by Leena Clover
“We don’t need a prize to tell us our town is pretty,” Star added.
“You don’t get it, do you?” Barb said, shaking her head. “That contest is going to boost business. It’s going to bring in money. You can’t stop progress, Betty Sue! Why don’t you retire? Give your seat on the town board to Heather?”
Barb Norton stalked off with Mandy in tow.
“What does she care?” Petunia cried. “She doesn’t even live here all year.”
“How about a walk?” Heather asked Jenny.
There was a desperate look in her eyes. The girls knew where the conversation at the table was headed and they wanted no part of it.
They heard a buzz coming from one end of the street. A group of people was clustered together, pointing at something in the distance. The younger people had goofy looks on their faces. Some people were standing with their mouths hanging open.
“What’s going on there?” Molly asked, putting on speed.
Crystal Mars and a bunch of her friends lay sunning themselves on the beach. The skimpiest of bikinis barely covered their honey colored bodies. Sunglasses larger than the bikinis covered their eyes.
“It’s the invasion of the Barbies,” someone in the crowd said.
“Look,” a young acne faced boy chortled as one of the girls pulled off her bikini top.
An older woman, probably his mother, shielded his eyes with her palm.
“We thought this was a family friendly place,” she said angrily.
Jenny and the girls walked down to the beach purposefully. Picking up some sarongs that lay in the sand, she flung them over the girls.
“What are you doing here, Crystal?”
“We thought we would get some barbecue.”
“You need to cover up,” Heather ordered. “There’s a lot of kids around.”
“But we’re on the beach,” one of the posse grumbled.
Jenny spotted Rainbow trying to smother a smile.
“Let me guess,” Jenny said. “This was your idea.”
“What’s wrong with getting some sun?”
“Are you trying to create a scandal?”
“Relax,” Crystal said lightly. “We get it.”
She stood up and tied a sarong around her waist. She pulled the other one around her upper body and tied it around her neck. The other girls got up and copied her actions.
“Good enough?” Crystal asked. “Now where’s this food everyone’s talking about?”
“Ladies!” an authoritative voice called.
Jenny’s heart skipped a beat as she recognized Adam’s voice.
“There have been some complaints. This is not a topless beach.”
“We’re covered head to toe, Officer,” Crystal said flirtatiously.
“So you are,” Adam nodded.
“Jenny’s been looking for you,” Heather spoke as Crystal and her posse walked up to the barbecue tent.
“No I haven’t,” Jenny protested.
“Can we go to your inn?” Molly asked Heather. “I need to freshen up.”
Heather and Molly started walking away, arm in arm.
“Molly? Heather?” Jenny called out. “I’m coming too.”
They ignored her and broke into a jog.
“I can hear them giggle, you know,” Adam said.
Jenny was feeling embarrassed. She wondered if Adam might lose his temper.
“Here we are!” he said softly.
“Are you still on duty?” she asked.
Adam looked at his watch.
“Only for the next five minutes.”
“Do you want to get something to eat?”
Adam bobbed his head.
“I’m starving, Jenny. Let’s go get some barbecue.”
“We have a table somewhere in that big tent,” Jenny told him as they stood in line. “The older Magnolias are over there.”
“I was hoping we could sit somewhere else,” Adam said. “Away from the crowd?”
“Hard to find an empty table,” Jenny mumbled.
“I brought a mat,” Adam told her. “We can sit on the beach.”
They loaded their plates with the smoky meat. Jenny went for some baked beans and macaroni and cheese. Adam took a little bit of everything. They took their food out to the beach.
“We went to the sky diving company,” Jenny told Adam. “The pilot mistook Bella for Crystal. That’s why she was dressed in that bridal dress. It must have been her plan all along.”
“I thought so too,” Adam admitted. “Look, can we not talk about work?”
“Sure. What do you want to talk about?”
“Something more interesting,” Adam grinned. “You.”
“I don’t have much to say,” Jenny said, feeling a blush steal over her face.
“What’s new with you, Jenny King?” Adam asked.
He picked an errant strand of Jenny’s hair and tucked it behind her ear.
“How are the twins?”
“They are good. They were asking about you.”
“We might have to do some renovations at the café.”
“Good,” Adam said, looking into her eyes.
Jenny gulped and rubbed the heart shaped charm on her necklace.
“Adam,” she said, struggling to find the right words. She didn’t want to offend him. “Are we on a date?”
Adam didn’t blink.
“When we go on a date, Jenny, you’ll know.”
“I didn’t mean to…I wasn’t…”
“I know you weren’t,” Adam assured her. “Thank you for being so patient.”
Jenny knew Adam had loved his wife a lot.
“Do you still miss her?”
“Sometimes I do,” Adam said honestly. “I know it’s been ten years. The girls are grown. What can I say, Jenny? She was my first love.”
Jenny didn’t have the same feelings where her ex-husband was concerned. He had dumped her for a younger model less than a year ago. The only thing Jenny felt when she thought of him was rage.
“You’re too good, Adam.”
“Are you sure you’re talking about me?” Adam joked. “I’m cranky and ill tempered most of the time. The younger guys at the station quake in fear when I walk by.”
“You’re kidding,” Jenny laughed.
She picked up his hand and threaded her fingers through his.
“You’ve been through a lot, Adam. I can understand your frustration.”
“One of these days, we will go out on a proper date,” Adam promised. “How about taking a kayak out on the water?”
Jenny was deathly afraid of the water. But she didn’t want to spoil the mood.
A hearty voice called out just then.
“Ahoy there!”
Jenny looked up to see Jason walking toward them with a tray loaded with food. Chris, Heather and Molly followed close behind.
“This is so not a date,” Adam muttered, waving a hand at the new arrivals.
Chapter 16
Mandy James posted pictures of the town barbecue on Instagram. There was a sudden influx of tourists wanting to taste barbecue.
“We don’t serve barbecue here,” Jenny told a customer for the umpteenth time. “Can I get you a crab salad sandwich? We have Chesapeake Bay crabs, caught this morning.”
Four hours later, she was finally ready to call it a day. Jenny thought of Adam on her way back home. She hadn’t run into him since the barbecue.
Jason turned up for dinner with Chinese food.
“This is from my favorite restaurant on the mainland,” he told them. “Just taste this Moo Shu Pork, Jenny. You’ll love it.”
“I don’t mind some Lo Mein,” Star said, dishing out a hefty serving with a pair of chopsticks.
“This is good,” Jenny spoke between bites. “I’m so exhausted I can barely taste it though.”
She massaged her feet with one hand while she spoke.
“Let me do that.”
Jason gently picked up her foot and placed it in
his lap. He began giving her a foot massage. Star looked on approvingly.
“Stop it, Jason,” Jenny groaned. “You’re spoiling me.”
“What are you doing Saturday night?”
“Soaking my feet in a big tub of water,” Jenny sighed.
The heat and humidity were already getting to her.
“You need to hydrate more,” Jason advised. “We should take a canoe out on the water one of these days. It will relax you.”
“Err, I think not!”
“Jenny’s scared of the water,” Star spoke up. “Don’t you remember that summer, Jason? All the kids decided to have an impromptu canoe race. Jenny stayed back on land to flag you off.”
“Oh yeah!” Jason said, popping a dumpling in his mouth. “But that was years ago.”
“Water’s not my thing, Jason.”
“So we’ll do something else. Let’s go to Virginia Beach Saturday night. There’s a new club everyone’s raving about.”
“We’ll see.”
Jason agreed good naturedly. He was so amicable Jenny found it hard to deny him anything. He never lost his temper.
“Don’t over think it,” Star told her as they watched TV.
Jason had left long ago. He had to be in court first thing in the morning.
“He’s nice, but I can’t be serious about a lawyer. Not again.”
“That’s ridiculous. Just because one lawyer dumped you doesn’t mean another will.”
“I’m out of here,” Jenny scowled.
She stepped out and started walking at a clip, barely stopping to look at the roses blooming at Seaview. She almost bumped into a body a while later.
“Jenny?” Adam’s deep voice cut through the fog in her mind. “What’s the matter?”
Tank put his paws on Jenny’s shoulders and gave her a wet welcome.
“Hello sweetie,” Jenny said, fondling the big yellow Lab. “I’ve missed you.”
“He’s missed you too,” Adam said, leaning on his cane. “We’ve been busy.”
“Find anything new?”
Adam shook his head.
“I’m not supposed to talk about this. We haven’t confirmed the husband’s alibi yet.”
Jenny slapped her head and let out a tiny cry.
“I was going to tell you … he was here the day before the wedding.”
“How do you know that?” Adam asked, grabbing her arm. “Are you sure about this?”
“Not really,” Jenny said. “One of the bridesmaids told me. She said he went into the Rusty Anchor.”
“We can easily verify that.”
“How come no one at the pub came forward with this?”
Adam shrugged.
“Lots of tourists around these days. A stranger doesn’t stand out so much.”
“Have you interviewed this girl? She’s beginning to look fishy.”
Jenny told Adam about Rainbow.
“You say she’s accusing Wayne Newman?”
“Not directly, no. But she’s connected to everyone one way or the other.”
“Maybe she’s angling for something.”
“All these girls care about is getting ahead in their careers.”
“I’m going to talk to her again,” Adam promised.
“Ask her about the money she took from Crystal’s mother.”
“You’re amazing. Every time I see you, I learn something the police don’t know.”
“People don’t like to talk to cops, I guess.”
“We are stalled. We don’t have a single strong lead.”
“What if Rainbow planned it all along, huh? Bella jumps from the plane and Crystal is ruined by scandal.”
“What happens to Wayne Newman?”
“He gets a new leading lady.”
“You think they are in cahoots?”
“It’s worth finding out,” Jenny said thoughtfully. “I’ll go talk to her tomorrow.”
Neither of them could have guessed what would happen the next day.
Jenny was worked off her feet all morning. When the phone rang in the kitchen, she continued frosting a cupcake with one hand while she stuck the receiver in the crook of her neck.
Her mouth dropped open in shock when she heard the voice at the other end. The piping bag slipped from her hand and struck the floor, splattering frosting everywhere.
“How did this happen? I’m coming over.”
Jenny hit the speed dial and called Heather.
“We need to go. Now!”
She was honking her horn in front of the inn ten minutes later. Heather came running out.
“Rainbow’s dead.”
“What?” Heather asked, getting in.
Jenny floored the gas pedal and the car took off with a screech of tires.
“Crystal just called the café. Rainbow didn’t turn up for breakfast. They didn’t think too much of it – she likes to sleep in sometimes. One of the girls knocked on her door when she didn’t come out for lunch.”
“What happened to her?”
“Some kind of overdose,” Jenny spoke. “Sleeping pills, most probably.”
They reached the country club soon after. Jenny remembered the building where Rainbow’s room was situated. A bunch of police and emergency vehicles were parked outside.
Adam Hopkins frowned when he spotted Jenny.
“You can’t be here, Jenny. This is a crime scene.”
“What happened to her?”
“We don’t know for sure yet. How did you find out about this?”
“Crystal called me.”
Adam pointed toward the club house building.
“They are all over there. I think they were just about to have lunch. We are going to question all of them one by one.”
“Can I sit in?”
“Of course not!”
“Did you talk to her since last night?”
“She was supposed to come in and meet me at 11.”
They both knew Rainbow hadn’t made it to the police station. Jenny had a hunch someone made sure about that.
She walked over to the dining room with Heather. Crystal sat on a chintz couch, clutching her mother’s hand. Her eyes were red and her mascara had run down one cheek. A couple of girls sat squashed together in a big chair. One girl was pacing the room, burning a hole in the carpet.
“Jenny? Heather? Thank God you’re here.” Crystal sprang up and hugged Heather. “What’s going on? Why is someone killing us off one by one?”
“We don’t know what happened to Rainbow yet,” Jenny said softly.
“She was such a sweet girl,” Kathy Mars said in a sugary voice.
Kathy’s expression didn’t match her voice.
“We need to leave this place as soon as possible, honey.”
Wayne Newman entered the room, holding his hat in his hand.
“Is it true?” he asked Crystal, looking crestfallen. “Is Rainbow gone?”
Crystal nodded, and a tear rolled down her eye.
Jenny wondered how much of it was authentic. If it was a performance, Crystal deserved the tag of reality star.
“Which one of you found her?” Jenny asked.
The girl who was pacing the floor spoke up.
“It was me. Rainbow liked to sleep in when she took one of her pills. I warned her not to take too many. Maybe she took a double dose.”
“You think this was an accident?” Jenny asked.
“She was so full of life,” Crystal wailed. “And she had a good role in our new series. But her personal life was a disaster.”
Jenny and Heather exchanged glances. They stayed quiet as if by an unspoken agreement.
“Wait a minute,” Wayne Newman said. “What are you implying?”
Crystal let out another sob but said nothing.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Jenny said quickly. “The police will tell us more.”
Kathy Mars ordered some sandwiches and sweet tea and forced the girls to eat something. A couple of hours passed. Wayne New
man was sitting on the sofa next to Crystal. He caught Jenny’s eye and motioned her to go outside.
Jenny stepped out on the long verandah facing the golf course.
“Have you made any progress?” he asked. “First Bella, now Rainbow. I’m beginning to think someone is targeting me.”
Jenny stifled a laugh.
“You’re alive and well, Wayne. How are you the victim here?”
“They were both my ladies,” he said. “Crystal might be next.”
“What does that mean?” Jenny asked. “Your ‘ladies’?”
Wayne said nothing.
“You know Rainbow was sharing stuff with me?” Jenny asked.
“She was a bit greedy, but she had a good heart. She was feeling guilty about some things. I suggested she go talk to you.”
“How long have you known Rainbow?” Jenny asked suspiciously.
“Long enough.”
“Can you give me a straight answer?”
“I met Rainbow in Hollywood. We were both struggling at the time.”
“I thought you knew her through Crystal?”
“Crystal wasn’t on the scene at that time. At least, I didn’t know her. Rainbow and I were an item.”
Jenny let out a gasp. She hadn’t seen it coming.
“Go on!”
“Bella became Rainbow’s roommate later. I was famous on the music circuit by then. Bella fawned over me. What can I say, I fell for her.”
“So you dumped Rainbow and went out with Bella?”
“I started going out with Bella, okay?”
“What went wrong?”
“They threw her off the set, I don’t know how or why. Crystal came into the picture. Before I knew it, we were going out.”
“But you continued seeing Bella behind Crystal’s back?”
“Bella and I were friends.”
“Friends with benefits, you mean.”
Wayne shrugged.
“I hate conflict. I like to live in harmony with everyone.”
“Do you mean you never break it off with your ex-girlfriends?”
“I don’t see the need. Who knows when they might come in handy?”
Jenny struggled to stay calm.
“If you have any information about Rainbow, I suggest you give it to the police.”
“She has a four year old son. He lives with her sister in Wisconsin.”
“Rainbow had a son?” Heather cried. “Wasn’t she too young?”