by Cindy Bell
“It sounds like it’s all a misunderstanding. Maybe if Hal and Curtis just talked about it…”
“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Hal already has it in his head that somehow I’m plotting against him. I think once we go home, everything will smooth out. We might end up leaving tomorrow instead of the next day, just so that we can get all of this straightened out.”
“Well, that’s a shame, but I understand. If there’s anything I can do to help just let me know.”
“Thanks Suzie. You really have done a great job of making us feel welcome. Hal is just out of sorts.”
“If he does anything to hurt you…”
“He would never do anything like that. He has a loud bark, but zero bite.”
“Sometimes people surprise you.”
“That’s true, but not Hal. He’s just wound up because he’s protective of me, and has always had this strange fear of losing me. I’ve tried to reassure him over the years, but it’s never changed. Thanks for the coffee.”
“I’m making breakfast.”
“I’m not hungry, I’m sorry. I have no idea when Hal will be back either.”
“Okay. There is plenty of food in the refrigerator if you get hungry later.”
“Thanks Suzie.”
As Trish walked away, Suzie wondered about what Mary saw on the beach. Was it possible that Trish was trying to make Hal jealous? The smell of smoke distracted her from her thoughts as the oil began to burn in the frying pan. She began to pour pancake batter into the frying pan. A few minutes later Mary stepped inside.
“Oh, that smells delicious.”
“Well, I hope your appetite is still good because it’s just going to be us, Jim and Rick.”
“Speaking of.” Rick grinned as he walked into the kitchen. “Good morning, ladies.”
“Morning.” Mary smiled at him. “Cathy’s already gone down for her lesson.”
“I know, I’m going to head down soon to see if I can observe.”
“Please eat a pancake first, no one else wanted breakfast.” Suzie grinned as she flipped a pancake.
“I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” He laughed. Jim came down the stairs next. His hair was ruffled as if he’d just woken up.
“Morning Jim. Are you hungry?” Suzie began to slide pancakes onto a plate.
“Sure. Thanks.” He sat down beside Rick. “So you didn’t join in on the lesson?”
“No, as I said yesterday I’m already a trained diver.”
“What do you do?”
“I’m in college at the moment.” He smiled. “And you?”
“I guess you could say I’m a traveler.” Jim laughed. “I travel all over the world to abseil, dive, and take on jobs in-between.”
“That sounds like a very interesting life.” Suzie sat down at the table with a plate of pancakes for everyone to choose from.
“It is. It’s adventurous, that’s for sure.”
“Rick, how did you become a qualified diver?” Mary looked across the table at him.
“I was in the navy for a short time.” He picked up his water and took a long swallow.
“Why so short?” Jim stabbed his pancakes with his fork.
“Uh, it was complicated. Let’s just say, I didn’t meet their needs. But I did learn how to dive.” He smiled and shrugged. Mary narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t help but wonder why her daughter’s boyfriend would be kicked out of the navy. Was that even possible?
“Well, I’m sure Cathy and Ben are having a great time.” Suzie smiled as she steered the conversation in a new direction.
“Yes, I’m going to go check on them then maybe head into town for a bit. Thanks for breakfast.” Rick left the table.
“Oh Jim, I need to get your information for the room registration. I know that Curtis is covering the bill, but I still need to have your information in the system.”
“Oh sure. I’ll bring my wallet down in a little while. I’ve got some research to do, so I’m going to do it on my phone in my room.”
“There’s a local library that’s great for that if you’re interested. Curtis goes there a lot. The librarian, Louis is a research guru.”
“Interesting. I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.” Jim headed back upstairs.
“Okay, now I am cleaning this up and I won’t hear a single argument from you.” Mary pointed a finger at Suzie. “The kids won’t be done with their lesson for a while, and I need something to keep my mind busy.”
“All right, fine. But just this once.” Suzie grinned as she stepped out through the back door. She went to the shed to get the supplies she needed. Then she set up shop on the front porch. As she began to select which furniture she wanted to stain, she immersed herself in the work.
Chapter 5
Mary finished the breakfast dishes, then began to cut some vegetables for lunch. She hummed under her breath as she worked.
“Cathy does that, too.”
She jumped at the sound of Rick’s voice and turned to look at him. “Oh, I didn’t know you were there.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. It’s just, now I see where she gets it from. Whenever she’s working on something, she hums.”
“Oops, I guess I gave her my bad habit.” Mary laughed.
“I don’t think it’s bad at all.” He plucked a slice of pepper off the cutting board. “Do you mind?”
“No, go ahead.”
“I’m just heading out. I’m going to explore the area a little.”
“When the kids get back, and after they’ve rested if they want to, I’m going to take everyone down to the local shops. There are very nice places to browse.”
“Oh great, I’m looking forward to that. I’ll make sure I stay close by.”
“If you need anything just give me a call.”
“Thanks.” Rick hesitated. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure what I should call you.”
“Mary is fine.” She offered him a warm smile.
“Thanks Mary.”
After he left she returned to chopping the vegetables. She did like how polite he was. She could only hope that charm was genuine.
Just before lunch the door swung open and Cathy stepped inside.
“Cathy!” Mary smiled at her. “How did it go?”
“It was great. I learned so much. I can’t wait to go diving with Rick. It’ll be fun.”
“Do you feel like you are ready to go out on your own?”
“No, not on my own, but with Rick there I’ll be just fine. I think the hardest part is trying to figure out the equipment. Curtis made it seem so simple, but I don’t know if I’d trust that I got it just right.”
“I can understand that fear. I think you’re brave enough just for going down there. Did you see anything amazing?”
“I saw things I never could have imagined and if you told me they were real, I would have argued the point. I had no idea what was swimming in the water before. I know that you’re not interested in doing it, but if you ever wanted to, it would be worth it just to see the magnificent creatures.”
“I think I’ll stick to pictures, and the descriptions you give.”
“I don’t blame you.” Cathy grinned. “When we turned around to surface and I realized how deep we were I almost panicked. Luckily Curtis was there to guide me.”
“What about Ben? How did he handle it? Where is he anyway?”
“He liked it, too. I think he chased after some girls on the beach. He’s gotten to be a bit of a flirt.”
“Ugh, I don’t think I want to know that.”
“Don’t worry, Mom, he’s a good guy. He’s just excited to have a girlfriend.”
“Girlfriends, boyfriends.” Mary shook her head. “I remember when you both were in diapers.”
“Mom!”
“All right, I’m sorry.” Mary laughed. “I know that you’re both grown up, and I’m happy that you can be with people that make you happy.”
“Speaking of that, have you seen Rick?�
�
“He went out about a half hour ago. He said he wouldn’t be far. I told him I wanted to go shopping this afternoon. After lunch.”
“Hmm, maybe he texted me.” She rummaged in her purse for her phone. After she checked it she shook her head. “No texts.”
“Maybe he just ran to the store for something. He said he wanted to explore.”
“It’s odd for him to go without me.”
“It seems your brother is occupied, so I guess he’s not going to want to go out. What about you?”
“I don’t know, Mom. I think I’d rather just lay down for a little while. That adventure wore me out. Plus, I want to wait for Rick to get back. Then we could all go out together.”
“Okay. Are you ready for some lunch?”
“I could eat.” She grinned.
“Okay, go rest for about fifteen minutes, then everything should be ready.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
As Mary began to set out plates for all of the guests, she smiled at the thought of what came next for her family. Would there be weddings? Grandchildren? Sure, she wouldn’t want either of her children to rush into things. Those events were still years down the line, but she took pleasure in the thought of them. Once lunch was ready she rang the bell to announce it. Trish and Jim came downstairs, and a few minutes later Cathy followed. Mary stuck her head out on to the front porch and smiled at Suzie.
“Time to take a break and have some lunch.”
“What do you think?” Suzie stepped aside from one of the rocking chairs she’d stained.
“Wow, that’s beautiful. It’s the perfect color. I love light blue.”
“Thanks.” Suzie sighed and wiped her hand across her forehead. “It was a bit more of a project than I expected. I’ll go wash up.”
“Come eat.” She opened the door for Suzie and started to follow her, but froze when she saw Ben run up the porch steps towards her. His expression caused her heart to drop. Something terrible had happened.
“Mom! Mom!” Ben ran up to her, covered in sand, his cheeks red from exertion.
“Ben, what is it? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Curtis! He just washed up on the beach!”
“What?” Mary’s chest heaved as she tried to make sense of what her son said. “What are you talking about?”
“I was walking down the beach and I saw all kinds of flashing lights. When I got close enough, I saw him on the beach. It’s Curtis, and he’s dead, Mom. He’s dead!”
“Oh Ben!” She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. As strong as he was, she could feel him quake in her grasp.
“I just saw him this morning, Mom. How could he be dead?”
“Maybe there’s some mistake.”
“No, there’s no mistake, I saw him myself. He still had his diving equipment on.”
“Oh, how horrible.” Mary fought back tears as she hugged her son again. “I’m so sorry that you saw that.”
“Let’s just go inside, Mom, I don’t want to think about it anymore.”
“All right, come on in.” She stared down the beach in the direction her son ran from. In the distance she could see the glimmer of flashing lights. When she opened the door to Dune House she found Rick and Cathy snuggled together on the couch. He must have returned at some point, and she didn’t notice. “Suzie! Suzie?”
“She just went out through the back. I think she was going to lock up the shed. Ben, what’s wrong? Mom? You’re white as a sheet!”
“It’s Curtis!” Ben blurted out the words as he stumbled further into the room. “They just found him on the beach. Dead.”
“Dead?” Cathy jumped up from the couch. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I saw him.” Ben wiped at his eyes.
“How could this happen?” Cathy shuddered. Rick stood up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Accidents do happen, Cathy. Diving can be dangerous,” Rick said.
“But Curtis was an expert. How could something like this happen to him?” Cathy shook her head.
Mary walked through the kitchen to the back door. She spotted Suzie fighting with the lock on the shed. “Suzie! Come in, I need to tell you something.”
“Just a second, this lock is stuck.”
“Suzie, please, you have to come inside now!”
Suzie let go of the lock and turned to look at her. “What is it, Mary?” She jogged up to the back door and Mary led her into the house.
“Curtis is dead. They found him on the beach. I’m not sure what’s happened yet, but I know that he is dead.”
“Oh, that’s terrible! I can’t believe it’s true.” Suzie’s eyes filled with tears. “He was so young, and such a nice person! How could this happen?”
“The police are down there now, trying to figure that out.” Mary frowned. “I wish Jason was here to handle this. I like Kirk, but I trust Jason.”
“I agree. But Kirk is the one that is here, so we’ll just have to see how he handles it. I’m sure he’ll do a good job.” Suzie crossed her arms as she stared off into space for a moment. “Do you think it was an accident?”
“I would assume it could only be. Maybe he dove too long, or maybe he had some kind of medical problem under the water.”
“But he was so young and healthy. I doubt he could have had any medical problems.”
“Maybe not but it’s possible. Maybe drugs?” Mary frowned. “I hate to think he might have been using them, but maybe?”
“Maybe.” Suzie sighed. “There’s no point in guessing. I’m sure the police will be along to collect his things from his room. What a terrible, terrible, thing.” Suzie clutched the slope of her neck. “Have you told the kids yet?”
“Yes, they already know. Ben saw him.”
“Poor thing. I’m sorry this happened, Mary. I know you were looking forward to having a great time with the kids, and now it seems that might not happen.”
“I just can’t believe that Curtis is gone.”
“Neither can I.” Suzie blinked and shook her head. “It seems impossible. I’m going to walk down there and find out what’s happening.”
“All right, maybe that’s a good idea.” Mary wrung her hands. “I have no idea what to do.”
“Just stay with the kids. They need you right now.”
Chapter 6
Suzie stepped out onto the front porch. When she saw the patrol car pull up in front of Dune House, she wasn’t surprised. She was certain that Kirk would have some questions and want to take a look at Curtis’ things, perhaps to contact next of kin.
When Kirk stepped out of the car his expression was grave. She studied him as he walked up the steps and onto the porch. There was something about his expression that made her uneasy. It was more than sorrow. Was it suspicion?
“Hi Suzie.” He leaned against the railing and rested one hand on his hip. “I guess you’ve heard?”
“Yes, I have, what a tragedy.” She shook her head. The screen door squeaked as Mary pushed it open and stepped out onto the porch as well.
“Kirk, how are you holding up?”
“I’m fine.” He reached up and pulled off his hat to reveal his shaved head. He toyed with the brim as he looked at the two women. “I’m just trying to gather some information.”
“What kind of information?” Suzie raised an eyebrow. “Do you want his things from his room?”
“No, actually I’d prefer it if everyone stays out of his room. The crime scene investigation team will be here in a little while. They’re still at the beach so it will take them some time to get out here.”
“Crime scene investigation team?” Mary’s eyes widened. “Is that really necessary?”
“Yes, I think it is.” He looked between them nervously.
“Kirk, what is it? Just come out with it already. I can tell you have something to say.” Suzie crossed her arms and locked her eyes to his.
“All right then. I don’t think this was an accident. I think it was a murder.”
“But wasn’t he diving alone?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. We are waiting for the tests to confirm our suspicions, but from our initial investigations we believe that one of the cylinders that he had on was filled with something other than the oxygen mix used in diving tanks. He had two on. The first one was empty, I’m guessing, he did a long dive, then when the second one kicked in, whatever was inside killed him. They were new tanks. I contacted the company and they were delivered this morning. They were empty so he must have filled them this morning. I am certain an experienced diver would have checked his tanks to be sure they were filled properly. If he’d been close enough to the surface when he realized the problem, he would have been able to come up for air. It seems to me that someone wanted to make sure that he was deep enough that he had no chance. The tainted cylinder is almost completely empty.” He narrowed his eyes. “There was no way he could have survived.”
“There’s no way Curtis would make a mistake like that.” Suzie frowned. “He was impeccable with his equipment.”
“So I’ve been told by a few of his students. Which is why I’ve come to the conclusion that there might be something far more sinister at play here. I will need to talk to both of you, as well as anyone else who is staying here.”
“Of course. There’s Trish and Hal, and Curtis’ friend, Jim.”
“And?” He looked over at Mary. “I was told that Curtis had some students this morning. Your son and daughter?”
“Well yes, but they’re just here for a visit.”
“If they had contact with the victim then I will need to talk with them.” He set his jaw and held her gaze.
“Talk with them about what exactly?” Mary’s voice grew tense.
“I want to get everyone’s whereabouts to see who has an alibi and who doesn’t first of all, and secondly I want to know if anyone noticed anything strange about Curtis this morning.”
“Alibis?” Suzie narrowed her eyes. “Now that’s a stretch. None of us would have anything to do with Curtis’ death.”
“I’m sure that you know it’s just routine. Everyone who has had contact with the victim needs to be questioned. I know this is going to be uncomfortable, and you’re used to Jason being more flexible…”