As Saul walked off to the side of the dining room, Martha met him with a glass of wine.

  Suzie looked over at Mary and spoke in a whisper, “The vigil might be the perfect chance to observe. We can see who shows up, who doesn’t, and their reactions.” She slid into a chair near the back of the dining room and gestured for Mary to take the one beside her.

  “Yes, you’re right.” Mary settled in the chair, then fell silent as Jocelyn from Next Stop Getaways walked over to their table. Her perfectly applied makeup and flawless hairstyle belied the flustered expression she wore. “Jocelyn, is everything okay?”

  “I’m late. Do you mind if I join you?” Jocelyn looked between them. “I was meant to sit with Pippa, but I don’t think she’ll be coming to dinner, and I really don’t want to sit alone.”

  “Of course.” Suzie gestured to the empty chair. “We’d be glad for the company.”

  “Thank you so much.” Jocelyn sank into the chair with a sigh of relief. “I have no idea how to handle this. Is it more polite to ignore it, or talk about what happened?”

  “It’s one of those impossible situations.” Mary offered a tight smile. “It feels awkward, but I do think talking about it generally helps. I know that I’m hoping the police will be able to find the murderer fast. You said you planned to sit with Pippa. Do you know her well?”

  “Not really.” Jocelyn set her purse beside her plate. “Their inn is one of my site’s top sellers, so I like to try to create some personal contact. We’ve exchanged a few emails and phone calls. That’s about it.”

  “Oh wow, it must be a very prestigious place to be a top seller.” Suzie met her eyes. “I know that Rick had a rivalry with another inn owner, John. Do you know him?”

  “We met briefly.” Jocelyn’s lip curled. “He wasn’t very nice to me, and I haven’t spoken to him since.”

  “What did he say?” Suzie’s question hung in the air as a waitress delivered their food before hurrying away.

  “He was upset that I didn’t feature his business.” Jocelyn picked up her fork and stabbed at the fish on her plate. “As I told you before, my site operates on an algorithm.” She sliced into the salmon with her fork. “But some people can’t stand to see others succeed. John was jealous other businesses were featured above him. I told him it had more to do with the uptight regulations at his inn, than anything else.”

  “And what did he think of that?” Suzie took a few bites of her own food and immediately decided that Chef Antonio had to be a five-star chef.

  “He got a bit irate, saying it wasn’t fair, so I left. If Elliot hadn’t stepped in, I think he would have come after me. But Elliot warned him not to speak to me like that.” Jocelyn gave a small smile. “It was actually quite chivalrous.”

  “Elliot, huh?” Mary glanced around the room and spotted the inn owner she’d met at the meet-and-greet sitting with a small group at a table. “It’s good he was there.”

  “Honestly, I think he just wanted his turn to argue with John.” Jocelyn laughed, then quickly covered her mouth and gulped. “I shouldn’t be laughing at a time like this.”

  “It’s okay. Times like these are hard,” Mary said.

  Suzie finished off her meal and leaned back in her chair, recalling what Pearl had said in the elevator. What reason could Rick and Antonio have to argue?

  “Do you know anything about the chef here, Jocelyn?” Suzie asked. “This food is fantastic.”

  “That’s about all I know.” Jocelyn took another bite of salmon. “I think he’s fairly new. But you’re right, he’s excellent.”

  After they’d finished off dessert, chocolate lava cake that was as delicious as the main course, a buzz of conversation spread through the dining room about the upcoming moonlit walk.

  “Are you two going to go?” Jocelyn glanced down at her high heels. “I didn’t really bring any walking shoes, so I won’t be participating.”

  “Yes, I think we’ll go.” Mary looked across the table at Suzie. “Right?”

  “Yes. Don’t worry, we’ll light a candle on your behalf,” Suzie said.

  CHAPTER 9

  “Grabbing Pilot and getting some fresh air was a good idea.” Mary drew in a deep breath of the humid air. “It was starting to feel a little tense in there.”

  “We needed a break from it. I’m glad we have a few minutes before the walk starts,” Suzie said.

  Pilot wandered to the end of his leash, curious about the porch and its furnishings.

  “They have some really nice seating options out here. Both gliders and rocking chairs.” Suzie pointed them out. “And look, they also have a porch swing like ours.”

  “We should think about getting some more outdoor furniture.” Mary felt some relief as her thoughts traveled back to Dune House. Knowing it would be there when they returned home gave her some comfort during the chaos that had unfolded around them.

  “I know there are other things on our minds at the moment, but some of those activities and ideas that were part of the presentations today were pretty great. I think we could integrate some of them at Dune House, and it might bring in more guests during the off-season,” Suzie said.

  “Sure. Which ideas did you like?” Mary looked up at the sky and tried to recall the presentations. “Most of them seemed a little too wild for us.”

  “I don’t know. What about a zip line straight to the beach?” Suzie laughed.

  “That would be crazy.” Mary grinned and shook her head. “Can you imagine Jason’s take on that?”

  “I doubt he’d be pleased. But maybe, parasailing? We have the beach right there. Maybe it’s time we take advantage of it. We could connect with local providers and see if we can work out a package deal.” Suzie’s words quickened with each one she spoke. “People might even choose Dune House just for a chance to enjoy the activity in such a beautiful place.”

  “I don’t know, Suzie.” Mary worried her bottom lip.

  From the eagerness in her friend’s voice Mary suspected that she’d already started making plans on how to make it happen.

  “We do pretty well with our bookings already. If we start adding in too much it might be difficult for just the two of us to keep up with,” Mary said.

  “Actually, I’ve been thinking about that.” Suzie looked at Mary. “You do so much at Dune House. Maybe we should get some help when it’s very busy?”

  “I like being busy.” Mary pointed at herself. “Have there been any complaints?”

  “No, Mary, of course not.” Suzie held up her hands. “But sometimes it feels like you take on more than you should.”

  “I love all of it,” Mary said. “For me, looking after the guests isn’t work. It’s about making sure they feel welcome and comfortable.”

  A low chuckle rose a few feet away from them. It came from a shadow at the corner of the porch, where a man had stood unnoticed.

  “I remember those days.” Elliot leaned against the porch railing and turned to look at them. “Working together to figure out the best course of action, having a partner in both success and failure.”

  “You were business partners with Rick, weren’t you?” Mary recalled someone mentioning it at the mixer.

  “Yes. Rick and I started out together. We bought a little run-down Victorian house, restored it room by room, before opening it to the public. We started out with only five bedrooms and two bathrooms,” Elliot said wistfully. “Our biggest draw was the beautiful garden we sculpted together. We spent countless hours planning, planting, and nurturing it.”

  “It sounds like you fell in love with the place.” Mary smiled.

  “We did.” Elliot looked out across the property. “Well, I did, at least.”

  “Do you still run that inn?” Suzie asked.

  “No.” A sneer crossed Elliot’s face.

  “What happened?” Mary softened her tone. “Did you sell it?”

  “No,” Elliot blurted out. “Rick sold it. Like it was nothing.”

  “Didn’t you get a say?” Suzie was interested to find out what he was going to reveal. He clearly had some animosity there.

  “No, we weren’t equal partners.” Elliot’s voice was tinged with anger. “He saw a chance to make a profit and buy a bigger place, and he made the deal without batting an eye.”

  “That must have been such a shock. He didn’t even bother to discuss it with you?” Suzie asked.

  “Not at all. By the time I argued with him about it, the deal was already done. He said I should be thanking him because the sale made a lot of money. And it was a lot of money, but I hardly saw any of it. Enough to get by for a while, but not enough for me to buy my own place, and he didn’t want a partner for his new project. It took me years to be able to finally open a place of my own again.” Elliot’s jaw locked. “I thought we were a team. Clearly he didn’t.”

  As Suzie watched him, his anger was evident. Had he finally taken revenge on Rick? But why would he reveal his feelings toward him if he was the murderer? Maybe he was so angry he couldn’t hide it? Maybe he thought he would never be a suspect?

  “It must have been hard to accept.” Mary’s voice was so soft it barely carried across the space between them. “I imagine it must have hurt.”

  “It was a difficult time.” Elliot took a deep breath, as if trying to compose himself. “And now he’s gone. I guess a part of me always thought we’d end up working together again. Maybe once he sold his inn.”

  “Did you know Pippa was pushing him to do just that?” Suzie asked. “Were you hoping she’d succeed?”

  “Uh.” Elliot glanced up at the sky, then sighed. “Well, Pippa and I had talked about it, yes. She was worried about him. She said he was obsessed with money and success. She thought he might never take a break, and that it would put him in an early grave.” His voice trembled around his last words.

  “And she was right,” Suzie mused. “But not for the reasons she thought.”

  “Maybe not.” Mary raised her eyebrows. “But maybe so. If his competitive nature and greed are what gave someone the motive to kill him, I’d say she’s right.”

  “Easy now. You think I did this?” Elliot’s voice sharpened. “We might have had our differences, but I would never...”

  “I know. That wasn’t what I was saying. I didn’t mean to offend you,” Mary said.

  “The only thing we want is to get to the truth. Don’t you?” Suzie kept her tone gentle.

  “Of course I do.” Elliot tensed his jaw. “But I have no idea who did this, and I have nothing else to say about it.” He turned and stormed off across the porch.

  Just as he closed the door to the inn behind him, a loud crack of thunder rolled across the sky at the same moment a wide bank of dark clouds erupted in lightning.

  Pilot darted straight over to Mary and pressed against her legs.

  “It’s all right, boy, it’s just a storm.” Mary patted his head.

  “So much for that moonlit walk.” Suzie leaned against the railing and peered up at the sky. A second later, she flinched. “Right, that was a raindrop that just hit me square in the eye.”

  “We’d better get inside before the skies really open up.” Mary ushered Pilot through the same door that Elliot had just gone through a few moments before.

  Another rumble sent the rest of the stragglers rushing back into the inn. In the bustle of people shaking off raindrops, Suzie caught sight of a chef’s hat in the crowd.

  CHAPTER 10

  “Antonio!” Suzie called out.

  Antonio glanced over at her, his eyes wide with fear. “Is it bad out there?”

  “Pretty bad.” Suzie noted the sweat on his brow. “Are you okay?”

  “I don’t like storms,” Antonio murmured as he peered out through the window at the heavy rain that continued to fall.

  “It’ll pass soon.” Suzie studied him.

  “You don’t understand.” Antonio lowered his voice. “It’s Rick. His spirit’s angry. It wants revenge.”

  “I think he’d prefer justice,” Mary said dryly. “Anyway, the storm’s just a storm. It’ll blow over.”

  “I’m not sticking around here.” Antonio rushed off through the crowd.

  “I think that’s enough for tonight.” Mary glanced at Suzie. “Let’s head up to the room.”

  “Good idea. Although, we should speak to Antonio when he’s calmer.” Suzie pressed the button on the elevator. “Remember, Pearl mentioned that she overheard an argument between him and Rick. Maybe there’s something there?”

  “Maybe,” Mary agreed.

  After another crack of thunder, the lights flickered.

  “Or maybe we’ll take the stairs.” Mary steered her toward the nearby stairs.

  Despite Mary’s knees acting up, she managed to climb them without too much trouble, propelled mainly by adrenaline.

  Once they made it to their room, she settled on the small couch and invited Pilot up. He rested his head in her lap.

  “It’s hard to believe Rick’s gone.” Mary stroked Pilot’s fur as her heart finally began to steady. She’d spent most of the evening on high alert, but Pilot helped her relax.

  Suzie stood in the bathroom with the door open as she cleaned off her makeup. “It is. One minute, he was giving his presentation, and the next, he’s gone.”

  “And at the same time, it’s also hard to believe that so many people might have wanted him dead.” Mary continued to pet Pilot.

  “Like his wife?” Suzie wiped off the last of her makeup, then tossed the wipe into the trash, and turned to face Mary. “You know the spouse is always the best suspect.”

  “So, you really think Pippa murdered him?” Mary scratched under Pilot’s chin.

  “I think we have to consider her a suspect. Absolutely. But what’s her motive? We saw them have that argument about wanting to sell the inn. Do you think that would be enough to make her kill him?” Suzie asked.

  “I’m not sure. Maybe she had other reasons to be angry.” Mary leaned back against the couch. “So, getting to know Pippa better should be a top priority, tomorrow.” She laughed as Pilot wiggled around to stick his head in Suzie’s lap and receive some pets.

  “Yes, but not just Pippa. Think about it. Even Elliot just told us why he might want Rick dead. He claimed that Rick was his friend, but I think he had so much animosity toward him that he couldn’t hide the truth about what had happened between them. Rick basically left him behind, and even worse, he robbed him of his success. I think Elliot would have been happy continuing to run that first inn for the rest of his life, if he’d had that chance. But Rick never even let him have an opinion on it.” Suzie pursed her lips. “You saw the way he stormed off when we spoke to him on the porch. He definitely has a temper. Clearly, Rick had one, too, and it’s easy to imagine them clashing.”

  “I believe that, since we saw how Rick behaved when Pippa mentioned selling the place, as if she didn’t have a say.” Mary sighed. “That’s not any way to conduct a marriage or a business.”

  “So, we know Rick had a habit of being controlling and not exactly considerate. That’s the kind of thing that can rub people the wrong way. If someone was already fed up, maybe he just gave them the final excuse.” Suzie leaned back against the couch and crossed one leg over the other. “The question is, who had enough motive, and enough nerve, to do something about it.”

  “I might be a step ahead on that.” A hint of pride entered Mary’s voice as she continued. “Before my shower, I contacted Wes, and asked him to run some background checks on the most obvious suspects, and to look into any scandals involving the victim. I know the police here are doing the same thing, but having direct access to a fantastic detective is a great perk of dating Wes, and I’m going to take advantage of it.”

  “That’s great. I’m sure if there’s anything there, he’ll discover it, and that will steer us in the right direction. But in the meantime, what’s your gut telling you?” Suzie scooted closer. “Who do you think is the best suspect?”

  “Well, I guess, I’d say John. He has a similar demeanor to Rick’s. He seems to be more focused on business than personal relationships, and he was in direct competition with Rick. Rick had even been harassing him, and Pippa was concerned enough about them interacting that she kept them apart.”

  “True.” Suzie stared down at the palms of her hands. “But, like you said, John’s business-minded. His business is his focus. I just don’t see him risking his freedom and his financial success by killing Rick, especially since he probably knew that Pippa was pushing Rick to sell. He might not have been a problem for John much longer.”

  “Unless...” Mary sat forward in her chair.

  “Unless?” Suzie met her gaze.

  “Unless, maybe he knew that Rick had no intention of selling. Maybe he knew that Rick was going to continue to make his life miserable, and possibly even destroy his business. That would motivate him, wouldn’t it?”

  “Yes, I think it would. If he thought he had no other way to protect his inn, I think he would act. Add to that the clear indication that he had a temper, evidenced by his interactions with Rick. Maybe John met Rick in the tower to try to convince him to stop threatening his business, and when Rick brushed him off, he lost it and killed him.” Suzie snapped her fingers.