by Maria Milot
The Betrayed
A Newport Murder Mystery
Maria Milot
Copyright © 2018 by Maria Milot
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
For my husband, who makes all things possible.
ONE
Maddie desperately clawed at the large hands digging into her neck, crushing her throat. Her eyes opened wide with panic as she fought to inhale. She jolted upright with a loud gasp. Maddie twisted her head and searched but there was no sign of the faceless man choking the life out of her; just the familiar comfort of the couch she had fallen asleep on. She took in a few more desperate gasps of relief, stood up and padded barefoot across the tight, scratchy bumps of a sisal rug.
She rubbed her throat as she looked out the large French doors in her living room, trying to shake off the shockingly real feelings that lingered from her late afternoon dream. Her mind churned with worry as her eyes scanned the panorama of the ocean just beyond a worn slate patio and the early blooms of the June garden. Oh, Mr. Whitmore I really need you to tell me everything will be okay. I miss you, she thought.
Maddie was safe inside her stone cottage tucked onto the former Firestone family estate known as Ocean Lawn. The main house, which had been subdivided into condominiums, was only about sixty yards away. Surely, someone would be home to help me in an emergency, she thought.
Looking out at an orange swath painted across the shimmering water she felt a wave of peace come over her. Her breath became soft and steady. The corner of her thumb stopped burrowing under her fingernails as her anxiety faded. It’s magic hour, Mr. Whitmore, thanks.
Twilight, it was a time of possibilities, when the bright light of the day softened to reveal new colors in the sky. She always felt hopeful at this time of day. Something about the half-light illuminated all the possibilities of the night ahead; possibly slipping into well-worn sweats for a quiet evening with a book and a large glass of chardonnay. The memory of her dream slipped from her mind as she pondered the potential of the night ahead. Perhaps a dinner out with Winston. Her world had changed over the past year. It had been a long time since she had dated a man but now that had changed too. She smiled as she watched the orange sky turn to a brilliant fuchsia streaked with purple.
Her phone buzzed on the marble kitchen counter indicating a new text message. She turned away from the twinkling lights appearing on the opposite shore against the now mostly indigo sky. An invitation out, yes, but it was her friend Kelly hoping to catch up over drinks.
Maddie shook off her shorts and tee shirt and pulled on a pale blue dress. She slid the thin spaghetti straps up over her tanned shoulders. Partly to spite Joe but mostly to try to remember her own preferences, she had stocked her wardrobe full of blue. Joe hated blue but it had always been her favorite color and all shades of it complimented her smooth Mediterranean skin.
Still barefoot she walked through her kitchen. She did not allow shoes to be worn in her home. Just the thought of walking on the germs brought in by shoes made her toes curl. She stepped onto the cool slate of her mudroom floor, slipped into a pair of sandals and grabbed her keys. She embraced the warm night as she took a deep breath of the slightly salty, heavy, humid air. This will be good, she told herself as she prepared for summer in Newport with all its possibilities.
TWO
It was well after sunset. His lips softly pulled back from the kiss. He let his hand drop down to caress the bare chest of the other man.
“How about a drink?” he asked, using the frame of the boat’s wide double berth to push himself up off his lover.
“Whatever you’re having,” responded the man still stretched out on the bed.
He walked over to the galley and poured them each a Scotch.
“So, when are you ever going to take me on a date?” The man asked as he sat up on the bed.
He suddenly turned from the galley counter. “Hey! You know that can’t happen.” Bottle in hand he gestured at the man still lounging as he continued to admonish. “I have made it very clear to you no one can ever find out about this, about us. Not only is it inappropriate, it could ruin everything I have."
“Alright.” The man on the bed surrendered his hands up in the air. “It’s just, you know, times have changed. This isn’t the seventies.”
“Yes, times have changed,” he replied walking toward the bed with the drinks. “Just not for me. Now, if you like what we have you will drink this, shut your mouth, and follow my orders.”
The man on the bed looked up into his eyes. “Yes sir, you’re the boss.”
He knew what the man on the bed wanted but it was getting late. He had early morning plans and needed to get some rest. He bent down and let his tongue glide across the waiting lips of his lover. “Finish your drink; it’s time for you to go. I’ll set something up for us mid-week.”
The man on the bed took a big swig of his whiskey, got up and dressed. He plucked a cell phone from the pile of clothing he was putting on and waved it. “See I have the phone you gave me. I never go anywhere without it, just in case you need me.”
“And you never, ever use that phone except for us?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. I understand the rules. I use my own cell phone for all other business and this one is yours, just yours,” the man answered as he finished getting dressed.
“Good,” he said. “Now get out. I’ll contact you on that line around Wednesday.”
A smirk beamed across the man’s face as he stepped off the boat onto the dock. A part of him desperately wanted more from the man he just left. But a part of him tingled knowing that he was leading a secret life with this very public man.
THREE
The drive downtown to Thames Street, Newport’s main shopping and dining area, took just a few minutes in her metallic-grey Audi A8. No valet for you, Silver Bullet, let’s see if I can find you a spot, Maddie thought as she drove into the parking lot at the Moorings Restaurant.
Until recently she had scrapped and saved every dime just to afford a basic used car. Her luxury vehicle still had its new car smell, leaving her reluctant to let someone else drive it away. She locked her car and checked around for Kelly’s Jeep. However, summer in Newport meant more than one Jeep Wrangler in the parking lot.
The restaurant was situated, partially on wooden pilings, over Newport’s inner harbor on Sayers Wharf. Maddie climbed the stone steps and was greeted inside the door by a young, slender woman with long blonde hair and lots of suntan showing around her pink and white Lily Pulitzer dress. Summer in Newport; so many beautiful people ready to see and be seen.
“Good Evening. Table for one?” the girl asked.
"Oh no. I’m meeting a friend,” Maddie answered, pointing to the hall on the right which led to the lounge.
Walking into the bar was like stepping onto a classic, old ship. The space was dominated by a varnished wood bar. Its brass tap fixtures glowed under dim nautical lighting. An eclectic mix of casually well-dressed people dotted the seating.
As Maddie walked further into the room, heads turned her way. Men checking her over was not a new experience. Once, she had felt flattered by compliments but now she wanted to melt into the polished paneling.
At five foot three, she was slim and petite and easily slid past the bar stools to get a full look at the room. Oh, thank God, there she is, she thought as she spotted a flash of Kelly’s strawberry-blonde hair at the opposite end of the o
blong bar.
Kelly was sipping a white wine and waved. Maddie raised her hand in response and headed around the corner and down the long side of the bar, not oblivious to the eyes following her. Her appearance had always drawn attention, but it was an air of compassion and caring emanating from her that caused people to want to stay around. Her circle of friends counted on her to be the listener and mediator between people. That was back when she had more than one friend.
Kelly hopped off her bar stool. Wearing flat shoes, she was five foot eight. She hunched over to give her friend a big hug then whipped her head around and signaled the bartender for two more chardonnays.
“Two, who else is joining us?” Maddie asked.
“No one. I just don’t want downtime between my drinks.” Kelly smiled mischievously. Her chin length hair, cut at an angle, framed her face with its small features, fair skin and light freckles sprinkled across her nose; which was now scrunched up as she laughed and sipped again from her half-filled wine glass.
Maddie had known Kelly Hurley since nursing school. Kelly was the first person Maddie had called, even before her own sister, when her mother had passed away two years ago from a heart attack. Having watched her father suffer and succumb to cancer ten years prior to her mother’s death was the reason Maddie had become a nurse. Kelly’s father had also passed away when she was in seventh grade, one of the many things Kelly and Maddie had in common.
“Wow, look at you, Madison Marcelle, carrying a fancy Hermes bag. I guess life is pretty different since you inherited all that money.”
Maddie shifted on the bar stool, looked down, and tucked her hair behind her ear. Kelly could tell she had made her friend feel uncomfortable.
“I’m just giving you a hard time, Maddie. Seriously, I am so happy for you. I mean you’ve always worked hard. You’re kind, generous with your time and now you can be generous with your money too! Drinks on you, right?”
A genuine smile spread across Maddie’s face. “Absolutely!”
“So, really, Maddie, how have you been doing?” asked Kelly.
Maddie shrugged. “You mean since Mr. Whitmore died eight months ago and my life completely changed? Well, for starters, I really miss him.”
“Of course you do. You were with him every day for nearly three years. He obviously loved you like family; which is why he left you all his money. Did you ever have any idea he had so much?”
Maddie’s eyes opened wide. “Never! When I interviewed to be his private nurse it was in that little house in Jamestown. He had me running errands in his Oldsmobile from twenty years ago. I just assumed he was living lean with a good insurance policy. I almost didn’t take the job, but then he told me a silly joke about cheese.”
“And there it is, Maddie; I know you have a penchant for stupid jokes.” Kelly drained her first wine and dipped right into the next glass.
“Exactly! We just clicked. He was so funny. He had so much wisdom. I became his family and truly he became mine.”
Kelly signaled the bartender for two more chardonnays. “Umm, what about your sister?”
“Oh please. What about your sister Kelly? Face it, our sisters live nowhere near us, they are never around when we need them, and you will remember that mine didn’t even show up for our mother’s funeral. She just sent some flowers! So, let’s leave it that for all practical purposes I am an only child. Besides, Mr. Whitmore was there for me when everything went down with Joe.”
“I’m sorry Maddie that was such an awful situation. You were so poised during that mess, just taking your stuff and getting out. I would have trashed the place and slashed his tires. But for everything we have in common, I guess that’s one area we differ. I’m more suspicious and vindictive.”
Maddie nodded up and down. “I know, that’s why I’m never on your bad side. Well thankfully, Mr. Whitmore took me in and let me live with him. As much as I took care of him, he took care of me too. He was a like father to me and we had fun together.” A smile came over Maddie’s face as she remembered her friend and benefactor.
“Hey, speaking of fun, how is the Disney Prince?” Kelly asked.
Maddie threw her head back and laughed. “He does look like a Disney Prince. I think his teeth twinkled when I met him. I guess meeting Winston is another thing I can thank Mr. Whitmore for.”
“Did you meet him at Mr. Whitmore’s?”
“No, I met him at Anderson and Anderson, the law firm, while I was waiting for my appointment to find out about Mr. Whitmore’s will. I think my mouth dropped open and drool came out when he said ‘hello’ to me. He was so-painfully handsome. I’m not sure what I babbled about. I don’t even think I gave him my phone number. The next thing I knew the senior partners were signaling him. He told me he wanted to continue our conversation and asked if I was available for drinks later. I thought I just watched his mouth move, but apparently, I agreed to something before he vanished into his meeting.”
“So, what happened, how did Winston find you?”
“I’m still not sure how he got in touch with me because right after he walked away I was called in to see Mr. Whitmore’s lawyer, Jeffrey Shorey.”
Kelly swirled the wine around in her glass. “So you had no idea what was in store?”
“No. Mr. Shorey told me Mr. Whitmore had updated his will and I was his sole heir. I thought it meant I would get the old car and the little house in Jamestown. Honestly, I was thinking I could probably sell the house make some good money, given the property values in Jamestown, then start looking for another job. Instead, he told me not only was I getting the house and the car but I was also getting tens of millions of dollars.” Maddie took a long sip from her glass.
Kelly’s eyes opened wide. “So were you excited or shocked?”
“I remember sitting there, staring at this ficus tree behind his desk. All I could focus on were these three yellow leaves dangling from a bottom branch, trying to hang on to the life they used to have flowing through them. Then a glass of water appeared in front of me.” Maddie closed her eyes and once again was sitting in the office of Jeff Shorey.
“Here, you need this.” Jeff handed her a glass. She took the water and started to cry.
“It just hit me, Kelly, all of it, Mr. Whitmore’s death, the money. I had all this information blowing around inside my head, like a brain blizzard. I couldn’t see through it to figure any of it out.”
Jeff Shorey had placed a gentle hand on Maddie’s shoulder, “You don’t need to worry, Miss Marcelle. I can handle everything, I was Mr. Whitmore’s attorney for a very long time, and I would be honored to continue as yours.”
Maddie took another sip before she continued. “Then he started talking about asset distribution, if I wanted to sell the house, if I wanted to buy a new house, if I wanted advice on investments, if I wanted to set up an estate plan. I mean there was so much to think about. My head was spinning, almost literally because he stopped talking, smiled and told me to relax; I didn’t have to decide anything right there. He suggested we get together in a couple days to map out a plan, and not to worry. Then he handed me an envelope.”
Maddie gave Jeff Shorey a quizzical look, “What is this?”
“Mr. Whitmore wanted to be sure you had some ‘walking around money’ after he was gone. The money in this envelope should more than cover groceries, gas, whatever you need until everything is sorted out.”
“Of course, I started to cry again. Mr. Shorey was so calm and patient. He reminded me of Mr. Whitmore; which reminded me that Mr. Whitmore was really gone.”
“You never told me all that, Maddie.”
“I know. I just wasn’t ready to talk about it yet.”
“And you still haven’t told me about that first date with Winston.”
“What can I say? He was a rock for me that day. When I left the lawyer’s office, I was a mess. Somehow he got my phone number. He could tell I was upset and told me he could help. He directed me to a bar about a block away from Anderson and Anderso
n. He was everything I needed. A good listener and a good advisor. He’s apparently qualified because he’s not just rich, he’s filthy rich. His family, the Coopers, are Anderson and Anderson’s biggest client.”
Kelly put down her glass and slapped her hands on the bar. “Wait, Winston’s last name is Cooper? As in, THE Coopers? You do realize they are famous around here, right? I read about them all the time in the Rhode Island magazines. There’s always a picture of James Cooper, older guy but really good looking. I think they’re old money, like the Vanderbilts and Astors.”
“Yeah, James is Winston’s dad. Turns out their money goes back to the late 1800s. ‘The Gilded Age’ he called it. Anderson and Anderson has been doling out the trust fund from generation to generation of his family.”