Strawberries and Strangers_A Cozy Murder Mystery
Page 17
“They got into a fight. Kevin slugged him with a piece of wood he picked up. He felled John with a single blow.”
“Was it an accident?”
“Kevin said he didn’t mean to kill John. He just wanted him to stay away from me.”
“What happened next? Did he just walk away from there?”
“He knew John was dead,” Molly told Jenny. “He must have known. He took John’s wallet and took out his driver’s license. He buried the wallet in the sand.”
“Jimmy Parsons must have found it there!”
“Kevin had one of your aunt’s brushes. He found it lying somewhere while delivering mail. He placed the brush in John’s hand.”
“What did Star ever do to him?” Jenny cried.
“He just wanted to confuse the police.”
“Did Kevin think he would get away with this?”
“He was pretty confident,” Molly said. “He was sure none of the people in town knew who John was. And then you stepped in and started looking into the whole thing.”
“Did he deface the café?” Jenny asked angrily.
Molly sighed.
“Petunia chose that day to turn up early. He got away just in time.”
“What about the attack on Jenny?” Star asked from the doorway.
Neither Jenny nor Molly had noticed Star and Nick come in. Petunia, Heather and Betty Sue huddled behind them.
“Did you get any of that?” Jenny asked.
“We heard it all,” Betty Sue said. “That Kevin! He was under our noses all the time, spying on us.”
Heather shushed her grandma and looked at Molly.
“Did he really hurt Jenny?”
“He saw her at the high school, asking about yearbooks. He thought she would see our pictures and figure it all out.”
“Now I remember Molly dated him in high school,” Heather spoke up. “We all thought they would get married after graduation.”
“I always planned to go to college,” Molly argued. “Marriage was the last thing on my mind.”
“It was the first thing on his, apparently,” Heather sniffed.
A nurse came in and shooed them all out.
Jenny found her eyelids drooping and she fell into a deep sleep.
Two days later, Jenny was back home with Star. She finally felt strong enough to go for a walk on the beach. The familiar scent of roses and honeysuckle perfumed the air around Star’s cottage. The sky was ablaze in shades of pink and mauve. The weather was pleasant enough to go out without a sweater.
Jenny had received a fat envelope by courier that afternoon. Her divorce was final. Her lawyer had got her a big settlement. She got the house in the city and another vacation home they had in the mountains. Her husband wanted to continue living in their old home with his new family. He had offered her cash instead and she had accepted. She also had a fixed monthly payment coming to her for life. The judge had awarded her half of all remaining assets. Jenny’s future was secure. Her whole life stretched before her and she had the means to live anywhere in the world. But Pelican Cove had carved a special place in her heart.
She spotted a familiar yellow body bounding toward her across the sand. Opening her arms wide, she steeled herself for the impact.
“Tank! You darling! I have missed you so much.”
Tank showed his affection by licking her all over her face.
Jenny’s heart gave a leap and announced Adam’s presence.
“Feeling better?” he asked her.
“That’s what I get for interfering in police business.”
“You did good, Jenny,” Adam said reluctantly. “He almost got away.”
Jenny shuddered as she thought of Kevin and his smiling face. He had charmed them all with his salutes and his cheery greetings.
“He was there all along,” she quivered. “He was one step ahead of us.”
“Not anymore,” Adam reminded her. “You are safe now, Jenny. You don’t have to worry about anything.”
“It will be a while before I stop looking over my shoulder,” Jenny admitted.
She pulled a tennis ball out of her pocket and tossed it in the distance. Tank ran to fetch it.
“He was devious, wasn’t he? He purposely planted that paintbrush on the dead body to frame Star. He was thinking ahead.”
Adam cleared his throat.
“That wasn’t the sole reason we suspected your aunt. Someone saw her on the beach the day before the Spring Gala. She didn’t remember going there.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that before?”
“I couldn’t. It was an ongoing investigation.”
Jenny realized she had misjudged Adam.
“I miss my son,” she told him. “It was nice having him here for a while. He got along well with your twins.”
Adam’s face lit up in a smile. It completely transformed his face, making him look a bit like Ethan.
“They text each other all the time now,” he told Jenny. “They are planning to spend some time here in the summer.”
“Awesome!” Jenny said happily. “I’m so glad they hit it off.”
“Some things are so easy when you are young,” Adam said cryptically.
Jenny saw him wince in pain and slowed down.
“Do you want to take a break?” she asked.
Tank was walking beside them, his tail wagging vigorously.
“I’m fine,” Adam snapped.
“Why do you come all the way to this beach?” Jenny asked him. “Is it because it’s a smooth stretch without any rocks?”
“Something like that…” Adam said, looking away.
“Shall we turn back?” Jenny asked, stifling a yawn.
“Ethan is holding a barbecue at his place,” Adam said in a rush. “Do you want to check it out?”
“You mean the Fool’s Day BBQ?” Jenny asked. “I’m already going. Jason told me about it. Sounds like fun.”
“You’re going with Jason?” Adam mumbled.
“We are all going,” Jenny said eagerly.
Adam nodded and stared at the horizon.
“So you are going to stay on in Pelican Cove?”
“This is my home now,” Jenny told him. “Where else would I be?”
***THE END***
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Books by Leena Clover
Have you read all the Meera Patel books?
Gone with the Wings – Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 1
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071WHNM6K
A Pocket Full of Pie - Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 2
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072Q7B47P/
For a Few Dumplings More - Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072V3T2BV
Back to the Fajitas - Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 4
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0748KPTLM
Christmas with the Franks – Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 5
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077GXR4WS/
Acknowledgements
This book would not have been possible without the loving support of several people. Many thanks to my friend and mentor Bob who is a constant source of inspiration and advice. Thank you to my sibling who questions every plot point and much more to make the story better. Thank you to my beta readers and advanced readers who provide valuable feedb
ack in the nick of time. Thanks to all my readers who motivate me to keep writing. Above all, thanks to my family who provide a support system that enables me to write the stories in my head.
I truly appreciate your assistance.
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