Ruffled Feathers (Dune House Cozy Mystery Book 7) Read online

  “Sure, what did he tell you?” Suzie asked.

  “She told him the same thing she told you and Mary, that she and her mother had gone out to Redhawk River. But he pushed for more information. I guess she and her mother had been in contact quite a bit. He found proof of it in their phone records. Leanne and Priscilla spoke on a daily basis for at least a month before Priscilla arrived here,” Wes explained.

  “That’s odd, isn’t it? I thought they were estranged?” Suzie glanced towards Mary, who nodded.

  “They were. I guess that Leanne admitted that she and her mother were not exactly talking. They were arguing,” Wes said. “Each and every call Leanne attempted to get her mother to agree to back out of the deal. But Priscilla would insist that she already made a commitment to her business partner and there was no way for her to change her mind.”

  “That must have been quite frustrating for Leanne.” Suzie narrowed her eyes. “All of that resentment must have built up.”

  “It also makes it seem impossible that Priscilla would suddenly change her mind about the deal. If after all of the arguing she still resisted, then why would one walk through the woods change anything?”

  “Exactly.” Suzie sighed. “It looks like Leanne might just be the murderer. I took a sample of water from the river to Summer. Once she confirms that it matches the water in Priscilla’s lungs then we’ll be able to settle all of this.”

  “Jason tried to hold her with what he had, but he didn’t have enough. He had to let her go.” Wes sighed. “That’s one of the worst parts of police work, knowing who the criminal is, and not being able to do anything about it.”

  “What if she takes off?” Suzie shook her head. “She has no reason not to run if she thinks that she is a suspect. How could they just let her walk out?”

  “His hands are tied, Suzie. It’s not Jason’s fault,” Wes said.

  “Well, then we need to get some real evidence. There’s no time to wait for the water report to come back.”

  “What do you mean, Suzie?” Mary studied her. Suzie met Mary’s eyes and then glanced over at Wes.

  “I think it’s something that we need to discuss in private, Mary.”

  “Anything you can say to Mary in private I’m sure you can say in front of me.” Wes folded his arms across his chest. “Unless of course you intend to get her into some kind of illegal activities. Is that the case?”

  Suzie raised an eyebrow. “What happens between Mary and me stays between Mary and me.”

  “Is that so?” His laughter had an impatient edge.

  “Yes, it is so.” Mary placed a hand on Wes’ shoulder. “There’s a lot of things that Suzie and I can only tell each other. That’s non-negotiable.”

  “So is Suzie putting you in any kind of danger!” Wes’ eyes narrowed. “You have to be careful.”

  “I would never do anything to put Mary at risk, Wes. If you don’t know that, then you and I need to spend a lot more time together.”

  “All right, all right.” He held up his hands. “In my experience when the two of you get together some very interesting things happen.”

  “But we’re both still here, right?” Mary smiled. “I appreciate your desire to protect me, Wes, but I’ve made it through many decades and the only person who has had my back through every single moment of that time, is Suzie. We take care of each other. So, you may worry if you wish, but it will be a waste of your time.”

  “Please excuse me for attempting to get in the middle of something so sacred. You’re right. I may have overstepped. I’m sorry, Suzie.”

  “Don’t be.” Suzie smiled. “Anyone who cares about Mary enough to want to ensure her safety, even from me, is someone I respect.”

  “That’s gracious of you, Suzie.” Wes winked at her. “I’ll be on the porch if either of you need me.”

  Even with Wes out on the porch Suzie pulled Mary into the kitchen to talk. “Thanks for coming to my defense.”

  “Wes means well, he’s just always in detective mode.”

  “His instincts aren’t wrong. I do want to get you involved in something illegal and potentially dangerous.”

  “Well, why else would we need to talk in private?” Mary grinned. “What is it?”

  “Neil managed to check out of his room before it was ever searched. I don’t want the same thing to happen with Leanne. Jason can’t go in without a warrant, but I think there has to be some kind of proof in there. I think we should break in.”

  “What if we are caught?” Mary frowned.

  “We just have to make sure we aren’t. I want the chance to see what Leanne might be hiding before it’s too late.”

  “I think it’s a good idea,” Mary paused and peeked out of the kitchen. “We’ll have to get rid of Wes first.”

  “We have to go soon because I have dinner with Paul tonight.”

  “Well, we can’t have you miss that.” Mary winked. “Let me send him on his way, then we can head out.”

  “Wait, we need to make sure that Leanne is not in her room, too.” Suzie considered her options for a moment. “I know what to do. Go ahead and deal with Wes.”

  As soon as Mary left the kitchen, Suzie placed a call to Louis. “I know, I know, it’s me again.”

  “I don’t mind. What can I do for you, Suzie?”

  “Is there any way that you could send an anonymous message to someone?”

  “Several ways.”

  “I want to get Leanne out of her motel room. The only way I can be sure to do that is if there is a problem at Redhawk River.”

  “Oh, maybe a fire?”

  “That would probably work, but I wouldn’t want to alarm anyone else or get the fire department involved.”

  “Hm. Maybe something more personal then. I know. Why don’t I send her a message that there’s going to be a rally for the seabirds in town. By the time she figures out that it’s not happening you should have enough time to go through her room.”

  “Perfect. Thanks Louis. Let’s hope it works.”

  “No need to hope when I’m on the case, you can be certain.”

  Suzie smiled at his confidence. She met Mary on the porch just as Wes pulled out of the parking lot.

  “He wasn’t upset I hope?”

  “No, he was fine. I told him we needed some girl time, and he had no problem with fleeing.” Mary laughed. “Sometimes I wonder what men think women do during girl time.”

  “Well, apparently we stage break-ins and solve murders.” Suzie grinned. “Let’s head straight for the motel. Louis is setting some bait to draw Leanne out, but we won’t know if it worked until we get there.”

  “This isn’t your way of avoiding dinner with Paul is it?”

  “Not at all.” Suzie glanced at her watch. “We’d better hurry if we’re going to get back in plenty of time for me to gussy up for Paul.”

  “Gussy up? Really?”

  Suzie grinned.

  Chapter Thirteen

  On the drive to the motel Suzie peppered Mary with the details of Louis’ plan.

  “That should work. But we don’t know for how long. We will have to move as fast as possible,” Mary said.

  “Yes, and we have to watch out for Maurice, too.” Mary started to pull into the parking lot of the motel, but Suzie gestured for her to keep driving. “Let’s park in the next plaza. That way Maurice won’t notice the car.”

  “Good idea.” Mary parked the car. The two walked towards the motel behind the shops in the plaza and crossed onto the motel property behind the building. Suzie counted the windows to figure out which room belonged to Leanne. The parking lot was fairly empty. Perhaps the news of the murder had scared some people off, or the majority of Maurice’s guests were out enjoying the day. Either way it worked to their benefit. Suzie noticed that Maurice’s car appeared to be missing as well.

  “I’m going to take a look in the window to see if she’s in there.”

  “I’ll walk around to the front and knock.” Mary headed for th
e front of the building. Suzie peered through the back window of the motel room. The flimsy curtain did nothing to hide the interior of the room. From what she could tell Leanne was not in the room. She gave Mary some time to knock. There was no movement in the room.

  Suzie tried to open the window. As she hoped it would be, it was unlocked. She eased the window open and hoisted one leg over. In her mind she lithely climbed into the room. In reality her foot caught on the corner of the curtain and she fell forward flat onto her stomach on the bed. As fast as she could she got to her feet. One quick glance around informed her that there was no one else in the room with her. She grabbed the corner of the bedspread and looked under the bed. When she straightened up she heard a scuffle at the window. A sharp breath caught in her chest as she spun around to find Mary with one foot over the windowsill.

  “Mary, what are you doing?”

  “I’m trying to get in the window.”

  “No! Just stay out there and be a lookout.”

  “Oh, you get to have all of the fun.” Mary huffed and crossed her arms. Suzie smiled and began picking her way through the small motel room. It was drab in comparison to the rooms she was used to at Dune House. She noticed Leanne’s suitcase which stuck out of the closet. When she flipped it open all she found inside were a few t-shirts and pants. She poked her head in the bathroom and spotted a toothbrush and a small hairbrush. There was nothing so far to implicate Leanne in a crime. She discovered a well-read book left on the bed. Other than that there weren’t many personal items. Then Suzie spotted it, a datebook on the bedside table. She picked it up and began to flip through it. Many of the pages were filled with contacts and appointments. However, in the notes section it appeared to be more like a diary. She began to read through some of it.

  How I could have sprung from the womb of a woman so callous, so ignorant, is beyond me. I long for the day when I am able to make her face the consequences of all the damage that her power and money have caused.

  Another entry was just as infuriated.

  Once more the devil I call mother will destroy what I hold most dear. It’s not enough that she abandoned me as a child in the pursuit of money, now she will make mother birds abandon their nests and eggs, all to ensure a little more profit. If there is ever anything I can do to stop her, I must do it. I can’t be faint of heart. I can’t be intimidated by her goon, Runkin. I must be brave enough to put a stop to all of this.

  Suzie’s heart skipped a beat. She knew that there was no way that she could give the datebook to Jason to use as evidence as she had broken in to see it. But there was no question in her mind that Leanne hated Priscilla more than enough to harm her. However, there was one other thing that stood out to her in the notes, her hatred for Neil Runkin as well.

  “Suzie? I heard a car pull into the parking lot.”

  “Okay, I’m done here anyway.” Suzie made a smoother exit than entrance. Once on the other side she eased the window closed. Carefully they made their way back across the parking lot and into the next plaza. Suzie’s heart still raced even when they reached their car.

  “What did you find?” Mary fumbled with the keys to get the lock on the door open.

  “I found something rather interesting. I’m going to put in a call to Louis and see if he can help me with something. I could do it myself, but I think Louis will be quicker and probably more successful. It seems that Leanne had a particular dislike for Priscilla’s business partner, Neil. Her diary is full of hatred towards her mother as well. Several times she states that she will do anything to stop her mother from causing more harm to the environment.”

  “Wow, that certainly makes her feelings quite clear.”

  “I also don’t think it’s possible that the two made up as easily as Leanne claims. I’m going to make a quick call to Louis, and then I have to get back to Dune House and get ready for my dinner with Paul.”

  “Do you think tonight will be the night?” Mary winked at her.

  “I hope not.” Suzie sighed. “Do you think a man has ever stayed with a woman if she turned his proposal down?”

  “You’re really not interested, are you?”

  “I love Paul.” Suzie stared down at her own reflection in the screen of her phone. “I feel for him in ways that I’ve never felt for anyone. But that doesn’t change the fact that I like things exactly as they are. I don’t want to give up what we have right now.”

  “You wouldn’t really have to give it up.”

  “Sure I would. Marriage would become a big priority for me. I love being with Paul, I just love having my own space as well. What we have works, why change it. Is love any less strong without a piece of paper?”

  “I understand what you’re saying, Suzie. To be honest with you, Paul might be a little hurt if you turn him down, but if he loves you the way I know he does, then he will get over it. It should matter to him more that you are content with what you have, than any piece of paper. If that’s not the case, well then he might not be the right person for you.”

  “I agree. But I hate to think that. I do enjoy his company. I care for him more than I ever expected to.”

  “Yes, it does take you by surprise.” Mary shook her head. “After what happened with my ex, I never imagined I’d want to be close to anyone again. But now I can’t imagine my life without Wes. It is quite strange how things can change so fast.”

  “You’re right about that.” Suzie nodded. “Let’s go, you drive and I can make the call on our way.” Once they were on the road Suzie dialed Louis’ cell phone number.

  “Hi Suzie.”

  “Hi Louis. Are you busy right now?”

  “Not really. It’s been a slow day.”

  “Would you mind checking into something for me?”

  “Sure. What is it?”

  “Can you see if you can find out if Leanne Kay and Neil Runkin had any run-ins, confrontations?”

  “If someone took a picture of it or wrote an article about it, I might be able to find it. Give me an hour and I’ll see what I can dig up.”

  “Thanks Louis, you’re the best.”

  “Yes, yes I am.” He laughed as he hung up the phone.

  “Do you think he’ll be able to find something?” Mary looked over at her.

  “Yes, I hope so. In the meantime there’s not much that the datebook can provide Jason with and I can’t really let him know that I’ve seen it as then I’d have to explain that I broke in,” Suzie said as they pulled into the parking lot of Dune House.

  “That won’t go down well.”

  Suzie went straight up to her room to get ready to meet Paul. She sorted through her clothes to find something to wear, but it was hard for her to concentrate. Finally, she decided on a blouse and jeans. She didn’t want to look as if she was trying too hard, but she also didn’t want to look too casual. Once she was dressed Suzie walked into the living room to find Mary curled up on the couch with a blanket and a book.

  “No Wes tonight?”

  “Not tonight.” Mary held up her book. “I have a different kind of date. Have fun tonight!”

  “I will, I hope.” Suzie grinned.

  “Don’t let what I said get to you, Suzie. You know Paul better than I do. If you two haven’t even discussed the subject then I’m probably wrong about the proposal.”

  “That is a good point, Mary. Maybe I am worrying too much about it. Paul’s not one to rush into things.”

  “See?” Mary smiled. “Now, just go and enjoy yourself.”

  “Thanks Mary. I will.” She leaned down and gave her friend a warm hug.

  When she drove away from Dune House she did her best to keep her mind focused on the moment rather than what might happen in the future.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Suzie parked at the dock just as twilight thickened. The last of the evening light lingered on the glassy surface of the water. She paused to soak in the beauty for a moment. Everything about Garber was beautiful. She barely recalled her condo in the city anymo
re. She had adjusted very well to small town life. She walked along the dock to Paul’s boat. When she stepped onto the deck the boat rocked just enough to make her grip the railing. The door to the interior of the boat swung open.

  “There you are.” Paul smiled. “I just started to wonder if you might be standing me up.”

  “Paul, I would never do that.” Suzie placed a light kiss on his cheek.

  “I hope not.” He wrapped his arms around her and looked into her eyes. “Do you know how much I think of you when I’m out on the water?”

  “How much?” Suzie grinned. A faint blush colored Paul’s weathered cheeks.

  “Let’s just say you’re officially a distraction.”

  “Oh dear, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

  “It’s a very, very, good thing.” Paul smiled. “Come on in.” Paul stepped back from the door. Suzie smiled at the candle that flickered on the small table in the middle of the living space. It wasn’t a large area, but Paul made it work. “I wanted to put the table on the deck, but there’s a chance of rain. I thought it would be better if we were inside tonight. I hope that you don’t mind.”

  “This is perfect, Paul. Thank you so much, but you didn’t have to go to all of this trouble. Cheeseburgers would have been just fine.”

  “Did you just mention cheeseburgers to a fisherman?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “Oops.” Suzie grinned.

  He led her further into the boat. Suzie had added a few touches to the interior to make it a bit more livable. Soft cushions lined the benches and Paul’s bed had a brand new bedding set. “Of course it’s fish.” He gestured to the table.

  “Lovely. I’ve been looking forward to dining on something you caught.” As they sat down at the table Suzie watched him with a nervous smile. “I have to say this is a very nice bright spot in the middle of all the madness I’ve been dealing with.”

  “I imagine it might be hard for you to relax with everything on your mind.” He poured two glasses of wine, then handed her one.