Murder in Kincaid Towers

by Jane T O'Brien

  “Rex asked me to go with him to the Grange dance that Saturday night. As a new owner, I went and was welcomed as a celebrity by my new neighbors. After the dance, Rex brought me home. We sat in front of the fire and he kissed me. That kiss surprised us both. Rex took my hand and told me he loved only one woman in his life until now. He said life was too short not to find happiness with another. He told me his kids loved me and encouraged him to ask me to marry him. I was speechless if you can believe that, I was attracted to the cowboy but never expected he felt the same way about me. He told me to think about it and he’d come by in the morning and we’d go to church together. As soon as he left, I hightailed it to the airport and took the first flight out of town.”

  “Rennie, why did you run from him? It’s not like you?” asked Brooke.

  “Brooke, do you know how many years it’s been since I have been inside a church? I was in love with a married man for years before and after his death. I have slept with men on every continent on earth and almost every country. Rex Madigan has been with one woman in his entire life. He’s a deacon in the Methodist church. How can I accept his marriage proposal with my past?”

  “Rennie, you are a kind and loving woman, you have never married, and the man can’t presume you have remained celibate all these years. You might not be a regular churchgoer, but you are a warm and loving person who any man would be proud to call his wife.”

  “Rennie,” said Molly, “Brooke is right, you deserve to find happiness and from the way your eyes sparkle when you mention Rex’s name, I’d say your happiness lies with him.”

  Carter Moss tapped lightly on the door of the study, he knew the women were having a serious discussion and he was reluctant to disturb them but Tim Baxter, the doorman, called asking permission to open the elevator to a rather large man in a cowboy hat by the name of Rex Madigan.

  “Rennie, are you there,” asked Carter.

  “Of course, I’m here, Carter. You saw me come in this room, did you expect I’d jumped out the window?”

  “If only,” whispered Carter. “There’s a Rex Madigan in a cowboy hat who insists on seeing you. Should I tell Tim you aren’t receiving guests, your majesty?”

  “Rex is here? How did he know I was here? What should I do, girls?”

  “You should let the poor man come upstairs. He came all the way from Montana to see you, I don’t think he’s worried about your past, sounds like he’s thinking of your future,” said Molly.

  “What do you want me to tell Tim?” called Carter.

  “Tell him to let the man up, Carter,” said Brooke.

  “Howdy, ma’am, my name is Rex Madigan, I came to town to see Miss Rennie DuBois; her neighbor told me I might find her at the Kincaid penthouse, I know the Kincaids are rich folk, but I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

  “Mr. Madigan, please come in; I’ll call Rennie, I’m sure she will be happy to see you.”

  Rennie was in the bathroom attempting to reapply her makeup and hide the puffiness under her eyes.

  “Rennie,” said Brooke, “you never told us Rex Madigan is so handsome and tall. Wait until you see him, Molly, he must be six foot four.”

  “He’s six foot five,” called out Rennie. “I can’t believe he’s here? What does he want?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? He wants you; hurry up, don’t keep the man waiting.”

  Rennie walked slowly into the living room. Rex was talking to Travis and Luke. He smiled when he saw her enter the room.

  “Rennie, you look beautiful,” he said, his eyes widening at the sight of her. “I didn’t mean to scare you off with my proposal, I know you don’t feel the same way about me and I promise I won’t bring up marriage again. I came here because I was worried about you and I didn’t want you to give up your dream of owning a ranch because of me. Please come back to Willoughby.”

  “You two have things to talk about, Rennie why don’t you take Rex into my study where you can have some privacy,” said Travis.

  Rennie sat facing Rex on the club chairs in front of the fireplace. The sound of crackling fire could be heard in the otherwise silent room.

  “Rex, you shouldn’t have come all this way. I can’t marry you for reasons you won’t understand.”

  “After looking at this place, I do understand, I can never give you a place like this. You are out of my league and I know it. I do wish you well, Rennie.”

  “Rex, I don’t live in a place like this, I have a modest condominium in a middle-class neighborhood. I have had my fill of opulent hotel suites and fancy penthouse apartments. I fell in love with Montana because I can dress in blue jeans and T-shirts and not feel out of place. You are a good man, Rex Madigan, you are a family man who has loved only one woman in your life. I don’t fit into your life, I’m simply not good enough for you.”

  “Not good enough? How can you say a thing like that? I thought my life was over when Mary Alice died. I was angry at her for dying and angry at God for taking her away from me and the kids. I don’t think I’d have made it through that time except a vibrant, wonderful woman showed up at Big Sky Saloon to learn the Texas two-step. From that moment on, I began to live again. I don’t care about the things you may or may not have done in your past. I love you, Rennie DuBois and I want to marry you.”

  “Rex, I want to marry you too. I think we should discuss this further at my place.”

  Rennie and Rex said their goodbyes. They looked like a couple of teenagers holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes as they walked to the elevator.

  “Isn’t it wonderful, Molly? After all these years, Rennie has found love.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Willoughby, Montana-four months later:

  “Rennie, you look wonderful,” said Molly while Brooke fastened the clasp of her teardrop necklace representing something blue.

  “I can’t believe I’m a June bride, I never thought I’d see this day,” Rennie cried.

  “I’d say Rex Madigan was well worth the wait,” said Molly. “Thank you for inviting me to your wedding, I never thought my dear friend, Mrs. Brooke Kincaid, would elope and deprive me of watching her get married.”

  “Molly, you know the wedding of Travis Kincaid would have turned into a circus. Travis didn’t want to subject Lucy to the publicity. Will you ever forgive us?”

  “I forgive you, I like giving you a hard time because I miss you living across the hall. Some nerdy guy moved in, I doubt he knows what chardonnay is let alone drinks it.”

  “You know I’m irreplaceable, we’ll be neighbors again in Evergreen.”

  “Is that the name of the new town?” asked Rennie, “I like it, I’m glad Travis decided against using the Kincaid name.”

  “Travis is determined to remove all references to Kincaid in Hillsboro and everywhere. He’s in the process of selling off the Kincaid Hotels around the world.”

  “I know that has been his plan for some time with most of the ownership being transferred to members of the staffs. I’m happy about that, those folks work hard and take pride in the hotels. Francis would have a fit if he were alive. Brooke, does that mean you won’t be traveling the world every few weeks?”

  “I won’t be traveling for business, I’ll be home with Lucy and Travis. I’m in the process of adopting the little sweetheart. My career will be motherhood for the next few years. There isn’t the need for your old job anymore, Travis isn’t planning to hire anyone new.”

  “I suppose your assistant, Belinda, will be back in the clerical pool, that’s too bad.”

  “Belinda has a new job, she is supervising the clerical pool. She’s doing a wonderful job and the girls love her.”

  “Rennie,” said Molly, “I hope you know I never thought you were capable of murder and blackmail. The day I came to your office, I wanted to eliminate you as a suspect.”

  “I know I acted strangely that day, Molly. I was worried about Travis and his situation and upset over Rex. I’ve meant to ask you why I was a su
spect?”

  “It was the flip-flops. The apartment Katherine Rice rented under the name of Beatrice Logan had very few clothing items in it but did have a pair of flip-flops in the closet.”

  “You thought they belonged to me, I can understand that.” Rennie began to laugh. “I think it was ten years ago, I heard Katherine chewing out one of the girls in the clerical pool. The poor girl was crying her eyes out, Katherine was heartless. I walked to the drug store on the corner and bought a pair of flip-flops. I put them in an interoffice memo envelope and had them delivered to Katherine’s office with a note telling her to ease up on her feet and her staff. I’d catch her wearing those flip-flops after hours when she thought nobody was looking. They never did improve her disposition but I’m sure her feet felt better.”

  “Travis went to visit her. He said she is bossing everyone around, but nobody is paying attention to her. She thought he was Francis and that he was bringing their grandchild to her. He said he felt sorry for the part his father might have played in causing her condition.”

  “I don’t think so, Francis Kincaid couldn’t help that women gravitated to him, he was the most charismatic man I know although he never cared deeply for anyone except Travis.”

  “I’m glad Travis’s father had feelings for him; his mother is a cold fish who only calls when she needs money. She has no interest in Lucy and won’t acknowledge she has a granddaughter.”

  “The organist is playing your song, Rennie, let’s get you down that aisle and into the arms of your handsome cowboy.”

  Rex Madigan waited for his bride to join him at the altar. He watched his children’s faces beaming as she walked by them blowing kisses their way. Rex knew he was a lucky man to have two wonderful women in his life.

  Rennie waited her entire adult life for the man who stood proudly at the altar. All thoughts of Francis Kincaid and the feelings she had for him disappeared when Rex took her hand and vowed to love her for the rest of their lives together.

  “Does this give you any ideas, Mr. Sullivan?”

  “Yes, Ms. Ryan, I think it’s about time we get married. What do you think?”

  “I thought you’d never ask,” Molly said with a grin.

  Epilogue

  Two years later:

  “Brooke, it’s so beautiful here, I’m glad Luke and I listened to you and put an offer on the property before anyone else could grab the land.”

  “I couldn’t let just anybody move in next door to us, I love being your neighbor. Travis thinks they’ll begin construction on the houses within the next few weeks.”

  “I love the townhomes on the river, Luke and I considered buying one over the new Buds and Blooms before you and Travis convinced us we would need a house with a yard for the children. Maybe if things go well with the sale of Luke’s books, we can start thinking of having a little one or two.”

  “It sounds like he’s doing well on his book tour, will he be home to celebrate your first wedding anniversary?”

  “I hope so, if not, we’ll celebrate when he does come home. I’m not going to complain, he’s waited for this opportunity for a long time.”

  “It’s too bad you couldn’t go with him, Molly. You would have fun in New York.”

  “I know but with the new store and both Stephanie and Elizabeth in various stages of pregnancy, I couldn’t go this time. Hopefully, I’ll be able to go when he tours his next book.”

  “I swore I wasn’t going to say anything until I was absolutely sure, but I can’t keep it a secret. I think I’m pregnant. Lucy is going to be a big sister.”

  “Brooke, that’s wonderful, I know you have wanted to have another child.”

  “Yes, Lucy has been our top priority since the day she came to us. We wanted to be sure she was ready for a baby in the family. She had a rough start in life.”

  “Are you kidding, that sweet little girl is as strong as her mother, and I mean you, Brooke. She will do fine with a brother or sister.”

  “It will be your turn next, Molly, I want our children to grow up together.”

  “It sounds terrific, doesn’t it?”

  “What do you hear from Rennie, she hasn’t been on Facetime for a while.”

  “She is in Europe with Rex. Rennie is giving Rex a guided tour of all her old haunts. She says he’s like a kid in a candy store. She sounds deliriously happy. Did she tell you she is singing in the church choir?”

  “Good for her, she deserves her happiness.”

  “Where is that handsome husband of yours?” asked Molly, “I hope he’s not stuck in the office on such a beautiful day.”

  “No, he and Wiley are building a dollhouse for Lucy. It’s a good thing Wiley is there, Travis is good at wheeling and dealing but he makes a lousy handyman.”

  “I’m glad Travis and Wiley are friends now. What was Francis Kincaid thinking when he turned away from his only brother.”

  “Wiley says Francis didn’t want any reminders of his past life and that included Wiley.”

  “Here we are, neighbor. Our backyards will be right there, and we will be able to see the lake from every window on this side of the houses. I can picture us sipping chardonnay and watching the boats on the water. I can’t wait until the day we move in.”

  “I love this lake; few people came to this side before Travis’s men cut down all the brush and dying trees in the woods. I could stay here all day and watch the waves splashing against the shore. Look, something is sparkling over by the rock.”

  Molly kicked off her sandals and walked to the object.

  “What is it, Molly?” Brooke called out.

  “It’s sparkling all right, it’s a ring with a very large stone that looks like a diamond. I wonder who it belongs to?”

  “Knowing you, Molly, you will investigate until you find the rightful owner. What’s that on the other side of the rock?”

  Molly walked further into the water and picked a chiffon scarf from the rock.

  “Either someone had mad, passionate sex out here in our backyard or there is a dead body that belongs to these items.”

  Molly laughed. “I hope it was mad passionate sex. Maybe she had a flash of conscience and she took her wedding ring off before they did the deed.”

  They laughed until they noticed the scarf was covered in fading blood stains.

  We had better call the police, Brooke. This isn’t funny anymore.

  The mystery continues:

  Murder in Evergreen

  A Molly Ryan Mystery