CHAPTER 11

  After a fitful night’s sleep, Suzie awoke the next morning determined to see the turret. She intended to get there the first chance she had. It might have been made completely inaccessible by the police, but she was still going to try.

  As she stepped out of her room into the living area, she found Mary already awake with Pilot eating his breakfast.

  “Good morning, Suzie.” Mary hugged her. “I made us some coffee to get us started, and I’ve already texted Pippa to see if we could meet this morning. I wasn’t sure if she’d respond, but she did.”

  “Wow, Mary, you handled everything, again. I’m sorry I overslept.” Suzie covered a yawn as she took the cup of coffee from her. “Thank you so much. I don’t know how you do it and still have all this energy.”

  “I don’t know if energy’s the way that I’d describe it.” Mary gave a short laugh. “Maybe, anxiety?”

  “See, that’s why we need to make sure we both have a little more time for ourselves.” Suzie gulped down her coffee. “I mean, after we find out what happened to Rick, of course.”

  “Of course.” Mary smiled at her as she set her mug in the small sink of the kitchenette. “Suzie, I want you to know that I’m very happy at Dune House, and I don’t feel overwhelmed at all. I love it.”

  “I’m glad you’re happy. I’m happy, too, Mary. I just hope we can always keep a good line of communication going, because nothing, and I mean nothing, is more important than our friendship.” Suzie met her eyes. “Okay?”

  “Okay.” Mary grinned. “But right now, clothes are important. So, can you get dressed, please? I’ve already taken Pilot for a walk, and we need to meet Pippa in a few minutes.”

  “On my way!” Suzie hurried back into her room and changed out of her pajamas. As she joined Mary in the hallway, she noticed the rest of the floor seemed to be very quiet. “I thought I woke up late, but it looks like we might be the first ones up.”

  “I think you might be right. Pippa’s staying in a room at the far end of the hall.” Mary led the way toward it. “She said she’d speak with us but only for a few minutes, as she has a lot of calls to make.”

  “We’ll keep it brief.” Suzie walked down the hall. “I really just want to know who she thinks might have killed Rick, and whether she might have been up there in that turret with him.”

  “Do you think she’ll admit to that?” Mary fell silent as they approached the door and knocked. It swung open a moment later.

  Pippa stood in the doorway, eyes heavy with tiredness, her hair tousled, and her nightgown wrinkled. She looked like someone who hadn’t slept, and didn’t much care who saw her like that.

  “Come in.” Pippa stepped back to let them inside, then walked over to a large window that overlooked the gardens. “I know you’re curious about what happened. Everyone is. I’ve gone over and over everything.” She gazed out the window. “The police are treating me as if I’m the key to solving the crime. They either think I’m the murderer, or that I know who is.” She shifted her gaze to Mary. “But I’m not, and I don’t know who did it. All I know is that my husband’s dead.” She took a sharp breath. “I just wish we could have sorted things out before this happened.”

  “We had a few questions to hopefully help get to the bottom of this,” Mary said.

  “Sure.” Pippa nodded. “Anything I can do to help, I will.”

  “Was Rick in any trouble? Maybe business wasn’t going well? Maybe he was in financial trouble?” Suzie asked.

  “No, the opposite, actually.” Pippa shook her head. “We’d been doing very well financially. But we’d been arguing about that. For years we’ve run that inn, which means no vacations and constantly taking care of other people. We decided not to have children because it would interfere with the business. Finally, it paid off. We got a fantastic offer for the inn, and I was ready for a new chapter in our lives. I wanted the chance to travel, like so many of our guests did. Every time I heard their stories about foreign countries, or deep-sea adventures, I’d get so jealous. It was always the same thing every day for me. Wake up, start the laundry, start the breakfast, change the sheets, put on a cheerful face, send all the guests off to their best day ever.”

  “But it was never your best day ever,” Suzie spoke up. “So, you were ready to make that happen. And he disagreed.”

  “It wasn’t just that he disagreed. It was that he didn’t seem to care what I wanted, in the least. All this time, I thought we’d been working as a team, toward the same goal. But after a few arguments, I realized that he’d just been using me as free labor to serve his own ambitions, not ours. He even started talking about opening a second inn that I could run by myself. Alone. In another state. Day after day. We wouldn’t even be together anymore.” Pippa’s eyes filled with tears. “When I told him how awful that sounded, that’s when I saw how sad it made him. The fact that I didn’t jump with joy at his idea, it seemed to break his heart. How could he even think I wanted that?”

  “And you became quite angry,” Suzie prompted, her determined gaze pinned to Pippa. “Because your husband of many years didn’t seem to know a thing about you, or care about your dreams. So, you told him you might leave. You’d divorce him.”

  Mary sent a shocked look in Suzie’s direction.

  Pippa fell silent. She looked down at the floor and sniffled. “I didn’t mean it.”

  “But you threatened it,” Suzie pressed. “And what did he say?”

  Pippa looked back out the window. “He said that I’d ruin him if I divorced him. That I’d take everything he’d worked so hard for.”

  “And that’s what you wanted to make right before he died?” Mary said. “Because you threatened to divorce him?”

  “Like I said, I didn’t mean it.” Pippa sighed as fresh tears filled her eyes. “But never once did he say to me, you can’t divorce me, because you’ll break my heart. Or that he’d do anything to repair our marriage. Or that he even wanted me to stay. It was all about the money, and his success.” Her voice faltered. “I shouldn’t even be saying all this. It makes me sound awful, doesn’t it?” She shook her head. “But it’s the truth.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Mary glanced away, as her words stirred up emotions about her own divorce.

  Discovering that the person you loved and trusted most in the world didn’t feel the same way about you was a very difficult thing to face.

  Pippa sniffled, then nodded. “It isn’t easy to grieve for someone who probably wouldn’t have grieved for you.”

  “Pippa, can you tell me, did you notice anything odd at all? Anything he might have left behind that seemed out of place?” Suzie turned to face her after studying the room.

  “Some of his things are missing. His laptop’s gone, and so is a small box of files he had with him. They were old business files he said he wanted to go through. He was always working. I just can’t believe he’s gone.” Pippa’s voice cracked. “I’m sorry, you’re going to have to go. I can’t do this anymore.”

  “Wait, can you—” Suzie began.

  “We should go.” Mary turned her toward the door. “Pippa needs some time.” She glanced over her shoulder. “If you need anything at all, if there’s anything we can do to help you, please reach out.”

  Pippa gave a quick nod.

  Once out in the hall Suzie looked at Mary. “I went too far, didn’t I?”

  “It’s a fine line. If we push her too hard, she might stop talking to us completely.” Mary stepped into the elevator. “Right now we have a connection, and we need to keep it.”

  “You’re right.” Suzie pressed the button for the ground floor. “Now we know whoever did this might have wanted to get rid of Rick’s laptop and files.”

  “Unless Pippa’s the one who got rid of them,” Mary suggested. “She could be hiding something.”

  The doors to the elevator slid open, revealing Martha on the other side.

  CHAPTER 12

  “You two should hurry. Breakfast is only delicious while it’s hot.” Martha shooed them both toward the dining room.

  “Thank you.” Mary glanced over at her. “Is it busy in there?”

  “Actually, not very. I guess many of the guests have decided to sleep in.” Martha lowered her voice. “Which is even more reason for you two to enjoy a hot meal. Antonio gets his feelings hurt when the guests skip his meals.”

  Suzie sniffed the air, then smiled. “You don’t have to tell me twice. I smell bacon.” She opened the door to the dining room and spotted a few diners inside. Many were clustered together around one table, discussing what had happened the night before, but a few sat alone. The moment she saw John, the man who owned the competing inn near Rick’s, she headed straight for his table. The closer she came, the higher he lifted the newspaper in front of his face.

  “John, right?” Suzie stopped beside his table.

  A faint scoff drifted from behind the newspaper before he lowered it and met her eyes. “Yes.”

  “Do you mind if we join you?” Suzie looked over the white lace tablecloth spread across the table which held two empty plates in front of two empty chairs.

  “I’m not the best company in the morning.” John gave the newspaper a light snap. “I like to drink my coffee and read my paper.”

  “We won’t disturb you, promise.” Suzie dropped down into one of the empty chairs and cast an encouraging smile toward Mary.

  Mary’s hands fluttered nervously as she took the other empty chair. “Truly, we won’t be any trouble.”

  John grunted, then folded the paper and set it beside his plate. An assortment of bacon, sausage, and ham crowded the dish, alongside a hearty helping of eggs, a fluffy biscuit smothered in creamy gravy, and a scoop of buttery grits.

  Suzie’s mouth watered just looking at it. Although she might have made a few different choices, the combined scents were enough to make her realize how hungry she was.

  A young girl with a high ponytail and dark red lipstick walked over to their table.

  “Hi, there, I’m Brittany.” She pushed her gum to the side of her mouth and continued. “We have several choices for breakfast this morning. Please help yourself to the cold buffet, and I can bring you a cooked breakfast from the kitchen.” She filled the mugs in front of them with fresh coffee.

  John shifted in his chair and drummed his fingertips against the table.

  “I’ll have what he’s having, except no ham, and half the eggs. Thanks.” Suzie tilted her head toward John’s plate.

  “Me, too,” Mary piped up as she straightened her napkin and silverware.

  “Excellent choices.” Brittany made a note on the pad of paper she held, then started to turn away.

  “I wouldn’t say that.” John snorted. “The bacon was soggy, the sausage was burned, and the eggs were runny.”

  “Oh no. I can get you a new plate if you’d like.” Brittany reached for his dish.

  “No, don’t bother.” John waved her away.

  “Brittany, I don’t remember you at dinner last night. Were you not working?” Suzie’s question drew her attention back to her.

  “No, I just do breakfast and lunch. I’ve got a youngster at home.” Brittany patted her slightly rounded stomach. “And one on the way, too.”

  “Congratulations.” Mary smiled.

  “Yes, that’s wonderful.” Suzie’s words spilled out quickly. “So then, do you know who was waitressing last night? And who was serving drinks during the presentations?”

  “That would have been Jada and Michael,” Brittany said. “They cover most of the late afternoon and evening shifts. It’s better tips, of course, but I need to be at home at night, since it’s just me and the little one.”

  “That must be tough.” Mary’s voice softened as she looked at her with admiration. “Doing it all on your own.”

  “It can be.” Brittany smiled slightly. “Anyway, I’ll be right back out with your breakfasts.” She hurried off toward the kitchen.

  “What a strong young woman to be handling all that on her own.” Mary clucked her tongue. “My ex wasn’t a great husband, but he was always a good father. At least, he tried to be.”

  “Oh, are we talking about exes now?” John picked up his cup of coffee and grumbled before taking a sip.

  “Are you married, John?” Suzie eyed his newspaper and did her best to read the headline upside down. It announced the news of Rick’s murder.

  “No, never.” John sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his wide chest and the soft curve of his stomach. “Didn’t want the hassle.”

  “Me, neither.” Suzie smiled slightly. “Life is a little easier solo, right?”

  “I like to make my own decisions,” John said. “It’s worked for me, so far.”

  “Is that why you’re so determined to make your business a success? You’re married to your work?” Suzie grinned.

  “I wouldn’t say ‘married,’ but it’s important to me, of course. But not just because of financial success. My reputation means a lot to me. A lot of these places just set up shop as quick as possible, and all they care about are numbers. For me, the experience my guests have is the most important part. That’s why I have a lot of repeat business.” John fell silent as Brittany returned with their food.

  After Suzie and Mary thanked her, and Brittany walked away, Mary zeroed in on John again.

  “I understand that you charge quite a bit more than most places in that area.” Mary raised her eyebrows as she recalled what she’d overheard during the mixer. “Is there a reason for that? Do you offer some extra luxuries?”

  “Oh, that’s part of the draw. You’re not likely to be sharing space with the coupon-clipping crowd.” John held up one hand as Mary gasped. “Don’t judge me. It’s not my opinion, just reality in this business. I discovered long ago that the wealthy are happy to pay more if it means that it limits the type of clientele they’ll be surrounded by. Rick, of course, started drawing all kinds of attention with his crazy discounts and his wild adventures. I warned him that he was going to hurt my business because he had all these college kids running all over town in their crazy cars with their loud music. My inn is set back in the woods and meant to be a natural retreat. When he has a bunch of twentysomethings having bonfires a few miles away, all that smoke, all that noise, it interferes with the experience that my guests have.”

  “I can see how that would be a problem,” Suzie said. “If I pay extra to have an exclusive and peaceful experience, I’d be pretty mad if I had to deal with loud parties.”

  “Exactly! That’s what I kept telling him.” John rolled his eyes. “But he didn’t care, as long as they paid, he said that was all that mattered.”

  “You two must have gone back and forth about it. You never came to a resolution?” Suzie asked.

  “No. After that last argument that I told you about, we never spoke again.” John stood up from the table. “I’ve been trying to find Pippa to give her my condolences in person, but I suppose she’s been avoiding everyone. Who can blame her?” He walked off.

  Suzie polished off the last of her food, then glanced over at the sausage that remained on Mary’s plate. “Are you going to eat that?”

  “No, I was saving it for you.” Mary nudged her plate toward her. “Oh, there’s Elliot. I want to speak to him.”

  CHAPTER 13

  Mary stood up and walked across the dining room in Elliot’s direction. She hoped Rick’s old business partner might reveal more about what happened to Rick. The way he’d reacted earlier, jumping to the conclusion they were accusing him of Rick’s murder, made it seem like he had a guilty conscience.

  “Good morning, Elliot.” Mary smiled.

  Suzie finished off the sausage, then walked over to join them.

  “Good morning to you both.” Elliot spoke in a measured tone as he unfolded his napkin and laid it across his lap. “I suppose good isn’t the way to describe it.”

  “It is a difficult time with everything that’s happened.” Mary sat down beside him. “Don’t worry, we won’t stay. I just wanted to ask you a quick question, if that’s okay?”

  “Shoot.” Elliot seemed calmer now, willing to talk despite storming off during their last encounter.

  “Did you and Rick get a chance to talk yesterday? I mean, did he seem interested in reconnecting?” Mary asked. “We heard he brought some business files with him. Maybe he was hoping to discuss them with you?”

  “Business files?” Elliot squinted at her, then shook his head. “No, I don’t know anything about that. I tried to get some time with him, shortly after I arrived, but he insisted that he didn’t have time, he was too busy preparing his presentation, all these excuses. I knew that he just didn’t want to talk to me.”

  “What made you think that?” Mary asked. “He was doing a big presentation. Of course, he was probably very busy.”

  “Sure, he was busy, just like he was busy every time I called him, texted him, or emailed him,” Elliot said. “He was avoiding me.”

  “Why would he want to avoid you? Because of the trouble between you over your business?” Mary asked.

  “Things seemed to have been going from bad to worse between us. We used to be friends. But over the years, that kind of waned. I was busy trying to recover from him selling our inn, and he was busy making a name for himself. I always explained it away as him being very driven. When I was able to open my own business again last year, I thought for sure he’d congratulate me. But when I told him about it, he didn’t even respond. Eventually Pippa sent me a card and signed his name on it.”

  “Do you think that he felt guilty about what happened between you two and that’s why he never responded?” Mary leaned forward.

  “No. If you knew Rick, you would laugh at that thought. I don’t think the man had ever felt guilty about anything a day in his life. I don’t think he was capable.” Elliot looked up at her. “Some people aren’t, you know?”

  “I suppose,” Mary said. “I’d guess if he truly had that attitude, he made some enemies along the way. You knew him well in the past and kept track of him over the years. Do you know anyone who might have wanted to hurt him?”