Pulling her keys out of her pocket, Megan gave Kayla a warm hug and still laughing with Lucy, went out the back door to the parking lot. Squinting against the bright afternoon sunshine, they crossed over to Lucy’s car and got in. Within minutes, they were on their way to Megan’s home where Aiden and Paul were waiting for their return.
Chapter Twenty Two
By 3:30 pm they had left the country club and the still active function behind them and were pulling onto the road that would take them to the entrance of their property. After punching in the code, Megan and Lucy waved to the security guard who was stationed at the front of the property and drove through the opening gate. It was reassuring to both women to know that he was there looking out for their safety. Following the drive up to the parking area in front of her house, Megan pulled into her spot and turned the motor off. Looking into her rear view mirror, she saw Paul and Aiden pull up behind them on one of the golf carts. Paul was driving, but the puppy was on his lap, giving directions. Old Fred was on the seat between the two men, content just to be in their company. As Megan opened her car door, Barney was out of the cart and already trying to get into the car with her. Laughing, she pushed him out of the way and swung her legs to get out.
“Do you always drive barefoot?” Aiden had rushed forward to hold the door for her, and was astonished to find her high heels in her hand instead of on her feet.
“This is Florida, Aiden, bare feet are part of the code of life down here. Flip flops only if necessary. So, how was your afternoon, fellas?” Megan answered him with a laugh.
“Not bad. I just gave Aiden the complete tour of the property, including the workshop.” Paul had opened the door for his wife, and after getting a kiss hello, answered his cousin.
“Oh no, not the workshop. I’m surprised we are seeing you surface so early. Usually a trip out there means you disappear for the day.” Lucy teased her husband.
Paul took her teasing gracefully, after all she was right. There was always a project or two that he was working on, and he often lost track of the time once he started working. Holding his wife’s hand, he followed Megan over to the wicker chairs and sat down on the loveseat, pulling Lucy down beside him. Aiden and Megan sat down in the two rockers, and everyone took a moment to relax. After a few moments, Barney decided he had been ignored long enough and gave a sharp bark of warning before he launched himself up onto Megan’s lap.
“Okay, okay, I missed you too, Barney. Aiden, did you have any luck with the list of names we passed on to you from Mrs. Potter and Dorothy Ross?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact we picked up some background checks and pictures my contacts were able to quickly get together while we were over at the main office. Paul and I went over them first, eliminating names that are of people that he knew, and it would be a slim chance they are involved. But that also left a few names for my contacts to work with. How did your plan work with Mrs. Potter? Were you able to hook Leslie Black?”
“It was like watching Masterpiece Theater. And the best part was how much fun Mrs. Potter and Dorothy Ross had. I would bet my last dollar that those two were pretty mischievous in their youth and got into their share of trouble, or at least started their share.”
Megan and Lucy exchanged wide grins before Megan continued.
“Everything went according to our plans. Dorothy dangled the bait, Leslie bit, and Mrs. Potter reeled her in. Then Mrs. Potter sweetened the deal by making a royal command that she actually meet with the main investors. The woman is Agatha Christie reincarnated. Oh, she wants all of us to join her tomorrow morning to plan out our attack for tomorrow night. In the meantime, I need to borrow you, Aiden, so we can go to the bank before it closes and pick up a check for her to have at the party tomorrow night. Paul, if you want to call in a dinner order from the BBQ Stop, we can pick it up on our way back. Aiden, you haven’t had BBQ until you try these specials.”
Paul’s interest obviously piqued at the mention of the BBQ Stop’s dinner, and he nodded in agreement to Megan’s suggestions. Lucy stretched her arms over her head, settling more comfortably into her seat. She was content to go along with Megan’s suggestions and just relax for a while with her husband.
“I’d be happy to, Megan. While we’re out, I’d like to drive around the main entrance to Neptune’s Trident and get an impression for the layout of the land. I think I would feel better if I knew where the party is going to be and the main areas we will be at before tomorrow. I’ll give the sheriff a head’s up on our whereabouts, just so he can do a few patrols while we are there, just as a precaution.”
“That’s a great idea. Let me run up and get out of these dressy clothes. Grab a couple of waters to take, and we’ll be ready to go.” Not waiting for an answer, Megan opened the door and ran down the hall to her bedroom to change. Within minutes, she was back, ready to leave with keys in hand. Hearing the sound of keys, Barney got excited and danced circles around Megan’s legs trying to get her attention. Bending over, Megan scratched the puppy behind his ears and whispered to him.
“Barney would you like to go for a ride? Run at the beach?”
The puppy was so excited to hear his favorite words that he just about did a summersault. The older dog looked up with interest, but then seemed to decide all the excitement was just too much work, and put his head back down with a deep sigh. The adults around them laughed at the contrast between the two dogs, and then Megan and Aiden headed to Megan’s car. After getting into the car, Megan told Aiden where the dog’s leash was and asked him to hook the dog up. The puppy knew that once the leash was on, he had to get in the back seat and settle down. Sitting in his assigned spot, Barney looked happily out the window and waited for his ride to begin.
“I’m impressed at how well trained he is,” Aiden commented
“I made sure he and Fred both were properly trained, and we are lucky that one of Emma’s friends is a professional dog trainer. I pretty much take him most places with me, and he knows that once the leash is on, he has to be on his best behavior. My clients love to see him, but I can’t have him running wild when we are out … for the sake of their property and his safety. There are a lot of areas around here that look tame, but they back right up to wild Florida lands that are dangerous for small animals. The last thing I would want is for Barney to become ‘Gator bait.”
The dog seemed to know what she was talking about and gave a sharp bark at the word “Gator”. They laughed at the dog’s response and buckled up their seatbelts before Megan backed down the drive and headed out the gate back to the business district where the bank was located. This time of the year was a slow time for most of the businesses along the river, giving the town a sleepy, laid back atmosphere. This worked out well for the shopkeepers: with it being slow businesswise and hot from the summer sun, most vacations and purchasing trips were made during the summer months. It was not unusual to walk into a book store and find a clerk from the next door gift shop filling in while a lunch or quick break was being taken by the store employee. You might even find a note on the locked door stating the business had summer hours or was completely closed for vacation time. Each of the shop owners looked out for the other, which only reinforced the small home town feeling Megan loved about Citrus Beach.
Pulling into a spot in front of the bank, Megan called Barney to the front and took hold of his leash. Opening the door, the dog jumped out of the car and waited patiently for Megan.
“You’re taking him into the bank?” Aiden asked, astonished
“Of course. How else is he going to get his treat from the teller?”
Aiden just shook his head and followed Megan and her dog into the bank’s lobby. Once inside, it was clear that dogs were welcome as the staff called out to Megan and gave Barney lots of attention, including a milk bone from a glass container on the counter. As Barney politely accepted his treat, the branch manager came out of her office and greeted them both.
“Hello, Megan. I was expecting you; Mrs. Potter c
alled in about fifteen minutes ago. I am just finishing up that check for you.” Turning to Aiden, she held out her hand and introduced herself “Hello, I’m Heidi Beerston. Welcome to Citrus Beach, I hope you are enjoying your stay.”
“Heidi, this is Aiden Tory. He is friends with the Bloomquests and the Travels.”
“I’m happy to meet you, Heidi. Thank you for the welcome. So far, I really like what I see in Citrus Beach.”
“Well, it does get better. Unfortunately, you are here while we are preparing for a possible tropical storm and under the cloud of a sad death, as you know being a friend of the Travels. Are you prepared for a storm, or are you going to leave town if the threat gets worse?”
“Actually, Aiden is staying with me while we are under the storm warning. This way I could have Carol’s house closed up properly.”
“That’s right; you’ve got that extra apartment space. Well, I’m glad you have safe accommodations, Mr. Tory.”
Megan did not bother to correct Heidi’s assumption that Aiden was staying in the apartment on her property. She knew from experience that the woman loved to chitchat with customers when they came into the bank and did not want to be the subject of well-intended speculation. Aiden also let the comment slip by without correction. He was used to just being a face in the crowd, not the focus of attention that he seemed to be generating in this small town.
“If the check is ready, Heidi, I’ll take it and be on my way. I still have to figure out what I’m going to wear to the party tomorrow night. Are you going to be there?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t miss this party, plus I have to go to represent the bank … we will be presenting a large donation for the coffers of Neptune’s Trident. Will you be there, Mr. Tory?”
“That’s wonderful, Heidi. Every donation is so important. Aiden and I will look for you there.” Megan answered for Aiden while steering Heidi back to her office to pick up the check that was waiting for her. After a few more minutes of idle chatter were over, the two of them and Barney made their way out of the bank. Glancing at the clock on the car’s dashboard, Megan saw that they had almost an hour until they needed to be at the BBQ Stop to pick up their order.
“If you think an hour will be enough time for you to do whatever you need to do, why don’t we head out to Neptune’s Trident now and then from there we can swing out to get dinner?”
Aiden agreed with her suggestion, and paid attention to each turn that she took to reach their destination. He was one of those lucky souls who could drive to a location one time and remember exactly how to get there the next time. This skill had served him well many times during his service at the FBI. He also had a great memory for details on a map, and found that once he pinpointed a location he had no problems correlating it to other important sites in the area. He planned on going over in detail all avenues to and from Neptune’s Trident as soon as he could get a map in front of him after dinner. In the meantime, he would explore the paths and prime location of tomorrow’s event with Megan and Barney.
Megan turned into the public parking lot and pulled up close to the welcome pavilion. Getting out of the car, she looked around her and could feel peacefulness settle over her. Even Barney was calm and sat at her feet patiently waiting to start his walk. Aiden walked into the pavilion and took a brochure that was there for visitors on a stand next to the registry.
“Go ahead and sign the welcome book, Aiden. We love to see who comes from where to visit this wonderful park. Here let me mark on that map where the party will take place. See, we follow the main trail west and come out on the largest public beach on the Trident. The rental tents will be set up between the existing covered eating areas and they will actually bring in a portable dance floor.” As Megan spoke, she used her pen to draw a line on the map, included in the brochure, to show Aiden what areas she was talking about.
“And where do these other trails go?”
“Two of them will go to the connecting islands and the third will go right up to the tip of the park. There are a few other trails that wander off the main trails and then reconnect. There are a couple of great bird watching areas that are along these side trails. They plan on having the entrance to each of these other trails manned by volunteers who will keep guests off of them. All of the activity tomorrow night will be here at the main pavilion and the beach. That way they will have less risk of someone getting injured or doing some foolish damage to the nature preserve.”
“That’s good. I’m going to suggest to the sheriff that those volunteers are undercover police. If he doesn’t have enough men to cover the entries, then I’ll bring in some of my contacts. At this point, there is enough evidence that something illegal is going on, and I can use my influence to get this done. Let’s head to the party location.”
Nodding her head in agreement, Megan picked up Barney’s leash and started to head to the main trail.
“He stays on a leash?”
“Absolutely. There are too many exotic birds and other animals around here that would be unsettled by Barney running wild. Many of the birds nest on the ground and I don’t want Barney to disturb them. He knows the rules out here. Once we get to the beach, I’ll let him off his leash to run, but you watch, he won’t go far or be too noisy. Barney knows if he misbehaves; he will be left at the house with Fred the next time I come here. Come on, you are in for a treat, Neptune’s Trident has more to see here than one hour will allow, but you can get a taste of it.”
Megan led the way down the trail with Barney walking ahead on his lead. Aiden caught up with her and walked at her side, taking in the sights and sounds of the preserve. Wild orchids hung down from low branches of trees; ferns softened the pathway edges and bright, exotic flowers such as hibiscus, Bird of Paradise, bromeliads and ginger caught the eye as you wandered the path. A closer look revealed the green shades of foliage and scents of gardenia and jasmine drifted with the warm breeze. Aiden could distinguish at least ten different bird calls, but when Megan told him one of them was a mockingbird, he found himself not sure if it was ten birds or one bird with multiple voices.
They wandered down the path for about ten minutes and then veered to the left. After thirty yards, the path opened to welcome them to a beautiful cove with a beach of white sand. Palms separated the beach from the exotic undergrowth a trailing beach sunflower that crept out from the greenery, across the sand as if it was trying to reach the ocean itself.
Bending over, Megan unhooked Barney’s leash and issued a single command of “beach.” Giving a single bark of happiness, the dog took off running towards the cove’s warm waters.
“We can walk around here; Barney knows not to leave the beach area. That’s what my command was. Oh, good, there are markers so you can see where the dance floor will be and where the tables and tents are going to be set. There will be lots of torches lit along the beach and foliage lines for light and mosquito control. The band is going to be off to the side of the dance floor, set back so that those that don’t dance can still stand by the floor and watch the others. This event is always a fun time; each year there is a different theme and beneficiary. I really hope we can pull this all off without taking anything away from the fundraiser’s true purpose.”
Aiden did not say much, instead he was wandering around the entire area, not missing a thing. When Barney came up to him, tail wagging with a stick in his mouth, Aiden absent-mindedly took it from him and gave it a long throw. Completing a thorough exploration of the area, he came back to where Megan was standing, watching him with interest.
“This is where the dance floor is going to be?”
Nodding her head, Megan’s reply was cut off when Aiden swung her into his arms in the traditional dance position of the waltz.
“Dance with me now, just in case we don’t get a chance tomorrow night.”
Laughing at his actions, Megan let herself enjoy a moment of fun and the feeling of being led in the classic dance steps. It felt good to be held in his arms as they circled
the imaginary dance floor and Megan secretly hoped that they would be able to share more than one dance tomorrow. Barney decided to join in the fun and followed them around, nipping at their heels. Ending the dance, Aiden lowered Megan into a grand dip, and Barney took advantage of the opportunity to give her a doggy kiss while she was at his level. Bringing Megan back upright, Aiden stepped away from her and gave a low bow.
“Thank you, Megan. I will remember that dance for a long time. Promise me when all of this is over, you will join me for an evening of dinner and dancing.”
Smiling back at him, Megan agreed and found she liked the idea of an evening out with Aiden. Clearing her throat, she asked him if he had seen enough and was ready to leave. He looked around a final time and then agreed with her that it was time to leave. After all, Paul would not be happy if his dinner was delivered cold. Putting Barney back on his leash, they headed back to the entry pavilion.
Aiden took a last measuring look around the pavilion and then walked the perimeter of the parking area, carefully looking for any potential danger spots. Megan and her dog got into the car and waited for Aiden to join them, watching his movements with interest as he took a closer look at one or two spots while he worked his way to them. Opening the door, he climbed into the passenger seat and smiled over at Megan.
“I’m holding you to that dance, Megan, just so you know. This is a beautiful place; I can see why everyone is so protective of it. I can also understand why a developer would be interested in it. It’s a perfect spot for a resort and would bring in guests from all over the world.”
Murder For Neptune's Trident...A Citrus Beach Mystery (Citrus Beach Mysteries Book 1) Page 19