by J A Whiting
Nicky and Queenie were outside on the deck resting in the cushioned Adirondack chairs.
“It’s a coincidence, isn’t it,” Lin said looking out at the two snoozing animals.
“Is it?” One of Viv’s eyebrows was raised in question.
“No one designed the house to resemble a horseshoe,” Lin smiled. “It just fit the lot well and gave each small wing of the house a door to the outside.”
“How can you be sure it wasn’t created this way on purpose to reflect that necklace of yours?”
Lin only chuckled and returned to work on the rest of the appetizers.
When Viv finished the quiches, she picked up Lin’s laptop and began to tap at the keys. “I’m curious. I’m looking up Maggie Topper. I want to know how much she’s worth.”
“Why?”
“She gives the impression of wealth and privilege. I want to know if she’s putting that on or if she really came from a background of advantage. Also, I’m just plain nosy.”
After a minute of silence, Viv let out a loud whistle and Lin jumped.
“What?”
“Listen to this. Maggie Topper is worth … get ready … a billion dollars.”
“No way.” Lin walked over to where her cousin was sitting and looked over her shoulder at the laptop screen.
“Yup. That’s what it says, estimated worth, one billion.” Viv nudged Lin with her elbow. “You better double your price for her landscaping job.”
“How did she make the money?”
“She inherited a whole kit and caboodle of it, but she made smart investments herself.” Viv read off the list of successful business investments Maggie had made with her money.
“Yikes,” was all Lin could say.
“She’s a smart cookie,” Viv said. “Although, if I inherited a half billion dollars, I bet I could do something with it to make it increase.”
“If only….” Lin smiled and patted her cousin’s shoulder.
Viv kept reading about the woman. “Her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather ran the investment company she inherited. Her mother was a lawyer, her grandmother was a physician, and her great-grandmother was a scientist. What a family.”
“A bunch of over-achievers.”
Viv said, “I wonder if all that wealth and history of achievement made Warren feel self-conscious or less important. It seems he didn’t come from money.”
Lin popped the mushroom turnovers into the oven.
Viv went on, “The article mentions Maggie’s Nantucket ancestor. His name was Vernon Willard.”
Lin spun around when she heard the name. “Willard? Where did I hear that name before?”
“Maggie introduced herself to us as Maggie Willard Topper,” Viv reminded Lin.
“That wasn’t it.” Lin tried to remember where she’d heard it previously.
“He was an important and successful businessman,” Viv read from the online article. “He made tons of money. He bought land and had the house built on upper Main Street that now belongs to Maggie. He had a reputation of being unscrupulous and devious in his dealings.” Viv looked up. “Sheesh. Is that how every rich person makes their money? By cheating and grubbing?”
“I’ll let you know after I make my first million,” Lin joked. “So Vernon Willard was the start of the Willard fortune. Vernon Willard. I’ve heard that name before now.”
Where she saw the name suddenly jumped into her mind. “I remember now. His name was listed as an employee of the silk factory. It was printed on the sheet of paper Felix gave us at the library.”
“Vernon Willard worked at the factory? I wonder if Maggie knows that fact,” Viv said.
“Can you find any more information on Vernon?” Lin asked.
Viv queried the man’s name and quite a few articles appeared on the screen. “Here’s some information. Vernon was a financial officer and accountant at the silk factory. It doesn’t give details, but this article says that the three owners had a falling out with Vernon and those differences of opinion, along with the failing mulberry trees, led to a fraying of the relationships as tensions mounted over the business problems. It seems there was a parting of the ways, and not a friendly one.” Viv read on. “Vernon bought and sold many businesses over the course of his lifetime. He invested well. He made a sizable fortune.” Viv looked up. “Too bad ole Vernon wasn’t an ancestor of ours. Lucky Maggie … Vernon started the fortune almost two hundred years ago and Maggie inherited it.”
Lin leaned against the kitchen counter. “I don’t know why what you just said made me think of this, but something’s been picking at me since we were at Maggie’s house.”
“What’s bothering you?”
“Something felt off to me when the friend, Paul Monroe, came out to the porch. The relationship between Paul and Maggie seemed slightly strained to me. Maybe it’s their shared grief that made them seem awkward with one another. I don’t know. I feel like there’s something there that could be meaningful.”
“Meaningful, how?” Viv’s eyes widened. “Oh. Do you think they might be having an affair?”
“I’m not sure that’s it. I sort of felt like Paul knows something he isn’t sharing.”
Viv leaned forward. “Could Paul be the one who poisoned Warren Topper?”
“I think what you said about Vernon Willard having a falling out with the three silk factory workers made me think of this. Were Paul and Warren close to having a falling out? Was Paul angry with Warren over something?”
Nicky and Queenie came in from the deck and sat on the kitchen floor listening to the conversation.
“Do you think Maggie knows anything about trouble between her husband and Paul?” Viv asked.
“I wouldn’t think so, but maybe she suspects something?”
“This is interesting. I didn’t pick up on any of this when we were there.”
“I’m not sure what’s going on,” Lin said. “But I feel there’s something that bears looking into, either at Paul’s and Maggie’s relationship or whether Paul knows something important he isn’t talking about, or if Paul’s and Warren’s friendship was fraying, and if it was, why was it?”
Nicky let out a woof.
“Nick agrees with you.” Viv reached down and scratched the dog’s ears. “And so do I.” Standing up, she walked over to the stove. “Now let’s get those appetizers out of the oven and go change. John and Jeff will be here any minute.”
Lin put on an oven mitt and removed the cookie sheets of quiches, turnovers, and mini pizzas. The four young people were planning to meet for drinks and appetizers before heading into town to attend a restaurant party where a well-known singer who was a native of the island would be performing.
Lin was looking forward to the evening to have a break from thinking about her ghost and the murders of Warren Topper and Maura Wells, and when she heard Jeff knock on the screen door and come into the house, her heart skipped a beat.
When John arrived full of excitement over a house deal he’d just closed on, everyone headed out to the deck, lit the candles, poured drinks, and enjoyed the appetizers while Viv’s boyfriend told them the details about the sale he made only a few hours ago.
The friends chatted and laughed and relaxed together until it was time to head to the party. They cleared the deck table and loaded the dishwasher and got ready to leave the house.
Jeff wrapped Lin his arms and kissed her. “Thanks for the drinks and appetizers.”
When they stepped out of the hug, Lin’s horseshoe necklace caught on Jeff’s sweater and she had to grab at it to prevent it from breaking.
“We’ve been permanently hitched together,” Jeff kidded. He carefully unhooked the piece of jewelry and then took Lin’s hand as they followed Viv and John out of the house.
With her thumb and index finger holding the small white-gold horseshoe hanging from her necklace, Lin remembered how Elise’s own necklace had exploded into a million pieces the last time she’d seen the ghost.
Lin didn’t know why, but thinking about what had happened to the ghost’s silver chain caused an icy shiver to run down her back.
14
The bar-restaurant was located down at the docks overlooking the harbor and boats. An outside patio with tables and chairs and several seating groups clustered around glass coffee tables bustled with people enjoying appetizers and drinks. The band played inside, but speakers brought the music out to the patrons on the patio.
Warm temperatures without a bit of humidity and a clear sky full of stars enhanced the crowd’s enjoyment as people chatted and mingled.
“What a great night,” Viv smiled taking in the scene.
Jeff managed to find a table on the patio when a group vacated the spot.
“Perfect,” John said as he scanned the fashionably dressed people. “This is going to be fun.”
The foursome ordered drinks and light dinners.
“I think everyone on the island is here,” Lin chuckled. “I didn’t think this place would be so crowded.”
“The band is popular,” Viv pointed out. “They’ve got two songs getting a lot of airplay. It’s great to see them so successful.”
When they’d finished their meals, two women came over to the table to chat with Viv and Lin, and Jeff and John wandered off to the other side of the patio to talk with some acquaintances.
When their girlfriends went inside to see the band, Lin and Viv sat listening to the music until a man’s voice greeted them. Paul Monroe, wearing tan chinos and a navy blazer, sat down at the table with the cousins. His eyelids looked heavy and his speech was slightly slurred from a couple of drinks too many.
“How are you doing?” Viv asked.
“I’m keeping busy and drinking too much to avoid thinking about Warren’s murder.”
“Are you here alone?” Lin asked.
Paul nodded. “My wife went back to the mainland for a few meetings. I didn’t want to sit at home alone sulking so I decided to come down in the hopes I’d run into some friends.”
“How is Mrs. Topper doing?” Viv asked.
“She’s holding together fairly well. Of course, it might be a different story when she’s alone.”
“You said you and Warren were friends for almost thirty years?” Lin questioned.
“That’s right.” Paul lifted his drink to his lips, saw that the glass was empty, set it down, and flagged a waiter for another. “Time flies.”
“You know Maggie pretty well?”
“Sure. Well, not as well as I knew Warren, but my wife and I have been friends with the Toppers for years. We did things as couples, golfed, went to the beach, met other friends for dinner and drinks.”
“You never noticed a crack in the Toppers’ marriage?” Viv asked.
“No.” Paul seemed about to say more, but hesitated.
“Was there ever disharmony between Warren and Maggie?”
When the waiter returned with a fresh drink for Paul, he picked it up and took a long swallow. “Maybe there was some friction from time to time.”
“How do you mean?”
“Maggie isn’t the easiest person to get along with.”
Lin and Viv waited to see if Paul would say more.
Paul slouched and rested an elbow on the table. “Maggie’s nice and all, but she’s got some attitude. The woman is loaded. She inherited a bundle. She liked to lord it over Warren sometimes.”
“Warren did well though, didn’t he?” Lin leaned forward.
“Sure, he did, but it was no match for millions and millions of inherited wealth. Maggie is smart. She grew her business and expanded the fortune. She enjoyed rubbing it in Warren’s face.”
“How did Warren take that?”
“Usually fine. Sometimes they’d have words though. Things could be tense between them.” Paul looked out over the dark harbor, the lights of the boats shimmering off the water. “From the outside, Warren’s and Maggie’s lives looked perfect. Looks can be deceiving.”
“Would they have divorced?” Viv asked.
“I certainly don’t think so. Maggie and Warren had their place in society. They preferred to keep up appearances.”
Lin looked Paul in the eyes. “Does Maggie confide in you?”
Paul shook his head. “No. The friendship isn’t like that. Maggie doesn’t even confide in my wife.” The man’s lip curled. “Actually, I can’t see Maggie doing that with anyone. She’s a formidable presence and likes it that way. She would never show weakness. She would never show that she needed someone else.”
“That’s kind of sad.” Viv frowned.
“I suppose it is,” Paul said. “I never thought of it that way.”
Lin asked, “Do you remember anything from the afternoon Warren died? Anything that seemed inconsequential at the time, but now might seem odd or unusual?”
Paul’s eyes were bloodshot. “I don’t think so.”
“Did the bartender take too long to make Warren’s drink? Did he seem to keep his hand over it in an odd way? Did he give it to someone else by mistake and then deliver it to Warren?”
Paul shook his head slowly and said in a soft voice. “I didn’t notice anything like that.”
John caught Viv’s eye from across the patio and gestured towards Paul sitting with them, and she gave her boyfriend a reassuring smile and a wave.
Paul noticed and asked, “Am I keeping you? Do you need to meet someone?”
“Not at all. It’s my boyfriend. He’s chatting with some friends he hasn’t seen in a while,” Viv told the man.
“I’m going to miss Warren. I always enjoyed his company. I didn’t realize how much until this happened.” Paul rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes. “Listen. Something’s been nagging at me for a couple of days.”
Lin’s nervous system began to buzz. “Oh?”
“Yeah. It’s probably nothing, but….”
“What is it?” Viv asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I wasn’t quite up front with you when I saw you at Maggie’s place.” Paul kept his gaze on his drink. “I didn’t feel comfortable talking to you with Maggie nearby. When she went inside and left the three of us sitting on the porch, I didn’t know how much time we had before she would come back out.”
Lin wished Paul would get to the point.
Paul glanced around the patio and looked over his shoulders. “It’s been bothering me.” He swallowed hard. “Warren was seeing a woman.”
With her heart in her throat, Lin tried to keep her voice even when she asked, “Was he?”
Paul gave a curt nod. “On one hand, I feel like I’m betraying Warren by bringing this up, but on the other hand, I’m concerned and feel I should share.”
“Okay.” Lin wanted to grab Paul by the shoulders and shake the words out of him.
“Warren had been seeing this woman for a long time. A couple of years. She lives in Boston. She’s a real estate attorney. Warren met her at a charity event and they hit it off.”
“Maggie has no inkling of this?” Viv asked.
“If she did, she’d have killed Warren.” Paul’s eyes widened at what he’d said. “Not literally. I mean she would have been furious. I think she would have kicked Warren out.”
“How did Warren keep this secret for so long?” Lin questioned.
Paul shrugged. “The woman is in Boston. Warren went there frequently for business.”
“Warren told you about her?”
Paul rested his forehead in his hand. “I wish he hadn’t. It makes me feel terrible. I wasn’t thrilled when he told me and we had a few words over it, but I just thought it’s his decision and it’s his life. It wasn’t my place to judge.”
“Why are you telling us about this now?” Lin asked.
Paul kept his eyes on his drink. “I’m worried about something. Not only did Warren keep his affair a secret from Maggie, but he kept the fact he was married from this woman.”
“She didn’t know Warren was married?” Viv’s eyes bugged out.
Paul shook his head.
“Why are you worried?”
“What if the woman found out about Maggie? What if the woman found out Warren was married?”
Lin sat up straight. “Wait. You think the woman from Boston might have found out Warren had lied to her for two years? You think she might have come to Nantucket?”
Paul raised his head and looked Lin in the eyes. “Do you think it’s possible? Do you think she might have killed Warren?”
“Gosh.” Viv’s hand went to her throat.
“Do you know the woman’s name?” Lin asked.
Paul hesitated.
“You do know her name?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you telling us about this affair of Warren’s?” Viv asked.
“You’re doing research for the police, aren’t you?”
Lin gave a quick nod.
“I thought I should tell you about this … just in case.”
“I think you should go to the police and tell them what you just shared with us,” Lin suggested.
Paul’s face took on a frightened expression. “No way. You tell them, just leave my name out of it. I’m not going to the police station. Someone will see me and want to know why I went there.”
“Call the police and ask them to come to your home,” Lin said.
Paul’s eyes flashed. “Absolutely not. My wife will want to know what I’m talking with them about. She’ll want the details. She’d never forgive me for hiding Warren’s secret for so long. No. It’s not an option. And if you tell the police it was me who spoke with you, I’ll deny it.”
Lin spoke gently. “Can you tell us the woman’s name? Do you know her name?”
Paul bit his lip. “I swear I’ll deny everything if you tell the police I shared this information with you.”
“We won’t mention your name to the police,” Lin promised.
Shifting his eyes around nervously, Paul sighed. “Sofia Ricci.”
“She’s an attorney? Do you know where she works?”