Murder in Seabrook Shores

by Jane T O'Brien

  “Who’s Myra?” Fletch asked.

  “Myra is the stager who was to replicate some rooms in Stonehill Manor. I wonder if Detective Bellamy knows her role in the movie.”

  Samantha’s cell phone sounded; Sally Rafferty was calling. “Hello, Sally, is Brad all right?”

  He begged me to call you, he said he must tell you something. He won’t tell me what it is and only wants to talk to you. Is there any way you can come to the jail again; I hate to disturb you but he’s terribly agitated?

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can, thanks for calling, Sally.”

  Samantha and Fletch excused themselves, Samantha hoped Brad would remember what he wanted to tell her this time.

  When they arrived at the police station, Brad smiled. “I know what I wanted to tell you, Samantha.” He said proudly. “Mr. Crenshaw came into the study; I was watching from the peephole. I could hear them because the bookcase was open a little. Mr. Crenshaw didn’t know about the secret room so he didn’t know I was watching and listening. The lady said she had found a clock at an estate sale and she was excited to show it to him. She picked it up, and he said, ‘That’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen. Get it out of here and you go with it. The movie is off.’

  She said: ‘You can’t do that; we have a contract.’

  ‘Read the fine print, lady, I’m not obligated to pay you or anyone else involved in that stupid movie.’

  ‘But I’ve spent a thousand dollars of my money,’ she yelled back at him. ‘What am I supposed to do with all that beautiful furniture?’

  ‘I don’t care what you do with it, get out of my sight. You people are all leeches and I’m sick of the lot of you. Get out!’

  “The lady was still holding the clock in her hand and she popped Mr. Crenshaw on the noggin. I wanted to laugh because he deserved it, but I didn’t want him to know I was there. He turned around and stared at her, I think it scared her and she dropped the clock before she ran out the door. Mr. Crenshaw put his hand on the back of his head and there was blood on it. He walked out the patio door and I picked up the clock and hid it in the secret room. I was afraid the lady would be in trouble if Mr. Crenshaw reported her to the police and they found the clock. She seemed like a nice lady and Mr. Crenshaw was mean to her. Did I do the right thing, Samantha?”

  “You did the right thing, Brad. Would you be willing to tell Detective Bellamy what you told me?’

  “I don’t know; he will be mad because I hid the clock.”

  “He will understand you did what you thought was best for the lady. He won’t be mad.”

  “All right, I’ll tell him, will you be with me, Samantha?”

  “Yes, I’ll be with you, Brad.”

  Samantha was relieved to know Brad hadn’t harmed Reggie. She and Fletch sat with Brad while they waited for Detective Bellamy to arrive.

  Brad described what he saw the day Reggie suffered a head injury. He was relieved when the detective didn’t scold him for hiding the clock from the police. Pete was gentle with the witness and avoided probing for answers.

  Brad was obviously emotionally drained after he told his story and an attendant escorted him back to his cell while waiting for his transfer to the hospital.

  “Do you have any reason to doubt his story, Samantha?”

  “No, Pete, I believe he was being honest. In all the excitement, I’d forgotten about Myra Simms. She was pushy when we met a few days ago. That was the only time I saw her at the mansion. I chose from a variety of room sketches and thought her work was done. She must have purchased the clock and put it on the credenza early the morning of Mr. Crenshaw’s death.”

  “It shouldn’t be too difficult to track the woman down. Thanks for your help, Samantha, I’m sure Brad could talk about the incident because of your friendship with him.”

  “My crime-solving wife has done it again,” said Fletch.

  “I can’t take credit for this one, Brad was an eyewitness, and he gets the bragging rights.”

  “He would have taken that information to the grave if you hadn’t stood by him until he felt comfortable telling the truth about what took place. I hope he can get the help he needs.”

  “I think he will, he has endeared himself to the staff here at the jail and that’s difficult to do. His sister and brother-in-law are on his side and he has us. Maybe with friends around him, he will overcome some damage his mother did to him for years.”

  It didn’t take long for Pete to track down Ms. Myra Sims. He and Officer Hendricks arrived at her front door shortly after five o’clock in the evening.

  “I’ve been expecting you, officers. I knew Reggie Crenshaw would press charges against me. I have no excuse for my behavior, I was devastated when he called off the movie. My whole career dissolved that day and I’m facing financial ruin. I’m sorry I hurt him if you need to arrest me go right ahead.” Myra held out her arms waiting for handcuffs to be placed on them.

  Pete wasn’t sure what to make of this woman, was she playing a game? Or was she truly not aware of Reggie Crenshaw’s death?

  “We are here to ask you some questions, Ms. Simms, we can do it here or at the station, it’s your choice.”

  “Ask away, Detective. I’m sure Reggie told you what happened. I won’t lie, I’m guilty of assault and I know I must be punished. I will repent by spending time in prison because I spent my last dollar purchasing furnishings for a movie that will never be made.”

  She led them into her living room. The drapes were drawn and there was only a sliver of light coming through the windows as the sun was setting.

  “Ms. Sims, have you listened to the television or read a newspaper in the last few days?”

  “No, I have wallowed in self-pity since Reggie Crenshaw dashed my dreams. I’m an artist, Detective, I can be overly dramatic in my reactions. You are the first human contact I’ve had since that awful day when I threw the beautiful antique clock in a fit of rage. I didn’t intend to hit him with it, I was aiming for the window, but he got in the way.”

  Pete couldn’t tell whether Myra Sims was oblivious, or she was pretending to be, if it was the latter, she was exceptionally good at it.

  “Ms. Sims, are you aware that Reggie Crenshaw is dead?”

  Myra’s mouth flew open and she let out an ear-splitting scream. “No, that can’t be, there was blood, but he was still standing. I thought he would kill me, so I ran. Please tell me he isn’t dead.”

  “I want you to tell us everything that happened that afternoon. I recommend you call a lawyer before you answer questions.”

  “I have no money for a lawyer, if I killed a man, I deserve to be punished. I’ll tell you everything you want to know,” Myra said through her sobs.

  She told her account of the incident. It was almost identical to the report made by Brad Taylor earlier. Pete Bellamy had no choice but to arrest her for assault. Whether she was responsible for Reggie Crenshaw’s death would be determined by the prosecutor in the case.

  Chapter Twenty

  Gina wrote two checks as signing bonuses. Barry Kline and Grant Wagner both did as she’d asked and had an attorney look over the contracts.

  “I want you fellas to know, these are signing bonuses. As I told you before I want your full attention to the project and I don’t want you worrying about finances.” Andie Kline accompanied her husband to the meeting with Gina and Blake.

  “I wanted to thank you in person, Ms. Crenshaw, for giving my husband back his peace of mind.”

  “Andie, I’d like for us to be friends, please call me Gina. I’m not proud of the pain my father caused and I’m trying to make up for some of his behavior. The man never had a financial worry in his life but I don’t believe he was ever truly happy.

  “Grant, I want you to take your time with the screenplay, I hope you can work all the characters in the book into the final draft. Barry, have you thought of actors we can approach once the screenplay is written? I want a producer you can work easily with. It’s unfortuna
te about the woman who was designing the sets, maybe we can re-hire her if she is acquitted in Father’s death. If not, we will use the items she has purchased already and reimburse her for them. That should help with her legal expenses.”

  Samantha was impressed with the way Gina took over this project. She knew how she wanted to proceed and was good at issuing orders without being insulting.

  “Gina, my girl, Misty, is on her way to California,” said Grant, “she said if I wasn’t coming home, she would come to me, I promise, I will not let her being here interfere with my writing.”

  “Grant, I want no one to give up their life for this project. I want you to live your lives. If it takes years to accomplish a finished product, so be it. When will we meet your girl?”

  “Soon, I’ll pick her up at the airport in two hours,” Grant said unable to suppress his smile.

  Gina hired a lawyer to represent Myra Sims. Because Reggie died after a fall in the pool the prosecution couldn’t prove Myra was responsible for his death. She was charged with accidental bodily injury to a human being and required to attend an anger management course and serve three hundred hours of community service. Her obvious remorse influenced the judge’s decision.

  With the movie project in the capable hands of Gina, Barry and Grant, Samantha, Fletch, and their friends finally enjoyed their California vacation. They were busy for a full week before it was time to go back to Lancashire and resume their lives.

  They arrived during a snowstorm in early March and remembered fondly lounging at the pool the day before. They made good friends and would never forget their time in California.

  Epilogue

  With the love and support of his sister, Sally, Brad was released from the psychiatric unit of the hospital in Los Angeles. He moved to the small town in Wisconsin to be with Sally and Rob’s family. He helped in the diner and participated in community activities including plays put on by the locals. Everyone was happy to have a real movie star as a part of their town and Brad had become a social and popular addition to the community. He and Sally’s friend, Alice were often together. He and Samantha talked on the phone once or twice a month. Samantha was his only friend at one time and he would always have a special place in his heart for her.

  Rachel reluctantly gave up having Fletch in her life. He’d made it abundantly clear he had no interest in her. She quickly found a replacement for Reggie Crenshaw and hired a lawyer to verify her marriage to the seventy-five-year-old was legal and he had no other heirs but her.

  Pete Bellamy and Alexandra Crenshaw admitted their attraction for each other was the real thing and were married in a small chapel in the town of Seabrook Shores where they met only a few months earlier.

  Blake Lambert didn’t sell his grandmother’s mansion. He and Gina turned it into a five-star restaurant. The secret room was perfect for a wine cellar and now had a door visible from the room that once was a study. The pool was filled in and became an area for outside dining. The outside of the mansion was photographed and used in the movie. The inside sets were designed in the studio with Myra Sims in charge of their authenticity. Blake closed his London office and moved permanently to California to be with his wife, Gina and await the birth of their first child.

  Megan and Mike were married in a quiet ceremony in her hometown with Samantha and Fletch as their matron of honor and best man. Megan’s mother tried her best to keep the reception small but with so many friends and family in the small town, it was impossible. Megan didn’t care she was marrying Mike, and that was all that mattered.

  Barry and Andie Kline’s son’s cancer remained in remission. He wasn’t out of the wood yet but each day that past was getting him to a full recovery. Barry was happy directing a film that was worthwhile. He was thankful to Samantha and Gina for giving him a chance.

  Grant finished the screenplay and he and Misty returned to Iowa where they were married. Grant worked as a mechanic in his father’s garage and wrote suspense novels during his time off. With the money he made writing the screenplay, he could have his book published. It was mildly successful, and he felt he had the best of both worlds. He and Misty were looking forward to a vacation in California when they would attend the premiere of Stonehill Manor.

  Melvin Kessler’s debts continued, he was out of work and out of money. He felt he had no choice but to run from the law and his bookie. He disappeared and has not been heard from since.

  The premier was scheduled three days before Thanksgiving. Megan and Mike could not attend because Megan was in her ninth month of pregnancy. Samantha was happy for her friend but would miss her being there.

  Samantha looked like a movie star in her full-length silver lame dress and matching shoes. She walked the red carpet hoping should wouldn’t trip in her spiked high heels. Fletch felt uncomfortable in a tuxedo but was extremely proud of his wife.

  The critics raved about the movie, some called it refreshing, some called it a classic, some said there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Samantha was happy with the reaction but knew this would be her first and last venture into Hollywood. She was a small-town girl and liked it best that way.

  Gina threw a party and invited everyone who had anything to do with the movie from the actors to the people who delivered food to the set. She was doing her best to spend every bit of her father’s money but found she made more money than when she started. She would continue to find worthy causes and helped strangers without their knowledge.

  When Samantha and Fletch were in California, Megan gave birth to a baby girl. She was sorry her best friend couldn’t be with her but they both knew babies had their own timetable.

  Samantha and Fletch returned home once again, Samantha vowed to never be involved in another real-life mystery. “I’ll only write about murders from now on.”

  Fletch had his doubts, mysteries seemed to fall into her world and that was one of the many things he loved about Samantha.

  Available now:

  Murder in Hillsboro

  A Molly Ryan Cozy Mystery

  Twin sisters, abandoned at birth, meet for the first time twenty-five-years later. Molly Ryan and Stephanie Anderson are determined to find their birth mother to question why they were left two-hundred miles apart on a cold day in December. Their lives are in danger when their half-sister is determined to keep their true identity a secret. The mystery is compounded when a murder takes place and the truth is revealed.