by Leena Clover
As promised, Jason Stone had mixed a special type of mustard to go with it.
“See for yourself,” Star told her. “The big attraction this time is of course the Cohen Construction float. Asher Cohen is going to be on it.”
“He told me about it this morning,” Jenny nodded. “Say, who was the woman in the wheelchair?”
“That’s his wife,” Heather explained. “Linda Cohen.”
“She’s a Stone,” Betty Sue called out.
Jenny wondered if she was related to Jason. She gossiped with Heather and Molly about the chubby man who had come to meet Asher Cohen.
“He’s a ne'er-do-well,” Heather said, “but he’s the only Cohen kid who’s connected to the business.”
“How many kids are there?” Jenny asked.
“You’ll see some of them tonight,” Heather shrugged. “Seven or eight…”
The girls went back to the grill for a second helping of everything, eating until they were stuffed to the gills.
Chris, Adam and Jason finally came over with their own loaded trays.
“That mustard was yum,” Jenny told Jason. “You have to give me the recipe.”
“When are we taking a kayak out?” he teased. “I’ll swap the recipe for a date.”
Jenny was deathly afraid of the water. As summer progressed, almost everyone had urged her to go fishing or bird watching with them. The thought of being so close to the water in a tiny kayak or canoe scared the bejesus out of her. She had been trying to hide her phobia from her new friends.
“It’s peak tourist season,” Jenny told Jason. “You know I can’t get away from the café now.”
“I can survive without you for a few hours,” Petunia grunted.
“Maybe she just doesn’t want to go out with you,” Adam said seriously.
Jason knew about Jenny’s date with Adam. Rather than discourage him, it made him more competitive.
“Jenny can choose for herself,” he said curtly.
Adam struggled to his feet and excused himself.
“Look what you’ve done, Jason,” Jenny protested. “Did you have to needle him?”
“Adam just needs an excuse to sulk,” Jason shrugged.
“We need to go pick a good spot,” Star spoke up. “Or we’ll miss the parade.”
She looked lovingly at Jason. She secretly wished Jenny would choose him rather than Adam.
“Are you done, boys? Let’s go.”
The group collected all their trash and disposed of it properly. They headed to Main Street, looking for a spot big enough for their whole group. Chris set up camp chairs for the older ladies. The others huddled around them as a band began playing.
“That’s the high school band,” Heather told Jenny.
The parade started soon after with the youngest residents of Pelican Cove forming the vanguard. Kids in tricycles and bikes with training wheels pedaled onto Main Street. Red, white and blue streamers were tied to their wheels and handle bars. The crowd cheered wildly.
A contingent of senior citizens in motorized wheelchairs followed. The ponies were next.
“These are the famous Chincoteague ponies,” Heather told Jenny. “They run wild on Assateague Island up north but some ponies are auctioned each year. The town owns a few of these. They are brought out during special ceremonies.”
“I’ve heard about them,” Jenny said eagerly. “But this is the first time I am actually seeing one of these.”
“Haven’t you been to Chincoteague yet?” Molly asked. “We should make a day of it, take a picnic basket with us. Girls only.”
“Why girls only?” Chris teased. “What did we guys ever do to you?”
“Jenny and I went to Chincoteague for dinner a couple of times,” Jason told them. “But going to see the ponies is a great idea.”
“Pay attention, kids!” Betty Sue roared.
Fire trucks followed the ponies, festooned with colorful ribbons. The marching band was next. The floats followed after that. There was one float for the City of Pelican Cove. It was covered in banners of the local businesses. The Boardwalk Café had donated one such banner.
“Look,” Petunia pointed. “That’s us!”
“Where’s Asher Cohen?” Jenny asked. “Wasn’t he supposed to be in this parade?”
“He’s coming right up,” Star said.
A red pickup truck brought up the rear. Large banners printed with Cohen Construction were attached to its sides. Bunches of balloons were tied to the rails every few inches. Asher Cohen stood in the back, waving at the people. A bunch of children stood around him, throwing candy in the crowd. Asher wore a festive red cap with the words ‘Happy Birthday’ festooned on it. The balloons had the word ‘100’ written on them in glitter.
“They special ordered those balloons,” Heather whispered. “Not many people celebrate their 100th birthday.”
“You think?” Jenny asked sarcastically.
Asher Cohen blew a kiss to someone in the crowd. Jenny followed his gaze and saw the woman in the wheelchair smiling back at him. A young woman stood behind her, holding the chair.
Finally, the parade was over. Kids and grownups alike had scrambled to grab the candy. People stood around, chewing the sugary treats.
“I need to cool off,” Betty Sue complained. “I could use some sweet tea right now, or lemonade.”
“I made a pitcher of lemonade for us,” Petunia told them. “Why don’t we go into the café for a while.”
She fanned herself with a handkerchief, looking as red as a tomato.
“I think we can all use a break,” Jason agreed.
“I’m on duty for the next couple of hours,” Adam spoke, getting up to leave.
Jenny breathed a sigh of relief as she let the air conditioning in the café cool her down.
“Has anyone seen Nick?”
“He got into a hot dog eating contest with some kids,” Chris told them. “They were talking about taking some kayaks out after that.”
Jenny shrugged. She reminded herself her son was an adult now and she didn’t need to keep tabs on him.
“It’s time for the awards ceremony,” Betty Sue announced an hour later.
The older ladies had dozed off in their seats. Jenny and her friends had been indulging in some harmless gossip.
“Does everyone get an award?” Jenny asked, stifling a yawn.
“They try to cover most people,” Star told her. “All the younger kids get something.”
“Asher is bound to get Overall First Place today,” Heather said. “They did a really good job with their float. All the lights were beautiful.”
“He was just showing off,” Betty Sue grunted.
Heather ignored her grandmother.
Betty Sue gave away some of the awards. There were squeals of joy as people showed off their trophies. Barb Norton, a local woman, held up a large brass plaque. The crowd roared in approval.
“And now, the Overall First Place Award for this year. Come on up, Asher. Come and get it.”
People turned around, trying to spot Asher Cohen. There was a buzz at the back. The crowd parted to reveal the short, chubby man Jenny had seen with Asher that morning.
“I can’t find Grandpa.”
The crowd started to speculate where Asher was. Some wondered if he had forgotten about the awards ceremony. Others made wisecracks about his age.
Adam Hopkins walked up to the makeshift stage and held up his hand. Jenny had a sudden feeling of déjà vu. She remembered a fateful party she had attended earlier that year.
“There has been an incident,” Adam Hopkins announced. “I urge you all to calm down. My people will come around to ask you a few questions.”
“What about the fireworks?” a voice called from the crowd. “The sun’s going down. Can we head to the beach now?”
Adam went into a huddle with the people gathered on the stage. He turned around and cleared his throat before speaking again.
“The fireworks are cancelled
.”
The crowd protested loudly. One tourist pushed his way to the front and struck up an angry pose.
“What do you mean, mister? We travelled three hundred miles to spend our July 4th here. Our kids have been looking forward to the fireworks all weekend.”
“I’m the Sheriff of Pelican Cove,” Adam said in a clipped voice. “I am cancelling the fireworks for security reasons.”
“What on earth is going on?” Jenny asked Heather.
The Magnolias had inched toward the podium. Heather scampered up the stage and conferred with Betty Sue. Her eyes were filled with alarm as she walked back toward Jenny.
“They just found Asher Cohen. He’s dead.”
Chapter 3
The Magnolias were on their mid-morning coffee break at the Boardwalk Café the next day. All the conversation revolved around Asher Cohen.
“Just imagine dying on your 100th birthday,” Star was saying. “It’s like someone jinxed him.”
“Don’t you mean hexed?” Molly asked.
“What a waste of that birthday cake,” Heather sighed. “What happened to it, Jenny?”
Jenny shrugged.
“We delivered it to the Cohen residence the day of the party. I guess they will just throw it out now.”
“Maybe we can bring it back,” Heather said hopefully.
“Heather Morse!” Betty Sue exclaimed. “What are you doing hankering after a dead man’s cake? Surely I raised you better than that?”
“I’ll bake one for you, Heather, don’t worry,” Jenny consoled. “It’s just a chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache and plenty of fresh berries on top.”
“Stop! You’re making me crave it even more.”
“You girls are missing the point,” Petunia said. “Why aren’t we talking about what happened to Asher?”
“I’m not getting mixed up in a murder this time,” Jenny announced resolutely.
Betty Sue sucked in a breath.
“Murder? Who said anything about a murder?”
“He was found dead in his car,” Star reminded her.
“I thought he died from the heat,” Betty Sue mumbled.
“The police aren’t saying anything,” Heather said. “They sealed off the crime scene pretty quickly. No one got a look at the truck.”
“Was it the same truck that was in the parade?” Molly asked.
“I think so,” Heather said.
She looked at Jenny with a gleam in her eye.
“When are you going out with Adam again? Maybe you can bend his ear about this.”
“Have you met Adam?” Jenny asked with her hands on her hips. “He won’t tell me squat.”
“Don’t change the subject, Jenny,” Molly pounced. “Are you going out on a date with Adam?”
“We were thinking of getting dinner tomorrow night,” Jenny admitted.
“What about Jason?” Heather asked. “Have you dumped him now?”
“Jason and I are just friends,” Jenny objected. “He knows that.”
“Are you sure?” Molly raised her eyebrows. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
Betty Sue came to her rescue. Her knitting needles clacked as her hands twirled a strand of blue yarn over them.
“Stop harassing her, girls.”
Nick ran up the café steps just then, waving an envelope in his hand.
“Mom!”
“What is it?” Jenny asked in alarm.
“It’s that internship I was waitlisted for. One of the guys they hired dropped out.”
“Is this that big law firm in Washington DC?” Jenny asked eagerly.
Jenny’s ex-husband was a partner at a well known law firm. Nick wanted to follow in his footsteps. Jenny had developed an aversion to lawyers when her husband cheated on her. Then she met Jason Stone. She was beginning to think they were not all bad. Regardless of her personal beliefs, she fully supported her son in whatever he wanted to do in life.
Nick was looking excited.
“I won’t be doing much, just getting coffee, I guess. But I’ll be there, Mom!”
“When do you start?” Jenny asked.
“This coming Monday. But I need to look for a place to stay.”
“Have you looked at online ads?” Molly asked.
“Not yet,” Nick said, “but I’m going to.”
“I’ve got my iPad right here if you want to look,” Molly offered.
“Thanks Molly,” Nick beamed, sitting down next to her. “This will save me time.”
Jenny realized her son wouldn’t be spending the summer with her after all. She rubbed the tiny gold heart shaped charm that hung around her neck on a chain and kept her thoughts to herself. Nick had started giving her a charm for Mother’s Day since he turned eight. She had worn the charms on a bracelet for several years. Now she had strung them on a thin gold chain. They literally touched her heart, providing a tangible connection to Nick when he wasn’t with her. She had fallen into the habit of rubbing those charms whenever she was worried or overwhelmed.
“We should have a family dinner before you leave,” Jenny said. “I’m going to cancel my date with Adam.”
“Why don’t you invite him over?” Star asked. “It won’t be a date but at least you will get to spend time with him.”
“Sounds cool, Mom,” Nick approved. “Can he bring the twins too?”
Jenny looked at her aunt speculatively.
“Do you want to invite Jimmy Parsons?”
Star looked at her incredulously.
“Why would I want to do that?”
“I told Jimmy to come around sometime but I doubt he’s going to turn up on his own. This way, he’ll have company.”
Star gave a slight nod, making Jenny smile.
Jimmy Parsons was the town drunk. He lived in a tiny cottage by the light house on a deserted stretch of beach. The Parsons family had owned and operated the light house for years. The light house was decommissioned now but it was still a big point of interest in Pelican Cove.
Jenny had discovered Jimmy had a soft spot for her aunt. She was sure they shared some history. She was determined to find out more. Asking Jimmy over to dinner sounded like a great way to learn more about him.
Nick’s voice snapped Jenny out of her reverie.
“What was that, Nicky?” she asked.
“Do you promise to stay out of trouble?”
“I’m supposed to ask you that!”
“You know what I’m talking about, Mom. You won’t get mixed up in that old man’s death, will you?”
“I barely knew the man, Nicky. Why would I get involved?”
The Magnolias looked disappointed. Nick didn’t look convinced at all.
“Are you going to visit us on the weekends?” Star asked him.
Heather stood up and waited for Betty Sue to gather all her stuff.
“I need to feed Tootsie,” she said, talking about her black poodle. “We have two couples checking in today.”
Heather and her grandmother Betty Sue owned and operated the Bayview Inn. It was one of the oldest houses in town and had been built by James Morse himself.
The group broke up and Jenny went inside to get ready for the lunch rush. She started mixing her special chicken salad, made with fresh juicy strawberries. It had been a hit with the locals and tourists were lining up for it now.
Petunia helped her assemble the sandwiches. The talk turned to Asher Cohen again.
“Who found him, do you know?” Jenny asked Petunia.
“Why don’t you go talk to Adam?” Petunia asked. “You can deliver lunch at the police station.”
“Haven’t we hired kids for that?” Jenny asked.
“The kids didn’t turn up today,” Petunia said. “Shouldn’t matter to him.”
Jenny placed a few sandwiches and cookies in a basket and walked down the street to the Pelican Cove police station. One of the desk clerks, Nora, greeted her.
“Is that our lunch? I’m starving!”
J
enny stole a glance at the door marked Sheriff.
“He’s in there,” Nora said. “Alone. You can go right in.”
Jenny rapped lightly on the door and went in. Adam Hopkins sat with one leg up on a chair. He was muttering to himself, trying to open a bottle of pills. Jenny took it from him and unscrewed the top.
“Your leg’s bothering you today?” she asked softly.
Adam Hopkins had injured his leg in the line of duty. His recent stint of therapy had helped a lot, but the pain flared up sometimes.
“Had too much fun this week,” he winced, popping a couple of pills in his mouth.
He washed them down with a glass of water.
“What are you doing here, Jenny?”
“I brought you lunch,” Jenny simpered. “And I don’t need a reason to come see you, Adam.”
“You are sure this has nothing to do with Asher Cohen?”
Jenny acted shocked.
“Don’t expect any favors just because we are dating.”
“Why would I? I know you well.”
“And I know you, Jenny. That nose of yours is twitching as we speak.”
“Who found him, anyway?” she asked. “Just out of curiosity.”
“I did,” Adam sighed.
“Was it heat exhaustion?” Jenny forged ahead. “The sun was scorching yesterday. It was ninety degrees in the shade.”
“What do you care about Asher Cohen?” Adam asked, leaning forward. “Did you even exchange two words with him any time?”
“I knew Asher!” Jenny protested. “I baked his birthday cake. He put in a special order at the café. He tasted my food at Ada Newbury’s party. His family hired a catering company from the mainland but Asher insisted I bake the birthday cake.”
“That’s all?”
“We met yesterday morning. He came to the café for breakfast.”
Adam suddenly looked interested.
“How did he get there? Did anyone accompany him?”
“He came with that woman in the wheelchair. Heather said she’s his wife.”
“So he came in with Linda. Anyone else?”
“There was a chubby guy who came in some time later. He sat down with Asher.”
“What were they talking about?”
“How would I know that?”
“Did you happen to overhear something?”