Chapter 12

The next morning we put our plan into effect. As soon as Jack and Thoris left for their meeting with George at the station, Gillian and I went to find Dave and Niles. I’d seen a lot more of George in the past few days than I had of Dave, and that was not normal. I wondered what was going on with those two.

I knocked at Dave’s patio door and saw movement inside, but he didn’t answer. “Dave, it’s me, Cass. Gillian’s with me. We need to talk to you.”

The door opened. The room was dark. He hadn’t turned on any lights, and the blinds were drawn. I stepped in despite the gloom, and Gillian followed me. Dave stood behind the door and shut it as we entered.

“Can we turn a light on?” I asked.

He flipped the switch next to the door, and the lava lamp burped sluggishly orange in the corner. Ragged didn’t even begin to describe the condition he was in. He hadn’t shaved or combed his hair. He wore only pajama bottoms. His feet were bare. But the most disturbing thing was that Dave, the consummate host, didn’t greet us or offer us anything to drink. I’d never entered his house before without those amenities.

“Dave, where’s Niles?”

He shook himself and smiled wanly. “Hi, Cass. Gillian. Welcome to my humble—and somewhat messy—abode. Niles might still be at the police station or he could be at the hospital by now. I don’t know.”

“Is he okay?” I asked.

Gillian said, “Do they suspect him?”

“I don’t know if they suspect him. I know they suspect me. They asked him if he’d go with them to answer some questions. I’ve been up, thinking about everything that’s happened. It all hit me. I’ll never see Aunt Amelia again. I didn’t think I’d miss her this much. It’s like losing my mom all over again. There didn’t seem to be any reason to get dressed today.”

“Dave, there has to be a party somewhere.” I tried to appeal to his sense of fun. He snorted, and I realized I’d never heard Dave express any cynicism before. Regret, yes. Cynicism, no. “What happened? Something else must have happened.”

He ran his fingers through his tousled hair. “Maybe the cops think I did it.” Tears welled in his eyes.

“But you didn’t do it. Want to come over to my place for some lunch?”

His front door on the street side opened, and Niles walked in followed by George’s partner Bill and a uniformed officer.

“This is a search warrant.” All business, Detective Daniels handed a folded paper to Dave, who took it, hand shaking.

“What are you looking for?” I asked.

Bill looked me up and down. “Do you live here?”

“You know I don’t.”

“Then I suggest you leave. Now.”

“Go, Cass. It’ll be okay.” Dave opened his patio door for us, and Gillian and I left.

“How rude!” I had a mind to stay and argue, but Gillian pulled me away.

“We’ll find out what’s going on from Dave after they leave, and maybe Jack will come back with some information. They’re only doing their job.”

I still fumed. “It’s obvious Dave is mourning Amelia. He clearly wouldn’t hurt her.”

“The cops are just following the evidence. We all like Dave, but how much do you really know about him? Niles seems like the stalwart one. Funny that he didn’t say anything to us.”

“The police interrogation probably scared him, too. That settles it. They’re obviously getting it wrong. We have to figure out who murdered Amelia.”

We reached my house, and Gillian opened the back door for me. “Jack and I are leaving in a couple of days. There’s not much we can do in that time, and if you stir up a hornet’s nest, we won’t be here to help you. Who else is there?”

“Ricardo and Mia.”

“Students who attend class.”

“Mina.”

“We haven’t seen her since before Halloween.”

I rubbed my chin. “That alone is strange. I hope she’s okay. We should go by to check on her.”

“Good idea, but first let’s have lunch in front of the TV and see what info they’ve released to the public.”

“We can fill in the spreadsheet Jack started.”

We slapped together some sandwiches and parked in the living room in front of the TV. Gillian took control of the remote, and I opened the laptop. We didn’t have much on the spreadsheet. The headings were Suspect, Means, Motive, Opportunity, and Scene of Crime. Jack had already entered Dave, Niles, Darius, Gerry, and Unknown.

“Gillian?”

She located the show she wanted and stopped before hitting Play. “Huh?”

“What about Gerry?”

“The accountant? Don’t know. I really didn’t pay him much attention. He sort of blended into the woodwork at Amelia’s dinner. Didn’t George tell us he was missing?”

“He said running didn’t make him look innocent, but he didn’t say anything about evidence against him.”

“You don’t suppose the cops have him locked up, do you?”

“Wouldn’t the reporters have mentioned that?”

She twisted to look at the TV. “I didn’t see anything about him.”

“How would you know? You’re on pause.” At her outraged expression, I laughed. “I’m teasing. George wouldn’t have told us he was missing if they had him locked up. But I think we should catch up on what the police have been releasing to the public.”

Gillian scanned through the recorded news shows.

I leaned back. “Not a mention of Gerry Waverley. I wonder if the reporters are even aware of him.”

Gillian paused the recording. “If the police consider him a suspect or a person of interest, you’d think they’d have given out that information. Media, particularly social media, can be a powerful tool to locate people.”

“True.” Now the hard columns to fill in. Means. I heard the front door open and close and called out, “Jack? You back?”

Thor came running in and sat at my feet.

I looked down. “Tuna juice?”

Thor meowed.

“Coming right up.” I went into the kitchen and set a brimming saucer on the floor. I’d set it aside when I drained the can of fish for tuna salad.

Jack walked over to the table, took a look at the computer screen, and sat down. “Been busy while we’ve been gone.”

“How’d the visit with George go?” Gillian asked.

“I’ll be able to take you all for a ride in the convertible very soon. Doris will have to tell you what she found out. Lunch? We’re both hungry, not just Thor.”

“Okay. Gillian and I have already eaten.” I set out lunch choices as Jack and Gillian came in and sat down at the trestle table.

“Doris, want to join us?” I asked.

Doris faded in sitting on the counter as usual. She could barely contain herself with glee. “That was peachy keen!”

“Peachy keen?” I opened a bag of chips and poured some in a bowl for Jack.

“Real cool?” She tilted her head coquettishly.

Gillian passed the ham to Jack. “What did you find out?”

“I wish I could draw or use a camera,” Doris said. “But I’d be happy to go back and have another look. The officers all loved me particularly when I rubbed against them and purred, which meant I could get up on desks to read papers.”

“Did you see the letters DNA?” Jack opened a beer.

“All over the place. It was on those little yellow papers on a board. It was the heading on several things. Darius, Niles, and Dave were tested. Inconclusive. Money was the big motive for Niles and Dave, but jealousy and revenge for Darius. There was a note that Amelia complained about him bothering her.”

I looked at Gillian. “Restraining order?”

“They had a sheet like yours.” Doris nodded toward Jack. “Means. Motive. Opportunity. Their aunt controlled the grandmother’s trust, which was earmarked to support Dave. He got the house and the income. Niles didn’t like that. They wrote student loans next to his name.”

“Who else was on the spreadsheet?” I took another bite.

“You were.”

“Seriously? Motive?”

“One of the detectives thought you might be a clever serial killer. They talked about you and teased George.”

“Oh, great! There goes any hope for…” They all looked at me. “Never mind. Who else?”

“Jack and Gillian because there are murders whenever they visit.”

It was Jack’s turn to get indignant. “That’s lame!”

Gillian poured me another glass of lemonade.

I snickered. “Who else?”

“Gerry Waverley. They had an entry for a random, unrelated serial killer. They had a list of suspicious people they’d arrested or observed in the area. They had pictures of people, including all of you, out on the beach.”

“Great.” I brought out the chocolate chip shortbread.

“What about opportunity?” Gillian asked.

“Everyone had opportunity, but they don’t know where she was killed. George told Bill that until they find out, alibis are squishy.”

Jack laughed. “Technical term.”

“Did you hear any other conversations that were interesting?”

“They told George your house is haunted. They told him everyone knows you have a ghost. They know he’s superstitious, and they tease him. They joked that he might be in love with a serial killer. His partner makes them stop. He thought he was fitting in pretty well until the second murder on your beach. Now he wonders if he will ever fit in here. He thinks maybe he should leave.”

“Stop. I don’t want to hear any more.” My sandwich sat like a fist in my stomach.

Doris wavered. “Cass, you should tell him about me.”

“No!” I yelled, a bit too loud.

Doris vanished.

That was the second time I’d yelled after she asked me not to. “Doris, I didn’t mean it.” But there wasn’t even a whisper of her.

Jack said, “I’m going to enter all this into the spreadsheet. If we’re implicated at all even in jest, we need to pay closer attention to what’s going on.”

“Don’t worry. If you leave, Cass, Doris will come back. Jack, why don’t you get the details from Doris? Cass, you said you were worried about Mina, why don’t we go look for her?”

I sighed and got up. “I didn’t mean to hurt Doris’ feelings.”

“I know, and she does, too. You know, that wasn’t a bad idea. If you tell him the whole truth and introduce him to Doris, you wouldn’t have to cover things up and make excuses.”

“But I could lose him.”

“Maybe, but do you have him now? Meeting Doris was a bit of an adjustment for all of us, but your relationship isn’t going to progress unless you’re honest with him.”

I changed the subject. “Let’s go find Mina and ask her why she hasn’t been around. Maybe she saw or heard something that would help solve this murder or at the very least clear Dave. I’m worried about him.”

The weather was wild today. Wind whipped up the surf and white caps hurtled into the rocks. I wrapped a scarf around my head and neck even though Mina’s house was only up the hill. As we approached, a light in the parlor window beckoned, and the curtain moved slightly. She was there. I exhaled and relaxed. I hoped she would answer the door.

We climbed the steps, but the door didn’t open so I knocked.

At the third rap, she opened the door a crack. “Yes?”

“Hi, Mina, Gillian and I would like to talk to you.” She closed the door, and I thought she was indicating that we should leave. But the chain rattled, and she let us in. She latched and locked the door behind us. I’d never known her to lock her door, but then again I hadn’t lived here long.

“Tea? I have gunpowder today,” she asked as she led us into the parlor.

“Lemon bars?” I asked.

“Of course,” she said, smiling as she seated herself on the edge of a gold brocade upholstered Queen Anne chair. She poured the steaming liquid into two delicate porcelain cups, handed them to us, and then proffered napkins, small plates with a lily of the valley design, and a tray of lemon bars…like magic.

“You’ll love these, Gillian,” I said, taking one. I waited for her reaction after her first bite.

Her eyes widened and she nodded. “These are amazing! Tart with just a touch of sweet. So lemony!”

They were as delicious as they had been the first time. After a sip of the strong tea, I turned to Mina.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever seen you lock a door much less put the chain on.”

Mina pursed her lips. “Things are a bit different here right now.”

I set my cup down. “Do you blame me?”

“Of course not, dear. You are not to blame.”

“I’m happy to hear you say that. It’s an opinion not shared by many of your neighbors…or the police.”

“They’re your neighbors, too, and those who are important believe in you.” She refreshed my cup.

“I’m glad to hear it because I really like it here. I feel at home. I didn’t think I would. I was very fond of my life in Pleasanton, but finding out that my friends there were all fair weather ones was quite the shock. And then there’s something about this place. It’s cozy, and the sea sings me to sleep at night.”

Mina smiled and offered me another lemon bar. Then she grew serious. “I’m glad you like it here, but you must be careful. There is a murderer here. One that I feel is very dangerous, very ruthless. Nothing will stand between this murderer and the prize.”

“The prize?” Gillian asked.

“The motivation for all this drama. It’s a dangerous time, and it’s very close to us. Please latch all your windows and lock your doors. I fear the killer isn’t through yet.”

“Do you have any idea who it might be?” I asked.

“It isn’t someone who belongs here.”

At first I felt relief that it couldn’t be Dave or Darius because they live here. My relief dissipated quickly as I thought about her exact words. She hadn’t said “someone from here.” She’d said it wasn’t someone who “belongs” here. I wondered if she meant a stranger or a resident who shouldn’t be here. Both Darius and Dave were transplants like me. I hadn’t noticed anyone unusual, but then again I didn’t yet know everyone in town.

“The police aren’t telling us much,” Gillian said.

Mina leaned back and smiled. “The joy of a small-town constabulary is that they live in and know the community. They pay attention. They attend the AARP chapter meetings to tell us about scams. They get to know the kids at the high school and take the Boy Scouts on tours of the jail.”

“That’s lovely,” Gillian said. “But what’s AARP?”

Mina’s laugh was high and flute-like. “You’re still young. It’s the association for us old folk. I don’t remember what the acronym stands for now, but it was something about retired people. A lot of people I know who belong aren’t retired.”

“The responsiveness of the local police does make me feel safer,” I conceded. “I wish George would be more open with me.”

Mina cocked her head, reminding me of an inquisitive heron. “Are you being open with him?”

I opened my mouth, but I knew I wasn’t.

“You want to mean more to him than his job. I know. A lot of women have felt that way over the ages.” She refreshed my cup again. “It’s hard to trust people these days.”

George had asked me to trust him. Did I not trust him? I wasn’t sure. Maybe I just didn’t like feeling left out. “I have a stake in this. People think I had something to do with this.”

“Some people,” Gillian added.

“You know the door under my porch?” Mina asked.

“I noticed that,” I said. “I was curious about it. Your front door is quite high up. Is there a floor under this one?”

“It’s not a full floor. It’s more like an unfinished basement. My father built this house many years ago, and he used the space as a workshop for his furniture making and reupholstering. That door doesn’t lock. If you ever need a place to hide quickly, go there. You’ll be safe.”

I had visions of cobwebs, spiders, and mice. “Thanks, Mina.”

Mina lifted the top to the pot and peered in. “Will you be wanting more tea?”

I set my cup and saucer down on the tray. “No, thanks. We need to be going.” I stood.

Gillian set her plate down and stood, also. “Thanks so much for tea and for the offer of refuge.”

“You’re welcome.”

Mina showed us out. The lock clicked behind us. Gillian and I exchanged a look, and a chill shot up my spine as we walked back to the bungalow.

“I’ve never seen her so spooked. The last time I saw her this nervous was when I first moved in. She visited me and kept looking around for ghosts.”

As we reached my door and entered, I thought perhaps I should start locking my own door as Jack requested, at least until the murderer was arrested.

“About time you guys got back.”

“What’s up, Jack?” I hung my jacket on the hall tree.

“Please call Samantha. She’s called about a half dozen times. Seems she and Darius have been talking.” He looked at me meaningfully.

“Uh oh.”

“Exactly.”