Margot Durand Cozy Mystery Boxed Set: Books 4 - 6

by Danielle Collins

  The reality was, she not only missed his help, but his effervescent personality and easygoing manner. And, though she’d never admit it to his face, she missed his experiments. The good, the bad, and even the ugly.

  “Margie?” Adam said, bending down to look her in the eye.

  “Sorry,” she said, blinking. “I was in another place.”

  “Clearly,” he said, chuckling. “Is this our table?”

  She looked up to see Sarah and Matt chatting on one side of the table while Fran fussed with the top button of Edgar’s polo shirt. Ron and Jenny weren’t there yet, but she saw them making their way through the crowd as well. “Yes, this is us.”

  “Hi, everyone,” Adam said, sitting down at the table. “I'm Adam.”

  His greeting was followed by welcomes all around just as Ron and Jenny joined them. Conversation was interrupted by a waitress bringing their salads to them, but soon everyone was chatting again.

  “So what do you do?” Matt asked Adam.

  Margot looked at him to see what he would say.

  “I’m a police officer,” he said with a smile.

  “You don't say,” Edgar said, nodding approvingly.

  Margot caught the look Jenny shot Adam before looking down and slicing into her dinner roll. Was it fear?

  “Are you with the local police?” Sarah inquired, looking at him over her raised phone.

  “No. I’m just up for a little rest and relaxation.”

  “You picked a pretty companion for your vacation,” Edgar said and then winced when Fran slapped him.

  “Don’t pry, Ed.”

  “It’s all right,” Adam said in his congenial manner. “Margot is my girlfriend. I was fortunate enough to get a cabin near hers on the other side of the resort. Where are you all staying?”

  And just like that, he was gaining information on them all. Margot marveled at the way he did it, asking innocent questions that allowed people to divulge important things about themselves. Things he no doubt stored away for later.

  He was a true detective, something she admired about him.

  Dinner went smoothly until dessert was announced. Their waitress gave everyone two options: chocolate cake or an ice cream sundae. Margot put in her order for the cake but, as the waitress went around the table, she was shocked when Jenny ordered the sundae. Hadn’t she said she was allergic to milk?

  “You must have remembered your pills,” Margot said with a smile.

  Jenny frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, I thought you had a lactose allergy.”

  “No,” she said with a disgusted look. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Margot wanted to remind her exactly when and where she’d heard that, but the conversation shifted before she could.

  “Margot,” Adam said later, leaning in so only she could hear him. “You’re brooding.”

  She smirked. “Am not.”

  “Am too. What’s up with you and Miss Snooty over there?”

  “I don’t trust her, Adam,” Margot said, keeping her gaze on Jenny, who was scowling at something Ron had said. “She’s lying.”

  “About?”

  “Being lactose intolerant.”

  Adam laughed, drawing the attention of the table. He raised a hand. “Sorry, folks. Margie here has a great sense of humor.”

  They all went back to their individual conversations while she shot daggers at Adam with a dark glance.

  “Sorry. You were saying?”

  “I just mean that she blatantly lied to an officer yesterday about being lactose intolerant and now she’s here having an ice cream sundae and says she doesn’t know what I’m talking about.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t like to talk to the police.”

  “Or maybe she has something to hide.”

  Adam’s eyebrow rose and he slowly nodded. “What did you say her name was?”

  “Jenny Blane.”

  “Okay, I’ll have Les check her out.”

  “Thanks.” Margot smiled at him and then reached out her fork to take the cherry off the top of his sundae. “I know you don’t like these.”

  He laughed as she ate it. “Very astute of you, Watson.”

  “Sherlock,” she corrected.

  After dinner, Margot convinced CeCe to stay in the lodge with them to play a game of cards. By the end of the night, CeCe was smiling, laughing as if there wasn’t the weight of a stalker resting on her shoulders. Margot was thankful for the moment, knowing that it wouldn’t last for long but happy that they’d had it.

  When the decks of cards had been shuffled and put back, they all headed back to their cabins. As Adam had so astutely pointed out to those at their table that night, he’d gotten the cabin directly next to CeCe’s.

  “I’m glad you came, Adam,” CeCe said. “Margot’s done nothing but talk about you and—”

  “I have not,” Margot said indignantly.

  Adam and CeCe shared a boisterous laugh as Margot feigned indifference.

  “No, but in all seriousness, she has said how amazing of a detective you are. I’m glad that we can have you here.”

  “You do know that I think we should go to the police with all of this, right?”

  CeCe nodded. “I know, and I almost went up to Detective Rexton today, but every time I got near him, he looked like a tea kettle ready to blow. That vein popping up on his forehead is like a warning sign. I'm afraid he’ll either discredit me, discount me, or laugh at me.”

  “Any good detective would take the time to hear out your story.”

  “And you have,” she said with a gentle smile. “I promise, if anything…else happens, we can involve the local authorities.”

  Margot had a feeling her friend had been about to say if anything worse happens, but she couldn’t be sure. Would that be the case? Something worse than threatening notes, poisonous snakes, and bloody paintings was difficult to imagine.

  They arrived at CeCe’s door. “I’ll be right next door. And don’t worry. I took care of the painting. Once we’re sure that it’s not related to Rick’s death, we’ll get it cleaned up for you.”

  “Thank you,” she said, tears sparkling in her eyes. “Good night.”

  They watched her walk down the path and disappear into the cabin. “So far so good.”

  “I checked it earlier today. As far as I could tell nothing had been disturbed.”

  “Well, I suppose that’s good. But what’s bothering me is the fact that someone has access to her cabin.” Margot went on to explain the security locks and the way the computer system had been set up.

  “Sounds like whoever made that knew what they were doing. That’s a great system. Now we’ll just need to get our hands on readouts of who has had access to her room.”

  “And mine,” Margot added.

  “You still think the snake is part of this?”

  “I do,” she said. “It was too much of a coincidence. Plus, CeCe was staying in my room, so it makes sense that the snake would have been to frighten us both.”

  “So you think someone is watching you then?”

  As if his statement could bring out eyes from the dense and dark forest surrounding them, Margot looked around before answering. “I do.”

  She thought of the trail behind CeCe’s cabin and how she’d seen Matt coming down the path from there. Was it possible she’d caught him coming from scouting out CeCe’s cabin? Or worse, breaking into her cabin?

  “Don’t worry,” Adam said, as if her distracted look had caused him to think she was nervous. “I’ll be close by.”

  “Thank you,” she said, squeezing his hand. “Now go get some sleep. We have a case to solve tomorrow.”

  He kissed her on the cheek and watched as she walked to her cabin, making sure she was safely inside before he turned back to his.

  Margot got ready for bed, slipped into her covers—after first checking for snakes—and then lay there staring at the ceiling. The information she’d gathered
that day with Adam filled her mind. No one in the kitchen staff, now interviewed a second time with Adam, had any motive to want CeCe’s job. The initial thought that Rick was behind everything was false, but they had spent a few hours going over how someone could know all of the things that they did about CeCe.

  The end result was simple. Study. Someone had studied CeCe, and maybe even Rick too. It was also possible that the same person responsible for killing Rick was the same person who was now tormenting his ex-wife.

  Margot rolled over on her side, but sleep still wouldn't come. Finally, after one in the morning, she stood and made her way to the kitchen, feeling thirsty. She desperately wanted to sleep, but at the same time, her friend was counting on her to solve this mystery and they were running out of time.

  She’d just turned off the tap when a flash of light drew her attention. She hadn’t turned on the lights, being able to maneuver by the dim light from the waning moon, so the flash had been easily visible out of the large windows toward the back of her cabin.

  Staying in the shadows, she crept to the window and waited. Sure enough, a few moments later, another flash went off, this time closer to CeCe’s cabin. It only took her a moment to decide what she was going to do. Rushing back to her room, she pulled on pants and a dark sweatshirt over her pajama top, and slipped into a pair of running shoes. Then, taking her small flashlight with her, she crept out the backdoor and into the trees at the edge of the clearing beside her cabin.

  Her footsteps up until that point were quieted by the damp grass, but now she had to watch where she stepped for fear of treading on a branch that would give away her position.

  She slipped into the darkness and crept closer to CeCe’s cabin. No lights were on and it looked as if Adam’s cabin was the same way. When she neared the spot where she’d located the trail before, she paused, slowing her breathing so she could listen.

  The regular sounds of the night grew louder as the insects she’d disturbed reemerged and joined in their song again. Then she heard it--the snap of a branch. The sweeping sound of the brush being pushed aside. Someone was coming.

  Her heart pounded in her chest and she wished she had some form of defense. Then again, her Krav Maga skills would come in handy, as long as she could see her opponent. Nervously, she turned to look behind her when a woosh accompanied hands that shoved her to the ground.

  The shattering sound of glass breaking and a cry broke the stillness of the night. As if he’d been waiting for this, Adam’s light burst on and moments later, his backdoor flung open. Margot hurried to stand just as her assailant rushed past her and into the dense brush on the small trail she’d found.

  “Adam, over here!” she cried out.

  He raced toward her. “Margot, are you all right?”

  “He went into the woods. Here!” She thrust her flashlight into his hand. “I’ll check on CeCe.”

  When he saw that she was all right, he rushed past her and into the woods, the sound of cracking branches and crashing following him.

  Margot turned and ran toward the house, calling out for CeCe.

  “I'm okay,” her friend replied, the sound of falling glass accompanying a cry of pain.

  “Be careful, CeCe!”

  “I am,” she said, finally opening the backdoor. “The glass is everywhere.”

  The back-porch light came on and Margot saw her friend standing there, her hands cut and bleeding, as well as her feet.

  “Oh, CeCe!” Margot cried out, rushing up the steps to catch her just as she fell into a fit of tears.

  Chapter 11

  “This has to stop,” Stan said, pacing back and forth in the medical cabin while CeCe’s wounds were bandaged.

  “I tried to follow him, but he was too fast.” Adam, looking like he’d not only run through the forest but brought most of it back with him, stood brooding with his hands on his hips. Margot knew he hated losing a suspect. “He definitely knew his way around this place.”

  “I found this attached to a brick,” Margot said, holding up a note. “It says, ‘If I can’t have you, no one can.’ I’d say this has taken a turn for the worse.”

  Margot watched as Lela, her hand resting lightly on CeCe’s shoulder, shared a look with Stan. “Maybe you should go to town for a few days, CeCe?” she said, her voice soft and reassuring. “We’ll pay for a hotel for you. It could be like a retreat.” Lela tried to sound positive, but no one really felt reassured by her words.

  “No, I’ll stay here. I won’t be scared away.”

  “But, CeCe…” Margot met her friend’s gaze. “It could become more dangerous than a brick thrown through your window.”

  “But if I leave, doesn't that mean they win?”

  It was an odd way to look at it, but it did give Margot some perspective. Who was to gain if CeCe left? Certainly not Lela and Stan, they would be out a head chef. The kitchen staff would just be short-staffed, so that wasn’t a bonus.

  From Margot’s standpoint, no one would gain anything.

  “We really should involve the police,” Adam said.

  “But we are,” Stan said. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

  Adam grimaced. “Yes, but unofficially.”

  “But you’re here. And you’re involved,” CeCe said. “That should be enough for now.”

  Margot wasn’t sure why her friend was so adamant against the police being involved, but it was beginning to create an issue. What would happen if something worse happened to CeCe? Would Adam be brought up on charges for not bringing this to Detective Rexton’s attention?

  “Look, while we wait, I was wondering if I can have access to this database that stores all the information about the access points to the cabins.” Adam’s request surprised Margot and he caught her look. “It’s doubtful that I’ll be able to get back to sleep tonight, so I might as well do something helpful.”

  “Come with me,” Stan said. “I’ll show you.”

  Margot watched them go as Lela continued to rub CeCe’s back. “I’m so sorry about all of this, dear. I wish…” She trailed off, but her tone drew Margot’s attention. Did she know more about this than she was letting on? But it appeared she loved CeCe almost like she was her own daughter. Margot couldn’t imagine her doing anything to her CeCe.

  “It’s all right. I just wish we could do something to stop this.”

  They waited as the medic finished cleaning up the wound. He was a young man who mainly worked as a lifeguard but did nursing duties when necessary. He had already promised to keep the night’s events confidential so as not to worry the other staff.

  “She’ll stay with us tonight,” Lela said, then turned to the young man. “Could you help her up the stairs and then give her something to help her sleep?”

  He nodded in affirmation and, as they watched them ascend the stairs to the Wilkinsons’ apartment, Lela rested her hand on Margot’s arm. “I don’t think I can sleep just now. Should we see what the gentlemen have discovered?”

  Margot agreed and they went to the lodge’s lobby. Adam sat at the desk with Stan standing behind him, arms crossed.

  “This is bizarre, Margot,” Adam said, his brow furrowed in concentration.

  She stepped around the desk so he could show her what he meant as Stan stepped away to join Lela on the other side.

  “First of all, this system is brilliant. Totally state of the art and something I think more companies—especially hotels—should look into. Time stamps, card numbers, access points. It’s all here.”

  Margot looked at the rows of numbers and the highlighted times. “What am I seeing here?” she asked, pointing to the highlighted portions.

  “These are times that CeCe’s room was accessed. But see here--” He indicated a note on the top of her cabin’s account, which opened in a new window. “It says that her cabin was ‘restricted’.”

  “What does that mean?” she asked, looking at Stan and Lela.

  “It means that she had requested for her cabin not to be cleaned
by our staff.”

  Margot nodded. “Yes, she requested that yesterday because she didn’t want the maid to find the painting.”

  “But this was enacted weeks ago.”

  “Weeks?” Margot frowned. “How is that possible? Her cabin has been clean every time we’ve gone in there.”

  “Someone must be doing the cleaning,” Adam surmised. “See these numbers here? Though her cabin is restricted, there is an access point every morning around ten or so when all of the other maids are on the opposite end of the resort.”

  “You mean someone is accessing her cabin when she’s not there? And it’s not a maid?” Lela said.

  “Exactly.”

  “Whose code is it?”

  Adam shook his head. “It’s not linked to an active profile.”

  “Active?” Margot asked.

  “Yes, the access card is registered to an inactive janitorial account that was last used four years ago.”

  “F-four, you say?” Lela asked.

  When Margot looked up, she noticed how pale Lela had turned. What was making her so uncomfortable?

  “Dear,” Stan said, drawing her close with an arm around her. “It’s late. You should go to bed.”

  “But—” She looked up at Stan as if she wanted to question him, but then thought better of it. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. I-I am tired now.”

  She disappeared up the stairs. As Margot watched her go, an uneasy feeling sunk into the pit of her stomach. Was it possible Lela was hiding something? She definitely acted suspicious.

  “Is it possible a former employee is doing this? Coming back to the resort for some reason?”

  “We always deactivate any cards that are left over once someone is terminated from the premises. None of our employees have held grudges. We treat everyone very well. It’s highly unlikely it would be one of them.”

  Margot noticed the way he shifted on his feet and rubbed the tip of his nose. They were blatant signs that he was lying, yet she wasn't sure what he was lying about. The fact that none of his employees had held grudges, or the fact that it was unlikely it could be one of them. Did he have someone in mind?