Murder at Coventry Hill Inn

by Jane T O'Brien

  “It is sad, do the police know who killed her father?”

  “No, I don’t think so, my boyfriend, Dylan, is a detective on the force. He can’t talk about the case but I think they are stumped. My friend, Molly Ryan went to Westbury to investigate.”

  “Is Molly Ryan on the police force too?”

  “No, Molly owns Buds and Blooms Floral Emporium here on Main Street. She is our local crime solver.”

  What a strange couple, Joanna thought to herself, she’s so friendly and her husband is a grouch. A handsome grouch but a grouch all the same.

  “I hate small towns,” said Mike, “these folksy types want to talk your ear off. People in big cities mind their own business and that’s the way it should be.”

  “Mike Callahan, what has made you so cynical? Something terrible must have happened in your past that turned you into an old sourpuss at such a young age.”

  “I suppose you’re will psychoanalyze me now. Nothing happened except investigating thieves and con artists. Give it time, you won’t be little Miss Sunshine after a few years in this job either.”

  He was exasperating but Cassie felt a twinge of sympathy for Mike. She hoped she’d never be pessimistic about people. If she got to that point, she’d get out of the business.

  “Mike, is there anything you would like to do other than investigating insurance fraud.”

  “Yeah, I’d like to paint stupid pictures and make a ton of money but I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth.”

  “You are impossible. Let’s check out the Buds and Blooms Floral Emporium. You can buy me a flower…you’re such a romantic guy,” she laughed.

  Cassie was enamored with the floral shop. When Mike opened the door the aroma of fresh flowers filled the air. One section of the store held beautiful knick-knacks and caught Cassie’s eye.

  Stephanie Sloan greeted the visitors. She introduced herself as Molly Ryan’s sister.

  Cassie knew she wouldn’t leave the shop without buying a treasure she found on the shelves. She picked up a wooden squirrel to admire it closely. Mike took it out of her hand and looked at the price tag on the bottom.

  “You’d pay forty-two dollars for this trinket? You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “It’s cute and I like it. I’m not asking you to put your hand in your pocket, it’s my money and I’ll spend it the way I choose.”

  Cassie was tempted to buy it to spite him but she came to her senses. She had no use for a wooden squirrel.

  A self-satisfied look came over his face and she scowled at him.

  “Stephanie, you said Molly Ryan is your sister. Joanna, a young woman at the Delaney Art Gallery mentioned Molly Ryan’s name as the resident sleuth.”

  Stephanie Laughed. “I guess you could say that. Molly is always involved in a mystery. She is with the owner of the gallery and his new wife trying to get answers about a shooting here.”

  “We were told the bride’s father was shot.”

  “Yes, the man was Mr. Abbott, Laura’s father. The police think the shooting might have been accidental. This time of the year, we have an overabundance of geese flying through town. Some residents like to use them for target practice.”

  “How sad to have such a happy occasion become a tragic one,” said Cassie.

  “Yes, it put a damper on the day. Laura hadn’t seen her parents in several years. They had a falling out when Laura became a school teacher. From what Laura says, they traveled to one exotic place after another leaving her home alone with the household staff.”

  “What about her mother? Did she attend the wedding too?”

  “No, she is in a nursing facility in Westbury. Cassie, Molly, and Alec are there now trying to find out what happened to the woman.”

  Cassie bought the wooden squirrel she’d admired earlier. She smiled when she saw the look of disgust on Mike’s face.

  Chapter Five

  Molly, Laura, and Alec arrived at the Westbury Daily News office.

  Molly introduced herself and the others to the receptionist, whose nameplate read Madeline Partridge.

  “Ms. Partridge,” said Molly, “we are looking for information about an automobile accident involving Glenda Abbott.”

  “Oh my, that was the biggest scandal to hit our town since Mayor Helmsley ran off with his secretary back in seventy-two. Please call me Madeline; I can show you the news reports but they won’t tell you the whole story.”

  “Anything you can tell us will be appreciated, Madeline,” said Molly.

  “My friend Minnie Blake worked for the folks who catered most of the parties given by the well-to-do people of Westbury. The night of the accident, Minnie was serving hors d’oeuvres to the guests at the Palmer home. Edward Palmer is the president of the largest bank in town. He and his wife Estelle are one of the most prominent citizens in our town. Minnie said Mrs. Palmer is nice and not snooty. Anyway, Minnie watched as Mrs. Glenda Abbott approached another visitor. It was a man Minnie had never seen before. Glenda was a pretty woman, but it was obvious to Minnie that she was at least ten years older than the stranger.

  “Minnie said Mrs. Abbott told the younger man they met several years before. He apologized and told her he didn’t remember meeting her. In the meantime, her husband, Clinton Abbott was seething watching his wife with this man. Clinton tried to distract Glenda, but she insisted on talking to the stranger. He, the stranger, finally walked out onto the balcony to get away from Glenda. Minnie said the waiter with the champagne walked by and Glenda grabbed a glass and drank it in one swallow, grabbing another.

  “Clinton was furious, he tried to convince his wife to leave the party but she ran away from him and out to the balcony causing a scene with the stranger.

  “Minnie said Clinton looked embarrassed and sat down at the bar ordering a stiff drink. Everyone was watching the spectacle on the balcony when the stranger pushed Glenda away and walked out the door.

  “By that time, Glenda, who was weaving from the champagne, marched out the front door. Later, the valet said she demanded he retrieve her car, and she drove off.

  “She was only a couple miles from the Palmer house when the car went off the road.

  “The paper reported the story as an accident injuring Mrs. Glenda Abbott, nothing was said about her drinking and our reporter never followed up on the story. Everyone in town knows the poor woman suffered severe injuries and will never fully recover. Poor Clinton Abbott, he was forced to sell his home to pay the cost of her care at Maplewood Manor. The talk around town is that Clinton Abbott is a pauper now.”

  “Thank you, Madeline, you have been helpful.”

  “Laura, I hope you aren’t too upset about what you heard. It may be an exaggeration of the circumstances. My guess is that Madeline’s friend Minnie might be exaggerating.”

  “I’m surprised my mother would confront another man like that. I always thought she was devoted to my father. I know Mrs. Palmer, she volunteered at the library and took pity on the poor neglected Abbott girl. She was nice and tried to involve me in activities that interested kids my age. I always felt more comfortable in my room reading stories about my fictional friends. I was a mess as a child.”

  “No more of a mess than I was,” said Alec as he squeezed her hand.

  “Neither one of you is a mess now,” said Molly. “Shall we see what the police report has to say about the accident. I’m sure, unlike Madeline, they won’t be as obliging with information.”

  Molly was accurate in her assumption. The police report showed Glenda Abbott was under the influence when she drove her car off the highway into a ravine causing severe head trauma.

  “Laura, do you think Mrs. Palmer would remember you speak about the accident and who the stranger was that Madeline talked about?”

  “We can try, I’ll call her to set a time when she will meet with us.”

  Estelle Palmer was happy to hear from Laura. She often wondered about the shy girl who always seemed to have her nose in a book. Who could bl
ame the child for losing herself in a fantasy world? Her parents were seldom home leaving the child in the staff’s care.

  “Laura, you are beautiful and you look happy. It’s lovely seeing you and your handsome husband. I’m shocked that your father was murdered. I haven’t seen him since your mother’s accident.”

  “I hadn’t seen him or my mother for many years. They didn’t approve of my career choice and disowned me. Not that they were model parents before that. I don’t know why my father attended my wedding. He must have been hiding in the shrubbery because he wasn’t discovered there until after he died.

  “We saw Mother in the nursing home. It’s obvious she will never recover although Dr. Wilson seems to think she shows improvement. I didn’t see her before but she couldn’t have been much worse.”

  “Maplewood Manor has a reputation of being the finest long-term care facility in the state. From what I’ve heard, they charge an exorbitant fee for pampered care. Your father was forced to sell your home to pay for the services.”

  “Yes, that’s what I understand. I think Dr. Wilson expects me to pick up the tab. He’s done his research and knows Alec’s financial status.”

  “Laura, I don’t want to tell you what to do but there are many other fine facilities in the state. They will make your mother comfortable at a reasonable cost.”

  “I haven’t decided but I’m leaning toward moving her to a home closer to Evergreen where we live. Maybe I can finally get to know my mother.

  “Mrs. Palmer, the reason we are here is to ask you about the night of Mother’s accident. We were told she and father attended a party at your home and she was seen talking to a stranger.”

  “Yes, the stranger was a classmate of my husband, Ed. His name is Seth Baxter. Seth is a hospital administrator in Clearwater. He was in town to tour the Westbury Medical complex. It was a new state-of-the-art facility back then. Ed invited him to stay with us and he accepted. The party had been planned and Seth joined us. Your mother thought she recognized, Seth but he didn’t know her. Unfortunately, she was upset that he didn’t remember her and I’m afraid she drank too much and lost control of herself and her car.”

  “Why didn’t my father stop her from driving?”

  “I don’t think he knew she left the party. To be honest, he was embarrassed by her behavior. I don’t enjoy telling you these things, Laura.”

  “Don’t worry about my feelings, please tell me everything you know.”

  “When Glenda didn’t leave him alone, Seth left the party and went to the guest room. Glenda drove off either in anger or looking for Seth. We will never know. The young man who acted as the valet should never have given her the keys. After she left and things quieted down, the police appeared at the door looking for your father. They drove him to the hospital where the doctors didn’t think your mother would survive the night.

  “The next morning, Ed told Seth about the accident. He said he remembered meeting a waitress named Glenda, but he’d met no one else by that name. He thought she had mistaken him for someone else.”

  “Laura,” asked Molly after they left the Palmer house, “how did your parents meet?”

  “I don’t know, Molly, I never thought about it before. I know Father had no living relatives but I’m not sure about Mother. If she had parents or siblings, they were never invited to our home. You’re thinking my mother was that waitress, aren’t you, Molly?”

  “It would explain her reaction to seeing Seth Baxter. She must have known him from somewhere, your mother was a beautiful woman, it’s doubtful a young man would forget someone older who was as attractive as Glenda.”

  Laura felt sad that she never knew her parents. Most people have heard stories of how their mom and dad met. How their dad played baseball when he was a kid and their mother was a prom queen. Laura knew nothing about her folks; only that they loved to travel and only came home occasionally.

  “My mother’s maiden name was Walters. It says Glenda Walters Abbott on my birth certificate. Do you think that will help to find information about her?”

  “It’s a start. I’d like to talk to Seth Baxter. If he remembered a waitress named Glenda, maybe he knows more than he’s telling.”

  Meanwhile, in the backroom of Vinny’s Bar and Grill in the seedy part of Westbury:

  “Did you have to kill the guy?”

  “Hey boss, it wasn’t my fault, he looked right at me, what else could I do?”

  Chapter Six

  After strolling along the main street and talking with the proprietors of the small shops, Mike complained of being hungry.

  “We had breakfast three hours ago, you can’t possibly be hungry again.”

  “I am and I can smell the hamburgers cooking in that place over there.”

  “You had bacon for breakfast, you can’t have a greasy hamburger for lunch.”

  “Wanna bet?”

  Cassie knew it would be useless to argue with the man and followed him into the quaint diner.

  Mike ordered a double bacon cheeseburger, French fries, and a beer. Cassie ordered a house salad with vinaigrette dressing.

  Mike shook his head. “You won’t be much good if you starve yourself. There isn’t one ounce of protein in that bowl of lettuce. We didn’t come to Evergreen for a tea party.”

  “I had plenty of protein at breakfast. You are working toward protein overload. You’ll be lucky if you can stay awake until two o’clock with all that junk you’re putting in your gut.”

  The waitress brought Mike’s beer and Cassie’s ice water with a lemon slice. They each glared at the other’s choice of beverage.

  I don’t know how I will survive working on this case with the caveman. I’d be willing to bet he was a linebacker with his high school football team. Cassie stared at his broad shoulders and the slight bulge of well-developed biceps under the sleeve of his shirt.

  Mike didn’t like women who ate like birds but Cassie wasn’t one of those. She ate a three-egg omelet and polished off four slices of bacon at breakfast. He didn’t know why he said he was hungry, it was a meaningless remark he’d made after smelling hamburgers cooking on a grill. After Cassie’s annoying comment he felt the need to irritate her by saying he wanted to eat. The beer tasted good, but he didn’t have an appetite for the enormous hamburger and fries coming his way.

  It was a struggle but Mike finished every morsel of food on his plate while Cassie devoured her salad.

  “I hate to admit it, Mike, you were right about hunger. It must be the cool October air here in Evergreen.” Cassie smiled to herself as she watched Mike struggle to finish his last French fry.

  The waitress stopped by their table offering a choice of dessert.

  “I think my friend would like a nice big slice of that apple pie,” said Cassie. “Mike wouldn’t that be wonderful with a nice scoop of ice cream?”

  “It would but not today,” Mike replied. “I’m watching my figure,” he said looking at the waitress who was enjoying watching his boyish figure herself.

  They left the restaurant and walked along the street. Mike wished he was back at the inn where he could sleep away his fifteen hundred calorie lunch.

  “Everyone we’ve talked to thinks Laura Abbott had no contact with her father for years. I don’t believe it. How would he know his daughter was getting married if she didn’t tell him?” Mike said trying to forget about his full belly.

  “Maybe he saw an announcement in the paper. Alec Danforth is from a onetime prominent family in Belmont. It’s a small town not too far from here. Maybe Clinton got wind of the wedding from someone who knew the Danforths.”

  “That is a possibility, Clinton’s financial reversal might not have been well known. A Danforth and Abbott union would be news to the social set. Clinton was here to collect money from his new son-in-law. How convenient for him. I wonder if the little school teacher was the one who invited him after all.”

  “We have heard nothing but praise for Laura Abbott, why are you insinuating
she was conspiring with Daddy to rip off Alec Danforth? You are the most cynical human being I’ve ever met.”

  “Hey, I’ve advanced from Neanderthal to a human being, I think I’m growing on you.”

  “Don’t flatter yourself,” Cassie replied although she knew he was growing on her.

  “The police report mentions nothing that could be described as evidence. The man’s wallet was searched and given to the girl. Where is his train ticket, if he had one? If he drove here, where is his car? Did he have a motel room? Where is his luggage? Where is the jewelry he conned out of Mrs. Welker?” asked Mike.

  “What if he came with an accomplice? Someone shot him. If it wasn’t a stray bullet from kids playing with a loaded gun, is it possible his partner in crime killed him? I think we are investigating people in the wrong town. It’s obvious no one here knows anything about Clinton Abbott. If you ask me, and I know you won’t, we should look in Westbury for the answers.”

  Mike grumbled silently. Cassie is right, we should check out Westbury, that’s where Clinton committed the crime.

  “I still think Laura Abbott knows something or has information she doesn’t know she has. Because she isn’t in Evergreen, maybe we should look for information in Westbury.”

  “Good idea,” Cassie agreed as though it was Mike’s plan all along.

  Mike stopped at the front desk of the inn to tell Jenny he and Cassie were taking a side trip. He asked that she hold the room because they would return in a few days.

  “You shouldn’t pay for a room you aren’t using. You can check in again when you return.”

  “No, we checked in with the understanding we would stay the week. There is no guarantee the room will be available and Cassie likes it so much it would disappoint her if we had to change rooms.”

  Jenny didn’t think there would be a problem with overcrowding thanks to the murder that took place in the garden. She’d asked Dylan to remove the crime scene tape as soon as possible. Soon the leaf peepers would arrive and the tape wasn’t good for business.