Summer in Diamond Bay Complete Bundle #1-5 (Summer in Diamond Bay #1-5)

by Maci Grant

  “What about his cousin Marta? Have you ever seen her around here?”

  “Oh, the young girl?” He nodded. “Sure. Before I let him rebuild one of our junkers she would drop him off and pick him up every day. A real sweetheart. She would bring us all lunch sometimes.”

  “Thanks for your time.” Blu smiled. “Sorry for the drama.”

  “Just keep in mind—I do think Juan’s a good guy. I’ve never seen him act like this before.”

  “I will.”

  As Blu walked out of the garage she noticed a large trashcan by the door. Inside the trashcan was a wrapper from Emile’s hot dog cart. Her heart sank when she saw it. Sometimes she hated to be right.

  If Juan had been at the lighthouse to protect Marta, the only question was, did Marta know about it? Did Oliver?

  Chapter 23

  When Blue arrived at Maddie’s house her heart still raced. The memory of how angry Juan had become when she’d baited him had left her feeling very unsettled.

  She greeted the kids with a wide smile. “Did you guys have fun today?”

  “Yes.” Marley giggled. “Joey has a girlfriend.”

  “What?” Blu’s eyes widened.

  She looked at Maddie, who grinned.

  “Relax, his girlfriend is one of Brennan’s friends. I don’t think they have much of a future, but don’t tell Joey that.”

  “Isn’t he too young for that?” Blu sank down on the couch beside Maddie.

  “Not according to him. I think he’s just trying to be like Brennan.”

  “He really loves spending time with him. Thank you for helping me out so much, Maddie.”

  “Did anything come of it?”

  “I think I may have figured out who the guilty person is, but I think it’s only going to make things more complicated. Anyway, I’d better get going with the kids before Rachel gets home. Tonight is family dinner.”

  “Good luck.”

  “Thanks.” Blu smiled.

  “In case you were wondering, AJ stayed with us until we came back to the house. He’s really one of those rare nice guys.”

  “He seems to be.” Blu stood up.

  “Are you really going to let this pass you by, Blu?” Maddie looked up at her.

  “He is amazing, Maddie. But we’re also two very different people, and our lives are taking us in different directions. What’s the point of setting myself up for heartbreak?”

  “Hm. Maybe it doesn’t have to be that way.”

  Blu smiled and leaned down to give Maddie a hug. She loved her friend, but Maddie was more of a dreamer than she would ever be.

  When they arrived at the beach house Blu started to prepare dinner. She placed a call to Chief Pitman to update him about her encounter with Juan.

  When he answered, his voice was strained. “I’m sorry I haven’t called you about the interrogation, Blu, but there’s really nothing to report. She’s still refusing to talk.”

  “Well I found out some interesting things about her cousin Juan today.”

  “Who?”

  “I might have pinpointed him as an important person in her life.”

  “And?”

  “I went to speak with him.”

  “Blu.”

  “I know, I know, but just listen. While I was there I saw his temper, and I also spoke to his boss. It’s clear to me that Juan is very protective of Marta, and his boss said that he printed out a letter last week. You might want to go yourself to speak with them both.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  “I’ll send you the address. I wasn’t going behind your back, I just didn’t want you to waste resources if it turned out to be nothing.”

  “It doesn’t sound like nothing.”

  “No it doesn’t. I also saw a wrapper from Emile’s hot dog cart in the trashcan at the garage. I think Juan lost his temper and decided to get rid of Emile in an attempt to protect his cousin.”

  “What about the letter? You think it was just a ploy?”

  “Sure. Maybe Juan sent it to him, asked him to meet with him at the top of the lighthouse so that he could kill him.”

  “And Marta was there because?”

  “That part I haven’t been able to figure out.”

  “It’s a lot of guessing.”

  “But Chief Pitman, the one thing that has remained consistent through all of this is that everyone I speak to tells me how wonderful Marta is. There’s no evidence that she’s ever been involved in any crime. I’m sure of it. Marta didn’t do this. Her cousin might have. But she didn’t do it.”

  “Blu, unless you can give me some solid evidence that clears her or implicates someone else, there’s nothing I can do here. Marta won’t even speak to defend herself. With her family’s history and her presence there, as well as her relationship with Oliver, she is a great suspect.” He sighed. “And I’m not convinced that she and Oliver didn’t cook this up.”

  “Juan told me that Emile didn’t want Oliver to date Marta. Oliver, who in every other way has been a good son, has never been in any kind of trouble, defied his father and continued to date her.”

  “Okay, but Blu, that’s not unusual. Oliver is young, He thinks he’s in love. Everything is so much more intense and dramatic at that age. That only puts him at a higher risk of doing something foolish like murdering his father. You can’t really expect me to think that true love is a reason not to pursue a suspect.”

  Blu shook her head. “That’s not what I expect at all. But you’re missing one very important point.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Hilda knew about Marta. We know why Oliver would lie to protect Marta. He loves her. But Hilda, who supported their relationship, didn’t even mention that Oliver had a girlfriend. She claimed she didn’t recognize the sketch. With so much drama in the family around Marta, how could that be a mistake? She omitted the information on purpose. Why?”

  Chief Pitman was quiet for several seconds until he spoke again slowly. “Because she knew that Marta didn’t kill her husband.”

  “Exactly. If Hilda was really a grieving widow, if someone told her that her son’s girlfriend was at the scene of the murder, why would she pretend not to know her? There’s only one reason. Either she knew that Marta did it because she asked Marta to do it, or she knew that Marta didn’t do it, because she knows who really did.”

  “The question is, who is Hilda trying to protect?”

  “Her son is the obvious choice. But perhaps it is her boyfriend? We know that Oliver wasn’t on the top of the lighthouse when Emile was thrown over. Even if he was involved somehow, he is not the killer.”

  “Even when we figure out for sure who the killer is, we’re not going to have the whole picture. Whoever did this, likely did not act alone.”

  “But like I said, Juan printed out the letter.”

  “He printed out a letter. We don’t know if it was the same letter.”

  “There’s only one person that knows the whole truth of what happened on the top of that lighthouse.”

  “Marta.” Chief Pitman cleared his throat. “And she’s not talking.”

  “What would you say to letting me in on your next interrogation?”

  “I’d say it’s unconventional.”

  “I was able to bait Juan into showing me his temper; I might be able to do the same with Marta.”

  “It’s worth a shot. I’m certainly not getting anything out of her. Can you meet me in the morning at the station?”

  Blu set the last plate down on the table. She looked at Marley and Joey in the living room. She couldn’t ask Maddie to watch the kids again.

  “I’m not sure if I can get away.”

  “I’ll tell you what, bring the kids in with you. I’m sure we can find a way to occupy them.”

  “Okay.” Blu brightened. “They would love that.”

  She hung up the phone just as Rachel walked in the door.

  “Hi, everybody!” She smiled as the kids ran up to hug her.

&nb
sp; Blu was touched by the joy that consumed Rachel’s features. As much as she enjoyed her time with the kids, she knew it wasn’t the same feeling as a mother had with her children.

  Maddie’s words played back through her mind.

  Are you really going to let that pass you by? Maybe AJ was her only chance at the kind of love that would lead to marriage and a family for herself one day.

  Chapter 24

  Early the next morning Blu got the kids dressed and fed.

  “We have somewhere special to go this morning.”

  “Where?” Joey shoved his foot into his shoe.

  “The police station.”

  “Oh, yay!” Marley smiled. “I like the badges.”

  “Why are we going to the police station?” Joey looked at Blu. “Are you in trouble or something?”

  “No, no one’s in trouble. Chief Pitman said he’d have something for the two of you to do today. So we’re going to go and see what it is.”

  “I hope it’s handcuffs!” Marley jumped up and down.

  “What?” Blu laughed.

  “I’m going to lock Joey up!”

  “No, you’re not!” Joey stuck out his tongue at her. “You’re the one that needs to go to annoying little sister jail.”

  “Alright, alright, let’s be nice.” She gave Joey a look. “No one is going to be cuffed, and no one is going to jail. Let’s go see what Chief Pitman has set up for you.”

  She led them out to the car with the hope that Chief Pitman had come up with something. When they arrived at the police station Chief Pitman greeted them in the lobby.

  “There are my junior detectives!” He smiled at the kids. “I have a case I need your help with. Officer Tinsley is going to help you. Okay?”

  “A case? Like a real crime?” Joey’s eyes widened. “What is it?”

  “It’s the case of a missing cat. Mr. Hooper’s cat disappeared and we need to figure out where it went. Do you two think you could help with that?”

  “Oh yes!” Marley clapped her hands. “We’ll find the kitty.”

  “Great. Officer Tinsley, your cat detectives are here.”

  “Wonderful!” The young officer grinned at them. “Who’s ready to go for a ride?”

  “We are!” Joey grinned. “Wait. Do I get handcuffs?”

  Officer Tinsley looked up at Blu. Blu shook her head firmly.

  “Not this time.” Officer Tinsley smiled. “But I’ll let you use the siren.”

  “Cool!”

  As Officer Tinsley led the two kids away, Blu shook her head. “Wow, I can’t believe you thought of that. What a great adventure for them.”

  “Actually it was AJ’s idea.”

  “Oh?”

  “I called him last night to see if he could come up with anything. He said the kids have probably been around you enough to be detectives themselves.”

  Blu smiled. “I’ll have to thank him.”

  “You should.” Chief Pitman held her gaze for a moment. “He seems a bit smitten with you.”

  Blu stared back at him. She wasn’t sure what to say. “He’s been very kind to me.”

  “Hm.” Chief Pitman tilted his head toward one of the closed doors along the hallway. “I’ve already got her in the interrogation room. Are you sure you’re up for this?”

  “Yes. I’ve been thinking about it all morning. I think if she knows that Juan is in trouble, she’s going to come clean.”

  “Or lie through her teeth to protect her cousin.”

  “Either way she’ll be talking.”

  “True.”

  Chief Pitman led her to the door and opened it up. Marta looked tiny behind the large wooden table. She didn’t even look in their direction as the two stepped inside. It was easy to see that the repeated interrogations were taking a toll. Her eyelids drooped and her lips were chapped.

  “Hi, Marta.” Blu sat down beside her. “I’m here to talk to you about what happened.”

  Marta rolled her eyes and looked away from her.

  “This is all I’ve been getting.” Chief Pitman shook his head.

  “Marta, I don’t believe that you killed Emile.”

  “Blu.” Chief Pitman stepped up beside her.

  “It’s okay, Chief. It’s time that someone is honest with her.” Blu looked back at Marta. “I don’t believe that you’re guilty, Marta, but that doesn’t matter. You look very guilty. That’s really all that matters. So you’re going to go to prison for a very long time.” Blu tried to meet her eyes. “That is just how it is.”

  Marta shrugged and stared hard at the table. “Marta, you’re either going to talk, or you’re going to spend the rest of your life in jail. What do you think Oliver will do without you?”

  Marta narrowed her eyes. Her lips tensed, as did the rest of her body.

  Blu continued. “Yes. He’ll be all alone—his father dead, his mother cheating, the love of his life behind bars. Oliver is a strong young man, but do you think he can really survive all that? You’re the only good thing in his life, Marta. Are you really going to take that away from him?”

  Marta blinked a few times before Blu noticed the glimmer of tears in her eyes.

  “Marta!” Chief Pitman slammed his hand down on the table in front of her.

  Marta jumped in her chair.

  “I’m not in the business of putting away innocent people. If you didn’t do this, then speak up for yourself, girl. You have your entire future ahead of you. What happened on the top of that lighthouse?”

  Marta cleared her throat. “I can’t say.”

  Chapter 25

  “Yes, you can.” Blu leaned across the table. She looked into Marta’s tear-filled eyes. “Is it your family you’re protecting? Is it Juan?”

  “Juan?” Marta’s eyes widened. “Why are you asking about Juan?”

  “He’s a big man. He could have easily thrown Emile over the side of the lighthouse. Was he there with you that day? Is that what happened?”

  “No!” Marta looked from one face then to the other. “You have to leave Juan alone. He had nothing to do with any of this.”

  “I don’t believe that, Marta.” Blu stood up and leaned over the back of Marta’s chair. “I believe that Juan did something misguided to protect you, and now you think that by keeping your mouth shut about what happened, you’re protecting him. But you’re not. Nothing you’re doing right now is going to protect Juan. The truth is that Emile didn’t deserve to die. He was a good father and a good husband who was only doing what he thought was best for his son. No one deserves to die for that. But Juan decided to take matters into his own hands. He hated the way that Emile treated you. He hated that you weren’t good enough for Emile, and he wanted to make Emile suffer because of that. Didn’t he?”

  Blu placed a hand on the curve of Marta’s shoulder. She could feel the young woman trembling. “He did what you weren’t brave enough to do.”

  “No.” Marta breathed the word out. “No you’re wrong. That’s not what happened at all.”

  “Then tell us what happened.” Chief Pitman rested both hands on the table and stared hard into Marta’s eyes. “You’re the only one that knows the truth, Marta. You have all the power. If you speak, everything changes. If you don’t, you go right back in your cell, and I promise you that I will find a way to put Juan in the one right next to you.”

  “No!” Marta gasped. “He’s just getting back on his feet. None of this was his fault. If I had just walked away from Oliver, none of this would have happened. It’s my fault. It doesn’t matter if I wasn’t the one who pushed him over. I was the one who caused it, so I should be the one to pay the price.”

  “Marta, that’s not how it works.” Blu sat down beside her again. She placed her hand over Marta’s. “You may love Juan, but he’s the one that killed Emile.”

  “No, he’s not.” Marta blinked back tears. “He didn’t do it. I saw who did it. It wasn’t him.”

  Blu and Chief Pitman exchanged looks.

  “W
hat about the letter, Marta? Did you know about that?” Blu asked.

  Marta closed her eyes.

  “It was stupid. It was so stupid. I’m sorry.” Her cheeks reddened as tears coasted down along them. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”

  “Did you know about the letter?”

  Marta was silent for a long moment as her body shook with the force of her tears. Then she drew a deep breath.

  “I don’t want to say anything else. I’m not saying another word. If you want to know who killed Emile so bad, you figure it out.” She folded her arms on the table and rested her head on them.

  Blu and Chief Pitman exchanged a look across the top of her head. Blu knew that Marta was not going to say another word.

  “Marta, I wish that I could help you. You’re making a mistake.” Blu shook her head.

  “The only mistake I ever made was believing that love would be enough. I knew that I should stay away from Oliver, but I just couldn’t.” She gulped out her words. “I couldn’t. He wouldn’t let me.”

  “Did Oliver force you to do something?” Blu leaned closer to her.

  “Yes!” Marta looked up into Blu’s eyes.

  “What was it, Marta? What did he force you to do?”

  “He forced me to believe in myself, and that I was worthy of his love. He forced me to think that somehow we could be together. He was wrong, I was wrong, and now Emile is dead.” She wiped at her eyes. “The worst part is that Emile was right. He was right to tell Oliver to stay away from me. I caused nothing but pain.”

  As the tears flowed down the young woman’s cheeks, something within Blu awakened. Perhaps it was a maternal need, or a deep sense of sisterhood; whatever it was, she put her arms around Marta and held her.

  “Blu you can’t do that.” Chief Pitman moved to stop her, but Blu shook her head.

  She held Marta close in her arms and let the woman cry against her shoulder.