”

  “I have no idea, and you’re not going to make me feel guilty for sharing my extravagance with you. You’re the one who asked.”

  “You’re right, but I want you to know I’ll thinking of you when I open my lone can of tuna.”

  “Mike, as much food as there is in that freezer at home, you have more than enough to eat.”

  “I know, Kelly, I know, just teasing. So what else happened today?”

  “Well, I started off by having an interesting conversation with the hostess in the hotel dining room this morning. Here’s what she told me.”

  When she was finished telling Mike what Lisa, the hostess, had told her she asked, “What do you make of that?”

  “Could be two things. He may never have quit drinking, at least that’s what the hostess indicated, but I thought you said last night that the hostess mentioned they’d missed him, because he hadn’t eaten there lately. If that’s true, maybe he just reacted to what you told him by doing what he’d done in the past, drinking himself into oblivion.”

  “Yes, that possibility crossed my mind, but I wonder if he lied to me, and he never quit drinking?”

  “I don’t know how you’re going to find that out, but if it’s true, then everything else he told you could just as well have been a lie.”

  “That thought kept crossing my mind on my drive up here. Right now, I don’t know which one to believe, and I don’t know how I’d find out which one is the truth.”

  “I don’t either unless you returned to Boston and talked to people who know him, but I think that’s above and beyond what you’ve agreed to do for Mrs. Logan. I thought of something today. Has anyone told Julie’s daughter, Megan, that Julie has been murdered?”

  “Not to my knowledge. I think Ryan is the only one who knows her full name and where she lives and works and also knows that her mother is dead. Actually I’d like to talk to her when I get to Portland tomorrow. Ryan gave me the name of her hotel. I thought I’d call and introduce myself as both a friend of her grandmother’s and someone who had attended her mother’s graduation. What do you think of that?”

  “As always, I’m concerned for your safety. You don’t have Rebel with you, and you don’t have a gun with you. What’s the name of that attorney you’re going to meet with tomorrow?”

  “His name is Ryan Murphy. Why?”

  “I just want to call him, and introduce myself. Tell him I’m a sheriff, and see if I can help him with anything.”

  “Mike, that doesn’t sound at all like you. Why are you really going to call him?”

  He was quiet for a moment, and then he said, “I’m going to ask him if he can get you a gun. I want you to have some sort of protection.” />
  “Don’t you even think about it! Good grief, he’d probably think we were both nut cases. The only thing on my agenda when I land in Portland is to meet Ryan and go to Julie’s house. I might ask him to come with me to meet with Megan, but that’s it. No, I definitely don’t want you to call him. Promise?”

  “All right. On another subject, have you had a chance to meet with Julie’s ex-husband?”

  “No. Here’s why.” She filled him in on her conversation with the receptionist at the bed and breakfast and how she’d hinted strongly that the property was in financial trouble.

  “So you think you can meet with him in the morning?”

  “I sure hope so. That’s the main reason I’m here. Mike, this property is beautifully maintained. He may be having trouble financially, but you’d never know it. Everything’s been freshly painted, flowers have been planted, and no expense was spared in getting top quality ingredients for the meal I was served.”

  “Kelly, I’m going to have to go. The dogs are circling the campfire. In other words, each one of them is whimpering letting me know it’s time for their dinner. Be safe, and I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

  “Mike, one more question. Were you able to find out if Sophie or Megan flew to Norfolk last Friday?”

  “Yes, sorry, it slipped my mind with everything else. Sophie Marx did fly to Norfolk, Virginia on Friday. She returned to Portland Saturday night. That’s all I know. Megan’s name was not on the manifest lists, but she might have used a false ID and made the reservation under that name. I don’t know what to make of Sophie, but it certainly makes her a suspect worth looking into. Why don’t you have Stephanie make an appointment with her for Thursday afternoon? You could sit in and say you have evidence that she flew to Norfolk, Virginia. Ask her why she flew there and see what she says. No matter what you find out, you’re going to have to buy the case of wine for my contact. Matter of fact, I told him it would be coming.”

  “Oh my gosh! That definitely puts her right near the top of the suspect list. Stephanie had a feeling about Sophie based on her astrology stuff. Maybe there’s something to it. Your idea of a meeting with her is a good one. When I get off the phone I’ll text Stephanie and tell her to set up the meeting with Sophie. Give the dogs a hug and a kiss for me and tell them I’ll be home tomorrow night.”

  “Hugs and kisses are fine for them, but I’m expecting a little more,” he said suggestively.

  “You’re incorrigible,” she said laughing. “Sleep well.”

  CHAPTER 20

  Kelly got in bed and texted Stephanie with what Mike had found out. She asked her to set up a meeting with Sophie for Thursday afternoon which would give Kelly time to drive back to Portland from Cedar Bay. She took the book she’d been reading earlier from the nightstand and started reading, hoping a little quiet time would help her digest her dinner. She read for two hours, then reached up and turned off the lamp above her head. The bed was comfortable, and she rolled over on her side, looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

  She was almost asleep when she heard something that sounded like a footstep near the small window next to her bed. She froze, wishing she had her dogs with her. They always alerted her when someone was on the property. Every sense in her body was heightened and on edge as she lay perfectly still, painfully aware she was completely defenseless. Listening intently, she heard the sound again. She was sure someone was outside her window.

  A moment later a man’s voice yelled loudly, “Hey, what are you doing out there? Get off my property.” A dog started growling and barking outside and from the sound of it the dog wasn’t too far from her cottage and seemed to be getting closer. She heard the sound of someone running away from the window and moments later a car engine roared to life, and then she heard a vehicle speeding down the lane away from the bed and breakfast. She tried to slow her beating heart down, knowing at her age, a heart racing that fast, particularly after a huge meal, was a recipe for disaster. She took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself.

  A few moments later there was a knock on the door, and she heard a man’s voice say, “Mrs. Reynolds, it’s Mark Jensen. I’m the owner of Harbor House. Are you all right? Please open the door.”

  “Just a moment. Let me get a robe on,” Kelly answered. She opened the door and came face to face with Julie’s ex-husband who was holding a pistol in his hand. A yellow labrador retriever stood next to him, panting. “What is this all about?” she asked.

  “I have no idea. I returned from Boston, did some work in my office and started to go upstairs to bed. I happened to look out the window on the landing as I was going upstairs and thought I saw someone moving in the shadows near your cottage. I watched for a moment, and whoever it was looked like he was wearing a mask to cover his face. The person was dressed entirely in black which I thought was strange. The person crept to the far side of your cottage, went around the corner, and then disappeared. I think it was a man.

  “I collared Max and grabbed my gun,” he said looking down at the yellow lab who was straining at his leash, clearly wanting to have a chance to chase after whoever he’d seen. “I yelled for the person to get off my property. I saw him running away, and a moment later I heard a car engine start. Are you having any issues with someone? Are you being stalked?”

  “No, I know as little about this as you do. Please come in and sit down. I was hoping to talk to you tomorrow. Max is welcome to come in, too. I have a yellow lab at home, and I sure wish she’d been with me tonight, as well as a couple of other dogs my husband and I own.”

  “You wanted to talk to me? Why?” Mark asked with a quizzical look on his face, as he sat down on one of the chairs that flanked the sliding glass doors overlooking the water. Max laid down next to him, and Mark absentmindedly petted his head.

  “Mr. Jensen, a woman by the name of Stephanie Rocco is a very good friend of mine. Two days ago my husband and I flew from Oregon to see her graduate at a university in Virginia. I also saw your wife, Julie, or I guess your soon-to-be ex-wife, graduate. After the graduation ceremony, my friend Stephanie’s husband discovered that Julie had been murdered in her hotel room. Your mother-in-law said that her caregiver, Celia, was going to call you and tell you about Julie’s murder. I certainly hope she did.”

  Mark sagged in his chair and put his head in his hands, then he looked up at Kelly, and with a catch in his voice said, “Yes, she called. I still can’t believe it. You know, I never wanted the divorce. We were kind of like star-crossed lovers. She had her career, and I had this bed and breakfast, which is my career, and they weren’t mutually compatible. Celia told me the police in Virginia have closed the file, since they believe a transient was responsible for Julie’s murder.”

  “Yes, but I’m not so sure the transient really was the killer. My husband is a sheriff in Oregon, and he was at the graduation with me. He feels the chief of police took the easy way out. I’ve helped my husband solve several murder cases, and when Mrs. Logan learned that she asked for my help with this one.”

  “Why are you here?” he asked.

  “I’m trying to get a sense of Julie and to understand why someone would want to murder her, although it very well may have been the transient.”

  “Julie was the most wonderful woman in the world. I don’t think she had any enemies. Everyone loved her. She was beautiful and brilliant. I’ll regret not doing more to save our marriage to my dying day.”

  “How did you handle living apart?” Kelly asked. “That must have been hard on both of you as well as expensive.”

  “It was. We decided when we got married we would each continue to have our own separate bank account. In other words, she paid for her things, and I paid for mine. Unfortunately, things turned out a little different for us on that end. You see the bed and breakfast has been a real drain on my finances, actually almost to the point that I’m going to have to declare bankruptcy or sell it.” He turned his hands up and said, “I don’t know what else I can do. It all star
ted when the economy took a real downturn two years ago, and I’ve never recovered from it.”

  “How did Julie feel about that?” Kelly asked.

  “It happened about the time she decided our marriage wasn’t going to work out. I know how wealthy Mrs. Logan is, but I never asked Julie if she would go to her mother and ask for financial help for me. You know, we Maine men are a proud and independent lot, and I’m certainly one of them. I would rather lose the bed and breakfast than have gone to Mrs. Logan on bended knee asking for a loan. No,” he said shaking his head. “That was never an option.”

  “Have you kept in touch with Mrs. Logan?” she asked.

  “Yes, we talk on the phone from time to time. I always liked her, and I think she likes me. Occasionally I’ll stop by to say hi when I’m in Boston. She’s a class act. As ill as she is, she never complains.”

  “Are you close to Julie’s brother?”

  “Are you serious? As if anyone could get close to him. I haven’t seen him in over a year, but the last time I did, it wasn’t a pleasant experience,” Mark said in a harsh tone of voice.

  “May I ask what happened?”

  “Yes, he threatened me. He told me it was a good thing Julie and I were getting a divorce, so I’d never be able to get my hands on money that should be his. I guess he thought if Julie and I reconciled, she would inherit more money, and then I’d get some of it.”

  “I’m not really following that line of thinking,” Kelly said.

  “I’m not sure anyone could follow his line of thinking. I believe his heavy drinking over the years has had its effect on him. His thinking is simply not rational.”

  “Mark, you weren’t divorced from Julie, right?”

  “Yes, that’s correct. The divorce was to become final next month, actually two days before my birthday on the 24th. I’ll be forty-eight.”