by J A Whiting
When fifteen minutes had passed, two detectives showed up and hurried inside and not long after that, a whole team of investigators arrived and swarmed in and out of the building.
An officer took statements from Finch and Angie and then asked them to wait until the chief came out to speak with them. They sat, exhausted, watching the personnel buzzing about.
“What do you think is in there?” Angie’s voice was wary.
“I think we’re about to find out,” Finch said. “Here comes Chief Martin.”
“Good work, you two.” Chief Martin gave each one a long hug. “I’m thankful that you’re safe and unharmed. I want to take you inside briefly. You know the drill. Don’t touch anything.”
“What’s…?” Angie began, her voice shaking with worry over what was in the apartment.
“Nothing disturbing, but as long as you live, it’s something you will never, ever see again.” The chief led the way and with Angie holding Mr. Finch’s arm, they entered the kitchen of the apartment. Officials talked into phones, a photographer snapped pictures in one of the two small bedrooms, and officers stood with watchful eyes.
Every light in the place was blazing and Angie had to squint when she first entered the space. Her heart was in her throat and she held tight to Mr. Finch’s hand. Chief Martin waved them over and when they stood in the doorway to the bedroom, both Angie’s and Finch’s jaws dropped.
A king sized bed had been stuffed into the room with barely a foot of space on either side. The bedspread had been tossed onto the floor along with a thick mattress cover with a heavy zipper. The mattress had been hollowed out and inside of it, arranged neatly and packed tightly were stacks of one hundred dollar bills … thousands of them.
Chief Martin gestured to the bed. “The box spring is hollowed out, too, so what you see, you can multiply by two. Actually, multiply by four since the mattress and box spring in the other bedroom contain the same thing. There was also a leather case in the mattress. It is filled with loose diamonds.”
Angie turned to the chief so dumbfounded she couldn’t form any words.
Mr. Finch asked the question. “How much is here?”
Chief Martin cleared his throat. “Preliminary estimates put the total at forty million dollars.”
Angie almost fainted.
Ten days later, Chief Martin and his wife, Lucille, came for dinner so the chief could report on the early findings of the case. “It turns out that Julia and Elise were partners in a business scheme. That’s putting it simply, the whole thing is a convoluted mess. Smith-Higgins was running a Ponzi scheme that cheated two million people world-wide. He was also a notorious cheater. Elise discovered some irregularities at Julia’s firm and quietly approached her with the information. What Julia told us was true. Her husband was laundering money through her company without her knowledge. Don’t ask me to explain it all because I don’t understand it. State and Federal investigators are handling it.” The chief went on. “In a nutshell, Julia and Elise joined forces and decided to make some money off Smith-Higgins shenanigans. Smith-Higgins had moved millions out of the country and knew he’d have to take off very soon. He called his boyhood friend, Mr. Marsten, and asked him to help arrange some things before he fled. He wanted to divorce his wife and Smith-Higgins wanted Marsten to help handle moving more of the money once he was out of the country.”
“Mr. Marsten refused?” Angie asked.
“He did indeed. In fact, he was going to blow the whistle on Smith-Higgins’ illegal activity. Somehow, Julia got wind of it and asked Marsten to meet her. She told Marsten that she was on his side, that she suspected her husband, and had been collecting data on what he was doing. It was a partial lie, she had no intention of helping Marsten blow the whistle. Julia wanted Marsten out of the picture so she could continue to make money off her husband’s scheme. She and Elise picked Marsten up at the resort on the night Josh spoke to the man. Elise shot Marsten dead and they brought the body to Leon, told him to hide it, and threatened him to keep his mouth shut.”
“Was he supposed to bury the body?” Jenna asked.
“Elise was furious when she found out Leon still had the body in the garage. It wasn’t in the car at that time. The body had been hidden up in the attic of the building. Elise kept at him to get rid of it. Right before Leon died, he told Elise he’d moved it from the attic and it was all set. Elise thought he meant he’d buried Mr. Marsten, but Leon had only put the body in his old car.”
“Why did he do that?” Courtney questioned.
“No answer for that,” the chief said.
“Perhaps, Leon knew his health was failing,” Finch speculated. “Maybe he wanted the body easily found.”
The chief went on with the story. “Over the next five or six years after Marsten was killed and Smith-Higgins fled the country, Elise and Julia continued to carefully move some of the money that they’d funneled from Smith-Higgins’ laundering into cash and hid it in the beds of the apartment. Along with the case of diamonds that Julia stole from her husband.”
“Did you say some of the money?” Angie’s eyes were wide. “They had more than what they hid in the beds?”
The chief nodded. “Julia and Elise had accounts in other countries, too. The cash in the apartment was security in case the authorities found and froze the offshore accounts.”
Jenna said, “So when Donnalee, the woman who was renting the ranch house with her boyfriend, saw a woman going into the apartment every few months, it must have been Julia or Elise taking money out of the beds? That was the heavy zipper noise she heard. Elise or Julia was unzipping the mattress covers to get at the money and jewelry.” Jenna’s eyes bugged and she grabbed Angie’s arm. “Wait. Money and jewelry.”
“What?” Angie asked.
“Katrina. Katrina was trying to warn us.” Jenna’s voice rang with excitement. “That’s why she moved my wallet and my necklace and hid it under the new mattress that had been delivered. She isn’t angry about the wedding. She was trying to tell us about the crime.”
“It would be really helpful if things weren’t always so cryptic.” Chief Martin sighed. “It would save us all a lot of trouble.”
The chief’s comment drew chuckles of understanding.
“That’s just not how things work, Chief.” Courtney shook her head.
Everyone sat around the table thinking about the terrible, unbelievable doings … murder, scheming and cheating so many people out of millions of dollars, threatening Leon so he would hide the body.
Ellie broke the silence. “Why can’t people use their skills for good instead of for evil?”
That was probably the hardest question of all.
It was the day before the wedding and the Victorian was abuzz with activity. Angie was in the kitchen fussing over the wedding cake with the cats on top of the refrigerator supervising, Ellie and Jenna were upstairs in Ellie’s bedroom putting the finishing touches on the gown, and Finch and Courtney had returned from the candy store with boxes of freshly-made macarons.
“That looks delicious.” Courtney reached out to dip her finger in the raspberry cream filling, but Angie batted her away.
“I’m doing what I can here, then Josh is coming to transport the sections to the resort and then I’ll put the whole thing together there.” Angie looked at the supplies strewn over the counter. “I wish I had a few extra hands.”
A booming voice came in through the back hall. “Say no more. Help has arrived.”
Angie and Courtney recognized the man’s voice and turned to see Mel Abel, a former B and B guest from several months ago, his belly as round as usual, stride into the room. Euclid and Circe flew off the fridge and down to the floor to welcome Mel.
“Mel!” Courtney hurried to the man and hugged him just as Orla O’Brien and Mr. Finch came in, too.
“See who I found,” Finch said with a wide grin.
Angie hugged Orla. “So nice to have you back.”
Ellie stepped into the kitchen from the hall an
d when she saw the couple she rushed to greet them with a happy smile. Orla and Mel had been guests at the B and B when the sisters and Mr. Finch were helping to solve a case involving a missing man. It turned out that Orla had some “special skills” of her own and used them to help Ellie stop the criminal.
“We weren’t sure if you’d make it back in time for the wedding,” Angie told them.
Mel squashed Ellie in a bear hug. “Had to do some finagling to get back here in time, but, by golly, we wouldn’t have missed it.”
Jenna rushed in with a joyful expression on her face. “I knew I recognized that voice.” Another round of hugs ensued.
Orla reached into the canvas bag she was holding and retrieved two beautifully wrapped gifts. “One for the bride and one for the groom along with a million wishes for a lifetime of love and friendship.”
Mel put his arm around Orla and gazed down at her with tender eyes. “I didn’t fully grasp the meaning of love until I met this gem of a woman. If not for this B and B, I would never have met her.”
Orla’s eyes sparkled.
Tea and coffee were poured and platters of cookies and a blueberry cobbler with ice cream were put out for everyone’s enjoyment. Chatter filled the air and Mel’s deep voice nearly shook the walls.
Courtney leaned to Angie and whispered. “Hard to believe, but I think I actually missed that man’s voice.”
Orla, Jenna, and Ellie huddled together in conversation.
“Is everything okay here?” Orla asked with an expression of worry. “We’ve been out of the country.” She made eye contact with Jenna and asked with concern, “How is your ghost?”
Jenna smiled. “Well, everything’s okay now.”
Ellie and Jenna told Orla the tale of the past few weeks.
“I need to get better at deciphering Katrina’s messages.” Jenna took a cookie from the plate. “We sure could have used your help figuring things out.”
Orla touched Jenna’s arm. “I’d be glad to help all of you. Mel and I will be house hunting starting next week. We want to make our home in Sweet Cove. I’ve been in touch with Betty Hayes about what we hope to buy.”
“I’m sure Betty is thrilled.” Jenna said with a chuckle. “And so are we.”
Euclid and Circe trilled their agreement.
26
The sky, a brilliant blue, and the air, warm and dry, created the perfect backdrop for the wedding day. Angie had gone to the resort to assemble the cake and make the finishing touches to the frosting. She could barely keep her hands steady as she moved the spatula over the layers.
“I’ve never seen you so nervous,” Josh kidded as he stood beside Angie handing her the cake tools and the containers of raspberry cream filling.
Angie stepped back to check the masterpiece. “Okay, I think it’s done.”
Josh admired the multi-layer, culinary perfection. “You are an artist, Angie Roseland, and that’s a fact.”
Driving Angie back to the Victorian, Josh went over the final details with her. “And the cars will be sent to pick all of you up an hour before the wedding for pictures at the resort.”
Angie watched the tourists walking along the brick sidewalks of the quaint little town and she couldn’t think of anywhere more beautiful or charming than Sweet Cove.
Josh pulled up to the Victorian and gave Angie a kiss before she hurried inside. “See you soon.”
“Hurry up, Angie.” Courtney was already in her pale, blush-pink bridesmaid dress and was putting a tiny, black bowtie around Euclid’s fluffy neck. Circe already had a pretty bow tied around her neck that matched the color of Courtney’s dress.
Angie blinked at her sister. “You look beautiful.”
“Wait until you see Jenna.”
As if on cue, Angie heard the rustling of delicate fabric moving as someone walked. Looking down at her twin sister, Jenna stood at the top of the carved wooden staircase like a vision of a fairy princess in the gorgeous dress lovingly handmade by Ellie.
Angie burst into tears.
“Here we go.” Courtney looked up at Jenna with a grin. “I thought she might be able to keep it together until we got to the resort. I was wrong.”
The rest of the day flew by in a blur. The shiny antique cars arrived to carry the wedding party to the resort. Mr. Finch, handsome in his tuxedo, took Jenna’s arm and moved slowly down the steps of the Victorian’s front porch to the bright red roadster. Pictures were taken on the bluff looking over the sea and in the gardens of the resort.
The ceremony itself was simple and elegant. White chairs had been grouped in front of an arbor covered with spring flowers and guests took their seats facing the deep blue ocean. When the music started, Tom and his groomsmen, Josh, Jack, and Rufus entered and stood by the arbor.
Ellie and Courtney followed Euclid and Circe down the aisle between the chairs and took their places to the left of the arbor.
The guests stood and turned to watch the bride make her entrance. With Angie on one side and Mr. Finch on the other, the three walked slowly past the happy people gathered to celebrate the day. Of course, tears were streaming down Angie’s cheeks. A broad smile over his face, Mr. Finch had to brush away several tears of his own.
When they reached the front, Jenna kissed her sister and Mr. Finch, and as Tom beamed at his soon-to-be-wife, he reached out and gently took her hand.
Heartfelt vows and promises were made, rings were exchanged, a sweet loving kiss was shared, and then the happy couple turned to the cheers and applause of their family and friends before walking back up the aisle holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes.
Inside the dining room, the glass doors on the far wall had been fully opened so that everyone could move onto the terrace for drinks and appetizers. The guests, sitting at tables laden with flowers and candles, feasted on surf and turf, vegetable lasagna, rice, salad, and grilled vegetables. The beautiful cake was cut and served with the delicious macarons and glasses of champagne and when the music started, the guests took to the dance floor. Even Betty and Mr. Finch, with his cane, danced the night away.
Angie, feeling exhausted and happy, leaned against the wall of the dining room watching the dancers move over the wooden dance floor. The cats were perched on a window seat near the huge windows contentedly watching the scene before them.
Josh came up next to Angie and put his arm around her. “It’s been a beautiful day.”
Angie snuggled next to her boyfriend. “Thank you for everything you did to make it a perfect day for Jenna and Tom.”
“How about a walk outside? It’s getting dark. We can walk along the bluff and get some fresh air.”
Angie took Josh’s hand and the two went out to stroll along Robin’s Point for a little while. Stars started twinkling overhead and a slice of the moon was already shimmering high in the darkening sky. The ocean waves crashed below the bluff on the wide, white sand beach.
“Did you like the red roadster that picked you up today?” Josh asked.
“It’s gorgeous.”
“I bought it to surprise you.” Josh smiled. “When I saw it, I thought how much fun we could have driving along the coast with the top down. I thought it would be special to use for weddings, too.”
“It’s great.” Angie smiled. “Let’s take a picnic basket and drive up the coast someday next week.”
Josh led Angie away from the bluff and into the section of the point where the Williams brothers had made a small park that people could enjoy even if they weren’t guests at the resort. “Is this the spot where your Nana’s cottage used to be?”
Angie nodded and stepped a few yards to the right. “Here. It used to be right here.” She turned around to face the sea and could feel her grandmother’s presence flowing through her body.
“I’m sorry she lost the cottage to the town,” Josh said.
Angie faced Josh and looked into his eyes. “I know you are and that means a lot to me.”
Josh took both of Angie’s hands in hi
s. “Do you know how much I love you?”
A shy smile spread over Angie’s lips and she squeezed his hands before nodding. “I think I do.”
Still holding her hands, Josh slipped down onto one knee.
Angie’s eyes popped and her heart thudded double-time.
“Angie Roseland, I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. If you’ll have me, I promise to love you for the rest of my life, and after I’m gone, I will still love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?”
Tears streamed down Angie’s cheeks and she tried to speak, but her throat was so tight with emotion that all she could do was hold tight to Josh’s hands and nod her head. Josh stood up and wrapped his arms around her.
“Yes, Josh, yes,” she managed to whisper.
“Come on.” Josh led Angie toward the corner of the lawn to where he had parked the red roadster. Euclid and Circe sat on the hood of the car.
Angie laughed. “How did you two know? Did Josh tell you?”
The cats trilled with happiness.
In the front seat was a basket with a bottle of champagne, two glass flutes, a rolled up sheet of paper, and a small, black leather box. Josh reached for the box and opened it revealing a sparkling diamond ring. Angie gasped when he took her hand and slipped the ring on her finger.
“Oh, it’s beautiful.” When Angie held her hand up, the diamond glittered like a star in the sky.
Josh opened the champagne, poured it into the glasses, and he and Angie toasted each other and sipped. “There’s something I want to show you.” Josh reached for the piece of paper in the basket and unfolded it. He placed it on the roof of the car next to the cats.
“What is it?” Angie leaned down.
“This is a re-design of the resort’s land. We’re going to move the park over this way. It will have even better access to the beach below.”
“Are you going to expand the resort?” Angie asked.
“No.” Josh pointed to the middle of the design. “I’m returning this part of Robin’s Point to you and your sisters.”