Sweetness and Light (A Sweet Cove Mystery Book 5) Page 4

  Jenna walked slowly towards the bedroom. She stopped at the threshold and peered in. After several moments, she moved into the room and stood close to the bed. She gazed at the form crumpled under the sheet. She had never met Nelson Rider. She wondered what he looked like. Even though her sisters had described him to her, she wished she had gotten a sense of him when he was alive. Sadness pressed against her chest. She closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing.

  Angie moved about the living room. There was a gas fireplace on the right side wall. She stepped over to it and ran her hand over the marble mantle. Her skin tingled like she was being pricked by a tiny needle. The lights in the room seemed too bright and hurt her eyes. She started to feel light-headed and she gripped the edge of the mantle with her hand and squeezed. Objects in her peripheral vision looked like they were underwater, blurry and washed out.

  Angie turned slowly and faced the center of the room. Her ears buzzed and she had the sensation of separating from her body. Her heart beat fast and her throat tightened. Something dark and fleeting like a shadow moved near the bedroom door and was gone.

  A scream broke the silence in the room. The sound waves created from the screech sped through the air and pounded Angie’s eardrums with such force that it shook her from her trance-like state. Her breath caught in her throat and she shuddered, but within a half second, she was chasing Chief Martin and Detective Lang into the bedroom.

  Jenna stood near the bed, white as a ghost. Courtney had reached Jenna first and had her arms around her sister. Angie rushed to Jenna’s side and touched her arm.

  “What was it?” Chief Martin’s face was pale.

  Jenna ran her hand over her face. “Did I scream?”

  Angie nodded and whispered. “What happened?”

  “I was standing here, looking at Nelson’s form on the bed. I don’t know.” Jenna glanced towards the doorway. “Someone was there. I saw the silvery muzzle of the gun.” Her eyes went wide. “I heard a shot. The sound was soft though. I thought I heard Nelson scream.” She looked at her sisters. “But it wasn’t Nelson, was it? It was me? Was I the one who screamed?”

  Angie could feel Jenna shaking. Chief Martin gently took the tall brunette by the arm and led her out of the bedroom and into the living room. He sat her down on the sofa and took the seat beside her. “Could you make out who was standing in the doorway?”

  Jenna thought about what she’d seen and felt. “It was a shadow. I couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. The figure was dark. The face was shrouded in darkness.” Jenna’s eyes looked sad. “I’m no help.”

  Chief Martin squeezed Jenna’s shoulder. “You’re more help than you know.” He looked over at the other two sisters. “Anything?”

  Courtney gave a slight shake of her head.

  Angie’s body was weak like she’d just run ten miles in the heat. Her legs shook. “Before Jenna screamed … I saw a shadow near the bedroom door.” She clasped her arms tight around herself. “Could we get out of here?”

  They left the crime scene and stepped outside into the cool, fresh air of the dark night. Angie and Jenna were shaken from the experience in the bungalow. Their shoulders were slumped from a combination of fatigue and anxiety. The chief offered to have an officer give them a lift home and the girls accepted, but they asked if they could be driven back to the Victorian in about thirty minutes. The three sisters wanted to walk around for a while to regain their equilibrium and clear their heads. They decided to wander over to the bluff where their Nana once owned a small cottage and sit in the grass on the point overlooking the ocean.

  The girls walked around the lush grounds of the resort in silence and headed to the lawn area on the far side of the property’s acreage where they could sit and listen to the waves crashing. Settling on the grass, a slight ocean breeze tickled their skin and the coolness of the salty air was a pleasant contrast to the high heat of the day.

  Courtney leaned back on the lawn and looked up at the stars in the black sky. “It’s so pretty.”

  “Who’d imagine the terrible thing that happened a few hours ago on the other side of the hotel building?” Jenna rested in the grass next to Courtney.

  “Can you feel the thrumming?” Angie asked.

  Courtney smiled. “I always feel it here. It feels good. It feels like home.”

  Jenna gave a contented sigh. “I don’t feel any thrumming, but I feel close to Nana. Calm. Soothing. Like she’s near.”

  Angie could feel the warm humming in her blood that made her feel safe and content. Her muscles relaxed as the anxiety and fear drained away. The rhythmic movement of the ocean waves, rising and falling, breaking against the sand, washed away the tension that had engulfed each girl at the crime scene. The young women rested on the grass, looking up at the stars.

  After twenty minutes had passed, Jenna sat up. “I’m feeling better. Want to go home now?”

  Angie and Courtney both rose to sitting positions and yawned at the same time, causing them to chuckle.

  “Home sounds good.” Angie rubbed the back of her neck.

  “Remember when Ellie said that dealing with the Winstons wasn’t going to be all sweetness and light?” Courtney pushed herself up from the lawn and smiled. “That sister of ours is becoming downright clairvoyant.”

  Chapter 7

  Angie yawned as she put a muffin tin into the oven and set the timer. “I’m beat.”

  “Me, too.” Ellie stacked pancakes in the warming tray and returned to the counter to slice fruit. “Even though I got home long before you and the others, I couldn’t sleep. I was tossing and turning all night. Jenna’s lucky that she doesn’t have to be up at the crack of dawn like we do.”

  Angie smiled slyly. “Maybe I should go wake her.”

  Tom entered the kitchen. “Did I hear someone say Jenna?” He had his tool belt in his hand.

  “She’s still asleep. We had a late night last night.” Angie started to prepare cookies for an afternoon snack for the B and B guests. She filled Tom in on the goings-on about the latest murder in Sweet Cove. “We were with the police for hours. I only got two hours of sleep.”

  Tom poured himself some coffee. He sat at the kitchen counter. “What’s with all this crime lately? It’s never been like this in Sweet Cove. It’s usually peaceful and quiet around here.”

  Ellie brought Tom a plate with blueberry pancakes and bacon. When Euclid and Circe jumped up onto the counter to watch Tom, Ellie scowled at them, but she let them stay.

  Tom reached over and gave each cat a cheek scratch. He looked at Angie. “After I eat, how would you like to see the renovations for your bake shop?”

  Angie stopped mixing and stared at Tom. Her eyes lit up. “It’s ready to show?”

  Tom had asked that no one try to get a look at the room that he was renovating for the bake shop so that it would be a surprise when it was ready to be viewed. He even went so far as to tape brown paper on the windows so there would be no peeking.

  “There’s still quite a lot of finish work left to do, but I think it’s time you had a look at it. Now’s the time if you want anything changed.”

  “Eat your breakfast fast.” Angie smiled broadly at Tom. “I can’t wait to see it.”

  Mr. Finch entered the kitchen and wished everyone a good morning. Angie told him that Tom was going to unveil the renovations on the bake shop room in a little while. The changes on the Victorian’s kitchen and the customer part of the bake shop had been going on for some time. Tom had just about finished the kitchen space, creating a family side and a commercial side. The work was top-notch and it was a pleasure to cook, bake, and gather together in the beautiful new kitchen. In a few weeks, Angie could re-open her Sweet Dreams Bake Shop.

  “Are you done eating?” Angie wouldn’t refill Tom’s coffee until after they got a look at the new room.

  “I shouldn’t have told you that the room was ready for inspection until after I’d finished my breakfast.” Tom grinned. “Let’s go. Then
I can have another cup of coffee.”

  Tom, Angie, Ellie, Mr. Finch and the two cats headed for the door that led to the bake shop. Tom opened it in dramatic fashion mimicking the sound of a drum roll. He held his hand out for Angie to enter.

  She took a few steps into the room and practically squealed. New windows lined the wall overlooking the wraparound porch and a new door had been installed that led outside. The walls were bead board and would be stained white. The customer counter area had a light gray granite countertop and the work counter against the back wall was made of white marble with swirls of dark and light gray running through it. There were spaces for two refrigerators, the glass case for the goodies, and a separate coffee bar.

  Angie nearly swooned. She turned to Tom and bear-hugged him with tears in her eyes. “It’s so beautiful. I never imagined such a gorgeous space. Thank you.” She squeezed him.

  Ellie and Mr. Finch ran their hands over the lovely new countertops and walked around the room imagining the cafe tables filled with happy customers.

  “It’s great. It’s really beautiful.” Ellie smiled at Tom.

  “We would expect nothing less from such a superb craftsman. Well done, Tom.” Mr. Finch gave a slight bow.

  The cats sat on the new counter and trilled.

  “I think I did such a good job because I had two taskmasters watching every move I made throughout the process.” Tom winked at the cats and then looked at Angie. “They made sure you got your money’s worth.”

  The cats puffed up proudly.

  Jenna stumbled into the room from the kitchen wearing pajamas, her hair tousled from sleep. “What’s going on?” Her eyes widened when she saw the new bake shop. “Wow. You outdid yourself. It’s gorgeous. Maybe I should have you renovate my jewelry room.” She gave Tom a hug and a kiss.

  Angie smiled. “I can’t wait to open the shop.” Suddenly remembering she’d put muffins in the oven, she hurried back inside to check that the timer hadn’t gone off.

  Everyone returned to the kitchen. Assured that the muffins were safe, Angie lifted the coffeepot and rewarded Tom for his hard work by refilling his mug.

  Jenna sat at the counter next to Tom. “You heard about last night?” She pushed her uncombed hair back from her face.

  Tom nodded. “You and Angie both saw a shadow of what happened?”

  “Only slightly,” Jenna said. “I saw the shadow of a person and the muzzle of the gun. And I heard a scream, but I think that was me. Then it was gone. It wasn’t very helpful.”

  “Maybe more will come to light?” Tom asked.

  “I don’t know.” Jenna looked at her sisters. “We’re so new at this. We don’t know how it works or how to control it.”

  “I think we should talk to Bethany.” Ellie placed hard boiled eggs into a bowl. “I’m suspicious of her.”

  Jenna scrunched her forehead. “Why so?”

  “She was here with us when we got the call from Josh to hurry to the resort, but what time did the police say Nelson Rider was killed?”

  “Um.” Jenna cupped her coffee mug with two hands. “Rider was dead when the housekeeper went into the room around 10:45. Chief Martin said the investigator told him that Nelson Rider died between 10:00 and 10:45pm. Someone saw Rider walking back to his bungalow just after 9:30.”

  “So,” Ellie surmised. “Bethany could have killed Nelson and then rushed here to have an alibi.”

  Angie said, “I didn’t think to suspect Bethany, but she could have done it. She didn’t arrive here at the Victorian last night until almost eleven. She had plenty of time to shoot Nelson and then high-tail it over here to try to cover up her actions.”

  “Showing up here so late is kind of suspicious,” Tom noted. “And you’re right, it could very well be that she came here last night to create an alibi, have people vouch for her whereabouts.”

  Jenna dipped a piece of pancake into maple syrup. “What about Bethany’s friend, Todd Moore? He had motive, too. He might have killed Nelson to get him out of his and Bethany’s lives. Eliminate the future husband. Problem solved.”

  “They might have planned it together.” Mr. Finch took a swallow from his tea cup.

  “Good thinking.” Angie put another tin of muffins into the oven and scooped cookie dough onto a baking sheet.

  “Did you know that Senator Winston rented a mansion in Coveside?” Finch added milk to his second cup of tea. “Miss Betty told me. He rented it for a month, to house some of his friends before and after the wedding. The Senator and Bethany were due to check out of the resort today and move to the mansion.”

  “That’s interesting. I wonder if they will change their minds and just leave town now.” Ellie carried a tray of pancakes into the dining room for the guests.

  “I would think Nelson Rider’s brother and sister will sweep into town.” Angie placed the cooled muffins into a basket. “They’ll probably bring their own private detectives to solve their brother’s murder.”

  “Chief Martin is not going to like the mess that this is going to cause.” Tom rinsed his empty mug in the sink. “All kinds of law enforcement will be sticking their hands into the investigation. It will be hard to coordinate all of that.”

  “I do not envy Chief Martin’s position. He has a most difficult job.” Mr. Finch toasted an English muffin in the toaster oven and removed raspberry jam from one of the refrigerators.

  “I’m off to work on my bake shop masterpiece,” Tom kidded. “Call me if you find out anything interesting about the case or you need my help in solving it.” He winked and strapped on his tool belt. He gave Jenna a kiss on the cheek. “Come on, cats, enough goofing off. It’s time we went to work.”

  Euclid and Circe jumped down from the top of the fridge and followed Tom into the new bake shop room to supervise his activities.

  Jenna looked at Angie. “What do you think? Should we wander down to the inn at the beach and look up Mr. Todd Moore, friend of Bethany?”

  Angie wiped her hands on a dish towel. “I’d like to know if Bethany was playing us. I’d like to know if she showed up here late last night to cover her tracks. Maybe she wanted to use us as pawns who would vouch for her whereabouts.” She loaded some dirty dishes into the dishwasher. “Even though I’d like to stay out of it, I feel like we’re in it already. Chief Martin wants our help and I feel obligated to assist him. We need to figure out if Bethany killed her fiancé or not.” Angie turned to Jenna and Mr. Finch with serious eyes. “And if she didn’t do it, then who did?”

  Chapter 8

  Angie and Jenna headed along Beach Street towards the inns near the beach. “I’ll call Josh later today to find out if the Winstons have checked out of the resort. Mr. Finch is going to call Betty and ask if the Senator has contacted her about the house that he’s supposed to be renting.”

  “With the help of our clever contacts, we’ll be able to figure out where the Winstons are staying in Sweet Cove or if they’ve left the area.” Jenna looked wistfully out over the ocean as they approached the beach. “Are we ever going to get some time when we can all just relax on the sand like we did at Courtney’s birthday party? I feel like the summer is passing us by.”

  “We need to get everyone together and spend an afternoon at the beach.” Angie put her sunglasses on. “And we need to arrange a house-warming party for Mr. Finch.”

  Jenna said, “His new furniture is being delivered at the end of this week. Let’s talk to Ellie and Courtney tonight about a surprise party to celebrate his new home.”

  Angie eyed the two inns along Beach Street. “Bethany only said that Todd is staying at an inn on the beach. She didn’t say which one, so let’s start with The Seagull.”

  “I hope she didn’t mean the inns near Coveside. Finding Todd could take a while.”

  Angie rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Even longer if he’s left town.”

  The girls entered the small lobby of the Seagull Inn and walked up to the desk clerk. Jenna smiled at the man. “We were wondering if you
could ring a room for us? We’re looking for Todd Moore. A mutual friend told us that he’s in town.”

  The elderly desk clerk smiled at the girls. “Mr. Moore just checked in yesterday.” He looked over the girls’ heads. “In fact, there he is. He’s on the porch.” The clerk pointed out the back window to a large covered porch area just off the back door.

  The girls thanked the desk clerk and made their way to the porch, thankful that there was only one man sitting outside since they had no idea what Todd looked like.

  Angie gave a sigh of relief. “It must be our lucky day.”

  They stepped out onto the shaded deck. There were café tables and comfortable chairs and lounges to relax on. Several potted palms were placed in the corners of the space. The man sitting at a table with a cold drink glanced up as the girls came out from the lobby.

  Jenna smiled. “Todd?”

  The man seemed surprised by Jenna’s recognition and he looked to be struggling to remember her from somewhere, not realizing that he really didn’t know her at all.

  Jenna extended her hand. “Jenna Roseland. This is my sister, Angie. We’re friends of Bethany.”

  Angie gestured to the empty chairs around Todd’s table. “May we join you?”

  Todd nodded. Confusion creased his brow.

  The girls sat.

  Angie said, “Bethany told us you were in town.”

  “How do you know Beth?”

  “We’ve just met her recently. We’ve been helping her arrange her wedding here in Sweet Cove.” Angie gave him a friendly look. “She told us you were staying here.”

  Todd’s face clouded, but he didn’t say anything. His eyes darted around the deck and garden.

  Angie got the feeling he might bolt so she quickly engaged him in conversation. “Bethany speaks highly of you. She told us you’ve been friends since you were little children.”

  Jenna leaned slightly forward. “When did you get into town?”

  Todd shifted in his chair. “Just recently.”

  Here we go with evasive answers, Angie thought. She decided that the best thing to do was to stop beating around the bush. “Terrible about Bethany’s fiancé.”