Murder At Tropical Cove Marina (Cozy Mystery) (Sea Cozy Mysteries Book 1)

by Crystal Winters

  “Lucky me. Maybe this was a sign from above. Whatcha ya’ll need”?

  His earnest puppy-dog look caught me by surprise, and for a moment I lost my train of thought. When I recovered, I said, “Anyway, I met Gregg and Candy yesterday at the Crab House. He said he overhead you talking to Robert, something about Robert getting in an argument with Guz. Do you know what happened”?

  “Aah yeah, Robert started over the past few months goin’ out catchin’ for some of the local seafood restaurants. Robert wanted to pick up a little extra cash.”

  “Would that be fishing?”

  “Aah crabbin’, stone crabbin’ in fact. So apparently, he took his barrel of fresh claws over to the Crab House but for some reason or ‘nother they got in a spat over the size of the crab claws and so on and so forth. Robert and Guz walked out back and Robert got very upset with Guz, said he threw some of the claws at Guz and stormed out. Guz told him to not come back to the restaurant ever. When I saw Robert that evening, he was steamed. You could see the smoke coming out his ears.” Croc gave a little chuckle as he continued talking. “Last I saw of Robert, he said he was gonna have some drinks and relax on his boat. Ya ask me, he already had a few too many, though. And that was the last I heard from him. Next I hear, he’s done and died, poor guy.”

  Listening to Croc’s description of what had happened, it sounded unusually out of character for the usually affable man to get so angry. I said, “ It sure seems like Robert was acting very strangely last night. I’ll have to get Guz’s side of the story. I plan on seeing Guz Wednesday afternoon at the Seafood Jamboree Meeting.”

  “Yeah. I hear ya’ll are hostin’ it, this year.”

  “News travels fast in this town,” I thought. “That’s right. Both Guz and I are hosting the 4th annual Seafood Jamboree festival. It’ll be held next month,” I announced. “So come check it out. I want it to be the best year, ever.”

  “You got it, Maddie. I ain’t missed one yet.”

  “Give a few sailing lessons with your MacGregor? Huh?”

  “Weeelll…Maybe. I’ll think about it. I think so.”

  “Sounds good,” I replied, eager to get some more activities lined up.

  “Hey Maddie, do ya’ll wanna come tomorrow with Gregg and me catchin’? We are one man short. You can see how crabbin’ works. And ya’ll can get some free crab legs. Can’t beat that with a stick, can ya?”

  I couldn’t very well turn him down right after asking for a favor, and it sounded like fun, so I agreed. “Crab legs sounds tasty. Thanks for asking. That really sounds like fun. I’ll take advantage of your offer. Hopefully, it will take my mind off things. Thanks again, Croc. What time should I meet you?”

  “Be here tomorrow mornin’ at 5 sharp. We will be heading out in Gregg’s Boston Whaler.”

  “Okaley Dokely,” I said and gave a chuckle.

  “Ya’ll have a nice afternoon, Maddie,” as he waved bye and headed to the community room.

  I finished the rounds and parked the cart by the dumpster. As I headed back to the office my phone started to ring. It was Ethan. “Hey Ethan, what’s up?”

  His sober voice was in sharp contrast to my cheerful greeting. “Maddie, we think that Robert was poisoned. His blood alcohol level was through the roof.”

  “Yes. I heard he was drinking pretty heavily that night. But why poison? I mean—“

  “The alcohol didn’t kill him, but it did knock him out. And they, uh, also found a substance in his stomach that probably caused him to vomit while unconscious. It caused pulmonary aspiration, which led to his death. And get this: The substance found in his stomach consisted of some sort of Petroleum Distillates. We are sending the substance to the chemical lab now to narrow down the product.”

  “What was that? Petro…..Dital…. I didn’t quite catch that.”

  “Petroleum Distillates,” Ethan responded.

  Isn’t that in kerosene, oils, and such? I’ve seen that ingredient on a can of something or other before,” I babbled.

  “Uh, yeah. It is, Maddie. Sorry, I got to take another call.” Ethan disconnected.

  “Ok,” I said to myself.

  I returned to my cart, pulled out the garbage bag, and tossed it into the dumpster. When I was done, I noticed some brown, sticky, gooey substance on my glove. I lifted my glove to my nose and the spot had a strong, oily, chemical smell. I tried to recall the Peto…Dis and what I had seen the ingredient on but was having trouble concentrating. “Am I having another one of those brain farts?” I thought to myself. I have been experiencing quite a few of those as I have been entering menopause, along with those annoying hot flashes. Oh yeah, It was finally coming to me. My father and I refurbished an old 32 ft Catalina a couple of years ago and we refinished the wood using teak oil. She turned out to beauty after we were done. I had to retrieve the bag from the dumpster so I could dig through it to find what I was looking for. I grabbed one of the empty bottles of teak oil and turned the bottle over to read the ingredients. Harmful or Fatal if swallowed. Danger: Contains Petroleum Distillates. Call Physician immediately. Do not use near heat, sparks or open flame. Use only in well ventilated areas.

  I immediately called Ethan. I got his voice mail, “This is Maddie, call me back immediately. The substance may be teak oil.”

  CHAPTER 5

  I put the bag with the teak oil in the golf cart. While I was doing so, Carol exited the day room.

  “Hi, Maddie. God blessed us with another beautiful day.”

  “He sure did. Hey, out of curiosity, did you know that Robert would be working with Ms. Johnson on her boat?”

  “Yeah, I was a little upset about it. Maddie, I never told anyone this, but I got jealous a lot over Ms. Johnson. We all became friends and such but sometimes I’d get that burning rage of jealousy deep down in my soul. I prayed to the Lord Jesus every time she was around my husband to take away my jealousy and for Robert to not commit adultery.”

  “I understand, Carol. Ms. Johnson was pretty nice looking. And the short shorts and tank tops were pretty revealing.” I thought of Ms. Johnson’s large breasts and the way she seemed to delight in enticing men. A woman would have to be a saint to not feel jealous. “But, I think God was listening to your prayers, though.”

  “Thanks for understanding, Maddie.”

  I realized this was a perfect opportunity to help Ethan out with his investigation. Trying to sound casual, I asked, “Where did you go the day they were working on Ms. Johnson boat?”

  “I went out shoppin’. I had to get some thread and some groceries. Then I got a call from Robert. He said they were running low on teak oil and could I get some while I was out. I told them I could swing by Nate’s Nautical and pick them up some,” Carol explained.

  A thrill went up my spine when I heard the words ‘teak oil’. “How many did you get?”

  “They needed two more bottles but I also got a spare just in case. So three. Why?” Carol asked.

  “Oh, no reason. Just curious,” I replied. “Did you know that they found a substance in Robert’s stomach? It looks like he was poisoned.”

  “Oh dear God, what was it?” As Carol placed her hands over her mouth.

  “I replied, a substance that contains petro…leum dis..tillates. I hope I pronounced that right. It’s in teak oil.”

  “Teak oil? Wait. Do they think that Ms. Johnson might have something to do with it?” The eyes of the little white-haired woman became hard, and a furrow appeared in her brow. She was angry.

  “No no no. Nothing like that,” I hurried to explain, cursing myself for my carelessness. “They don’t know yet, they still are investigating and questioning people.”

  Carol took a deep breath and muttered what sounded like a prayer. “Forgiveness is what this world is about. If Ms. Johnson committed the sin, I will need to forgive her just like God does with us. Matthew 6, verse 14 says: For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men thei
r sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

  I was amazed that someone could be so forgiving. I know I could never manage it. “So true Carol, So true,” I said.

  “Maddie, thanks for fillin’ me in and listenin’. I’ll see you later. I need to get back to my boat and catch up on a few things.”

  Instead of throwing the bags away, I took them to the boater’s day room and locked them in the maintenance closet so I could give them to Ethan to analyze.

  When Ethan called back he said, “I got your message and the chemical lab did confirm the product as teak oil.”

  Guess what Ethan. I found out from Croc that Robert and Ms. Johnson might have had a fling going on between them. And that Robert apparently got in a argument at Guz’s restaurant, and—”

  “Slow down, Maddie. Take a few deep breaths. Are the teak oil bottles still in the dumpster? I have to get them before the dumpster’s emptied.”

  “I already took them out. I’ve got them in storage.”

  He chuckled. “Maddie, you’re a wonder, I ever tell you that? Why don’t I swing by and pick you up and drop the evidence off at the Police Department? Once we drop the evidence off, how about we take off and head North to Tarpon Bay to pay a friendly visit to Ms. Johnson. Does that sound like a plan?” Ethan said.

  “Sure, sounds great,” I answered, already planning what I would wear. “This is just like that show…what was it? Scarecrow and Mrs. King,” I thought, feeling a warm glow at the thought of being in a crime-solving partnership with Ethan. I disconnected and got ready for our little excursion.

  As I waited for Ethan, Fed Ex showed up with a package addressed to Carol Clive. I signed for it and walked it down to her boat. As I was walking down, I happened to glance at the package and the sender’s name. It was from R.A. Life Insurance and Beneficiaries and addressed to Mrs. Robert Clive. I thought to myself, “That sure seems quick. She didn’t even have time to mourn the death of her husband yet, but she is already working on the insurance.” I was struck with the thought that it seemed awfully suspicious and that maybe Carol wasn’t quite as innocent as she acted. The second I thought it I pushed it out of my mind. There was no possible way for the strait-laced widow to be involved in anything improper.

  I stood outside her boat and raised my voice. “Excuse me, Carol, are you in there? I have a package for you from Fed Ex.” There was no answer. “Ahoy, Captain. Permission to come aboard.” I stepped onto her boat carefully, as the waves were causing the boat to rock, and carelessness could result in a non-scheduled bath in cold saltwater. I knocked on her hatch. She didn’t answer so I slipped it between the slats of her cabin hatch and exited her boat.

  CHAPTER 6

  I made my way slowly back to the office thinking about the package. When I got back, Ethan was already waiting for me. I had so much to tell him, my mind wouldn’t stop racing with all the new information I had acquired. We went to the forensics lab and dropped off the garbage bags so they could analyze the bottles of oil for fingerprints and such. After that, we headed North to Ms. Johnson place. I had so much to talk about, from Croc and Gregg’s witness of Robert’s argument with Guz, to Carol and Ms. Johnson’s involvement with Robert. He filled me in on the alibi he got from Carol, as well as those of the fisherman and other boaters around the area.

  Ethan explained, “Everyone seemed to pass with flying colors and their alibis checked out fine.” He continued, “Visiting Ms. Johnson will help further the investigation, and retrieving fingerprints from the teak oil bottles could give us a lucky break. I hope. Anyway, we sure, uh, could use something to help us figure out what exactly happened that night.” He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “If it actually was a case of poisoning, I, uh, want to catch the killer. Robert was too nice a guy to have something like this happen to him.” He seemed to notice what he was doing to the steering wheel and loosened his grip. “Anyhow, that’s what I think.” He glanced over at me and gave me a little embarrassed smile.

  The time flew by quickly. We arrived at Ms Johnson’s place in little under an hour. She lived in a doublewide trailer located in a woodsy area in what people would describe as ‘Podunk country’. Behind her property was a nice canal with tangled and twisted mangroves alongside the banks. The closest city-type civilization was a good twenty minutes away.

  Ms. Johnson greeted us at the door wearing cutoff jean shorts and a tight, white t-shirt. “Maddie? Ethan? Hi! My goodness, this is quite the surprise. What brings y’all to my neck of the woods?” Ms. Johnson had retired early from her school teaching job at the age of 58 to enjoy her favorite activities: boating, camping, and traveling. She didn’t look 58; in fact, she looks better than most 30-year-olds. Her active lifestyle had rewarded her with a firm, muscled body, and her plastic surgeon had rewarded her with breasts that completed a body with perfect proportions. Her pale blonde hair—that was light enough to have come from a bottle of peroxide—served to give her the appearance of a west-coast surf bunny, rather than a woman who had spent most of her adult life teaching elementary children their ABCs. “No wonder Robert enjoyed flirting with her. It must have put a little zing in his life,” I thought to myself. In addition to Ms. Johnson’s retirement, she also had a fortune-telling business on the side.

  “Hello, Ms. Johnson,” Ethan replied. “We wanted to inform you of some really sad news. Robert died over the weekend.”

  “What?” Her smile disappeared. “Robert?”

  We are so, so sorry,” Ethan said with a concerned expression.

  Tears welled up in her eyes, and I suddenly felt guilty for bringing such shocking news. She was silent for a moment as she tried to come to terms with the death of her friend. I was about to say something, anything, when she broke the silence. “What, what happened, Hun?” She pulled a cloth out of a pocket and wiped at her eyes. It left a small smear in her mascara. If this woman were the killer, I would eat my sun hat.

  “We think that he was poisoned. We are still investigating though,” Ethan responded.

  Her response was almost inaudible. “Murder.” She blinked several times, and continued. “M-murder, you think? Why? Why would anyone do such a thing? I mean, Robert? He was the kindest man I’ve ever known. Who would want to hurt Robert?” The tears started flowing, leaving dark streaks of ruined mascara down her suntanned cheeks. The cloth that she was using became stained with the makeup when she wiped her face.

  I pulled a tissue out and moved to help her, as Ethan continued, “That is why we are here. To ask you a few questions to see if you know anything and where you were the night of his death.”

  I dabbed at the mess on the poor woman’s face, adding, “We understand that you were with Robert on the day of his death. You both were seen staining wood on your boat.”

  She must’ve detected something in my voice, or maybe my expression, because she gave a wan smile and said, “It’s not what you think, Hun. Remember, my monthly slip rent was due? So I came down to pay.”

  “Ah. Yeah,” I said. I handed her a new tissue and let her continue the cleanup. She seemed to be calming down a little.

  She blew her nose, and continued, “Last month when I was down, I told Robert that I was thinking of fixing up my boat and possibly selling her. I don’t use it that much. So Robert said he could help me the next time I came down. He said he already had some stain and we could get started right away.”

  “Were you two an item?” I blurted.

  Ethan choked and started coughing, and I felt the skin of my face warm as I blushed. “I’m sorry. I mean—“

  Ms. Johnson waved her hand, and smiled. “Don’t worry, Hun. I understand. To answer your question, though: No, Hun, we had a fling many moons ago in college. For maybe 3 months or so, but that was it. We kept in touch over the years.”

  “Did Carol know?” I asked.

  “Hun, she knew about our past relationship. Robert assured Carol that nothin’ was going on now. We all became friends over the years and Carol even sugges
ted me getting a sailboat and docking it at the marina. She knew I enjoyed the outdoors.”

  “Did you think she could have been jealous? Of you and Robert’s closeness?” Ethan asked.

  “Not that I’m aware of, Hun. Carol never said anything to me. She kept it hidden if she was.”

  “Where did you go after you two were done working on your boat?” Ethan asked.

  “Hun, he had a few drinks in my boat cabin and he steamed up some crab legs on my camp stove at about 6pm. At around 7, Robert said he was going to Guz’s and then go and get a drink or two at the Purple Monkey Tiki Bar. That’s when I left the marina and headed back home. You can talk with my neighbor a mile down the road about my whereabouts. She walks her dog past my place every evening so she would see my car in the driveway and that my lights were on last night.”

  “Also, where did you throw the empty bottles of teak oil when you were done,” Ethan asked as he took his pen from pocket.

  “Robert walked them up to the garbage can, Hun. You know, the one right before you enter the docks?”

  “Thanks Ms. Johnson,” Ethan said as he jotted this down in his notebook.

  “You’re welcome, Hun, you can call me Bev if you like.”

  “Well thank you for your time, Bev,” Ethan concluded and started walking away.

  “Wait, before y’all head back, how about a nice cup of tea and I’ll read you a quick fortune?” Ms. Johnson said enthusiastically.

  “Sure, why not?” we replied in unison.

  She led us through a doorway into another room. The walls were decorated with all manner of items that would be expected in a room devoted to fortune telling. On a shelf, I noticed what could only be a large crystal ball covered with a silk cloth. Crowding the shelves above and below, were numerous books dealing with astrology, dream interpretation, tarot, and even a large book claiming to describe how to communicate with spirits. In the center of the room was a circular table covered with a bright red tablecloth. Ethan and I sat at the table and Bev served us tea before taking her seat in an ornate chair that could put some king’s thrones to shame. Once we were all settled, Bev took Ethan’s hand in her own, saying, “Hun, let’s start with you.”