Second Honeymoons Can Be Murder (A Baby Boomer Mystery Book 6)

by Susan Santangelo

  “Carrie seems like a lovely girl,” I said, leaning down to pat the dogs and give my blood pressure a chance to come down a few points. “It’s a good thing you were with her when she got the terrible news about her father’s death. I’m sure you’ve been a big support to her.”

  “I hope I’ve helped her,” Mike said. “I really like her a lot. Meeting her has been the only good thing that’s happened since I got here yesterday. This isn’t exactly what I bargained for when I decided to surprise you and Dad.”

  I decided to ignore the implication that Mike wasn’t happy to have special time with Jim and me. A beautiful girl trumps elderly parents every time.

  “None of us bargained for this tragedy,” I said to my son. “Dad and I were there when the car exploded and killed Charlie, in case you didn’t know that. It was horrible. I can’t stop thinking about that poor man. I hope he didn’t suffer.” This time, the tears in my eyes were genuine.

  “It’s true that Deputy Armstrong asked me a few questions about last night,” Mike admitted. “But when I told her I hadn’t seen Mr. King since the airport, she seemed satisfied. And Carrie backed me up. So it’s our word against whoever claims they saw me with him. And that person’s wrong. How many times do I have to tell you that before you get off my case?”

  I pounced. “That’s the whole point, Mike. I don’t want there to be a case against you. And you’re not helping yourself. Please, tell me the truth. What really happened last night? I’m your mother. I love you unconditionally. No matter what you tell me, I’m on your side.”

  Those tears were threatening to spill down my cheeks. When I looked at my son, I saw tears in his eyes, too.

  “Like I said, I don’t know why everyone’s making a big deal about this,” he finally said. “I did see Mr. King very briefly as he was leaving the restaurant last night. I started to ask him something, but he was in a terrific hurry and pushed me aside.” His face darkened. “There certainly was no fight.”

  Now, we were getting somewhere.

  “Did you push him back?” I demanded.

  “No, Mom, not really. But I was so startled I might have given him a tap on his arm. It was an automatic response.”

  “A tap?” I persisted. “How hard a tap?”

  “Gosh, Mom, ease up. Not hard enough to make anyone think we were fighting.”

  “Well, someone said it was a fight,” I said. “And I know for a fact it wasn’t Claire or Nancy.” Especially not Nancy.

  “Ask Carrie what happened if you don’t believe me,” Mike shot back. “She was right there.”

  “That’s great, Mike,” I said. “So she can corroborate that nothing really happened between you and her father?”

  Mike looked miserable. “Yeah, she could have. Except for one thing. She and I decided it was best to deny that I’d been there at all. Carrie was worried that I might get in trouble otherwise. And I agreed.”

  I held up my hand. “Wait just a minute, please, while I process this.” I took a deep breath, then continued, “Are you telling me that someone you barely know has talked you into lying to the authorities?”

  “Mom, after all, it was her father who died. She wants to find out how he died more than anyone else. That’s why she asked you to help. And she was afraid that if the sheriff’s office got sidetracked with me, the guilty person would get away. After all, from everything I’ve heard, the first twenty-four hours after a crime is committed is critical. Why confuse Deputy Armstrong? It makes perfect sense.”

  “On the contrary,” I said, struggling to keep my voice level and not scream, “this makes you look guilty as hell. Do you know there’s going to be a memorial service for Charlie tomorrow morning at the beach? And Deputy Armstrong may name a ‘person of interest’ in the case at that service? Maybe even announce an arrest? Any idea who that might be?”

  Mike shook his head.

  “It’s you!” I exploded. “I hope I’m wrong, but I’m betting it’s you! How could you let Carrie influence you into making such a bad decision? What is the matter with you? We raised you to make intelligent choices. Not stupid ones.”

  Mike glared at me. “That’s exactly right, Mom. You and Dad raised me. But I’m grown up now, and capable of making my own decisions. Even if you think they’re the wrong ones. If you want to tell Deputy Armstrong what I admitted to you, go ahead. I don’t care. I’m outta here.”

  My only son stalked out of the villa, slamming the door behind him.

  Chapter 38

  My new computer said, “Press Any Key” to start. But I couldn’t find the button that said, “Any Key.”

  “This has to be the longest twenty-four hours of my whole life,” I said to Lucy and Ethel. “And the worst. You both know that I hate arguing with anybody. Even when I’m positive I’m right. And I was right this time. Wasn’t I?”

  Jeez, Carol. Get a grip. You’re asking for reinforcement from the dogs again. That’s a little over the top, even for you.

  I was about a millisecond away from sobbing my eyes out. “I don’t think either of the kids have ever been so angry at me. Even Jenny, the time I caught her sneaking out of the house when she was a freshman in high school to meet a guy who was ten years older than she was. Gosh, we sure had a huge fight. But it was nothing like this. Jenny knew she was wrong, and she admitted it. Not until both of us had shed lots of tears, though.” I frowned as the memory of that incident flooded my brain. It was one of the many family crises that I’d had to handle all on my own, because Jim was out of town on business.

  Ping. I squinted at my phone. Speak of the devil (metaphorically, of course), I had a text from my husband.

  Jim: All hell breaking here over Charlie’s death. Will be working a while longer. Networks sending reporters to cover tomorrow’s event. It’s morphed into a huge story. I’m sure Mike’s problem will straighten itself out. Don’t interfere, and don’t be mad at me.

  Me: Mad? Why should I be mad? I need you and you’re not here. It’s the same old story. AND I NEVER INTERFERE!

  But something stopped me (possibly, a drop of common sense?), and instead of clicking the Send button, I clicked Cancel. I couldn’t take the chance of having the two most important men in my life both mad at me at the same time.

  But I knew I had to do something fast to help Mike, even if he didn’t know how much he needed my help. And preventing an impending disaster isn’t the same as interfering in someone’s life, right? Of course, right.

  I was so good at crisis management that I once considered offering my services to the federal government during the next budget crunch. But I didn’t do it. I realized I had enough to worry about without adding the entire weight of the country to my already full plate. But should any of you decide to send an email to the White House on my behalf, well, I can’t stop you.

  I knew I would solve this with the help of the people I’ve always turned to when I’m in trouble, and who are always there for me, no matter what: Nancy, Claire, and Mary Alice.

  I waved leashes and said the magic words, “Want to go for another walk?”

  “You just missed Carrie King,” Nancy said, welcoming us with a hug. Well, to clarify, she didn’t hug Lucy and Ethel. But she did give them a few scratches behind their ears. That, a large bowl of spring water, and a comfortable place to snooze seemed to satisfy them just fine.

  “Carrie King?” I said, settling myself on the sofa beside Claire and preparing to unburden myself. “What the heck was she doing here? I didn’t realize she even knew who you were.”

  “Well, of course she knows me,” Nancy huffed, taking offense at my remark. “You’re not the only one who went to grammar school with her father, in case you’ve forgotten. She stopped by to be sure I was all right.”

  “Huh? You’ve lost me,” I said. “Why was she so concerned about you?”

  “Charlie told her that I’d become very special to him,” Nancy said, dabbing at her eyes. “He said it would mean a lot to him if she and I became go
od friends. Who knows what would have happened between Charlie and me if he hadn’t died so suddenly? We could have had a grand love affair.”

  I didn’t dare look at Claire, but I was sure she was rolling her eyes at Nancy’s outrageous version of her newfound relationship with our late classmate.

  “Pardon my skepticism,” I said, “but you’d only seen the man a few times since we graduated from eighth grade, more than forty-five years ago. Do the math. It’s been a long, long time. You hardly knew each other. That doesn’t sound like the beginning of a grand romance to me.”

  “Ha!” Nancy said, tossing her head in a gesture that always drives me nuts. “You’re just jealous, because you thought Charlie had been carrying a torch for you all these years. But then he saw me and, bingo! It could have been love at first sight for him.”

  “That’s doubtful,” I said. “Second sight, maybe. And, anyway, we’re arguing over a dead man, for heaven’s sakes.”

  “Oh, puleez,” Claire said. “Could we get back on track, please? Carol, did you catch up with Mike and Jim? What happened?”

  “Well,” I said slowly, “that’s kind of a long story.”

  “Big surprise,” said Claire. “All your stories are long.”

  I tried to look angry, but failed. Because Claire was right. I do take a long time to get to the point. Like now, for instance. I settled for sticking my tongue out at Claire, which made her laugh and broke any tension left between us.

  “Before I tell you about Mike,” I said, “I want to know more about Carrie’s visit here. Was it only because she was worried about you, Nancy?”

  Nancy started to answer, but Claire interrupted, “She was looking for you,” Claire said. “She said she’d knocked on the door of your villa and you weren’t there.”

  “Carrie’s so upset about her father’s death,” Nancy said. “When she first got here, she couldn’t stop crying. I’m sure Carrie was looking for emotional support. The unconditional kind that mothers always give to their kids, no matter how old they are, and she had nowhere else to turn.”

  Of course, that made me feel very guilty about the tongue lashing I’d recently given my only son.

  Maybe you were wrong to interfere, Carol. What if you’ve damaged your relationship forever?

  I added that worry to my fear about Mike being charged with a crime he didn’t commit. What a mess.

  I came back to earth when I heard Claire say, “And with her father gone, and her mother’s death when she was so young, now Carrie has no family at all. It’s very sad.”

  “She has no siblings?” I asked.

  Nancy shook her head. “Nope. She was an only child. Just like you, Carol.”

  “She must have been very close to her father,” I said. “Charlie had to be both mother and father to her. Did she talk about her relationship with her dad?”

  “Not really,” Claire said. “She was more interested in having us tell her stories about Charlie from our grammar school days. I think talking about her father with us cheered her up a little.”

  “Carrie couldn’t believe that we’ve been best friends for so many years,” Nancy said. “I guess she never developed any really close relationships with other girls her age.”

  “Carrie went to several different schools all over the country while she was growing up,” Claire added. “Charlie traveled a lot for work, and he always took her with him. She even had private tutors for a while.”

  “It doesn’t sound like the kind of childhood I’d want,” I said.

  “Me, either,” Nancy agreed.

  “Carrie wanted to know what it was like to have best girlfriends,” Claire said. “We told her about some of our adventures.”

  “Like the time we were going to New York to see a play, and you got locked in the bathroom at the Fairport train station, Carol. You were screaming blue murder before somebody heard you and let you out. You almost missed the train.”

  “I don’t think that was very funny,” I said. “I had nightmares about it for a long time.”

  “Well, it made Carrie laugh,” Nancy said. “I told her that you don’t like self-service elevators, either. Especially in older buildings.”

  “And let’s not forget about the swimming test at Mount Saint Francis Academy,” Claire said. “Remember how freaked out you were when you thought we had to pass that test to graduate?”

  “Yeah, we were lucky that requirement was discontinued,” Nancy added. “Especially since you never did learn how to swim, Carol.”

  “I’m glad I could be the subject of so much lively conversation,” I said. “What an honor.”

  “Oh, sweetie, we didn’t mean to make fun of you,” Nancy said, realizing that my feelings were hurt. “We were just trying to cheer Carrie up, and one thing led to another.”

  “Enough of this,” Claire said. “Back to you, Carol. What happened with Mike and Jim?”

  “I never connected with Jim,” I said slowly. “Except by text. And my talk with Mike was horrible.” I started to cry. “I don’t know if he’ll ever speak to me again.”

  “Oh, honey,” Nancy said, immediately wrapping me in a big hug. “That’s not possible. He loves you. You’re his ‘Cosmo Girl.’ ”

  “I think my subscription to Cosmo may have reached its expiration date,” I said, grabbing a tissue from the box Claire was holding out to me.

  “We ought to have stock in Kimberly Clark,” she said, “with the way we’re going through tissues on this trip.”

  “I’m sure you only use store brand at your house though, right, Carol?” Nancy said.

  “Unless Jim has a coupon,” Claire added, never missing a chance to have the last word.

  Their wisecracks produced the desired effect. I stopped sniffling and made an effort to get myself under control.

  “So, what happened with Mike?” Nancy asked.

  “And please, try not to cry again when you tell us,” Claire said. “But, just in case,” she plopped the entire box of tissues on my lap, then said, “Talk.”

  So, I did. And I hope you were all paying attention the first time, because I have no intention of going through it all over again for you. Claire was taking notes throughout. Maybe, if you’re really nice to her, she’ll share them with you.

  When I had finished what I hoped was a succinct version of my conversation with Mike, Claire summarized as only someone who’s been married to a lawyer for more than three decades could. “Mike admitted to you that he did see Charlie last night. Charlie was in a big hurry, and brushed Mike away when he tried to talk to him.” Claire looked up at me over her reading glasses. “Which is exactly what I told you in the first place, Carol. There was no fight.”

  “But someone told Deputy Armstrong there was a fight,” I said. “That’s the part I don’t understand.”

  “Someone’s obviously lying,” Claire said. “Because I know what I saw.” She turned to Nancy. “What about you? Did you see anything?”

  Nancy shook her head. “That was when I got a text from the office about one of my listings,” she said. “I’m sorry that I can’t help.”

  Claire returned to her scribbled notes. “Mike lied to Deputy Armstrong about seeing Charlie last night. And that was Carrie’s idea? Are you sure that’s what he said?”

  “I’m sure. She was worried that if he admitted he’d seen her father, he’d get in trouble.” I looked at my two friends. “For heaven’s sake, how stupid can a guy be? Now Mike’s in even more trouble. What the heck was he thinking? Where was his brain?”

  “I suspect that Mike wasn’t thinking with his brain, Carol,” Claire said. “Especially if he spent the whole night with Carrie. If you get my drift.”

  “Claire’s right,” Nancy said. “The brain isn’t the only body part that influences a guy’s judgment.”

  I chose to ignore the implication. After all, this was my baby boy we were talking about. Don’t misunderstand—I got what they were referring to. I just…chose to ignore it. Especially since
I suspected they were right. I did what I always do when the subject gets too intimate; I changed it.

  “I also had a talk with Kurt Armitage,” I said. “This was before I saw Mike. Kurt’s part of the television show staff,” I clarified. “He told me some interesting things about Charlie’s business history. Apparently, The Second Honeymoon Game was Charlie’s desperate shot at making a comeback on television. Kurt called it Charlie’s Last Stand. He said Charlie had been all washed up in television for years. Nobody would talk to him. But he found some mysterious guy with deep pockets to bankroll the pilot of the show. Kurt had no idea who it was.”

  Nancy thought for a minute, then said, “Actually, this information goes along with what I found out about Charlie through my real estate connections.” She waited for just a beat, to be sure Claire and I were paying close attention. “Charlie’s house was in foreclosure. It looks like he was broke.”

  “What do you mean, Charlie was broke?” Claire asked. “What about his private jet? And his fleet of Mercedes? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  Nancy shook her head. “It gets even weirder. Except for the house that’s currently in foreclosure, there’s no record of Charlie owning any other property, including houses, even when he lived in California.”

  “I didn’t know he ever lived in California,” I said. “But I guess that makes sense. That’s where most television shows are produced, right?”

  “Most wealthy people set up a realty trust for their holdings,” Nancy said, continuing with her Real Estate 101 for Dummies lecture. “Buying property is a good investment. At least, it was years ago. And I’m assuming that Charlie was making big bucks in the television business. But I couldn’t find anything except the foreclosure. It’s very odd.”

  “I’m not so sure Charlie was making big bucks, even back then,” I said. “None of the shows he produced were real mega hits, and the entertainment business is pretty cutthroat. At least, that’s what I’ve heard. One day, you’re a big star; the next—you’re a has-been. Like Gene Richmond.”