After Wren left, Liz collapsed on the loveseat, looking up at Ryan’s dark, unreadable eyes.
He quickly averted her gaze. “Need anything?”
He strode to the kitchen, now remodeled with all new top-shelf appliances, countertops and cupboards. It was a chef’s kitchen. And they’d had many cook-offs, taking turns at his place, then hers. At one time, the caretaker’s cottage had been Liz and her father’s home when they’d moved from New York until she went away to Columbia University at age eighteen. Ryan rented the cottage from Aunt Amelia. Liz’s former frilly pink daisy wallpapered bedroom was now his. No traces of daisies anywhere, after he’d put his masculine stamp on the five room cottage. The only splash of color was the art on the walls, along with a few teal throw pillows and hand thrown pottery Liz had given him to “soften things up.”
“No, I’m good,” Liz said in answer to his query.
“I’ll be right there. I want to grab paper and a pen and write some things down that Wren told me.”
“You do know Julian Rhodes could have died from natural causes and your undercover work might’ve been for naught,” she said.
“I just heard from your father about Mr. Rhodes. He told me his death was no accident. Got the call when Wren was here, so I don’t know many details,” he said.
“I knew it! How?” He came back to the loveseat and sat next to her. After a dramatic Aunt Amelia type pause, he said, “Julian Rhodes was poisoned.”
“Snap! With what?”
“Antifreeze.”
“Where would someone find antifreeze in Central Florida?”
“That’s not the real question. The real question is, who poisoned him and why. They sell antifreeze in Florida, especially for the snowbirds making trips back and forth to visit relatives in the North. Also, we do have freezing temperatures on the island. Last February for example.”
“Point taken. How about Dorian? Is she okay? Did she also have antifreeze in her system?”
“No. She’s back from the hospital. They didn’t find anything. You have been out of the loop. Charlotte’s over at the Indialantic, now. She’s talking to Dorian. Where’ve you been?”
“With Susannah. She’s the one who found Julian in the stateroom. And I just overheard a little meeting between Dorian’s daughter Phoebe, and Garrett, Dorian’s accountant/manager.” She told Ryan what she’d heard. “They both seemed pretty pleased Julian was dead. Murdered or not.”
“What about Susannah? What did she tell you?” Ryan’s dark, intense eyes looked at her. “Was he alive when she found him? I couldn’t ask her when we were onboard. Charlotte was with me the whole time.”
“He was barely alive, per Susannah.”
He started writing on the notepad. Pausing, he asked, “Did he say anything?”
“Yes, he said, ‘Tell Dory I’m sorry.’”
“Anything else Susannah could tell you?”
“Not really. Just that she was traumatized by the whole scene. Now that we know he was murdered we should probably ask Susannah more questions. She did say that during the rehearsal dinner Dorian and Julian didn’t seem to be getting along at their table for two. Even that’s strange. When I’ve attended rehearsal dinners in the past, everyone sits at the same table. It’s not like there’s a large group. Far from it.”
“Nothing about this planned wedding has been what I consider normal,” he said. “Including a medium and a witch marrying.”
“True.” She kissed him on his perfect nose, which was peeling from being sunburned. He’d recently started playing golf with her father, even though she knew it wasn’t his first choice when it came to leisure sports. Too much leisure, he’d told her. He liked more active sports like softball, kayaking, and hiking. She said, “I have a question for you. What did Wren tell you that was so confidential? And why the heck isn’t everyone who was on Queen of the Seas under house arrest? Not allowed to go moseying all over the grounds. That little avian Wren needs to be caged like poor Farrah here. There’s something not right about her.” She tried to decipher his expression. All she came up with was that he thought she was amusing. “You’re enjoying this aren’t you?”
He gave her a wry smile. “Uh-hm, Indeed, I am. I’m sure once Charlotte delivers the news to Dorian, she’ll have to share it with the public.”
It suddenly hit Liz, that this wasn’t an Agatha Christie murder to solve. This was real life. And one of the people on Queen of the Seas was a murderer. Dorian would be devastated. Thank God she had Aunt Amelia nearby to comfort her.”
Ryan wiped away a tear from her cheek, then in a soft tone he said, “Charlotte isn’t telling anyone, including the media, that it was antifreeze that did him in, only that he’d ingested poison.”
“Dorian won’t even know it was antifreeze?”
“Especially not Dorian. You do realize she’ll be the sheriff department’s top suspect. Husband and wives are always the primary suspects in a murder investigation.”
“Good one Sherlock. But you’re forgetting they weren’t married yet. How would she benefit from his death?” It wasn’t like her to be so snarky. She felt protective of Aunt Amelia’s friend, and didn’t believe for a second that Dorian had killed her fiancé. It just wasn’t in her. Liz thought back to all the times they trekked down to Palm Beach and had overnights in Dorian’s large home, Villa Luna. She’d named her little palace after the moon, because during a full moon the moon shone over the Intracoastal Waterway on one side, and the ocean on the other.
“Sorry,” she said, “I just don’t believe Dorian would kill him.” Her hand instinctively went to her cheek where she traced her scar with her finger.
Ryan noticed and pulled her to him. Once in his arms, she told him everything Susannah had told her. After, she said, “You know what? Do you mind if I grab a glass of rosé, I think I need one?”
“Sure. I think there’s an open bottle in the fridge.”
“Need anything? Another beer that doesn’t have cooties?” Then she winked as she looked over at the bottle that Wren had been drinking from.
“Ha, no, I’m good.”
She got up and went to the kitchen, got down a handblown turquoise wineglass, took out the bottle from the refrigerator, and filled the glass an inch to the brim. She wasn’t a big drinker for many reasons, but sometimes the occasion called for it. This was one of those occasions. She could hear her therapist’s words echoing in her head: Only drink when you’re happy, not when you’re sad. She wasn’t sure what she was. Surely not happy Julian Rhodes the Wiccan leader was dead. But she was relieved that if the killer was really targeting Dorian, he’d died instead of her. Did that make her a bad person? She supposed so.
After she sat on the loveseat and took a sip of wine, she said, “Seriously, what would be Dorian’s motive? If he was poisoned with antifreeze, that’s premeditated.”
“Jealousy. Maybe the guy cheated on her. That might be enough of a reason for Dorian to poison him. As you pointed out, there was quite an age difference. Or, like you’ve also brought up, he was marrying her for her money, and she found out.”
“No. I’m not buying Dorian as his murderer. I think it’s more feasible that Dorian was the target. Charlotte should have no problem narrowing it down to our fantastic four; Phoebe, Branson, Wren, and Garrett. Someone on the boat gave it to him.”
“You mean fantastic five. You can’t leave out Dorian. I’m not trying to nullify your gut feelings about this, but if it’s one thing we’ve learned from watching some of your auntie’s favorite cop shows,” he said, adding a wink, “All we want are the facts, ma’am.”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right, Sgt. Joe Friday.” Ryan was referring to the old TV crime drama Dragnet starring Jack Webb. Aunt Amelia had played a dead gangster’s blonde, floozy girlfriend. She had a three word part as she addressed Sgt. Joe Friday with a cigarette dangling between her bubblegum pink lips, “Gotta light, Sergeant?”
Liz took a gulp of her wine and stared at the liquid inside before saying, “Also, until we know in what form he ingested the antifreeze, we need to be circumspect. It could’ve been added to his food or even that fancy water beforehand.”
Ryan jotted something else down on the pad.
“And that guy in the baseball cap could be involved.” She reminded him about the sightings.
Blackbeard had taken the prone position in front of Farrah’s cage. Maybe there was a chance they could be friends. The person Blackbeard hadn’t seemed to be happy with was Wren Wagner. She smiled and blew the big mutt a kiss. “Okay, spill. Your turn to share what Wren told you. And I wouldn’t mind hearing what you found when you went on board Queen of the Seas?”
“The first time I went in, I just confirmed Mr. Rhodes was dead. After checking Dorian’s pulse, Charlotte sent me and Susannah out of the room. Susannah went up to the top deck with the others and I followed Charlotte and Captain Netherton out.”
Liz raised her right eyebrow. “And the second time?”
“The second time I just snooped around, trying to avoid Charlotte and everyone else. Captain Netherton saw me but didn’t let on. On my way off the ship, he whispered that he did see a guy in the parking lot taking pictures of license plates with a cellphone.”
“Let me guess, he wore black?”
“No, navy T-shirt and jeans.”
“Same thing.”
“Not really.”
Liz glanced at Ryan’s navy T-shirt and smiled. He always dressed in dark clothing like he had back in New York City. Island life didn’t change his mind about his style. But soon the summer heat would start, and she was sure white would be the color of most of his days.
“I saw a bottle of water brought off as evidence. Do you think that’s where the antifreeze was added? Do you know where the bottle came from?”
“Actually, when I was leaning in to examine the body, I saw it peeking out from under the sofa. I grabbed a tissue and rolled the bottle in sight, leaving it for the sheriff’s department to find it.”
“Okay, back to Wren,” Liz said, giving him a small pinch on his knee.
He put the pen down and looked at her. “You heard me. I pinky swore not to tell.”
Her mouth gaped open. He was enjoying this.
Serious once again, he said, “Wren claims to have caught Dorian and her financial advisor Garrett coming out of a room on Queen of the Seas during the rehearsal dinner.”
“So, that’s no big deal.”
“Wren said he took her into his arms and that Dorian had been crying.”
“They’re friends,” Liz said, not convinced it was more than that. At least on Dorian’s part. “Garrett’s been her financial advisor for years. Maybe he found out some dirt on Julian and told her about it. It would explain about how Dorian seemed so distant during last night’s dinner. What part of the evening was it?”
“I was about to ask her when you came barreling in with both guns blazing and a caged ferret.”
“Darn. I still don’t believe Dorian killed him. Garrett could have. He’s in love with Dorian for sure.” She reached into her shorts pocket and showed him the crumpled bill for the water filtration system that Garrett must have thrown away after Julian handed it to him. “There was definitely no love lost between Julian and Garrett.” She said reflectively, “We should pass everything on to Charlotte and the sheriff’s department.”
“Well…remember yesterday you wanted me to look into Julian Rhodes past? I did find a few things that were interesting, and a half hour ago, I had a little chat with our octogenarian cyber sleuth Betty in Jacksonville. By the sounds of her screaming great-grandchildren, I think she’ll be happy to come home to the Indialantic.”
“Tell me. Tell me.”
“The Sunshine Wiccan Society isn’t listed as a religious group, but The Sunshine Wiccan Society Water Company, Ltd. was registered within the last year by Julian Rhodes. The only other thing I could find on Mr. Rhodes was that fifteen years ago he had a business called Sunshine Serenity Springs. It had the same address as where the SWS water company is.”
“And why is Betty talking to you, not me? No wonder she’s not answering my texts except the one I sent saying Julian was dead.”
He raised an eyebrow, amused once again, crinkling the laugh lines by his dark brown eyes. “Because earlier…you said you would stay out of it and let me do the research on the guy. I told Betty to keep it between the two of us.”
Letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, she said, “So, what does it all mean? Did Betty go to the physical location?”
“Yes. There’s nothing there that looks the slightest bit witch or warlock like. There is a natural spring and a warehouse that was locked tight. And lots of land. Before she could check-in or break-in which is more her MO, Betty was chased off by a pair of Rottweilers.”
Liz covered her mouth. “Oh my! Is she okay?”
“Betty said it was the best time of her life. Instead of writing a scene from a mystery, she was living one. She made it to her car, no problem.”
“That’s even more scary,” Liz said with a laugh. “Have you ever been in the car when she was driving? She doesn’t even have a license, that’s why I have her Blue Bomber and act as her chauffeur.”
“She’s fine,” he said. “But I do agree with you that you and Betty should stay out of this from now on. We aren’t dealing with a background check. We’re dealing with murder.”
“Maybe there is no Wiccan Society?”
“Or they could be located somewhere else. Too early to jump to conclusions.”
“I bet he was just with Dorian for the money,” she said, taking another sip of wine. “Just like that whopper of a bill I just told you about that Julian gave Garrett for the new bottling plant in Ocala.”
Liz shot up from the sofa. “I better go check on Auntie and Dorian. Aren’t you glad I had you dig into Julian Rhodes? At least we have something to go on. Have you told Charlotte everything?”
“Briefly. She wants me to write up a report and send her everything I know. As of an hour ago, I am on the payroll of the Brevard County Sherriff’s Department.”
“That’s wonderful. Now we’ll be sure to be in the loop for a change. Make sure to send me a copy of your report, too.”
“I don’t think Charlotte would say that was okay. I don’t want to jeopardize my first case.”
“Okay. As long as you include me in the intelligence loop. I am concerned Dorian might be next,” she said, walking to the door.
As she put her hand on the knob, he said, “Oh, and by the way, Wren also confessed to something else. I guess she figured everyone would find out eventually…”
She turned toward him. “Let me take a stab at it. Wren is not Julian’s cousin.”
“Bingo!” he said. “She said her mother and Julian’s were best friends and she called Julian’s mother, ‘Aunt.’ She’s known him for years.”
Liz laughed. “Wren probably figured Charlotte would find out soon enough that she and Julian weren’t related. Watch your step with that one Mr. P.I.”
“Will do. Aren’t you forgetting something?”
She went back to the sofa and gave him a kiss.
“I’ll take the kiss,” he said, “but I meant the ferret.”
“Oops.”