Margot Durand Cozy Mystery Boxed Set: Books 4 - 6

by Danielle Collins

  “Oh, I couldn’t interrupt father-daughter time like that.” Margot smiled broadly. “He must be so proud of you. Where are you going to college again?”

  “Boston Architectural College, actually.”

  “You want to be an architect? That is wonderful!”

  The girl beamed under Margot’s praise. “Well, that’s the idea. It just takes a lot of time.”

  “And a lot of money.” Margot shook her head. “I remember paying my way through my schooling. I thought it would be the death of me.”

  “I know.” She shook her head, eyes rolling to the sky. “It’s killer, but I have good grades and hope to pay off my loans the minute I get a good job. And it looks like I will. I get to tell my dad today that I got accepted to an internship next semester. He’s going to flip.”

  “Well, congratulations!” Margot squeezed the girl lightly on the arm. “I’ll come back and talk with your father later. You go have a great time with him. And again, congratulations. Good luck next semester.”

  “Thank you,” she said, then turned toward James Peck’s shack.

  Margot watched her go for a moment before rushing up the steep ramp to the top boardwalk. She had a call to make.

  Margot pulled out her phone to call Adam when she noticed that her battery was dead again. Grinding her teeth at her forgetfulness for not having charged it earlier, she decided she’d walk back to the bakery and call from there. Rosie wasn’t scheduled to come in until midmorning, finally giving Margot a break, but she needed to open the store by eight and take care of any customers until then.

  She picked up her pace on the small path that followed the Potomac River and led back toward the bakery, but her mind stayed at the marina. Either Amy had lied about taking care of the bills herself, or her father really wasn’t helping her.

  It didn’t make sense, though. Where would James’s money go if not to help his daughter through schooling? Then again, she could have felt embarrassed to admit to a total stranger that her father—clearly not a wealthy man—was helping her pay for an expensive school. That was likely the case, but Margot needed to see if Adam could check the details on that. Surely he’d have a way to access her records—or know someone who could.

  When she finally reached the shop, she was surprised to see a few customers already outside. It wasn’t quite eight yet, but she always had a habit of opening up the shop a few minutes early when she could. Her customers must have grown accustomed to that.

  Slipping inside, she pulled off her cap, fluffed her hair, and donned a clean apron. Then she rushed to the front door, pressing the button for music on her way. Soft French jazz floated into the space. It was slightly different than her typical classical music for baking, but she found her customers liked the atmosphere it added to the space.

  “Good morning,” she said when she opened the door.

  Smiling faces, some of them looking tired, smiled back. Thanking her lucky stars that the coffee machine was on a timer, she welcomed them and began to take orders. It looked as if it would be a busy morning.

  Two hours later, after an almost constant stream of customers heading to offices or other types of work, Margot had a moment to herself. She glanced at the clock and knew that Rosie would be there in a little over an hour. Until then, she had one more batch of cookies to make, but first she needed to call Adam.

  Unplugging her now fully charged phone, she dialed his number and stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the front room, just in case any customers decided to come in.

  He picked up on the third ring. “Yeah?”

  “Good morning to you too,” she said dryly.

  “Hey, Margie. Sorry. Busy morning.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “What’s up? Everything okay?”

  “Yes, I just…” She bit her lip, not wanting to admit she’d gone to the marina without him. She knew how he felt when she checked into leads without checking with him first. Then again, there had been plenty of people around and it wasn't like they suspected James and certainly not his daughter.

  She told him about running into Eleanor Henry and then her conversation with James’s daughter.

  “You think she was lying?”

  “I wouldn’t put it like that exactly. Just that…oh, I don’t know. Just that she could have been fudging the truth in order to not be embarrassed.”

  “Because her father’s helping her pay for school?”

  “You never know, Adam.”

  “All right.” He said something to someone else, his hand likely over the receiver and muffling his words, then he spoke to her again. “I’ll check into it, okay? But stay away from the marina.”

  She frowned. “Why would I do that?”

  “Because.” He didn’t sound like he was going to elaborate and her suspicion was proved right when his next words were, “I’ve gotta go.”

  “Bye.”

  “Bye, Margie.” And just like that, he was gone.

  She knew she shouldn’t be surprised, he was often very busy with work and she couldn’t expect him to have all the time in the world to entertain her hunches, but still…

  She let out a sigh. Ever since the night before and her thoughts about Julian, she’d felt off somehow. She wanted to believe it was all part of the mystery and wanting to find out what was going on, but…

  “Hello, honey,” a soft voice said.

  Margot yanked her attention back to the present in time to see Rosie smiling up at her. “Rosie!”

  “I’m early,” she said, sashaying into the room like she owned the place. It wasn’t far from the truth. When Margot was away, Rosie did take on a lot of responsibility for the place. A majority of what happened in the bakery rested on the woman’s capable shoulders.

  “Don’t you have something to be bakin’ in there, honey?” She eyed the double-doors to the kitchen and Margot laughed.

  “Yes, ma’am. I hear you loud and clear. Get out of my space.”

  “I said no such thing. But while you’re saying it…”

  “I hear you.” Margot laughed and, giving Rosie a one-armed hug, she made her way back into the kitchen and began to pull out ingredients for the next few recipes she’d do. It was good that she had baking, because she needed something to take her mind off the case and her straying thoughts of Julian.

  Even if it would only be a temporary fix.

  Chapter 13

  When Margot’s phone rang on the counter, the vibrations sounding twice as loud on the metal surface, Margot nearly jumped out of her skin. Heart pounding, she dusted excess flour off her hands and raced to get it before it went to voice mail.

  “Hello?” she said breathlessly.

  “Hey, Margie. It’s Adam.”

  “Hey.” She took in a deep breath to calm her pounding heart.

  “You okay?”

  “Your call startled me.”

  “Sorry.” It sounded like shuffling papers in the background, so she knew he was still in his office.

  “What’s up?”

  “Got some info for you.” She waited, knowing he would tell her as soon as he had the right information in front of him. “Checked into Amy Peck and it looks like she was telling the truth. She’s footing the bill for her schooling, from what we can see.”

  Margot leaned back against the counter. It just didn’t make any sense. Why would James always be out of money if he wasn’t putting his only child through college?

  “Anything else?”

  “It turns out the liquor in Elliot’s system was expensive. Like, really expensive. It was a Macallan whisky that costs a pretty penny.”

  Margot’s mind shot to Miles Henry. Had he been drinking that kind of expensive whisky? Did he have something to do with his son’s death?

  “Sorry, I’ve got to go, but I wanted to let you know. Can we grab dinner tonight?”

  “Sure. Okay,” she said, distractedly. “I’m in the mood for seafood.”

  “Okay. We’ll make that ha
ppen.” He hung up, but Margot was still distracted when a soft knock on the back door jolted her from her thoughts.

  She was getting jumpy.

  She looked up and saw a smiling face at the back door. Confusion washed over Margot for a moment before she realized who it was. The single mother interested in the position at the bakery.

  Fighting not to look exhausted and not ready to have an in-depth discussion about baking techniques, Margot forced a happy smile and walked to the door. Pulling it open, she said, “You must be Julia.”

  The woman nodded, raising her hands in a “what can you do” type gesture. “Guilty as charged. I'm guessing by your flour-drenched appearance and the fact that you’re answering the door, you’re Margot Durand?”

  “On the nose.”

  The girl tilted her head to the side, looking back at Margot. Her short hair was dark and cropped in a pixie cut. She had a piercing on the top of her right ear and wore an old band t-shirt under a plaid button up and holey jeans with black converse on her feet. She looked…unprofessional.

  “Margot, do you want to reschedule?”

  The words acted like an electric shock jolting Margot out of her reverie. “What? Oh, no, it’s fine.”

  “Are you sure?” She pushed her hands into her back pockets, hunching her shoulders a little. “I mean, you look a little…preoccupied.”

  Margot laughed. If only Julia knew what she had on her mind. But that was neither here nor there.

  “It’s all right. Come on in. Or—” She looked out past the girl. “Want to sit outside?”

  “Rad.”

  Margot took that to mean yes and told her to take a seat while she grabbed some refreshments. A few minutes later, they both had cups of coffee and a pastry at one of the tables facing the Potomac.

  “You have a sweet place here,” Julia said, looking out over the river. “I mean, legit.”

  Margot immediately felt the age distance between them, but there was something about Julia’s openness and honesty that drew her.

  “Tell me a little bit about yourself,” Margot began, trying to keep thoughts of the case from her mind.

  “Not much to tell. I’m twenty-five. Just finished at Nadia’s school—though I’m sure she’s already told you my professional record.” She put air quotes around the word professional. “But I’m sure what you want to know is the nitty-gritty stuff.” She laughed at her own joke in a good-natured way. “I got pregnant at twenty and no, I wasn’t planning on it and I wasn’t proud of it, but Nick is seriously my world. I would do anything for him. And it’s part of why I want this job.”

  “Where will your son be when you’re working?”

  “Ah, so Nadia told you I’m going it alone?”

  Margot smiled, seeing that the girl was honest about her situation in a refreshing way. “She mentioned it.”

  “She’s a great teacher—best I ever had—and I’m super grateful to her for recommending me. But yeah, he’ll be with my parents. They love being grandparents, even if they don’t love how they got to be grandparents.” She blew a stray hair out of her eyes and shrugged, looking back at Margot with her cool, blue eyes. “I know I’m not an ideal hire. I’ve got a kid and, let’s face it, I’m not the most professional, but I can bake like nobody’s business and I’m as loyal as they come. If you give me a chance, I can guarantee you won’t regret it.”

  Seeing Julia’s conviction in that moment was all that Margot needed. She could see past the less-than-professional image, because at the end of the day that wasn’t what mattered. What truly mattered was how committed Julia would be and if she could do well in the kitchen.

  “I’d like to hire you for a trial period,” Margot began, but was interrupted by Julia’s excited squeal.

  “Sorry. So, so sorry. I just… Sorry.” She bit her lip as if to keep herself quiet.

  Margot laughed out loud. “It’s all right. It is a trial period, though. I just want to make that clear because I have another employee who’s out right now and he still has a job here should he—er, when he comes back.”

  “Where’s he live? I may slash his tires.” She giggled and then shrugged. “Sorry. Too far, I know. My ex was always telling me I go to far with the jokes.” She flushed and took a sip of her coffee.

  Margot knew the girl was only kidding. “It’s all right. And he’s not in the area at the moment. I’m not saying you’ve got a permanent job, Julia, but I’m also not saying that I couldn’t use two good bakers.”

  As if learning her lesson, Julia merely smiled, keeping her lips closed. The interview had gone much more quickly than Margot had expected, so instead of dismissing the girl, she leaned back, took a sip of her coffee, and asked to hear more about her story.

  They talked for another twenty minutes, Margot sharing about how she’d started the bakery and her own background and experience. Then, as Julia shared more about her story, she said something that caught Margot’s attention.

  “Wait, what did you say?”

  Julia looked up from the pastry she was devouring. “Oh, I was just saying that I caught my ex—his name is Ryan—cheating on me. Never underestimate the power of security camera footage, but that’s another story. Anyway, he swore he’d never do it again, but it was like the third time and I told him that—”

  “I have to go.”

  Julia looked up, startled at Margot’s sudden change in demeanor.

  “Did I say something wrong?”

  “Huh?” Margot looked down at the girl. “Oh, no. Not at all. Thank you for opening up to me! I’ll share more of my story as we get to know one another, but I’ve got to go. Something’s just occurred to me.”

  “Oh. Okay. Well, when do you want me to start?”

  “Saturday?” Margot asked, her mind still racing through the ramifications of what she’d just realized.

  “Sure!” Julia said, laughing. “I’ll be here.”

  “See you then,” Margot said, racing into the kitchen. She grabbed her purse and keys, then snatched her phone from the counter, calling to Rosie that she’d be back.

  She sped past Julia, who was still sitting at the table on the back patio, and raced to her car. She had to get to the marina because she was fairly certain she knew who had killed Elliot Henry and how she would prove it.

  Chapter 14

  Margot skidded to a halt in the parking lot at the marina. She had a hunch, more than that really, but she had to make sure she was right. Jumping out of her car, her phone slipped to the pavement. It had been sitting in her lap and she bit her lip as it clattered to the ground.

  Picking it up, she moved to tap in her code in order to call Adam, but the phone wouldn’t turn on. Gripping it harder and giving it a quick shake, she pressed the on button only to have it remain blank. Either her battery had died again or she’d done permanent damage when she dropped it. Of all the times for her phone to stop working…

  She placed the phone in her purse and slung it over her shoulder, making her way toward the ramp that would lead down to James’s shack. If she was right, she wouldn’t need to be there long, and then she could go to the police station and tell Adam her findings in person.

  Though it was late afternoon, the marina slips were nearly filled. The fisherman would have come in hours earlier from their early morning fishing excursions. Even now, as she reached the top of the ramp, no one was in sight.

  The sound of the hard soles of her shoes made a loud clacking noise as she descended the aluminum ramp toward the floating dock. She tried to walk more quietly, but it was nearly impossible. By the time she reached the bottom, she was afraid she would have drawn too much attention if anyone had been out, but it looked as if there was no one around to hear her.

  Her mouth went dry as she drew closer to the part of the dock separated by the gate indicating it was private property. And, just as she’d suspected, a camera sat perfectly positioned at the top of a tall pillar with a perfect view of the Henry dock.

  From the angle
of the camera, she assumed that it could have taken in views from the rest of the dock, but she wasn’t sure. The only way would be to view the tapes from the night of Elliot’s death.

  Certain she had something viable for Adam to look into, she turned to leave when a voice called out to her.

  “Missus Durand, fancy seeing you here.”

  Margot’s heart pounded in her chest and her palms grew moist. Turning around, she came face to face with James Peck.

  “Mister Peck, good to see you. I was just leaving.”

  He opened the gate and took a few steps toward her, stopping closer than she would have liked. “Leaving so soon? Might I ask why you were here in the first place?”

  “I was, uh, thinking about taking a kayak out but then changed my mind,” she fibbed.

  “Funny, but you don’t look dressed to go out on the water.” His gaze turned hard and her heart beat even faster. This was not good.

  “Why don’t we have a conversation—inside?” It was a demand, not a question. She opened her mouth to disagree, but his hand shot out, clamping down hard on her arm. “I hope you’ll say yes.”

  She nodded hesitantly, knowing that any more resistance may set him off. He gruffly maneuvered her inside and, despite looking around her for someone to call out to, she saw no one.

  “Have a seat,” he said, shoving her into a chair against the back wall. “It’s a shame you came down here.”

  He paced to the workbench where he picked up a knife that glinted in the dim light hanging from the ceiling. Her eyes followed his movements as he picked up a piece of cable and cut a length, the sharp knife easily ripping through the thick chord.

  “I would have preferred you left all of this alone.”

  “I couldn’t,” she said, finally finding her voice.

  “No, it doesn’t seem like you could.”

  She watched him as he cut another length. Was he going to tie her up?

  “Why?” she said, feeling emboldened in the moment.

  “Why what, Missus Durand?” He turned to face her, the lengths of rope dangling from one hand, the knife in the other.