Margot Durand Cozy Mystery Boxed Set: Books 4 - 6

by Danielle Collins

  Even now, the breeze carried more moisture on it than Margot preferred, but part of that was due to the close proximity to the water and the other was just the nature of living in Virginia. The sound of lapping water was soothing, almost enough to lull her into a light nap.

  Cool droplets of water sprinkled over her and she jolted forward. “Hey!”

  Adam’s wicked grin stared back at her, his hazel eyes hidden behind a set of dark sunglasses. His dark black hair was ruffled from the wind across the water as much as his hands threading through it, as they often did. She noted the touches of gray at his temples and smiled.

  “You, sir, are working too hard.”

  “What makes you say that?” he asked, leaning forward and back as he propelled their small canoe across the water without any apparent effort on his part.

  “I think I see new gray hairs every time I see you.”

  “And here I thought it was because you missed me.”

  Margot laughed, the sound skipping out across the water and sending a gull off course as it soared through the air over them. “I do miss you too, if that’s any consolation.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “A small one.”

  She laughed and flicked water at him, but only a little. It would be far too easy for him to splash a paddle full at her.

  “Are we almost to this secret location of yours, Adam Eastwood?”

  “That’s Detective Eastwood to you,” he said, nodding to her. “Or Sherlock, whatever you prefer.”

  “You mean Watson, I’m sure.” She laughed again, enjoying their playful banter. They had a running joke as to who was really Sherlock Holmes and who was Watson in their relationship.

  She considered the man in front of her with his easy smile and attention to detail. In some ways, he reminded her of Julian, her late husband. They had both been detectives, and friends, at one time, but she hadn’t known Adam until a little over a year ago when they’d been thrust together during an investigation where her niece had been accused of murder.

  Even now, she marveled at how close they had gotten. Then again, investigating murder did that to people—it either drew you together or forced you apart.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” he said, his smile returning and the little crinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening.

  “Just reminiscing. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been through all that we have.”

  He swallowed and looked nervous. Why would Adam look nervous? Had she said something to upset him?

  “We have,” he said, his easygoing grin resurfacing. “Sometimes I wonder if you should be doing my job and I yours.”

  “You couldn’t handle the bakery life and there is no way I would ever want to be a detective.”

  “Correction,” he said, resting the oars in his lap as they drew closer to a little island. “You don’t want to be a detective for the department, but any day now, I’m expecting to come by the The Parisian Pâtisserie and find that there’s an additional sign hanging below.”

  “Another sign? For what?” she asked, frowning.

  “One that says The Parisian Private Eye.”

  “Hardly.” Despite her best efforts, Margot couldn’t keep her smile to herself.

  “See, I knew it, you’d like to open your own agency, wouldn’t you?”

  Margot held up her hands. “I am quite busy with my bakery, thank you very much. Any investigating I do has been to help friends and family. I don’t seek out crime, Adam.”

  “No, it just finds you.” He shook his head, dipping the oars in one last time to propel the canoe up to the bank. “Here we are.”

  Adam helped her out of the boat and onto the soft sand, the sound of birds chirping high overhead and the thick vegetation at the shoreline adding to the mystery of the quiet island.

  “What is this place?” she asked, looking up and spinning in a slow circle to take it all in while Adam pulled the boat to shore.

  He stood up, lifting a picnic basket and motioning to a small trail. “It’s my secret hideaway.”

  “All right, Robinson Crusoe, let’s hope there are no cannibals on this island.”

  “By no means, milady,” he said, resting a hand on his chest and giving her a half-bow, “only the best for my Margie.”

  She grinned at the use of his nickname for her, accepting his outstretched hand as he led them down the narrow pathway. The foliage was dense, creating the feeling of thicker humidity, but soon they approached an open grassy area. The opposite side opened to a sandy beach even larger than where they’d come ashore, and Margot took in the view from the far side of the clearing.

  “The view is beautiful!”

  “It is,” Adam said.

  She blushed when she looked up and caught him looking at her. Her heart beat faster as he took a step toward her, the picnic basket forgotten at their feet.

  “Margot, I had something I wanted to talk with you about.”

  “You can talk to me about anything, you know that,” she said. His hand solidly gripped hers and, not for the first time, she felt comforted by his nearness.

  A brief thought of Julian crept past her contented happiness and she felt the swell of grief rise like the tide. He’d been gone over five years now and she had come to terms with his passing, if not the way he’d been taken from this life. She blinked. Why was she thinking of this right now when she had handsome Adam Eastwood before her and the stunning beauty of the beach view that—

  “Margot?”

  Her eyes narrowed. What was that? She took a step toward the beach.

  “Margot? What is it?”

  Releasing Adam’s hand, she stepped past the picnic basket and crossed the open clearing until she reached the soft sand of the beach. There, at the edge where bushes took over again, she saw the uneven shape. The pale, humanness of it made her stomach churn.

  “Adam,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “It’s a body.”

  “So much for a romantic getaway.”

  Margot heard the disappointment in Adam’s voice as his friend and partner, Detective Les Mabry, came toward him with a notepad and a spare police hat.

  “Here, you look sunburned already.”

  “Thanks,” Adam said, yanking the hat on. Margot had thought to bring a large floppy hat, which had saved her from most of the sun as they’d waited for the police boat to arrive, but Adam hadn’t been as lucky.

  “What do we know?” Les said, looking between Margot and Adam.

  She shared a look with Adam then filled Les in on what had happened. They hadn’t disturbed the scene and she pointed out where they had walked, for the detective’s report.

  “My guess is drowning,” Adam said, slipping his hands into his pockets.

  Margot was inclined to agree with Adam, but something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. They had begun to move the body now that the photographs of the area were done and she saw a flash of color where otherwise the man’s skin was pale. It was a vibrant red against his pale skin.

  Her stomach churned again at the thought of the poor young man’s demise, but the bracelet stayed lodged in her memory. Where had she seen one like it before?

  “Margot?” A gentle hand at her elbow drew her focus back to the conversation.

  “I'm sorry, I was…” She trailed off, her attention snapping back to the man now on the stretcher.

  “It’s all right,” Adam said, coming alongside her and pulling her against his chest with a solid arm. “I'm sorry about all of this.”

  “It’s not your fault,” she said, looking up at him.

  “I had hoped…” There was that look again. Was it nerves or worry or…? No, it was gone as soon as she thought she saw it. It was likely the frustration of having his romantic getaway interrupted by a corpse and the fact that he’d been working so much lately, they hadn’t had a chance to spend much time together.

  “It’s all right,” she said, encouragingly. “We’ll reschedule. You’ll see. It’ll b
e just as good, though maybe we should stay somewhere on land this time? Might be easier for Les to get to us faster.”

  His half-smile didn’t reach his eyes but Les drew their attention with a laugh. “All right, rub it in. It’s not my fault they were running training exercises on the water this morning.”

  “Shouldn’t you have come to us sooner that way?” Margot asked.

  “You’d think so, but by the time I tracked them down, they were halfway up to D.C.”

  She knew he was over exaggerating, Les tended to do that, but she laughed anyway.

  “And what? You couldn’t have had your lunch while you waited?”

  Adam gave him a dry, humorless look and Les shrugged. “Okay, so a dead body on the beach isn’t the most romantic—or appetizing—thing. I get it. Let’s get you guys home.”

  After pulling the canoe on board the police boat, Adam and Margot were delivered back to the dock and the storage facility where Adam stored his canoe, kayak, and paddleboard. They loaded everything into the storage area and then headed up the aluminum ramp back to where Adam had parked.

  “Margot,” Adam began, as they stopped by her car. Since they’d both come from different locations they had driven separately. “I'm sorry.”

  “It’s all right,” she said with a half-smile. “Such is the life of a detective.”

  “I suppose, but—” He looked to the dock area where the body was being transported from the police boat to a waiting ambulance. “—death should never be such a common thing.”

  “Nor murder,” she commented.

  “It wasn’t murder, Margot,” he said with a fierce look. “It was obviously accidental drowning.”

  She wanted to agree with him. Wanted to agree that there was nothing that indicated murder, and yet the bracelet she’d seen stuck out in her mind like a warning bell going off. She wasn’t positive though—it was just a feeling—and Julian, her late husband, had always said that gut feelings had to be backed up before they could be considered.

  “I’m sure you’re right.”

  Adam’s eyes narrowed. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t really believe that.”

  She smiled, reaching up to pat his cheek gently. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  He leaned in and kissed her. It was soft and quick, but reminded her of their lovely time together on the island before the discovery of the body.

  “You said you had something to ask me back on the island. What was it?” She searched his eyes, but a shadow passed behind them and he stepped back, jerking his attention back to the ambulance.

  “I’d better get going. Being the first officer on the scene, I’ll probably have quite a bit of paperwork to fill out.”

  Was he evading her question? Suddenly, she forgot the poor boy that had died and the bracelet he’d been wearing. Was Adam thinking of transferring? It was the first thought that came to her and it was the most plausible.

  He had mentioned it once, a few weeks back. At first it had been an offhanded comment, but then something in the way he’d said it drew her full focus. It made sense. He was at the highest-ranking position he could get in North Bank. And, knowing he’d had a rather industrious career before he came to Virginia, she had to wonder if he was getting bored with their small life here.

  He took a step back, squeezing her hand before letting it go. “I’ll call you tonight.”

  “All right,” she said, watching him go with a swirl of emotions in her chest.

  He hastened down the ramp and met up with the men who had come to their rescue, no doubt to get the full spectrum of the evidence they’d found. All of it would no doubt add up to an accident. It had to be an accident.

  Didn’t it?

  Then again, her mind filled in the image of the bracelet and she knew that, before fully agreeing that the poor young man had indeed died of accidental circumstances, she had to follow one hunch. Just to see where it played out—that was all—then she’d leave things alone. Probably.

  Chapter 2

  After going home to shower and change, she put on a pair of white capris, a navy and white striped shirt, and a comfortable pair of gold, t-strap sandals. Feeling sun-kissed and a little tired from their excursion, she planned to make this a quick trip, but she also considered the possibility that she was right. If so, it could mean that the young man’s death hadn’t been accidental.

  It wasn’t clear at this point and she shoved the idea from her mind to solely focus on the mission at hand. To find out if her memory served her as well as she thought.

  At the gate to the North Bank Country Club, Sal Trevor leaned down and squinted as he peered into her car.

  “Would you look at that, if it isn’t the goddess of French pastry herself. How you doing, Missus Durand?”

  “Hey, Sal,” she said, genuine warmth lacing her words. “It’s been too long.”

  “You can say that again.”

  She thought back to when she’d done regular business for the country club. She’d once employed a wedding cake baker part-time in her shop. They had worked on many weddings held at the country club and it had felt as if she’d spent every weekend at the club over those summers.

  “I do have to say,” he said, shaking his head, “I miss your pastries something fierce.”

  “I’ll have to bring some by just for you,” she said with a broad smile.

  She’d met Sal during those days, but her late husband Julian had also taken up a membership during her working summers. It had been his excuse to spend more time with her, though she had a feeling it had something to do with his golf game too.

  “What can I do for you?”

  She shrugged, grinning up at him. “I know this is going to sound strange, but I was wondering if I could go on up to the club for a few minutes. I have question I need to ask at the pool house.”

  He narrowed his eyes, looking up the long road that led to the clubhouse, and then back at her. “I’m not supposed to, you not being a member and all, but after all you did for the club, how could I say no?”

  “I don’t want you to get in any trouble.”

  “Oh no, I’ll sign you on as my personal guest.

  “That would be wonderful, Sal. I shouldn’t be long.”

  He waved at her. “Take your time. Heck, have a meal if you want. You deserve it. It was your pastries and the cakes that girl made that really drew the business to the club. At least, in my humble opinion.”

  She felt her cheeks warm at his kind praise. “Thank you, Sal.”

  “Don’t mention it. I’ll see you on the way out.”

  She waved at him as he opened the gate for her. She’d hoped she would be able to make the quick trip up without needing to pay for a game of golf she’d never actually play. Pulling into a space outside of the clubhouse, she slipped her purse onto her shoulder and made her way toward the poolside area. She found the gate unlocked and stepped inside. The sounds of splashing and laughter drew her attention to the deep end where a group played a lively game of water volleyball. They all looked to be young college students out to have a good time.

  Margot thought back to the young man who had died. He had looked as if he could be in college or a few years older, though she couldn’t be sure. She hadn’t really wanted to look too closely.

  She spotted the on-duty lifeguard and walked around the edge of the pool, careful not to step too close to the game for fear of getting splashed. Wet spots on her white pants wouldn’t do.

  “Hello,” she said, squinting up at the pretty young woman occupying the high-seated chair.

  “Hi,” she said, glancing at Margot then putting her eyes back on the pool.

  “I understand you’re on duty so I’ll make this quick.” Margot’s eyes shot to the wristband she wore. Red. Just like the young man’s had been. “I just wanted to know about that bracelet you wear.”

  The woman looked down at her, surprised. “This?” She held up her left wrist, showing off the red band, and Margot nodded. “It�
�s something you get when passing the water safety courses at the marina.” Her eyes went back to the water, but she kept talking. “Everyone who lifeguards here or at the public pool has to have one. Or, if you want to be out on the water, you can get one too. It makes you legit.”

  Margot thought back to the first time she’d seen a bracelet just like this. It had been worn by another young woman who was a lifeguard at this very club. “So, it’s not limited to this club then?”

  “Oh no.” The woman shook her head. “But the club owner insists that we all get certified in all sorts of things. It makes us the best, you know?”

  “I do. Thank you for your help.”

  “‘Course. Be careful when you walk back, the pool deck is slippery.”

  Margot thanked the woman and made her way back out to her car. Seeing her phone in the cup holder where she’d accidentally left it, she checked the screen to see if she’d missed any texts from Rosie Simms, the older woman who looked after the bakery when Margot was out.

  There weren’t any messages from her shop but Adam had called and left a message. She pressed the button to listen to it just as the screen flashed, warning her she was almost out of battery life.

  “Hey, Margie. I know your inquisitive mind and I have a feeling you’d want to know who it was that we, uh, found today. His name was Elliot Henry. He’s the son of—”

  The message stopped and she looked down at the screen. Black. She’d run out of battery and she’d left her charging cord at home. She looked up at the clubhouse, biting her lip. Sal had offered for her to get a meal there, and while she wasn’t exactly hungry, she did want to know what else Adam had been about to say.

  Making up her mind, she grabbed her purse again and went to the clubhouse door.

  “Hello,” a kind voice said, “would you like a table?” The young woman had curly blonde hair and a vibrant smile.

  “Actually, I was wondering if there was a phone I could use?”

  “Absolutely. Just go into the bar area there and ask Steve behind the bar. Tell him Kristy said it was okay.”

  Margot thanked the girl and made her way into the sports bar side of the clubhouse. There were a few men sitting at one end of the bar where a golf game played on screens above rows of liquor. Apparently, it wasn’t enough to come to a golf course, you had to watch golf while you weren’t playing, Margot thought with a smile.