Powdered Grape & Murder: An Oceanside Cozy Mystery - Book 29

by Susan Gillard

  “You told them that they’d be sorry?” said Heather.

  “I didn’t want them to think they had the upper hand,” Rick said. “I hated them at that moment. And that girl was very rude to me. Based on that one interaction, I’m glad she’s dead.”

  “That’s not the way to get your name off of the suspect list,” said Amy.

  He sighed. “I know. And I bet she really wasn’t a terrible person. I’ve just been mad at the world. And their music was really bothering me.”

  “Why are you mad at the world?” asked Heather. “What happened?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” he said.

  “Of course, it does,” said Heather. “We’re investigating a murder case, so every part is important. However, it’s also important because it sounds like something is really bothering you. And maybe you need to tell somebody. We’re here to listen.”

  Rick wavered and then started talking. He looked down as he spoke. “This was supposed to be my honeymoon.”

  “Your honeymoon?” asked Amy.

  “I thought Key West would be romantic. It’s less romantic when you’re on a honeymoon by yourself,” Rick said. “I was stood up at the altar.”

  “I’m so sorry,” said Heather.

  He stood up, shaking off this admission. “So, you can see why I’ve been in a bad mood. And maybe things are annoying me more than they should. The music was very loud, and I felt very heated at the time. But I wouldn’t have killed over it. And, anyway, I wasn’t here at the time that the girl died. Does this answer all your questions?”

  “I do want to ask if you brought any clothes made of black fabric to the island,” said Heather.

  “I bet I did,” he said. “My tuxedo for one thing.”

  “Can we see it?” asked Heather.

  “No,” Rick said. “I’ve already started packing my clothes, and I don’t want to have to do it again.”

  “Packing?” asked Amy.

  “That’s right,” he said. “I’m going to be checking out of this hotel.”

  He headed to his door and opened it.

  “You can’t leave,” said Heather. “The murder investigation is still ongoing, and you’re still a person of interest.”

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m not leaving town. I just don’t want to stay in this hotel anymore. I’m going to check into another one.”

  “Which hotel?”

  “I believe the Seaside Inn is comparable. So, you’ll be able to find me there if you have any other questions. Not that I believe you should.”

  He gestured to the door. Heather and Amy slowly started out.

  “Why are you switching hotels?” Heather asked.

  “I don’t like staying somewhere where somebody died,” he answered before closing the door in their faces.

  “Well,” Amy said. “He’s definitely guilty of the crime of being unpleasant.”

  Heather nodded, wondering if he was guilty of other crimes too.

  Walking and Wagging

  Dave tugged at his leash, contentedly. With so many tourists in town, Heather’s walks with her pets had been limited. While Dave and Cupcake were very friendly, it was difficult to fight the crowds. However, Heather was feeling very much like a local as she led her group down a sandy trail that few tourists ventured down. Her assistant Janae, who also led bike tours on the island, had introduced her to the route. It didn’t have a clear view of the ocean, but there were still very many interesting things for the animals to sniff.

  Heather was walking with her canine companion, Dave, and Amy had her dainty dog Miss Marshmallow on a leash. Cupcake also liked to walk with the dogs, but she was racing ahead with Lilly, Nicolas, and Chelsea in tow.

  While enjoying the fresh air with her loved ones, Heather had also been thinking about the case. Rick Connors currently had a weak alibi unless a witness could account for his exact time at the museum. He provided an excuse for being so sensitive about the sound that night. However, could being stood up at his wedding also account for a motive? Could it have made him so emotionally unstable that he was willing to commit murder?

  Heather also considered Teresa’s friends. They were the ones who knew Teresa before she arrived in town, so they it made sense that they should be suspects. However, they both denied having a reason to kill their friend.

  Heather had thought that finding the jacket in the closet was a solid lead, but it turned out to be a false one. This piece of cloth could belong to almost any piece of clothing too. Did it belong to Rick Connors’s tuxedo? Or to an outfit of someone else in the hotel? Then again, the killer might have disposed of this article of clothing right after the murder. Maybe they would never be able to make the comparison between cloth.

  “Come on, Marshy,” Amy said.

  The dog looked up at her in annoyance. Dave raced back to check that the pretty dog was all right. She didn’t like this attention either.

  “Is everything okay?” Heather asked.

  “Miss Marshmallow doesn’t like the new nickname I came up with for her,” Amy explained. “I think it’s cute though. She also likes walking with Jamie better than me. He’s more sensitive and picks her up when we come across a puddle. I say that if I have to walk around it, then she does too.”

  “Dave likes to run directly through the puddles,” Heather said.

  Dave barked. Miss Marshmallow seemed to find this funny and decided to continue walking again.

  “Jamie could come because he said he had to go to work,” Amy continued.

  “Why did you say that like you don’t believe it?” asked Heather.

  “Because I saw that he was getting a text from Josh before he left,” said Amy. “I was picking up his phone and going through his stuff, but I did see that he had a message on his main screen.”

  “You’re sure it was from Josh?” asked Heather.

  “And I’m sure it had the word propose in it,” said Amy. “It was cut off, so I’m not sure what else it was saying.”

  “Propose could mean something besides a wedding proposal,” Heather said, calmly. “Maybe it’s a business proposal. Or he’s just proposing that they meet up while he’s in town.”

  “Spoilsport,” said Amy.

  “I’m sure Jamie will propose eventually,” said Heather. “But I don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves.”

  “Fine,” said Amy. “Though this time, I’m pretty sure that it’s coming. I know Josh and Jamie are talking about a wedding proposal. I’m just sure of it. And I’m ready. I know that I’ve been hesitant about making big changes in the past, even if I’ve always been sure of my feelings towards Jamie. But I know now that I’m going to say a big, fat yes in answer to his question.”

  Heather smiled. “And I’ll say a big, fat yes to being your Maid of Honor.”

  “That does mean that you’ll have to keep me in constant supply of donuts to keep the bride happy.”

  “How is that different from any other time?” Heather asked.

  “Fair enough,” Amy admitted. “Well, while my mind was churning with wonder about how Jamie might choose to pop the question, I’m sure you’ve been thinking about the case. Did you come up with anything?”

  Heather shook her head. “Only more questions. It’s a whole building full of suspects, and many of the people we talked to were suspicious.”

  “Especially that Rick Connors guy,” said Amy. “And I’m not just saying that because he shut the door in our faces.”

  “It also could have been somebody from outside of the hotel too,” said Heather.

  “I bet it was someone inside,” said Amy. “They would know that Teresa was on the fifth floor and might go to the balcony. And besides Rick, her friends and that couple we met in the hall were also suspicious.”

  “There’s something about Bette and her husband that has been bothering me,” Heather said. “But I can’t quite put my finger on what.”

  “Mom,” Lilly said, leaving her friends with the kitten and running up
to her parent. “Do you think we could have some of your purple donuts after this walk? Chelsea said that she didn’t get to try the new flavor because her dad ate all the ones at work.”

  Heather chuckled and then agreed that they could have a donut break after the walk. Lilly ran happily back to her friends to inform them of the good news.

  Heather snapped her fingers. Something had fit into place.

  “What is it?” asked Amy. “Did you solve the case?”

  “I just thought of something,” said Heather. “And it has to do with purple.”

  “Purple?”

  “It’s what was bothering me about Bette. She was dressed all in purple when we saw her. Just the way Teresa was. Do you remember how Ryan and Peters described Teresa Ray physically?”

  “Just that she was dead,” said Amy.

  “She was average height and had curly hair,” Heather explained. “I think that description also matches Bette.”

  “Bette is older than a college student,” said Amy.

  “That’s true,” said Heather. “But the killer might have snuck up on her from behind. What if Teresa Ray was killed by mistake?”

  Couple Questions

  After explaining her hunch to Ryan who was still analyzing the log book, trying to figure out who the person who had checked in under a false pseudonym was, Heather, headed back to the hotel. She made sure that Eva and Leila were set to serve the Powdered Grape Donuts to the trio of young friends, and then set out to question a murder suspect.

  “If Teresa Ray was killed by mistake,” Heather began.

  “Which does seem possible,” Amy chimed in. “Only two people knew her before she arrived in town, and they claim to be her best friends. And the only person who fought with the women claims to have been looking at shipwrecks at the time of death. If it’s not one of them, it seems random.”

  “But if the killer actually was after Bette, then it means that she might be in danger.”

  “I’ll drive fast,” Amy said. “Or as fast as I can with all the traffic from these tourists here.”

  “If someone was trying to kill Bette, then I have an idea of who our prime suspect should be,” said Heather.

  “The husband?”

  “Spouses are often suspects,” said Heather. “And he seemed like he could have some anger issues.”

  Amy nodded and focused on the road, trying to go faster. They arrived at the hotel and made up for the time in traffic by making a mad dash into the lobby.

  Toni greeted them from behind the concierge desk. “Did you make a breakthrough? Please, give me some good news. Business has been bad lately.”

  “We’re still investigating,” said Heather. “But we had an idea.”

  “A really smart one,” added Amy.

  “Are Bette and her husband on the fifth floor still in?” asked Heather.

  Toni checked her book. “That would be Bette and Bob Broom. They haven’t checked out yet. I’m not sure if they’re upstairs though. I got distracted by the breakfast buffet. And a cool looking bird outside.”

  Heather thanked her and headed towards the elevator with Amy at her side.

  “I think a killer really could have slipped past her without her realizing,” Amy muttered.

  “Unless Bob Broom is the killer,” said Heather. “And he’s still set on hurting his wife.”

  The elevator ride seemed to take forever, but they arrived on the fifth floor and hurried to the proper door.

  Bette answered it after a knock.

  “It better not be the maid,” Bob’s voice said from within the room. “I don’t feel like leaving.”

  “It’s not the maid. It’s those private investigators from before,” she said, before turning back to the women in the doorway. “Do you need to talk to us right away?”

  “I’m afraid so,” said Heather.

  “I don’t feel like talking to anyone,” Bob said.

  However, Bette had already admitted the P.I.s inside the room. Bob was in his robe. He tied his belt tighter and crossed his arms.

  “Can’t we do this later?” Bob asked. “We’re supposed to be on vacation.”

  “No,” Heather said. “We’re concerned that your wife might be in danger.”

  “In danger?” Bette asked.

  Bob moved closer to his wife and put an arm around her. “How?”

  “We’ve realized that Bette looks similar to the victim from behind,” Heather explained. “They have the same hairstyle and a penchant for wearing purple. It’s possible the killer meant to kill Bette and not Teresa that day.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Bob said. “No one would want to hurt Bette. Sometimes I might rub people the wrong way. I might even have done that to you. Sorry about that. But everyone loves Bette. No one would want to kill her.”

  “We don’t know that many people on the island either,” said Bette. “We’ve only been here a few days. And I don’t think we’ve made any enemies.”

  “This seems to be a running theme,” said Amy. “And yet, a woman is dead.”

  “Are you sure that I was the intended victim?” Bette asked.

  “No,” Heather admitted. “But it is a possibility. You’re sure that no one held a grudge against you.”

  “Or your husband?” Amy added.

  Bette shook her head. “No one here would want to hurt us. And there’s no one who would have followed us from home. That’s hundreds of miles away. We wanted to get away so Bob could have a relaxing vacation. His job is high stress, and it’s been affecting his health. We needed to get away from that.”

  “But, of course, I went a chose a hotel that hosted a murderer. How is that stress-free?”

  “We couldn’t have known that when we were booking the room,” Bette said. “When we called around, this place offered the best deal.”

  “That’s probably why the killer came here too. Because it was cheap,” Bob said gruffly.

  Heather wasn’t quite sure what to think. Bob was still coarse, but he was acting like a caring husband. It also seemed to make as little sense for Bette Broom to have a killer stalking her as it did for Teresa Ray.

  “Where were you at the time of Teresa’s death?” asked Heather.

  “We were at a day spa,” Bette said. “Trying to get Bob to relax.”

  “It almost worked,” Bob said. “Until we came back to our room and learned about that woman’s fall. Between the death and the food, I feel like this place isn’t good for my health either.”

  “We weren’t quiet about going to the spa either,” said Bette. “I was very excited about it and kept bringing it up. I think if someone were actively trying to find me and hurt me, they might have known I wouldn’t be at the hotel during the day.”

  Heather nodded. It didn’t look as if her theory was panning out.

  “Until we know for certain, I’d still like for you to be careful,” said Heather.

  “I won’t leave her side if there’s a chance someone is out to get her,” Bob said.

  Bette kissed him.

  “And just know,” Amy added. “That if anything does happen to her, you’ll end up looking like the prime suspect.”

  “Bette is the love of my life,” he said. “I couldn’t hurt her. And honestly, I’m not sure how long I could survive without her. I’m not doing a very good job taking care of my health, but she’s trying to make some changes for me.”

  “We need to lower your stress,” said Bette.

  “I think we might need a vacation from this vacation,” Bob said with a sigh.

  “Did you notice anything during your stay that could account for Teresa Ray’s death?” asked Heather.

  “Only that fight about their music being loud,” Bob said. “And it was loud enough to warrant a call to the front desk. But not all the ruckus in the hallway.”

  “There was that strange man we’ve been seeing around the hotel too,” said Bette.

  “A strange man?” asked Heather.

  “He’s a gue
st on this floor too, I think,” said Bette.

  “He’s dodgy,” Bob said. “Doesn’t like to make conversation, but seems to be watching everyone.”

  “And I think he’s wearing a fake mustache,” said Bette. “The corner seemed to be peeling off one time when I saw him.”

  “He was wearing a disguise?” Heather asked. “That does seem suspicious.”

  Maybe there was someone who held a grudge against Teresa Ray in town. Maybe that person had been plotting this murder for quite a while and had come prepared with a disguise. Maybe this was the person who had checked in under a false name.

  Pseudonym

  Heather and Amy headed over to the police station where Ryan and Peters were tracking down the man who checked into the Seaview Hotel under a false name.

  “A fake mustache?” Peters asked. “That sounds like he was in disguise for a reason. He’s either the killer or a spy.”

  “I brought up spies earlier, and no one wanted to take me seriously,” said Amy.

  “I’m taking your skills as an artist seriously,” said Heather. “Based on the descriptions of this guest that Bette and Bob Broom gave us, Amy made a drawing.”

  Amy shrugged. “It’s nothing. I’m better at painting than drawing. When we catch the guy, I’ll be interested to see how much they look alike.”

  “I think this drawing matches what the Brooms told us,” said Heather. “If he doesn’t look like this, it’s because of their description and not your handiwork.”

  “Maybe we ought to make you the station sketch artist,” Ryan said when he saw the picture.

  “I don’t know,” Amy joked. “I’m already pretty busy as a baker, artist, and P.I. I’m not sure I should add anything to my plate beside more donuts.”

  The man in the picture had a receding hairline and a firm jaw. He had a large mustache and had shifty eyes.

  “Are you having any luck finding him?” Heather asked.