Clues of the Heart: Baytown Boys Series

by Maryann Jordan

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Katelyn met Gareth as he left the accounting office, both climbing into his SUV at the same time. The dark clouds of earlier had continued to roll in as lightening began to zing across the sky. Just as they pulled out of the parking lot, rain pelted the windshield, creating a pounding rhythm.

  Katelyn filled him in on her conversation with Carrie, ending with her relationship with her parents. “She shocked the hell out of me when she described Jerry as a husband who would bury a body for his wife if needed! But, then she explained it was just a saying and that she didn’t mean it literally.”

  “Did she elaborate more?”

  “She loves her parents and no matter what her mom has revealed, she says she’ll always consider Jerry to be her father and Walter as her former boss.”

  “So, the lawsuit…is it more her mom than her?”

  “Essentially, her mom has her convinced that Walter wanted Carrie to have more. Supposedly Cindy and Walter had been in contact and Cindy thought the will was already changed.” They sat silent for a moment as she bit her lip in concentration before she turned back to him and rushed, “Do you think that Cindy could have been the woman at the motel with Walter, even though she denied it?”

  “Since there is no positive identification and the woman wore sunglasses and a scarf, then it’s possible. By why go to such elaborate measures?”

  “Maybe they didn’t just talk. Maybe they rekindled their relationship.”

  A crack of thunder over the bay had Katelyn jumping as Gareth focused on the drive. The whitecaps on the waves crashed against the pylons and all thoughts of the case flew from her mind as she watched nature in effect on the water.

  “Are you glad you stayed on the Eastern Shore?” His question came out of the blue, shocking Katelyn and she whipped her head around to look at him.

  “Where did that question come from?”

  Shrugging, he replied, “I want to know everything about you, I guess.”

  Smiling slightly, she said, “I think every teenager on the Eastern Shore dreams of leaving and ending up in a big city somewhere. And a lot have. When most of the Baytown Boys joined the military and left town, it felt lonely. And when Jillian went off to college, I felt left behind. Truly left behind. I dreamed of leaving too, but every time I looked at my mom’s face when she thought about Aiden and Brogan, I knew I needed to stay. But I also discovered something…” she turned to face him fully. “For some of us, we grow up and realize that small-town isn’t just a description of where we live. It’s a description of who we are. I like knowing my neighbors. I like that when someone has a need, there’s a whole town ready to step in and help.” Laughing, she said, “I guess that’s a long answer to your question, but yeah, I’m glad I stayed on the Eastern Shore. What about you? Do you miss West Virginia?”

  Gareth almost answered with a rousing, Hell, no, but hesitated. “I do miss the mountains. I’d like to see my sister, brother-in-law, and their kids sometime…it’s been too long.” Glancing to the side, he cleared his throat and said, “Uh…I was wondering…well, after this case is over with, I was going to ask you to take a trip to West Virginia with me. We could spend a long weekend in the mountains and I could check in with my sister.”

  Pleasure slipped over her just as another crack of thunder rumbled through the sky. The raging storm outside was incongruous to the happiness in her heart. “I’d love to meet her,” she said, reaching over to clasp his hand.

  As they neared town, she said, “I was going to go into the pub and work this evening. You want to come with me and get dinner there? If it’s slow, we can leave together.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll drop you off and then go talk to Mitch. He’ll want to hear from you about Cindy, but I can fill him in for now.”

  As he parked in front of the pub, she leaned over, eager for a kiss. No longer caring who saw them, she pulled him close with her hand behind his neck, her lips moving over his.

  Gareth recognized the shift in her willingness to claim him and wrapped his arms around her, allowing her to take the lead. Smiling against her lips, he pulled back regretfully as she sighed, her warm breath washing over his face. “Tonight?”

  “Yeah,” she mumbled, then blinked. “Oh, wait! I forgot—I’ve got a wedding meeting tonight with the girls. Can you pick me up at Tori’s inn?”

  “Are you going to be drunk?”

  “No,” she snapped, then sucked in her lips, giving a slight shrug. “Okay…maybe just a little. But then I’ll let you have your wicked way with me.”

  “Can you imagine what it must have been like to find a dead body on the golf course?”

  The chips and dip were gone, the wedding reception plans were finalized, and the third glass of wine had now brought out the random question.

  Belle’s eyes were wide as she looked over at Tori, who continued, “I mean, it was horrible when I had a guest who died in my inn, but his wife was screaming and he was lying in bed, so it didn’t seem so shocking. But on the golf course!”

  “If it was a crime of passion, I wonder who it was? A jealous husband or boyfriend?” Jade posed, pouring her next glass of wine.

  “But why the trip? Why did he tell people he was going on a trip?” Jillian asked.

  Belle surmised, “He tells his wife and his co-workers two different things to keep from having to answer questions and plans on meeting a secret lover?”

  “Maybe there was more than one woman,” Tori said, picking up the empty wine bottle. “Hmm, let me go grab more.” Walking into the kitchen of the Sea Glass Bed Inn that had been left to her by her grandmother, she grabbed another bottle. She did not want her guests to hear their conversations, so the women had parked themselves on the patio off the kitchen. This was one of her grandmother’s—and now her—private places that were only for family or friends…not guests.

  Katelyn came up behind her and snagged another box of crackers. “Thought we might need more food to soak up all the alcohol we’re drinking,” she joked, taking another wedge of cheese from Tori’s refrigerator.

  Tori smiled at her friend and together they returned to the group, barely getting their fingers out of the way before Jillian dove into the snacks.

  “I still think it could be a woman,” Belle said. “A woman scorned…jealousy…maybe he made promises to a mistress that he no longer kept.”

  “Or he had more than one mistress!” Jillian said between bites. The group became silent as each woman’s imagination began to run wild.

  “Women kill for passion,” Jade said. “A scorned woman could easily be the culprit, but it doesn’t seem to fit. A woman might poison—”

  “You don’t think a woman would hit a man over the head?” Belle asked. “Spend a night at the trailer park where I live and you’d be convinced otherwise!”

  “I heard Mitch and Grant say that Walter was supposed to play in the golf tournament that is now cancelled. Maybe it was a disgruntled golfer?” Tori surmised.

  “A disgruntled golfer?” Jade snorted, barely keeping from spitting out her sip of wine.

  The others laughed before Tori continued, “Hey, some of those TV detectives have murders to solve that are just as weird!”

  “I’d say, it was more likely someone wanting to piss off Roger or Silas!” Jillian threw out.

  “How do you do this?” Belle asked Katelyn. “I mean, you’re investigating things that are hard to find out.”

  Shrugging, Katelyn said, “Gareth tells me that it’s necessary to have ideas and let my imagination run wild, but then I can’t fall into the trap of believing something until it’s proven. So, I take all the things I think of and start trying to research one at a time until something is either proven or disproven.”

  “When does your PI class start?” Tori asked.

  “In about three weeks. I really hope this case is wrapped up by then, because the class will take two full weeks and I don’t want to be gone for that long while I’m still needed here
.”

  Grinning, Jillian said, “Well, I don’t know about the case, but I know Gareth will miss you no matter what!”

  Katelyn’s face softened at the thought of Gareth. Realizing she had the attention of the group, she cocked her head to the side. “What?”

  “Nothing, sweetie,” Jillian said, her eyes shining at her friend. “I’m just so glad to see you with a dreamy expression.”

  Katelyn almost denied the look on her face, but knew they were right. Sighing as she leaned back in her chair, she brought her wine glass up to her smiling lips.

  “Hell, yeah!”

  Grant shouted as the volleyball slammed into the sand at Jason’s feet. The Baytown Boys, both old and new, had descended on Mitch’s cabin on the bay after the latest American Legion youth ball game. The ratty volleyball net had seen better days, but still managed to stay, sagging, between the two poles buried in the sand.

  Gareth grabbed the ball and volleyed it back over the net as the game continued. He, Jason, and Aiden were on one side with Mitch, Grant, and Brogan on the other. Callan, Zac, and a few others were standing around the grill and makeshift bar. After a few more minutes, the hamburgers were done and the volleyball game ended as the whole group gathered around the table, loading up their plates before sitting in the lawn chairs scattered about.

  “So…did you find out if Berry was supposed to play in the tournament?” Zac asked right before taking a huge bite of hamburger.

  Nodding, Gareth answered, “Yeah. I talked to Roger. Between him cursing about the inconsiderate body found on the golf course, he admitted that Walter was scheduled to play.”

  “You figure that has anything to do with why the body was dumped there?” Jason asked.

  “We haven’t ruled anything out,” Mitch replied, noncommittally.

  “But it’s got to be significant that it was dumped there,” Aiden argued.

  Gareth took a swig from his beer and shook his head. “Not necessarily,” he said. “The killer could just be looking for a place where the body might go unnoticed for a while.”

  “Then you gotta be looking at a man,” Callan said.

  Zac grinned, “Hell, I served in the Navy with some women that could carry a man.” Looking over at the others, he continued, “They could bench almost as much as I could.”

  “Just ‘cause you’re puny—” Aiden began.

  Jumping up, Zac balled up his trash and scored a shot with his toss into the garbage can before flexing his muscles. “I’ll show you who’s puny,” he laughed, flexing his biceps.

  The others laughed along with him as several began tossing their trash with shouts of, “Score!”

  Brogan, thoughtful, asked, “You know any women around here that could lift a man into a boat…deadweight? I sure as hell don’t.”

  Aiden grinned at his brother, saying, “Hell, you never get out. For all you know that pretty, little Ginny could out-bench-press you!”

  Brogan blushed as he shoved up from his chair. “Shut the hell up, asshole,” he said, elbowing Aiden in the back of the head as he walked by.

  “Then it’s like I said and you gotta be looking at a man,” Callan restated as he joined Brogan walking back toward the beach.

  Finishing their meal, Zac, Aiden, and Jason joined the others, another volleyball game beginning, leaving Gareth, Mitch, and Grant still sitting in the chairs.

  “So…what motivation does a man have to kill Walter? Jealousy? Money?” Gareth mused aloud.

  Rubbing his hand over his face, Mitch replied, “Maybe all of the above.”

  “Can’t be money,” Gareth said, setting his empty plate on the ground by his feet. “His brother only got a little bit and most of that will go to caring for their mother.”

  “What about his partner, William?” Grant asked. “He’s now senior partner…gets to run the place the way he wants.”

  “Can’t see him killing or getting rid of a body on a golf course,” Gareth replied.

  “He’s got money. You can always hire someone to do your dirty work for you,” Grant added, capturing Mitch’s attention.

  As the three continued to sit, their eyes on the volleyball game now being played against the backdrop of the setting sun, Gareth ran the possibilities through his mind.

  Beth stood with shaking hands clasped together, building up her courage. “I know things. I’ve found things. Things that I think the police would like to know.”

  Before she gave the other person a chance to respond, she continued, “I’m not asking for much. But I feel a little compensation for what I know is warranted. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “What exactly are we looking for?”

  Gareth stared at the front of the small boat where Katelyn sat facing him, binoculars hanging around her neck. Her long hair hung in a braid down her back and his eyes dropped to her yellow tank top, underneath her hoodie, and cut-off jean shorts showcasing her long legs. Grinning, he said, “Well, I thought we would go around to the golf course, but I realize I have no chance of looking for any clues while you’re sitting there like that.”

  “Like what?” she asked, her head cocked to the side.

  “Like all my dreams rolled up into one gorgeous woman.”

  Katelyn’s jaw dropped as her eyes lit. “Wow, that line alone was worth getting up at the ass-crack of dawn!”

  “Well, it’s true,” he claimed, leaning forward to capture her lips. The boat rocked gently in the water as she threw her arms around his neck, his lips moving across hers. Pulling back regretfully, he kept his hand on the tiller. Throttling back, they drifted for a few minutes, the early morning sounds of the bay coming to life surrounding them. Gulls called from above before diving into the sparkling water. A blue heron stood statue-still with its legs in the surf, hunting for its next meal of fish.

  Katelyn turned her face up toward the rising sun, letting the cool breeze toss her braid over her shoulder. With her eyes closed, she allowed the rocking movement of the boat to lull her thoughts along. Growing up on the bay afforded her the opportunity to spend as much time on or near the water as possible. Summers and weekends were filled with fishing off the pier, playing on the beach, learning to kayak and boat as soon as she could hold an oar.

  A memory darted through her mind of Philip rowing her along the shore, landing in a small cove where she looked for sea glass. For a moment, with her eyes closed, she could almost imagine him sitting in the boat with her. But, instead of blond hair, his hair was brown. Instead of a teenage boy’s body, a hard, muscular body sat across from her. When he called her name, the voice was deeper…more mature.

  “Katelyn…you awake?” the voice called out louder.

  Her eyes opened with a jerk, blinking rapidly as her body jolted when the words penetrated. Seeing Gareth staring at her, his eyes full of mirth, she sat up quickly.

  “I thought you’d gone to sleep for a moment,” he joked.

  “No! Uh…no…just…um,” she babbled. Guilt flooded her, but she was uncertain what was worse—having trouble remembering Philip’s face or dreaming of him when out with Gareth. Licking her dry lips, she turned toward the shore, saying, “Maybe it’s time we headed in. I’m kind of hungry.”

  Gareth watched her carefully, noting her sudden unease. “Sure,” he said, hesitantly, wondering what came over her.

  Thirty minutes later, ensconced in one of the red, plastic booths of the diner, they ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

  The long stretch of beach was unoccupied as Katelyn bent over to pick up a piece of sea glass. Dark blue—rare! Her thoughts may have been as tangled as her wind-blown hair, but she clutched the glass in her palm, its bright color giving her a reason to smile.

  Hearing a shout behind her, she saw Jillian and Tori walking over the dune toward her. Slowing her pace, she allowed them to catch up as she gathered a few more pieces of glass.

  “I thought you and Gareth were going out boating today,” Jillian said,
her gaze already at their feet, her eyes searching for more sea glass.

  “We did. We went this morning before breakfast.”

  “So what are you doing out here alone?” Tori asked.

  Shrugging, she turned toward the wind, allowing the breeze to sweep her hair back so she could pull it into a ponytail easier. “We ate at the diner and then I decided I wanted some time to myself.”

  She noticed Jillian and Tori sharing a look, but pretended to not care. Facing downward, she continued to walk along the shore.

  “Hey, sweetie,” Jillian said, placing her hand on Katelyn’s arm. “I’m not going to lie to you. Gareth called and asked if we would check on you. He said he thought you were upset about something.”

  Pinching her lips together, Katelyn stopped walking, facing the bay, sighing heavily. After a long moment where the only sounds were the gulls calling, hoping they had crackers for them, she finally turned back to her friends, admitting, “I’m forgetting.”

  Cocking their heads together simultaneously, Jillian and Tori remained quiet, letting Katelyn speak when she was ready.

  Swallowing deeply, she repeated, “I’m forgetting…Philip.”

  The three women slowly began walking again, this time their search for sea glass more instinctive than purposeful. After some silence, Katelyn said, “I used to look at his picture on my bedside table every night when I went to sleep and every morning when I woke up. I did this for years and years and years. Before Gareth spent the night the first time, I placed Philip’s picture in the drawer, not wanting to make Gareth uncomfortable. At first, the nightstand seemed naked, and now? I wake up and don’t even think about it. I jump out of bed and am ready to greet the day, knowing I’ll see Gareth.”

  Coming to the end of the beach where the cement factory had a fence, halting their progress, the trio turned wordlessly and began walking back down the beach in the opposite direction.