by Leena Clover
“Ethan was right there!” Jenny argued. “How can I not think of Adam when his photo copy is hovering around me?”
“They may be twins but they are nothing alike. You know that, sweetie.”
“I guess it was wrong.”
“I don’t know,” Star said. “But losing your temper was.”
Jenny felt she understood why Heather wanted to date other people. She herself had married her college sweetheart. She had never really dated anyone. Now she had two men vying for her attention but she had no idea how to behave with either of them.
“I need a Duster,” she said suddenly, making Star raise her eyebrows in question. “I have no idea what to do on a date.”
Chapter 11
Heather Morse was about to burst. She tugged at Jenny’s arm and almost pulled her into the café’s kitchen.
“I did it,” she screeched. “I met Duster yesterday.”
Molly had followed them in.
“So you went on that date after all.”
Heather looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. She didn’t need any encouragement.
“We met at a small diner up the coast. I didn’t want anyone in town telling on me, you see.”
“How was he?” Jenny asked, unable to hide a smile.
Heather hadn’t looked this upbeat in a long time.
“He was nice,” Heather beamed. “His family is renting a house on the beach somewhere off the Chesapeake Bay. He invited me to spend a day with them.”
“Are you going?” Molly asked. “You shouldn’t go alone.”
“Will you go with me?” Heather asked eagerly. “Duster has a bunch of cousins. They do this every summer, it seems. Rent a big house somewhere and get together.”
“Will I need to take a day off?” Molly asked uncertainly.
“Not unless you want to,” Heather said. “We can go up there this Saturday.”
She started tapping the keys on her phone.
“It’s all set. They are expecting us.”
“Have you told Chris about this?” Molly asked.
“I told him yesterday,” Heather nodded. “He’s cool. We are meeting for drinks at the Rusty Anchor later tonight.”
“You make my head reel,” Jenny said as she walked back to the deck.
“How’s that young man of yours, Jenny?” Betty Sue asked, busy knitting a pink scarf.
“Which one?” Star asked and the old ladies sniggered merrily.
Jenny spotted a familiar figure walking on the beach.
“Isn’t that Hans?” she said aloud. “What’s he doing here at this time?”
She wondered if Luke Stone had fired the young man.
“Why don’t you take this over to the police station?” Petunia asked later, handing her a heavy basket. “We have ten lunch orders from them today.”
Jenny was secretly thrilled at the thought of seeing Adam. She had missed her after-dinner walk for a couple of days and hadn’t run into Adam.
“Care to have lunch with me?” Adam asked her as she placed her basket on his table.
The entire staff at the police station was busy gorging on her sandwiches and cake.
“There isn’t enough food for the both of us.”
“Are you sure?” Adam asked with a twinkle in his eye. “Why don’t you look in that basket again?”
“There’s an extra sandwich here!” Jenny exclaimed. “And two slices of cake. But how could this be? Petunia packed the lunches herself.”
A gleam came into her eye as she spotted Adam’s smug expression.
“Adam Hopkins! Did you plan this?”
“Can’t blame a man for trying,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s hard to snatch you away from your friends.”
“I’ve just been busy,” Jenny apologized. “You know it’s peak tourist season. And then there’s Linda.”
“Yes, Linda,” Adam mumbled, rolling his eyes. “How’s that coming along?”
“As a matter of fact,” Jenny began, “I did have a few questions for you.”
Adam held up a hand.
“No shop talk until we finish eating. After that, I will listen to whatever you have to say about the Cohens.”
“Deal!” Jenny agreed.
Petunia had tucked in a couple of plates along with the food. Jenny unwrapped their sandwiches and placed them on the plates. She pulled off the plastic wrap over the pickle spears and tore open the packet of chips. She presented the plate of food to Adam with a flourish.
“Something’s different about the chicken salad today,” he said appreciatively.
“I got some fresh tarragon from the inn’s garden,” Jenny told him. “And I added some blanched almonds for crunch.”
“You’re a sight for sore eyes, Jenny,” Adam said, staring deep into her eyes.
Jenny took a dainty bite of her own sandwich and asked after the twins.
“Up to no good,” Adam cribbed, shaking his head. “They are taking a boat out to one of the islands this weekend. Nick’s bringing a friend along.”
“Nick’s coming here this weekend?” Jenny asked eagerly. “He hasn’t returned my calls, the scamp.”
Jenny rubbed the tiny gold heart hanging around her neck. She looked forward to seeing her son in a couple of days.
“Ready for cake?” she asked Adam.
“Is that the special chocolate cake?” Adam asked. “The same one you made for Asher Cohen?”
“It’s not the same cake,” Jenny said. “Just the same recipe.”
“Asher Cohen was supposed to have exacting standards. If he asked for this cake, it must be something special.”
“Just because he asked for this cake?” Jenny pouted.
“Anything you cook is exceptional, Jenny,” Adam praised. “You already know that.”
“Doesn’t hurt to get a compliment.”
They bantered over the generous slices of cake until they could eat no more.
“I’m saving this for later,” Adam said, licking his lips. “Any more of this and I’ll fall asleep on my desk.”
“Not so soon,” Jenny warned. “You promised to hear me out.”
“Shoot!” Adam said.
“There’s no doubt that Asher Cohen was murdered, right?”
Adam nodded. He couldn’t keep that from Jenny any longer.
“The most obvious suspect is always the spouse, right?” Jenny began. “That brings us to Linda. Linda Cohen was a trophy wife when they got married. She’s what, almost thirty years younger than Asher. That makes her about 70 now.”
“Correct,” Adam said.
“She seems to have loved her husband. There are two things in her favor. She was right there in front of me during the parade. And she was still there when they were handing out the awards. The main thing we can’t ignore … she’s immobile.”
“She could still have hired someone for the job,” Adam said, playing devil’s advocate.
“Why would she do that? There’s no motive.”
“Maybe she fell out of love with the old man,” Adam mused.
“Of course!” Jenny cried with sarcasm. “That must be it. She fell in love with someone else and wanted the old man out of the way.”
“It’s been known to happen,” Adam said seriously.
“You have to admit that’s farfetched,” Jenny argued.
“Possible, but not probable,” Adam conceded.
“Hans Geller,” Jenny said next. “He can’t do anything right. He’s belligerent and he’s a mean drunk. He was disgruntled about a lot of things.”
“Did he have anything against Asher?”
“Most of his ire seems to be directed at Luke Stone,” Jenny explained. “Luke says Asher was calling the shots, but Hans didn’t know that. Luke was the bad guy as far as Hans is concerned.”
“Maybe Hans found out his grandpa wasn’t too happy with him.”
“So he gassed a 100 year old man?” Jenny asked. “I don’t think he’s that industrious. He mi
ght have done something physical in a fit of temper but…”
“You said he’s always drunk,” Adam prompted. “He may not have been in his senses when he did it.”
“Could be,” Jenny agreed. “Hans is lying about a lot of stuff. He told me he’s leaving town for good. He has no interest in Cohen Construction. But the opposite is true, apparently.”
“Yeah?”
“Luke told me Hans hopes to inherit. He wants to take over Cohen Construction. Sit in a fancy office and call the shots.”
“He might feel entitled,” Adam pointed out. “He’s the blood relative, after all, not Luke Stone.”
“I did get that impression,” Jenny nodded. “Another thing, he has no alibi. He was out picking up booze for the party. But no one can vouch for that. He could have been anywhere. Maybe he was in the back alley where Asher parked his truck.”
“You seem to have talked to a lot of people,” Adam admitted grudgingly. “When do you find the time to do it, Jenny?”
“Stop distracting me, Sheriff,” Jenny snapped. “We are not done yet.”
“Okay,” Adam relented. “Who’s next?”
“Luke Stone,” Jenny said. “He’s poured his blood and sweat into Cohen Construction. Linda says he was like a son to Asher.”
“What would be his motive?”
“He hated Asher!”
Adam sat up with a jerk.
“How do you know that?”
“He told me himself.”
Adam’s face fell.
“Probably doesn’t mean anything. A killer doesn’t go around announcing he hated his victim.”
“I thought so too,” Jenny agreed. “But Luke doesn’t have an alibi either. He was out of town picking up lumber.”
“He told us that too,” Adam said. “We are trying to get in touch with the man he met.”
“So none of this is news to you?” Jenny asked Adam.
She had been on a roll but now she felt deflated.
“The police have been working on this case just like you have, Jenny. It’s our job.”
“You’re right,” she said softly.
“We are here to talk about what you found out,” Adam reminded her. “Why don’t you go on?”
“Luke and Hans are at loggerheads. Luke found Hans drinking on the job and banned him from using any tools or working on site. Hans is not happy about it.”
“Does Luke hope to inherit the business?” Adam asked.
“Negative,” Jenny said. “He seems keen on retirement.”
“So you don’t think he had a motive?”
“Other than hating Asher … none.”
“He may have hated the old man,” Adam said. “I doubt he acted on it.”
“That makes Luke a weak suspect,” Jenny said with frustration.
“What about the other kids?”
“I talked to some of them,” Jenny told Adam. “They are a peculiar lot, I can tell you.”
“I think they are all senile,” Adam muttered.
“Two of Linda’s kids didn’t come here for the centennial.”
“I know Ryan well,” Adam told her. “We joined the army at the same time.”
“I haven’t met the youngest daughter yet,” Jenny told him.
“Tell me about the older ones,” Adam prompted.
“Walt, the oldest, didn’t seem very close to Asher. The same goes for his sister Emma. There’s another one called Heidi who hated him. I didn’t ask any of these for their alibis. They have barely visited Pelican Cove over the years. They just came here for the centennial. They are well off and leading comfortable lives elsewhere.”
“So you talked to all the Cohens,” Adam observed. “Can’t say I’ve done that myself.”
“There’s one more guy,” Jenny remembered. “Linda’s son-in-law. He’s always in need of more money according to Luke.”
“That’s Todd Buckler,” Adam noted. “He seemed quite subdued when I talked to him. He has a farm in Maryland.”
“I need to talk to him,” Jenny said.
She waited for Adam to say something. Adam leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He seemed to be going over all the information.
“So?” Jenny prompted impatiently. “What do you think?”
“You’ve been thorough, Jenny,” Adam admitted grudgingly. “I think you know almost as much as we do.”
“Almost? So there’s something I don’t know about all this?”
“There are some things I am not allowed to disclose,” Adam said. “You know that.”
“Of course,” Jenny bristled. “This is an ongoing investigation and you cannot comment on it.”
“Right,” Adam said. “I don’t make the rules, Jenny.”
“None of these people have a strong motive,” Jenny wailed. “Do you agree with that opinion?”
“I suppose it’s safe to say that.”
“We have to be missing something, Adam.”
“Why don’t you give it a rest?” Adam suggested. “Take a day off from this. Do something fun.”
“Like what? Take a boat out on the water?”
“I was about to suggest that,” Adam said eagerly. “But I guess you will say no.”
“Your guess is right,” Jenny said, standing up.
“I don’t care what we do, as long as we can spend some time together.”
“We just did that,” Jenny protested.
“Not like this,” Adam said, his deep blue eyes boring into hers. “Somewhere private, away from prying eyes.”
Jenny’s heart raced as she thought of a witty response. But her mind failed her. She turned around on her heel and walked out of Adam’s office, fanning her flaming cheeks.
Chapter 12
Jimmy Parsons sat on the beach outside his little cabin, staring at the ocean. He hadn’t slept a wink in three days. His splitting headache made coherent thought impossible. His hand shook as he shielded his eyes and stared out over the shimmering sand. The sun was playing games with him. Or maybe it was his mind. He thought he saw something bobbing in the water. Was it something, or someone? A peculiar song traveled over the waves, drawing him to them. Was he seeing a mermaid in broad daylight?
Jimmy knew what he must do. Star had been pretty clear on that. He went inside and showered and put on some clean clothes. Before the sauce got him, Jimmy had been a man of his word. He tried to summon the inner strength that had helped him through tough situations.
Star was drinking iced coffee on the deck of the Boardwalk Café, listening to the Magnolias chatter around her. She was thinking of Jimmy. Had she been too harsh with him? She knew it wasn’t just a matter of will power. His condition was far beyond that. She vowed to be extra nice to him.
“Where are you lost?” Jenny nudged her. “I’ve called out your name three times.”
“Just thinking about work,” Star said. “I have to go.”
She walked back to her gallery, wondering if she was too old to attempt a relationship.
Jenny spotted a missed call on her phone when she finally sat down for lunch.
“Linda called,” she said aloud. “I wonder what she wants.”
“Why don’t you take off after lunch?” Petunia asked. “You can visit Linda if you want to.”
Jenny was glad of the generous offer. Her days were running together. The café was proving to be a test of her endurance. She had never had to work so hard in her life before. But she loved every minute of it.
“Thanks. I think I will take you up on that.”
“What’s new in the crab salad today?”
“I added some sliced black olives with the sweet peppers,” Jenny told her. “Just enough to add a salty touch.”
“The customers loved it, obviously,” Petunia said, looking pleased. “We had barely enough left for our lunch.”
“Captain Charlie liked it too,” Jenny nodded, referring to her favorite customer. “He wants me to prepare a big batch just for him.”
“Do you th
ink we should start selling this in containers?” Petunia asked thoughtfully. “Customers can eat it any way they like then, maybe have a picnic on the beach.”
They discussed the merits of the idea for a while. Jenny helped Petunia clean up the kitchen and set off for the Cohen estate.
Linda Cohen was seated in her usual spot by the window, looking out at the ocean. Jason Stone lounged on a small sofa.
“I didn’t expect to see you here, Jason!” Jenny exclaimed.
“I needed Linda’s signature on some stuff. I should get going.”
“Stay,” Jenny said.
She wanted to say more but she held herself back because of Linda.
“How are you, Jenny?” Linda asked.
“I meant to call you today,” Jenny hastened to explain.
“I called you here for a reason,” Linda said. “Jason is reading the will later this evening. I want you to be present.”
“Isn’t that private?” Jenny asked.
“I will have to give you the details later anyway,” Linda said. “It’s best you stick around for it.”
Jenny liked the idea. She could observe everyone’s reactions first hand.
“Do you know what to expect from it?” she asked Linda. “Did Asher tell you, I mean.”
“I have an idea,” she said. “But he went to meet Jason last week. He refused to tell me why. He might have changed his will at that time.”
She looked at Jason expectantly.
“I can’t comment on that,” Jason said firmly.
“We’ll know soon enough,” Linda said. “Why don’t you hang around until then? Ring for some food if you are hungry.”
“I just had lunch,” Jenny assured her.
“Do you want to check out our pool?” Linda asked generously. “It’s a work of art. We have extra swimsuits for guests. You can borrow one if you like.”
It was a scorching summer day. Jenny felt the sweat pool under her armpits and was tempted.
“I might take you up on that.”
“Take care of her, Jason,” Linda ordered. “I’m going to take a nap.”
Jenny hadn’t met Jason since their fateful dinner at Ethan’s. She felt a bit uncomfortable, talking about something personal in the Cohens’ home.