by Leena Clover
Jason beat her to it.
“I wanted to apologize, Jenny,” he said sincerely. “I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“It’s my fault too,” she said. “I guess I was tired.”
“You are overworked,” Jason shot back immediately.
Then he backed down again.
“I’m sorry again. I didn’t mean to presume.”
“Don’t be so formal,” Jenny said softly. “We’re good. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“How does that swim sound?” Jason asked with a grin.
“Tempting,” Jenny smiled.
“Let’s go, then,” Jason said, pulling her to her feet. “We have plenty of time.”
“I was hoping to meet Linda’s son-in-law.”
“I saw him drive out with Dawn. But they should be back soon.”
Jenny trudged through the big house, hand in hand with Jason. He showed her the assortment of swimwear she could choose from and left her to change. They met at the pool. Jenny felt a bit nervous about facing Jason in a swimsuit. She just hoped he liked a woman with curves, and a scar or two.
Blue and white striped cabanas were set up by the poolside. Jenny spotted a familiar trio of women. Emma and Heidi were lounging in the chairs, their faces shielded by large straw hats. Walter was mixing some drinks at a bar. A man and a woman she hadn’t seen before were in the water, frolicking with a little girl.
Jenny dipped a toe in the water to check the temperature. It was cool but not too cold. She sat down on the edge and jumped in.
“This is wonderful,” she squealed.
“Isn’t it?” Jason asked.
He had made a perfect shallow dive into the water.
“Who are those people?” Jenny asked, tipping her head at the new couple.
“Maria and Paul,” Jason told her. “They came here for the reading of the will.”
“Are Linda’s sons coming?”
“They both have extenuating circumstances,” Jason explained. “I’m going to go ahead without them.”
“What about Asher’s funeral?”
“He was cremated,” Jason told her. “He didn’t want a funeral or memorial or whatever. There will be no obituary in the paper either. Those were his final wishes.”
Jenny floated on her back for a while, taking deep breaths. She swam a few laps along the breadth of the pool and reminded herself to thank Linda for this rare treat. She hadn’t felt so refreshed in days.
Another couple came out, dressed for the pool. The woman was younger than Jenny but looked a bit frumpy. Jenny spotted some gray roots at her temples. The man with her was average in looks and personality. He had a square jaw and a bovine expression. He was biting his nails, looking around for something or someone. The little girl screamed when she saw the new couple and swam toward them.
“That’s Todd Buckler,” Jason gasped, swimming up to Jenny. “That’s Linda’s son-in-law.”
“Is that her daughter with him?” Jenny asked, trying not to stare at them.
“That’s Dawn,” Jason confirmed, “my cousin.”
“She may be the youngest, but she looks a little worse for wear.”
“She has a hard life,” Jason said. “Give her a chance and she’ll tell you all about it herself.”
Emma and Heidi were sitting up in their chairs and looking at Jenny. Emma gave her a friendly wave.
“I need to talk to Todd,” she said, climbing out of the pool.
She showered and dressed and came back out, hoping she hadn’t missed the elusive man. He was the one member of the Cohen family she hadn’t talked to yet.
Todd was sprawled in a deck chair, watching his wife and daughter swim. Jenny introduced herself.
“I’m a friend of Linda’s.”
“I know who you are,” Todd smirked. “Emma just told me.”
“Do you have time for a quick chat?”
“I’m not a Cohen,” he said.
“No, but your wife is. You are closely related to them.”
“Whaddaya want to know?”
“Tell me something about Asher.”
“Not much to tell. He was crazy about that business of his.”
“You mean he worked too much?”
“A man’s gotta sit back some time. Let the kids take over.”
“Were you interested in working at Cohen Construction?” Jenny asked curiously.
None of the others had hinted at that.
“Not me,” Todd denied immediately. “I’ve got my own farm up in Maryland. It keeps me busy.”
“Do you enjoy being a farmer?”
“It’s what my family does. My Pa did it before me. I promised him I wouldn’t give the farm up. Dawn and I make a good team.”
“Your wife works on the farm too?”
“There’s a lot to be done,” Todd nodded. “There’s the animals – the pigs and the chickens – there’s cows and sheep to be milked, cream to be churned, cheese to be made.”
“So you live on a homestead?”
“That’s right,” Todd said proudly. “We’re doing great. I’ve got big plans for us.”
“Were you here for the centennial?”
“Sure was. Dawn came here a week before that with our little girl but I couldn’t leave the farm for that long. I drove up on the morning of the 4th.”
“Were you here for the parade?”
“I helped decorate that truck,” Todd boasted. “Almost got up there with Asher. But my girl scraped her knee and started making a fuss. I was standing in the crowd by the side of the road.”
“Were you with Linda?”
“Somewhere around her,” Todd said. “What’s with all the questions, lady?”
“Oh, I’m just trying to get an idea of where everyone was. Funny you mention Linda. I was standing near her and I don’t remember seeing you at the awards ceremony.”
Todd seemed annoyed. Then his face cleared and he smiled.
“Oh right. I told you my baby girl was crying? I went to get her some ice cream. She has to have one when she gets a boo-boo.”
“Do you know if Asher had any enemies?”
Todd shrugged.
“I couldn’t tell you that. I don’t live here, you see. Maybe you should ask Hans, or Luke.”
“You know Luke?”
“Of course I do. He’s my wife’s uncle.”
“Oh, yeah…”
“Are we done here?” Todd asked. “I want to take a dip before we go in.”
“Last question,” Jenny said. “Did you see Asher argue with anyone?”
“Nope,” he said. “Look, you want to know what I think? He was old. He just got tired of living. He took the easy way out.”
“You’re saying he took his own life?”
“That’s right,” Todd said. “I have to go now.”
He stood up and gave a whoop before jumping into the water. Jenny stepped back just in time to avoid getting wet.
“What do you think?” Jason asked.
He was naked from the waist up, wearing his trousers. He looked at her quizzically as he toweled his head dry. Jenny tried not to stare at him.
“He didn’t say much. He thinks Asher committed suicide.”
Jason let out a snort.
“He’s messing with you. Everyone knows what happened to Asher.”
“He doesn’t have an alibi.”
“Let’s discuss this later,” Jason said. “It’s time to go in.”
Jenny followed Jason into the house. She waited outside a dressing room for him. He led her to a big room which was obviously the library. Like every other room in the house, it was lavishly decorated. Wooden bookshelves soared from floor to ceiling, stacked with a variety of books. A large rectangular table graced the center of the room, surrounded by chairs upholstered in green leather.
Walt, Emma and Heidi were already seated at the table. A tea had been laid out with three tiered stands of sandwiches and cakes. A maid wheeled Linda into the room.
&
nbsp; Todd walked in with Dawn, followed by Maria and Paul.
“I think we are ready to begin,” Jason said, nodding at everyone.
Chapter 13
Jenny sat out on the deck with a tall frosty glass of coffee in front of her. She had started churning out her own version of frappes and the tourists were lapping them up. She had never allowed herself the indulgence, until now.
She had sent Petunia home early for a change. The mercury had crossed the hundred degree mark and it had taken a toll on the older lady. The café was closed for the day but some people lingered on the deck, enjoying the ocean view. Jenny didn’t mind them. She had work to do.
She pulled out a writing pad from her bag, along with some colored pens and sticky notes. She started noting down everything she knew about Asher Cohen and his life. She had her big epiphany an hour later.
She had been focusing on his life in Pelican Cove and his family. What if what happened to him was connected to his past? The past he didn’t like to talk about?
She needed her laptop for any more research. It was time to head home. She walked to Williams Seafood Market. It was her turn to pick up fresh fish for their dinner. Chris was at the checkout desk as usual. He perked up when he saw Jenny.
“What’s good today?” she asked him.
“Soft shell crabs are in season. They are really easy to cook. Just dredge them in some seasoned flour and fry them.”
Jenny knew her son Nick hadn’t tried them yet. They were a local delicacy in the Chesapeake area so she decided to try out some recipes using them.
“Give me half a dozen of those,” she nodded. “A pound of jumbo shrimp and four fillets of sea bass, please.”
“You expecting some company?” Chris asked casually as he packed her purchases.
“Never hurts to have extra,” she said. “Nick might come in tomorrow.”
She rubbed the tiny golden charm around her neck, deciding she needed to talk to her son that night.
“How’s Heather? Getting ready for her big date?”
Jenny felt uncomfortable talking about it.
“She told you about Duster, huh?”
Chris shrugged noncommittally. His lips stretched into a terse smile.
“She wants to sow her wild oats, let her.”
“Are you really fine with this?” Jenny asked with concern. “You don’t need to put up a show for me, Chris. We are friends too. You can tell me anything.”
“I’m trying to keep it together,” he admitted. “What choice do I have?”
“Don’t you want to try dating someone else?”
Chris Williams shook his head.
“Heather has always been the only one for me. There’s not a single doubt in my mind.”
“Bravo!” Jenny applauded. “You’re the bigger person, then.”
“I don’t care about that,” Chris told her. “Let her have her way.”
Jenny walked home, thinking about how she would cook the soft shell crabs. Star and Jimmy Parsons were sitting out on the porch. Jimmy looked a bit pale. Jenny wondered what was wrong with him. He even looked like he had lost some weight.
Jenny cooked dinner and spent some time with her aunt and Jimmy.
“I need to check on something,” she told them after the dishes had been cleared. “You will have to excuse me.”
“Jimmy and I are going to watch an old movie,” Star said. “Don’t mind us.”
Jenny went to her room and hooked up her laptop. She began running some basic searches about the war. She put special emphasis on Germany before and during the war. The stories she read brought tears to her eyes. Finally, she could take it no more. She flung the laptop aside and rushed outside. She needed some air.
“Going for a walk?” Star called out. “Don’t stay out too long.”
Star always said that to her, just like she had when Jenny was a teenager. It was something they joked about often. Jenny couldn’t summon a smile. She waved at her aunt and shut the door of the tiny cottage.
Roses bloomed at Seaview, perfuming the air with their heady fragrance. The lights came on when Jenny neared the big three storey house. She stared up at it, unable to believe it belonged to her. She wondered how long it would be before she could move in.
Terrible images flashed before Jenny’s eyes as she walked on the beach. She shivered as she tried to assimilate everything she had just read. She barely noticed when a hairy body came bounding toward her and almost struck her down.
“Tank,” she said weakly.
The yellow Labrador ran in circles around her, his tail wagging frantically. Adam Hopkins walked up, leaning heavily on his stick. Jenny noticed he was back to using his stick a lot again. She refrained from asking if he had had a relapse.
“Hey, Jenny,” he greeted her. “You look a bit preoccupied.”
“I’ve been thinking,” she nodded.
She felt a lump in her throat and couldn’t continue. Would Adam believe her theory? Would anyone?
A pair of strong arms came around her and held her close.
“What’s the matter?” Adam asked, alarmed. “Something wrong? Is Nick alright?”
She pulled herself together.
“Nick must be fine. In fact, I need to call him tonight. Thanks for reminding me.”
“You’re working too hard,” Adam noted. “What about the kids Petunia hired to help you out? Haven’t you put them to work yet?”
“Those kids are helping a lot,” Jenny said. “I’m fine. It’s just…”
“Just what?”
Jenny patted Tank and scratched him below his ears. He whimpered and nuzzled her. Adam took the hint and said nothing. They walked on for some time and turned around.
“How’s the investigation going?” Adam asked her.
Jenny’s face finally broke into a smile.
“I should ask you that.”
“You know I can’t tell you anything,” Adam said. “But nothing’s stopping you from sharing your thoughts.”
“You just want to pick my brain so you can take all the credit.”
“Correct,” Adam said.
They both laughed at that.
“I may be on to something,” Jenny admitted. “But I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”
“Jason told me you were present at the reading of the will.”
“I was. But if my latest theory means anything, we won’t have to worry about the will.”
“Now you’ve done it,” Adam groaned. “I’m going to stay up all night thinking about that.”
“I thought you stay up thinking about me,” Jenny teased.
“That too,” Adam said, giving her a scorching look.
They sat in the sand with Seaview at their back and the ocean before them. The whitecaps sparkled in the dark and the gently lapping waves of the low tide finally relaxed Jenny. They talked about every topic on earth for what seemed like hours. Jenny had never felt closer to Adam.
Jimmy Parsons came out on the porch, followed by Star. He swooped down for a quick kiss. Jenny saw Star pat him on the back and wondered what was going on between the older couple.
“Are you ready to come in, Jenny?” Star called out.
Adam stood up.
“Duty starts at 7 AM tomorrow. I know your day begins much before that.”
Tank stood up reluctantly and they walked slowly away from Jenny.
Star had put the kettle on in the kitchen.
“I could use some herbal tea,” she told Jenny. “I’m too wound up.”
“What’s wrong?” Jenny asked with concern. “Is it Jimmy? You seem to be getting along fine.”
“Jimmy joined a support group,” she said. “He’s trying to stop drinking.”
“That’s wonderful!” Jenny exclaimed. “Did you ask him to do it?”
Star shook her head.
“He’s tried it before. Obviously, it didn’t work. I didn’t want to pressure him.”
“So he’s doing it on his own?” Jenny smiled.
“That’s good. It means he’s motivated.”
“It’s hard on him,” Star explained. “He’s going through withdrawal. He won’t talk about it but I can see the signs.”
“Your support means a lot to him, I’m sure.”
Star was feeling emotional. Jenny talked to her for some time, trying to distract her. The phone rang. It was Nick, Jenny’s son.
“When are you getting here?” she burst out. “Rumor is you are spending the weekend in Pelican Cove.”
“That’s right, Mom. I should be there by ten. Depends on how soon I start from here. The twins and I are taking a boat out.”
“I was thinking, maybe we could do something together?”
She talked to Nick for a while and gave him all her typical motherly instructions. Her eyes closed before her head hit the pillow.
Captain Charlie was first in line at the café the next morning.
“Linda said you are looking into who killed Asher,” he said, picking up his coffee. “I know you’ll do a better job than the cops, just like last time.”
Jenny blushed at the praise, then remembered something Captain Charlie had said to her.
“How well did you know Asher, Captain Charlie?”
“He was always around, ever since I was a little boy.”
“Did you ever hang out with him?”
Captain Charlie nodded.
“Took him deep sea fishing in the season. I know all the good spots, see? He owned a couple of boats but he wanted me to take them out.”
“Can you tell me something about him?”
“Wasn’t much of a talker,” Captain Charlie grumbled. “Stuck to the same routine year after year. Talked about his kids a lot though. Wanted them to come visit more often.”
“Did he tell a lot of war stories?”
“No Sir! Any talk of war was off limits. I asked him about his ocean crossing once. Didn’t go down too well.”
“Must be a painful subject,” Jenny murmured.
“You’re right, Jenny. Talking about it would only bring it all back. And I’m sure he didn’t want that.”
Nick rushed in at 9:30 and swept Jenny into a hug.
“How’d you get here so early? I told you not to speed, Nicky!”
“Relax, Mom,” he said, picking up a hot muffin off a tray. “It’s just a three hour drive. I started early.”