“I do.” Michael smiled. “Can I get you another drink?”

  “No, thanks.” Suzie refused, then focused on Michael. “But if you’re offering the truth, I’m listening.”

  CHAPTER 19

  “You were working last night, weren’t you?” Suzie recalled seeing Michael in the lounge.

  “Yeah.” Michael grabbed a rag and started wiping the bar. “Why?”

  “People were coming and going for drinks. Was Rick one of them?” Suzie asked.

  “Go on, answer her question.” John hiccuped.

  “I didn’t see him. I have no idea what happened. I already told the police that.” Michael’s tone became defensive.

  “I understand. But I know people tend to open up with bartenders.” Suzie squinted at him. “Maybe someone said something a little off, but not strange enough to mention to the police?”

  “I try to mind my own business.” Michael leaned against the freshly polished bar. “People talk, sure. But what they say stays with me.” His expression flattened. “I’d suggest letting the professionals handle the investigation, and maybe focus on enjoying the ceremony tonight.”

  “Sound advice.” Suzie pulled out her wallet.

  “Drinks are on the house.” Michael held up his hand. “Don’t you remember? Martha announced it.”

  “Oh, that’s too kind.” Suzie handed him a ten. “Then a tip for you. Are you sure you don’t have any tips for me? Nothing unusual that stood out to you yesterday? Anything might help.”

  Michael took the ten with a wry smile. “All I know is that I wasn’t really taking notice of people that much. I was flat out trying to get things cleaned up, because Martha was going on and on about the state of the bar.”

  “Why?” John’s slurred speech indicated the beers weren’t his first drinks that day.

  “It wasn’t even my fault,” Michael said. “Brittany was supposed to stay late and get the bar in good shape because I had to leave early the night before. But she didn’t. She left everything untouched, and I walked into a huge mess to clean up before I could start serving. Martha takes her job very seriously, and she was pretty mad since the guests had already started arriving. I really wish I could tell you who did this to Rick, so things could settle down again. But I honestly don’t know.”

  “Thanks. If you hear anything that might help, I’d really appreciate it.” Suzie jotted her number on a napkin and set it beside the register.

  “You’ve got it,” Michael said. “I’ll keep my ears open.”

  “Another beer, since they’re free.” John tapped the counter.

  Michael gave a tight smile and turned to get it.

  As Suzie left John to annoy Michael, she met Mary in the hallway.

  “Finished already?” Mary peeked past her into the lounge.

  Suzie steered Mary away from the lounge. “I think he’s had a few too many to be of much more help. But he did tell me a couple of things.” She filled her in on what John had revealed.

  “Do you think he’s right about Rick and Next Stop Getaways? Or could it just be a jealous rumor?” Mary asked.

  “I don’t know. We have to speak to Jocelyn.” Suzie peered around before looking back at Mary. “It’s the only way we’ll get to the truth. If what he said is true, I doubt she told anyone else. I mean, she wouldn’t want that getting out.”

  “But why would Jocelyn tell us?” Mary asked. “She’d be putting her entire business at risk. You heard her. Her customers trust that they’re getting the best recommendation. If they find out it was all a scam, they’ll turn on her. Some might even sue.”

  “You’re right. But still, we have to try. Let’s see if she’s in her room.” Suzie turned and started down the hallway.

  As they walked, Suzie spotted Jocelyn heading in the opposite direction.

  “There she is.” Suzie hurried after her.

  “Good timing,” Mary murmured as she tried to match her pace.

  “Jocelyn! Do you have a minute, please?” Suzie asked as they reached her.

  Jocelyn turned around to face them. “Sure.”

  Suzie decided to get straight to the point.

  “We heard a rumor that you and Rick had some sort of deal.” Suzie noticed Jocelyn flinch slightly before she composed herself. “We’re sure it isn’t true, but we’d like to hear it from you.”

  “I shouldn’t have to say it.” Jocelyn crossed her arms as she stared hard into her eyes. “It’s not true.”

  “So, I guess you know what rumor we’re talking about?” Suzie nodded. “The thing is the person we spoke to made it sound pretty convincing. They said it’s impossible for any other lodging in the area to be suggested no matter how you search.”

  “No, absolutely not,” Jocelyn huffed. “People just don’t get how technology works. As I told you before, my site operates on an algorithm. I have very little to do with any of it.”

  “I guess you won’t mind, then, if we have a peek at your setup?” Suzie shrugged.

  “Actually, I would.” Jocelyn tensed her jaw. “It took me months to get that site running the way I need it. I’m not letting anyone dig around in it.” She looked between them. “Come on. You really think I’d risk my whole business just to give Rick a leg up? What would I get out of that?”

  “That’s what we’re trying to understand.” Suzie studied her carefully. “Was Rick the only one you helped? Or were there others? Did he split the profits with you, or was he holding something over your head? What was it?”

  “You’re way off base.” Jocelyn glared at them. “It didn’t happen, and it’s not going to happen. My business depends on trust. If I lose that, then I lose everything. Believe me or don’t. The only opinion that matters is the detective’s, and he knows I’m innocent.” She turned her head with a sharp click of her tongue. “Too bad you two aren’t as smart as he is.”

  Jocelyn walked away without a backward glance.

  “Well, that could have gone better.” Suzie winced.

  “Maybe, but we didn’t expect much out of her, anyway. Admitting to the bribe would pretty much mean the end of her business. But we still have one more chance.” Mary nudged Suzie’s shoulder with her own. “Don’t give up now. We’re getting close. There’s one other person who likely knew about what happened between Rick and Next Stop Getaways. Pippa.”

  “Pippa,” Suzie repeated. “You’re right, she may know something. But she’s never going to tell us the truth. If Next Stop Getaways gets sued, Old York Inn will probably get dragged into it, too. She has just as much to lose if the truth comes out.”

  “True. But she also just lost her husband. She’s shaken. She might want to get the truth off her chest. I saw her out walking in the gardens earlier. We should try and talk to her.” Mary lifted her shoulders in a light shrug. “It’s worth a try, right?”

  “Right. I’ll reach out to Pippa and see if she’ll join us for a drink on the patio. I noticed that she didn’t touch her tea before.” As Suzie began typing out a text, her mind drifted back to Pippa’s reaction to finding out her husband was dead. Was it a performance? Or was it genuine grief?

  CHAPTER 20

  Mary paced back and forth across the patio as they waited for a response to Suzie’s text to Pippa. She glanced over at Suzie who had stretched out on one of the lounge chairs and turned her face up to the sun. Although she probably appeared at ease to anyone passing by, Mary could read the tension etched into her face, and the tightening of her muscles. She may be trying to relax but she definitely wasn’t relaxed.

  “Do you think they’ll still have the awards ceremony?” Mary strolled over to Suzie’s side and sat down on the end of the lounge chair.

  “I hope so. It will get everyone into the same room again, and we might be able to find out something from that.” Suzie lifted her sunglasses enough to look at her. “Why don’t you relax and enjoy the sun.”

  “The weather may be mild here, but it’s still not exactly warm.” Mary glanced up at the fluffy white clouds that dotted the sky. “I imagine in the summertime it’s an amazing place to be.”

  “Maybe we can come back when it’s warmer.” Suzie stretched out on the chair again.

  “Ha!” Mary laughed. “Can you imagine having any free time at Dune House in the summer? It’s chaos every year.”

  “Which is why I suggested hiring⁠—”

  “That’s been discussed and quashed already, hasn’t it?” Mary looked straight at her, prepared to defend her point of view.

  “It’s Pippa.” Suzie smiled as she held up her phone. “She said she could use a coffee, and she’ll join us.”

  “I’ll get the coffee.” Mary walked back into the inn and found herself face to face with Martha. “Oh!” She gasped as she jumped back. “I’m so sorry. I almost ran into you.”

  “I was just coming out to see if you and Suzie needed anything on the patio. You’ve been out there for a while. Is everything okay?” Martha asked. “Have you heard anything about Antonio?”

  “No, not yet. You’ll probably hear something from Saul before we do.” Mary patted her arm. “Try not to stress too much. I don’t know if I’ve told you this, but my boyfriend’s a detective, and from the way the detective’s handling things, I can tell he’s one of the good ones. I’m sure it won’t be long before we find out the truth.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Martha met her eyes.

  “Have you and Antonio known each other long?” Mary asked.

  “Yes, we grew up nearby. He was my little brother’s best friend.” Martha nodded.

  “Does your brother live around here still?” Mary tilted her head to the side.

  “No, he passed away a few years ago.” Martha’s voice caught.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, Martha.” Mary wished she’d never asked.

  “That’s okay.” Martha squared her shoulders. “Now, what can I get for you and Suzie?”

  “Actually, Pippa will be joining us on the patio. If you wouldn’t mind, we’d really like some coffee.” Mary watched the woman’s expression shift from sadness to a professional smile. “I can get it from the lounge, or make it myself, if you’d let me in the kitchen.”

  “No, no. Don’t you worry about that. I’ll have it out to you in no time.” Martha headed toward the kitchen.

  Mary watched her, then turned her attention to the questions she wanted to ask Pippa.

  As she joined Suzie on the patio again, she saw Pippa walking toward them from the direction of the gardens.

  “Thanks so much for the invite.” Pippa dropped down into a chair beside Suzie. “I feel like everyone’s avoiding me. I can’t blame them. I’d be avoiding me, too. What do you say to someone who just lost their husband?”

  “I wish I knew.” Mary sat in the chair on the other side of her.

  “Well, please, I need a break from talking about what happened to Rick. Let’s talk about something else. Like, the ceremony tonight. You two are going to attend, aren’t you?” Pippa looked between them.

  “We plan to, yes.” Suzie pulled off her sunglasses. “Are you?”

  “Yes, I think so,” Pippa said. “Rick was so excited about it. I think if he knew I planned to skip it, he’d be very disappointed.”

  “It’s a nice way to honor his memory.” Mary kept her voice gentle, though she really wanted to press her for information.

  “I know from our argument it must have looked like we hated each other.” Pippa gave a slight nod and a wry smile. “And we definitely didn’t always agree on things. Especially when it came to business. But there’s nothing more that I’d want right now, than for him to be right here beside me.”

  “I understand that,” Mary said.

  “Speaking of business…” Suzie hesitated. “I mean, if you’re willing to talk about it, can I ask you something about your inn?”

  “I suppose.” Pippa looked between them, but before she could say more, Martha arrived with the coffee. She put the cups in front of them on the table and left a tray with assorted creamers and sweeteners in the middle.

  “Thank you.” Suzie smiled.

  “If you need anything else, just let me know.” Martha lingered for a moment as she looked at Pippa. “And Pippa, I’m sorry about earlier. I realize I might have come across as callous about Rick’s passing, by trying to protect Antonio.”

  “Love is love, Martha.” Pippa looked into her eyes. “No matter the age gap.”

  “Oh. Wait. What?” Martha gasped as she pressed her hand against her chest. “I’m not in love with Antonio!”

  Mary held back her own gasp as she hadn’t even considered that, but it would explain why Martha had been so determined to protect him.

  “I’m so sorry, my mistake. In any case, I understand you were upset. I’m upset, too. We all are. We just have to do our best to be patient and let the police figure it all out.” Pippa took a sip of her coffee. “Thanks for this.”

  “Of course. Anything you need,” Martha muttered her last words as she walked back into the inn.

  “Now, what did you want to ask me?” Pippa shifted her gaze back to Mary.

  Mary’s heart skipped a beat as she noticed the casual way Pippa spoke. She’d forgiven Martha so easily. Was that because she knew that Antonio was innocent, because she was the one who’d killed her husband?

  CHAPTER 21

  “Pippa, your inn’s very heavily promoted on Jocelyn’s website. More so than any other business in that area. Do you know why?” Mary tried to keep the accusation out of her voice.

  Suzie watched Pippa’s reaction. She noticed the way her eyes squinted, and her lips tensed, before she answered the question.

  “Because we’re the best place to stay.” Pippa shrugged. “Why wouldn’t we be promoted?”

  “Some people have said that Rick paid Jocelyn off to make sure that your inn would come up first in the search results.” Mary’s voice wavered slightly.

  “And, it’s been tested, and found to be true.” Suzie spoke in a firmer tone.

  “That’s nonsense,” Pippa sneered. “Let me guess... Elliot told you that?”

  “No, it wasn’t Elliot. Why would you think that?” Mary asked.

  “Oh, he’s been causing trouble lately. You would think he’d have moved on by now. But nope, he’s always around.” Pippa pursed her lips. “He filed a lawsuit a few weeks ago. It’s his attempt to get more money from the first inn that he and Rick ran together. It’s just infuriating. I think he was trying to get back at Rick any way that he could.”

  “Get back at him?” Suzie leaned closer, her now lukewarm coffee forgotten. “Why would he want to get back at him?”

  “He thinks that Rick owed him more from that business they ran together. The thing was, Elliot only owned a tiny share. But it was Rick’s inn. He didn’t have to give him much of the profits from the sale, but he did what he thought was fair.” Pippa rubbed her hands across her cheeks.

  “And Elliot was still angry?” Suzie pressed.

  “Yes, I don’t know why. My husband wasn’t perfect. I’ll be the first to admit he was a little greedy. But he was a good friend. He made sure that Elliot had what he needed when he had to get back on his feet years ago. He even gave Elliot a small loan to help out. And how does he thank him? He turns around and sues him. Elliot claimed he’d recently found paperwork that showed he was shortchanged in the old sale. Rick denied Elliot’s claims, and Rick wasn’t happy about it. We both decided to just ignore it and let the lawyers fight it out. I mean…” Pippa hesitated. “This is going to sound terrible, but it’s not like Elliot had enough money to fight for long. Rick figured he’d just outlast him and it would all go away. We didn’t count on him being here. I’m not sure how he got an invitation, since his inn just opened a short time ago. But when we arrived, there he was.”

  “Wow, that’s terrible that he’d file a lawsuit even after Rick helped him out.” Suzie sat back against her chair. “Maybe that’s why Rick brought the business files. Maybe there was something in them that he wanted to show Elliot to get him to drop the suit.”

  “Maybe,” Pippa mused, then took a final sip of her coffee. “I’ll see you two tonight. I’m going to rest a little before the ceremony starts. Thanks for the coffee.” She started to walk toward the door, then stopped, and turned back to look at them. “I know that you feel some kind of responsibility to solve my husband’s murder. But I’d really appreciate it if you would stay out of it. Losing him has been hard, and I’m alone here. What I could really use, are some friends, not two amateur detectives.”

  Suzie pulled off her sunglasses again and focused on Pippa.

  “You have two friends right here, Pippa. We’ll see you tonight,” Suzie said.

  After Pippa disappeared into the inn, Mary turned to look at Suzie. “Do you intend to stop investigating?”

  “Not a chance. When we first spoke to Pippa after Rick’s death she acted as if she would do anything to help. But now she clearly doesn’t want us digging. Which makes me think she’s worried we’re getting to the truth and she definitely has something to hide. The more she thinks we’re on her side, the more likely she is to let things slip.” Suzie glanced at her watch. “It’s getting late. We should grab some lunch, then focus on the awards ceremony. I think our best chance at getting to the truth is going to be there. However, we might have to cause a bit of a spectacle.”

  “What do you have in mind?” Mary followed her inside.

  “I’m not sure, yet, but it has to be shocking enough that it gets everyone’s attention.” Suzie walked toward the kitchen with the empty coffee cups on the tray.

  As Suzie stepped inside, she stopped short at the sight of a familiar face.

  “Pearl! It’s good to see you again.” Suzie peeked farther into the kitchen. “Wait, are you preparing the dinner for tonight?”

  “Yes.” Pearl beamed as she continued chopping vegetables with a large knife. “When I heard that Antonio had been arrested I offered my services to Saul. It’s a great chance to impress everyone.” Her smile faltered under Suzie’s scrutiny. “I know, it’s terrible to be so excited about an opportunity that came about because Rick was murdered and Antonio was arrested. But, you know, if he did kill Rick, then he’s exactly where he should be. Right?”