Murder Most Owl, page 8
Completing the morning chores took me a little longer than usual, thanks to my sore muscles, but I tried not to let on that I was in any pain. I didn’t want Callum thinking I couldn’t keep up with the jobs he’d given me.
When I finally finished all the tasks on my list, I returned to the farmhouse and took a hot shower, despite the warmth of the sun. My muscles practically sighed with relief when the water hit my skin.
Feeling revived, I dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. For good measure, I dropped the amethyst in my pocket, just in case it could help to further ease the aches in my muscles. After grabbing my keys and sunglasses, I headed into town, leaving the dogs snoozing at my aunt’s feet on the carriage house patio.
I’d told Aunt Olivia that I’d drop off her sympathy card at Victor’s mansion and then pick up some groceries for her. She would be hosting her Gins and Needles group at the carriage house the next evening and she wanted to start preparing some of the food today.
As I drove through Twilight Cove and headed up the hill toward Victor Clyde’s mansion, I rolled down the window so I could breathe in the fresh, salty sea air. I wanted to spend more time at the beach and get reacquainted with the town. I also wanted to visit with Tessa again.
When I first agreed to come to Twilight Cove to help Aunt Olivia, two months seemed like a long time to be away from Los Angeles. Now, I wondered if I’d be able to fit in all the things I wanted to do while I was here. I also found that returning to Los Angeles wasn’t something I was particularly eager to do. I’d been here for only a few days so far and already the seaside town was working its way into my heart. Or maybe it had never left my heart.
I didn’t have anything against California, and living there made meetings and networking convenient for my screenwriting career, but I often found myself longing for quieter surroundings and a more relaxed pace of life. Even though I’d spent more years living in cities than in the country, I suspected I wasn’t a true city girl at heart, and something about Twilight Cove tugged at my soul.
When I reached the black iron gates at the head of Victor Clyde’s long driveway, I slowed my car to take in the sight of a small memorial set up by the fence. A few bouquets of flowers leaned up against a simple wooden cross. The nice gesture surprised me, although perhaps it shouldn’t have. Aunt Olivia had told me more than once how the people of Twilight Cove were, for the most part, a good bunch with kind hearts.
I continued on through the open gates, thinking that there were definitely some exceptions to that rule. Dorothy’s killer, for one. And I wasn’t impressed by Marlene Hooper. She didn’t seem the least bit sorry that someone had murdered Dorothy. Maybe because that someone was Marlene herself.
I didn’t have a good impression of Byron Szabo, either. The only aspect of the murder that seemed to matter to him was the fact that it could give him a juicy story. Would he have killed Dorothy just to have something newsworthy and sensational to write about?
That seemed like quite a leap. I was grasping at straws, hoping that the police would have far stronger suspects than me and Olivia.
When I reached the mansion, I slipped the card into the black metal mailbox next to the door. I decided not to ring the bell. Avery probably had enough to deal with without visitors dropping by. Maybe Tessa and I could check in on her in a few days. At the moment, she was probably overwhelmed with all the things she’d have to take care of in the wake of her stepfather’s death.
I was about to climb back into my car when movement overhead caught my attention. Shading my eyes against the sun, I looked up to see Euclid circling overhead. Maybe it could have been another great horned owl, but I didn’t think so.
The owl circled lower and then swooped down to land on the roof of my car.
‘Hi, Euclid,’ I said quietly. ‘What are you doing all the way over here?’
That was probably a stupid question. The owl likely covered a large territory. Then again, it was the middle of the day and he was a nocturnal animal.
Euclid blinked his yellow eyes at me and then took off. He circled around overhead again and then soared off in the direction of the center of town and the ocean beyond.
I climbed into my car and quickly buckled up so I could get on my way. It crossed my mind that I could be losing it, because I felt in my bones that Euclid wanted me to follow him. Crazy or not, though, I’d learned from the incident with the ladder that I should pay attention to any signals that the owl might be trying to send me.
Even though I couldn’t explain – even to myself – my unusual connection to Euclid and the springer spaniels, I knew I couldn’t be mistaken about the owl wanting me to follow him when I glanced out the side window and saw him flying low, at a pace that kept him just ahead of my car. He led me toward the center of town and then off onto a side street. There, he came to rest on the top of a lamppost, so I found a nearby parking spot and got out of my car.
Euclid took off from his perch, dipping down in front of a two-story brick building. Then he winged his way up into the sky and out of sight.
I walked closer to the brick building. The lettering on the window identified it as a lawyer’s office. I barely had time to wonder why Euclid would draw my attention to that particular building when I spotted someone familiar through the window.
Ed Grimshaw was inside, and from his wild gestures I gathered that he wasn’t having a friendly conversation. My first thought was that it wasn’t any of my business what Ed Grimshaw was doing in the office, or what he was saying. But when I took a closer look through the window, I saw a young woman seated behind a desk, cowering in the face of Grimshaw’s apparent fury. It didn’t appear as though anyone else was in the office. That made up my mind. Whatever was going on inside, I didn’t like the thought of Ed Grimshaw bullying the young woman.
Opening the door, I stepped into the reception area.
ELEVEN
‘Like I’ve already said, I can’t give you that information,’ the young woman at the desk said to Ed Grimshaw. She managed to keep her voice steady, even though she looked as though she wished she could disappear under her desk.
The real estate developer’s face was flushed red with anger. ‘I can’t put my plans on hold simply because you don’t want to answer my questions,’ he fumed. ‘I need to know who inherits Dorothy Shale’s land.’
‘I don’t have that information,’ the receptionist said. ‘And even if I did, I wouldn’t be at liberty to share it with you.’
Grimshaw planted his large hands on the desk and leaned in closer to the young woman. ‘Maybe you’d better think twice about that.’
‘Is there a problem here?’ I asked, stepping farther into the office.
Grimshaw whirled around and narrowed his beady eyes at me. ‘This is private business. It doesn’t concern you, whoever you are.’
Clearly, he didn’t recognize me from when we’d met in the woods. That didn’t surprise me. To him, I was probably as insignificant as an ant.
The receptionist pushed back her chair and stood up. ‘Actually, this woman has an appointment.’
I managed to hide my surprise.
Grimshaw glared at her and then returned his angry gaze to me.
Over his shoulder, I saw the receptionist shoot me a pleading look.
‘Right,’ I said, catching on. ‘Sorry I’m late.’
The receptionist sent me a grateful smile. ‘Not a problem.’
Ed turned back to her. ‘You told me that Greenaway wasn’t in.’
‘He’s not.’ The receptionist seemed more confident now. ‘But he asked me to go over a few things with …’
‘Georgie Johansen,’ I intervened quickly, realizing she didn’t know my name. I offered my hand to Grimshaw.
He looked at it like it was a smelly piece of garbage. I dropped my hand back to my side, relieved. I didn’t actually want him to shake it.
He addressed the receptionist again. ‘Tell Greenaway I want to talk to him as soon as he’s back in town. I’ve got deals to make. The man’s a lawyer. He should be here working, not off on some vacation.’
Grimshaw pushed his way past me, almost knocking me off balance as he jostled my shoulder. He shoved the door open and stormed his way out of the office. Then he climbed into a silver car parked at the curb and slammed the door. The engine revved a few seconds later and he zoomed off with a squeal of tires.
The receptionist sagged down into her chair and let out a breath.
‘Thank you so much for coming to my rescue,’ she said. ‘Is there something I can help you with?’
‘No, I just came in when I saw Grimshaw bullying you. What an awful man.’
‘He’s a real piece of work.’ The receptionist straightened her shirt and then fluffed her chestnut brown hair up off the back of her neck. ‘I’m Cassidy, by the way. Cassidy Moore.’
‘Georgie Johansen,’ I repeated.
‘Thanks for playing along with my fib about you having an appointment. I didn’t know how else to get rid of the guy.’
‘No problem at all,’ I assured her. ‘He really wants Dorothy’s land, doesn’t he?’
‘Desperately. He knows he could make a killing by building oceanfront condos there.’ She grimaced. ‘Maybe not the best choice of words.’ Her eyes widened and her face paled. ‘Wait. I heard Dorothy was murdered. Maybe Ed Grimshaw …’
‘Killed her?’ I finished for her. When she nodded, I added, ‘That thought crossed my mind too.’
She swallowed hard. ‘And I was in here alone with him until you showed up. Maybe I should keep the door locked, just until Mr Greenaway comes back.’
The door in question opened and Avery Hembridge walked into the office, wearing the same white leather jacket as the day before, but this time over a black jumpsuit. She also wore sunglasses.
Cassidy jumped to her feet. ‘Mrs Hembridge, how can I help you?’
‘I should go,’ I said quickly.
Avery removed her sunglasses. ‘Georgie, isn’t it? Please, don’t feel the need to leave on my account.’
‘I only stepped in for a moment anyway,’ I assured her. ‘I’m so sorry about your stepfather.’
She blinked back tears and offered me a sad but grateful smile. ‘Thank you.’
I sent a quick smile Cassidy’s way and then ducked out of the office.
I stood on the sidewalk, thinking about Ed Grimshaw. It was all too easy to picture him losing his temper with Dorothy to the point of killing her. Those big hands of his would have easily fit around her neck. I shuddered at the thought.
Except, judging by the location of Dorothy’s bruises, I didn’t think she’d been strangled.
Nevertheless, if Ed Grimshaw had killed Dorothy, he wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding the fact that he had a motive for committing the crime. Hopefully the police would arrest him and put him behind bars in short order. If he really was the killer.
Despite the unpleasant thoughts in my head, my stomach gave a low grumble. Working on the farm had certainly increased my appetite. Summer was doing its best to take over from spring, so I slipped on my sunglasses and decided to enjoy the warm weather as I walked down the hill to the food trucks parked along Ocean Drive. This time I decided to try Shanifa’s Lebanese Cuisine. I ordered falafel, stuffed grape leaves, and tabouli salad, planning to share everything with Aunt Olivia when I returned to the farm.
The middle-aged woman working in the truck had dark hair pulled back in a ponytail and toned arms that suggested that she either worked out or engaged in some sort of athletic activity on a regular basis. She introduced herself as Shanifa and started preparing my order as soon as I’d paid for it.
‘Are you here on holiday?’ she asked as she packed up my food.
A stocky man moved about behind her, his back to me as he worked.
‘I’m here helping out my aunt for a few weeks,’ I replied. ‘She runs an animal sanctuary, but she broke her ankle, so she’s not able to keep up with the work.’
‘You must mean Olivia van Oosten.’
‘That’s right,’ I confirmed. ‘Do you know her?’
‘Not well, but I haven’t lived here long. She stops by the truck from time to time, and she’s always friendly. I know about the sanctuary and I’ve been past the farm. That Victorian house is beautiful.’
‘It’s gorgeous,’ I agreed. ‘I love it there.’
The man joined Shanifa at the serving window. ‘It won’t be so nice if Ed Grimshaw gets his hands on the witch’s land.’
‘Mo!’ Shanifa admonished. ‘Don’t call her a witch. Have some respect for the dead.’
The man appeared unrepentant. ‘Did you know the old woman?’ he asked me.
‘Dorothy? I met her a couple of times.’
‘Any idea who killed her?’
‘Mo!’ Shanifa exclaimed again. ‘You’ll ruin her appetite.’
‘No danger of that with all the farm work I’ve been doing,’ I said with a smile, hoping to defuse the growing tension between them.
Shanifa handed me my food and I thanked her. As I walked away, Shanifa lowered her voice and scolded Mo again, but not quietly enough to keep me from overhearing.
‘You shouldn’t speak ill of the dead!’ she said.
‘Please,’ Mo scoffed. ‘Don’t pretend you liked her. The woman tried to shoot you!’
I almost stopped in my tracks when I heard that, but I managed to keep going. Unfortunately, that meant I couldn’t hear anything else they had to say.
Dorothy had tried to shoot Shanifa? I hadn’t noticed a firearm in Dorothy’s cabin and I had trouble picturing her shooting anyone or anything. She seemed like such a calm and peaceful woman. I hardly knew her, though, and the gun could have been stored under Dorothy’s bed or elsewhere out of sight. Maybe Aunt Olivia could shed some light on that story.
I headed back toward my car, the rumbling of my stomach growing louder as I inhaled the delicious aromas from the packages in my arms. As I turned off Main Street, Avery came out of the lawyer’s office.
‘Hello, again,’ she said with a faint smile as she slipped her sunglasses on.
I thought I caught a glimpse of tears in her eyes before she shaded them.
‘How are you holding up?’ I asked her.
She let out a heavy sigh. ‘I’m doing all right. It’s just … There are so many arrangements to be made and now I’ve had a bit of a setback.’
‘How so?’
‘My stepfather’s lawyer, Simon Greenaway, went away for the weekend and hasn’t returned. Cassidy, his receptionist, doesn’t have the authority to give me his will. I know there’s a copy of it in my stepfather’s safe, but I don’t know the combination. The lawyer has that too, but again, Cassidy can’t give it to me without permission from her boss.’
‘When will Mr Greenaway be back?’ I asked.
‘That’s the question. He was supposed to be back at work this morning, but Cassidy hasn’t been able to reach him.’ She glanced around, as if at a loss, but then seemed to make up her mind about something. ‘I guess I’ll head back to the house and start organizing the funeral.’
‘I’m happy to help with that if you need a hand,’ I offered. ‘Or even if you just want some company.’
Avery gave me a sad but grateful smile. ‘Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind, but I’m OK for the moment.’
‘Will the funeral be held in Twilight Cove?’ I figured Aunt Olivia would probably want to attend if that were the case.
‘In Chicago,’ Avery said. ‘That’s where most of his friends and family live. I don’t think he mixed much with the people here in Twilight Cove, even though he told me the locals did their best to be welcoming and often invited him to various events. He became a bit reclusive in his old age. It was hard to get him out of the house.’ She offered me another faint smile. ‘Anyway, it was nice to see you again.’
‘You too,’ I said. ‘And if there’s anything my aunt and I can do for you, just let us know.’
‘I appreciate that.’
She set off down the sidewalk and soon turned the corner onto Main Street.
I drove back to the farm and shared the delicious food I’d bought with Auntie O while the dogs looked on, hoping that we’d drop a morsel or two. They were disappointed that we didn’t share, but I promised to feed them their special cookies from the Pet Palace later that day.
I didn’t bring up Dorothy or the murder while Aunt Olivia and I ate, but both remained on my mind. One of Olivia’s friends phoned her as we finished eating, so I decided to leave my questions about what I’d overheard at the food truck until later.
I spent much of the afternoon working on my script, fortunately with more success than I’d had the day before. Then I helped Callum feed the animals, with Flossie and Fancy supervising my work. I was changing from my work jeans back into shorts, about to head over to the carriage house to help Olivia prepare some of the food for her Gins and Needles meeting the next evening, when I heard a car pull into the driveway. My heart rate ticked up.
Had the police returned with more questions?
TWELVE
The dogs followed me out the door and stuck close to me, as if sensing my apprehension. The tension rushed out of my muscles when I saw Tessa climbing out of a red Toyota Corolla.
Flossie and Fancy ran to greet her. I followed at a slower pace, but with a smile on my face.
Tessa crouched down to fuss over the spaniels, and then straightened up, returning my smile.
‘Is this a bad time?’ she asked. ‘We should have traded phone numbers yesterday.’
‘Let’s do that now.’ I tugged my phone out of the pocket of my shorts. ‘And it’s not a bad time. You can come with me to the carriage house. Auntie O would love to see you.’
‘I’m always happy to see Olivia.’
As we walked, I stored Tessa’s number in my phone, and she did the same with mine. The dogs bounded around the back of the carriage house, so we followed them and found the French doors giving access to the patio standing wide open. Flossie and Fancy had already disappeared inside.
